A Mobile App Could Save Lives In India

Newswise — A mobile app could help turn the tide of a rise in breast cancer in women as young as 30 in India, according to new research.

The disease is the most prevalent form of cancer globally and has become a major problem in India, where breast cancer accounts for 25% to 31% of all cancers.

There has also been a significant shift away from older women to those aged 30-50 developing the disease.

Dr Judith Fletcher Brown, at the University of Portsmouth, UK, says a mobile app used by on-the-ground healthcare workers might be the answer to reaching more women and teaching breast examination techniques.

She said: “India has emerged as a hub central to the development of new technology. It really is time the Indian government made a concentrated effort on raising awareness about the early warning signs of this disease as a preventative method.

“The rate of technological innovation and demand in India for mobile devices offer fresh possibilities for the health and wellbeing of the world’s largest democracy.

“It’s time to invest in innovative mobile technology to combat the rise in breast cancer statistics.”

Dr Fletcher Brown suggests a breast healthcare app could be used by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). These on-the-ground healthcare workers are already accepted by the community, they overcome socio-cultural barriers as part of their normal day-to-day work, and they could encourage vulnerable target groups to engage with the breast cancer education mhealth technology.

Using a bespoke app (operated on a digital tablet with culturally-specific images) ASHAs could educate and demonstrate breast self-examination techniques to help identify the early warning signs of cancer. Similar technology is fast and simple to use.

In her previous research, Dr Fletcher Brown carried out fieldwork in New Delhi, India, and found the reason for such appalling statistics was a lack of awareness about the early warning signs of breast cancer by women. Macro environmental forces including weak political will to fund women’s health, combine with a society in which societal protocols which render discussion about cancer as culturally sensitive.

She said: “Tragically, the intense focus of the health service resources on Covid-19 patients, means late diagnosis at an advanced stage still remains the main challenge in the war against breast cancer.”

Dr Fletcher Brown’s latest research, with Diane Carter, Professor Rajesh Chandwani and Professor Vijay Pereira, reveals mobile health technology (mhealth) as an opportunity to improve cancer healthcare knowledge for women in India.

She said: “Smart technology such as mobile phones are a promising tool for disease control interventions in emerging economies and in India the dominant focus has so far concentrated on HIV/AIDS and diabetes education. We suggest broadening the scope of mheath technology to raise breast cancer awareness among Indian women.”

Design Thinking And User Experience Design For Innovation Highlighted At ASEI’s Design Summit

The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) convened a Design Summit with several academics, authors, speakers and practitioners covering innovation in Design from multiple perspectives on October 9th, 2021.

After a brief introduction to the organization by ASEI executive council member Vatsala Upadhyay, and a tribute to design maestro Steve Jobs marking the 10th anniversary of his passing, ASEI President Piyush Malik shared his forward-thinking views on Design based on his field experiences and learnings working with nimble Silicon Valley startups as well as fortune 500 corporations around the globe. These opening remarks centered around the importance of Design as a discipline and Design Thinking methodologies adapted from IDEO, Stanford’s d.school and IBM’s enterprise design thinking approach a.k.a  IBM Garage, which is an end-to-end model for accelerating digital transformation.

The keynote speaker Prof Sanjay Gupta who is the founder and Vice Chancellor of World University of Design (WUD) shared his vision illustrating the difference between User Interface (UI) and User Experience Design (UXD). He also spoke about applications of emerging concepts such as AR/VR (augmented reality /virtual reality) and innovation in design in his talk titled “Importance of design for engineers” based on his many decades of multidisciplinary design experience across Engineering, Architecture, Fashion and Academics.

Engaging Dr Gupta in a fireside chat following this address, Piyush shared some industry trends based on analyst reports and they discussed the impact of design on creator economy with NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens), Blockchain, AR/VR, etc. Dr Gupta acknowledged the ASEI community and shared the impact WUD has had in its nascent life since inception and cited the importance of partnerships with industry bodies including Assocham, CII and now ASEI to expand its sphere of influence.

Dolly Parikh, Founder and CEO of Aloki Labs, a boutique design studio in California traced her inspiration to the 1977 film “Power Of 10” and shared learnings from her UX Strategy and Design career across companies such as Apple, Verisign, Expedia, Intuit, Medallia, Aviso, Automation Anywhere, InfoStretch, ARM and MindTickle.

UX Architect Noah Iliinsky, a popular speaker and author of 2 O’Reilly books on visualization enthralled the audience with his data storytelling approach and emphasized the 4 pillars of effective design viz. purpose, content, structure and formatting. His versatile technique can be applied to not only data visualization but all forms of communications. The illustrations of data in tables versus charts and graphs and when to choose pie versus line versus bar graphs were eye opening.

In the next section of the Design Summit focusing on career guidance, Sabira Gupta who is a Software engineer turned Principal UX Designer at Informatica shared her tips for those transitioning into Design careers. She showcased formatting as well as language do‘s and don’ts to inspire the budding designers aspiring for new opportunities  amongst the audience.

Veteran designer Ches Wadja spoke on “Intuition, humility and collaboration in service of design innovation”. Sharing personal stories from his time at Expedia as the design head to being the first designer when LinkedIn was a year old startup, Ches mesmerised the attendees with the captivating story of power of being open to ideas and how being agile  and scrapy enabled his seemingly small effort to show marked improvement in Linkedin’s adoption by the masses.The legendary designer also happened to be the first designer at Youtube (which was later acquired by Google) and his designed logo is still used by the company after all these years. It was indeed a pleasure to watch his serene and calm persona field questions from the audience after the newly minted designer Shrinal Patel showcased her portfolio and sought feedback from experienced professionals Sabira and Ches to critique as well as give suggestions for improving candidate portfolio presentations.

Shrinali  then moderated the brief panel discussion with speakers after which Surbhi Kaul acknowledged all volunteers  and proposed the vote of thanks to the speakers. Surbhi, a Vice President at Juniper Networks was a speaker at ASEI’s 33rd National Convention and is an ASEI Life Member who serves on the Silicon Valley chapter board. She also gave a “heads-up” & call for volunteers as well as next year’s board member nominations across all 5 professional chapters.

The moderated Q&A session then “graduated” to social audio Clubhouse room “Engineering Tales”, where the event continued with a few of the Design summit speakers. It included more non-ASEI members too, all of whom were given a chance to interact with speakers of this Summit. John Rodriges moderated the session, sharing his experiences as a UX designer with Citigroup and past jobs. The quality of conversations there once again proved the value of this topic and popularity of design as a discipline amongst techies as well as non -technical folks.

The Design Summit showed the attendees the depth of Design experience and thought leadership amongst ASEI community members and gave a glimpse of the richness of its collaborations with national and international professional bodies.

As is evident from recent activities  and newsletters, ASEI has had an action packed 2021 so far with a large number of educational and networking opportunities  and new programmes such as MentorConnect, UniversityConnect and Youth Programs to serve its members’ interests and inspire the next generation of engineers and technologists amongst the diaspora.

The American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) is a not-for-profit organization that provides a platform for networking, career advancement, community service, mentoring and technology exchange for professionals, students and businesses in the United States and abroad. Members are guided by several objectives, including the creation of an open, inclusive, and transparent organization; providing positive role models, awarding scholarships, and remaining socially responsible. ASEI was founded in 1983 in Detroit, Michigan by a handful of visionaries. Today, the organization  has active professional chapters in Michigan, Southern California, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC and  more student chapters in universities across the US. For more information, or to join this professional body, visit: www.aseiusa.org

ATA’s Grand Bathukamma Celebrations Held in Chicago

American Telugu Association (ATA), a burgeoning Telugu non-profit organization catering to the interests of Telugu people across North America, organized its flagship event ATA Dussehra & Bathukamma Sambaraalu with much pomp and fervor on Saturday, October 9th, 2021 at Sri Venkateswara Swamy (Balaji) Temple in Aurora IL.

Bathukamma is a floral festival celebrated during Navratri time and is predominantly celebrated in the Telangana State of India. Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers arrangement. Women and little girls offer prayers to goddess Gauramma for good health, wealth and prosperity to their families.

Bathukamma event took off to a grand start with a strong contingent of 350 local community members taking part in the festivities. Illinois 11th District Congressman Bill Foster was the Guest of Honor for the event and amidst Vedic renditions kickstarted the festivities with the ceremonial lamp lighting ceremony. Congressman  Foster appreciated the outstanding contributions of Telugus across all walks of life to the American society as doctors, engineers businessmen, etc. Congressman Congratulated the audience for keeping the Indian Traditions, festivals and values alive in the US and was curious about the significance of the festival. According to the Congressman, it was estimated that around 1 Million Telugu native language speakers/Indian Americans are currently living in the United States. Saree-clad Indian Women and little girls dressed in ethnic attire danced to the folk songs late into the evening.

A special kolatam dance performance spearheaded by Saritha Reddy Nandyala mesmerized the audiences. The special attraction of the evening was the percussion instruments performance by Maharashtra Rudra Garjana and Chicago Chenda group playing traditional drums (dhols). Drone cameras were used to capture the aarathi and Nimajjan activities. Specialty snacks from Telangana and sumptuous Indian delicacies were served. President Bhuvanesh Boojala, President-elect Madhu Bommineni wished that the people in both the Telugu states a safe and happy Dussera & Bathukamma. Bathukamma Event Coordination, planning and execution were conducted under the leadership of  Board of Trustee Dr Meher Medavaram and Sainath Reddy Boyapalli Board of Trustee & Treasurer ATA.  Maheedhar Reddy Muskula (ATA Office Coordinator) assisted the event. Regional Coordinators Venkatram Reddy Ravi, Venkateswara Ramireddy and Suchitra Reddy oversaw the event proceedings with support from Chalma Reddy Bandaru, Venkat Thudi, Mahipal Reddy Vancha, Bhanu Swargam, Narasimha Chittaluri, Karunakar Doddam, Amar Nettam, Laxmi Boyapalli, Ramana Abbaraju, Satish Yellamilli, Jagan Bukkaraju, Vishwanath Chitra, Hari Raini & Bheem Reddy. ATA Chicago Team congratulated the support of volunteers, local organizations, friends and family members for their never-ending support to ATA. ATA Media chair Bhanu Swargam praised the relentless media support to ATA.

Bathukamma pre-event and making of the floral stacks was coordinated by Suchitra Reddy, Padma Muskula, Deepthi Vancha, Vaishali Ravi, Tulasi RV Reddy, Harathi Thudi, Aparna Kollu, Lavanya Gundu, Nandini Bukkaraju, Deepika Namasani, Swathi Rao, Asha Tuluva Supritha Kesavarapu, Prasuna Reddy Voruganti, Sudha Kunduru, Anitha Koppara, Asha Reddy Pasham, Malleshwari Peddamallu & Saritha Challa. Raffle ticket winners, Best Bathukamma winners, etc were awarded prizes.

Patients Prefer In Person Over Telehealth Visits To Doctors

New Yorker Charlie Freyre’s sinuses had been bothering him for weeks last winter, during a COVID-19 surge in the city. It was before vaccines became widely available.

“I was just trying to stay in my apartment as much as possible,” Freyre says, so checking in with his doctor via an online appointment “just seemed like a more convenient option. And you know, it was very straightforward and very easy.”

The $20 copay was well worth it for the 26-year-old ad salesman, whose girlfriend also routinely relies on telehealth to see her nutritionist. “It’s a very easy way to get an expert opinion without having to necessarily leave your apartment,” fill out forms or spend idle time in waiting rooms, Freyre says. “We all know what going to the doctor can be like.”But now, Freyre has a sore knee — and he’s not content to to visit his doctor by phone or Zoom. “That’s something that I will 100% want handled in person.”

Freyre’s telehealth experience is fairly typical. Telehealth is continuing to have its breakout moment — transforming the way we receive routine medical care during the pandemic, when visiting medical centers has carried with it the risk of coronavirus infection. Yet even today, with that infection risk easing for those who have been vaccinated, many patients nevertheless prefer that doctors, nurses and other health workers be able to examine and talk to them in person.

That’s one finding from a poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard that surveyed patients in August and September. Around 42% of respondents said someone in their household had used telehealth. Of those, 82% reported satisfaction, yet nearly two-thirds — 64% — would have preferred to see their nurse or doctor in person.

In-person visits can be more thorough

“I think people just really like that face-to-face visit,” says Rebekah Bernard, a Fort Myer, Fla., family physician, and a board member of Physicians for Patient Protection, which advocates for better patient care. Bernard, who runs a concierge medical practice that charges patients a flat monthly fee for services, says she started offering telehealth options to her patients five years ago, long before COVID-19 hit U.S. shores. Back then, not one of her patients used it. That changed during the pandemic, when patients told her having the telehealth option allayed their worries about getting safe access to health care.

That sort of shift in acceptance and how it’s used may have big implications for telehealth’s role in the U.S. in the future. It’s use by various physical and mental health specialties grew tremendously in 2020, as federal and state governments and insurance companies adopted emergency COVID-19 measures, relaxing restrictions on coverage, privacy controls and professional licensing, for example. Now, some of those rules regarding telehealth appointments are being reinstated.

Bernard, the physician in Florida, says the last year has also shown her the limits and downsides of telehealth: “You may be missing that opportunity to be talking with the doctor who’s going to say, ‘Hey, by the way, I see you haven’t had your mammogram or you haven’t had your pap [smear].’ ”

Both she and most patients prefer in-person visits, because it is both more personal, thorough and ultimately, she says, better for the patients’ health.

A lifeline in rural areas

But when and where such visits aren’t available, she says, telehealth can be critical. “What’s going to be important is offering patients options and finding out what makes the most sense in a certain area,” she says. “I’m sure in rural areas or places where, for example, they don’t have a lot of specialists like psychiatrists, we really need to make sure we have access to telehealth for those patients.”

Myriad telehealth companies are already investing to make that happen.

New York City-based TytoCare, helps medical centers and doctors gather data on patients remotely by distributing devices that can sensitively measure patients’ oxygen levels or take images of the inside of their throat, for example. David Bardan, a vice president at TytoCare, says that data is then transmitted to doctors, who use it diagnose medical problems.

Nursing homes in rural areas, for example, are heavy users of the service, he says. “This is way more convenient than having to potentially air-transport or even having to drive long distances, in many cases, to access those specialists,” he says. That’s the sort of circumstance where telehealth excels, Barden says — and he believes those applications of telehealth will endure.

Governor Kathy Hochu Leads Diwali Celebrations In New York

Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York, joined by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, kick started Diwali celebrations in the state of New York while joining the South Asian community at the World’s Fair Marina Restaurant in Corona, Queens on October 11, 2021.

Governor Hochul delivered remarks and presented a Proclamation to celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali, one of the most significant festivals is Diwali, or the Festival of Lights. It’s a five-day celebration that includes good food, fireworks, colored sand, and special candles and lamps.

In her remarks, Governor Hochul said: “Thank you for allowing me the chance to share in the tradition of lighting the candles, to participate here tonight, to meet so many of you who have been my friends a long time on this journey, and your support means the world to me and I’ll never take that for granted.”

The first female governor of the great state of New York thanbked the organiZers and leaders of the Indian American community: “I want to just thank Uma SenGupta for all you’ve done for us, and to your family, your mother, and the influence of your late father – you are the reason why we celebrate today, people like you who came to this country humbly, not sure of what the future would bring, but you always had that deep rooted faith in your traditions and to know that Diwali followed you to this country, that you had this light within your heart that you could bring to America and let shine and let all of us gather here in honor of the Goddess Lakshmi. Many of the traditions honor the male gods but this is one that’s dedicated to women so I think this is particularly special as well. Dr. Sumita Sengupta, I want to thank you as well. Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General, is here as well. Dr. Hari Shukla, I want to thank him for making me feel so welcome, the founder of South Asians of New York.”

“New beginnings, new endeavors and an opportunity to renew ties with family and friends” is what Diwali brings to people around the world who celebrate the Festival. Like food, fashion, and faith, Indians carry with them their beloved festivals wherever their livelihood takes them. It’s no different in the US where people of Indian origin have been living since the 1820s.

Governor Kathy Hochulm, who is seeking to be elected as the Governor in the polls next years, is leading in a new poll of likely Democratic candidates for the state’s top seat ahead of next year’s primary and election season, and the vast majority of New Yorkers don’t want disgraced ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo to run again. Hochul got 44% support from New York State residents, with State Attorney General Letitia James coming in second at 28% and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams at 15%, with 13% unsure, according to the Marist Poll released Tuesday, Oct. 12.

Hochul added, “This occasion celebrates the eternal hope of human kind that guides all of our communities, and as Diwali inspires a spirit of festivity, New Yorkers extend appreciation to our Indian and South Asian communities for their contributions and commitment to upholding and sharing our wonderfully rich heritage story and time-honored traditions, and we extend the warmest wishes for joy and peace and prosperity in the future.”

Over the years, a growing Indian immigrant population has been celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, going all out to replicate the massive festivities from their motherland. The scale of celebrations has become such that popular US tourist spots like Disneyland in California and New York’s Times Square get painted in vibrant Indian colours. Even the White House has been celebrating the festival for many years. After all, the 3.1 million Indian-Americans form one of the most successful immigrant communities in the US.

Need For Management Of Perception About India:” V. Muraleedharan Tells Diaspora

“India is fully democratic. Judiciary is independent. Media is free. There is no substance to the claims that the media is controlled by the government,” declared India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan on October 12th at the Mill River Hotel in Stamford, CT.

The visiting Indian leader from the ruling BJP Party was responding to a question raised by this writer about the “intimidation, influence and control” on the media by the government and about the negative image portrayed by the Western media due to the short-sighted and communalistic policies and programs of the ruling BJP.

Shri Muraleedharan urged for a “management of perception” to change the way India is being portrayed by the Media and appealed to the NRIs to be the “ambassadors of India” to help reshape the image outside of India. “I am here to listen to you. Want to make sure your suggestions are heard and implemented,” Muraleedharan said.

The young leader from the state of Kerala and elected from to India’s Upper House of Parliament from the state of Maharashtra was addressing the representatives of the Diaspora during a Reception and Interactive session organized by the Consulate of India in New York and the GOPIO – CT Chapter. Stating that the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi calls himself a sewak of every Indian, Muraleedharan said, “The role of the Ministry of External Affairs is to care for the Diaspora. And my visit today is for the purpose of benefitting the Indian Diaspora,” he told the audience.

Shri Muraleedharan, who officially took charge as Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in May 2019, is visiting the United States to address the United Nations. He took the opportunity to travel to Connecticut to “listen” directly to the Diaspora and address their concerns. “I’ve been in charge of the External Affairs Ministry for the last 2 years. I was feeling that there is a need for interaction with the Diaspora. And this forum is a place where people have an opportunity to share their problems and concerns,” he told the audience. While assuring the community that he has listened to the concerns of the Diaspora, he will address each one of them and find an amicable solution.

On Press Freedom in India, the Minister categorically denied that Government is interfering with or “controlling” the media. “Allegations that the Indian media is controlled by the government doesn’t have any substance to it,” he said. Pointing to the fact that there are several media who are openly critical of the government, he asked the audience, “If the freedom for the media is restricted, how can the media be allowed to be critical of the Government? How could the media publish the stories of the bodies floating in the Ganges during the peak of the Pandemic, even though the situation is far from what was reported?” He described such allegations as totally false and there is a need for the “management of perception.”

The event was led by Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chair of GOPIO International and GOPIO – CT leadership including President Ashok Nichani, Exec. VP Prasad Chintalapudi, Secretary Prachi Narayan, Treasurer Biru Sharma, and Joint Secretary Meera Banta. Several past presidents Sangeeta Ahuja, Shailesh Naik, Shelly Nichani and Anita Bhat.

Among others who attended the Reception and the Interactive Session with the Honorable Minister Shri V. Muraleedharan, included, Deputy Consul General of Indian in New York, Dr. Varun Jeph; Consul for Community Affairs at the Indian Consulate Mr. A.K.Vijayakrishan; CT Assemblyman Harry Arora, several community organizations including Milan cultural Association President Suresh Sharma; Past President of the Federation of Indian Associations of New York, New Jersey and CT, Andy Bhatia; CT Tamil Sangam President Shivakumar Subramaniam and past president Uma Sekhar; CT Telugu Association Past President Rao Yelamachali; Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut President T.P. Sujanan; GOPIO Media Council Chair Nami Kaur; Sabinsa Corporation President Dr. Asha Ramesh; and former Provost and Vice President of Academic affairs of GOPIO, Dr. Rupendra Paliwal.

In his introductory remarks by Dr. Thomas Abraham, welcoming Minister V. Muraleedharan said, “After the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs was merged with the External Affairs Ministry, Cabinet Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and his associate Minister Shri Muraleedharan have been dealing with Diaspora affairs. Minister Muraleedharan, we are so pleased that you took some time off your busy schedule at the UN to join us and interact with us.”

Dr. Abraham provided a brief history of GOPIO International, which was formed at the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin in 1989 in New York, which has now grown into  a Pan-Indian community organization for NRIs and PIOs with over 100 chapters spread in 35 countries. “We at GOPIUO are a partner with Indian missions abroad to protect India’s interest around the world.

Drawing the attention of the Minister to some of the issues faced by the NRI/PIO community, Dr. Abraham said, “We campaigned for Dual Nationality and the govt. came up with PIO Card and later on with the OCI card. We asked for voting rights for Indian citizens living outside India. Although voting rights are given, there has been very little participation because of the requirements of physical voting in India. The Election Commission has recommended Proxy Voting, but not implemented yet.”

He urged the government of India to appoint at least two Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, representing the 32 million people of Indian origin living outside India, more than half of them Indian citizens.

Other issues raised during the meeting included, violence against Indians in South Africa; post pandemic issues of Indian workers in the Middle East; Challenges for NRIs to open and operate banking accounts in India and the technical problems faced while submitting application for OCI Cards, removing travel restrictions to India for people of Indian origin who are citizens outside India and issues relating to OCI card holders doing business in India, but are treated as foreigners in some areas where changed government rules such as the Biodiversity Act are affecting them. “We also suggest some initiatives through ICCR for sending cultural troupes to PIO countries for India’s 75th Celebration next year.”

Dr. Abraham introduced Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate Dr. Varun Jeph, whom he described as a medical professional, “Dr. Jeph, and has joined the mission only last month and has already reached out all community organizations.”

The ministry of external affairs wants to offer opportunities for every Indian abroad the right to vote, the Minister Muraleedharan said. However, the practical aspect of this major issue has several challenges. Pointing to the fact that Indians are spread over more in almost all 193 countries and coordinating the efforts and ensuring that all those who are eligible are given the opportunity to vote has been a major challenge, while assuring the Diaspora that he will address the issue and follow with the concerned officials.

On Cronoa related travel restrictions, the Minister said, the situation is evolving. We want that every Indian should be given the opportunity to travel to India.  However, it’s based on international civil aviation authority and that commercial flight operations have not started to the full yet. In order to attract foreign tourists to India, the Government has announced that the there will be no charges for visa for the first five lakh Visa applicants to India, Muraleedharan said.

Responding to a question of NRIs not being allowed to own properties in India, he assured “you need not be worried” and said that he is not aware of any law in any state, including in the state of Andhra Pradesh that the properties of NRIs are going to be taken away by the state.

Muraleedharan said, the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence is “a celebration of Indians across the globe so I don’t think that you need to come to India to participate in that. All our Missions are organizing the events and I urge every Community organization to take the lead so that every Indian is involved in the celebration of the 75th year of India’s Independence.”

“I am here to listen to you. Want to make sure your suggestions are heard and implemented” V. Muraleedharan Tells Community Representatives During Interactive Session In Connecticut

“I am here to listen to you. Want to make sure your suggestions are heard and implemented,” India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan during a Reception and Interactive session with the Indian Diaspora on October 12th at the Mill River Hotel in Stamford, CT. Stating that the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi calls himself a sewak of every Indian, Muraleedharan said, “The role of the Ministry of External Affairs is to care for the Diaspora. And my visit today is for the purpose of benefitting the Indian Diaspora,” He told the audience.

“India is fully democratic. Judiciary is independent. Media is free. There is no substance to claims that the media is controlled” by the government, declared Shri V. Muraleedharan, who is visiting the United States to address the United Nations.

Muraleedharan, who officially took charge as Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in May 2019, took the opportunity to travel to Connecticut to “listen” directly to the Diaspora and address their concerns. “I’ve been in charge of the External Affairs Ministry for the last 2 years. I was feeling that there is a need for interaction with the Diaspora. And this forum is a place where people have an opportunity to share their problems and concerns,” he told the audience. While assuring the community that he has listened to the concerns of the Diaspora, he will address each one of them and find an amicable solution.

The event was jointly organized by the Consulate of India in New York and GOPIO – CT, led by GOPIO-CT President Ashok Nichani, Exec. VP Prasad Chintalapudi, Secretary Prachi Narayan, Treasurer Biru Sharma, and Joint Secretary Meera Banta. Several past presidents including Sangeeta Ahuja, Shailesh Naik, Shelly Nichani, and Anita Bhat joined in at the reception.

Among others who attended the Reception and the Interactive Session with the Honorable Minister Shri V. Muraleedharan, included, Deputy Consul General of Indian in New York, Dr. Varun Jeph; Consul for Community Affairs at the Indian Consulate Mr. A.K.Vijayakrishan; CT Assemblyman Harry Arora, several community organizations including Milan cultural Association President Suresh Sharma; Past President of the Federation of Indian Associations of New York, New Jersey and CT, Andy Bhatia; CT Tamil Sangam President Shivakumar Subramaniam and past president Uma Sekhar; CT Telugu Association Past President Rao Yelamachali; Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut President T.P. Sujanan; GOPIO Media Council Chair Nami Kaur; Sabinsa Corporation President Dr. Asha Ramesh; and former Provost and Vice President of Academic affairs of GOPIO, Dr. Rupendra Paliwal.

In his introductory remarks by Dr. Thomas Abraham, welcoming Minister V. Muraleedharan said, “After the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs was merged with the External Affairs Ministry, Cabinet Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and his associate Minister Shri Muraleedharan have been dealing with Diaspora affairs. Minister Muraleedharan, we are so pleased that you took some time off your busy schedule at the UN to join us and interact with us,” Dr. Abraham said.

Dr. Abraham provided a brief history of GOPIO International, which was formed at the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin in 1989 in New York, which has now grown into  a Pan-Indian community organization for NRIs and PIOs with over 100 chapters spread in 35 countries. “We at GOPIUO are a partner with Indian missions abroad to protect India’s interest around the world.

Drawing the attention of the Minister on some of the issues of the NRI/PIO community, Dr. Abraham said, “We campaigned for Dual Nationality and the govt. came up with PIO Card and later on with the OCI card. We asked for voting rights for Indian citizens living outside India. Although voting rights are given, there has been very little participation because of the requirements of physical voting in India. The Election Commission has recommended Proxy Voting, but not implemented yet.”

He urged the government of India to appoint at least two Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, representing the 32 million people of Indian origin living outside India, more than half of them Indian citizens.

Other issues raised during the meeting included, violence against Indians in South Africa; post pandemic issues of Indian workers in the Middle East; Challenges for NRIs to open and operate banking accounts in India and the technical problems faced while submitting application for OCI Cards, removing travel restrictions to India for people of Indian origin who are citizens outside India and issues relating to OCI card holders doing business in India, but are treated as foreigners in some areas where changed government rules such as the Biodiversity Act are affecting them. “We also suggest some initiatives through ICCR for sending cultural troupes to PIO countries for India’s 75th Celebration next year.”

Dr. Abraham introduced Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate Dr. Varun Jeph, whom he described as a medical professional, “Dr. Jeph, and has joined the mission only last month and has already reached out all community organizations.”

The ministry of external affairs wants to offer opportunities for every Indian abroad the right to vote, the Minister said. However, the practical aspect of this major issue has several challenges. Pointing to the fact that Indians are spread over more in almost all 193 countries and coordinating the efforts and ensuring that all those who are eligible are given the opportunity to vote has been a major challenge, while assuring the Diaspora that he will address the issue and follow with the concerned officials.

On Cronoa related travel restrictions, the Minister said, the situation is evolving. We want that every Indian should be given the opportunity to travel to India.  However, it’s based on international civil aviation authority and that commercial flight operations have not started to the full yet. In order to attract foreign tourists to India, the Government has announced that the there will be no charges for visa for the first five lakh Visa applicants to India, Muraleedharan said.

On Press Freedom in India, the Minister categorically denied that Government is interfering with or “controlling” the media. “Allegations that the Indian media is controlled by the government doesn’t have any substance to it,” he said. Pointing to the fact that there are several media who are openly critical of the government, he asked the audience, “If the freedom for the media is restricted, how can the media be allowed to be critical of the Government? How could the media publish the stories of the bodies floating in the Ganges during the peak of the Pandemic, even though the situation is far from what was reported?” He described such allegations as totally fals and there is a need for the “management of perception.”

Responding to a question of NRIs not being allowed to own properties in India, he assured “you need not be worried” and said that he is not aware of any law in any state, including in the state of Andhra Pradesh that the properties of NRIs are going to be taken away by the state.

Muraleedharan said, the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence is “a celebration of Indians across the globe so I don’t think that you need to come to India to participate in that. All our Missions are organizing the events and I urge every Community organization to take the lead so that every Indian is involved in the celebration of the 75th year of India’s Independence,”

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Hindu Heritage Month Goes Into US Congressional Record

Illinois Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has submitted a statement in the House of Representatives Sept. 30, 2021, on recognizing October as Hindu Heritage Month. The statement is now part of the U.S. Congressional Record, the official daily record of proceedings in Congress. (His statement can be found in the Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 172 of Oct. 1.)

Rep. Krishnamoorthi, said he joins the many Hindu faithful in the United States in recognizing October as Hindu Heritage Month. Several Hindu organizations in the U.S., including Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), have declared October as Hindu Heritage Month, and several states including New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, Texas, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Minnesota, Virginia and Massachusetts have proclaimed October as Hindu Heritage Month, according to the website hindumonth.org, as have several cities like Dallas, TX, and  La Palma, CA.

The Congressman, who represents the 8th Congressional District in Illinois, said his constituency “is home to many followers of this uniquely pluralistic religion, and I wish to celebrate the Hindu community’s valuable contributions to my district and to our state and country.”

“I believe this acknowledgment is especially timely, given the disturbing rise of prejudice and racism in the country,” the Congressman said, “including Hinduphobia as manifested in hateful speech and violent acts perpetrated against Indian-Americans and Hindu houses of worship.”

Noting how Hinduism dates back millennia and may have ‘profoundly’ influenced both ancient and modern cultures, Krishnamoorthi said “It’s message of religious tolerance, non-violence, and the universality of the human experience was introduced to this country in 1893 by Swami Vivekanand in his landmark address at the World Parliament of Religions,” in Chicago.

Vivekananda’s spiritual influence on Mahatma Gandhi was profound, the Congressman said, and Gandhi “inspired the important work of one of our nation’s most revered leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr., to advance the cause of civil rights in the United States.”

Rep. Krishnamoorthi went on to say, “The Hindu faithful in our country include physicians, lawyers, scientists, economists, philosophers, artists, academics, business leaders, government officials – and Members of Congress,” who are inspired by Vivekananda’s call to service and respect for all religions and people.

“Madame Speaker, I know all Americans of goodwill share these beliefs, and today I would like to celebrate the work of the Hindu faithful in building bridges of understanding between all Americans, fo their important contributions to our economy and our cultural and civil life, and for the part they play in creating our wonderful and distinctively diverse American experience,” Krishnamoorthi said.

On Sept. 5, 2021, the ‘Hindu Heritage Month’ which has an eponymous organization (hindumonth.org) announced, “Today, Dharma-based organizations including those of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain traditions from around the world, are pleased to announce the addition of another major festival, indeed an entire month of festivals,in October as the Hindu Heritage Month.”

It goes on to say, “Hindus represent one of the newest and the fastest growing immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Backed by a rock-solid family structure and love for education, they are fully integrated into every aspect of their adopted society, enriching it with not only outstanding professional contributions but also rich cultural heritage. From the elegant ethnic wear to delicious food to festivals like Holi and Diwali, their diverse and rich culture has impressed all in the Western world.” Various Indian organizations of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain traditions announced Oct. 3 that the month of October has been designated as “Hindu Heritage Month.”

Thee celebration of Hindu Heritage Month will be a showcase for the diversity that is so fundamental to Hindu civilization, said a press release, adding that each participating organization will decide the manner as well as the schedule of their events. Celebrations can take many forms: cultural programs, fashion shows, webinars, multi-day conferences, walkathons and more. Some events may be conducted in-person but the majority will be virtual, given the Covid-19 situation.

Mission Bindi and the Hindu Student Council are the first organizations to announce their first event for Hindu Heritage Month. They will be observing “World Bindi Day” on the first day of Navratri, Oct. 7, 2021. Dr. Jai Bansal, Indian American vice president of the World Hindu Council of America, and one of the organizers of the event, noted that with second and third generations now making their mark in their adopted lands, the time has come for the Hindu community to talk about its rich cultural heritage and important role in making the multitude of contributions to every aspect of the fabric of the adopted lands.

TiECON East Hosts a Successful In-Person Business Conference

TiECON East, the largest entrepreneurial conference in New England, broke the COVID-19 pandemic spell in Boston and successfully held a day-long in-person conference, which attracted over 50 speakers and was attended by about 400 people.

TiECON East, which is organized by TiE Boston, was be held in-person on Oct. 1 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, MA. All attendees were required to be fully vaccinated and to fully adher to the CDC health guidelines. Major sponsors of the conference included Amazon, Microsoft, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Arent Fox, Converge, Sittercity, Innospark, Thread Research, Progress and Embark.

“Holding an in-person TiECON 2021 was challenging due to COVID-19, but many thanks to our sponsors, speaker, attendees and volunteers who made this conference a huge success,” said Sanjay Jain, Co-Chair of TiECON East. “We were sold out one day prior due to our speakers line-up and safety protocol.” Kiran Uppuluri, Chair of TiECON East and Founder and CEO of verteXD, said the success of the conference was the result of six months of immense work by the team and a labor of love.

“We applied our proven SCE Framework (Copyright verteXD) outline that takes a Human-centered design approach to the conference, and seeing it come to life felt great,” said Ms. Uppuluri. “We squarely focused the design on the customer facing the new reality – i.e. the Post-Pandemic world.” She said the outcome was: a sold out conference, fantastic sponsors, a wrapped audience for the entire day, and a series of “aha” moments hearing from 55 thought leaders and innovation experts presenting never before seen or heard content. “Safety was paramount and we thank all our attendees for adhering to the policies we put in place,” said Ms. Uppuluri.

Anu Chitrapu, President of TiEBoston, the organizer of TiECON East 2021, said the conference was hugely successful. Prasad is Senior Vice President and Head Scientist at Amazon Alexa, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) service that powers Amazon’s family of Echo products, Amazon Fire TV, and third-party products. He leads research and development (R&D) in AI technologies aimed at making interaction with Alexa a magical experience for customers.

Shetty is Co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks. Spun out of MIT, Ginkgo’s mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Started in a Cambridge, MA, apartment, Ms. Shetty has helped to grow the company to over 500 people. Ginkgo’s cell programming platform is enabling the growth of biotechnology across diverse markets, from food to agriculture to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo is also actively supporting a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including community testing, epidemiological tracing, vaccine manufacturing and therapeutics discovery.

“Safety was paramount in the conference. Only 100% vaccinated people were allowed to attend. In fact, we had to decline some attendees and speakers who could not comply with this requirement,” said Ms. Chitrapu. “Our swag bag had a pack of 5 Anti-Viral masks so attendees could change their masks as needed and individual hand sanitizer bottles. It was this attention to safety that gave our attendees confidence.”

AAPI’s Global Healthcare Summit 2022 To Be Held In Hyderabad

The 15th annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) 2022, organized by the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, will be held at the prestigious Hotel Avasa in Hyderabad, India from January 5th to 7th, 2022.

“Harnessing the power of Indian Doctors worldwide, the AAPI Global Healthcare Summit platform has evolved with the support of prominent global and Indian medical associations,” says Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of AAPI. “The theme for the Summit this year is, ‘Prevention Is Better Than Cure Through Technology, Telemedicine & Transformation’ and we want to coordinate and collaborate all our resources towards helping India emerge stronger and healthier.”

According to her, “Senior leaders from leading healthcare organizations such as pharmaceuticals, device and medical equipment manufacturers and major medical teaching institutions, hospitals and from the Ministries – Health, External/Overseas Affairs and regulatory bodies are collaborating with AAPI with the ultimate goal to provide access to high quality and affordable healthcare to all people of India.”

AAPI is hopeful that several international healthcare industry partners are looking for opportunities to participate at this event for greater collaboration on Research & Development and philanthropic engagements, Dr. Gotimukula added.  Chronic diseases, notably diabetes, cardiovascular, hypertension, COPD, oncology, maternal and infant mortality, and emerging ones – trauma and head injury, transplant and minimally invasive robotic surgeries are only some of those that are going to be covered during this Summit. An exclusive Healthcare CEO forum brings the healthcare industry perspective, with senior Government officials, both Union and State providing the legislative wisdom. Hands-on workshops provide supervised skill transfer.

“Physicians and delegates  from different parts of the world will come together, facilitating exchange of knowledge,  cutting edge technology  and best practices in protecting and promoting healthcare,” Dr. Udaya Shivangi, Chair of AAPI GHS USA 2021 says. “In addition to continuing the ongoing projects commenced by past AAPI leaders, GHS will have new initiatives and innovative ideas. The GHS 2022 will focus on envisioning future digital health solutions, and preventive strategies with state of the art CMEs and  Symposiums with information on current and emerging issues and trends in healthcare.”While elaborating on the themes and areas that are going to be covered during the Summit, Dr. Kusum Punjabi, Chair of AAPI BOT, says, “In our efforts to realize the core mission of AAPI, which is to share the best from leading experts from around the world, to collaborate on clinical challenges, research and development, philanthropy, policy and standards formulation, the Summit in Hyderabad will have clinical tracks that are of vital to healthcare in India.”

Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI said, “Healthcare in India is one of the largest sectors, in terms of revenue and employment.  India is making significant improvements in the healthcare infrastructure and is building modern medical facilities throughout India. Indian doctors have made tremendous progress in the 21st century and India is now being touted as a medical tourism hub” While elaborating the objectives of the Summit, Dr. Anjana Samadder, Vice President of AAPI, says, “This innovative Summit is aimed at advancing the accessibility, affordability and the quality of world-class healthcare to the people of India. Among other areas, the Summit will focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment options and share ways to truly improve healthcare transcending global boundaries.”

This international health care summit is a progressive transformation from the first Indo-US Healthcare Summit launched by AAPI USA in 2007. Since then, AAPI has organized 14 Indo – US/Global Healthcare Summits and developed strategic alliances with various organizations. “It is these learning and relationships that have now enabled AAPI and participating organizations to plan ahead and prepare for an outstanding event that is expected to have over 300 very prominent and talented physicians and surgeons of Indian origin from around the world and are very passionate about serving their homeland, Mother India,” Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary of AAPI, says.

According to Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer of AAPI, “With the changing trends and statistics in healthcare, both in India and US, we are refocusing our mission and vision, AAPI would like to make a positive and meaningful impact on the healthcare delivery system both in the US and in India.”There are several AAPI leaders who are working very hard to make the GHS a memorable event, said Dr. Gotimukula. “Among them, I want to recognize Dr. Lokesh Edara, Chair Global Medical Education; Dr. Seema Arora, Women’s Forum; Dr. Joseph M. Chalil, Chair of CEO Forum; Dr. Soumya Neravetla, Chair of the popular Medical Jeopardy; Dr. Ayesha Singh and Dr. Shubham Anand, GAIIMS President, who are coordinating the Medical Students Research Symposium.”

“Being organized at this critical phase, GHS 2022 is aimed at exploring possibilities for greater collaboration and cooperation between the physicians and health care providers in India with those of Indian origin and major health-care providers abroad,” Dr. Gotimukula said. For more information, please visit www.aapiusa.org/ https://summit.aapiusa.org

Covid Claims 700,000 Lives, While Cases Begin To Fall

The United States reached its latest heartbreaking pandemic milestone, eclipsing 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 just as the surge from the delta variant is starting to slow down and give overwhelmed hospitals some relief, reports here suggest. It took 3 ½ months for the U.S. to go from 600,000 to 700,000 deaths, driven by the Delta variant’s rampant spread through unvaccinated Americans. The latest milestone is deeply frustrating to public health leaders and medical professionals on the front lines because vaccines have been available to all eligible Americans for nearly six months and the shots overwhelmingly protect against hospitalizations and death. An estimated 70 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, providing kindling for the variant.

Health experts say the fourth wave of the pandemic has peaked overall in the U.S., particularly in the Deep South, where hospitals were stretched to the limit weeks ago. But many Northern states are still struggling with rising cases, and what’s ahead for winter is far less clear.  Unknowns include how flu season may strain already depleted hospital staffs and whether those who have refused to get vaccinated will change their minds.

An estimated 70 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, providing kindling for the highly contagious delta variant.  “If you’re not vaccinated or have protection from natural infection, this virus will find you,” warned Mike Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Nationwide, the number of people now in the hospital with COVID-19 has fallen to somewhere around 75,000 from over 93,000 in early September. New cases are on the downswing at about 112,000 per day on average, a drop of about one-third over the past 2 1/2 weeks.

Deaths, too, appear to be declining, averaging about 1,900 a day versus more than 2,000 about a week ago. The easing of the summer surge has been attributed to more mask wearing and more people getting vaccinated. The decrease in case numbers could also be due to the virus having burned through susceptible people and running out of fuel in some places.

In another promising development, Merck said its experimental pill for people sick with COVID-19 reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half. If it wins authorization from regulators, it will be the first pill for treating COVID-19 — and an important, easy-to-use new weapon in the arsenal against the pandemic.

All treatments now authorized in the U.S. against the coronavirus require an IV or injection.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease specialist, warned on Friday that some may see the encouraging trends as a reason to remain unvaccinated. “It’s good news we’re starting to see the curves” coming down, he said. “That is not an excuse to walk away from the issue of needing to get vaccinated.”

Covid Symptoms Last Longer Than Previously Thought

One in three people infected with the coronavirus has had Covid-like symptoms persist or recur for three to six months after diagnosis, a new study says, suggesting the so-called “long Covid” is afflicting more people than previously thought.

The study, led by University of Oxford scientists, used anonymized data from millions of electronic health records, primarily in the United States, to compare 273,618 patients with Covid-19 with 114,449 patients with influenza. The researchers looked at such symptoms as chest/throat pain, abnormal breathing, abdominal symptoms, fatigue, depression, headaches, cognitive dysfunction and muscle pain over a period of time.

It found that about 36% of Covid patients still reported disease symptoms three and six months after diagnosis. Most previous studies estimated the so-called long-haul Covid to afflict 10% to 30% of patients. The researchers also found that of those who had long COVID three to six months after diagnosis, roughly 40% had no record of such symptoms in the prior three months.

There was a higher incidence of long-Covid features in the elderly, in more severely affected patients, and in women, the study notes. But long-Covid features were also recorded in children and young adults, and in more than half of non-hospitalised patients, confirming that they occur even in young people and those who had a relatively mild illness.

They say: “The results confirm that a significant proportion of people, of all ages, can be affected by a range of symptoms and difficulties in the six months after Covid-19 infection,” said Dr. Max Taquet, who led the analysis at the University of Oxford. The findings were published in the journal PLOS Medicine

A Phase 3 safety and efficacy trial, conducted in the US, Chile and Peru, of AstraZeneca’s AZD1222 Covid-19 vaccine — which is available as Covishield in India — said the vaccine “was safe, with low incidences of serious and medically attended adverse events and adverse events of special interest” demonstrating an “overall estimated vaccine efficacy was 74.0%.”

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was conducted on more than 32,000 participants and found that in the age group of 65 years and above, the “estimated vaccine efficacy was 83.5%.”

The study, conducted between August 28, 2020 and January 15, 2021, reported that “119 serious adverse events occurred among 101 participants (0.5%)” who were administered the vaccine. In addition, “a total of 7 adverse events leading to death occurred in 7 participants in the AZD1222 group and 9 adverse events leading to 7 deaths occurred in the placebo group.”

However, the study does not attribute any of the deaths “to be related to the vaccine or placebo” and adds that while there were no deaths due to Covid-19 in the group administered the vaccine, there were two deaths due to the pandemic in the group that was given a placebo.

While it has been a long wait for AstraZeneca to get approval for use in the US, the company had in July said that rather than seeking emergency use authorisation, it would go in for a full approval from the USFDA. It is also exploring the possibility of supplying booster doses to people administered its own vaccine as well as those who have been administered either Pfizer-BioNTech’s or Moderna’s vaccine

Ekal’s Aggressive March Towards ‘Mission 2025’

On September 18, “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA – EVF” hosted a day-long virtual ‘National Conference’ with 220 registrants from U.S., Canada and India. Although touted to be a national gathering, Ekal-India had a sizable presence in it, along with some representation from Ekal-Canada. The primary objective of this conference was, not only to review the scalability of ‘Ekal Abhiyan’ projects (an umbrella organization of Ekal’s various logistic operations), but also, to align the aspirations of Ekal-America and Ekal-India for future goals. With the Covid-19 pandemic affecting rural life, this conference had the arduous task of remapping success milestones for ‘Mission 2025’, outlined earlier in Yr.2020.

Ekal-India team presented revitalized facets of ‘Ekal Abhiyan’, namely ‘Digital Literacy’, ‘Arogya Foundation’, ‘Gramothan Foundation’, ‘E-Shiksha’, and ‘Global Communication’, with a focus on the covid-19 pandemic, skill development and economic empowerment. The host team along with Ekal-Canada was composed of members of the board of directors, working committees, regional & chapter presidents and the youth wing. This Pan-American team introduced the topics like innovativeness and accountability in capital projects, technology roadmap, fund-raising targets, cutting-edge technology for project management, and youth involvement.

In essence, all the panelists pushed for a well-coordinated aggressive march towards the milestones of progress, pegged as ‘Mission 2025’. Lot of awe-inspiring information about Ekal achievements came out in various presentations. Ekal-India, keeping an eye on the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative (self-sustaining, self-reliant ‘Bharat’) floated by the Hon. PM Modi plans to showcase 35,000 villages as the ‘Pragat Sanch’ (progressive clusters) with holistic development that would incorporate digital literacy, health & hygiene, skill training, sustainable farming and value-based education.

A small portion of these clusters would be turned into quintessential ‘Adarsh Gram’ (Model Villages), as a role-model template for the future. Ekal is currently leaning towards launching digital technology, at every level of its activities and operations. Ekal-USA, therefore highlighted the E-Shiksha methodology and the preliminary timetable to expand it across Ekal school map. As a dynamic organization, Ekal is perpetually broadening its base, worldwide. With a newly established presence in France and Thailand, the total number of countries with Ekal affiliate branches is now 12.

During the school closures in the U.S., the Ekal-youths, not only helped to publicize virtual concerts with their social media expertise but also, raised funds through athletic activities, talent shows and skills developing tutorials. Being socially conscientious, the youth earnestly took part in their community food drives, tree-planting projects and outreach programs for the seniors in need.

On the covid-19 front, Ekal’s success in rural-tribal areas is staggering. Because of the aggressive safety campaign, herbal medications, nutritional food provisions and isolationist tactics that Ekal field volunteers vigorously promoted there, the pandemic’s effect on rural folks was very minimal. Field volunteers, not only countered the misinformation about the vaccine by asserting its benefit but also, made it worry-free with videos of their own vaccination. This led the vaccination rate to 71% in some corners.

While overcoming various hurdles unique to a village set up, Ekal never ever lost the sight of keeping all its supporters well informed about the steps it was taking in successfully arresting the spread of the deadly virus. This flow of incessant communication not only strengthened donor’s trust in ‘EVF’, but also was reflected in their generous support for this institution. In Yr. 2020 Ekal-USA, with virtual events had raised almost $10 million, with $6.5 million coming in from the year-end magnificent gala. To that end, Ekal-USA once again confirmed that the eagerly awaited glittering virtual Gala would be hosted on Saturday, November 13, 2021.

At the conference’s conclusion, as the host and President of Ekal-USA, Sureshji Iyer summarized various proposals of the panelists for ‘Mission 2025’. While unveiling the roadmap for the benefit of participants, he explained in a nutshell that, although the number of schools would remain the same at 102,000 mark, the number of villages for E-Shiksha (education through tablets) would go up from current 1,170 schools to all 102,000 schools; Arogya services (Healthcare) from 1,200 villages to 35,000; Ekal-on-wheel vans (mobile digital training) from 29 to 60; Tailoring ctrs from 33 to 150; Integrated Village Development Ctrs (IVD) from 12 to 31; and Gramothan Research Ctr (GRC) from 15 to 31. During the five-year goal period, 50% of schools, 15 GRCs, and 25 IVDs are expected to become self-sustaining, subject to third-party assessment.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary Celebrates His Legacy

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, participated yesterday in events across the nation marking the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, including celebrations in Dallas and Chicago. The birth anniversary, commonly referred to as Gandhi Jayanti, is a homage to the life and legacy of one of modern history’s most iconic human rights defenders.

The celebrations saw participation by hundreds of people, and included food and other festivities. In Dallas, around 200 attendees listened to speeches by IAMC National executives, chapter leaders, youth volunteers, as well as from the Mayor of the City of Kennedale, Brian Johnson. The Dallas event included performances of patriotic songs on India as well as poems honoring Mahatma Gandhi. IAMC chapter president Yusuf Dadani also introduced the IAMC Dallas team to the community.

“[Today’s celebration] was an excellent outdoor event on a beautiful day that pulled the community together,” said Noor Baig, Vice President of IAMC Dallas. “We had a great turnout with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.”

“As we [gather] here today, we have to be vigilant,” said Mayor Johnson, referring to the rise of nationalistic movements in Europe, the United States, and India. “What authoritarian governments tend to do is take people that are different and make them the enemy. They make them the outsiders. And we have to unite – if we stay silent, then this is going to continue to grow.”

Throughout his life, Gandhi consistently advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity and the preservation of a pluralistic and secular India. By contrast, the Hindutva movement seeks to transform India, a constitutionally secular state, into an ethno-religious “Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation).” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself been a member of the RSS since the age of eight, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is an affiliate subsidiary of the RSS.

Syed Ali, President of IAMC stated in his remarks, “Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence are synonymous. During India’s struggle for independence from British rule, Gandhi taught the world how to stand up for one’s rights and achieve victory over a formidable enemy without resorting to violence.” He also reiterated that in India today, “the values that Gandhi stood for – namely, peace, pluralism, social justice, and equality for all citizens – are being undermined and threatened by an ideology that was responsible for his assassination and one that is aiming to subvert India’s constitution.”

Less than six months after India’s  Independence, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a fanatic Hindu nationalist and a staunch supporter of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who believed that Gandhi’s efforts to bring peace between Hindus and Muslims were detrimental to the goals of Hindutva, the supremacist ideology that is driving much of the religious persecution and mass violence against minorities in India. Modi has paid the usual perfunctory tribute to Gandhi. In a telling sign of how far India has gone down the path of fascism, it was Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse who was trending on Twitter.

IAMC has reaffirmed its commitment to the values Gandhi upheld and laid down his life for: the values of peace, pluralism, justice, equality, and unity among all Indians.

Gandhian Society Organizes Gandhi Jayanthi At Indian Consulate

The Gandhian Society in partnership with the Indian Consulate in NY hosted the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations in the Indian Consulate on October 2nd to celebrate the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Late Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. The event was well attended and started with some favorite Bhajan’s of Mahatma Gandhi (Bapu) by Varsha Joshi Gandhi. The Gandhian Society has been doing a lot of charitable services in India and USA and some of the donors were recognized during the event for their contributions to sending ambulances to tribal and rural areas. Some of the donors who were recognized were Mukund Thakar, Gita Butala, Hasmukh Patel, Asha Samant, Magan Patel, Dalpat Patel, Ravinder Thota, Dr.Prabhu Rachakonda, Bhadra Butala and others.

There was a digital museum presentation of the proposed Mahatma Gandhi museum by Balaji Jilla who walked thru the various digital museum’s that were created in partnership with Birla Group and other donors by Birad Yagnik from India, who will also be working on the proposed project in USA.

The Consul General Shri Randhir Jaiswal lauded the services of Gandhian Society in taking forward the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi amongst the diaspora and committed his support to the proposed Digital Museum in New Jersey (USA). He said that the values of Mahatma Gandhi are timeless and universal and one should learn from his vision and simple and good life.

The Deputy consul general Dr.Varun Jeph who recently took over his duties was warmly welcomed by Rajendar Dichpally on behalf of the Gandhian Society. The Deputy Consul General agreed to attend another event by the society on the request of Mahesh Wani to welcome him and honor him and pledged his support to the activities of the Society. Mr.Vipul Dev (Consular Services – Political Affairs) also attended the event and praised the Gandhian Society for all its humanitarian work.

Hasmukh Patel thanked all the volunteers, donors and attendees including Dr. Deepak Naran, Sonal Gadhvi, Gunjesh Desai, Shravan Natakala, Shiva Kumar,  and others. The event ended with the singing of the national anthem and light refreshments.

UNGA President Reminds World, Mahatma Gandhi Taught Us, Non-Violence Is A Power

Commemorating Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s 152nd birth anniversary, UNGA 76the session’s president Abdulla Shahid Oct. 2 said that he taught us there’s nothing cowardly about non-violence.

Speaking at a virtual commemoration organized by India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Shahid emphasized, “It is not by chance that this day, October 2, coincides with Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. In commemorating this day, we also celebrate the legacy of this remarkable man who taught us that there is nothing cowardly about non-violence.” Underlining Mahatma Gandhi’s words, he said that non-violence is a power that can be wielded equally by all provided if they have faith in God of love and equal love for all mankind.

He emphasized that Mahatma Gandhi chose peace to confront injustice. Gandhi’s birth anniversary is being celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence. Various world leaders including global organizations are remembering his message of non-violence and tolerance. Several events are held in India and across the world to mark the occasion.

Born on Oct. 2, 1869, in Porbandar town of Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi adopted a non-violent resistance and had been at the forefront of the freedom struggle against colonial British rule. This led to India finally achieving its independence in 1947. Fondly known as Bapu, his unwavering belief in ‘Swaraj’ (self-governance) and ‘Ahinsa’ (non-violence) won him accolades across the world. (ANI)

Gandhi Ji’s 152nd Birth Anniversary Held In Chicago

Indian Consulate of India, Chicago collaborated with The Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Chicago on October 2nd, 2021, at Heritage Park in Skokie IL, to celebrate the 152nd anniversary of the Father of the Nation.

The Consul General of India to the US, Honorable Mr. Amit Kumar and Mrs. Surabhi Kumar graciously joined Dr. Santosh Kumar-President of Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago, Dr. Sriram Sonty-Vice President, Dr. Vijay G. Prabhakar – Vice-President, Mr. Suresh Bodiwala – Trustee, Dipti Shah-Treasurer, Awilda Gonzalez-Director-At-Large, Bharti Desai-Director-At-Large and Shree Gurusamy – Secretary.

The event commenced with Honorable Consul General Amit Kumar who addressed the guests. He highlighted India’s freedom struggle and the significant role played by Mahatma Gandhi, who walked the path and preached non-violence throughout his life. He highlighted “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, which is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India’s progress and the glorious history of its people, culture, and achievements. Consul General praised the Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago Team of Board Members, Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) staff and Consul General staff members lead by Mr. Ranjeet Singh ji, for doing an excellent job in organizing this important event.

His inspiring speech was followed by the Mayor of Skokie, George Van Dusen, during his speech he said that Township of Skokie is fortunate to have the life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Heritage Park since October 2, 2004, He praised and appreciated the Indian American Community for their support and friendship.

Following that, seniors from Metropolitan Asian Family Services aptly sang the famous Bhajan, “Raghupati Raghava Rajaram”, a song which was extensively used by Mahatma Gandhi to project a secular and composite vision of Indian society.

Dr. Santosh Kumar – President of Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago addressed the guest in her motivating speech. She sincerely thanked Honorable Consul General and his wife for taking their precious time to collaborate and to join this memorable event. She mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi inspired her as a teenager to choose Law as her career rather than being a physician for what she studied for.

Gandhiji ‘s freedom struggle and the injustice done to the motherland emboldened her to become an Attorney to fight for the oppressed. In her speech, she felt the valid reason to talk in Hindi as Hindi being the official language of India. In her assertive speech she emphasized the great saying of Mahatma, “No Religion is higher than the Truth and Righteousness!” She said that Mahatma taught Dedication, Sacrifice and to Stand against Oppression and Wrongful forces, which induced chaos amongst people. A nation should join as one and not get influenced by these wrongful forces. In her speech she urged everybody to follow that and if asked if they were ready to do that!

She thanked Dr. Chadrakant Modi and his wife Dina Modi for donating the 12-foot statute of Mahatma Gandhi, to the Village of Skokie and the Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago. She pointed out that Gandhiji’s practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) which was an extension of his respect for other religions creating a sense of fraternity. She further added that Mahatma Gandhi vehemently opposed injustice and authoritarian rule, which is the primary manifestation of the Gandhian legacy today. Dr. Santosh Kumar was very enthusiastic about the Global Gandhi Youth initiative and praised them for taking this initiative.

Dr. Sriram Sonty, Vice President, Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago presented a set of Gandhian books to Mayor of Skokie George Van Dusen for the Skokie Public Library. He also introduced Global Gandhi Youth USA Chapter Members- Nandini Kandamuri, Rithwik Chekicharla, Sri Sai Kaushik Gollamudi and Manikantha Sri Sai Gollamudi, who spoke about the teachings of Gandhiji as it applies to them today.

State Senator Ram Villavallam, of 8th District of Illinois gave certificates and books to the Global Gandhi Youth USA Chapter Members and congratulated them on their thought-provoking speeches which emphasized the need for tolerance, harmony, and inclusion.

Other important Community leaders present on this occasion included Sohan Joshi, popularly referred as Mayor of Devon – Chicago, 85-year-old Manish Patel-MAFS Senior Citizen, Porus Dadhaboy of United For Peace-Naperville, Sunil Shah-Founder President of FIA Chicago, Dina Modi and Martino Tangkar- Chairman of MEATF. Pastor Jerome Athishtam of Congressman Danny K Davis’s Task Force,  Mir Ali-Popular Singer, Anica Dubey AMEC’s Global Outreach Chair, Bihari Beti Neelam Dwivedi of Indian American Business Coalition-Oak Brook, IL Harinder Mangrola-Community Activist, Cook County Judge Sanjay Taylor, & SAPNA Founder Dr Sarada Sonty.

Rudra Garjana Chicago Dhol Tasha Team led by Mandar Pitre did a fabulous job that elevated the spirit of the day. The percussion ensemble performed at the conclusion of the event which reminded of traditional drums being played during Ganeshotsav in India. The Consul General praised the percussion ensemble for their vibrant performance. Dr. Vijay Prabhakar gave a token of appreciation to each artist and emphasized establishing the first GANDHI KING LEGACY CENTER in North America in Chicago, USA.

The event was well moderated by Shree Gurusamy, Secretary of Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago. She thanked the Metropolitan Asian Family Services Seniors and staff for all the floral and food arrangements at the event. Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago Board of Directors, Dipti Shah – Treasurer, Awilda Gonzalez – Director-At-Large, Bharti Desai – Director-At-Large and Suresh Bodiwala – Trustee were recognized for all their voluntary services during the past year.

Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) as usual prepared delicious Boxed lunches along with hot Tea and water for all the guests. For more information regarding Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago please visit : https://gandhimemorial.org/

Houston Post Office Named for Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal

Elected officials, law enforcement officers, and Houston community members gathered to honor fallen Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal with a post office naming ceremony on October 5th.

Per a bill introduced by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX); passed with bipartisan support, including that of Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX); and signed into law on December 21, 2020, the post office located at 315 Addicks Howell Road will henceforth be named the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building. The Sikh Coalition was deeply honored to assist in drafting the legislation that named this post office in Deputy Dhaliwal’s honor; in the weeks following his murder, we worked to mobilize community members across the country to call on Congress for this and other initiatives to honor his memory.

“Since my son was taken from our family in a senseless act of violence, we have received an outpouring of support and love from the greater Houston community,” said Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, the late Deputy Dhaliwal’s father. “We are so grateful and so honored that Sandeep is being memorialized in this way–forever becoming a part of the city that he served faithfully in and out of uniform.”

At today’s naming ceremony, local law enforcement officers, elected officials, and community members–including Sikh Coalition board member Manpreet K. Singh–gathered to pay tribute to Deputy Dhaliwal’s memory. We thank our colleagues at the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund for assisting Congresswoman Fletcher’s office in organizing today’s event.

“It has been an honor to lead the effort to honor the life and contributions of Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal by naming this post office in his memory,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Deputy Dhaliwal represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others. The Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office now stands as a testament to his remarkable and selfless service, and I thank our partners at the Sikh Coalition for helping us build a bipartisan coalition to honor Deputy Dhaliwal and his trailblazing contributions to American life.”

As a reminder, Deputy Dhaliwal was killed during a traffic stop in northwest Houston, Texas on September 27, 2019. He originally joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 2009; in 2015, he secured a historic, first-of-its-kind accommodation to wear his Sikh articles of faith while serving in uniform. Deputy Dhaliwal was widely regarded for breaking barriers for Sikhs and other religious minorities.

Modi Returns To India, As 4 Million-Strong Diaspora’s Importance Comes To Fore

The importance of the Indian diaspora has come to the fore in India-US relations with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden highlighting this factor as part of the strengthening relationship between the world’s largest and oldest democracies.

President Biden during his bilateral meeting with PM Modi mentioned that “there are more than 4 million Indian-Americans who are participating in the journey of progress of America.” PM Modi responded by saying: “As I look at the importance of this decade and the role that is going to be played by this talent of Indian-Americans, I find that this people-to-people talent will play a greater role and Indian talent will be a co-partner in this relationship and I see that your contribution is going to be very important in this.”

The diaspora factor was also very evident at PM Modi’s meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris. He told Harris “between India and the US, we have very vibrant and strong people-to-people connections, you know that all too well,” referring to her Indian roots. “More than 4 million people of Indian origin; the Indian community is a bridge between our two countries, a bridge of friendship and their contribution to the economies and societies of both our countries is indeed very praiseworthy,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

With Indian-Americans playing a crucial role in the technology sector it was only natural that at least two of the five top CEO’s that PM Modi held a one-on-one meeting with in Washington, were Indian-Americans. His meeting with Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, focused on strengthening the defence technology sector in India. Lall appreciated the recent policy changes to accelerate defence and emerging technology manufacturing in India. The company makes state-of-art drones which is a technology that India urgently requires to counter the growing threat from China in this field.

The discussion with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen centred around the software technology company’s ongoing collaboration and future investment plans in India. Discussions also focused on India’s flagship programme Digital India, and use of emerging technologies in sectors like health, education and R&D. India with its huge market and skilled manpower offers an alternative investment destination for US tech giants at a time when they are decoupling from an increasingly aggressive Communist China and looking to set up alternative supply chains.

In this backdrop, the Prime Minister met Cristiano Amon, CEO of leading computer chip maker Qualcomm to present the investment opportunities in India’s telecommunications and electronics sector. This included the recently launched Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing as well as developments in the semiconductor supply chain in India. Strategies for building the local innovation ecosystem in India were also discussed.

Similarly, he took up the issues of cutting-edge solar equipment with the CEO of renewable energy major First Solar. (IANS)

Multiple Protests Held As Modi Speaks At UN

Several separate protests were held outside the UN on Saturday, September 25th as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the United Nations General Assembly. The groups were separated from each other in enclosures put up with police barriers, advocating different causes.

While observers said it was “shameful” that President Biden failed to publicly address widespread persecution of religious minorities in India when he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday, more than 100 members of interfaith and human rights groups spoke out as Modi addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Speakers condemned the egregious human rights violations and murders of religious minorities in India under a government that openly supports Hindu supremacy.

The rally was sponsored by 21 organizations under the banner of Coalition to Stop Genocide in India, including Ambedkar International Center, Ambedkar King Study Circle, Black Lives Matter, Coalition Against Fascism in India, Dalit Solidarity Forum, New York City Democratic Socialists’ Racial Justice Working Group, Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America, Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council, India Civil Watch International, International Commission for Dalit Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace, MICAH Faith Institute, Muslim Community Network, National Coalition against Caste Discrimination in the USA, NY Sikh Council, New York State Council of Churches, SALAM, Students Against Hindutva Ideology, and Voices Against Fascism in India.

Another group comprising of 100 Khalistan supporters waving yellow flags and carrying portraits of Simranjit Singh Mann, the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), came in support of the Khalistan movement. The organizers of the other protests disowned the Khalistanis and said they were not associated with them, pointing to the barriers separating them from that group.

Another protest was organized by a local gurdwara in support of the farmers’ agitation in India focused solely on the agriculturists’ issues. They stationed themselves far from the Khalistanis and an organizer said that they did not have anything to do with that protest and distinguished themselves with green turbans.

The Hindus for Human Rights (HHR) organized yet another protest that was sandwiched between the Congress and Khalistani protests. An organizer said that they were not associating themselves with the Khalistanis and their enclosed barrier next to that group’s was assigned by the police.

HHR protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and other laws and regulations, as well as what they called human rights violations and detention of activists in India.

They were joined by a representative of the New York State Council of Churches, a protestant organization that also lists the World Council of Churches among its members. Its executive director, Peter Cook, a protestant pastor who said he had been deported from India, asserted that his organization opposed the CAA even though it gave citizenship rights to Christians fleeing persecution, because it “pits Christians against Muslims”.

The Khalistani protesters, who were not allowed by the police to demonstrate outside India’s mission to the UN, drove past it in cars flying their flags and raising slogans. Supporters of Kashmiri separatists and Pakistanis, who held protests in the previous years, were not seen this time.

“As religious people, we have a responsibility to build an inclusive multi racial democracy. So when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu comes to New York in the name of perverting my religious tradition, Judaism, it is a way of creating religious oppression, and it is important for me to stand here. And when Indian Prime Minister Modi comes here, we organize in solidarity to demand that we build a world not on theocratic or fascist principles,” said Brad Lander, New York City Councilmember and comptroller elect.

Hindu Pandit Sanjai Doobay said: “As Hindus, we salute the light, ‘Shubham Karoti Kalyanam.’ As Muslims, ‘Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.’ And the Christian Bible says God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.’ If we are together, our light will always be brighter. We will pray for that light, for that peace. Mr. Modi, your Hindutva is not my Hinduism. You are not Hindu. A Hindu is a brother or sister of Humanity.”

“As Christians, we grieve for many Hindus who watch their faith being co-opted and distorted by nationalist government using Hinduism to oppress people of other faiths,” declared Rev. Peter Cook, New York State Council of Churches. “In Jesus’ name, I condemn the government of any country which uses the dominant faith of its people to destroy democracy and deny the freedom and human rights of religious minorities. In this spirit, we call on the Modi government to stop distorting Hinduism to give tacit approval to the burning and desecration of churches, mosques and temples.”

The Indian Overseas Congress, USA, an advocacy organization that promotes democracy, human rights, and equal justice together with its supporters and friends, held a protest rally in front of the United Nations, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was delivering his address to the General Assembly.

“Although we have no issues with a Prime Minister of India visiting the U.S. or the U.N. and promoting better bi-lateral relations or promoting world peace, it is imperative to let him know at the same time that we do not approve of his misgovernance in dealing with COVID epidemic or undermining the democratic institutions,” said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the IOCUSA. “If there is to be genuine economic progress and social development in India, political tranquility and social harmony is a prerequisite without which there would be very little hope for the future. Let us, at the minimum, raise our voices, no matter how feeble it may be, because one day our next generation might ask where you have been when India took a turn towards authoritarianism and fascism,” Abraham added.

“I am glad to state that IOCUSA stands firmly behind India’s farmers who have been denied their rightful voice and concerns to be heard by the Modi government which has pushed a set of bills through the parliament for the benefit of the crony capitalists and to the detriment of our farmers” Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the IOCUSA said.  “We want Modi to know that the NRI voice will continue to be raised in support of their protest unless and until he resolves these issues,” Mr. Gilzian added.

Secretary General Harbachan Singh referring to the plight of the farmers suggested that a Prime Minister should not abuse his power or shirk his responsibility and torture peaceful farmers protesting for their legitimate concerns by not heeding to their concerns.”  It is claimed that this is perhaps the largest and the longest peaceful protest rally in the history of the world.

The protesters carried slogans and chanted examples to point out the failures of the Modi government, e.g. “Anti-Narendra Modi isn’t anti-national,” “We are all Indians. Stop discrimination based on religion, caste and language”, “Protect India’s constitution”, “IOCUSA supports democracy, freedom, and human rights”,” IOCUSA supports India’s farmers”, “IOCUSA -proud supporter of pluralistic India” and so forth.

Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the IOCUSA, Mr. Harbachen Singh, Secretary-General, Mr. George Abraham, Vice-Chairman, Mr. John Thomas, Ms. Sophia Sharma, General Secretary, Vice-President, Ms. Leela Maret, President, Kerala Chapter, Mr. Amar Singh Gulshan and President, Haryana Chapter were among those who took part in the protest.

Onam Celebrations By MASCONN Held In Trumbull, CT

Men, women, children and youth dressed in traditional attire, from across the state of Connecticut came together to celebrate their culture, traditions, and fellowship during the annual Onam celebrations organized by Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN) at Madison Middle School, Trumbull, CT on Saturday, September 18th, 2021.

The long awaited Onam celebrations, especially during the Coid pandemic, began with the lighting of the traditional Nailavilakku or lamp by honored guests of MASCONN and the executive committee members. The chief guests who graced the event and shared their Onam greetings and message included, several members of FOMAA, including the Treasurer, Thomas T Thomas; Vice President of Pradeep Nair; and Joint Treasurer, Biju Thonikkadavil.

A colorful Pookoalm and the traditional lamp with a sandalwood tilak on forehead at the entrance of school, giving them a warm traditional Indian welcome. Legendary King Mahabali was given a traditional welcome as he mingled with the participants showering his blessings.

 

“MASCONN an offshoot of the natural growth of the Indian-American especially Malayalee Community in the southern Connecticut region,” said Sujanan Nair, President of MASCON, in his welcome address.

“In a very short period, we have grown by leaps and bounds and we strive to meet the growing needs of our community. He praised the Masconn Youth group and the executive committee and the members for their dedication.

“Onam awaits one very special visitor, Kerala’s most loved legendary King Maveli. He is the King who once gave the people a golden era in Kerala. The King is so much attached to his kingdom that it is believed that he comes annually from the nether world to see his people living happily.

It is in honor of King Mahabali, affectionately called Onathappan, that Onam is celebrated,” Sujanan Nair explained the story behind this cultural festival of Kerala, a southern Indian state.

The whole ambience was filled with nostalgia since it was an occasion for all the Malayalees in Connecticut to cherish their childhood memories, especially everyone enjoyed the sumptuous Onam Sadhya (meal), the most important and main attraction of the day with different traditional dishes and ”payasam” that was served on banana leaves. Participants were dressed in their traditional attire. The most traditional costume for the men of Kerala is the “Mundu” which is mostly white in colour. It is worn tightly at the waist with a knot and comes down till the feet. Women following Hinduism wear a blouse and mundu known as “Mundu neriyathu.” Children were seen elegantly in mundus, shirts, sarees and salwar.

In his Onam message, Mahabali told the audience that the “beauty of the festival lies in its secular fabric. People of all religions, castes and communities celebrate the festival with equal joy and verve. Onam also helps to create an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood by way of various team sports organized on the day,” he added.  Tijo Josh proposed vote of thanks, while thanking all the organizers for the great event they had worked so hard to put together.

Living in countries that are far away from their homeland, in the midst of different cultures, busy with the day-to-day mundane work and home tasks, the Non Resident Indian (NRI) community made this “land of opportunities” their home, have brought with them these cultural traditions and have sought to pass them on to their children, who are often born and raised here. Onam is a festival celebrated in the south-western state of Kerala, India. The Keralites or the Malayalees, the illustrious people of the beautiful state are known around the world, celebrate the festival of Onam wherever they are.

The celebration of Onam festival provides them with a perfect opportunity to encourage the new generation of children of Indian origin to witness, learn and appreciate these rich traditions, even while it offers the first generation NRIs to stay connected and cherish the rich cultural heritage they hold so dear to them Malayalee Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN) which was formed less than ten years ago, the cultural extravaganza was in many ways “reliving the culture and traditions” and “cherishing the past with a view to pass it on to the future generation.”

 

 

NCAIA Honors Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed in Chicago

National Council of Asian Indian Associations [NCAIA] hosted a rousing reception in honor of visiting Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H.E. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed that attracted a host of Chicago’s leading community stalwarts on Sunday September 12, 2021 at Schaumburg India Banquets in Schaumburg, Illinois. The honoring reception was hosted by Harish Kolasani, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, Sunil Shah, Ajeet Singh & Vinesh Virani. Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed earlier served as the Consul General of India in Chicago from 2013-2017.

Prominent community figures paid rich glowing tributes to Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed for his distinguished diplomatic career spanning over three decades and applauded the history of significant accomplishments and reforms he ushered at each diplomatic assignment. Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed was eulogized for his role as a Consul General of India in Chicago serving the Midwest America with remarkable distinction and has worked with the Indian diaspora to build formidable ties with India.

More importantly, Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed assimilated with the community and business leaders and forged bonding to foster and strengthen business, economic, cultural ties with India.  He was praised for hosting major Yoga events and Kala Utsav programs annually to showcase the rich cultural heritage of India in Illinois.

National President of NCAIA Harish Kolasani welcomed the guests and said Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed has left with indelible bonds of friendship with the Chicago’s Indian American community – such that it was imperative not to miss the opportunity to honor him and have a meaningful interaction with the community stalwarts on issues of the diaspora. Harish Kolasani described Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed as a endearing friend of the Indian American community. Harish Kolasani also praised Farha Sayeed for her extraordinary Egg artistry that elicited applause and acknowledged her with a flower bouquet.

Prominent Physician and community figure Dr. Bharat Barai expressed his appreciation and praise for the Ambassador for his fervency and passion in promoting India at all levels. Other speakers who expressed glowing accolades include: Dr. Suresh Reddy, Trustee of Oakbrook; Dr. Vemuri Murthy of Chicago Medical Society, Dr. Jampala Chowdary, FIA’s Founder President Sunil Shah; Ajeet Singh, President of Indian American Business Council; Sunny Kulathakal, Global GOPIO President; Vinesh Virani, Art of Living; Paresh Patel of BAPS; Raees Yawar, President Board of Commissioners, Streamwood, IL; Ms. Vasavi Chakka, Naperville Commissioner. Amar Upadadhay, Rohit Joshi presented flower bouquet/shawl, Sunny Following the remarks, Community Figure Iftekhar Shareef formally introduced Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed and Mrs. Farha Sayeed for her artful Egg exhibition.

Indian Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed in his remarks exhaustively laid out the emerging robust strategic partnership between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed said India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations reflecting the centuries old economic and socio-cultural ties. The Ambassador said the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1947 was followed by high-level visits from both sides. Last year marked the start of a new era in bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia, with two very successful high-level visits. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited India in February, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Saudi Arabia in October. Thus, there is a greater momentum for the evolution of this relationship, added Ambassador.

Giving historical overview, Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed said Saudi Arabia’s friendship with India is ancient, tracing its roots to the third millennium BC.  It has been further enriched by the movement of people and ideas, in both directions, leaving an indelible mark upon our cultures and civilizations. Trust, mutual understanding, goodwill and respect for each other’s interests have nurtured our relations for centuries, but in the last decade, our ties have witnessed an important transformation, said Ambassador.

Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed said the Indian Community in Saudi Arabia is the largest expatriate community with nearly 3 million strong Indians living there and are highly respected due to its sense of discipline, law-abiding nature and added that Haj pilgrimage is another important component of growing bilateral relations.

Keerthi Kumar Ravoori serving as the presiding emcee for the event said Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed is a distinguished diplomat who fervently and most passionately represented the people and the interests of India wherever he was posted overseas. Keerthi Kumar Ravoori said Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed at heart is uncompromising in his devotion, fiercely loyal in his commitment and unwavering in his determination to promote India. Satish Ambati, owner of Schaumburg India Banquet, proposed a vote of thanks. Several organizational leaders were present including Sunny Kulathakal, GOPIO President, Uma Katiki, TANA Women’s Coordinator, Vandana Jhingan, Jigar Shah, Laddi Singh, Sanjay Shah, Jitendra JD, Krishna Rangaraju, Ravi Harsoor, Mir Ali, Dr. Afroz, Alli Dhanraj,Mohd Ali, Khurram Sayeed,Gulbachan Kaur,Dhitu Bhagvakar and Chris were present to acknowledge the Ambassador.

Shree Jalaram Mandir Raas Garba Ramzat Turns Chicagoland Devotional

Chicagoland couldn’t have asked for a better post-pandemic celebration after almost two years of pause to any public gathering than the beautiful religious and musical extravaganza organized by Shri Jalaram Mandir with Kirtidan Gadhvi and group. The grand program of “Ras-Garba Ramzat” was organized by Shri Jalaram Mandir, 425 Illinois Blvd, Hoffman Estate, IL on Friday September 17, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 1:00 am at Renaissance Convention Center, 1551, Thoreau, Schaumburg, IL with the internationally acclaimed vocalist Kirtidan Gadhvi” and his fellow artists who entertained thousands of devotees at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel at Schaumburg, IL.  The event was attended by over 2500 people.

 “The best karma is not the one that has a good result, the best karma is the one that has the best purpose.” Shri Jalaram Mandir follows the similar path of public service, with all its revenue from such programs going to the contribution of the temple. The selfless and free service of Shri Jalaram Mandir, its managing committee and all the volunteers was as excellent as ever with beautiful sound system lighting, security, photography, videography and booths for different businesses.  There was free entry for children below 10 years of age, free parking, tea and snacks at reasonable prices, provision of water, cold drinks and free covid testing. The contribution of donors from different fields as sponsors was commendable. All the devotees who came were also very supportive and co-operative.

Jalaram Mandir has been organizing events in mind boggling fashion depicting unique examples of teamwork and credit goes not only to Board Members but to every individual that participates with zeal be it an executive or volunteer. The entire venue was overcrowded and the spectacular audience danced and enjoyed Raas Garba with enthusiasm and fervor. This annual holy event is celebrated in honor of Goddess Durga Mataji. “Navali Nortani Raat Maa Amba Garbe Ghumta (Nisarya) Pavagadhthi. Ne Chicagona Khailaiya Raas Garba Khub Ghumta Sang Kirtidan Gadhvi”

Garba and Raas, performed by Kirtidan Gadhvi and Group, transformed the whole center into a huge dance floor to accommodate thousands of bare feet moving into thunderous drum beats in swirling circles around deity Hindu Goddess “Durga”. There was overwhelming participation from the audience enjoying the memorable evening. Many in the audience, especially ladies and children wore very colorful and dazzling traditional dresses for this special juncture with appropriately matching ornaments and extravagant hairstyles. Navaratri Garba is very special as it honors Shakti in very rhythmic ways. Western dress is replaced by Lengha-choli, matching jewelry and foot wear. “Some prefer to wear traditional outfit while others go for modern look”

Kirtidan Gadhvi and Group started the program by offering a prayer to invoke divine grace. This was followed by mesmerizing rhythmic conventional Garba music with equally passionate and energetic performance by the audience of traditional swirling dance around Mataji’s heavenly symbolic presence turned into a shrine adorn with flowers and decorations. After the brief break and Aarti, the festive music of Dandiya-Raas commenced with an enthusiastic participation by the audience that lasted into the early hours of the morning.

Immaculate planning and a well-organized team effort by Board of Trustees, executive committee members and volunteers was very well evident in the excellent security, safety and parking arrangement. Kirtidan Gadhvi and all his fellow artists made the event a very successful with heartfelt, devotional performance. All the artists from India came to Chicago Shri Jalaram Mandir. All the artists, promoters and attendees heartily applauded all the excellent arrangements. This multidimensional celebration of such a festive day of Navaratri would not have been possible without many sponsors, donors, and advertisers. With divine blessing from Jalarambapa and Mataji combined with devotional hard work and enthusiastic support and participation by the community made the event a grand success.

AAEIO Inaugural Gala Held In Chicago

American Association of Engineers of Indian Origin (AAEIO) organized its inaugural gala to celebrate its official launch on September 26, 2021 at Marriott, Oakbrook IL. The gala featured the introduction of the newly elected board of directors and the address by the distinguished guests.

 

The event started with national Anthems and lamp lighting followed by the inaugural dance performance by the students of SR Dance Academy. The master of ceremony Madhura Sane kickstarted the event by welcoming all the board of directors and the distinguished guest on to the stage. The  President Gladson Varghese delivered his speech to elaborate on the vision behind the initiative of launching AAEIO. He talked about how the organization aims at supporting engineers across the globe by providing them a voice and guidance by the experienced leadership of the organization. Vice President Nitin Maheshweri presented the Vision and 4 pillars of the organization. Chief Guest Consul General of India Mr. Amit Kumar along with Congressman Sean Casten officially Inaugurated the AAEIO  by lighting the Lamp. AAEIO also presented the awards to Dr. Deepak Kant Vyas, Mr. Gulzar Singh and Mr. Brij Sharma for their contributionsto the community and becoming successful Engineering Entrepreneurs. 

 

Redberry CEO Dr. Deepak Kant Vyas Talked about the Business Incubator project AAEIO Launching along with T-Hub and the role of AAEIO in acting as incubator for the start-up companies to provide them the support that they need. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi along with Consul General of India Mr. Amit Kumar. Founding President Gladson Varghese, Associate dean of Kellogg Mr. Mohanbir Sawhney, Vice President Nitin Maheshweri  cut the ribbon and officially Inaugurated Business Incubator program of AAEIO.  AAEIO will also be planning to organize a summit for all the start up companies in the near future. 

 

Board of Director, Sanjjeev Singh presented a vote of thanks to all the sponsors, supporters and the distinguished guests who attended the event. The elected officials and other special guests and directors included Congressman Sean Casten, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, State Senator Laura Murphy, Consul General, India, Chicago Mr Amit Kumar, CEO Redberri Corporation Mr Deepak Kant Vyas, CEO Powervolt Brij Sharma, Kellog school of Management Associate dean Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney,Trustee Village of Oakbrook Dr. Suresh Reddy, Alderwoman, City of Aurora Shweta Baid. Members of other community organizations also attended the event to extend their support to AAEIO.   

 

Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney, Associate Dean, (Northwestern University, Kellogg) delivered an inspirational and informative keynote speech elaborating on his experience and the roles and future of organizations like AAEIO. The speech by the Vice President 2021 Nitin Maheshwari included the plans for the upcoming initiatives taken by AAEIO and how the organization aims at supporting small businesses, fresh graduates as well as the fellow engineers from all across the globe. The president elect 2021 Ajit Pant talked about how AAEIO will act as an umbrella organization for the engineers from all streams of engineering like civil, mechanical, IT, electronics, Electrical and so on. Nag Jaiswal did the Vote of Thanks and he thanked all the sponsors, Dignitaries, AAEO Board and all the Guests for their help and support. 

 

Consul General Amit Kumar attended the formal launch of the American Association of Engineers of Indian origin (AAEIO) in Chicago on 26 September 2021.  In his remarks, CG welcomed the formation of AAEIO noting that the organization would provide a valuable platform for professional networking among engineers and noted the ambitious objectives that the organization has set for mentoring, education and entrepreneurship support including in India. 

 

CG Kumar also briefed the participants on the successful visit of PM Narendra Modi to the US.  He referred to the synergies in some of the priorities set by two governments and the focus areas identified by AAEIO.  He said that the Consulate would look forward to possible joint activities with them in the future.  Other board of directors present at the gala to were Abhishek Jain (Treasurer), Murugesh Kasilingam, Vinoz Chanamolu, Rajinder Bir Singh Mago, Nag Jaiswal, Vijay Kaul, Gordhan Patel, Anaya Vardya, Sanjjeev Singh, Neil Khot, Madhura Sane and Gulzar Singh.

Sikh Coalition Advocates To End Religious Discrimination In Workplaces

The Sikh Coalition, while sharing the story of a client, 1st Lieutenant (1stLt) Sukhbir Singh Toor, an active duty officer in the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) who is fighting to continue his military service while keeping his Sikh articles of faith, has advocated to end discrimination at work place. 1stLt Toor is currently facing an inadequate and incomplete religious accommodation that forces him to choose between his turban and beard or his career.

1stLt Toor’s case is the latest pivotal development in our 12-year campaign to combat employment discrimination by our nation’s largest employer, the Department of Defense. Building off the historic policy victories in the U.S. Army and Air Force, we continue working to ensure that Sikhs can maintain their articles of faith in every branch of the military in our efforts to further protect religious rights in all American workplaces. If the USMC grants 1stLt Toor a full accommodation, it would be the first–to our knowledge–for an active duty Sikh Marine to maintain their articles of faith.

“For more than three years, I have proven my commitment to excelling in the U.S. Marine Corps and defending my country,” said 1stLt Toor. “Now, with the direct support of the Sikh Coalition, I am seeking a full and complete religious accommodation that will allow my turban and beard so that I can stay true to my faith while continuing my career of service.”

1stLt Toor has served with distinction in the USMC since October 2017. As a younger man, he thought he had no choice but to compromise his articles of faith in order to serve his country as a Marine, due to the branch’s track record of denying these types of religious accommodations; thus, he made the extremely difficult decision to shave his beard and cut his hair, but committed to return to his articles of faith at the earliest opportunity. In March of this year, he applied for an accommodation in the hopes that his excellent service would help bolster his request. After several rounds of appeals, in August, the Department of the Navy granted a limited accommodation which imposed unacceptable restrictions on 1stLt Toor’s religious rights–including that he would be forced to shave his beard when deployed. Accordingly, we are now considering our final options before litigation.

“It is disappointing that the Marine Corps only wants to allow 1stLt Toor to practice his faith in ways and at times that are convenient to them; they would rather derail his promising career than acknowledge his right to practice Sikhi.” said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition Senior Staff Attorney. “In 2016, we successfully took the U.S. Army to court over the right to maintain one’s articles of faith while serving in the military, and we’re prepared to do the same with the USMC now: No Sikh, in any workplace, should be forced to make a false choice between maintaining their articles of faith and excelling in their chosen profession.”

In addition to representing 1stLt Toor and facilitating the New York Times story, the Sikh Coalition is advocating for his accommodation through other channels. We are currently in touch with the White House, various legislative offices in the House of Representatives and Senate, and leadership at the Department of Defense to push for this case to be addressed outside of the courtroom.

To date, the Sikh Coalition, our pro bono counsel at Winston & Strawn LLP and McDermott Will & Emery, and our litigation partners the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty have helped more than 30 Sikhs in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force (USAF) secure their accommodations; in addition to 1stLt Toor, we are also assisting other USMC clients as they apply for religious accommodations. We also recognize the important work of the American Civil Liberties Union, BakerHostetler, and the Sikh American Veterans Alliance on this campaign. For more than a decade, advocacy and legal action has ensured that nearly 100 Sikhs total are able to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces with distinction and with their articles of faith; the service of these individuals is proof positive that religious identity does not impede a career in the U.S. military. If you or someone you know needs assistance securing a uniform or grooming accommodation for any employer, contact our legal team for free aid.

In the meantime, we and our partners continue to work towards branch-by-branch policy improvements similar to those already achieved in the Army in 2017 and the USAF in 2020, including continued development of the U.S. Navy’s regulations and proactive change for the USMC, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Space Force. If you have questions about our work on this issue, be sure to read our community FAQ; our goal remains to end religious employment discrimination across the country, including in the U.S. Department of Defense.

Nisha Foundation Honors Doctors, Warriors Against Covid

Nisha Foundation organized a salutation evening with for doctors and frontline workers in the presence of Faggan Singh Kulstey, the Union Steel Minster of State, and various monks from the DALAI LAMA’s organization, sisters and brothers from Brahmakumaris, Dr Roger Gopalu (Ambassador of Trinidad), Dr. Sandeep Marwah, CEO Film City Noida, Diplomats and 35 awardees doctors, nurses, managing staff and social workers.

The Governor of Sikkim, Ganga Prasad, praised the foundation initiative and congratulated all the awardees. He launched the stickers, “I Salute Doctors”, in the presence of all the dignitaries. He said Nisha foundation is working towards a wonderful mission for betterment of society. Kulstey said Nisha foundation initiative is great and he applaud this program and appreciated Nisha foundation for working in 173 countries in association of world Organization of peace for child education, sports and salutation evening in name of frontliners During his speech he said it’s important to do this kind of programs to uplift human consciousness and he expressed his concern for farmers.

Nisha Foundation organized a salutation evening with for doctors and frontline workers in the presence of Faggan Singh Kulstey, the Union Steel Minster of State, and various monks from the DALAI LAMA’s organization, sisters and brothers from Brahmakumaris, Dr Roger Gopalu (Ambassador of Trinidad), Dr. Sandeep Marwah, CEO Film City Noida, Diplomats and 35 awardees doctors, nurses, managing staff and social workers.

The Governor of Sikkim, Ganga Prasad, praised the foundation initiative and congratulated all the awardees. He launched the stickers, “I Salute Doctors”, in the presence of all the dignitaries. He said Nisha foundation is working towards a wonderful mission for betterment of society. Kulstey said Nisha foundation initiative is great and he applaud this program and appreciated Nisha foundation for working in 173 countries in association of world Organization of peace for child education, sports and salutation evening in name of frontliners During his speech he said it’s important to do this kind of programs to uplift human consciousness and he expressed his concern for farmers.

This program objective was to facilitate the awards to 20 Doctors and 10 Frontline Workers. Few of the honorees are Dr. Raja Marimuthu Chairperson of Covid in Chennai, Nurse Sita Ghimirey from AIMS, Dr. Vinay Bhasin – AIIMS, Dr. Mosin Ali, Nurse Monika Dhankar.

Nisha Foundation Chairperson Priyanka Kothari, an accomplished former Bollywood actress who has worked in various movies in Indian film industry. While travelling for her movie shoots to different rural areas, she felt that there is huge need to support and uplift unprivileged people in many aspects, sports, women empowerment and she left film industry and dedicated herself to the service of humanity. she is an actress turned philanthropist, Motivational speaker, and an accomplished yoga teacher. Her NGO supports other NGO’s as well to uplift and support child education, woman empowerment, sports, and other activities.

She is working in 173 countries with association of OMPP.  She is Secretory general of world Organization of peace (Asia).  Also, Nisha Foundation recently honored with Citation from Eric Adam who is a President of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York USA, for work to support “BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO” and spreading peace and compassion to humanity.

She believes “our life’s journey is all about uplifting human consciousness and help each other to reach our maximum potential indeed that’s our destiny, Said we have learnt from this pandemic time that “life is too short and there is no time of hate”  We must spread love compassion peace to humanity and expressed gratitude for each and every frontline workers  with standing ovation she said this award ceremony not only for awardee list rather it’s for those unknown volunteers and helpers who served during pandemic.

Kothari Started Her speech with Sanskrit shloka and welcome all the Guest and Audience, furthermore she explained about the foundation objections and goals & she also Remembered the President and Co-founder of Nisha foundation Late Shri Bhasker Prakash Ji whom we lost in this Pandemic with having teary eyes Priyanka Ji bravely continued her speech.

Hindu Group In India Threatens To Demolish Churches In BJP-Ruled Northern State

The onslaught on citizens of minority faith continues in Madhya Pradesh. Individuals claiming to be members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) say they are preparing to demolish churches in the Jhabua district on Sunday, 26thSeptember.  Auxiliary Bishop Paul Muniya, of the Protestant Shalom Church in Jhabua, led a delegation to District Collector, the highest government official, and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, seeking his urgent intervention to ensure the safety and security of Christians and to stop the anti-Christian violence. He has also appealed to the state’s governor and chief minister to intervene and diffuse the situation.

Located in western Madhya Pradesh, bordering Baroda, this district had witnessed similar unrest when Azad Prem Singh, a local leader of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or World Hindu Council, had demanded the closure of all churches in the area earlier this year. Although Singh focused on Jhabua and surrounding tribal-dominated districts, the continued escalation of communal threats could have repercussions across the country, particularly in states like Madhya Pradesh which have enacted the anti-conversions laws.

However, far from helping the cause of the minorities under threat, a District Revenue official has directed the Christian priests to present themselves before him and explain the nature of their religious activities and has even sought details of their appointment as priests. The official letter also asked priests to certify if they themselves were converted through allurement or force while threatening to initiate legal proceedings against any illegal conversions, if detected.

Bishop Muniya, while addressing the media, expressed his anguish and concern over what appears to be the local administrators siding with the perpetrators responsible for harassing Christians who number a mere four percent of the one million population of the district. “If there is an illegal structure, let the administration take action. Why are private individuals and organizations issuing such threats?” the Bishop asked. He also sought to know if the same yardstick would be applied to other religious structures in the district and the state.

Father Maria Stephan, PRO of Bhopal Catholic Archdiocese feels both the revenue and police administration of the district are biased against Christians. “Christians are peace-loving citizens. We are seeking judicial remedies to ensure peace and harmony in our society. We have no objection to sharing any official details about our work and personnel to the government provided the intention is right.”

President of UCF, Dr. Michael Williams, while expressing concern and distress over the situation in Jhabua, has appealed to the Prime Minister and Home Minister to help put a stop to this targeted violence.  “The very fabric of our secular nation is being stretched by a few who do not respect the Constitution of India.  Such people are the real anti -nationals and must be dealt with as strictly under law as possible.  This intolerance has no room in our country”, he added.

FIACONA Is Grateful to Biden, Harris For Emphasizing Need For Democratic Values In India

The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) has expressed gratitude to Vice President Harris for telling Prime Minister Modi, “I know from personal experience and from my family, of the commitment of the Indian people to democracy and to freedom, and to the work that may be done and can be done, to imagine and then actually achieve our vision for democratic principles and institutions”. “While we greatly applaud the Vice President’s powerful testimony and her heartfelt remarks, we also feel that Mr. Modi may not have understood the gravity of what she was trying to convey to him,” a statement issued by FIACONA said. “It is not the first time that Mr. Modi and his team have completely missed the point of suggestions coming from American leaders, including the then Vice-President Biden and President Obama on past occasions,” FIACONA pointed out.

FIACONA has urged the President Biden and Vice President Harris “to be more direct and explicit in expressing that India should not and could not afford to go down the path of religious nationalism at the expense of pluralist democratic principles that values Christian and other religious segments of the population. Should Modi and his party choose to continue down this path of religious nationalism despite warnings from leaders of the free world, there is no reason to assume that India would end up any better than Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Myanmar in that region, thus jeopardizing the stability and commerce in the Indo-Pacific region.”

In a statement issued here, FIACONA pointed out that, India is going through unprecedented challenges under Prime Minister Modi’s watch. “We are concerned that some of those challenges have the potential to cause civil unrest in many parts of the Union where it has seriously undermined the democratic values and institutions in the name of religious majoritarianism.” Reports indicate that Modi’s hardline Hindu nationalist policies have seriously threatened the fundamentals of a multi-faith, multi-linguistic, and multi-racial equilibrium among different sections/regions of the Union. These aggressive domestic policies of the government of the Union of India headed by Modi are already stifling growth and threaten stability in many parts of India. Only those who are aligned with the hardcore Hindu nationalism, both in India and abroad refuse to acknowledge this fact, FIACONA stated.

“A continued push for aggressive domestic policies by the Hindu nationalists would have far-reaching implications not only within the Union of India but also across the region. It has the potential to adversely impact the US business interests in the region as well,” FIACONA cautioned. “The United States cannot afford to make similar strategic mistakes over and over. Ignoring the tell-tale signs of an increasingly radicalized society, or the deterioration of liberal democratic values in a country like India just to achieve short-term strategic goals will only turn out to be an expensive mistake for the US in the long run,” FIACONA warned.

Urging the US policymakers “to take serious cognizance of the style of functioning and perceived goals of the governments in member countries instead of just accepting their talking points however rationale it may sound,” FIACONA stated,  “The safety and security of over 100 million Christians and their continued existence in the Union of India without daily harassment from Hindu nationalist vigilante groups (supported and encouraged by Mr. Modi’s party officials) are inextricably tied to the respect for democratic values by successive governments there.”

FIACONA urged “the Biden Administration is direct and honest with their Indian counterparts in saying that the Union of India must stop sliding down its current path. Measures need to be taken to ensure that. The Hindu nationalist leaders must be told publicly in unambiguous terms that there will be consequences for continuing to encourage and lead India down the path of religious radicalism and vigilantism. They need to be told that all kinds of rationale and false narratives offered to the International community by the Modi government must stop.”

Indian Students Are A Strong Bridge Between India And USA

In a new initiative to connect the nearly 200,00 Indian students with the Indian American community and the Indian missions, GOPIO-Manhattan and the Indian Consulate in New York hosts Meet & Greet Event Welcome Event in New York.

“Indian Students continue to be a strong bridge between India and USA,” Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu told students from India who had come together at Meet and Greet welcome event organized by the GOPIO-Manhattan (NYC) in cooperation with Consulate General of India in New York for the Students from India studying in the Northeast region in the United States. Organized with the objective of connecting the students to the community and providing mentoring opportunities as well as to raise awareness of Consular services to students from the Indian Consulate, the event held at the Indian Consulate in New York on Friday, September 17th was attended by students from 21 universities, mostly from the Northeast participated in person or virtually.

The Indian Ambassador addressed the students via a video message. He told them: “Delighted to welcome the students virtually!  The education and knowledge partnership are an area that holds great potential in our bilateral relations. During my visits across US, I’ve always made it a point to visit universities and visit faculty and students there.” He further added “We have an active student hub and a dedicated student wing at the Embassy. You can count on them for any assistance.” The chief guest/host for the evening Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, commented, “Welcome to all the students from India with open heart as you pursue your future studies here in the North-East region and help in the growth of economy here in USA and back home in India.”

Ambassador Jaiswal further highlighted the goal to expand this program to include more students, from the pool of 200,000 students that come to the USA for further studies, to attend in person more interactive sessions and gain exposure to various services offered by the Consulate for the benefit of the students from registration at the Consular Portal, to cultural events to mental health support initiatives. The program started with a welcome by GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, who also serves as an advisor to GOPIO-Manhattan. Dr. Abraham encouraged the speakers to mentor, motivate and guide the students. Dr. Abraham said, “In the 1960s and ‘70s when a foreign student joined a university, he/she was given host family, now with connected world and social media, the host family concept went away and the 4.5 million Indian Americans could serve as the host family to the new students.”

GOPIO-Manhattan Executive Vice President Professor Rajasekhar Vangapaty moderated the first panel on mentoring students in the current market environment and added his learnings to the students using his unique perspective as a Registrar of Fashion Institute of Technology, the MIT of Fashion. There were four panelists in this session who are asked to comment on several questions. Abha Kumar, Business transformation leader/Board member Notify.io Advisory Board Shopelier, Former CIO- Corporate & International Vanguard, shared her experiences with the students and said, “The way we worked in the past will not be relevant post-COVID…we now will look for employees who have the ability to have a wide perspective and connect the dots.”

Kumar further added that students should master the technology component; the companies also look for certain emotional intelligence when they hire. Lastly, in corporate America, your work doesn’t speak for you, you need to speak for yourself. Prasan Kumar, Senior VP & Strategy Director at Publicis Group & Lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian New York College added “When you’re in a classroom, experiment as much as you can.” He elaborated, “bringing more than a text book education is significantly important, get your perspective as per your interest, helps you being a problem solver and think long-term for career choice reflecting from his personal experience of moving 4 careers in 2 decades from IT to advertising now.”

Neil Datta, Head of Due Diligence at Forbes Family Trust & Co-Founder Meritas provided insights in the current market context and said, “You’re either a fintech company or you don’t know it yet.” He further added, “The ability to be a problem solver is a crucial skill that helps you in whatever you choose to work in.” Joe Simon, CIO at Entain which is involved in Sports Betting, echoed the thoughts of the speakers and added, “Cultural sensitivity is crucial.” He further added that in order to succeed, one needs to be fairly convinced about what one is trying to do and that the two most underrated skills in corporate America are patience and persistence.”

The second panel on F1 to H1B via OPT was moderated by Aseem Trivedi, Manager of Data Analytics at Ernst and Young. He shared his unique path to Green Card as an experience for the students. He reminded the students “One should start thinking now what after H1B?” Akshat Singh, a recent economics graduate of Columbia University brought his experience with Students and shared the idea “Get started on OTP process asap and do not wait for 6-months or so.” Ankit Chaudhari, Associate Vice President at JP Morgan Chase commented about his personal journey from F1 to OPT to H1-B to Green Card and suggested students “ask your employer whether they will sponsor your visa or not, but you give your best services.”

Apeksha Tewari, Master of Laws from Penn State Law and Lawyer, shared her personal views to the students as part of the panel said, “Now that you are here, outside of your studies, you need to network with your professors, peers, everyone & communication is the key, ask for things.” Siddharth Jain, GOPIO Manhattan Board Member & Program Coordinator; conducted the questions & answers session and concluded with vote of thanks to Chief Guest/Host Ambassador Shri Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Dy. Consul Shri Varun Jeph, Consul for Political, Education and Culture Shri Vipul Dev, Consul for Community Affairs Shri A. K. Vijayakrishnan and the consulate staff. Other GOPIO-Manhattan officials present at the meeting included Vice President Vimal Goyle, and Co-Secretaries Dr. Lisa George and Bhavya Gupta.

“The students had an excellent time networking with students from different universities as well as with speakers and the Consulate and GOPIO officials and we plan to do a much bigger event next year hopefully after the Covid restrictions are over,” Dr. Thomas Abraham added.

COVID Has Killed More Americans Than The Spanish Flu Did In 1918-19

COVID-19 Pandemic has claimed as many as 696,867 lives in the United States, which is more than the number of people killed by the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-19.

As of September 22nd, COVID-19 Pandemic has claimed as many as 696,867 lives in the United States, which is more than the number of people killed by the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-19. As per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Spanish Flu had killed 675,000 Americans a century ago. The Spanish flu’s U.S. death toll is a rough guess, given the incomplete records of the era and the poor scientific understanding of what caused the illness.

Across the world, the 1918-19 influenza pandemic killed 50 million victims globally at a time when the world had one-quarter the population it does now. Global deaths from COVID-19 now stand at more than 4.6 million. For now, the pandemic still has the United States and other parts of the world firmly in its jaws. While the delta-fueled surge in infections may have peaked, U.S. deaths are running at over 1,900 a day on average, the highest level since early March, and the country’s overall toll topped 675,000 on Monday, September 20th, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number is believed to be higher.

Winter may bring a new surge, with the University of Washington’s influential model projecting an additional 100,000 or so Americans will die of COVID-19 by Jan. 1, which would bring the overall U.S. toll to 776,000. Historian and author John Barry, author of “The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History,” writes, “It was considerably worse than we’ve seen now — there were special trains to carry away the dead,” during the century-old plague with its 675,000 deaths against the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal tragedy in its own right, especially given the incredible advances in scientific knowledge since then and the failure to take maximum advantage of the vaccines available this time. Like the Spanish flu, the coronavirus may never entirely disappear from our midst. Instead, scientists hope it becomes a mild seasonal bug as human immunity strengthens through vaccination and repeated infection. That could take time.  “We hope it will be like getting a cold, but there’s no guarantee,” said Emory University biologist Rustom Antia, who suggests an optimistic scenario in which this could happen over a few years.

The ebbing of COVID-19 could happen if the virus progressively weakens as it mutates and more and more humans’ immune systems learn to attack it. Vaccination and surviving infection are the main ways the immune system improves. Breast-fed infants also gain some immunity from their mothers. Under that optimistic scenario, schoolchildren would get mild illness that trains their immune systems. As they grow up, the children would carry the immune response memory, so that when they are old and vulnerable, the coronavirus would be no more dangerous than cold viruses.

The same goes for today’s vaccinated teens: Their immune systems would get stronger through the shots and mild infections. “We will all get infected,” Antia predicted. “What’s important is whether the infections are severe.” Something similar happened with the H1N1 flu virus, the culprit in the 1918-19 pandemic. It encountered too many people who were immune, and it also eventually weakened through mutation. H1N1 still circulates today, but immunity acquired through infection and vaccination has triumphed.

Getting an annual flu shot now protects against H1N1 and several other strains of flu. To be sure, flu kills between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans each year, but on average, it is a seasonal problem and a manageable one. Before COVID-19, the 1918-19 flu was universally considered the worst pandemic disease in human history. Whether the current scourge ultimately proves deadlier is unclear. In many ways, the 1918-19 flu — which was wrongly named Spanish flu because it first received widespread news coverage in Spain — was worse.

Spread by the mobility of World War I, it killed young, healthy adults in vast numbers. No vaccine existed to slow it, and there were no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections. And, of course, the world was much smaller. Yet jet travel and mass migrations threaten to increase the toll of the current pandemic. Much of the world is unvaccinated. And the coronavirus has been full of surprises. Just under 64% of the U.S. population has received as least one dose of the vaccine, with state rates ranging from a high of approximately 77% in Vermont and Massachusetts to lows around 46% to 49% in Idaho, Wyoming, West Virginia and Mississippi.

Globally, about 43% of the population has received at least one dose, according to Our World in Data, with some African countries just beginning to give their first shots. “We know that all pandemics come to an end,” said Dr. Jeremy Brown, director of emergency care research at the National Institutes of Health, who wrote a book on influenza. “They can do terrible things while they’re raging.” COVID-19 could have been far less lethal in the U.S. if more people had gotten vaccinated faster, “and we still have an opportunity to turn it around,” Brown said. “We often lose sight of how lucky we are to take these things for granted.”

The current vaccines work extremely well in preventing severe disease and death from the variants of the virus that have emerged so far. It will be crucial for scientists to make sure the ever-mutating virus hasn’t changed enough to evade vaccines or to cause severe illness in unvaccinated children, Antia said. If the virus changes significantly, a new vaccine using the technology behind the Pfizer and Moderna shots could be produced in 110 days, a Pfizer executive said Wednesday. The company is studying whether annual shots with the current vaccine will be required to keep immunity high.

One plus: The coronavirus mutates at a slower pace than flu viruses, making it a more stable target for vaccination, said Ann Marie Kimball, a retired University of Washington professor of epidemiology. So, will the current pandemic unseat the 1918-19 flu pandemic as the worst in human history?

FDA Recommends Covid Booster Doses For Vulnerable Population Only

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee voted unanimously Friday, last week to recommend booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for those over age 65 and those at higher risk of exposure to the virus, including healthcare, frontline and essential workers, under emergency use authorization, but stopped short of recommending boosters for the general population.  Pfizer-BioNTech had originally requested that the FDA consider full approval of a booster dose for all people who have been vaccinated with its shot. The 18 members of the committee voted initially 16 to 2 against that move, citing the lack of strong enough data on safety and effectiveness of boosting the general population at this time. The FDA then reworded Pfizer-BioNTech’s original request to include only those at highest risk of COVID-19, which earned a unanimous vote in favor.

Although the result wasn’t what Pfizer-BioNTech expected, Kathrin Jansen, senior vice president and head of vaccine research and development at Pfizer, said in a statement that “these data, and the larger body of scientific evidence presented at the meeting, underscore our belief that boosters will be a critical tool in the ongoing effort to control the spread of this virus. We thank the committee for their thoughtful review of the data and will work with the FDA following today’s meeting to address the committee’s questions, as we continue to believe in the benefits of a booster dose for a broader population.”

The FDA’s acting commissioner, Janet Woodcock, will take the committee’s recommendation into consideration before making a final decision. If the FDA follows the advice, then the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will review the data and make a recommendation to doctors and health care workers about how the booster will be administered. One important question the ACIP must address, for example, is whether Pfizer-BioNTech’s booster dose should be limited to those who have already received two doses of the companies’ vaccine, since the data reviewed by the FDA committee only included a small subset of those recipients and not people who received the other authorized shots from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson-Janssen.

The committee advised that most of the U.S. population will have to wait to get a booster dose, guidance that directly contradicts the recommendation by U.S. President Joe Biden’s health team, which planned to start widely rolling out boosters on Sept. 20, pending FDA authorization or approval. The decision heightens the growing tension over the booster question, as public health officials, infectious disease specialists and policy makers disagree about exactly how useful another dose of COVID-19 vaccine can be. The FDA committee members noted that while there is evidence that vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time, giving fully vaccinated people another dose of vaccine will likely have little impact on actually controlling the pandemic in the U.S., since most new cases and severe illnesses are driven by the unvaccinated.

The White House, however, escalated the debate when it announced in August that it supported rolling out a booster dose for the general population beginning Sept. 20, even before the FDA had reviewed the safety and efficacy of doing so. It was a surprising pre-emptive move that the administration said was primarily an attempt to get ahead of the logistics of administering another dose, and to prepare states and local health authorities, but many felt was more driven by political rather than scientific justification. Over Friday’s day-long meeting, the committee members debated the strength and quality of data showing waning protection among everyone who has been vaccinated so far, and what it means for controlling transmission and spread of COVID-19. The panel members heard from Israeli public health officials, who have the most in depth, although still incomplete, data on waning immunity and the impact of a booster dose, as well as U.S. CDC researchers who understand the dynamics of the U.S. pandemic.

In making its case for a booster, Pfizer-BioNTech acknowledged that about a month after the second of the two doses in the regimen, its vaccine is 96% efficacious in protecting people from symptoms of COVID-19. About two to four months later, that efficacy slips to 90%, and by six months, it drops to 84%—about a 6% decline every two months. And while Pfizer-BioNTech provided data showing an additional dose of its vaccine could increase levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it did not provide answers to questions about how well that protection could stop transmission of the disease, among other things, to the committee’s satisfaction. The lack of adequate safety data of the third dose among younger people, who are at higher risk of developing rare inflammation of heart tissue, was also among the reasons the committee decided not to recommend the booster at this time for the general population, citing the need for more evidence to support safety, to guide mixing and matching doses, and the impact a booster dose would have on transmission of the virus.

The information on mixing and matching doses is coming shortly from various studies investigating what types of immune reactions people generate if they receive one type of vaccine and get boosted with another; the results have been submitted to a journal but not published yet. Data on the safety could be collected in coming months as more younger get vaccinated and are followed, and scientists in Israel are also studying how a third dose affects transmission of the virus in the population.

Pfizer-BioNTech maintains that protection from its vaccine remains high enough to shield people from severe illness and in most cases, hospitalization and death; most vaccinated people who get infected experience mild disease. But there are worrying signs that with the Delta variant, the more transmissible variant that is now the dominant virus behind new infections, even that trend is changing. In Israel, more vaccinated people getting breakthrough infections are also getting more severe disease. Pfizer scientists say that the data suggest not that Delta is finding ways to escape the vaccine defenses, but that the protection from the vaccine is weakening.

The data showed that overall, after the first dose of the two-dose regimen, levels of antibodies that can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 remain low, which is why the company and the FDA initially recommended a second dose, three weeks later, when the vaccine was first authorized in Dec. 2020. The first dose helped to prime the immune system and educate immune cells to recognize the COVID-19 virus, while the second dose activated those cells more robustly.

Taken together, Pfizer-BioNTech maintained the data, as well as the continuing threat of Delta and potentially other new variants, warrant a booster. The FDA, however, countered that existing protection, especially against more severe disease, remains sufficient, and that the data don’t show that the decline in immunity necessarily puts people at risk. Members of the panel also raised concerns about the strength of evidence supporting a booster dose at this time, at least for the general population, noting the relatively small number of people in the Pfizer-BioNTech study and the short period of follow up especially for younger people. “It feels like there is a lot of data circulating that would be helpful to our discussion but is not available at this moment because it will be presented soon, so at this moment it is difficult to make a decision on [general] booster doses today,” said Dr. Steven Pergam, medical director at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

The committee members noted that because the recommendation is under EUA, it could be revised as more data come in to support the need to broaden the groups eligible for a booster dose. For now, they say, the focus should be on continuing to reach people who haven’t been vaccinated at all; that will likely have the biggest impact on slowing the spread of the virus and ultimately getting the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

Several Indo-Canadians Elected To Parliament, As Trudeau Returns To Power

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s gamble to seek a majority by calling a snap election did not pay off as he had expected, although he is returning to power in Canada as its Prime Minister after the elections were announced on Tuesday, September 21, 2021.  That is Trudeau’s third federal election win, however his critics say the ballot was a waste of time. The Liberals led by Trudeau received essentially the most seats of any get together. Trudeau’s Liberals had been elected in 156 seats one less than they received in 2019, and 14 short of the 170 needed for a majority within the Home of Commons, based on Canadian media stories.

The main opposition Conservative Party ended up with a tally of 122 seats one up from the dissolved House. This is Trudeau’s third federal election win, but his critics say the poll was a waste of time. As many as 17 Indo-Canadians were elected to the Canadian Parliament during the elections held on Monday, September 20th.  The Jagmeet Singh-led New Democratic Party (NDP) will again hold the balance of power as it increased its tally from 24 to 27. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also retained his Burnaby South seat in British Columbia. Among the 17 Indo-Canadian winners are Jagmeet Singh, former Minister Tim Uppal and three current Cabinet Ministers Harjit Singh Sajjan, Bardish Chagger and Anita Anand. Defense Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan again won from Vancouver South by beating Sukhbir Gill of the Conservative Party.

The Liberals’ Anand was declared the winner in Oakville with an almost 46 per cent vote share; a big improvement for Canada’s vaccine minister. Anand was a rookie MP after profitable in 2019 when she was appointed, Metropolis Information Toronto reported. She rapidly grew to become in control of the nation’s efforts to safe COVID-19 vaccines and was usually on the marketing campaign path with Trudeau, it stated. “I am simply ecstatic, she stated, thanking the volunteers who had labored extraordinarily laborious as a crew for 5 weeks straight,” she was quoted as saying by the Oakville Information. Chagger, Minister of Diversity, too retained her Waterloo seat as did Public Service Minister Anand her Oakville seat.

In British Columbia, three-time Liberal Party MP Sukh Dhaliwal retained his Surrey-Newton seat by beating fellow Punjabi Avneet Johal of the NDP. Two-time Liberal Party MP Randeep Singh Sarai also won the Surrey Centre seat by beating Sonia Andhi of the NDP. In Quebec, the sitting Indo-Canadian Anju Dhillon retained her Dorval Lachine LaSalle seat. In Alberta, Jasraj Singh Hallan retained the Calgary Forest Lawn seat, but his fellow Conservative MP Jag Sahota lost to fellow Sikh George Chahal of the Liberal Party. Uppal is back once again after retaining the Edmonton Mill Woods seat for the Conservative party. He is the brother-in-law of Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantt, Pargat Singh.

In Ontario, the Punjabi-dominated city of Brampton again re-elected all the four sitting Indo-Canadian MPs, Maninder Sidhu, Ruby Sahota, Sonia Sidhu and Kamal Khera, against fellow Indo-Canadians Naval Bajaj, Medha Joshi, Ramandeep Brar and Gurprit Gill, respectively. The winners belong to Trudeau’s Liberal Party. Chandra Arya too retained the Napean seat in Ontario. Lawyer Iqwinder Gaheer, who won the Mississauga-Malton seat for the Liberal Party, will be one of the youngest MPs to go the House of Commons in Ottawa. Sitting Conservative Party MP Bob Saroya was another known Indo-Canadian face to lose on Monday.

Commemorating National Suicide Prevention Week, AAPI’s Webinar Offers Effective Ways To Prevent Suicide

“National Suicide Prevention Week, which begins on September 5 and ends on September 11 this year, is an annual campaign observed in the United States to educate and inform the general public about suicide prevention and the warning signs of suicide,” said Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) during a webinar on “Precision Medicine for Mental Health: How to Save and Improve Lives” organized by AAPI in collaboration with MindX Sciences Inc., on Wednesday Sept. 8, 2021.

The educational webinar attended by dozens of AAPI members from around the nation was organized in observance of the National Suicide Prevention Week, “which aims to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and encourage the pursuit of mental health assistance because going to therapy should be as normalized as going to the gym.” Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI moderated the session, which had eminent speakers, including Dr. Jerome Adams, former United States Surgeon General and Dr. Alexander Niculescu, co-founder of Mindx Sciences and Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Neuroscience at Indiana University School of Medicine; and Sunil Hazaray, CEO of MindX Sciences.     In his introductory remarks, Dr. Koli drew the attention of the audience to the fact that “Almost 800,000 people die every year due to suicide, which means one death every 40 seconds, according to the WHO.” He said, “Mental health issues like depression are known to be the leading cause for attempting suicide. Suicide often occurs in a moment of unbearable pain or deep despair. Millions of Americans consider suicide, make a suicide plan, or attempt suicide every year — especially young Americans for whom suicide is the second leading cause of death.” By drawing attention to the problem of suicide in the United States, the campaign also strives to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic, as well as encourage the pursuit of mental health assistance and support people who have attempted suicide,” Dr. Kolli, a certified psychiatrist told the AAPI members.

Dr. Jerome Adams, the United States Surgeon General under President Trump, while addressing the audience on “Precision Medicine for Mental Health: The Time Has Come” drew attention of the participants to the reality that how mental health and social disparity are leading healthcare needs around the nation. “In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 34,” Dr. Adams pointed out. While commemorating World Suicide Prevention Week, “We remember the many lives that are lost and those who survived suicide attempt and we strive to create hope through action,” said Dr. Adams.

Dr. Adams referred to the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), and his call as the Surgeon General of the United State to Implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. “More than 20 years ago, Surgeon General David Satcher issued the landmark report The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, recognizing suicide as a major public health issue and calling for a national response. The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy), first released in 2001 and updated in collaboration with the Action Alliance in 2012, identifies 13 goals and 60 objectives that address every aspect of suicide prevention—from fostering healthy and empowered individuals, families, and communities to providing effective prevention programs and clinical care,” Dr. Adams said.

Dr. Adams pointed out that “we know more about suicide and how it can be prevented today than we did in 1999. We understand that like other public health problems, such as obesity and cancer, suicide is influenced by many factors. As a result, suicide prevention efforts must engage all sectors, including public health, mental health, health care, social services, our military and Veterans, business, entertainment, media, faith communities, and education. These efforts must be informed by data, guided by the needs of the groups affected, and shaped by the voices of people who have experienced suicidal thoughts, plans, attempts, and losses.”

“Suicide is preventable and it continues to remain a growing public health issue,” he said. As many as 43,000 died of suicide in 2019 in the United States. While the suicide rate decreased in 2020, overdose attempt increased by 30%. Suicide is a burden on the nation, costing $93 billion annually. Early detection is cheap. They are preventable. Precision medicine needs to be embraced by assessing the symptoms which will help in decreasing uncertainty, he said. “Never has the need been a greater need and more tools available today than ever,” Dr. Admas said.

Dr. Adams referred to the vast and highly effective research and ongoing programs led by MindX Sciences, which has established a Mental Health Transformation Advisory Board, being co-led by Dr. Jerome Adams, who provides strategic advice on maximizing societal impact, addressing health disparities, and helping improve military mental health. In his address, Dr. Alexander B Niculescu III, focused on “Precision Medicine for Mental Health: From Dream to Science to Clinical Practice,” the tools available today, how we can access them and save lives. MindX Scinces offers “a complete set of tools to assess, diagnose, prevent suicide and treat mental health issues that lead to suicide,” he said.

Over 10 million people in US have suicidal thoughts, he said. How do you know among these 10 million, who will attempt and how many will die of suicide? “We need better tools to identify risk factors and how to decrease the risks and effectively intervene and of the ways to prevent suicide.” In this context, MindX’s research in identifying the tools and resources that will address the needs and help clients in real world will be enormously effective, he said. Dr. Alexander referred to a new study from the Indiana University School of Medicine that has found a way to test someone’s blood to gauge a patient’s depression, the risk of them developing severe depression in the future and the risk of future bipolar disorder, and thus opening the door for changes in diagnosing and treating mental illness.

“Blood biomarkers are emerging as important tools in disorders where subjective self-report by an individual, or a clinical impression of a health care professional, are not always reliable. These blood tests can open the door to precise, personalized matching with medications, and objective monitoring of response to treatment,” said Dr. Niculescu, who led the study and is a professor of psychiatry at the school.  “Through this work, we wanted to develop blood tests for depression and for bipolar disorder, to distinguish between the two, and to match people to the right treatments,” he told the audience. “This is part of our effort to bring psychiatry from the 19th century into the 21st century. To help it become like other contemporary fields such as oncology. Ultimately, the mission is to save and improve lives,” Dr. Niculescu added.

The Life x Mind App by MindX Sciences is meant to be a dashboard for your Life and Mind, a way to track how you feel and what you do, and see how they impact each other, he said. This will help you Know Thyself, Improve Thyself, as the ancient philosophers dreamed of, and live a happier, more hopeful, and more meaningful life. This app can also be used by doctors, psychologists, and coaches with their clients. Ten percent of the proceeds from each app will be donated to mental health support organizations. The SX Prevent Digital Test by MindX Sciences helps doctors and health organizations to identify and reduce suicide risk. It is based on solid research. Studies describing its components have been published in peer reviewed scientific and medical journals, Dr. Niculescu added.

Sunil Hazaray, CEO of MindX Sciences spoke on “how can my patients access Midx Precision Medicine for Mental Health products.” He provided practical logistics of finding and accessing the services by Minx and the cost as well as ways to access their services. “The MindX Dashboard by MindX Sciences is an optional product that helps doctors and health organizations track and integrate de-identified test information from other MindX products,” he said. MindX Blood Tests by MindX Sciences are being performed in a CLIA setting to track and identify suicidality risk, pain, PTSD, mood (depression/bipolar), memory/Alzheimer’s, and longevity. Efforts are being carried out to code the treatment and have them covered by the Insurance companies, thus reducing out of pocket expenses to clients/families, and thus helping prevent suicide and live healthier and safer lives.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Gotimukula, reminded AAPI fraternity of the importance of National Suicide Prevention Week, which “is an annual week-long campaign in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention and warning signs of suicide. She urged all “AAPI members, community organizations, the state and families to work together to work together in creating hope through action and committing to preventing suicide across America and around the world.” American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI,) the largest ethnic organization in the United States, representing nearly 100,000 physicians and Fellows of Indian origin in the United States. For more details on AAPI and its programs, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

FBI Says, Hate Crimes Against Indian Americans Continue to Rise

The Justice Department, in released new data on hate crimes in 2020, compiled from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, which captured just a fraction of bias-motivated attacks self-reported by Asian Americans. Nonetheless, the UCR data, released annually by the Justice Department and the FBI, showed a marked rise in bias-motivated crimes against Indian Americans, specifically Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. Seventy-one Sikh Americans were victims of a hate crime in 2020; 47 offenders targeted the community in 67 attacks, as reported by the FBI. This marks a huge jump from 2019: 50 Sikh Americans were the target of hate crimes.

Alarmingly, the number of hate crimes against Hindu Americans has jumped by more than 500 percent, from just two in 2019, to 11 in 2020. Six offenders participated in 11 attacks against Hindu Americans. The FBI logged 15 hate-motivated attacks against Buddhists in 2020. Surprisingly, the number of hate crimes against Muslim Americans dropped by half: 121 offenders participated in 104 attacks against Muslims, rendering 124 victims.

The FBI has dis-aggregated data for Hindus and Sikhs since 2016. A total of 324 hate-related incidents targeting Asian Americans were reported by the FBI, a tiny fraction of the self-reported incidents collected on the Web portal Stop AAPI Hate, which was launched last year as the Asian American community increasingly became the target of violence amid the Covid pandemic. Former President Donald Trump demonized Asian Americans for “creating” Covid, repeatedly calling it the “China virus” and “Kung flu.” As of the end of June, Stop AAPI Hate had collected more than 6,600 reports of bias on its portal, in several languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu.

Local law enforcement agencies around the country voluntarily submit their data to the FBI for the Uniform Crime Report. Reporting is not mandated: less than 12 percent of law enforcement agencies around the country submit their hate crime incidents to the FBI. Former FBI agent Michael German, currently a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security program, noted at a press briefing last year that the vast majority of hate crimes go unreported. Prosecutors are reluctant to charge an offender with a hate crime, as the burden of proof — that the crime began with the intent of hate — is difficult to prove.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison explained the difficulty of charging a hate crime during an interview with the CBS news show “60 Minutes,” in which he discussed his prosecution of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of the murder of George Floyd. Ellison was asked why he did not charge Chauvin with a hate crime. “Hate crimes are crimes which have the explicit motive of bias,” said Ellison. “There was no evidence that Chauvin had factored in Floyd’s race.” “We needed a witness to say ‘Chauvin made a racist comment.’ We didn’t have that,” said Ellison, who, in 2006, became the first Muslim American member of Congress. For 2020, 10,532 hate offenses were reported to the FBI, with 10,681 victims by 6,431 known offenders; more than 55 percent of the perpetrators were White.

Of those offenses, 4,939 were motivated by race or ethnicity, while 1,174 were motivated by religion. The 2020 data reflects a slight drop in hate crimes motivated by religion: in 2019, 1,521 incidents were motivated by religion. Race and ethnicity bias was by far the largest motivator for committing a hate crime, according to FBI data. Almost one-third of attacks occurred near the victim’s residence. Fewer than 5 percent were at or near places of worship. African Americans were the largest population to be targeted in hate crimes.

U S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement Aug. 30 affirming the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting and reducing the number of hate crimes. “Preventing and responding to hate crimes and hate incidents is one of the Justice Department’s highest priorities. The FBI Hate Crime Statistics for 2020 demonstrates the urgent need for a comprehensive response,” he said, noting that there was a 6 percent increase in hate crime reports and a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. “These numbers confirm what we have already seen and heard from communities, advocates and law enforcement agencies around the country. And these numbers do not account for the many hate crimes that go unreported,” he said.

The Justice Department is aiming to improve incident reporting, increasing law enforcement training and coordination at all levels of government, prioritizing community outreach and making better use of civil enforcement mechanisms. “All of these steps share common objectives: deterring hate crimes and bias-related incidents, addressing them when they occur, supporting those victimized by them and reducing the pernicious effects these incidents have on our society,” said Garland. The organization OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates remarked on the undercount of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. “With thousands of self-reported hate incidents collected by community nonprofits over the past year, the FBI’s total appears significantly low,” said the organization, noting that the number of reporting agencies has declined, as in previous years.

“The FBI’s annual report remains our most reliable snapshot of hate crimes. However, the historic reporting gap continues to undermine its usefulness—and frankly, its credibility,” said OCA’s national president Linda Ng in a press statement. “As long as law enforcement agencies are not required to collect and report hate crimes data to the federal government, the FBI’s statistics will fail to capture the true scope of violence, harassment, and assault against Asian American communities.” “Without complete, mandatory state and local participation in the FBI’s data collection process, our understanding of anti-Asian hate crimes remains cloudy at best,” added OCA’s deputy executive director Thu Nguyen.

Desi-Fest by Bhartiya Senior Citizen Group of Chicago and Manpasand Held

Bhartiya Senior citizen group of Chicago (BSCC), a reputable organization serving thousands of seniors and Manpasand, a well-known name in the entertainment industry came together to create history with its action-packed cultural extravaganza ‘The Desi-Fest’. The event was held on Sunday, September 5th, 2021 at Rana Reagan community center in Carol Stream, 343 St. Paul Blvd., Carol Stream, IL.  Many leaders from many different fields such as medical, sports entertainment, political, teaching spiritual leaders and prominent community leaders were present at The Desi-Fest. The event attendance was House Full.

Haribhai Patel, President of the BSCC, along with all the committee members have proved once more that his efforts in ensuring his senior members receive the best service is unmatched. In the past, The BSCC has held vaccination fairs to make sure all members can get vaccinated without going through online appointments and unnecessary hurdles.

This year, Mr. Haribhai Patel wanted to do something where, after being locked inside during the pandemic for so long, all of his members were able to come out and socialize. Mr. Patel organized The Desi Fest, an Indian fair, with live entertainment, shopping, food and much more. Everything was complimentary for all members of the BSCC. The Desi Fest was held at Rana Reagan community center in Carol Stream. Mr. Patel’s vision to keep this fair safe and maintain CDC instructed guidelines presented itself as a challenge, but it did not stop him from hosting this event, nonetheless.

Manpasand, Inc. – a well-known nationwide entertainment company owned by Mrs. Bhavna Modi, managed all the festivities that took place. Her event management capabilities showed themselves, as this event was a difficult one to host outdoors. Mrs. Bhavna Modi not only coordinated the elite singers and sound to the Desi Fest but also handpicked all the food vendors for senior members, doing so to ensure they had a variety of food options to choose from. Mrs. Modi’s hard work and extraordinary event planning matched Mr. Patel’s vision. Under the blue sky all the way until the dark of night, Mr. Haribhai Patel’s leadership and tremendous support by Manpasand Inc. and Mrs. Bhavna Modi was the core of what made this fest a huge success, attracting more than 1,000 people.

The entertainment portion of the evening kicked off with the Master of Ceremony Mrs. Neelam Desai. Her deep and subtle voice and intoxicated ways of delivering speeches was sweet music to all the ears.  Laughter is the ultimate medicine they say. Mayuri Patel, a standup comedian made everyone laugh with her extraordinary sense of humor. Well known and everyone’s favorite singers Mr. Rex D’Souza, Ms. Shilpi Paul and Ms. Kausha Pandya rocked the stage with nonstop live singing and music. Their melodious voices kept The BSCC members glued to their chairs. Many from the audience was nonstop on their feet dancing on the stage and off the stage. The electricity between the singers and the audience made the night very Young at heart.

To make this fair safe, The BSCC and Manpasand Inc. joined hands, once again, with The Rana-Reagan Pharmacy located at 398 W. Army Trail Rd in Bloomingdale. Rana-Reagan provided their own booth and brought their team of 9 people to offer free rapid and PCR COVID-19 tests to anyone who came to the event. The Rana- Reagan Pharmacy’s outstanding services and support were recognized by Mr. Haribhai Patel during his speech. Mr. Patel also announced that he will be holding a Covid- 19 Booster shots clinic for all eligible members, nonmembers and for their family from September 20th per CDC guidelines.

One of the recipients at the festival was Jasbir Suga of Suga Builders. Jasbir Suga is known for his selfless community service and he has been supporting so many community initiatives for many years. Suga Builders is a well-known name in the construction industry because of its excellent customer satisfaction and reliable work ethics. The company has been serving Chicagoland for close to three decades and specializes in catering to customized needs of its commercial as well as residential customers. It is a one stop place for any construction project from planning, designing, pre-construction, procurement, construction and to post-construction.

The BSCC has presented awards to those who made a huge difference in the community with their selfless acts and services during the pandemic. The following is a list for those who were honored for their outstanding performance in their surrounding communities by Mr. Haribhai Patel: Community Engagement and Leadership Award: Kamlesh Shah and Alisha Bedi of The Rana-Reagan Pharmacy Heart of our Community Award: Nimish Jani Character Counts Award: Jasbir Suga of Suga Builders Shining Star Award: Ashok Punjabi of Chicago Import Pandemic Hero Award: Dr. Syed Naveed and Ibrahim Alimirah of Free COVID Care Extra Mile Award: J.P. Patel Making a Difference Award: Seth Lewis.

Ravindra Joshi Creates 3D Printed Scale Model Of Chicago Downtown

The Ganesh festival this year was like no other. A complete mind boggling 1:1600 3D printed scale model of Chicago downtown created over 9 months,  a work of art with amazing attention to detail and superb execution, done by our Ravindra Joshi was unveiled. If the breath-taking design wasn’t enough, the seamlessly integrated light fixtures weaved throughout the buildings produce a stunning visual in the night.

First, Mr. Joshi looked through Google Earth block by block. Then, he downloaded each block and with various software’s, reconstructed each block for it to be printed. On average, each block required 20+ hours of work. This model featured the Willis Tower, the tallest building in Chicago downtown, requiring 27+ hours of 3D printing. In addition, the model included other Chicago land favorites like the John Hancock building, Solder Field, and the Chicago River. This relentless work day and night through these past 9 months left all Chicagoans speechless. We all can’t wait to see the project he creates next!

Remembering Swami Agnivesh, Who Stood Up For Justice, Religious Freedom

September 11 marks the first death anniversary of Swami Agnivesh, one of the best-known social activists in India, who began his work wondering why European Christian missionaries would forgo their comforts to toil in India. Agnivesh once shared with me the turning point in his life: “I always wondered why these Europeans should come to India and struggle here to serve poor people, forsaking all comforts. So, I thought, as an Indian, should I not do something for the struggling people?” He died on Sept. 11, 2020, from liver cirrhosis, 10 days ahead of his 81st birthday.

Glowing tributes were paid to Agnivesh when he died after half a century of dedicated life for the poor that even inspired The New York Times to write an obituary recalling the illustrious life of the saffron-clad social activist and Hindu reformist leader. Chairperson of the United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery from 1994 to 2004, Agnivesh received the Right Livelihood Award in 2004 “for promoting over many years in South Asia the values of religious and communal coexistence, tolerance and mutual understanding.” In 1981, Agnivesh founded the Bandhua Mukthi Morcha (Bonded Labour Liberation Front), a pioneering movement for the liberation of bonded laborers treated like slaves. It is worth remembering in this context that Kailash Satyarthi, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 2014, grew up under the guidance of Agnivesh in this network.

An ardent Hindu reformist at heart in the Arya Samaj mould, Swami Agnivesh spoke out against spreading hatred and obscurantism in the name of religion

A peep into his life will amaze anyone. Vepa Shyam Rao was born on Sept. 21, 1939, in an orthodox Brahmin family in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. By the age of five, he had lost both parents and grew up under the care of his maternal grandfather.

Despite this handicap, he went on to study law and commerce and became a lecturer at St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata. His frequent discussions with a Belgian Jesuit at the college awakened in him the “urge” for social work.

The budding business management lecturer quit his teaching post in 1967 and decided to practice law as a junior to Sabyasachi Mukherji, who later became the chief justice of India.

In 1968, he moved to Jhajhar Gurukul in Haryana state, and in March 1970 he took sannyasa (ascetic life) as an Arya Samaj member with the name Swami Agnivesh and his saffron garb, resembling Swami Vivekananda. After launching a political outfit in Haryana, he was elected to the Haryana Assembly and was appointed education minister in 1977.

Following the police firing on protesting laborers, Agnivesh quit his ministerial post and founded the Bonded Labour Liberation Front to help workers enslaved in quarries and brick kilns. In this protracted fight, he was arrested twice and had to spend 14 months in jail on a trumped-up murder charge of which he was later acquitted.

From there, Agnivesh never looked back and became an icon of conscience keeping for the nation and a voice for the oppressed — be it the lynching of Dalit people, rape of tribal women, police firing on protesters, “encounter deaths” or communal carnage across the country.

An ardent Hindu reformist at heart in the Arya Samaj mould, Swami Agnivesh spoke out against spreading hatred and obscurantism in the name of religion, drawing the ire of hardline Hindu groups.

His quest for justice and solidarity for the oppressed endeared him to the Christian community. But he did not spare the cosy Christians either. I heard him several times challenging bluntly even elite Christian gatherings “to come out of the castles of comfort.”

When Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were torched alive by Hindu bigots in 1999 in Odisha, it was Agnivesh who led a train bogey of peaceniks and social activists from Delhi to Odisha, where Staines had spent decades serving lepers. Agnivesh organized a similar pilgrimage to Gujarat in 2002 following Hindu-Muslim riots there.

My bond with Swami Agnivesh is as old as when I began journalism in 1990. He used to jokingly call me “guru” since I had initiated him in internet communications in 1997 at his request. But for his solid support, my campaign for the victims of anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal in Odisha would not have been successful.

He was one of the stalwarts at the release of my maiden investigative book, Kandhamal — a Blot on Indian Secularism, in April 2009, making national headlines. He later joined my six Kandhamal media programs.

A bitter critic of Hindu nationalists for abusing religion for political power, he was attacked twice in August 2018

Agnivesh carried a special concern for the families of the “seven innocents” of Kandhamal — the Christians jailed on the trumped-up charge of murdering Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswathy, which kicked off the worst anti-Christian riots in India’s history.

He used to frequently ask me about the welfare of the poor families of these seven. At every public stage, which I shared with him, he would routinely speak for the victims of Kandhamal.

Agnivesh stood up fearlessly for what he believed. A bitter critic of Hindu nationalists for abusing religion for political power, he was attacked twice in August 2018 — first in Ranchi city in eastern India and then in the national capital of New Delhi.

He attended the release of the Hindi translation of my book on the 10th anniversary of the Kandhamal riots in New Delhi three days after he was beaten up at the office of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in front of television cameras. That was when he went there to pay homage to the former prime minister and BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee.

After the book release, he jokingly said: “Anto, you may get a chance to write another book asking who killed Swami Agnivesh.” But liver cirrhosis claimed his life two years later.

As a true swami with great respect for other faiths, Agnivesh stood up when anyone was attacked in the name of religion. He inspired thousands of social activists and lent his voice to the oppressed across the nation. The nation sorely misses his sober and strong voice.

REMEMBERING THE DAY 9/11: TWENTY YEARS BACK!

TUESDAY SEPT 11, 2001- Till that day, America was different from what we see today. Then, we had been going through a peaceful life, respecting each other, whether white or black, refugee or expatriate – all enjoyed equality and freedom. As usual, on that day, we were holding a departmental Core Committee session in the medium-sized Conference Hall, and my boss, the VP of Finance, was keenly looking on the screen; the presentation on internet security, I was briefing just then. “Mathew, stop, stop,” my boss holding his mobile phone, was screaming. I thought something was wrong with my PowerPoint presentation. Finally, somebody switched off the overhead projector. My colleagues looked at each other, and the silence was so scary.

My boss stood up to say that our nation is on the attack! The big TV was switched on, and the horrible video of a plane hitting some tall towering building that slowly crumbled down frightened everyone. “ Oh my God, Pearl Harbor tragedy is repeating,” and the oldest lady in our group screamed and fainted. Within few breathtaking moments, I started to understand that few planes were hitting some tall buildings in and around New York. We visited New York and stood below the Twin Towers exactly seven days earlier. Fear crept into my nerves to squeeze my tiny brain with dreaded imaginations. After a few minutes, the only thing I could do was to call home and ensure that my wife and son are fine. Even after twenty years, sometimes, that frightening memories of the fateful day haunt me.

What really happened on that day of September 11th. “ On September 11, 2001, almost 3,000 people lost their lives during the attacks at the Twin Towers, Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. At 8:46 a.m. ET, American Airlines Flight 11 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. At 9:03 a.m. ET, United Airlines Flight 175 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) hit the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. At 9:37 a.m. ET, American Airlines Flight 77 (traveling from Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles) hit the Pentagon Building in Washington. And at 10:03 a.m. ET, United Airlines Flight 93 (traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco) crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania”.

America could never sleep peacefully; the country’s security was at risk. So America chased terrorists and governments fostering instability and terrorism. We heard our President repeating his promise that nations with WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) will be brought under Justice. America and its faithful allies combed the aisles and trenches of Iraq, and their Chief Saddam Husain was smoked out like a rat and hanged. Later the alleged real brain behind the 9/11 attack Bin Laden, was caught. “U.S. Special Forces took him out during a raid on the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he and some of his family were hiding out. After identifying his body, the military brought him aboard the USS Carl Vinson and buried him in the northern Arabian Sea the same day”.

There are personal memories and cultural memories and political memories, and even as its echoes are still shaking the foundations of our system. History of that is evident in the events just happening in Afghanistan, where a 20-year war waged in direct response to 9/11 ended pretty much where it began: with the repressive and violent Taliban took charge once again. While memory slowly becomes history, it can fade its fierceness, like the river banks are eroded in the avalanche of horrible events flow in due course.

Twenty years have passed since a perfect blue sky morning turned into the blackest of nights. Since then, we’ve lived in sunshine and shadow, and we are sometimes on the roller coaster of unexpected events too. And when our nation pauses to remember the morning 20 years ago when it was attacked, it is still a horrible memory, looking around and wondering that history should never repeat.

Nearly one-fifth of the country is now too young to remember firsthand the day that changed everything in America and other powerful nations. The attacks of September 11th were intended to break the American unity and spirit. Instead, Americans emerged more robust and more unified. It is worth now to read what Joe Biden stated years back: “We didn’t crumble after 9/11. We didn’t falter after the Boston Marathon. But we’re America. Americans will never, ever stand down. We endure. We overcome. We own the finish line.”

Hurricane Ida Inflicts Misery Across Many States In US

From Louisiana to New York, communities are trying to piece lives back together more than a week after Hurricane Ida slammed into the Gulf Coast on August 29th. Heavy rains, devastating winds, flooded streets, death and destruction all around—the horrific conditions are being experienced by millions of Americans in nearly a dozen coastal states as Ida continued to play havoc last week. Ida made landfall on the anniversary of Katrina, the dangerous Category 3 storm that devastated Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years ago, killing more than 1,800 people and causing $125 billion in damage.

Hurricane Ida roared ashore in Louisiana on Sunday at Category 4 strength, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. In fact, as the eyewall of Ida hammered the Louisiana coast, a ship about 50 miles south-southwest of New Orleans clocked a peak wind gust of 172 mph, which is just shy of the strongest measured wind from a hurricane in the US. Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm moved farther inland over southeastern Louisiana and into southwestern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said.

As of early Monday last week, more than 1 million Louisiana utility customers are without power, according to PowerOutage.us. On Sunday evening, New Orleans said the entire city lost power after “catastrophic transmission damage.” Four deaths have been confirmed in Louisiana as crews began fanning out in boats and off-road vehicles to search communities cut off by the giant storm. A man was also missing after apparently being killed by an alligator. Even though Hurricane Ida was most devastating in Louisiana state and its neighbors in the south where entire localities were totally destroyed, its deadliest human toll was in the New York region where at least 42 people were killed — 25 in New Jersey, 16 in New York City and one in Connecticut.

A stunned U.S. East Coast faced a rising death toll, surging rivers and tornado damage on September 2nd with record-breaking rain, killing at least 46 people in their homes and cars. As many as 23 people died in New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said. At least 13 people were killed in New York City, police said, 11 of them in flooded basement apartments, which often serve as relatively affordable homes in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets. Suburban Westchester County reported three deaths. Officials said at least five people died in Pennsylvania, including one killed by a falling tree and another who drowned in his car after helping his wife to escape. A Connecticut state police sergeant, Brian Mohl, perished after his cruiser was swept away. Another death was reported in Maryland.

Four people of Indian origin and a Nepali family of three have died in New York from the flooding caused by Hurricane Ida. Phamatee Ramskriet, 43, and her son Krishah, 22, drowned when their basement flat flooded in New York City on September 1. Mingma Sherpa, 48, and Ang Gelu Lama, 52, and their infant son Lobsang Lama, 2, also drowned when the waters from the record-setting downpour in the city inundated their basement flat. In neighboring New Jersey, Malathi Kanche, 46, drowned after she was swept away when her car stalled on a flooded road. Also in New Jersey, Danush Reddy, 31, was sucked into a 36-inch sewer pipe by the floods.

Ida’s soggy remnants merged with a storm front and soaked the Interstate 95 corridor, meteorologists said. Similar weather has followed hurricanes before, but experts said it was slightly exacerbated by climate change — warmer air holds more rain — and urban settings, where expansive pavement prevents water from seeping into the ground. The National Hurricane Center had warned since Tuesday of the potential for “significant and life-threatening flash flooding” and major river flooding in the mid-Atlantic region and New England.  Still, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the storm’s strength took them by surprise.

“We did not know that between 8:50 and 9:50 p.m. last night, that the heavens would literally open up and bring Niagara Falls level of water to the streets of New York,” said Hochul. New York City’s Central Park ended up getting 3.15 inches in just one hour, surpassing the previous one-hour high of 1.94 inches (5 cm) during Tropical Storm Henri on Aug. 21. Wednesday’s storm ultimately dumped over 9 inches (23 cm) of rain in parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and nearly as much on New York City’s Staten Island.  In Washington, President Joe Biden assured Northeast residents that federal first responders were on the ground to help clean up.

In New York, nearly 500 vehicles were abandoned on flooded highways, garbage bobbed in streaming streets and water cascaded into the city’s subway tunnels, trapping at least 17 trains and disrupting service all day. The National Weather Service said the ferocious storm also spawned at least 10 tornadoes from Maryland to Massachusetts, including a 150-mph (241 kph) twister that splintered homes and toppled silos in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, south of Philadelphia. Record flooding along the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania inundated homes, highways and commercial buildings, even as meteorologists warned that rivers likely won’t crest for a few more days. The riverside community of Manayunk remained largely under water.

The Schuyilkill reached levels not seen in over 100 years in Philadelphia, where firefighters were still getting calls about minor building collapses and people stuck in flooded cars Thursday morning. The managers of a 941-unit apartment complex near the river ordered residents to evacuate, citing “deteriorating” conditions after water rushed into the parking garage and pool areas. Due to climate change, destruction like that seen in both the Gulf and East Coast from extreme weather will be “our new normal,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Sunday. “This is the crisis of our generation, these impacts that we are seeing from climate change, and we have to act now to try to protect against the future risks that we are going to face,” Criswell said during an interview on Sunday morning.

After surveying the damage in Louisiana Friday, President Joe Biden will travel to New Jersey and New York on Tuesday to assess the impact on the East Coast, where the storm claimed the lives of at least 50 people. Mayor of Paterson in New Jersey, André Sayegh lamented the destruction, telling CNN, “As if a once in a century virus wasn’t enough, we had a once in a century storm.”

Anu Natarajan To Lead Facebook’s $1 Billion Affordable Housing Initiative

Former Fremont, California Vice Mayor and city council woman Anu Natarajan has been named by Facebook to head up its affordable housing initiative, which will allocate $1 billion in grants over 10 years to housing projects in California. The Indian American former official came on board as project lead in July, after consulting on the initiative for more than a year. “The Covid pandemic has really put the spotlight on the lack of housing in the state, which has been 40 years in the making,” Natarajan told India-West.

A survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau between last November found that over two million renter households in California reported “little to no confidence” in their ability to pay next month’s rent. Federal and state moratoriums have staved off evictions through the pandemic, but those are due to expire next month. Moreover, only a small fraction of $47 billion in federal funds has actually been doled out to renters in need and small landlords. In California, almost 30 percent of renters pay more than half their salary in rent, and almost 40 percent of homeowners pay more than 30 to 50 percent of their incomes to mortgages, according to data from the California Budget and Policy Center.

California has more than half of all unsheltered homeless people in the country, with an estimated 108,432 people living on the streets. Los Angeles County alone is home to almost 58,000 homeless people, according to 2019 data from Housing and Urban Development. In San Francisco, a family of four making over $100,000 per year is considered low-income, said Facebook in a press release. Natarajan noted the lack of supply at all levels of housing: for every 100 jobs created in the state, only 30 housing units are created, on average. “Not in My Backyard” protests from existing residents, as well as the increasing costs of materials have made building new housing so much harder, she said.

The Facebook housing initiative was announced on Oct. 22, 2019. An initial round of funding — $150 million — was announced last December to create 2,000 units of housing for very low-income people. Facebook partnered with Destination Home, a nonprofit organization leading efforts to end homelessness in Santa Clara County, which contributed an additional $5 million to the fund. Natarajan said that funds were also allocated to help with technical assistance for California’s Project Homekey, an $800 million initiative which bought up existing hotels and motels to create 6,000 units of permanent housing for unsheltered people. (See earlier India-West story: https://bit.ly/38td7mU)

“The COVID crisis demands we all step up and do more to protect the most vulnerable. I challenge other private sector corporations to follow suit and provide additional low-cost capital to create thousands more homeless housing units all across California,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom, as Facebook announced the grant last December. Facebook’s next round of grants are expected to be announced sometime during the week of Aug. 30, according to Natarajan. The areas of most need in the state include the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, San Diego, and the Inland Empire in Southern California.

Natarajan will also lead Facebook’s $25 million initiative to build teacher and essential worker housing on public land for school districts in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. The $1 billion initiative also allocates $250 million to a partnership with the State of California for mixed-income housing on excess state-owned land in communities where housing is scarce. This public-private partnership ensures that incremental new housing supply is brought to the market segments that need it most, said Facebook Chief Financial Officer David Wehner in a press statement.

Natarajan earned her master’s degree in Urban Design and Planning from the University of Washington. She served on the Fremont City Council from 2004 to 2014. She brings a three-pronged view to civic infrastructure development, considering the impact to climate change, addressing social justice concerns about equity in housing, and access to mobility and transportation.

Texas’ Abortion Ban Is Most Restrictive Ever

Texas law that bans abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy took effect at midnight on Wednesday after the Supreme Court failed to act on emergency requests from abortion providers. Nearly 24 hours later, the court said late Wednesday night it split 5-4 and denied the providers’ emergency request to block the law. The unsigned order, issued by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, said their decision focused on procedural issues and did not amount to a ruling on the constitutionality of the law, and that other appeals could be pursued.

However, even if the ban is ultimately blocked, it will have a lasting impact on Texas and provide a roadmap for other conservative states to enact similar abortion restrictions. Senate Bill 8, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May, bars abortions once a doctor can detect fetal cardiac activity, which is often before many people know they are pregnant. The ban would prevent at least 85% of abortions sought in Texas, according to abortion rights advocates and providers. It is now the most restrictive abortion law in the nation; at least 12 other states have passed six-week abortion bans, but all have been blocked from going into effect.  “Texas politicians will have effectively overturned Roe v. Wade,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said shortly before the law went into effect, referring to the landmark 1973 decision that established the constitutionally protected right to abortion before a fetus is viable.

The Texas law uses a different tactic than many of the other abortion restrictions passed by Republican state legislatures in recent years—which is precisely what has made it difficult for courts to block it. The law signals a new frontier in the national fight over abortion and could mark a critical new legal strategy for conservative legislatures in how they write restrictive abortion laws in the future. John Seago, legislative director for Texas Right to Life, which helped write the legislation, says he has already heard from other states that are interested in copying this approach and the group is drafting legislation for some of them already. “This promises an alternative to that typical path that pro-life laws go down,” he says. “This is a valid public policy tool and we’re excited to see how it works.”

Instead of allowing government officials to enforce the abortion ban as they do with most laws, this law says that private citizens can step in by suing abortion providers and anyone who “aids and abets” a patient obtaining an abortion after six weeks. That means clinics and their staffs could be sued, as well as patients’ family members, or anyone who drives someone to a clinic, provides financial assistance, offers religious or genetic counseling or even “intends” to do any of those actions. The plaintiffs do not need to have any connection to the person they suspect of violating the law, and if they win, the law says they are entitled to damages of at least $10,000 plus legal fees. Because so many people can now legally bring these abortion lawsuits in Texas, courts could theoretically be overwhelmed with cases. “It does open the floodgates to lawsuits, and even frivolous lawsuits, just to harass abortion providers,” says Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the Reproductive Freedom Project at the ACLU, which is part of the coalition of abortion providers and advocates challenging the law.

But the way the law is written also makes it difficult to challenge. Usually, when a state passes a new law restricting abortion access, abortion rights groups and providers sue state officials alleging they are violating people’s constitutionally protected rights. In this case, there is no specific individual tasked with enforcing the law, so there was no obvious entity for the providers to sue. The ACLU, the Center for Reproductive Rights and a collection of other groups and abortion providers filed suit this summer against a slew of officials they said would be responsible for enforcing the law, but a series of complex procedural developments left them asking the Supreme Court for a last-minute intervention.

“The Constitution, including Roe v. Wade, only applies against the government, it doesn’t apply against private individuals,” says Laurence Tribe, a leading constitutional law expert at Harvard. “That’s what makes this really dangerous. It’s a kind of vigilante justice, circumventing all of the mechanisms we have for making sure that the law is enforced fairly, and that it’s not enforced in a way that violates people’s rights.” Even if the courts temporarily block the law, complications remain. The law includes a provision that says providers could still be sued for violating the law if a court decision is eventually reversed and the law goes back into effect, meaning providers could be sued over an action that was technically legal at the time.

For now the law stands in Texas. Texas Right to Life has set up a website to solicit tips about people who allegedly violate the law and collect information from those who want to help the group enforce it. The website has been flooded with fake information from those who support abortion rights, but Seago says that has not hampered the group’s efforts. “We’ve set up the tip line, we’ve built the networks, we’ve been working with pro-life attorneys and activists around the state, so that if [providers] decide that they’re going to try to commit illegal abortions anyway, we will be prepared to do what the law authorizes us to do, which is to bring private lawsuits holding them accountable,” Seago says.

The law will “immediately and catastrophically reduce abortion access in Texas,” the group of providers said in its emergency filing to the Supreme Court on Monday. “Patients who can scrape together resources will be forced to attempt to leave the state to obtain an abortion, and many will be delayed until later in pregnancy. The remaining Texans who need an abortion will be forced to remain pregnant against their will or to attempt to end their pregnancies without medical supervision.” The Supreme Court’s five most reliably conservative justices voted to reject the emergency filing. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan each wrote separate opinions saying they would have blocked the law because it is an unconstitutional ban on abortion.

Abortion providers and abortion rights advocates say the law will disproportionately impact low-income patients who already often struggle to access health care. The average distance a Texas patient will have to travel to obtain an abortion will now rise from 12 to 248 miles, a 20-fold increase, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy: A Global Champion Of Resuscitation Medicine

World Heart Day is being observed on September 29th this year with the objective of raising awareness of heart disease and promoting “Healthy Heart” lifestyles. “Human heart disease is the number one Global Public Health problem,” says Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy. He is an advocate of Community and Physician resuscitation education. And training for more than three decades in the USA and India. “It is disheartening to see patients with reversible health conditions die suddenly due to lack of both Community Health Awareness and Timely Emergency Care based on Evidence-based Resuscitation Practices”.

An alumnus of Guntur Medical College, Guntur and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (General Surgery), and a former Chairman of Anesthesiology Department at West Suburban Medical Center, Oak Park, Illinois, as a “Pioneer of Resuscitation Medicine in India” Dr. Murthy hailed. Also the reputed leader of organized medicine in the USA, Dr. Murthy has served as the President of the Chicago Medical Society and the Indian American Medical Association, Illinois.

Heart disease Indian CPR ProjectAffiliated with various US medical organizations and institutions, the soft-spoken Dr. Murthy is a Resuscitation Educator and Researcher, Advisor to Resuscitation Training Centers, Champion of Community Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and a Leader of US Organized Medicine.  His Mission has been “Saving Lives” in Sudden Cardiac Arrests and common heart issues.

Global evidence-based and heart disease newspaper articles information has proven that Bystander CPR is life-saving in sudden cardiac arrest. The latter can be recognized by the sudden collapse of the person without any breathing, pulse, or consciousness.   According to the articles about the heart of the American Heart Association, there are more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually in the U.S. Nearly 90% of them are fatal. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival. Heart attack news articles say that in the majority of cases, immediate Hands-only CPR may have similar survival outcomes. And it is comparable to the conventional CPR performed with both chest compressions and breaths.

Dr. Murthy is a guide and co-investigator of a ground-breaking Indian Resuscitation Research Project and Cardiac Arrest Registry, Warangal Area Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Registry 2018, based on an international format. He contributed to “CPR” and “Women’s Heart Health” videos and educational articles in news media and actively involved with Indo-US collaborated comprehensive Cardiac Care Projects.

Quoting evidence-based studies done, Dr. Murthy, a past President of the Chicago Medical Society and current adjunct faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, points to the fact that South Asians are at a four-times greater risk of heart disease than their Western counterparts and have a greater chance of having a heart attack before 50 years of age. Heart attacks strike South Asian Men and Women at younger ages. As a result, both morbidity and mortality are higher among them compared to any other ethnic group. They tend to develop heart disease ten years earlier than other groups.

Heart disease Dr. VemuriThe Founder of Chicago Medical Society’s Community CPR Project Saving More Illinois Lives through Education (SMILE,) Dr. Murthy, takes upon himself the life-long mission of saving lives through effective preventive measures. He says, “Almost one in three among South Asians may die from heart disease before 65 years of age.”

What causes heart problems in India? Heart disease remains the number one cause of death. Common risk factors are smoking and a diet high in sugar, salt, refined grains, and fat. A large number of South Asians appear to have “insulin resistance”, a condition in which the body does not utilize insulin efficiently, resulting in Diabetes, which leads to a significant number of heart-related problems and serious heart conditions. Lack of adequate exercise, stress, and genetic predisposition are also contributing factors,” adds Dr. Murthy, a distinguished Chicago Physician.  Illinois offers Project SMILE programs at various community events. International dignitaries, Members of the US Congress, Illinois Governor, and Legislators, and Indian Consul Generals commend it by.

A Visiting Professor of Indian Medical Universities, Dr. Murthy has been promoting resuscitation courses for nearly three decades in India. Indian Instructor Faculty trains thousands of physicians, medical students, and nurses with his guidance. He pioneered an “Indian Medical University Resuscitation Education and Training Model” at Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Andhra Pradesh (2012). He conducted simulation-based advanced Resuscitation Workshops with international faculty and guided mass community CPR events. He chaired several Resuscitation Conventions in India and organized workshops at prestigious Indian Medical Institutions such as AIIMS, New Delhi.

Heart disease Vemuri S MurthyDr. Murthy served the American Heart Association in different capacities. Such as National and International Faculty, Member of the International Committee, and Advisor to AHA International Training Centers, Also as  AHA Liaison to Medical Organizations in the USA too. He co-chaired programs at the AHA Scientific Sessions and delivered Resuscitation-based lectures at prestigious US medical institutions.

He also contributed to AHA’s “Saving Children’s Lives” project in Gujarat, India.  AHA leadership recognized his decades of service: “For Volunteer Leadership in Support of Lifesaving Mission of the AHA and its Emergency Cardiovascular Care Programs”. Dr. Murthy has been actively involved with AAPI as the Chairman of the “AAPI-AHA Liaison Committee”, “Global Resuscitation Committee”, and “Editorial Board Advisor” of the peer-reviewed Journal of AAPI (JAAPI). He also initiated an International AAPI Webinar Continuing Medical Education (CME) program (2020), an IAMA, IL Community CPR Project (2015), and an Indo-US CPR Research Project involving Resident Physicians from US Medical Universities (2016).

In a recent interview for a heart health article 2020, Dr. Vemuri Murthy shared his thoughts and concerns regarding the current status of the out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and diminishing bystander resuscitation help during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Bystander CPR with Defibrillation is a Blessing of Contemporary Medicine enhancing the survival of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victims. Saving Lives with Best Practices should be the top Healthcare Priority for every Nation,” says Dr. Murthy, who hails from the state of Andhra Pradesh. He has devoted his entire life towards learning and sharing his knowledge and expertise with the noble cause of Heart Education.   Dr. Vemuri Murthy’s contributed to Global Health, Resuscitation Medicine, and Community Service. And this have been widely recognized through the numerous awards and recognitions that have been bestowed on him.

Dr. Murthy was honored with a Medal from US Congressmen as “Global Champion of Resuscitation,” “Lifetime Achievement Award” and “Distinguished Physician Award” from the Indian American Medical Association, Illinois.”

Chicago Medical Society gave the “Henrietta Herbolsheimer Public Service Award” and “Leadership Award” to Dr. Murthy. Also, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin bestowed on him the “Pioneer of Resuscitation Medicine in India” and “Most Distinguished Service” Awards. And, he received the “Global Champion of Health Award” from the Global Health Consortium, USA and the “Paul Harris International Service Award” from the Rotary Club and “Global Humanitarian Award” from The Institute of Medicine of Chicago “for providing voluntary, longstanding, and International Humanitarian Health Services” along with commendations from Indian Medical Universities and Medical Societies such as Indian Medical Association and Cardiological Society of India.

Indeed, Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy is truly a “Global Champion of Resuscitation Medicine!”

Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, First South Asian From Middlesex County In The New Jersey General Assembly

New Jersey’s Asian population has experienced remarkable growth within the last decade. According to census data released earlier this month, about 1.05 million New Jersey residents, slightly more than 11% of the state’s population, identified as either partially or entirely Asian. This striking 44% increase from the 725,726 who identified as Asian in the 2010 census prompts the question of whether the state government has changed to reflect new demographics. In fact, Asian candidates would need to win seven more seats in the Assembly and two or three more in the Senate for their representation to align with the state’s demographics. Nonetheless, there are those in the state government already leading the way to greater representation. Most recently, Assemblyman Sterley Stanley (D-Middlesex) joined State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth) and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) as the third Indian American to be elected to the state legislature.

Stanley won his 18th District Assembly seat in a Special Election in January 2021, becoming the first South Asian to represent Middlesex County in the New Jersey Legislature. Stanley defeated fellow Democrat, Edison Councilman Joe Coyle by a vote of 189-136, a 58%-42% margin, according to the Middlesex County Democratic Organization. The seat became vacant when former Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin resigned after being sworn in as the new Middlesex County Clerk.Endorsed by the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, Assemblyman Stanley was sworn in on January 27th, 2021. Stanley serves as a member of the Assembly Committee On Law And Public Safety and as a member of the Assembly Committee On Health. “I am honored to serve the residents of the 18th district and eager to roll up my sleeves to address the needs of our wonderful, diverse district and state,” Stanley said in a statement after being sworn in as an Assemblyman. “The events of the past year have shown us the danger of divisive forces, but they have also shown us the strength and necessity of collaboration. Truly listening to one another will allow us to better understand the issues and each other and to develop and implement nuanced, detailed solutions that reflect every community’s situation.”

Prior to being selected to fill the seat, Stanley served two terms as an East Brunswick Councilman. While on the East Brunswick Council, he advocated for fiscal responsibility, economic redevelopment and community building programs. The 54-Year-old Stanley was re-elected to his East Brunswick Council seat by 5,137 votes in 2020 against Republican Suzanne Blum and served as Council President in 2019 and 2020. During his time as councilman, the council and mayor’s administration “stabilized East Brunswick taxes without a reduction in services; re-established the East Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce; strengthened community relations with law enforcement; maintained a strong relationship with the public school district; and focused on delivering ratables through redevelopment.” Stanley won the Democratic primary this past June and will run in the general election in November 2021 for a full two-year term. The 18th District has the highest percentage of Asian Americans of any legislative district in the state, and Middlesex, Stanley’s home county, has the largest Asian population in the state, at 237,945 residents. In addition to East Brunswick and Edison, the 18th District includes Helmetta, Highland Park, Metuchen, South Plainfield And South River – all Middlesex municipalities. NJ State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, while welcoming Stanley into the Assembly Democratic Caucus, stated, “Sterley is a true and dedicated public servant who distinguished himself as a two-term East Brunswick Councilman and he makes history as the first South Asian Assemblyman from Middlesex County. I look forward to working with Assemblyman Stanley as we seek to advance our shared priorities of protecting the middle class and our most vulnerable residents.”

Stanley was born in the State of Karnataka, India and immigrated to Brooklyn, NY at a young age.  For the last 21 years, he has called East Brunswick his home. While living there, he has worked in the finance industry as a title and life insurance agent, as well as a mortgage broker. Stanley is a proud father of three children and has been actively involved in the Middlesex County community, previously serving as a Trustee of the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church in East Brunswick and as President of the Fox Meadow Condominium Association. State Sen. Patrick Diegnan (D-South Plainfield) was among those who had supported the then East Brunswick Councilman Sterley Stanley for the Assembly Seat. “I’m supporting Sterley Stanley,” he said. “He’s a good guy and he works with me all the time.” At a February 8th meeting, the East Brunswick town council honored Stanley’s four years of local service. At the meeting, Stanley stated that one of his proudest achievements as Council President was helping to ensure that the governing body functioned as a cohesive unit. “We might have had differences of opinion and we have differences in the way we solve things, but at the end of the day, we all got together and did what was best for the Township,” Stanley said. “I feel honored now to not just represent East Brunswick, but the whole 18th District, and all seven towns that are there,” he said.

Stanley said he looks forward to applying everything he has learned in the last four years on the council and everything he has achieved in the township and bring it to the State level. “It is a true privilege to represent the people of District 18 and The State Of New Jersey,” said Stanley.  “I am committed to serving the residents and I look forward to working with my Assembly colleagues to best address the needs of this wonderful, diverse district and state. It is important, to me, to ensure all voices are heard so that we can work together in harmony and maintain a strong, united community.” During his time as Councilman, Stanley’s efforts to help establish a redevelopment agency were well received by the public.  Through town halls and other outreach efforts, he has always encouraged residents to actively participate in the process and prioritized working with them. In another collaborative initiative, he worked with the East Brunswick Police Department to strengthen dialogue around cultural diversity within the community. Stanley is generally committed to “establishing open lines of communication” and to strengthening the relationships between state legislators and each town’s administration, municipal chairs and committee persons. He intends to “always be available to listen to their issues and provide support,” hoping to “work at the state level to promote transparency and community engagement.”

“Our main streets are the backbone of our community and I will work to move past the current economic crisis to ensure that local businesses thrive,” Stanley declared. “I will help with identifying areas in need of redevelopment and take action to bring more responsible economic growth to create local, sustainable, good-paying jobs, while ensuring the same access to opportunity for all by enacting legislation that builds bridges for all.” “The issues we confront are not simple, but I deeply believe that they are not insurmountable if we understand their complexity and commit to respecting the perspectives that our fellow community members and leaders bring to the table.”

In India, Hindu Support For Modi’s Party Varies By Region And Is Tied To Beliefs About Diet And Language

India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is sometimes said to prioritize Hindu interests. Hindus were the religious group most likely to say they voted for the BJP in the country’s most recent parliamentary election, but there are vast differences in how Hindus from different regions voted, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of nearly 30,000 Indian adults. These regional political differences are connected to Hindu attitudes on a range of issues including language, diet and religious observance.

How we did this In 2019, roughly half of Hindu voters (49%) supported the BJP, giving the party a majority in the Lok Sabha – India’s lower house of parliament – and allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi a second term to lead the country. Among Hindus, the BJP received some of its highest vote shares in the Northern (68%) and Central (65%) regions of the country, which include India’s capital, Delhi, and its most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. By comparison, 46% of Hindu voters in the East and just 19% in the South say they voted for the BJP, according to the Center’s survey.

In the South, significant shares of Hindu voters (20%) say they instead supported the Indian National Congress (INC), which has led the country for most of the years since its independence. Regional parties, including the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, also received significant vote shares among Southern Hindus (both 11%). Southern states tend to have higher per capita income and have experienced faster economic growth than most Northern and Central states. Differences in voting patterns between Southern Hindus and those who live in the Northern and Central regions are part of broader regional differences among Hindus in India. For example, Hindu nationalist sentiments appear to have a smaller foothold in the South. Nationally, 64% of Hindus in India say being a Hindu is very important to being truly Indian. But while this share is as high as 83% in the Central region, it falls to 42% in the South.

A closely related sentiment is the importance of the Hindi language to national identity: The majority of Hindus in the Central (87%) and Northern (71%) regions say that speaking Hindi is very important to being truly Indian, while just 27% of Southern Hindus say this. Among the dozens of commonly spoken Indian languages, Hindi is the most widespread. However, while it is often spoken in the Northern and Central parts of the country, it is far less common in the South. Views on the connection between the Hindu religion, Hindi language and Indian identity are highly correlated with support for the BJP – a party that has supported making Hindi the national language and has enacted laws (such as restricting cow slaughter) that are seen as favorable to Hindus.

Indeed, attitudes about cow slaughter and beef consumption mark another division between the South and other regions of the country. Many Hindus consider cows sacred animals, but there are mixed views about whether eating beef disqualifies a person from being a Hindu. Most Hindus in the Northern and Central regions (both 83%) say someone who eats beef cannot be Hindu, compared with half of Southern Hindus. And attitudes about beef and Hindu identity are correlated with support for the BJP: Hindus who say they voted for the BJP are more likely than other Hindu voters to say someone who eats beef cannot be Hindu (77% vs. 66%).  Southern Hindus also differ in their religious observance. For instance, while 92% of Hindus in the Central region say religion is very important in their life, the share is substantially lower among Southern Hindus (68%). More religious Hindus tend to support the country’s ruling party: About half of Hindus who say religion is very important in their lives (52%) voted for the BJP in 2019, compared with around a third of Hindus (32%) who say religion is less important in their lives.

Views of the BJP differ along other religious lines in India, too. Among minority religions analyzed in the Center’s report, Jains appear to be the only group who strongly embrace the BJP. While the survey did not include enough Jain voters to report how they voted in the 2019 election, 70% of Jains said in a separate question that they feel closest to the BJP, regardless of whether they voted in the last election. Meanwhile, other religious groups showed less support for the ruling party: Fewer than a third of Buddhists (29%), Muslims (19%), Sikhs (19%) and Christians (10%) say they voted for the BJP in the 2019 parliamentary election.

Many voters from minority religions opted to vote for parties other than the BJP or INC. For example, 14% of Buddhists say they voted for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a national party focused primarily on the welfare of lower castes and minority religions; 89% of Buddhists are members of Scheduled Castes. Support for regional parties is also tied to religion. For instance, 16% of Sikhs say they voted for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in 2019. SAD is a regional party representing Punjabi interests; according to the most recent national census, conducted in 2011, 77% of India’s Sikhs live in Punjab.

Mother Teresa’s Birth Anniversary Celebrated

Millions of people around the globe celebrated the birth anniversary of Mother Teresa. Sister Mary Prema, Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Saint Teresa, lit candles as members of the Congregation prayed by her tomb in Kolkata, India, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. Thursday marked the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who spent 45-years serving the poor, the sick, the orphaned, and the dying. Founder of Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910. She left her home when she was mere 18 and devoted most part of life working for poor and downtrodden. The missionary founded by her looks after people who are dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. In 1950, she started her own order, “The Missionaries of Charity” after receiving nod from the Holy See. The primary task of the society was to care for those persons nobody wanted to look after. Fifteen years later, the society became an International Religious Family.

Mother Teresa also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, but her original name was Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. The word “Anjeze” means “a little flower” in Albanian. In 1928, when Mother Teresa was just 18 years old, she left her family to devote her life into social service. She had joined the Sisters of Loreto at Loreto Abbey in Rathfarnhan, Ireland to learn English with the view of becoming a missionary. She never saw her mother or sister after leaving home. Mother Teresa arrived in India in 1929, when she was mere 19. She spent most of her life in India. Mother Teresa was baptized in Skopje a day after her birth. She later started to consider the day of her baptised, August 27, as her “true birthday”.

After arriving in India, Mother Teresa began her novitiate (the period of training and preparation that a Christian novice or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether he or she is called to vowed religious life) in Darjeeling. Mother Teresa learned Bengali and taught at St. Teresa’s School near her convent. She took her religious vows on May 24, 1931 and chose to be named after Therese de Lisieux, the patron saint of missionaries. Though a nun in the convent had already chosen the name, Agnes opted for its Spanish spelling – Teresa. Mother Teresa was disturbed by the poverty surrounding her in Calcutta. On September 10, 1946, Mother Teresa experienced what she later described as “the call within the call” when she travelled by train to the Loreto Convent in Darjeeling from Calcutta for her annual retreat.

Mother Teresa began missionary work with the poor in 1948. She replaced her traditional Loreto habit with a simple white cotton sari that had a blue border. Mother Teresa adopted Indian citizenship. She also spent several months in Patna to attain basic medical training at Holy Family Hospital and ventured to slums. In 1950, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation. While teaching poor children in Calcutta, Mother Teresa did not have any supplies or equipment to impart knowledge, yet she managed to teach the children to read and write by writing in the dirt with wooden stick

Mother Teresa rescued 37 children trapped in a front line hospital by brokering a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Palestine. Accompanied by Red Cross workers, she traveled through the war zone to the destroyed hospital to evacuate the young patients. She was fluent in 5 languages – English, Hindi, Bengali, Albanian, and Serbian. During her humanitarian missions, Mother Teresa suffered from numerous diseases and injuries. She had pneumonia, malaria, suffered two heart attacks, and even broke her collar bone. She worked for orphans, AIDS patients, refugees, blind, disabled, alcoholics, poor, homeless, victims of floods and epidemics and famine. Mother Teresa received more than 120 honors and awards during her lifetime including the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize in 1962 and Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa was canonized at a ceremony on September 4, 2016 in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.

Teens In US Are Optimistic About Future

Grigsby’s largely upbeat attitude about the future, combined with a world-weary realism that seems mature beyond her years, is echoed in the findings of a national Washington Post-Ipsos poll of teens ages 14 to 18. While still hopeful about what lies ahead, many teens do not view the current moment so favorably. Fifty-one percent say that now is a bad time to be growing up, compared with 31 percent who answered that way 16 years ago, in a poll of teens conducted by The Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University. Their parents are even more negative, with more than 6 in 10 saying it’s a bad time for teenagers to be growing up.

These young Americans, who are coming of age amid a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, political and social unrest, growing economic inequality and rising crime, are keenly aware of the country’s problems. Majorities view political divisions, racial discrimination, the cost of health care and gun violence as “major threats” to their generation, according to the new Post-Ipsos poll. Nearly half also rank climate change as a major threat. Some are already trying to make a difference. Heily DeJesus, who lives in Lebanon, Pa., said she dashed from her brother’s high school graduation to a Black Lives Matter protest, where they all took a knee for a selfie as her brother raised his fist in the air. “It felt great to know that we’re a part of making a change for the world,” she remembered. “Even if it’s a small town, we’re still making a change.” The survey of 1,349 teens was conducted online in May and June primarily through Ipsos’s randomly recruited panel of U.S. households. Overall results have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, and the relatively large sample allows comparison of White, Black, Hispanic and Asian teens.

These young people are part of what is likely the most diverse cohort in the nation’s history. New Census Bureau data shows that the country’s under-18 population is majority-minority for the first time, with White children making up 47.3 percent of that age group compared with 53.5 percent in 2010. Their childhoods have been marked by racial justice protests and a growing societal acceptance of LGBTQ people. Most also perceive significant discrimination against a wide range of groups in American society. Black and transgender people topped the list, with about 6 in 10 teens saying Black people are treated unfairly very or somewhat often and an almost equal share saying the same thing about transgender people. But even given such looming challenges, the optimism of teens runs through the poll findings, especially when it comes to what the future holds for their own lives.

Nine in 10 teens say they are very or fairly likely to achieve a good standard of living as an adult, while nearly half still believe their opportunities to succeed in life are better than their parents’ were. About 4 in 10 believe they are about the same, while fewer than 2 in 10 say their opportunities to succeed in life are worse. Vincent Bornhorst has a rosy view of his future. The 18-year-old, who just graduated from Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., is a freshman at Virginia Tech, majoring in computer science. Earning a college diploma is a top priority, he says, which puts him among the roughly 8 in 10 teens who describe this goal as important. He expects to have about the same opportunity to succeed as his mother, a physician, and his father, a stay-at-home dad. What he doesn’t anticipate: one day becoming rich or famous, especially since he thinks the latter would entail public speaking, which he hates. ‘Overall, even with the omnipresence of social media stars who make achieving celebrity and wealth look as easy as racking up TikTok likes, a significantly smaller percentage of teens today believe they will become rich.

About half think it’s very or fairly likely that they will be rich one day, compared with more than 6 in 10 in 2005. White teens like Bornhorst are among the least likely to expect to become wealthy – with 44 percent predicting they will likely become rich. That number rises slightly to 49 percent for Hispanic teens. By contrast, about three-quarters of Black teens and two-thirds of Asian teens believe they will be rich one day. (Presumably, the notion of the top 1 percent hasn’t quite sunk in yet.) Bornhorst is also among the more than 9 in 10 teens who say it is important to achieve career success and to have enough free time to do the things they want. Some might view the two goals as contradictory, but Bornhorst thinks one requires the other. “I view free time as important to being successful,” he said. “If you’re just working hard all the time 24/7, you’re fairly likely to tire out.” DeJesus experienced that tension firsthand. The high school senior held two jobs to make her car payments during the pandemic on top of hustling at school. “Working all the time was really rough on my mental health.”

In fact, she said, “the whole year was horrible.”

In all, 45 percent of teens say the worst pandemic in a century has had a negative impact on their mental health, while another 45 percent say it had no impact at all and 10 percent say it had a positive impact. Four in 10 teens also report that the spread of the coronavirus had a negative impact on their relationships with friends. About half of teens say pandemic hurt their academics; more say bonds with parents got better than worse Emily Guzman, a 17-year-old senior from New York City, said she fell out with a friend at the beginning of the pandemic, and the social distancing made it harder to reconcile. “One of my friends had to put us into a group chat, and we talked about it,” Guzman said. She said she and her friends communicated during their pandemic isolation via texting and FaceTime. “It was stressful,” she said. “We all went from seeing each other every day to a whole year without seeing them.” Owen Porter, a rising senior in Davis, W.Va., was among those who found a way to stay in touch through gaming — Call of Duty and Minecraft were two of his favorites — and watching movies together on Discord.

“We would stay up till like 2 in the morning watching ‘American Horror Story,’ ” Porter said.

A surprising silver lining: Nearly 4 in 10 teens say the pandemic has had a positive impact on their relationships with their parents, compared with about 1 in 10 who say it had a negative impact and roughly half who say it had no impact. For once, the whole family was at home instead of running off in different directions. There were long stretches of not much to do and more time to talk, some teens said. Steven Townley, a 10th-grader in Augusta, Ga., said his family bonded even more tightly during the pandemic. “I got to spend more time with them and I got to get closer with them,” he said. Even when all of them contracted covid-19 and isolated in their home “we made the best of it.” They all recovered, he said. School did not fare as well with the teens surveyed; about half said the pandemic had a negative impact on their academics. The technology was glitchy at times, remote learning invited slacking for some teens, while others thought teachers weren’t up to the task.

“It felt like we didn’t get enough material. It seemed to change how much they taught us,” said Abigail A., a high school student in North Dakota whose parents allowed her to speak on the condition of partial anonymity because they were concerned about her responses lingering on the Internet. DeJesus said she struggled but still managed to maintain her grades. Pandemic or not, DeJesus believes that if she keeps pushing, she will graduate from college and succeed in life. Her dream: to be a lawyer. “I feel like in the past a lot of people didn’t go to college, they stayed in their towns and said, ‘This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life,’” said DeJesus, the Puerto Rican daughter of a mechanic who didn’t attend college and a stay-at-home mother who did. “A lot of people [my parents’ age] are struggling right now.” More than half of Hispanic teens like DeJesus, as well as similar majorities of Asian and Black teens, say it is “very important” to graduate from college, compared with about 4 in 10 White teens. The disparity is greater among lower-income households.

Teens who say graduating from college is very important are more likely to believe that the country’s best days are ahead of us, at 48 percent, compared with those who consider it less important, at 39 percent. Overall, a majority of teens — 56 percent — say they believe that the country’s best years are behind us, a shift from 2005, when roughly the same percentage said the country’s best years were still ahead of us. White teens are more apt to believe that the American glory days are gone.

Bornhorst believes life will only get better, largely due to technology and innovation, he said.“We are progressing quite a bit,” he said. “Technology will help us accomplish more things. People will have more spare time.” And yet Americans might be their own worst enemies — quite literally — when it comes to the country’s future, he said. “I feel like the U.S. has a lot of potential that we’re not using to the fullest,” he said. “We’re too divided politically and that is very much slowing down progress.” Bornhorst sees the country’s diversity as a competitive strength and, conversely, racial discrimination as a “major threat” to his generation, he said. His opinions are shared with a majority of his peers. About 6 in 10 teens say political divisions are a major threat to their generation. About the same share the view that racial discrimination as a major threat. The percentages differ widely between White teens and teens of other races and ethnicities. About 2 in 5 White teens say racial discrimination is a major threat, compared with more than 4 in 5 Black teens and more than two-thirds of Hispanic and Asian teens. Roughly 7 in 10 teens whose parents were not born in the United States perceive racial discrimination as a major threat.

Townley is struck by how quick some Americans are to judge — not only people of color but Whites, too, he said. “Some people do things they shouldn’t, and people see that and automatically think that everybody who looks like that person acts the same way. … It’s like judging a book by its cover,” said Townley, who is of Vietnamese descent and one of several children of color adopted by his White parents. Tha’keysha Murphy, an African American senior in Copperas Cove, Tex., believes that Whites are rarely treated unfairly, a view shared by 56 percent of all teens polled, including 43 percent of White teens and large majorities of minority teens. Murphy, 17, said she has noticed that’s particularly true at her school when punishment is meted out. She recalled a recent argument between a White student and an Asian student that turned into a physical fight. Although Murphy perceived that both students played an equal role, “the White person got off easier.”

About 1 in 5 teens say they have been treated unfairly over the past year due to their race and ethnicity. DeJesus had such an experience. She said she was speaking in Spanish with a family member on the phone while shopping at a local outlet mall when a White person screamed at her to “go back to my country,” she said. “It’s always the same thing,” DeJesus said. “They say our people should go back to our country, but I don’t think they know Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.” DeJesus put her anti-racist views into action last year by joining the Black Lives Matter protest, among the 12 percent of teens who said they have attended a BLM rally. Sixty-one percent said they support the movement, according to the teen survey, about the same percentage of adults who said they did in a 2020 Washington Post-ABC News poll. Grigsby, the teen from rural Minnesota who describes her heritage as African American,

European, Jewish and Indigenous, said her consciousness was raised about racism long before Floyd’s murder. As a 10-year-old in her predominantly White elementary school, she said she was “bullied and called the n-word” and physically attacked by her classmates. Her family’s protests were ignored, Grigsby said, so they filed a discrimination complaint with the state Department of Human Rights in 2015, which ended with a settlement in 2018. “It definitely hardened my character and made me more resilient and aware,” said Grigsby, who in the wake of Floyd’s murder co-led a walkout at her school and formed an advocacy group that, among other goals, seeks to ensure the hiring of more teachers of color. Abigail, who is White, believes that the discrimination can work both ways. It seems that barely a few days go by, she said, before she reads news that a member of a minority group has accused a White person of racism. She blames the media for creating division by too often pointing out the racial backgrounds of alleged victims and perpetrators.

She used to think more like a Democrat, she said, but gradually has come to adopt the perspective of her father, who is conservative. Perhaps not surprising for a generation that is particularly close to their elders, teens frequently echo their parents’ political beliefs. Two-thirds of teens whose parents lean toward the Democratic Party also say they lean that way, while about 6 in 10 teens whose parents lean Republican say they also lean Republican. Just 3 percent of teens say they lean toward the rival political party of their parents. Teens’ political leanings also affected their responses. For example, 72 percent of teens who said they were closer to the Democratic Party perceived climate change as a major threat, while only 17 percent of Republican-leaning teens did. “God creates the climate,” said Townley, who like his Reformed Baptist parents considers himself conservative. Teens’ political beliefs heavily influence what they think of President Biden and former president Donald Trump. A large majority of Democratic-leaning teens say Biden is doing a good job and that Trump did a bad job, and a large majority of Republican-leaning teens say the opposite.

Trump “built the economy better and made sure we had our vaccine so that people could make the decision about whether to take it,” Abigail said. Meanwhile, Biden is handling immigration poorly, she said. “He stopped building the wall and now a lot of people are getting in.” But Abigail does not believe such differences of opinion need to lead to political divisions, which she considers a “major threat” to her generation, a view shared by roughly two-thirds of both Republican and Democratic-leaning teens. “I know that people say there is a big gap between the two,” she said, “but I feel like there could be more common ground.” Grigsby sees a third path, along with roughly half of teens who say they do not lean toward either major political party. “Democrats are a lot of talk and don’t do very much,” said Grigsby, who leans socialist like her mother. “The Republicans, they do things, but they do things that harm the culture and marginalized people.” To Grigsby, Biden is best defined by what he’s not: Trump.

A self-described news junkie, Grigsby quickly rattled off what she perceives as Trump’s transgressions, from his handling of the pandemic — “He lied about it and called it a hoax” — to his attitudes on race. “He said ‘when the looting starts, the shooting starts.’ But if I understand correctly, he did not denounce what Kyle Rittenhouse did in Kenosha, Wisconsin.” And, finally: “He incited an insurrection and endangered his own vice president.” As she watched Trump’s supporters storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, Grigsby said, “I just remember thinking that this whole country is in shambles.” She worried that perhaps the racism of the past would become a fixture in the future. In the months since, the teen has come to think of the forces of white supremacy and the countervailing power of anti-racism as two magnets held in suspension, neither overtaking the other. Yet Grigsby remains mostly optimistic that teens like her — neither Democrats nor Republicans but fully committed to equality — might be the ones to finally break the logjam. (Courtesy: Washington Post)

AAPI Launches Adopt-A-Village, A Rural Health Initiative In India Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu & Consul Generals From All 5 Consulates In US Applaud AAPI’s Efforts

Continuing with its magnificent efforts to help their motherland, members of American Associati9on of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the premier medical organization in the United States initiated Adopt-A-Village, a Rural Health Initiative in India during a virtual launch event on Friday, August 27, 2021. Chaired by, Dr. Satheesh Kathula, the much needed and popular program has Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Dr. Jagan Ailinani and Dr. Ram Singh as members of the Committee.

In a rare show of support for AAPI, honorable Consul Generals of Chicago, New York, Houston, Atlanta and the Deputy CG of San Francisco participated live during the launch of this noble initiative. Ambassador of India to US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu joined the meeting with his message and lauded the numerous efforts of AAPI for India, especially during the pandemic.

Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President, AAPI, in her welcome address, referred to the objectives of Adopt-A-Village. “A lot of efforts is being put into this initiative, “Adopt a Village” Project where AAPI in collaboration with Global TeleClinics, Inc., plans to adopt 75 villages in honor of 75 years of India’s independence,” she said.  “As India celebrates her 75th anniversary Independence Day celebrations, AAPI has planned to adopt 75 villages in India spread across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, where the rural people of India will be offered ‘Free Health Screenings in 75 Rural Villages’ for Anemia (CBC), DM (HbA1C), High Cholesterol, CKD, Malnutrition, Kidney Disease, Malnutrition, Obesity, and Hypoxemia.  Results analyzed by GTC and further action recommended by their team of experts will be also, followed up. This is a small contribution from AAPI to Mother India in celebration of Azadi Ka  Amrut Mahotsav.” Dr. Anupama thanked the AAPI members for their generous support for this noble work of AAPI and for sponsoring their ancestral villages and going back to their roots.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Chairman of AAPI’s Adopt A Village Program pointed out about the need for this noble initiative. He said, India has nearly 700,000 villages. Three out of four Indians and about 77 percent of the poor live in villages. The majority of the population has no access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The needs in these rural areas are unlimited and the scope to work are endless. “By adopting one village at a time and working with the government and NGOs, NRIs can make a difference,” he said. Dr. Kathula referred to some of the programs in place in several rural villages, including supply of Cloth mask, clean drinking water and free health care screening that has benefitted thousands of people Across India.

Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI, said, “While India has made substantial progress in health care as evidenced  by the fact that life expectancy in India at birth now is 71 years as opposed to 58 years in 1990 and 41 years in 1960, there are significant gaps and divergence in health metrics in different regions in India. India, thus needs to redouble and continue its efforts and dedicate resources to tackle these perennial challenges. The post graduate training of physicians specializing in Family Medicine in every teaching institution will create a motivated and well trained family physicians to address these deficits and deliver accessible, affordable, economical and continuous preventive and primary care to rural as well urban poor populations to raise health outcomes substantially all across India,” he said.

“An individual can make a tremendous difference in the lives of many in India by adopting a village,” said Dr. Jagan Ailinani, who was instrumental in founding this noble program and set an example by adopting his own birth village in the state of Telangana in India. “A majority of the NRI’s hail from villages and would like to do their part to bring progress to villages in our state and country.”

Dr. Ram Singh said: “NRIs can adopt the village they hail from originally and make a significant contribution towards its development. There is a real will and desire on the part of governments, both at the state and the center to work with NRIs and NGOs to bring development to rural India.”

Dr. Kusum Punjabi, Chair of AAPI BOT said, “Many of these projects and programs need regular funding, and management of resources. We are grateful to dozens of AAPI members who have committed to Adopting a village in India with an ongoing commitment for investment.”

Ambassador Taranjit Singh, in his message to AAPI members, said, “As India is entering 75th year of independence, honoring men and women, who fought for the freedom, we rededicate ourselves to build an India where the dreams and aspirations of India’s 13 billion people are realized.” He urged the Diaspora community to come forward to honor INDIA by joining in the year-long celebrations.

Dr. Jayesh Shah, past President of AAPI, introduced Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan. In his address on “Indo-US Relationship In Healthcare -Rural Health Perspective” Ambassador Mahajan told the AAPI members: “You are true the heroes and partners with us, and you make us proud, especially during the critically vital Covid times.” Urging the Diaspora to contribute towards strengthening of India’s partnership with the US, Mr. Mahajan focused on India-US partnership on various health related issues, while stressing the many healthcare initiatives by the Government of India. “AAPI can play a big role in rural health, which has been a priority for the Government of India,” he said. He thanked and appreciated the many Doctors, who are already doing similar noble initiatives, helping the rural communities have access to clean drinking water. “We can work together, collaborating and sharing of knowledge and expertise, including Medical Education,” he told AAPI.

Dr.  Suresh Reddy, past President of AAPI and currently an elected Trustee of Oakbrook Village in Illinois, after introducing the Consul General of India in Chicago, Amit Kumar, announced that he is adopting his native village in the state of Telengana. In his address, Mr. Kumar spoke about “Rural Health In India, The Current Situation,” and focused on technological areas in healthcare development in the rural parts of India. “Your activities and the message to spread awareness on Covid and for providing PPEs to India are highly appreciated,” he told AAPI members, pointing to the fact that India has vaccinated over 600 million people and he hoped that India will offer vaccines to majority of India’s vast population soon.

Introduced by Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, immediate past President of India, Consul General of India in Atlanta Dr. Swati Kulkarni focused on “How AAPI and Doctors can Help India.” She said, “It’s important and laudable that you have undertaken to help India during the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence. Dr. Kulkarni shared her views on how AAPI and the government of India can collaborate in: Diplomacy for development, where “India needs overseas expertise, and you are best suited to offer,” she said, while calling upon Indian American Doctors to be part of India’s efforts to enhance the GDP. “India’s healthcare industry is growing rapidly there is more scope for growth with expanded pharma industry and medical tourism. She stressed the need for AAPI’s role in enhancing India-US political partnership, where AAPI is “a major stake holder,” she said.

Dr. Mukesh Nigam introduced Consul General of India in New York, Randhir Jaiswal. In his address on “Rural Health in India: The Challenges and Solutions” Ambassador Jaiswal said, “This noble initiative by AAPI has become more meaningful especially during the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.” Reminding AAPI members of Modi’s call to rebuild a new India, he said, “AAPI’s initiative is even more meaningful and fits well into PM’s vision for India.” He said, ‘We applaud and thank AAPI for coming forward to help India, especially during the covid pandemic.”

Dr. Sujeeth Punnam, a renowned cardiologist introduced Deputy Consul General of India in San Francisco, Rajesh Naik. While speaking on “Rural Health, What India can learn from Developed Nations” Mr. Naik said, “AAPI has provided tremendous support as India and Indian community were struggling with the challenges of Covid. You rose to the occasion and came forward to help and support, which have been highly appreciated by the Diaspora.” During the 2nd Covid surge, AAPI stepped forward and have sent out Millions of Dollars of medical supplies to Indi, he said. While pointing to the many challenges of healthcare in rural India, Mr. Naik urged how AAPI could offer tele medical consultation in rural India, especially focusing on the preventive aspect of health in India. .

Dr. Anjana Samadder, Vice President of AAPI, said, “By adopting one village at a time and working with the government and NGOs, NRIs can make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people in India. Each project will involve a tripartite partnership between the NRI, state government and a local NGO.”

Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer of AAPI pointed out, “The cost for adopting a village depends on various factors, including the population of the villages, the services that are required and what one is willing to commit to for the welfare and progress of the village one is committing to adopt.”

Dr. Lokesh Edara, chair for AAPI’s global initiative, while focusing on International medicine and how India is lagging behind in medical care, while urging the Government of India, pointed to how India needs to focus on Post Graduate Medical professionals rather than having Doctors with under graduate degree alone.

Dr. Gokula Murthy spoke about “Adopt-A-Village” by Global tele-clinics and shared with the audience as to how his firm has strived on ‘Blending medicine and technology,” while pointing to the “great opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of tele-health through awareness, education and sustainable development in all villages.”

There is no instant solution for rural India’s myriad problems. But by adopting one village at a time and working with the government and NGOs, NRIs can make a difference. Over time, an improved village could lead to an improved region, state and country.

Physicians of Indian origin are well known around the world for their compassion, passion for patient care, medical skills, research, and leadership. They have excelled in their fields of medicine, and thus have earned a name for themselves through hard work, commitment and dedication to their profession and the people they are committed to serve. Not satisfied with their own professional growth and the service they provide to their patients around the world, they are in the forefront, sharing their knowledge and expertise with others, especially those physicians and leaders in the medical field from India.

Dr. Gotimukula, urged “AAPI members to consider joining this movement and adopt a village. May be your own village of origin. AAPI will work with you in coordinating the efforts and through the support system we have in several states, will help you achieve this goal of giving back to our motherland.” AAPI members/families can sponsor a Village by emailing to: aapipresident@aapiusa.org and info@aapiusa.org.  For more details, please do visit: www. aapiusa.org

Gandhian Society Plans Digital Museum Project For Mahatma Gandhi In New Jersey

The Gandhian Society met with the Consul General of India in New York Shri. Randhir Jaiswal to discuss the digital museum project for Mahatma Gandhi in Edison along with the Aditya Birla Group representatives. The members apprised the consul general of the activities of Gandhian Society, especially the charitable work of sending oxygen concentrators to India in the beginning of the second wave in May – 2021.

The Society also informed the consul general of the Khadi Fashion show and Patriotic Music Competition held on India’s Independence Day in Central Jersey. The Gandhian Society along with the Birla Group representatives also explained to the Consul General the intended purpose and logistics of the proposed museum for Mahatma Gandhi. The consul general appreciated the proposed project and promised to extend his support for the project.

The Gandhain Society later felicitated the out going deputy Consul General Shatrughan Sinha ji for his services and support to the Indian Community and Gandhian Society activities. The members thanked him and the consulate staff for their excellent service and help to the community during the pandemic and praised their work and help during the most difficult times. The Gandhian Society honored the outgoing deputy consul general with a memento and Gandhian Jacket as a token of their respect and appreciation. The Gandhian Society was represented by founder Bhadra Butala, Rajendar Dichpally, Mahesh Wani, Hasmukh Patel. The Birla Group was represented by Nitin Mathuria and Riddhima. The Gandhain Society along with GOPIO and other Organizations will host an event in the Indian Consulate to observe the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2nd.

In Kerala Village, Expatriates Join Hands To Set Up Steel Plant

After working in Sharjah for 15 years, T C Shiju, 42, returned to his home in Thikkodi village, in Kozhikode district of Kerala, about two years ago. He was exploring investment choices, when he found a viable option in his village itself. With an investment of just Rs 1 lakh, he became a partner in GTF Steel Pipes and Tubes LLP, a novel manufacturing venture set up by expatriates hailing from Thikkodi and its surrounding villages. Set up by the Global Thikkodiyans Forum (GTF) — a social media group of expatriates from Thikkodi floated in 2015 following a looming job crisis in the Middle East – in May 2018, the unit commenced production earlier this month.

This is the first such attempt in the state where expatriates, and returnees, of a village have come together and mobilized capital for a business enterprise of this kind. The total investment of Rs 18 crore was raised from 207 people. Of these, 147 invested only Rs 1 lakh each. The price of a share was fixed at Rs 50,000, and an individual had to invest in at least two shares. There was a cap on the maximum investment as well – Rs 40 lakh per person. “The major highlight of the venture is that a large section of investors are ordinary people who have some small savings, a few lakh rupees, after years of toil in the Gulf. But for an initiative of this type, they would not have been able to be a part of a professional business venture,” said GTF Steels Chairman Mohammed Basheer Nadammal.

“Most of these returnees invest in trade or hotel industry, and then back out after incurring huge losses. Our concern was to make such people a part of a business venture,’’ he said. Ummer Koyilil, 60, returned to Thikkodi village about two years ago, after working in Bahrain for 18 years. “I tried to set up a small business, but it did not materialise,” he said. “I have invested only Rs 1 lakh in this venture. This has given me exposure to a business enterprise. Otherwise, I would have ended up as a small trader,’’ he said. Before deciding to set up a unit to manufacture galvanised iron pipes and tubes, the GTF explored other possibilities, including integrated farming and tourism.

Explaining why they opted to set up the unit, GTF Steels CEO Ishaq Koyilil, also from Thikkodi, said: “As per our analysis, the monthly demand of GI pipes and tubes in Kerala was 40,000 metric tones during pre-Covid. It would be down to 25,000 metric tones now. However, the production in Kerala is only 4,000 metric tones per month. Our monthly production capacity is 3,000 metric tones. We see a huge growth potential, as construction and infrastructure sectors are poised for major growth in Kerala.” None of the partners work in the factory. The recruitment was done in a professional manner, with only qualified, trained workers being selected.

Abdul Latheef, also from Thikkodi, said they wanted to put forward a business and investment model which could be emulated across the state. “This model will help ordinary expatriates to invest their hard-earned savings in viable business ventures. We have 2,000-odd members in the GTF. Only those interested in investing in the steel industry were selected as partners. We are planning other enterprises too, in which others in the forum can invest,’’ he said.

Chronicling 500 Years Of Indian Immigration To Britain

This is a chronicle of five-hundred years of Indian immigration to Britain as it explores the adventures of the imperial capital and how its saga fuelled the journey of Indian independence. In September 1600, Queen Elizabeth and London are made to believe that the East India Company will change England’s fortunes forever. With William Shakespeare’s death, the heart of Albion starts throbbing with four centuries of an extraordinary Indian settlement that author Arup K. Chatterjee unfolds in “Indians in London” (Bloomsbury). In five acts that follow, we are taken past the churches destroyed by the fire of Pudding Lane; the late eighteenth-century curry houses in Mayfair and Marylebone; and the coming of Indian lascars, ayahs, delegates, students and lawyers in London.

From the baptism of Peter Pope (in the year Shakespeare died) to the death of Catherine of Bengal; the chronicles of Joseph Emin, Abu Taleb and Mirza Ihtishamuddin to Sake Dean Mahomet’s Hindoostane Coffee House; Gandhi’s experiments in Holborn to the recovery of the lost manuscript of Tagore’s Gitanjali in Baker Street; Jinnah’s trysts with Shakespeare to Nehru’s duels with destiny; Princess Sophia’s defiance of the royalty to Anand establishing the Progressive Writers’ Association in Soho; Aurobindo Ghose’s Victorian idylls to Subhas Chandra Bose’s interwar days; the four Indian politicians who sat at Westminster to the blood pacts for Pakistan; India in the shockwaves at Whitehall to India in the radiowaves at the BBC; the intrigues of India House and India League to hundreds of East Bengali restaurateurs seasoning curries and kebabs around Brick Lane�the book details all this and more. “Indians in London” is a scintillating adventure across the Thames, the Embankment, the Southwarks, Bloomsburys, Kensingtons, Piccadillys, Wembleys and Brick Lanes that saw a nation-a cultural, historical and literary revolution that redefined London over half a millennium of Indian migrations-reborn as independent India.

Arup K. Chatterjee is an Associate Professor at O.P. Jindal Global University. In 2014, he was a recipient of the Charles Wallace fellowship, to United Kingdom. His interests are in the history of British imperialism, politics and philosophy; British cultural and historical encounters with India; and colonial and postcolonial historiography of India; Vedanta and Nondualism; and Indian philosophy and psychoanalysis.

AKMG’s 42nd Annual Convention Held in Atlanta

(Atlanta, GA: August 25, 2021) The 42nd annual Association of Kerala Medical Graduates (AKMG) convention was held from Friday, August 13 to Sunday, August 15. It was held at the Inter-Continental Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta, GA. Attended by 425 fully vaccinated Doctors of Kerala origin and their families from the US and Canada. The annual convention was the best forum for friends to get together, converse, reminisce about their past medical college campus life. Also, it includes singing old and new songs, network and be enriched and entertained.

AKMG annual conventionIn his presidential address, while expressing gratitude to the members of AKMG “for giving me the opportunity this year to be the President of our wondrous organization”. Dr. Subrahmanya Bhat said, “I worked very hard to make sure that this year’s AKMG was the best it could be. Likewise, our executive team has worked very hard to make sure the convention would be successful and profitable. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.”

Enumerating some of the accomplishments under the current leadership, Dr. Bhat said, “We have added close to 400 new life members to the AKMG organization. We have started a mentorship program for young physicians who are working on improving their craft,” said. Pointing to the several charitable events and programs AKMG has organized, Dr. Bhat said, “We have supported several food banks that have fed the hungry. In addition, our teams raised enough funds to feed 10,000 homeless people last Christmas.”

Back home in Kerala, with the generous contributions from AKMG members, Dr. Bhat and his team have “raised over $200,000 for Covid relief in Kerala. And provided PPEs and Pulse oximeters to Healthcare workers and Hospitals in Kerala. Furthermore, we have started a new telehealth service called Dronacare, in partnership with Innovation Incubator Inc. This is with the intent of providing free healthcare consultation to people in Kerala. ” In addition, AKMG has initiated the steps to bridge Kerala CDC and Atlanta CDC under the direction of Dr. MV Pillai, Past President of AKMG.

AKMG membersWhile inaugurating the convention with the traditional lighting of the lamp, in her keynote address, Dr. Swathi Kulkarni, Consul General of India in Atlanta, described the Indian American Physician community as a “Testament to the greatest growth story”. While emphasizing the role of physicians during the pandemic, Dr. Kulkarni praised their contributions and achievements. Dr. Kulkarni shared with the audience about the many programs and plans offered by the Government of India. Those are to alleviate the sufferings of the people of India during the pandemic. In addition, Dr. Kulkarni stressed the importance of the Indo-US Strategic Alliance, especially in the health sector. While pointing out India’s contributions to providing the world with quality drugs for lower prices.

Dr. Vikas Kapil from the CDC delivered the keynote address. Dr. Asha Thomas, an IAS officer and head of Health and Human Services and Medical education in Kerala, attended the convention.  Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General, and the Chief Minister of Kerala sent best wishes and greetings to the delegates at the convention.  In his message, Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi style=”float: left; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px;”Vijayan, praised the achievements of the Indian doctors using the knowledge gained from India. He also congratulated AKMG for being the oldest medical organization with 42 years of history. And for its members being the ambassadors of Kerala.

AKMG Association awardsBeing away from home, the participants were led to celebrate Onam with traditional festivities. It including a reception to King Mahabali with thalapoli and chenda melam followed by an Onam feast. The Fashion show, choreographed by Anu Bhat, displayed the best of Indian attire elegantly adorned by beautiful young women as they cat walked to the audience’s delight. Mamta Mohandas, a famous actress from the Malayalam Cinema world, was an added attraction during the Fashion Parade.

The Campus Comedy Night, which has come to be known as an integral part of the annual event since it had started way back in 1986, was a treat to the hearts and souls of the participants during the AKMG Convention in Atlanta as it showcased the diverse talents in music, art and acting by the members of AKMG fraternity. “The AKMG, the pioneering organization of Indian physicians in the US, formed three years earlier than the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, AKMG inspired the formation of AAPI,” Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Immediate Past President of AAPI, said.

An elegantly done annual Souvenir was released during the convention. Dr. Annapurna Bhat, Chair of the AKMG Convention Souvenir Committee Chair, said, “I am most honored and delighted to be a part of AKMG, or the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates, North America, a wonderful secular organization serving and empowering Indian healthcare professionals of Kerala origin in USA and Canada.”

Annual convention colleaguesDr. Sunil Kumar, Chair, AKMG Humanitarian Services, thanked AKMG members as they “stepped up to the plate when our motherland was crying for help. I have always been proud of AKMG’s commitment to charity and even more today with your actions. As you know, when the COVID second wave started threatening India, we came together and helped our people prevent a catastrophe. As a result, we were able to reach an agreement with the international charity organization GLOBAL MEDIC to match our donations with $100,000 worth of PPE equipment.”

Dr. Lizy Thaliath, AKMG Convention Chair 2021, said, “As the convention committee chair, it is my honor to welcome all distinguished guests, family members, and participants of the AKMG 42nd convention in Atlanta. We have gone through a pandemic that has destroyed millions of lives and upended many global economies, and for the brunt of it, we healthcare workers have been fighting on the frontline. We pay respect to all who lost their lives in this fight in the hope of keeping the fight going strong.”

At the fabulous Saturday Nite Gala, Dr. Bhat handed over the charge to incoming president Dr. Nigil Haroon, who in his inaugural address, said, “I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as your president for its 42nd year. As I undertake to represent the AKMG as its President for 2021-22,” he said and promised to work to strengthen the organization and enhance its relationship with organizations of other medical professionals. As always, AKMG will continue focusing on charitable activities and helping the medical colleges back in Kerala. For more details, please visit www.akmg.org.

Attorney Sanjay Wadhwa Named Deputy Director of SEC’s Enforcement Division

The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced the appointment of Sanjay Wadhwa as deputy director of the Division of Enforcement. The Indian American attorney most recently served as the senior associate director of the Division of Enforcement in the New York Regional Office, where he managed more than 150 personnel in enforcing federal securities laws. His new role is effective immediately, said the SEC press release on August 18th.

“Over the hundreds of investigations he has overseen, Sanjay has helped the SEC root out wrongdoing, pursue charges against those who seek to manipulate or defraud investors, and partner with criminal authorities to prosecute bad actors,” said SEC chair Gary Gensler. “Sanjay’s breadth of experience and dedication to protecting investors make him well qualified to serve as deputy director of the Enforcement Division. I look forward to working with him in his new role.” “Sanjay brings a tenacious approach to our work, and he is passionate about protecting American investors,” said Gurbir Grewal, the SEC’s Director of Enforcement. “I am eager to work closely with him in his new role.”

“It has been an honor to serve alongside the SEC’s esteemed Enforcement staff for the past 18 years,” said Wadhwa. “I look forward to working with Gurbir and the entire Enforcement Division to oversee investigations and litigation matters to help protect investors and promote integrity in the marketplace by holding wrongdoers accountable.” Wadhwa joined the SEC as a staff attorney in 2003. As co-head of Enforcement in the SEC’s New York office, he was responsible for the day-to-day functions of that office’s enforcement program. He also previously served in additional roles in the Enforcement Division, including deputy chief of the Market Abuse Unit and assistant director in NYRO. Prior to joining the SEC in 2003, Wadhwa served as a tax associate at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Wadhwa has a B.B.A. from Florida Atlantic University, a J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston, and an LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law.

Shashi Tharoor Cleared By Delhi Court In Sunanda Pushkar Death Case

In a big relief for Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, a Delhi court Aug. 18 discharged him in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. Special judge Geetanjali Goel said, “The accused is discharged.” The order was pronounced in the presence of Tharoor, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa appearing on behalf of Tharoor, and additional public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava.

Tharoor, who attended the court proceedings virtually, thanked the court for discharging him of all offenses. “It had been seven and half years and it was a torture. I’m so grateful,” he said. Tharoor had been accused of subjecting his late wife to cruelty and abetting her suicide by Delhi Police, which had filed a detailed chargesheet in the matter.  Pushkar’s body was discovered in a room of a five-star hotel in the capital on January 17, 2014. An FIR was registered by police a year later, on January 1, 2015, against unknown persons for murder. Tharoor was later booked under IPC Sections 498-A (subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment to suicide).

After the pronouncement of the judgment, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, said that the charges of abetment of suicide and cruelty levelled by police against his client were “absurd and preposterous”. “I am delighted to hear the pronouncement of discharge for Dr Shashi Tharoor. It was a long battle of seven years. Ultimately, justice has prevailed. He had faith in the judicial system right from the beginning. I had always advised Dr Tharoor not to make any public statement as the matter was sub judice… Even the most essential ingredients of the offences were not present in this case,” he said. Earlier on April 29, May 19 and June 16, the order was deferred due to the pandemic impacting the judicial work. The order pronouncement was adjourned again on July 2, after the court received an application from the prosecution seeking one week’s time to file written submissions.

Pushkar was found dead on the evening of Jan. 17, 2014. Initially, Delhi police investigated the same as a murder, with an FIR registered under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), charging Tharoor under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498A (cruelty by husband). Shrivastava had argued that before her death, Pushkar had sustained injuries on her body, and they were reflected in the post-mortem report. He submitted that 27 tablets of Alprax were found in her room, although it was not clear as to how many pills she had consumed

Several US Cities Mandate Vaccination Proof For Indoor Activities

Many US cities have made it mandatory for citizens to show their Covid-19 vaccination proof for indoor activities in a renewed effort to curb the further spread of the disease, according to authorities.

 

In New York City, the ‘Key to NYC Pass’ mandate began on Monday, which requires diners to show proof of at least one vaccination dose in order to dine indoors at restaurants, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

New York City was amongst the first in the US to announce that public indoor venues, such as restaurants, bars, gyms and performance and entertainment facilities, would require proof of vaccination.

 

Full enforcement however, won’t kick in until September 13, while San Francisco and New Orleans have since followed suit. “The move comes as the Delta variant continues to spread throughout the country, and the battered hospitality industry figures out a way to recover from a year of shutdowns and countless regulatory changes,” catering website ny.eater.com said on Monday.

 

As for New York State, governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday that she was not ruling out the possibility of mandating a vaccine for indoor activities amid a surge in Covid-19 cases brought about by the Delta variant. “I’m open to all options,” she told CNN. “I’ll be looking at the possibility of mandates, but not saying they’re in or out until I know all the facts.”

 

She also clarified her support of mask mandates for children in school as a necessary safety step for helping New York get through a new wave of Covid-19 infections.

 

A lagging vaccination campaign and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant are driving a surge in Covid-19 hospitalisations in the US, reported The New York Times on Monday.

The trend is particularly notable among children and younger adults. From August 5 to 11, 263 children were admitted to hospitals every day on average, compared to 217 in early January, the last peak.

 

Average daily admissions rose to a record among 18- to 49-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, the country has administered 356,433,665 doses of Covid-19 vaccines till date and distributed 415,957,645 doses, said the CDC, adding that 198,088,722 people have received at least one dose while 168,362,058 people are fully vaccinated. (IANS)

Life Begins At 60; No Work, Only Leisure, These Are The Best Years, After All!

With a strong focus on ageing positively, senior citizens want to explore new career avenues, pursue their passions, and at the same time engage in social good more actively. Contrary to widespread belief, today’s senior citizens are far from retirement.

In celebration of World Senior Citizen’s Day (August 21), Columbia Pacific Communities, India’s largest senior living community operator, launched India’s first ever report on the golden agers, The Positive Ageing Report. Supported by extensive desk research, the report, aims to examine traditional notions and understand evolving needs of seniors while giving key insights on the changing aspirations, needs of senior citizens and their view of ageing in the 21st century.

People older than 60 years account for 8 per cent of the Indian population. However, by 2050, the number of elderly will almost double, with over 319 million people aged over 60. This necessitates reimagining of our existing infrastructure and services to support positive ageing and better senior care for the ageing population. In the given scenario, the findings of the Report will help enhance our understanding and drive conversations around what senior citizens feel about ageing and the kind of support they need from society. The Report is based on face-to-face and telephonic interviews conducted by Innovative Research Services (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Some of the key findings from the report are as follows:

* For people over 60, men (31 per cent ) identify themselves with their careers (compared to 19 per cent women), women (30 per cent ) believe their identity comes from their passions and interests (compared to 23 per cent men).

* The proportion of women over 60 (36 per cent ) who spend over four hours daily on social media is greater than millennial and Gen Z men (22 per cent ) and more than double of millennial and Gen Z women (15 per cent).

* More than two out of five respondents over 60 (45 per cent ) agree with the statement — ‘Life begins at 60; no work, only leisure, these are the best years, after all!’

* Nearly a third (31 per cent ) of the respondents believe that it is only after 60 that they would have all the time and the wisdom to achieve their ambitions.

According to Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities, “The philosophy of positive ageing is central to all our efforts at Columbia Pacific Communities. We strive towards creating an ecosystem that fosters a healthy ageing experience for the elderly. Considering several factors of the rapidly transforming world and the significant shift in our population demographic, we wanted to ascertain the future needs of seniors better. “Therefore, we commissioned a survey on positive ageing, examining people across age groups within three broad frameworks — identity, technology and health. The findings of the survey have been eye-opening and have challenged pre-existing notions. The report reveals Indian seniors to be as independent, focused, enterprising and aspirational as any other age group. It is our pleasure to release “:The Positive Ageing Report and we are confident that it will provide key perspectives to policy makers and other stakeholders and help them strengthen their efforts towards the health and well-being of the elderly,” Mohit Nirula said. On the occasion, putting the spotlight on the issue of loneliness among the elderly, Columbia Pacific Communities, launched the initiative #ReplyDon’tReject with the critically acclaimed senior actor, Boman Irani.

The initiative calls out to the younger generations, by offering a unique perspective, and appeals them to avoid treating frequent video, photo, or good morning messages from senior citizens as mere forwards and view the mere act of frequent messaging as the desire to connect and share as well as the struggle to fight their solitude. (IANS)

Gandhian Society And GOPIO Organize Indian Independence Day, Raise Funds For Ambulances For Rural India

The Gandhian Society (New Jersey) along with GOPIO chapters (Manhattan and Central Jersey) hosted an event to celebrate Indian Independence Day – Swaraj with Bapu and Vinoba at the Royal Albert Palace, Fords, New Jersey on August 15th attended by dignitaries and with a Khadi Fashion Show and a Musical Competition based on Patriotic songs and those based on Gandhian Ideology.

The event also raised funds for providing ambulances to help the secondary health sector in rural and tribal areas of India. Gandhian Society founder Bhadra Butala said that the society has committed to provide 50 ambulances this year, which will be run and maintained by Gandhian groups in the rural and tribal areas. The event on August 15th raised funds for 10 ambulances.

The ceremonial program started with Gandhiji’s favorite Vaishnav Bhajan. The chief guest at the event was Mr. A.K. Vijayakrishnan, Consul for Community Affairs at the Indian Consulate. Other dignitaries were GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, NJ State Representative Raj Mukerji, Democratic Party nominee for Mayor in Edison Sam Joshi, former Assemblyman and NJ Assembly Speaker and current Public Utilities Commissioner Upendra Chivukula,

Indian Consul Vijayakrishnan appreciated the work done by Gandhian Society and GOPIO in keeping the Gandhian philosophy and values alive. He also said that Mahatma Gandhi’s belief in non-violence had also inspired the modern leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. in the US and Nelson Mandela in South Africa “The Gandhian Society was playing an important role in making the younger generation aware of the values and principles of the Mahatma Gandhi and the importance of non-violence,” Said Vijayakrishnan.  The Consul also thanked both the organizations for their valuable contribution during the COVID crises in India. GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham said that while Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent Satyagraha movement brought independence to India, many in India and outside doubted whether the new republic will sustain itself, due to widespread ignorance, poverty and divisiveness of our people, however, India made progress under a democratic rule in all the seven decades and now moving forward to become the third largest economy in the world in this decade.

“When India was hit badly with the second wave of Covid, the Indian Diaspora came forward to help by sending oxygen concentrators and medical supplies and GOPIO chapters are supporting the noble cause of the Gandhian Society to provide ambulances to underserved rural and tribal areas,” Dr. Abraham added. Rep. Raj Mukerji said, “Mahatma Gandhi has been an inspiration to many leaders in the USA like Martin Luther King, President Obama and he himself is a big admirer of the Mahatma for the values that he propagated during his lifetime.”NJ Utilities Commissioner Chivukula said “the teachings of Mahatma are still relevant today and that the values system of the mahatma is identified with the Diaspora.” Chivukula hoped that the future generation will continue to uphold and keep these values of the greatest man from India.

Democratic mayoral candidate Sam Joshi has said that he is committed to ensuring that the Gandhi Museum comes up in Edison, New Jersey and he will extend all support to the project. He also said he will help with the logistics in land and resources needed for the project. Gandhian Society Director Rajendar Dichpally poke about the work of the Gandhian Society during the pandemic and sending oxygen concentrators during the second wave of the pandemic, especially to rural and tribal areas. He also said that the Gandhian Society is planning to send 50ambulances to rural and tribal areas in India and he announced that the society was able to get 10 commitments for ambulances so far.

New Jersey State Senator Vin Gopal was represented by his staff. There were many community leaders who participated at the celebration including GOPIO International Coordinator-at-Large Asha Samant, hoteliers Maganbhai Patel and Dalpat Patel, GOPIO-Manhattan Executive VP Prof. Rajasekhar Vangapaty and Dr. Ravinder K. Thota of American Telugu Association (ATA). The Fashion show was coordinated by Sonal Gadhvi and Aric Damiani. The show stopper and main model for the fashion show was Aryan Vaid (Former Mr. World) and participated by many Indian American Children. The fashion show was done to promote Khadi fabric, which was the fabric preferred by Mahatma Gandhi and was the fabric used by all Satyagrahis during Indian Freedom struggle, in a modern manner so that the younger generation could identify with the fabric and continue to wear the fabric.

The Music Competition was Organized by famous Singer Varsha Joshi and had Bollywood Lyricist Swanand Kirkire as one of the main judges for the show. The music competition had over 40 children participate from different cities in America. The local judges were Gerry Cutinoh, Anirban Roy Chowdhary. The event saw 10 people coming forward to donate ambulances with their generous donations. Those who donated ambulances include Bhadra Butala, Hasmukh Patel, Krishna Pirlamarla, Dr. Prabhu Rachakonda, Maganbhai Patel, Gita Butala and others. The event had an excellent pictorial exhibition of Mahatma Gandhi and quotes from his life and other leaders that took him as their inspiration. A simple breakfast and lunch were served at the event. The Gandhian Society Team comprised of Dr. Deepak Naran, Rajendar Dichpally, Balaji Jilla, Mahesh Wani, Shiva Kumar, Sravan Natakala and GOPIO team included Dr. Asha Samant, Prof. Rajasekhar Vangapaty, Siddarth Jain, Chitraranjan Sahay Belwariar, Kunal Mehta, Dr. Tushar Patel, Vijay Garg and Shivendra Sofat.

Over 2,000 Sign Petition Against “Dismantling Global Hindutva”

In response to the event “Dismantling Global Hindutva” purportedly cosponsored the Departments and Institutes at forty prominent Universities in the US in September 2021, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) has initiated an online petition and issued the following statement.  This petition has already garnered 2000 signatures.  These signatures and associated comments are being sent to all the Universities co-sponsoring the event requesting them to disassociate themselves from this Hinduphobic event.

“Dismantling Global Hindutva” yet another attempt by some of the best known Hinduphobic academicians and their allies to systematically delegitimize Hindu dharma at the academic institutions in the US.  We request the sponsoring universities to take immediate action to prevent vilification and intimidation of students, faculty of Hindu heritage as well as those of Indian origin under the guise of an event titled, “Dismantling Hindutva,” supposedly cosponsored by your institution. The word Hindutva, as defined by the Supreme Court of India (Ramesh Yeshwant Prabhoo case [1996 SCC (1) 130]) means: “The words ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ are not necessarily to be understood and construed narrowly, confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people.”

“Considering the terms ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ per se as depicting hostility, enmity or intolerance towards other religious faiths or professing communalism, proceeds form an improper appreciation and perception of the true meaning of these expressions emerging from the detailed discussion in earlier judgments of this court. Misuse of these expressions to promote communalism cannot alter the true meaning of these terms. The mischief resulting from the misuse of the terms by anyone in his speech has to be checked and not its permissible use.” “It is a fallacy and an error of law to proceed on the assumption that any reference to Hindutva or Hinduism in a speech makes it automatically a speech based on the Hindu religion as opposed to other religions or that the use of words ‘Hindutva’ or ‘Hinduism’ per se depicts an attitude hostile to all persons practising any religion other than the Hindu religion.”

We believe that this event is being timed to take attention away from the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan and the larger region.  At a time when many Hindus in America are working hard to address the issue of persecuted religious minorities, facing an existential threat in Afghanistan, this event targeting Hindus is aimed to distract from the critical humanitarian work that is the need of the hour. American Hindus are also focused on highlighting the plight of Hindu girls in Sindh, Pakistan.  For decades, on an average, three girls a day, some as young as 12-years of age are abducted, forcibly converted and married off to Muslim men decades older than them.  This campaign named CHINGARI, Coalition for Hindu Girls Abducted and their Rights has been gaining tremendous momentum.  We believe that many of the organizers of “Dismantling Hindutva” are aligned with the perpetrators of these heinous acts and their enablers, who want to divert the attention from increasing awareness about this human rights issue. We expect that purportedly co-sponsoring institutions will immediately disassociate themselves from this event and reassure the Hindu students, faculty and staff that their institutions are safe spaces for all religious minorities.

Key Leader Statements:

Ajay Shah, the President of VHPA and Convenor of AHAD said: Dismantling Global Hindutva event has been organized from September 10 to September 12.  It is no coincidence that the event has been timed to take place on Anniversary of September 11 terror attack, the largest on the American soil by the radical Islamic terrorists.  It should be clear that the organizers of this event have a nefarious motive of deflecting the attention away from the radical Islamic terrorism to the peaceful Hindu community by vilifying the essence of Hindu spiritual practices, culture and way of life, embodied in Hindutva.  At a time when thousands of Muslims from Afghanistan are seeking refuge from Islamic terrorism to predominantly Hindu India, to label Hindutva as a radical extremist philosophy is not just ironic but malevolent

Commenting on the event, Utsav Chakrabarti, Executive Director, HinduPACT stated: At a time when radical Islamists in the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, are emboldened by Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan, and are openly threatening India and its Hindu population, this event by Taliban apologists targeting Hindus, is worrisome. It shows that many Universities in the United States have become de-facto platform for the promotion of intolerance and violent extremism.

Amitabh Mittal, General Secretary of VHPA said: How one can uproot that which is eternal? What threat is Hindutva, an expression of Hindu dharma, the all-encompassing religion and philosophy that ever existed? Why do the Marxist-Leninists and their allies feel threatened by the most accepting religion that has always stood for freedom?  It is a shame that these misguided people are talking about dismantling the faith that has survived the onslaught of invaders and colonialist for many millennia. These neo-detractors of the Hindu dharma will be another footnote in history.  We welcome their assault, Santana Dharma that is Hindu is the soul of humanity as said in the Bhagwad Gita “No weapon can harm it, fire cannot burn it, air cannot dry it and water cannot wet it”

American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) is the first and the most prominent Hindu organization against defamation in the USA.  An initiative of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), AHAD has been actively monitoring mass media, products, public places etc. to ensure respectful and accurate representation of Hindu dharma, culture, images and icons.  Active since 1997, hundreds of thousands of Hindus have participated in various advocacy activities led by AHAD.

Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective, USA – HinduPACT USA is an initiative of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA). HinduPACT (hindupact.org) aims to bring Hindu ethos and dharmic values of unity in diversity, plurality, compassion and, mutual respect amongst religions to policy and advocacy for human rights, environmental protection, racial and gender equality, and, interfaith dialog.  HinduPACT activities include voter education (hinduvote.org), CHINGARI (Coalition for HINdu Girls Abducted and their RIghts), HAHRI (Hindus Advancing Human Rights Internationally) and weekly live show on contemporary American Hindu issues The HinduLounge

World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) is the most prominent organization of Hindus in the USA.  Founded in 1970, it has chapters across the country.   VHPA runs educational programs for Hindu children and youth in addition to community service (Seva) activities, and initiatives such as Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC), Hindu Womens’ Network, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT).

 

South Asian Council for Social Services Gets New Community Center

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for inaugurating a new Community Center for the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS), took place Aug. 12, 2021, in Flushing, Queens, New York City. The SACSS, founded by Sudha Acharya, its executive director, is an organization that has been serving the ethnic communities it is named after, since 2000. It was founded with a mission to empower and integrate underserved South Asians and other immigrants into the economic and civic life of New York, people who were not able to access services easily.

 

The SACSS’ target diaspora is comprised of immigrants and their children hailing from the South Asian region which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and the Maldives.  It also includes Indo-Caribbeans who are individuals from Caribbean nations tracing their heritage back to South Asia.

 

Congressperson Grace Meng, D-NY, New York State Senators Toby Ann Stavisky and John Liu, Assembly Member Nily Rozic, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Deputy Queens Borough President Rhonda Binda, and NYC Councilmembers Peter Koo, Daniel Dromm, and Barry Grodenchik joined the leadership and member of SACSS, to inaugurate the new Community Center.

 

Located in the heart of Flushing, the center is a two-story building with a finished basement from which SACSS will offer an expanded food pantry, more space for senior immigrants to gather, and increased health access, among other services, a press release from the organization said.

At the ribbon cutting, Rep. Meng commended SACSS for what she said was exceptional work in responding to the needs of the community. “The center is for the community, which is not limited to South Asians, SACSS works for all immigrants who need them,” Meng is quoted saying.

State Sen. Stavisky echoed these sentiments, and NYS Senator Liu spoke to SACSS’ humble beginnings and the growth of the organization and  its impact over the last twenty years of its existence.

 

New York City Council Member Peter Koo (District 20) addresses attendees at the Aug. 12, 2021, ribbon cutting for SACSS’ new community center. Photo: courtesy SACSS

Council member Koo (District 20, home to Flushing), among those who allocated the discretionary funding for the building, said, “SACSS has always been there for people in the community, but during the last year and a half, they have gone above and beyond, they have literally been saving people’s lives.”

 

Sudha Acharya thanked the efforts and generosity of the elected officials, donors, and many others, saying, “It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. We now know that it takes a city to raise a community center, city with a small c, and the one with the big C.”

Acharya told Desi Talk, when the organization started it was in a small room and 9/11 had just happened. We had to jumped to relief work helping those who had lost people, lost jobs, and were victims of hate crime. We took care of 46 families who lost a member, and they were from everywhere around the state – individual therapy, group therapy, going to New Jersey, Queens, Long Island.”

 

Today, SACSS has 17 full-time and 3 part -ime employees and many volunteers.

The food pantry started in 2016, to serve just 60 families, and very quickly the number jumped to 250-300. But today, it serves more than 1,200 families.

 

More than 1,000 wait in line for the curbside pickup on specified days, and deliveries are made to about 150 families. About 70 people who cannot cook their own food receive prepared meals.

It is not just South Asians, there are other ethnicities including those of Chinese, African American, Caucasian and LatinX families, availing of SACSS’ services, though a majority are South Asian. Some 18 languages are represented, 12 of them South Asian.

 

Acharya said it was a dream come true to have a dedicated Community Center, especially in light of the “huge, and continued” need for services such as the food pantry, as a result of the pandemic, and the devastating impact it has had on immigrant communities.

As part of the effort to raise awareness for the expanded food pantry, which is the only one in the city to offer culturally appropriate groceries, Chef Surbhi Sahni of Tagmo Treats, prepared a take-away box of healthy South Asian treats, including a chick pea salad made out of ingredients from SACSS’s grocery bag.

 

In 2020, SACSS served more than 30,000 people struggling to feed their families, pay their bills, stay healthy, and survive. All SACSS services are free and offered in18 languages spoken widely among South Asian and other immigrant communities.

India Independence Day Parade Adds Glitters To ‘Little India’ Devon Avenue

Under the leadership of its President Mr Rajesh Patel, the Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago organized a spectacular parade on Devon Avenue to mark India’s 75th Independence Day. Mr Niranjan Shah’s daughter Ms Smita Shah marshaled the parade.

United States’ ranking Congressman Danny Davis participated in India’s Iconic Chicago Parade. Addressing the Community from the Grandstand, Congressman Danny Davis said: “I wish India and Indian Community a very happy India Independence Day and congratulate the organizers for this exceptionally beautiful parade.”

Instantaneously reciprocating Congressman Danny Davis for his greetings and compliments, President Rajesh Patel stated that Indian Community is grateful to Congressman for attending the Parade. He also thanked him for Congressman Danny Davis’ continued support to all NRIs. Highlighting the significant of the current year’s Parade, President Rajesh Patel stated, “Today’s Parade The parade receded into history the ghastly memories of community’s sufferings from the preceding coved-19 pandemic.

Rajesh Patel also thanked Chicago Police for assisting the organizers in smooth run of the parade. He appreciated the support from the business community that has just recovered from the adverse impact of the Coved-19. Heartthrob diva of the glamor world Ms Khushi Patel was the star attraction at the parade. She is winner of the Miss India USA Miss Popular 2021, and also Miss India Florida 2021. Spectators especially the youth were seen jostling and jumping over the barricades to come and greet her.

Chicago’s world-famous Devon Avenue, also popularly known as ‘Little India’ wore a festive look with India’s national colors – Orange, White, and Green – fluttering all along. It was tastefully decorated with ceremonial paraphernalia especially imported from India. Spectators on both the sides of the street cheered a long series of floats as they marched past the Devon Avenue. Ismaili Community’s famous pipe-band was the vanguard of the parade. The floats represented different states and regions of India. Maharastra Mandal’s troupe with its bombastic lazium attracted maximum applause all along the route. Majestic float of the Metropolitan Asian Family Services went past the stand roaring “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” Other organizations whose floats marched past the Grand Stand included: VHP, and Sardar Patel Foundation.

Political entities also joined the parade march. Significant them included: US Congressman Danny Davis, Congresswomen Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Senator Ram Vallivalam, Mayor Jassal Patel, Mayor of Moline Sangeetha Rayapati, Maine County Trustee Asif Malik, and Illinois State Rep Ms Denyse Wang Stoneback. Also present were: Judge Rena Vantine, Judge Sanjay Tailor, Indo American Democratic Organization President Susan Patel, and Ms Valerie from High Ridge’s HRCC, Commissioner Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita along with Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos also marched in the parade.

FIA Trustees who marched in the Parade included: Sunny Gabawala, Babu Marsha Patel, Sher Rajput, Anil Pillai, Sohan Joshi, Minhaz Akhter, and Kanti N Patel. Several Indian Army Officers also walked in the Parade. India’s local diplomat, Amit Kumar Consul General of India did not attend India’s Independence Day Parade because he had an official Govt. of India program at his office. His subordinate PK Mishra was substituted. Political aspirants Patricia Theresa Flyen, and Dilara Sayeed were also noticed. Indian Overseas Congress USA (Kerala Chapter) also joined the parade.

The parade comprised also of multiple corporates to include: Prism Health Lab, Tiffin-Udupi-ISP conglomerate, CK Motors Elgin, Shreeji Builders, Patel Brothers, Regal Jewelers, and World Fresh Market. The Parade Trustee and Banquet chair of FIA Chicago Iftekhar Shareef praise all Indo-American Community participating in the 75th India Independence Day celebration. Shareef congratulated the executive team its President Mr Rajesh Patel and all the trustees for Grand success of Parade.

Grand India’s Independence Day Gala Held In Chicago

Federation of Indian Associations [FIA] hosted a grand glittering 75th Indian Independence Day Gala Banquet marking a dazzling milestone celebration ostensibly enhanced with illuminating traditional, patriotic and contemporary dance presentations depicting the majestic elements and the magnificent soul of India matched only by the inspiring remarks that sparked the patriotic fervor of the enthusiastic guests in a grand ballroom of the Hoffman Marriot on Friday, August 13, 2021 in Hoffman Estate, Illinois.

The Independence Day “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” Banquet hosted on an impressive scale filled the Grand Ballroom to its full capacity with the patriotic spirit in full enthusiastic display at the celebrations symbolizing the spirit of India lifted by awe-inspiring remarks from prominent honored guests: Consul General of India Amit Kumar, U.S.Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mayor Rodney Craig, Mayor Tom Daily and several other ranking elected officials each heaping praise on the 75th milestone celebrations.

The gala banquet reminisced the golden moments in the history of India and paid rich tributes to the vanguard of freedom fighters who accorded the Independence to India. Ms. Neetu Chandra

Bollywood Actress, National Award Winner, International Taekwondo Player graced the occasion as the Grand Marshall to the gala. Angel Tetarbe World Peace Messenger Los Angeles 2019 and Miss Glamourous World India 2017 was also invited to be a part of the Gala.

The evening gala kicked off with lamp lighting ceremony led by FIA’s Founder Sunil Shah inviting the honored guest, Honorable Consul General of India, Chicago Mr. Amit Kumar, State Senators Cristina Castro and Laura Murphy , State representative Michelle Mussman and Mayor of Schaumburg Tom Dailly, Village President of Hoffman Estates William McLeod, Mayor of Hanover Park Rodney Craig and Village President of Oak Brook Gopal Lalmalani, Dr. Umang Patel, Dr. Sreenivas Reddy and the FIA’s Founder & Past President Onkar Singh Sangha , President Dr Kamal Patel Advisory Board and Founding Members & Past Presidents Rita Singh, Dhitu Bhagwakar, Mukesh Shah, Neil Khot, Gurmeet Singh, Ninad Daftari and

Sunny Kular to the dais to mark the auspicious beginning of the evening’s grand celebrations that set-in motion a series of cultural dance presentations and rousing remarks.

FIA’s Founder President Sunil Shah in his remarks warmly welcomed the honored guests and the families; he specially thanked, recognized and acknowledged the ranking members of the FIA leadership team for fervently striving excellence in hosting a befitting gala in honor of India’s Independence. Sunil Shah took the opportunity to salute the vanguard of freedom fighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice to extract India’s freedom. Sunil Shah said, it is my vision to see that FIA playing a more proactive role in the community and help in the causes that are significant to our Indian Americans.

FIA President Dr. Kamal Patel in his remarks outlined the significance of Indian Independence and profusely thanked the chief guest and the prominent guests of honor Dr. Umang Patel and Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, praising their achievements in their fields as well as their philanthropic deeds during the pandemic.

Consul General of India Mr. Amit Kumar in his address outlined India’s triumphant journey since its independence and the rapid strides it is making towards global eminence. Consul General Mr. Amit Kumar thanked the Indian diaspora for playing a significant proactive role as ambassadors in further cementing the ties between India and the United States and added that the trajectory of Indo-US relations is heading in the upward direction. Consul General Mr. Amit Kumar gave away the awards to several community and business leaders.

Founder Member and Past President Neil Khot introduced and welcomed Congressman Raja

Krishnamoorthi to the gathering and invited him to the dais. U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in his impassioned remarks commended Federation of Indian Associations for hosting such a grand India Independence banquet bringing in so many together to joyously celebrate the 75th birthday of India.

Praising FIA and its leadership team, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said FIA represents Freedom, Independence & Ascendency and went on to say that Indian Americans have made tremendous Dr. Umang Patel and Dr. Sreenivas Reddy in their address to the gathering congratulated the FIA team for the Grand Celebration of the 75th India Independence Day broaching the subject of the progress India has made after independence in a relatively short time and the Indo American influence that the Indian Diaspora has in the same.

State Senators Cristina Castro and Laura Murphy , State representative Michelle Mussman and Mayor of Schaumburg Tom Dailly, Village President of Hoffman Estates William McLeod, Mayor of Hanover Park Rodney Craig and Village President of Oak Brook Gopal Lalmalani in their address to the gathering each paid glowing tributes to the indomitable and enduring spirit of Indian democracy and the contribution the Indian Diaspora has made in the US and the Indo American relations that have been fast paced and improved over the years. Deepakant Vyas, Dr. Umang Patel, Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, Syed Hussaini, Amarbir & Harry Ghoman, Brij

Sharma, Asha & Anil Oroskar, Santosh Kumar, Pinky Thakkar, Ajeet Singh, Vijay Prabhakar, Keerthi Reevori were recognized presented a plaque by the Consul General Amit Kumar and Ms. Neetu Chandra on behalf of FIA for their service to the community

Earlier, the evening’s celebrations began with the beautiful rendition of the Indian and American national anthem led by Rita Shah & Mir Ali. Bharat Goradia a prominent National Promoter for US tours of Bollywood Personalities was invited to the stage to address the gathering and introduce Ms. Neetu Chandra. Students of SR Dance Academy a Founder Member and Past President Rita Singh’s company provided dance numbers that enthralled the audience. Beautiful Ideas, a Neelam Saboo concept showcased Indian Fashion at the gala with a India themed Fashion Show.

The Gala ended with Rita Shah, Mir Ali, Raju Bankapur regaling the audience with foot tapping Bollywood songs to live music. The dinner at the event was catered by Maharaja Restaurant Rosemont. Emcees Anu Malhotra & Sonia Luther were at their eloquent best in conducing the event with grace, pause and flair. Executive Vice President Vinita Gulabani, Vice President Pratibha Jairath and General Secretary Richa Chand worked tirelessly behind the

scenes to make this event a grand success. FIA would like to thank all its Media Partners Adhbhut Media, India Post, Desi Talk, TV Asia, Asian Media, Hi India Divya Bhaskar and the Indian Eye for their presence and support.

FIA, Chicago is grateful to all the sponsors. Marriott Chicago Northwest, Dr Umang Patel, Dr Sreenivas Reddy, Redberri, Hanmi Bank. Powervolt, OROCHEM, New York Life, VINAKOOM, Pinky & Dinesh Thakkar, MAFS, Power Plant Services, IACA, IABC, Patel Brothers, World Money Exchange, S R International, Dr Bhupinder Beri, Dr Dhaval Patel, Suga Builders, Woodridge clinic and Rely services

As India Turns 75, Prime Minister Modi Unveils $1.35 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

India will soon launch a $1.35 trillion national infrastructure plan that will boost the country’s economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on August 15 as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

Soon after he unfurled the national flag to mark nation’s 75th Independence Day at the historic Red Fort here, Modi addressed the nation, saying the infrastructure plan will create job opportunities for millions of Indian youth. “It will help local manufacturers turn globally competitive and also develop possibilities of new future economic zones in the country,” he said.

India’s economy, pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic, contracted 7.3% in the fiscal year that ended in March. Economists fear there will be no rebound similar to the ones seen in the U.S. and other major economies.

In his 90-minute speech, Modi also listed his government’s achievements since 2014 and hailed India’s coronavirus vaccination campaign. “We are proud that we didn’t have to depend on any other country for COVID-19 vaccines. Imagine what would have happened if India didn’t have its own vaccine,” he said.

India has given more than 500 million doses of vaccines but its vaccination drive has been marred by its slow pace. About 11% of eligible adult Indians have been fully vaccinated so far.

Modi also said India was committed to meeting targets for the reduction of its carbon footprint. He said his government would invest more in electric mobility, solar energy and “green hydrogen” — which does not emit carbon dioxide — as part of its goal to make India energy independent by 2047.

Modi began his speech by praising India’s athletes who took part in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. India won one gold, two silver and four bronze medals at the games.

On Saturday, Modi announced that Aug. 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

In his eighth address to the nation on Independence Day since 2014, Modi said, “There is no dearth of political will in taking up reforms. Today, the world can see that there is no dearth of political will in India. The world is a witness to how India is writing a new chapter of governance,” the prime minister said.

During his nearly one and half hours speech, Modi made several important announcements like the National Hydrogen Mission, Rs 100 lakh crore PM Gati Shakti Infrastructure to make a foundation for holistic infrastructure and admission for girls in ‘Sainik Schools’.

“We are set to present the PM Gati Shakti’s National Master Plan in the near future which will make a foundation for holistic approach in infrastructure construction. During the 75 weeks of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, new 75 Vande Bharat Express trains will be launched and will connect every corner of the country,” he said.

Talking about Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said that the Delimitation Commission has been formed in J&K and the government is making preparations for Vidhan Sabha elections. “Ladakh, too, is walking its road towards development. On one hand, Ladakh is witnessing the creation of modern infrastructure, while on the other, ‘Sindhu Central University’ is going to make Ladakh a center of higher education,” he said.

In a veiled attack on Pakistan and China, Modi said, “In the post-pandemic time, world will see a new world order with two major challenges – terrorism and expansionism – and India is fighting and effectively responding to both.

“Talking about infrastructure, Modi said, “From new waterways to connecting new places through sea-planes, work is undergoing at rapid speed. Indian Railways, too, is undergoing a change to modernize itself. It is our collective responsibility that we walk ahead in the 75th year of India’s Independence believing in India’s abilities. We have to work together on next-gen infrastructure, world class manufacturing, connecting-edge innovations and new age technology.”

Talking about the agriculture sector, the prime mnister said, “In the next few years, we will have to increase the collective power of India’s small farmers. We have to provide them with new facilities. They must become the nation’s pride.

“It is time we apply scientific research and suggestions in our agriculture sector. We need to reap all its benefits. It will not just provide food security to the nation, but will also increase food production. In this decade, we will have to work dedicatedly to provide a new economy in rural India. Today, we are witnessing our villages getting transformed,” he said.

Modi also listed several key initiatives of his government like the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Mission in which over 4.5 crore families started receiving piped water within two years of launch of programs.

“In the last seven years, crores of poor have received benefits of several initiatives. The needy have benefited from Ujjwala to Ayushman Bharat and others…Today we see our villages changing rapidly. In the past few years, facilities like road, electricity have reached villages. Today the optical fiber network is providing the power of data to villages,” he said.

In his speech, Modi mentioned that malnutrition has been a barrier in the development of poor women and poor children. “We have, thus, decided to give nutrient-added rice to the poor. By 2024, from ration shops to mid-day meals, all rice being provided to the poor will be fortified,” he said.

The prime minister also lauded the efforts of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, cleaning workers, and vaccine makers for diligently serving people during the Covid pandemic.

India needs to “hand hold” the disadvantaged sections of society, PM Narendra Modi said during his Independence Day address delivered from the Red Fort on Sunday, highlighting the government’s decision to extend OBC reservations in medical colleges through the all-India quota system and the new constitutional amendment that empowers states to identify OBC beneficiaries.

“We need to provide hand holding to the backward categories… Along with the concern of fulfilling basic needs, reservation is being ensured for Dalits, backward classes, Adivasis and the poor from general category,” he said. “By formulating a law in Parliament, the right to make their own list of OBCs has been given to the states,” he said.

India needs to achieve “saturation”, or 100% coverage, on welfare programs such as bank accounts for the poor, health cover under Ayushman Bharat and Ujjwala scheme.

India’s Tricolor At Times Square To Celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day

The Federation of Indian Associations of the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut (FIA NY-NJ-CT) kick-started the celebrations of the 75th Independence Day of India on Sunday, August 15th with the hoisting of the Tricolor at Times Square. This year’s Tricolor was the biggest one ever to be unfurled at the iconic destination.  The flag measured 6 ft x 10 ft and was hoisted on a 25-feet pole.

Hundreds of Indian-Americans as well as friends and well-wishers of the community had gathered at the venue to participate in the flag-hoisting.  The day’s ceremony began with the playing of the American national anthem. Consul General of India Shri Randhir Jaiswal then hoisted the Tricolor as the Indian national anthem played along.

On the occasion, he conveyed his wishes to the Indian community, friends of India and all “those who are deeply connected” to the country. He thanked the Indian-American community and FIA in particular for leading these celebrations.

Jaiswal felicitated New Jersey boy Abhimanyu Mishra who is now the youngest Grandmaster in the history of chess. Abhimanyu also received the proclamation from the office of Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams.  FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya wished everyone a happy, healthy and safe 75th Independence Day.

FIA president Anil Bansal called it a privilege to be living in the US where they have the freedom that they “as Americans can celebrate our history, culture and love for our motherland.” He thanked The New York City and its police for allowing them to enjoy the day safely.

Besides Jaiswal, those who addressed the gathering included Deputy CGI-New York Shatrughna Sinha, Captain Amandeep Singh Sandhu who is the only Indian American in the whole of the New York police department and first Sikh captain in the country, FIA board member Anand Patel who was representing Dunkin, one of the event sponsors, Jackson Heights representative in New York City Council Daniel Dromm, and district leader from Queens-New York Neeta Jain.

On the occasion, Jaiswal also unveiled the ‘India at 75 Cricket Cup’ by the ’22 yards court’, a non-profit that promotes cricket in North America.

A special performance was given by the band Dhol Tasha Pathak of Maharashtra Mandal who had come all the way from Michigan to participate in the celebration.

In another first, FIA reserved the biggest jumbotron at the Times Square for display of Independence Day messages and other images related to India. The jumbotron was reserved for a full 24 hours.

As part of yet another celebration, the Empire State Building was lit up in the colors of the Indian National Flag later on Sunday.

The celebration continued into the evening with FIA’s annual gala on board a yacht on the Hudson, which was attended by dignitaries, special guests and FIA members.

It was a proud moment for Ahmedabad, a city in the state of Gujarat in India, when the biggest Tricolor in the history of Times Square was unfurled. The flag, and all other paraphernalia used during the celebration, had been sent to New York from Ahmedabad. The entire consignment had been put together and shipped for FIA by Gracia Marcom, an advertising agency in the city. According to Gracia Marcom managing partner Rohit Korat, they supplied flags and other items for FIA New England as well.

AAPI’s National Blood Donation and Bone Marrow Drive Launched, Honoring Fallen Covid Warriors

“I am grateful to the dozens of local AAPI Chapters who have initiated and organized Blood Donation Drives, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Registration across the nation, in honor of Fallen Heroes of Covid-19, and as India is celebrating 75 years of our Independence, in our efforts to do National AAPI Blood Donation Drives in 75 cities,” said Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI,) the largest ethnic organization in the United States.

“On the occasion of the 75thIndependence Day of India, we the physicians of Indian origin serving every 7th patient in the United States, is excited to launch this unique and noble initiative in collaboration with Bitcare, ‘AAPI Blood Donation and Stem Cell Drive”  in 75 cities across the United States,” Dr. Gotimukula added.

The launch event of the Blood Drive was organized in Chicago on August 7th under the leadership of Dr. Meher Medavram, Chair of AAPI’s Blood Donation Initiative. “Several cities that have organized the Blood Donation Drive, include Dayton (OH); Oakbrook village (IL); Ridgeland, Mississippi;  Dallas (Tx), Ridgeland ( MS); and Columbus (SC). Dozens of other cities have planned to organize similar events across the nation,” she said.

“AAPI has launched 75 city blood donation drive to commemorate India’s 75th Independence Day. It only takes 15 minutes of one’s time and can save and sustain 3 lives with each pint of blood. So let us all be the heroes and life savers. We all are one humanity and one family, Vasudhaiva Kutubakam,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI.

Describing the benefits of Blood Donation, Dr. Gotiumukula said, a single donation can save three lives. Each blood component of whole blood transfusion can help up to three different people. Pointing to the fact that Blood cannot be manufactured, The President of AAPI said, “Despite medical and technological advances, blood cannot be made, so donations are the only way we can give blood to those who need it.”

Blood saves lives. Blood is needed every two seconds. Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused in the U.S. every year. While not everyone is able to donate blood, Dr. Gotimukula pointed out that only 37 percent of the country’s population is able to donate blood. On why she and the AAPI leadership chose this as a priority\, Dr. Gotiumuka said, “The 3rd Covid Wave is causing increased ICU admissions again. There is a dire need for blood. Your friends or family may need your blood someday. And this noble cause helps save many lives.”

Dr. Kusum Punjabi the Chair of Board of Trustees of AAPI, said “As the pandemic has exhausted all the resources, especially the lifesaving and much needed Blood across the nation and the world, AAPI is in the forefront, once again, spreading the message for the need to donate blood and save lives.” Dr. Anjana  Samadder, Vice President of AAPI, said, who herself has experienced the ordeal with Covid -19, and has come out stronger,  resilient and tenacious, quoting Red Cross said, “Blood is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.”

“With the ongoing pandemic, the United States and the world need the help of blood and platelet donors and blood drive hosts to meet the needs of patient care,” said Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary of AAPI. “It is very difficult to find a matched stem cell donor for Southeast Asians should they need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant and this drive will help increase the number of potential donors.” Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer of AAPI said, “Blood donation helps save lives. Since blood has a limited shelf life, the supply must constantly be replenished by generous blood donors.”

Describing the benefits of Blood Donation, Dr. Gotiumukula said, a single donation can save three lives. Each blood component of whole blood transfusion can help up to three different people. Pointing to the fact that Blood cannot be manufactured, The President of AAPI said, “Despite medical and technological advances, blood cannot be made, so donations are the only way we can give blood to those who need it.”

Blood saves lives. Blood is needed every two seconds. Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused in the U.S. every year. While not everyone is able to donate blood, Dr. Gotimukula pointed out that only 37 percent of the country’s population is able to donate blood. On why she and the AAPI leadership chose this as a priority\, Dr. Gotiumuka said, “The 3rd Covid Wave is causing increased ICU admissions again. There is a dire need for blood. Your friends or family may need your blood someday. And this noble cause helps save many lives.”

“It’s a humble and a noble initiative by AAPI to help save lives. While we thank those who have done Blood Drives, I urge others to take the lead in your town and help in AAPI’s blood donation drive. Thank you and truly appreciate your support in helping our blood banks.”  For more details to organize Blood Donation Drive in your city/town/region, please contact: Vijaya Kodali, AAPI Office Manager at: vkodali@aapiusa.org. For more details on AAPI, please visit: www.aapiusa,org

GOPIO New York & NFIA Celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day

Living thousands of miles away, the Indian Diaspora are deeply connected with their Motherland India. This sense of belonging and affection for India was experienced and shared by  participants from around the world, representing almost all continents on Earth, as hundreds of Indian Diaspora members came together virtually to celebrate the 75th Independence Day celebrations, organized by the New York Chapter of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) and National Federation of Indian Associations (NFIA) on Sunday, August 15th, 2021.

Organized by GOPIO New York, the oldest and the first Chapter of GOPIO Inetrnational, the colorful celebration of India’s Independence Day showcased the rich, colorful and the vibrant traditions of India, bringing them at the door steps of every household, as the audience from around the world were entertained with mesmerizing music, scintillating dance performances and inspiring speeches.

In his eloquent address to the Diaspora community, India’s Consul General in New York, Randhir Kumar Jaiswal greeted the participants, the Diaspora, and the friends and supporters of India from around the world as India turned 74 today. The veteran diplomat said, “Today is a very special day; even more special for all of us as India Turns 75 today.” Saluting Mahatma Gandhi, whose values of unity, diversity, non-violence and oneness India celebrates today, Ambassador Jaiswal reminded the audience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation from the majestic Red Fort in New Delhi on the eve of India’s 75th Independence Day, said, “India is marking the occasion as “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” under which a series of events have been organized across the United States.”

While wishing all a Happy Independence Day, the Consul emphasized the important role played by the Indian diaspora in strengthening India-US relations and helping in greater progress and prosperity of India and the United States. The Consul also thanked the diaspora for their whole hearted support in providing medical equipment to their motherland during the COVID crisis.

Echoing the sentiments expressed by Prime Minister Modi, Ambassador Jaiswal focused on India’s achievements and about the goal to make inclusive development, harnessing the betterment of the sea, clean environment and next generation Indians and Digital India and women empowerment. He urged the Indian American community to “join in the celebrations as a way to stay connected with India as you continue to celebrate India and India’s friendship with the United States.”

Earlier, Beena Kothari, GOPIO New York President while introducing Ambassador Jaiswal as a veteran diplomat, Ms. Kothari shared about with the audience his vast his experiences in foreign diplomacy around the world.

Gunjan Rastogi introduced Congressman Tom Suozzi, representing the 3rd Congressional district of New York. Calling him a “friend of India” she said, “He is our voice in Washington DC.” In a message, Rep. Suozzi described India as a true friend of the US and they both share a special relationship. Acknowledging that both the democratic countries are facing challenges in their quest to honor freedom and democratic values, he urged India “to end discrimination.” He said, “All human being are divine and are made equal.” He lauded “the Indian American community for their contributions to the growth of the nation. And we are grateful to you.”

Lal Motwani, Founding President of GOPIO New York and Executive Trustee of GOPIO International, and the main organizer of the celebrations today, in his address, greeted Honorable India’s Consul General in New York, Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, other elected officials, including Rep.  Tom Suozzi, New York Senators John Liu, Anna Kaplan, and Todd Kaminsky, as well as New York City Council Member Paul Vallone and Queens County District Attorney  Melinda Katz, members and leaders of GOPIO from around the world who have joined us together to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence Day celebrations organized by one of the oldest and most active Chapter, the New York Chapter of GOPIO.

“Today, on August 15th, India enters its 75th year of independence. Seventy-five years is a long span in the life of an individual. But it’s not all that much in the life of a nation,” Mr. Motwani said. “The anniversary reminds us of the sacrifices of the freedom fighters who fought peacefully, valiantly and with courage, stood united as one nation, against the mighty British rule. The anniversary reminds us, especially the strong Indian Diaspora of our roots, our traditions, values, the richness and diverse Indian culture, as we celebrate the vibrancy, freedom, diversity, and democratic values.

“We come together today as people of all faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsees, Buddhists, and Jains to celebrate our freedom, which represents the uniqueness of Indian culture as we, from all backgrounds stand united to join in and honor our Mother India,” he said.  He praised and lauded the achievements of India. “Today India is on the upswing. Its population is young and eager and there’s a heady feeling of success everywhere. We salute all who have made India proud. Hats off to those men and women who adorned India with Olympic medals this year in Tokyo.” Reminding participants of the opportunities and responsibilities that Indians have, Mr. Motwani said, “Freedom has brought opportunities to almost every class and group of Indians, and this has been the best thing there is. With freedom comes a sense of dignity, an awareness that we are masters of our destiny. We can choose our future. It’s our country.”

Mr. Motwani thanked Dharmatma Saran for presenting a galaxy of star women from across the nation to perform as celebrate India today, and Beena Kothari, President of GOPIO-NY, Ajoy Dube, NFIA President and Gunjan Rastogi,  Regional NFIA Vice President, NY for helping organize the colorful ceremony today.

Emcee of the colorful cultural events, Shruti Bekali elegantly coordinated the celebration with participants from around the world. The national anthem of India was beautifully sung by Kulbhooshan Sharma, while Varuna Shekar led the audience to honor the US, our adopted country by singing the US national anthem. Varuna presented a live Bollywood dance.

Shree Bhaskar Nath, multi-talented artist and a disciple of Padma vibhushan, Sangeet Martand, the world-renowned vocalist pandit Jasraj presented a scintillating shehnai recital. Shehnai is also known as the Mangal vadya is  a very rare and unique air instrument which is played traditionally  on auspicious occasions, like in temples, at weddings ,when a child is born whenever happy occasion is to be observed. Bhaskar is a fifth generation shehanai wadak in his family of renowned shehnai vadaks.

Aparna Sreedhar from Paris presented a live rendition of melodious prayer song, invoking God’s blessings for everyone. Miss teen India Sidhya Ganesh 2020 from the state of Washington delighted the audience with a scintillating Bollywood dance.

Mamtha Putaswamy, Mrs India USA from the state of Connecticut, performed a medley of Bollywood dances from popular Hindi movies. Swathi Bekkera sang the Vande Matharam, saluting Mother India and raising spirits of patriotism towards India. Riya Pawar, Miss Teen USA 2021 sang a melodious and popular Bollywood number, “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” showcasing unity in diversity.

Gautam Choubey from New Jersey at ABR Productions and Michelle Johnson mesmerized the audience with their melodious voice, singling some popular Bollywood patriotic songs. Swathy Vimal, the current Mrs India USA paid tributes to India through a Bollywood Medley, mesmerizing the audience with her beautiful voice singing some of the very popular numbers from the ever green Hindi movies.

Yovani Naidoo provided a beautiful rendition of a Telugu number. A live Bollywood medley by Anwar Hussain and friends from Jaipur, India representing a family of 12 generations serving the royals, was much appreciated and loved by all.

Bobby Kumar reminded the audience of Prime Minister Modi’s adderss, where he highlighted India’s achievements. In his address, Ajoy Dube said, “Proud to be part of the Indian Diaspora and joining you all celebrating India’s freedom and democracy.”

Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Sen. Kevin Thomas greeted India and Indian Americans.  In his message, Kevin Thomas, NY Senator said, “In addition to marking this important day in India’s history, Independence Day is an opportunity for the Indian-American diaspora to celebrate our vibrant culture, heritage, and aspirations. It is also an occasion to reflect on the vast and deep contributions that Indian immigrants and Indian Americans have made throughout American history.” New York State Senators John Liu, in his address, thanked the organizers for the invite. “Been to a few India celebrations today and I am looking forward to celebrating it in person next year.”

Sen. Anna Kaplan greeted India on this special occasion. “We are together. We can achieve everything working together. May we always build on our relationship.” New York City Council Member Paul Vallone lauded the organizers of GOPIO for putting together such a colorful event celebrating India’s Independence.  Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz reminded the audience that “New York is proud to be the home of people from 109 nations. 50% of all those who live in Queens is born abroad and I am here to fight for everyone. Celebrating India gives us the opportunity to honor India and the Indian community in the state of New York.”

GOPIO-CT Celebrates Unity In Diversity At 75th India Independence Day

The Connecticut Chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) celebrated India’s democracy and the unity and diversity of India and Indian Americans, their achievements and contributions to India and the United States during the 74th anniversary of India’s Independence Day celebrations held  at the Mill River Park, Stamford, CT on Sunday, August 8th.

A  K Vijay Krishnan, Indian Consul for Community Affairs, who was the chief guest delivered the Independence Day message emphasizing the importance of India’s independence and its adoption of democracy. While wishing all a Happy Independence Day, the Consul emphasized the important role played by the Indian diaspora in strengthening India-US relations and helping in greater progress and prosperity of India and the United States. The Consul also thanked the diaspora for their whole hearted support in providing medical equipment to their motherland during the COVID crisis. Mr. Vijay Krishnan said that India in a short span of time has achieved the distinction of competing with the most powerful economies in the world.

Stamford Mayor David Martin in his address, praised the contributions of Indian Americans to the city of Stamford, the state of Connecticut and to the whole entire nation. He proclaimed August 8th as India Day at the City of Stamford, to commemorating India’s Independence and the rich contributions of Indian Americans. While declaring that Stamford has the highest rate of Covid vaccination in the state of CT. He urged everyone to get vaccinated and beat the pandemic.

In his proclamation Mayor Martin said that the Indian Independence was marked largely by non-violent resistance and civil disobedience and the Independence day is celebrated by the Indian Diaspora worldwide. The proclamation further noted that Stamford city will honor Indian community which is an integral part of city’s diversity, success and great future.

Earlier, during the Flag hoisting ceremony at the City Center, he said, “The city is joining hands with the Indian Diaspora in Connecticut for a celebration organized by the Connecticut Chapter of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) by hoisting American, Indian and Connecticut flags at the Government Center in Stamford.” Children Representing the Stamford Tamil Sangam sang the anthems of both the US and India.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong spoke strongly about the recent wave of hate crimes against Asians, while promising to do everything possible to honor the rich diversity of peoples of the state, representing diverse cultures and traditions. Mill River Park Collaborative Board member Dr. Fatima Mawji, CT State Senator Patricia Billie Miller representing Senate District 27and CT State Representatives Harry Arora representing CT 151st district, Caroline Simmons representing 144th district and Matt Blumenthal representing 147 District were among others how graced the event and lauded the great contributions of Indian  Americans. Two other celebrities at the event were Baseball legend Bobby Valentine and Miss Connecticut 2021 Sapna Raghavan who will be competing for Miss America Pageant to be held in December 2021.

The program began with the singing of a patriotic song, followed by a welcome address by GOPIO-CT President Ashok Nichani. He said, “In spite of Covid Pandemic, we did very well with our activities including delivering food items to the frontline workers and food pantries in Connecticut, making cash contributions to food pantries, organizing many of our festivals and interactive talk on the Zoom, We also participated in the virtual Cancer Walk to benefit Bennet Cancer Center of the Stamford Hospital and continued to support the soup kitchen at the New Covenant Center.

“In the last few years, we have supported many service organizations including Women’s Mentoring Network, Future 5, Children’s Learning Center. Early this year, we raised funds for Building One Community and we will continue to support such service organizations,” Nichani said.

GOPIO-CT Trustee/Advisor and Chairman of GOPIO International Dr. Thomas Abraham said in his message that while India has been growing in all spheres of life, in the last 7 decades, India had also sent large number of its brightest to America who have made substantial contributions in building up the economy of America.

“Our contributions are noted very well in the Health Care especially our doctors and nurses are frontline workers against Covid. We have also made outstanding contributions in hospitality, science, engineering and technology and education.” Said Dr. Abraham. “We are also not behind in political process and last year we have made history in the USA, not only by the election of Indian/African American Senator Kamala Harris as the Vice President and reelecting the four House of Representatives but also a record number of lawmakers to the state house,” Dr. Abraham added.

Stamford Resident Mr. Shailesh Naik was bestowed with Indian Independence Liberty Award. An engineer by profession and Principal of Charles A. Manganaro Consulting Engineers, Naik has been serving the Indian American community for the last 15 years. Shailesh served as President GOPIO-CT from 2010 to 2014 and as President of Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects (SIAEA) for two years.

Following the flag hoisting, an India Festival comprising of colorful Folk and Classical Dances of India, Music, Magic Show and Bollywood Dances were enjoyed by one and all. There were vendors who served delicious Indian food, Indian arts and crafts, Indian clothing and other items were displayed at the Park, giving a glimpse of Indian diverse culture.

Painting, Poster Competition on “MY IDEA OF INDIA”

Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) is organizing online Poster and Painting Competition on the theme “My idea of India” on the occasion of India@75 – ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. It is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate the 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of it’s people, culture and achievements.

ICCR invites artistic expression on the theme “My idea of India”. This may include how you envision the India of yesterday, today and the India which will merge from amalgamation of tradition & heritage with a modern scientific technological outlook.

Members of Indian Community, Diaspora & Friends of India are requested to use the below links for more details and participation in this online competition:

Registration and Participation: https://iccr.gov.in/app/
Competition Website: http://iccr.gov.in/Iccr4Art/index.php

Long Island Community Hosts 10th India Day Parade in New York

Under the banner of India Day Parade (IDP) USA, all sections of the Indian community joined hands to celebrate the 75th Independence Day with a spectacular parade in Hicksville, NY. People thronged the route of the parade, and gathered at noon at the starting point– Patel Brothers plaza where a stage was set up for the dignitaries to address the gathering — and in the afternoon near the entertainment stage at the parking lot near Asa Mai Hindu temple.

The Grand Marshalls this time were Consul General of India, Ambassador  Randhir Jaiswal, Bollywood star Ileana D’ Cruz, and Dr. Jay Sarkar, philanthropist, entrepreneur and life consultant.

The highlights of the 10th IDP USA parade, according  to its President  Deepak Bansal, included a record number of two score dignitaries participating. Among them one score were elected officials including New York State Comptroller Thoams DiNapoli, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran,  State Senator Kevin Thomas,  Supervisor of Town of Oyster Bay Joseph Saladino, Town of Hempstead Clerk Kate Murray, New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky and County legislator  Rose Walker.

The enthusiasm this time was high because it celebrated India’s landmark 75th Independence Day and it came at a time when pandemic restrictions have been eased. It was also the only India Day Parade in the entire New York state this year. Also, the parade program started with a flag hoisting by the CG Jaiswal. Independence veteran Champakbhai Parikh administered the ceremonial flag‑hoisting with traditional national song and anthem.

The 4 Guests of Honor this time were internationally renowned oncologist and Padma Shri Dr Dattatreyudu Nori, Diwali Foundation USA Chair Ranju Batra (accompanied by Ravi Batra, eminent attorney), Navika Group CEO/President Naveen Shah and young guru and motivational speaker Ishan Shivanand. Other notable guests included Farah Mozawalla, director of minority affairs of Nassau County, Ragini Srivastava, an upcoming politician.

The comely Ileana D’Cruz, wearing a floor length crème colored dress, was quite a sport, posing with fans. She is an Indian-born Portuguese actress who predominantly appears in Telugu and Hindi language films.

IDP Team leading the parade included President Bansal, Founders Bobby K. Kalotee and Kamlesh C Mehta, Past parade leaders Jay Singh, Indu Jaiswal and Beena Kothari and current officials Bina Sabapathy and Shashi Malik.

The entertainment stage saw a few scintillating song and dance numbers and 37 performances by kids, and the program finished around dusk. Facing the stage were 45 stalls selling ethnic clothes and jewelry and food of course. For kids there were free rides and free popcorn.

A Nissan car sponsored by DP Singh of Meetu Magic was the first prize of the raffle. He was there to do the draw and the lucky winner turned out to be Suhag Mehta, impresario and part of the founding team of IDP. Other raffle prizes included an Apple watch, a 50 inch TV set, and 2 air tickets courtesy CheapOair.

President Bansal said the parade represents our motherland and people who come out to support make India proud. He thanked the IDP USA office bearers and committee chairs for working tirelessly over 3 months to prepare for the massive parade. He is grateful in particular for the active support and guidance from Jasbir Jay Singh, who led the team in 2019, and Founder Kamlesh C. Mehta.

The parade this year was supported by top brands including Phalguni-Chintu Patel, Navika Group, The South Asian Times, CheapOair, , Patel Brothers, Vass Pipe, The Portables Choice Corp, PICC, Flushing Bank, STI Consultants, Maharaja, Badshah, Property Professionals, Commercial Capital Funding Group, Elevator the movie, Indian Visa Center, BCB Bank, Omni Mortgage, HAB Bank, No Limit Auto Body and Shiv Yog. Several media organizations also supported the parade by promoting it.

IDP plans to celebrate the success of the 2021 Parade at a Gala at Antun’s by Minar on Thursday, August 19, 2021.  A souvenir will be released at the gala.

IDP USA was established in 2012 to create awareness of Indian contributions to the local community by celebrating India’s Independence Day every year.  A 501(c) non-profit tax-exempt organization, its mission is to empower the Indian community through promoting economic development, education, community leadership, social advancement and environmental awareness. The non-partisan and secular IDP USA brings together over 100 religious, cultural, regional, and charity organizations serving the community.

India Day Parade in New York Throws Light On Sympathizers of Farmer’s Issue in India

The India Day Parade held on August 8, 2021 by a local group in Hicksville in Long Island, New York, brought to the fore the issue of the Indian Farmers and their ongoing struggle.  Hundreds of Indian Overseas Congress USA members joined by others raised the issue of the Farmer’s agitation in Delhi in the parade. It should be recalled that the Indian government had, essentially in 2020, hastily passed unfair legislation on the marketing of crops that the farmers did not ask for and which would deter them from making a livelihood in marketing their products under the newly legislated conditions.

 Since the issue relating to the Farmer’s plight was central to the concerns of the Indian diaspora which had gathered, this prohibition would prevent them from venting their sentiments and showing support to the cause of the farmers, as a result of which it left them no choice but to stay put at the location and voice their bitter disappointment over the unfair and undemocratic imposition of conditions which prevented them from participating in celebrating the joyous occasion of the Independence Day of India while at the same time expressing serious concern on the inaction of the sitting government to resolve the issue.

“Indian Overseas Congress, USA threw its support behind the cause of the protesting farmers in India and objected to the heavy-handed approach of the India Day Parade organizers in Long Island to stifle dissent,” said President Mohinder Singh Gilzian. “This celebration is about freedom, and it is a fundamental right of people to express one’s opinion without fear of repercussions.”

“The Government of India’s stonewalling to the concerns of the farmers is not what one expects from a true democracy,” said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the IOCUSA. ” the current government is only interested in protecting the interests of the crony capitalists” Mr. Abraham added.

Secretary-General Harbachan Singh pointed out that after almost ten months of a peaceful demonstration by the farmers in a gathering which is said to be so large and prolonged that it broke not only records in India’s recent history but perhaps the world – way more than 600 people had also lost their lives.  Both the demonstrators and their families back home are not only suffering both physically and economically under the Covid-19 pandemic but also acutely enduring the record-breaking severe cold, floods and burning hot weather conditions.”

Chants to the Prime Minister to settle the issues of the farmers were loud and incessant.  Even the heavy downpour of rain could not drown out their thunderous voices and their strong punches into the air.  At the same time, solemn allegiance to Mother India was repeatedly orchestrated by all with fervent respect and love.  Chairman of Punjab Chapter Satish Sharma, President of Punjab Chapter, Gurmit S. Gill, President of Haryana Chapter Amar Singh Gulshan, President of Kerala Chapter Ms. Leela Merat, and other IOCUSA leaders also addressed the gathering.

Pope Francis Urges Dialogue In Afghanistan So People Can Live In Peace, Security

Pope Francis called on Sunday for dialogue to end the conflict in Afghanistan so that its people can live in peace, security and reciprocal respect.

Francis made the appeal in his noon address as Taliban insurgents entered the capital Kabul and the United States evacuated diplomats from its embassy by helicopter. L1N2PL01V

“I join in the unanimous worry about the situation in Afghanistan. I ask you to pray along with me to the God of peace so that the din of weapons ends and that solutions can be found around a table of dialogue,” he said to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter’s Square.

“Only this way can the martyred population of that country – men, women, elderly and children – return to their homes and live in peace and security in full reciprocal respect,” he said.

There are very few Christians in Afghanistan, nearly all of them foreigners in embassies or aid workers. The Taliban entry into the capital caps a lightning advance by the Islamist militants, who were ousted 20 years ago by the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Meanwhile, The Jesuits have suspended their mission in Afghanistan and two Indian priests are waiting to be evacuated after the Taliban took control of the strife-torn nation on Aug. 16.

Four Missionaries of Charity nuns are also stranded in Afghanistan and will probably be moved to their countries, church sources said.

“Our two priests are stuck in Afghanistan and are waiting for their evacuation,” said a Jesuit priest based in New Delhi, India’s national capital.

“We have also suspended our mission in Afghanistan indefinitely as we are not sure when the situation will improve.”

The two priests and a Missionaries of Charity nun are among many Indians waiting for the Indian government’s evacuation flights to get them out of the country.

The Jesuits “are so far safe and are ready to fly to India when India resumes its flight service to evacuate Indians stuck in Afghanistan,” the priest who did want to be named told UCA News on Aug. 17. Father Stany D’Souza, president of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia, said both the Jesuits are safe. “We are in touch with them,” he said.

Texas Governor & Dallas Mayor Proclaim August 15th As India Day

India celebrates its 75th year of independence from British rule on Sunday, August 15, 2021, and to mark this significant milestone, the Indian American CEO Council, based in Dallas, Texas, is making strides to highlight the success of Indian Americans in Texas and the achievements of the Diaspora, as a whole, in the United States, which comprises around 2% of the entire population (2016 U.S. Census data).

On Thursday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson officially proclaimed August 15, 2021, as Indian Independence Day in Dallas during a public ceremony at City Hall with key Indian American leaders and members of IACEO Council.

“Indian Americans are the most hard-working, resilient and successful minority in America,” said Arun Agarwal, President of IACEO Council. “Whether our doctors and nurses are on the front lines battling this pandemic or in the board rooms keeping our large and small businesses afloat during these tumultuous times, Indian Americans are a vital part of the dynamic fabric of this country, and we are proud that our history, culture and contributions are being recognized and celebrated by our government officials on this momentous day.”

On Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott hosted a special signing ceremony and proclamation at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, in recognition of India’s 75th Independence Day. . To honor Indian Independence Day in Texas, the State Capitol in Austin, along with the Reunion Tower in Dallas, will be lit with the tri-colors (saffron, green and white) of the Indian flag on Sunday, August 15, 2021.

Vax India Fundraiser Raises Over $5 Million For India’s Fight Against COVID-19

Anuradha Palakurthi Foundation’s Vax.India.Now, the virtual fundraiser to support India in its fight against Covid-19, has raised more than 5 million dollars. The event, which had attracted many celebrities from around the world, was livestreamed globally last month. UNICEF and American India Foundation (AIF) are beneficiaries of the fundraiser.

“We are grateful for the generosity of large and small donors from around the globe who came together to support this lifesaving campaign – Vax.India.Now,” said Anuradha Juju Palakurthi, one of the key organizers of the event, and who took the initiative to launch this fundraising campaign.

Ms. Palakurthi said that the dedicated, multi-national 160-person organization team is proud to have raised meaningful resources in India’s battle against this awful pandemic.

Hasan Minhaj hosted the July 7th event. Liam Neeson, Annie Lennox, A.R. Rahman, Pia Toscano, Zubin Mehta, Gloria Estefan, Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, David Foster, Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, Asif Mandvi, Nishat Khan, Ranjani Gayatri Sisters and Matteo Bocelli all took part in the momentous event.

“I am grateful to the celebrities for lending their time and talent – in particular, the immediacy of their response and commitment to the cause,” said Ms. Palakurthi, an Indian-American singer and founder of Juju Productions. “Special thank you to the Indian team that had to work through a national lockdown. The campaign is still open at VaxIndiaNow.com Give today! We are all together in this and must continue to vaccinate individuals, to prevent more variants, and stop Covid 19. It is not over until it’s over.”

Along with the musical performances, Vax.India.Now spotlighted what’s really happening on the ground in India and educated viewers on how they can help save lives and make a real impact. The viewers responded. Proceeds will support UNICEF’s efforts to ensure millions of crisis-affected and vulnerable children and families in India have access to life-saving assistance and services and help COVID-19 vaccines make their way from airport tarmacs to arms.

Covid-19’s impact on India has been nothing short of catastrophic. A second wave of Covid-19 has consumed India breaking the Global record with more than 400,000 cases in one day and leaving over 377,000 dead. Vax.India.Now represents a global effort to bring attention and resources to India on a massive scale. Vaccines are the answer and we need to get them to the people of India now.

Vax.India.Now is the brainchild of Ms. Palakurthi, who runs her own foundation out of New England that supports the promotion of Indian culture. She was moved by the carnage inflicted in India by a different mutation of the virus. Many of her friends and family members became sick – some died. She knew that the only long term solution was mass vaccinations, like in the US. Driven by this purpose, she turned to The Giving Back Fund and together the idea for Vax.India.Now was born.

Vax.India.Now was Globally livestreamed by CNN and Dreamstage.live on July 7. The event is still available for viewing on both vaxindianow.com and CNN’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/CNN. To view a trailer of Vax.India.Now click here: https://youtu.be/f5M6hrpXC60

Vax.India.Now is sponsored by Anuradha Palakurthi Foundation, a project of The Giving Back Fund, an IRS approved 501©3 public charity (EIN 04=3367888).

The Giving Back Fund is the main benefactor of Vax.India.Now. Says President and Founder Marc Pollick, “When our longtime Board member Prashanth Palakurthi proposed doing something truly significant on a worldwide scale to help his native India at this critical time, we jumped at the chance to help. This is what we are built for –to mobilize quickly and provide assistance and philanthropic administration to help those in need. At this moment in time, the need in India must become the center of the universe.”

Vax.India.Now is being produced by JuJu Productions, Charles Goldstuck, Marc Johnston and Erich Bergen and Wizcraft International Entertainment and Neelesh Misra of Gaon Connection.

Wizcraft International Entertainment is India’s leading communication and entertainment companies, integrating strategy, creativity and technology to craft memorable experiences. Since, its inception in 1988 Wizcraft has emerged as pioneers in Events, Exhibitions, Brand Activation, Television production, PR, Digital Marketing and Virtual Events. Headquartered in Mumbai and with offices across India the company has grown tremendously and also has several liaison offices across the world. Wizcraft is globally renowned for its flagship media & entertainment IP – IIFA (International Indian Film Aacdemy), an event that has travelled the world building bridges across cultures, communities, businesses and geographies using the platform of Cinema to create a global alliance.

Anuradha Palakurthi Foundation supports the promotion of Indian culture primarily in New England by providing financial support to programs, artists and organizers of events where Indian culture is performed/exhibited. Funds raised from events and performances will go to support carefully vetted public charities with an emphasis on charities aiding returning veterans. The Anuradha Palakurthi Foundation is a donor-advised fund at The Giving Back Fund.

The Giving Back Fund is a National nonprofit organization that encourages and facilitates charitable giving by professional athletes, celebrities, high net worth individuals, existing nonprofit organizations, corporations and others who truly desire to give back. We Provide philanthropic consulting, management and administrative services while operating as a flexible convenient vehicle for establishing individual foundations and fiscally sponsored projects under a governance structure like that of a community foundation. By offering a straightforward and cost-effective approach to philanthropy, high-level expertise and professional services, and carefully targeted giving opportunities, The Giving Back Fund helps those who want to give back to society and to the communities that have nurtured them.

Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir To Help In Psychological And Spiritual Needs Of The Community

Dwarkamai Inc is a recognized non-profit, tax-exempt organization under IRS code section 501(c)(3) of USA. Dwarkamai is dedicated to organizing events and conducting activities directed towards personal spiritual development of the community by following the teachings of Shri Sainath, a saint from Shirdi.

The Guiding Principle behind opening Dwarkamai’s “Centers of Spiritual Excellence” was to take the worship center closer to devotee’s homes based on request from devotees in an area rather than make devotees drive for hours to visit a worship center.

The same principle has brought us to the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL where a group of 60 devotee families felt the need for a worship center nearby and requested Dwarkamai to open a Spiritual Center on the lines of those started in Massachusetts.

Under the guidance of our mentor, Shri Anil Naik, Support from the members of the community who wished to have a location in the Northwest suburbs and a Landlord willing to go the extra mile, Dwarkamai’s newest “Center of Spiritual Excellence”, Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Rolling Meadows, IL opened its doors to the community on Dussehra Day, Oct 25, 2020 and has been providing volunteer driven services to the community since then.

Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Rolling Meadows celebrated the month-long Shri Venkateswara and Navagraha Praana Prathistha Mahotsavam- July 2021 with the Prana Prathisthan event held between Thursday, July 29th, 2021 and Saturday, July 31, 2021.

The 3-day grand finale began with Shri Ganesh Pooja and Shri Mahalakshmi Pooja on day 1, followed by Vaastu Pooja homam, in large outdoor tent specially set up for this event, Pushpadhivasam(flowers) and Shri Venkateswara Netromilanam & Navratna Bimba Sthapana on day 2 of the event.

Day 3 began with vedic chanting by 5 world renowned priests led by Priest Srinivasa Bhattar, Kalasha procession by the devotees carrying water for Prathama Abhishekam of Lord Balaji culminating in the Praana Prathistha of Lord Balaji and Nava grahas. Lord Balaji was adorned with flowers and jewels specially flown in for this occasion and chants of Govinda, Govinda reverberated throughout the whole temple. Local Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also graced the occasion with his presence and the community thanked him for sparing a few minutes from his busy schedule to visit us on this historic day.

This 3-day celebration wrapped up with Shri Venkateswara & Shri Mahakshmi Kalyanam for which a custom palanquin was built to carry the Utsav deities around the temple. Devotees, both men and women, enthusiastically volunteered their shoulders to carry this palanquin around for this event. Finally, a big thank you to all the Volunteers of the temple who helped pull off this month-long event by putting in their personal time for the benefit of the community!! Om Namo Venkatesaya!! Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, 5999 S New Wilke Rd, Building # 3, Suite 309, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

Maryland Is Now The East Coast’s Most Diverse State, While D.C. Is Whiter

Maryland, one of the two states in the country to flip from majority White to majority non-White over the last decade, is now the most diverse state on the East Coast, according to new data from the 2020 Census. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia continued to lose Black residents – an exodus that has accelerated over the last 10 years.

Overall, the region’s population grew by 12.9% to 6.6 million, less than in past decades. Loudoun County led northern Virginia and the metro area with an increase of 38.4%, while in the Maryland suburbs of D.C., Howard County grew the most, 15.8%.

Keeping with national trends that saw the number of White people in the U.S. fall and the White share of the population dip below 60% for the first time since 1790, population growth in the D.C. region has been driven largely by people of color.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s diversity index – which measures the likelihood that two people chosen at random would be from different racial and ethnic groups – Maryland is now one of the most diverse states in the nation, surpassed only by Nevada, California and Hawaii.

Nevada also was the only other state in the country to become majority non-White over the last decade. The change in Maryland’s demographic makeup was driven by growing Asian and Latino populations in the District’s inner suburbs and areas around Baltimore. Prince George’s County grew 12% to 967,000.

In northern Virginia, which helped drive population growth for the state overall, Alexandria grew 14% to 160,000 and Arlington grew 14.9% to 239,000. Fairfax grew 6.3% to 1.2 million and Prince William grew 20% to 480,000.

Amid this decade of growth, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun saw significant declines in their White population over the last 10 years. Loudoun, in particular, went from 62.4% White in 2010 to 51.5% in 2020.

Fairfax is the latest D.C. suburbs to become majority non-White, joining Prince William in Virginia and Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s in Maryland.

The only jurisdiction in the area where the White share of the population increased over the last decade was the District.

The city is now Whiter than it has been in more than half a century. The number of residents who identify as White increased 25% since 2010, and in 2020 accounted for 38% of the population, narrowing the gap with the District’s Black population, which declined by nearly 19,000 or 6.3%.

In the place still known by many as “Chocolate City,” just 40.9% of the population identified as Black in the 2020 count – the smallest%age since the 1950 Census when 35% of the District’s population was Black.

Black Washingtonians are still the largest racial group in the District, according to Census numbers, but gains in the White and Hispanic populations drove the city’s overall population growth of 14.6% – or nearly 88,000 people – since 2010.

News assistants run outside the U.S. Supreme Court after the court ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration did not give an adequate explanation for its plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, delivering a victory to New York state and others challenging the proposal in Washington, U.S., June 27, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Andrew Trueblood, the director of the D.C. Office of Planning, said the numbers came as a surprise to District officials and raised questions about the veracity of the 2020 estimates. He and other D.C. officials had been tracking Black population data, including by using estimates from the American Community Survey. The 2020 population numbers, he said, do not seem to match those projections.

“We knew the District of Columbia was at risk of an undercount – and that’s regardless of what happened in the world with a global pandemic,” Trueblood said. “We have a lot of concern that our most vulnerable residents were not counted.”

District officials will be conducting their own analysis, Trueblood added, saying it was “too early” to draw conclusions from the census data release Thursday.

The continued growth of the District’s White population is the ongoing result of more than two decades of gentrification and largely reflects migration patterns from the first half of the last decade, during which White millennials and young professionals flocked to the city as the nation was slowly rebounding from the depths of the Great Recession, said Brookings Institution demographer William Frey.

“Millennials not able to afford a home were doubling and tripling up in cities,” Frey said, adding that trend has “sort of fallen off a bit in the last part of the decade.”

Officials from the D.C. mayor’s office, including the director of the D.C. Office on African American Affairs pointed to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s pledge to pour $400 million into affordable housing production in the District as a key part of her efforts to keep Black residents from being displaced amid rising housing costs. Bowser is herself a fifth-generation Washingtonian, officials said.

Black populations saw significant gains in Maryland in areas such as Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Howard and Charles Counties, where Black residents now make up the largest racial group in the county. In northern Virginia, counties such as Fairfax and Prince William County also saw notable Black growth.

Howard County, which became majority non-White for the first time this past decade, has seen an explosion in its Asian population, which grew more than 60% in the last 10 years. County Executive Calvin Ball, D, pointed to newly established cricket pitches, growing Lunar New Year celebrations, Korean American businesses and the county’s annual hosting of the National Youth Cricket League competition as evidence of Asian Americans’ growing influence in the county.

Ball said that Asian Americans and Hispanics – whose population grew from 5.8% to 8.2% over the last decade – want to live in communities where they feel safe and supported.

He pointed to Howard County’s decision to join a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment count that dictates how congressional districts are drawn as one of the ways the county has sought to stand up for immigrants in those communities.

In Prince George’s County, long known as a Black stronghold and one of the most affluent Black communities in the nation, the Hispanic population grew from 14.9% in 2010 to 21.2% last year – gains that helped drive the county’s growth over the past decade. Black people still makeup the largest population in the county with 59.1% – a decline from 63.5% a decade ago.

Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Deni Taveras, the first Latina ever elected to that body, said the Latino population has shifted from being a largely immigrant community to now containing multiple generations, including second and third generations of Marylanders.

Demographers noted that this is true of the country, as well.

According to Frey, “most of the Hispanic population we’re seeing are U.S.-born. Only a third of Hispanics are at this point foreign born, so the increases are really due to naturally increases in the U.S. population, not so much from immigration.”

Taveras said the county has a long way to go in making its Latino residents feel as if they are “a part of the fold” and included in leadership.

“A Latino child can go from kindergarten to college in our school system without ever seeing one Latino professional who looks like them. That’s unacceptable,” she said. “Our leaders in Maryland need to understand that these are not just new Americans who are moving here. These are children who grew up here and families having children. . . . We’re talking about Latinos who have lived here for generations. That’s not really the conversation we’ve been having.”

Maryland joins five other states, the District and Puerto Rico in having people of color comprise the majority of their population: California, Hawaii, Texas, Nevada and New Mexico.

“This is a trend that we’ve expecting for a while now, and it’s something that we should be really proud of,” said Maryland state delegate Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), who served on the statewide Complete Count Committee that oversaw Census efforts last year.

Montgomery County grew by 9.3% to 1.1 million. “Wow, Montgomery! Look at us!” Wilkins quipped as she reviewed the numbers Thursday. “Maryland is more and more reflective of the country, we are a state where we have a high immigrant population, where immigrants like myself – I was born in Kingston, Jamaica – come to from all over the world. . . . and you’re seeing us take the lead on issues that affect all of our diverse populations in really meaningful and targeted ways, and this data – knowing where our diverse populations are – really helps us do that.”

In Virginia, Fairfax County’s population of White residents dropped from 54.6% in 2010 to 47.1% in 2020, with gains among the Asian and Hispanic communities, which comprise about 20.4% and 17.3% of the county, respectively.

Outside of New York City and California, Fairfax County is now the largest county in the U.S. to have an Asian population of at least 20%. State delegate Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax, pointed to changes in the state government, including the creation of an AAPI Caucus and pro-immigrant legislation, as evidence of Virginia’s evolving diversity.

“Virginia is so steeped in history and the conversation around race relations in our state has rightly centered around Black Virginians in the last 400-plus years since the start of this commonwealth, but I think there is always opportunity for additional voices and perspectives to be heard,” Tran said. “We still had until the last couple of years Jim Crow laws that were still embedded into our code, and so we’re dismantling that at the same time as we’re pushing for immigrant justice, for example.”

Tran added that there is still “a ways to go” in building political capital among the state’s Asian and Latino communities and “making sure our voices are heard,” but added she hopes the new census data demonstrates to all Virginians why efforts to do so are necessary.

US Is Diversifying, White Population Shrinking

No racial or ethnic group dominates for those under age 18, and white people declined in numbers for the first time on record in the overall U.S. population as the Hispanic and Asian populations boomed this past decade, according to the 2020 census data.

The figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau offered the most detailed portrait yet of how the country has changed since 2010 and will also be instrumental in redrawing the nation’s political maps.

The numbers are sure to set off an intense partisan battle over representation at a time of deep national division and fights over voting rights. The numbers could help determine control of the House in the 2022 elections and provide an electoral edge for years to come.

The data also will shape how $1.5 trillion in annual federal spending is distributed.

The data offered a mirror not only into the demographic changes of the past decade, but also a glimpse of the future. To that end, they showed there is now no majority racial or ethnic group for people younger than 18, as the share of non-Hispanic whites in the age group dropped from 53.5% to 47.3% over the decade.

The share of children in the U.S. declined because of falling birth rates, while the share of adults grew, driven by aging baby boomers. Adults over 18 made up more than three-quarters of the population in 2020, or 258.3 million people, an increase of more than 10% from 2010. However, the population of children under age 18 dropped from 74.2 million in 2010 to 73.1 million in 2020.

“If not for Hispanics, Asians, people of two or more races, those are the only groups underage that are growing,” said William Frey, a senior fellow at Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program. “A lot of these young minorities are important for our future growth, not only for the child population but for our future labor force.”

The Asian and Hispanic populations burgeoned from 2010 to 2020, respectively increasing by around a third and almost a quarter over the decade. The Asian population reached 24 million people in 2020, and the Hispanic population hit 62.1 million people.

The Hispanic boom accounted for almost half of the overall U.S. population growth, which was the slowest since the Great Depression. By comparison, the non-Hispanic growth rate over the decade was 4.3%. The Hispanic share of the U.S. population grew to 18.7% of the U.S. population, up from 16.3% in 2010.

“The 2020 Census confirmed what we have known for years — the future of the country is Latino,” said Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund.

The share of the white population fell from 63.7% in 2010 to 57.8% in 2020, the lowest on record, driven by falling birthrates among white women compared with Hispanic and Asian women. The number of non-Hispanic white people shrank from 196 million in 2010 to 191 million.

White people continue to be the most prevalent racial or ethnic group, though that changed in California, where Hispanics became the largest racial or ethnic group, growing from 37.6% to 39.4% over the decade, while the share of white people dropped from 40.1% to 34.7%. California, the nation’s most populous state, joined Hawaii, New Mexico and the District of Columbia as a place where non-Hispanic white people are no longer the dominant group.

“The U.S. population is much more multiracial and much more racially and ethnically diverse than what we have measured in the past,” said Nicholas Jones, a Census Bureau official.

Some demographers cautioned that the white population was not shrinking as much as shifting to multiracial identities. The number of people who identified as belonging to two or more races more than tripled from 9 million people in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020. They now account for 10% of the U.S. population.

People who identify as a race other than white, Black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander — either alone or in combination with one of those races — jumped to 49.9 million people, surpassing the Black population of 46.9 million people as the nation’s second-largest racial group, according to the Census Bureau.

But demographers said that may have to do with Hispanic uncertainty about how to answer the race question on the census form, as well as changes the Census Bureau made in processing responses and how it asked about race and ethnicity in order to better reflect the nation’s diversity.

The data release offers states the first chance to redraw their political districts in a process that is expected to be particularly brutish since control over Congress and statehouses is at stake.

It also provides the first opportunity to see, on a limited basis, how well the Census Bureau fulfilled its goal of counting every U.S. resident during what many consider the most difficult once-a-decade census in recent memory. Communities of color have been undercounted in past censuses. The agency likely will not know how good a job it did until next year, when it releases a survey showing undercounts and overcounts. “The data we are releasing today meet our high quality data standards,” acting Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin said.

The 2021 Indiaspora Philanthropy Leaders List Spotlights 100 Diaspora Leaders

Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions, released their list recognizing 100 Indian and diaspora leaders who are making a difference through their giving.

“It is incredibly inspiring to see so many philanthropists from our community who have translated their success into social impact,” said Indiaspora Founder Mr. Rangaswami. “These leaders serve as an example of the importance of generosity and remind us of the many issues that need our attention.”

With guidance from nine jurors and drawing from multiple sources, including reputed studies, earlier verified lists, and publicly shared documents, Indiaspora’s 2021 Philanthropy Leaders List recognizes Indian and diaspora leaders across the globe for their philanthropic contributions and engagement.

“It was very gratifying to be a part of this effort, and I appreciated the careful consideration given to each honoree by those who were involved,” said Sara Kalim, Director of Development at Somerville College and one of the jurors.  “As someone who works in the development space, I see firsthand how philanthropy can transform lives for the better.  This list shines a light on the tremendous power of giving.”

With more than 32 million people of Indian origin globally, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Indians are the largest diaspora population in the world.  Indiaspora’s 2021 Philanthropy Leaders List includes philanthropists from India and from geographies with significant diaspora migration, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia.  Several of these philanthropists stepped forward to give during the COVID-19 crisis.

“COVID-19 taught us that businesses, nonprofits, government, and philanthropy all play a critical role in lifting the communities they serve and operate in during times of crisis,” said Prem Watsa, Founder and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings and one of the honorees on the List. “Indiaspora’s Philanthropy Leaders List serves as a reminder to the diaspora to continue the important work of giving even once the crisis abates so our communities can meet future challenges.”

The List includes names from various industries including technology, entertainment, finance, and the law, among others, who are using their philanthropy to address issues such as access to healthcare, quality education, water and sanitation, arts and culture, food insecurity, and employability.

“I hope the diaspora will continue to give forward, and even more boldly,” said Rohini Nilekani, Founder-Chairperson of sustainable water and sanitation nonprofit Arghyam, who is also an honoree on the List. “It is both inspiring and critical to resolve many old and emerging societal challenges in India.”

Indiaspora’s 2021 Philanthropy Leaders List is one of several of the organization’s philanthropy-focused initiatives.  Other initiatives include ChaloGive, an online giving campaign that raised more than $3.5M in 2021 to provide COVID relief in India, and the Philanthropy Summit, an annual event that brings together nonprofits, foundations, philanthropists, and others in the social impact space to share learnings regarding Indian and diaspora philanthropy.

“This is a transformative moment for philanthropy,” said Ashish Shah, Senior Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at Indiaspora. “The purpose of our philanthropy work is to galvanize the Indian diaspora to elevate its level of giving in the next decade, and Indiaspora’s 2021 Philanthropy Leaders List is an important step towards building a culture of philanthropy.”

Here is the Indiaspora list of leading philanthropists in alphabetical order by last name:

Gautam Adani, India

Anu Aga, India

Anil Agarwal, India

Monte Ahuja, USA

Lata Krishnan & Ajay Shah, USA

Soham Ajmera, Canada

Nita Ambani, India

Mohamed Amersi, UK

Simon Arora & Shalni Arora, UK

Anna & Raj Asava, USA

Manoj Badale, UK

Kuljinder Bahia, UK

Rahul Bajaj, India

Ajay Banga, USA

Harindarpal Banga, Singapore

Manoj Bhargava, USA

Raksha & Madan Bhayana, Canada

Aneel & Allison Bhusri, USA

Kumar Mangalam Birla, India

Sumir Chadha, USA

Amit & Archana Chandra, India

Natteri V. Chandra, Australia

Deepak Chopra, USA

Frank Islam & Debbie Driesman, USA

Anand Deshpande, India

Desh & Jaishree Deshpande, USA

Dinesh Dhamija, UK

Ashish Dhawan, India

Bob Dhillon, Canada

Vijay Eswaran, Singapore

Anil & Gautam Godhwani, USA

Prabhu & Poonam Goel, USA

Sanjiv Goenka, India

Kris Gopalkrishnan, India

Vijay & Marie Goradia, USA

Piyush Gupta, Singapore

Raj Gupta, USA

Yusuf Hamied, UK

David Harilela, Singapore

Venky Harinarayan, USA

Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja, UK

Mukesh Wadhumal “Micky” Jagtiani, UAE

Anshu Jain, UK

Aditya Jha, Canada

Surender Singh Kandhari, UAE

Anand Rajaraman & Kaushie Adiseshan, USA

Sat Pal Khattar, Singapore

Uday & Nitya Khemka, UK

Vinod & Neeru Khosla, USA

Nik & Moni Kotecha, UK

Faizal Kottikollon, UAE

Sri Prakash & Aloke Lohia, Singapore

Dinkar Singh & Loren Eng, USA

Anand Mahindra, India

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, India

Darshak Mehta, Australia

Sudhir & Samir Mehta, India

PNC & Shobha Menon, UAE

Dan Mishra, Canada

Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, India

Lakshmi Mittal, UK

Ninian Mogan Lourdenadin

Vinn Murria, UK

Shiv Nadar, India

AM Naik, India

Gulshan and Pyarali Nanji, Canada

Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi, USA

Nandan & Rohini Nilekani, India

Mohandas Pai, India

Ajay Piramal, India

Adar & Natasha Poonawala, India

Pulak Prasad, Singapore

Azim Premji, India

Deepak & Neera Raj, USA

Ganesh Ramani, UK

Raju Reddy, USA

Rao & Satya Remala, USA

Ramesh & Pratibha Sachdev, UK

Nalini Saligram, USA

Harish Salve, UK

Ronnie & Zarina Screwvala, India

Nirmal Sethia, UK

Paras Shahdadpuri, UAE

Manu & Rika Shah, USA

Sanjay Shah, USA

Vidya Shah, India

Kumari & S.D. Shibulal, India

Ram Shriram, USA

Karan Singh Thakral, Singapore

Chandrika & Ranjan Tandon, USA

Ratan Tata, India

Mohan Valrani, UAE

Sunny & Sherly Varkey, UAE

Shamsheer & Shabeena Vayalil, UAE

Anju & Aijay Virmani, Canada

Romesh Wadhwani, USA

Sunil Wadhwani, USA

Prem Watsa, Canada

Sarosh Zaiwalla, UK

More on the Indiaspora Lists:

The Indiaspora Lists (lists.indiaspora.org) highlight the advances of the Indian diaspora in areas such as government, business, and philanthropy. Indiaspora’s inaugural Business Leaders List (July 2020), highlights the Indian diaspora who are leading the largest global companies and the Government Leaders List (February 2021) highlights over 200 government leaders of Indian heritage from 15 countries around the globe.

Indiaspora is a nonprofit community of powerful global Indian leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the diaspora to be a force for positive impact by providing a platform to collaborate, engage, and catalyze social change. For the list of honorees and additional resources, including additional quotes, information and news about the honorees, please visit the 2021 Indiaspora Philanthropy Leaders List website.

Biden, Harris Commemorate 2012 Wisconsin Gurdwara Mass Killing

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have commemorated the ninth anniversary of the 2012 mass shooting at the gurdwara in Oak Creek, WI that claimed the lives of seven Sikhs, according to the White House.

The commemoration took place on Thursday, August 5th during a meeting with representatives of the Asian, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community during which they discussed combating hate crimes against Asians, the White House said.

Six Sikhs were killed in the August 5, 2012, attack in which four people, including a police officer, were injured and one person died last year from the wounds sustained in the shooting.

The shooter, described as a White supremacist, committed suicide by shooting himself when police responded. Sikh community leaders have welcomed an earlier tweet by Biden on the anniversary of the Oak Tree gurdwara attack.

Biden said in his tweet: “Nine years ago today, we witnessed an act of unspeakable hate as a white supremacist shot 10 people at a Sikh Temple. As we remember those we lost in Oak Creek, we must continue to stand up to hate and bigotry and ensure that all are able to practice their faith without fear.”

Sikh Council on Religion and Education Chairman, Rajwant Singh said: “We are thankful to President Biden for his compassion and a strong stand against hate and violence. The Sikh community was shaken by this tragedy and our community still is concerned about the hate-filled rhetoric being condoned by some political interest groups.”

Gurwin Singh Ahuja, the co-founder and the executive director of the National Sikh Campaign, said: “Violence against Sikhs had been on the rise for several years. After 9/11 many Americans associated a turban and beard with terrorism and an alarming number of people turned to racism and violence against our community.” The “National Sikh Campaign is committed to creating positive awareness about Sikhs in this country”, he added. (IANS)

Dr. Fauci Warns Of ‘Things Going to Get Worse’ With the Delta Variant

The U.S. is now in the midst of another COVID-19 surge driven by the delta coronavirus variant and those who refuse to take the vaccine. And Dr. Anthony Fauci says, the situation will get worse before it gets better—but he doesn’t expect to see new lockdowns.

“I don’t think we’re going to see lockdowns. I think we have enough of the percentage of people in the country, not enough to crush the outbreak, but I believe enough to not allow us to get into the situation we were in last winter,” Dr. Fauci said on a new episode of ABC’s This Week, referring to the massive post-holiday surge. “But things are going to get worse. If you look at the acceleration of the number of cases, the seven-day average has gone up substantially.”

Indeed, as the highly transmissible delta variant spreads across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases in a day increased by 64% since last week (from an average of 40,597 cases in a day to 66,606). And while just over 60% of adults are fully vaccinated so far, that leaves many people—including children under the age of 12—who aren’t yet vaccinated.

The most vulnerable are those who are still unvaccinated, said Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Biden’s chief medical advisor on COVID-19. And the fact that there are so many people in the country who aren’t vaccinated is prolonging the pandemic.

“From the standpoint of illness, hospitalization, suffering, and death, the unvaccinated are much more vulnerable because the vaccinated are protected from severe illness for the most part,” he explained. “But when you look at the country as a whole in getting us back to normal, the unvaccinated by not being vaccinated are allowing the propagation and the spread of the outbreak, which ultimately impacts everyone.”

With so many unvaccinated people getting infected, the virus is allowed to continue to spread. That impacts other people “from the standpoint of having to wear masks, from the standpoint of the safety of the kids in school, from the standpoint of being able to open up everything the way we were when we were normal,” Dr. Fauci said.

Just last week the CDC adjusted its guidelines to recommend that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas of the country with a substantial or high amount of coronavirus transmission. That’s due in large part to new research suggesting that fully vaccinated people who develop a rare breakthrough infection can spread the virus and, therefore, should wear a mask to prevent that from happening. Although the decision to get vaccinated may seem like something that only impacts you, “the fact is if you get infected, even if you are without symptoms, you very well may infect another person who may be vulnerable, who may get seriously ill,” Dr. Fauci said. “So in essence, you are encroaching on their individual rights because you’re making them vulnerable.”

The way out of this surge, ultimately, is to continue using the public health tools we are very familiar with now—starting with getting vaccinated. Wearing a mask (particularly indoors in areas of the country with a lot of COVID-19 spread) as well as avoiding crowds and washing your hands frequently can all help reduce the chances that you’ll be infected with the virus and that you’ll pass it on to other people. Taking these measures now will help us get through the current delta surge and make it less likely that another concerning variant will pop up in the future.

Best Wishes On India’s 75th Independence day From Dr. V K Raju

Best wishes to all the readers of The Universal News Network on this 75th Independence Day of India. India can be a world-class economic juggernaut erelong.

After all, India was the richest country when British came to its shores in 1700s. It is a free and open society with a viable parliamentary democracy and deep-rooted cultural and social traditions that have weathered the storms of religious and regional tensions and of a volatile polity.

We all know that there is a cavernous gap between India’s tremendous potential and depressing reality, such as- air pollution, water pollution, fuel adulteration, lack of sewage treatment operations, environmental degradation, lack of public health, loss of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems and livelihood insecurity for the poor. I am aware of the incredible strides India had made since 1990s.

If we develop a mind set of “so little done; so much to do”, sky is the limit for India as we have the greatest and largest natural resource that no other country has, 530 million of young people below the age of 34.

I often visit India (which gave me stellar medical education almost for free). Our foundation (EYE FOUNDATION OF AMERICA / WORLD WITHOUT CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS) is committed to combat avoidable blindness in India and beyond. People call this charity and I see our work as investment.

During my visits and throughout the year in the social media we hear the incredible past glory of India. (Pushpaka viman, Arya Bhatta, Chanakya, …and the list goes on). Let us remind ourselves “The Past is our Cradle, not our Prison, and there is danger and as well as appeal in its glamor. The past is for inspiration, not imitation, for continuation, not repetition” (Israel Zangwill)

By change of mindset, sky is the limit for India. Post-second World War Germany and Japan are outstanding examples of the effect of harmonious cooperation. For this harmonious cooperation, may I quote Nani Palkhivala’s prescription for India,” When we break our tradition of being collectively foolish, in spite of being individually intelligent.”

Jai Hind!

From V.K. Raju, MD, FRCS, FACS

Ophthalmologist, Regional Eye Associates

President and Founder, Eye Foundation of America

President and Founder, Goutami Eye Institute

Clinical Professor, West Virginia University

Director, International Ocular Surface Society

Adjunct Professor, GSL Medical School

Adjunct Professor, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University

Indiaspora Launches New Book, “Kamala Harris And The Rise Of Indian-Americans”

Indiaspora, a nonprofit “network of global Indian origin leaders,” hosted a virtual event July 29 to formally celebrate the launch of the book, “Kamala Harris and the Rise of Indian-Americans,” a perhaps first-of-its-kind anthology on the Indian American community in the US.

Published in India and available on Amazon around the world, the book, laid out in leisurely 341 pages, chronicles the progress and accomplishments of Indian Americans in 16 essays — from politics, entrepreneurship, technology, medicine, to science, business, entertainment, social activism, etc.

Several contributors to the book spoke at the event organized virtually and attended by hundreds of participants from India, the US and several other parts of the world.  “Kamala Harris and the Rise of Indian Americans” (released July 15th) was inspired by the US Vice-President and evidences the progress and accomplishments of the Indian-American diaspora, according to an Indiaspora press release.

Rajiv L. Gupta, chairman of Aptiv PLC and Avantor Inc., and former executive with Rohm and Haas, (and even more well-known as the father of Vanita Gupta, the Associate Attorney General of the United States,) discussed the traits that make Indians natural business leaders.

Rangaswami, a tech entrepreneur — his original claim to fame — focused on the evolution of Indians’ success in Silicon Valley, and Maina Chawla Singh, wife of former Indian ambassador to the U.S. Arun K. Singh, chronicled the political trajectory of Indian Americans. Editor Basu, who ‘Zoom’ed in from India deferred to its time zone by guzzling what seemed like liters of morning tea, managed to speak about his decades-long association with and coverage of the Indian American community. “Success as it is defined and celebrated in the diasporic community of Indians in the US—economic and individualistic— is narrow and elitist.”

Other contributors who spoke included the venerable Deepak Raj, founder and managing director of Raj Associates, a private investment firm, and more importantly, chairman of Pratham USA, and Bijal Patel, the young chairman of the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA).

Raj’s response to a question about how Indian Americans can inspire other minority communities to channel their philanthropic energies was spot on. He took the cue implied in the question and confessed that Indian Americans must also focus their charity efforts on marginalized communities here in the United States. As for Patel, while he admirably portrayed California’s Indian American hoteliers’ contributions during the pandemic — turning over their properties to house the Covid infected and the homeless — it was not lost on the audience that our enterprising hoteliers managed to profit even during the crisis. Who said, “never let a serious crisis go to waste,” again?

 

Among those who were not the featured speakers at the book launch were authors of a couple of essays that stood out in the book. Mayank Chhaya, an alumnus of India Abroad, wrote the informative chapter titled, “At the Center of Excellence: Seminal Contributions in the World of Science.” It was fascinating to learn about the scores of Indian American scientists who are involved in cutting-edge scientific research, particularly in frontier disciplines like space science. Some of them will certainly cross the bounds of the “Chandrasekhar Limit,” making the case for another anthology.

It would have also been interesting to hear from Vikrum Mathur who wrote the chapter “From Stereotypes to Household Names: A Cultural Shift and New Role Models,” about Indian Americans in entertainment who are making an impact on the cultural front. Their foray into arguably the most competitive arena in America has been truly remarkable. The acceptance of Indian faces in entertainment may be greater evidence of Indians blending into the great American melting pot.

The most interesting speaker at the launch, however, was Shamita Das Dasgupta, social activist and co-founder of Manavi, “the first organization of its kind that focuses on violence against South Asian women in the United States.” Her presence and presentation were as interesting and incongruous as was her essay in the book. Incongruous, by her admission in different words, is because she challenges the very notion of “success” that the Indian American community’s glory is premised on.

Her gentle demeanor and soft voice made no effort to hide the ‘contradiction’ in her definition of the community’s “rise” that is very different from that of the co-panelists and coauthors. She reiterates, but in kinder and gentler words, her central argument in her co-authored essay, which, incidentally, appears at the end of the tome — not as an afterthought, but probably as an involuntary admission.

The book includes a chapter on Indian American philanthropy, an area that has not evolved enough to write home about. Its inclusion must have been at the nudging of M.R. Rangaswami, the founder of Indiaspora and a philanthropist himself, who helped in corralling many of the book’s contributors. The panel discussions, moderated by Indiaspora’s executive director Sanjeev Joshipura and Indiaspora’s founder MR Rangaswami, was followed by Q&A.

Dasgupta writes “that success as it is defined and celebrated in the diasporic community of Indians in the US—economic and individualistic— is narrow and elitist. This limited version of success deliberately excludes activists and changemakers who work at the margins of the community. While individualistic successes have certainly brought fame and recognition to the community, they have not instigated internal changes or fundamental modifications to the community’s inequitable culture.” Boom.

While it cannot be said that the book has not looked beyond the surface littered with shiny objects, a chapter chronicling the remarkable work of Indian American activists would have been a testimony to how far the community has come from a racist portrayal of a ‘model minority to becoming consequential agents of social change. There are young Indian American idealists, activists, change makers in almost every field of human endeavor — not the ones who are in it to pad their resumes to get into top schools or corporations, but the real ones.

In the final analysis, however, what the book lacks in scholarship and academic rigor is adequately made up by anecdotal perspectives of worthy participant-observers, making the story of an ethnic community that is resplendently diverse and full of contradictions come to life. The title, notwithstanding.

The anthology, compiled by veteran editor Tarun Basu and published by award-winning Wisdom Tree, explores the story behind these advancements through 16 essays written by influential Indian Americans. From politics to the new administration, entrepreneurship to technology, medicine to hospitality, science to academia, business to entertainment, philanthropy to social activism, leaders from various arenas detail their own paths to success and offer their perspectives on diasporic progress.

These stories culminate in a larger narrative of the Indian-American community’s coming-of-age in the US. “A fascinating and inspiring story of how an immigrant population from a developing country, with low education levels, became the most educated, highest-earning ethnic community in the world’s most advanced nation in almost a single generation.” says editor Tarun Basu.

Tarun Basu, veteran editor, media commentator, policy analyst and head of the Society for Policy Studies, a think tank running the South Asia Monitor, and author of the chapter, “From Struggling Immigrants to Political Influencers: How a Community Came of Age” is the Chief Editor of the book.

“A fascinating and inspiring story of how an immigrant population from a developing country, with low education levels, became the most educated, highest-earning ethnic community in the world’s most advanced nation in almost a single generation,” says Basu.

India Launches E-RUPI Digital Payment Platform

(E-RUPI Digital Payment Solution is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched digital payment solution e-RUPI, a person and purpose specific cashless digital payment solution, via videoconference on Monday, August 2, 2021. Speaking on the occasion, he said the eRUPI voucher was a symbol of how India was progressing by connecting people’s lives with technology. He expressed happiness that this futuristic reform initiative had come at a time when the country was celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav on the 75th anniversary of Independence.

e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It gets delivered to the mobile phones of beneficiaries through a QR code or SMS string. The users of this new one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the service provider.

The platform has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on its unified payments interface (UPI) platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the National Health Authority.

The PMO in a recent statement said that e-RUPI can be used for delivering services under schemes meant for providing drugs and nutritional support under Mother and Child welfare schemes, TB eradication programs, drugs and diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertilizer subsidies etc. It added that even the private sector can leverage these digital vouchers as part of their employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programs.

Speaking at the launch of the new platform, Modi said that the e-RUPI voucher is going to play a major role in strengthening the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme by the government. He further said e-RUPI will help in assuring targeted, transparent and leakage-free delivery for all.

Modi said that e-RUPI is a person as well as a purpose-specific payment platform. The prime minister further noted that technology is being seen as a tool to help the poor. He added that technology is bringing transparency in DBT. Speaking on the adoption of technology, Modi said that India is showing the world it is not behind in adopting new technology. Be it in terms of innovations or usage of technology in the delivery of services, India is capable of being a global leader.

He said that the work done in the field of digital infrastructure and digital transactions across the country during the past 6-7 years is being applauded by the world today. He added that the government is using direct benefit transfer to provide benefits of 300 schemes ranging from LPG to ration to pension directly to beneficiaries.

In addition to the government, he stated, if any organization wanted to help someone in their treatment, education or for any other work, then they would be able to give an eRUPI voucher instead of cash. This would ensure that the money given by him was used for the work for which the amount had been given.

The Prime Minister observed, “eRUPI will ensure that the money is being used for the purpose for which any help or any benefit is being provided’’. There was a time when technology was considered a domain of the rich people and there was no scope for technology in a poor country like India. “Today we are seeing technology as a tool to help the poor, a tool for their progress,’’ he pointed out.

Modi asserted how technology was bringing in transparency and integrity in transactions and creating new opportunities and making them available to the poor. For reaching today’s unique product, the foundation was prepared over the years by creating the JAM system, which connected mobile and Aadhaar. “Benefits of JAM took some time to be visible to people and we saw how we could help the needy during the lockdown period while other countries were struggling to help their people,’’ he stressed.

The development of digital transactions had empowered the poor and deprived, small businesses, farmers and tribal population. This could be felt in the record 300 crore UPI transactions in July, amounting to ₹6 lakh crore, he highlighted.

India was proving to the world that “we are second to none in adopting technology and adapting to it” through innovations and use of technology in service delivery. The country had the ability to give global leadership alongside major countries of the world, he added.

AAPI Raises Over $5 Million Towards Covid Relief Efforts In India

Provides 2300 Oxygen Concentrators, 100 Ventilators And 100 High Flow Nasal Canula Machines To 45 Hospitals In India

(Chicago, IL: August 1, 2021) The deadly Corona virus has claimed millions of lives and it has placed the entire healthcare sector both in India and the United States under tremendous stress. While the Indian American medical fraternity has been at the frontlines of the fight against the pandemic, American Association of physicians of Indian origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic medical organization in the USA representing the interest of more than 100,000 physicians in the USA, has stepped up to the plate to deal with the crisis of India during its second deadly wave.

“The generosity of the members of AAPI and Indian community has been unprecedented,” says Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of AAPI. “I want to thank the AAPI fraternity, for not only contributing $5 Million towards Covid Relief Funds, but has spent hundreds of hours in coordinating and disbursing the vital medical supplies to the most needed hospitals across India.”

“Thanks to the overwhelming support of its members that AAPI has raised almost $5 million in the past few months,” said Dr. Kusum Punjabi, Chair of AAPI BOT, who has dedicated her services at the Emergency Department, serving thousands of Covid patients in the New Jersey.

“During my entire year of presidency, impacted by the deadly pandemic, AAPI has initiated several efforts to help our Mother India,” recalls Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Immediate past-president of AAPI. “Aptly so, the annual Convention last month in Atlanta was a tribute to frontline healthcare professionals who have devoted their lives and work serving humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Many parts of India continue to face the deadly second wave of COVID-19. Number of reported Covid positive cases seems to be on the rise and thousands reportedly die daily. Hospitals and medical facilities face shortage of oxygen and ICU beds, with patients lacking in adequate care.

“We have been working very diligently  in sending oxygen concentrators and ventilators to India, to deal with the calamity in India and are in the process of helping to set up oxygen generator plants in different hospitals in India,” added, Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI.

Dr. Sujeeth Punnam, AAPI’s Regionasl Director, who has been one of the many AAPI leaders who has been coordinating the efforts said, “Thus far, AAPI has provided 2300 Concentrators, 100 Ventilators and 100 High Flow Nasal Canula Machines To 45 Hospitals In India as part of the Covid Pandemic Relief Efforts.”

As some predict a 3rd wave of the pandemic in India, AAPI has been planning and collaborating with several agencies and the government of India to help reach the much needed care and supplies to the remotest places in India.  “AAPI will continue to use the remaining funds in preparation of the impending Covid 3rd wave,” said Dr. Anjana Samadder,” Vice-President  of AAPI.

 

Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary of AAPI said, “AAPI has been coordinating several efforts, including tele-health to patients and Doctors in India. Thanks to the overwhelming support of its members that AAPI has raised over $5 million.” “The outbreak of Covid 19 has caused significant health-related social, political and economic consequences worldwide. AAPI members have  been working very hard in sending medical equipment to India,” Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer of AAPI pointed out.

“We are discussing about coordinating efforts to make available the much needed vaccines in the Slum areas in Delhi And Hyderabad where compliance is very low and apart from life saving equipment for severe Covid patients management in ICUs,” said Dr. Anil Tibrewal, who has been in the forefront leading AAPI’s efforts to help India during the Covid.

As AAPI cannot direct its resources to specific areas and relies on government of India to distribute its supplies, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, past Secretary of AAPI and several other AAPI leaders have been working outside of the umbrella of AAPI for direct transfer of the essential material, focusing mainly on the peripheral hospitals who do not get aid readily.  HELP INDIA BREATHE is a part of ApShiNi ventures’ endeavor by a group of Doctors in helping individuals to donate Oxygen related supplies to India during this unprecedented calamity.

“The past year, while posing major challenges have also provided opportunities for AAPI to continue to work together in helping realize the mission of AAPI,” said Dr. Gotimukula. “We are proud that several Indian American physicians are recognized globally for their contributions to combat the deadly pandemic. We will continue our efforts and give our best to our Motherland in her fight against the deadly pandemic.” For more information on AAPI, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

Women Who Win Launches Free Mentorship & Career Guidance Program Across Industries

The Women Who Win team has announced its kick-off of its Mentorship & Career Exploration Program. “This fall, they will bring together leading women across industries to mentor the next generation of women leaders,” a press release issed here stated. “ The program will pair mentees with women leaders in their respective industries. They have mentors in the following fields – law & policy, healthcare, business & entrepreneurship, finance, and academia and college guidance.” Open to women of the ages 17, the program is available to all mentees who live in the U.S or internationally.

Urging women to join the Women Who Win in empowering the next generation of Women Leaders, its co-founder Dr. Manju Sheth states, “We are excited to launch a free Mentorship/ Career Exploration program with six very successful women who have given their gift of time to empower other women. I have always believed that we learn from each other and grow together. My sincere gratitude to our mentors for making this dream a reality for us at Women Who Win platform.”

Mentors and mentees will come together for conversations and guidance on important career topics such as resume and interview help, essential skill sets needed in the field, industry trends to know, as well as sharing own personal journeys in the field. Co-founder Shaleen Sheth states, “The goal of the program is for the mentee to gain the guidance and insights they need to better position themselves for success and find the career that is the right fit for them. The best way to learn what is right for you is from a conversation with someone who has lived the experience.

The mentors we have this fall are truly incredible people that I as a young professional truly admire” See the list of Fall 2021 mentors below! Dr Rollie Lal – Associate Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University Anusha Ramachandran – Portfolio Manager and Vice President in the Asset Management industry.

In her current role, she works on asset allocation, portfolio management and implementation strategies for clients. Anusha has held various roles covering Equity Research and Trading both in both domestic U.S. as well as international stock markets Kiran Uppuluri – A thought leader in the industry, she built verteXD based on years of leadership experience at some of the most innovative companies such as Deloitte Consulting, Fidelity Investments and most recently as Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Citizens Bank prior to founding verteXD. Kiran is a passionate advocate for Economic Empowerment.

She serves as an Advisor and Entrepreneurial Business Mentor at the M.I.T. Venture Mentoring Services. Dr. Madhavi Reddy – a board certified ophthalmologist in the United States and India, and has been practicing ophthalmology and co-managing the eye clinic in Brownsville, TX for the last twenty two years. She attended Gandhi Medical College and completed a residency in ophthalmology at Sarojini Devi eye hospital, Hyderabad, India. after a short stint at Indian Council of Medical Research, she relocated to Houston, TX.

She completed a master’s degree in vision sciences at University of Houston and went on to do a two year residency in internal medicine followed by a residency in ophthalmology at Texas Tech University. She received the 2019 humanitarian award by see international, a global eye-care organization for her work in Africa, Asia, The Americas and Oceania Vaishnavi Kondapalli – a senior software engineer at Imprivata, and has been a software engineer at various companies across Boston such as Carbon Black, Drager, and Carbonite.

She has a master’s in computer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts: Lowell. Dr Mandy Pant – Academic Research Director and Principal Engineer at Intel, Dr. Mondira (Mandy) Deb Pant leads Intel’s Corporate Research Council which is Intel’s Strategic University Investment Body, filling the Intel technology pipeline with new promising ideas and future talent works.

In her role, she works with leading academic researchers worldwide and technical experts at Intel to seed and drive research The platform is unique in creating a mentorship program for women that offers opportunities across various industries, from Law & Policy to Entrepreneurship and Healthcare to name a few. The Women Who Win team believes the first step to success in any industry is to find the right mentor, find someone in the field who inspires you and learn from them.

Co-founder Dr. Deepa Jhaveri states, “In medical school we were always told, “See one, do one, teach one” and I now know this quote stands true across industries. Truly excited to roll out our Women Who Win mentorship program as knowledge is best when its shared. Thank you to our fabulous mentors for giving your valuable time to empower the next generation of women!” They are now accepting applications for the Fall Cohort! Please submit applications by 8/15 Visit the link below to apply to be a mentee and for more information! https://www.womenwhowin100.com/mentorship?rq=mentorship

Ajay Ghosh Chronicles Journey Of Indian American Physicians In A Book Charting Success Story/Rise Of Indian Americans

WhileIndian American physicians play a critical role, serving millions of patients in the United States, leading the policies and programs that impact the lives of millions today, it has been a long and arduous journey of struggles and hard work to be on the top of the pyramid,” writes Ajay Ghosh, Editor of the www.theunn.com and the Media Coordinator of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in a new book, released in New Delhi last month and is due for release in the United States next month.

Edited by the Delhi-based veteran journalist and foreign policy analystTarunBasu, the evocative collection titled, “Kamala Harris and the Rise of Indian Americans,” captures the rise of the Indians in the US across domains by exceptional achievers like Shashi Tharoor, a former UN public servant-turned Indian politician, and top diplomats like TP Sreenivasan and Arun K Singh. Sixteen eminent journalists, business leaders and scholars have contributed essays to the timely and priceless volume, which charts the community’s growing and influential political engagement. The book was released July 15 by New Delhi-based publisher Wisdom Tree and is available in the U.S. via Amazon. Basu describes the book as an “eclectic amalgam of perspectives on the emerging Indian-American story.”

This evocative collection—of the kind perhaps not attempted before—captures the rise of Indian-Americans across domains, by exceptional achievers themselves, like Shashi Tharoor, the ones who have been and continue to be a part of the “rise,” like MR Rangaswami and Deepak Raj, top Indian diplomats like TP Sreenivasan and Arun K Singh, scholars like Pradeep K Khosla and Maina Chawla Singh, and others who were part of, associated with, or keenly followed their stories. “With 100,000 Indian American doctors; over 20,000 Indian American hoteliers; with a growing number of Indian American CEOs employing an estimated 3.5 million people worldwide; with one in three tech startups having an Indian American founder, and one is ten tech workers being of Indian origin, only sky is the limit for the enterprising community,” writes Basu, who is now the president of New Delhi-based think tank Society for Policy Studies, said.

A collector’s item, this eye-opening saga of a diaspora, which is possibly amongst the most successful and enterprising globally, would not only prove to be highly readable and insightful for a wide readership, but also immensely substantive for scholars and people in governance. As a long-time analyst of India’s foreign policy, Basu has tracked international relations across multiple Indian governments, having traveled widely with eight Indian prime ministers.

Basu has maintained a keen interest in the accomplishments of Indians abroad and has kept close touch with the community. The purpose of this anthology of essays edited by him is to bring to the global eye the unfolding saga of four million Indians in the United States. Indian Americans currently are just 1% of the US population but are expected to rise to 2% by 2030. Portraying the rise of the Indian American physicians as a strong and influential force in the United States, Ajay Ghosh chronicling their long journey to the United States and their success story, in a Chapter titled, “Physicians of Indian Heritage: America’s Healers” takes the readers to the times of Dr. AnandibaiJoshi, the first documented physician of Indian origin who had landed on the shores of the United States in 1883.

The arrival of Dr. YellapragadaSubbarow in the early 20th century, who has been credited with some of the biggest contributions in more than one basic field of science—biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, oncology, and nutritional science, portrays the discrimination and injusticesinflicted by the mainstream Medical professionals in the US. The story of the present day “Covid Warriors” who work as frontline healthcare workers treating millions of patients across the nation during the current Covid pandemic, and the thousands of others who lead the cutting-edge research and pioneer modern medical technology to save the lives of critically ill patients around the world, shows to the world, how through hard work, dedication and vision, they have earned a name for themselves as “healers of the world.”

Through the lens of AAPI and its remarkable growth in the past 40 years, Ajay Ghosh, a veteran journalist in the US, who has seen and experienced how the Indian-American physicians have gone beyond their call of duty to meet the diverse needs of the larger American community, by dedicating their time, resources and skills during national disasters and family crises, says, “The importance and high esteem with which physicians of Indian heritage are held by their patients is self-evident, as they occupy critical positions in the healthcare, research and administrative policy positions across America.” Their contributions to the US, to India and to the entire world is priceless, he writes, as “they have made their mark in institutions from Harvard Medical School to Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center to the Mayo Medical Center.”

The Indian American community is the most educated with the highest median income in the US and has excelled in almost every area it has touched―from politics to administration, entrepreneurship to technology, medicine to hospitality, science to academia, business to entertainment, philanthropy to social activism. The election of Vice President Kamala Harris has put the global spotlight like never before on the small but high-achieving Indian-American diaspora.

Highlighting the achievements of Indians in America, Basu, who is the founder-editor of news agency IANS, saidthat the community’s success serves as a ‘model’ for other nations. “A community that has made its mark with its culture of hard work, risk-taking, inclusive attitude, and passion for excellence can only be rising to greater prominence, making them a global diasporic “model community” for other nations whose governments are studying the success stories of the Indian American community with great interest.

“Indian Americans are most talked about because they live in the world’s most powerful and richest nation, a shining exemplar of meritocracy, and yet Indians have excelled in almost every area they touched – public affairs to administration, entrepreneurship to technology, medicine to hospitality, science to academia, business to entertainment, philanthropy to social activism,” Basu explained, highlighting the achievements of Surgeon-General DrVivek Murthy, Virgin Galactic’s SirishaBandla, and Samir Banerjee, who lifted the Wimbledon boys’ singles title recently.

“The nomination — and subsequent election — of the U.S.-born Indian origin Kamala Harris put the media spotlight on the small, but respected and high-achieving Indian American community,” writes Basu in his preface. “It is a fascinating and inspiring story of how an immigrant population from a developing country, with low education levels, became the most educated, highest-earning ethnic community in the world’s most advanced nation in almost a single generation,” he said, noting that Indian Americans have made their mark in almost every field, from the traditional trifecta of science, engineering and medicine, to the arts, academia, philanthropy, and, increasingly, politics.

Veteran journalist Aziz Haniffa wrote a preface, noting that Harris had initially bypassed the radar of the Indian American community at the start of her political career. Shashi Tharoor wrote, noting Harris’s multiple identities. “For the thousands of little Black girls who made ‘My VP Looks Like Me’ T-shirts go viral over the next few days, Harris represented an expansion of their horizons.” “Over the past decade, I watched as, one by one, the world’s most powerful technology titans announced an Indian would be their new CEO,” wrote Rangaswami, a venture capitalist and founder of the Sand Hill Group.

Other contributors for the include: former Indian ambassadors TP Sreenivasan and Arun K. Singh; Deepak Raj, chairman of Pratham USA; businessman Raj Gupta; hotelier Bijal Patel; Pradeep Khosla, Chancellor of UC San Diego; scholar-professor Maina Chawla Singh; Sujata Warrier, Chief Strategy Officer for the Battered Women’s Justice Project; Shamita Das Dasgupta, co-founder of Manavi; and journalists Arun Kumar, MayankChhaya, Suman GuhaMozumder, Ajay Ghosh, VikrumMathur, and LaxmiParthasarathy.

The book is now available at: https://bit.ly/HarrisIA – Amazon India book link, and at https://bit.ly/HarrisIndAm – Amazon USA link

Honoring India At 75th Independence Day, AAPI Plans Blood Donation and Bone Marrow Drive Camps in 75 Cities In US

“As we the 75thIndependence Day of India, the nation which has made us to be what we are today, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI,) the largest ethnic organization in the United States, representing nearly 100,000 physicians and Fellows of Indian origin in the United States, is excited to launch a unique and noble initiative in collaboration with Bitcare, ‘AAPI Blood Donation and Stem Cell Drive” from August 15th onwards in 75 cities,” Dr. AnupamaGotimukula, President of AAPI announced here today.

A major initiative of Dr. Gotimukula-led new Executive Team which assumed charge of AAPI on July 4th during the AAPI Convention in  Atlanta, the Blood Donation campaign and free Antibody testing, is in response to the national need for blood, especially as the Covid Pandemic ravages the world.   “I want to thank the dozens of AAPI Chapters and in cities and towns across the United States, who have confirmed and have started planning to organize the event in several states,” said MeherMedavram, Chair of AAPI’s Blood Donation Initiative said. The launch event will be held in Chicago on August 7th, Dr. Medavaram announced.

Dr. Kusum Punjabi the Chair of Board of Trustees of AAPI, who is the youngest to date to be holding this position in AAPI’s 40 years long history and serving patients in the Emergency Department, said “As the pandemic has exhausted all the resources, especially the lifesaving and much needed Blood across the nation and the world, AAPI is in the forefront, once again, spreading the message for the need to donate blood and save lives.”

Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI, a Board Certified Psychiatrist with additional qualifications in Addiction, Geriatric and Forensic Psychiatry, and serving as the Psychiatric Medical Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services, urged “potential blood donors to donate blood to help ensure lifesaving blood products are available for patients. Your donation is needed now to prevent delays in patient care. Help overcome the severe blood shortage!”

Dr. Anjana  Samadder, Vice President of AAPI, said, who herself has experienced the ordeal with Covid -19, and has come out stronger,  resilient and tenacious, quoting Red Cross said, “Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.”

“With the ongoing pandemic, the United States and the world need the help of blood and platelet donors and blood drive hosts to meet the needs of patient care,” said Dr. SatheeshKathula, Secretary of AAPI, a board certified hematologist and oncologist from Dayton, Ohio, practicing Medicine for nearly two decades. Dr. Kathula also said, “It is very difficult to find a matched stem cell donor for Southeast Asians should they need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant and this drive will help increase the number of potential donors.”

Dr. Krishan Kumar, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in East Meadow, New York and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, quoting studies done on the need and usefulness of Blood said, “Blood donation helps save lives. In fact, every two seconds of every day, someone needs blood. Since blood cannot be manufactured outside the body and has a limited shelf life, the supply must constantly be replenished by generous blood donors.” The growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in the 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 the 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. “As we all know our blood banks are deprived of products and another wave of COVID is rapidly increasing,” Pointed out Dr. Gotimukula, who has vowed to make AAPI a premium  healthcare leader, primarily focusing to improve and reform the current healthcare system and help towards making a better healthcare model for the patients.

“It’s a humble and a noble initiative by AAPI to help save lives. Please let us know if you are interested to take the lead in your town and help in AAPI’s blood donation drive. Thank you and truly appreciate your support in helping our blood banks.”  For more details to organize Blood Donation Drive in your city/town/region, please contact: VijayaKodali, AAPI Office Manager at: vkodali@aapiusa.org. For more details on AAPI, please visit: www.aapiusa,org

A Malayalee Family Feeds The Poor In Australia

A Malayalee family feeds the poor in Australia and India by collecting bottles from the streets and beaches! Recently, Australian and Malayalam newspapers have been reporting on a Malayalee who has been involved in charity work in various places, starting with a slum school in Mumbai, Uganda, and Indonesia.

“A helping hand to those suffering from Covid in various parts of the state under the leadership of a young foreign Malayalee, George Thomas (34), son of KozhencherryKeezhukaraKoikalethuAniyan, who works in Australia, distributed food kits as part of the Restore Kerala project. In the first phase, 400 food kits worth Rs.1000 each. The next step is to prepare for the distribution of the drugs. George is the Director and CEO of the Mustard Seed Family Project, a social service organization based in Australia.” that is what I read off-late about this strange family. Joshi Emmanuel, my friend, and a social activist in Australia, has referred to Georgie, a Malayalee trying to improve the lives of the poor by collecting and selling bottles. Curious to know more, his phone number was sought from Joshi.

George Thomas, a senior manager at a hotel in Australia earlier, is currently the driver of the Australian luxurious Ghan Train,  that runs all the way from Darwin to Adelaide for the last two years. I wished to hear the details from the horse’s mouth itself. Australian time is sixteen hours ahead of American Las Vegas time. I tried on the phone several times. When we finally got online, we were delighted and talked in detail for a long time. When the relevant parts of his dedicated charitable efforts were reflected in his thoughts, proudly thought of presenting this particular youngster and family among the few young people who had humanity in mind.

“I can not describe how the hardships in the lives of my companions entered my heart. But the cries of hunger at home and in Australia, where I live, kept coming back to haunt me. It is not right to say only to me; it was a pain for my whole family,” said George. “I studied hotel management. And was the manager of a restaurant at Adelaide Airport with a five-star status and often enjoyed the top class food too. Life meticulously looked good. But when I see people around me begging for food, there is a sigh somewhere inside. Not only me but my wife Minu had the same experience as me”.

“But how can that help? Where can I find the money for it? (While I was saying this, Minu was helping people with the money she got from her job and also sponsoring the teaching of children in the country.) The demand was exceedingly curving up. But we could not go on without finding extra money”. “So one of the ideas was to pick up bottles from the streets and beaches and give it to Recycling for money. If we work a little more challenging, we can help some families without reaching out to others. Then we decided to look at the same path without any hesitation.”Besides, the government pays 10 cents (five rupees) per bottle. This is an earnest project implemented by the South Australian government,” says George, referring to the idea of ​​the Ten Cents 4 A Family.

His family and I started collecting bottles on the third of January 2019 roaming the streets and beaches to pick up leftovers. The money raised was used to buy food for Salvos’ inmates, a leading Australian charity. George and his family bought canned food and juices that had not been spoiled for some time. George is proud to say that they have also started delivering food to a village in West Bengal. “As the project entered its second month, our expectations have doubled. More and more bottles could be collected. So we wanted to do things a little more extensively. That same month in Australia, we could pay all the hospital bills of a child who was diagnosed with blood cancer. We were also able to distribute tin food that month,” George continues.

Before coming to Australia, George worked as a hotel manager in Goa, Dubai, and London and hailed from Kozhencherry in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. Minu Idukki is a laundry helper in Australia. Although George and his family started collecting on the bottles for charity, one of their friends explained its other social benefits. “What George Thomas is doing is not just a good thing. It’s a fight against plastics that harm the earth.”  That’s when I realized another aspect of its common good. I was excited to hear from someone else that I’m protecting the earth,” says George, who started doing charity work knowing that it was also against plastic waste.

To the slums of Mumbai

At first, he did not operate as a registered entity. The money raised from the sale of the bottle was set aside for the activities of any organization. But as people became aware of the need for the event, we were forced to undertake only one mission each month, ‘said George, registering as a charitable trust.  “Since 2019, we have been thinking about expanding the activities of ‘Ten Cent for a Family’ to a slum in Mumbai. At the end of the deliberations, I sought the help of a friend who was there. I went to Mumbai with my father,” said George, adding that what he saw in Mumbai was heartbreaking.

George reveals that visiting that slum that day in Mumbai was another turning point in his life

Food kits (consisting of rice, sugar, biscuits, nuts, oil, and chocolate) were distributed there?.

“I planned to start a school there. But how do those who have no food go to school? In addition, the children work and bring home around Rs. 200 per day. We have to make sure that we get that amount when we send our children to school. Then they said let’s leave it at school. We were willing to accept their terms.

“I rented a flat in that slum. A school was started in it. The school aims to provide basic education to children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. The primary purpose of the school was to teach the children the alphabet, arithmetic, and Hindi,” explains George.

School started in Mumbai.

The children who came to school started giving lunch every day. Forty children are studying in this school. .Activities in Mumbai are not limited to schools. For example, sewing classes were started during the holidays to empower slum girls and mothers. He says a lot of women and girls come there to learn sewing.George’s activities in India are not confined to Mumbai Blankets were distributed in Tukalpur, UP. Then, some charitable deeds as possible in Punjab as well. In the meantime, Kerala has not been forgotten.

Mission Australia

When the “10 Cent 4A family” started, my goal was not just Australia. The goal was to take care of the upliftment of my country that had brought me up. Australia feeds me. My country is the reason for my progress”Georgie continues. Georgie’s 10 Cent 4A Family collaborates with the Childhood Cancer Association, the Red Cross Army and the Salvation Army as part of Mission Australia. Georgie and her family are actively involved in Mission Australia, which aims to provide housing for the homeless poor Australian citizens, provide security for girls who are victims of domestic violence, help liberate those addicted to alcohol and drugs, and provide job training for the unemployed.

George and his family have expanded their efforts to promote the social upliftment of the African nation of Uganda.

Another project “4U Café” is just a pay it forward cafe, with potential upfront payments for the next person or homeless people, and free meals for those in need. The cafe, which distributes like this, is thriving. Paid 4U Cafe, I will run for a week , and next week my wife will run the cafe with the volunteers”.Paid 4U Cafe is where distressed families and the homeless can receive coffee training, providing them with accredited training and job training experience to help them return to a normal lifestyle.

George and his family are now in the process of distributing medical kits to many poor families in Kerala in the next phase, as we have supported over 400 families with monthly food kits and other essentials under the Restore Kerala project. George was also in a good hurry due to the hot summer in Australia. So George is busy picking up bottles on the beaches and roads after the hotel is busy. During the summer, when the water level rises, the number of bottles in public places also increases that creates more resources”

The long conversation between Georgie and me ended at 10:30 pm Australian time. At that moment, he noticed that some bottles were lying on the roadside. He cut himself off, saying, “There’s no room in the car, still  I have to pack it 8in the car.” George exemplifies that if at least a little bit of humanity and goodness remains in the mind, we can prepare the poor and the deserving poor for a better life and steps to survival.His witnessing life marks the culmination of a long and arduous journey. Irrespective of how others view it, in a blaze of glory or a torrent of tears – the journey itself is a tremendous story of loving kindness for the struggling human beings around us.

US Going In ‘Wrong Direction’ On Covid-19 Cases

As Covid-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to increase among the unvaccinated across the US, top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said that the country is “going in the wrong direction”, the media reported.
“If you look at the inflection of the curve of new cases, that it is among the unvaccinated. And since we have 50 per cent of the country is not fully vaccinated, that’s a problem,” Fauci was quoted as saying to CNN on Sunday. The majority of deaths could be, thus, among the unvaccinated, Fauci said.

“So it really is, as (Rochelle) Walensky (Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has said many times and I have said, it is really a pandemic among the unvaccinated, so this is an issue predominantly among the unvaccinated, which is the reason why we’re out there, practically pleading with the unvaccinated people to go out and get vaccinated,” said the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden.

The warning from Fauci comes as the dangerous Delta variant of Covid-19, which has spread to 124 countries, is now sweeping across the US. Health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated to help curb its spread.

Every state in the US reported more Covid-19 cases in the week ending on July 23 than the week prior, data from the Johns Hopkins University revealed. Thirty states have yet to fully vaccinate at least half of their residents, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

And as of July 23, the daily average of people becoming fully vaccinated was the lowest it had been since the end of January, the report said. Meanwhile, the CDC is also weighing the option of revising its Covid-19 guidelines to recommend that even fully vaccinated people wear masks in public, Fauci said.

He noted that some local areas where infection rates are surging are already urging individuals to wear masks in public regardless of their vaccination status.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 34,443,064 and 610,891, respectively, according to the latest update on Monday by Johns Hopkins University. Health experts have blamed the recent surges on the low vaccination rates and the accelerating Delta variant transmission.

ATA Holds DC Conference Grand Kick Off Event

American Telugu Association, a burgeoning Telugu association catering to the needs of Telugu People across North America announced on Saturday that it is ready to conduct its first ever national Conference in Washington DC Area. In an event held on July 24th Saturday at Crowne Plaza hotel in Herndon, VA with much fervor and pomp, ATA announced that it will conduct its flagship event  ATA 17th Conference and Youth Convention at Walter E Convention Centre in Washington, DC on July 1-3rd, 2022 and unveiled the Conference Theme song & Logo.

ATA Jt. Secretary Ramakrishna Ala welcomed the audiences and guests onto the stage. Sr. Counsellor (Economic)  Embassy of India, Washington DC Mr. Anshul Sharma graced the occasion as chief guest and carried out the ceremonial lamp lighting ceremony to kick start the convention amidst nadaswaram music. Mr.Sharma applauded the efforts of ATA over the past 30 years and being a key integral part of Indian diaspora.

ATA President Boojala announced that this will be the major Telugu event in the post COVID world and was ecstatic to announce that Washington DC will host its first convention ever in capital area. Mr. Boojala quoted that all the Telugu  people are a single family and invited one and all to this festival of Telugu’s. ATA President Elect MadhuBommineni encouraged all the women to come forward and play a pivotal role in making the conference a huge success.

Conference Committees were announced and the 17th ATA Conference & Youth Convention will be held under the leadership of Convener SudheerBandaru, Coordinator Kiran Pasham, Conference Director KK Reddy, Co-Convener Sai Sudini, Co-Coordinator Ravi Challa, Co-Director Ravi Bojja along with the support from CATS President SudhaKondapu. Capital Area Telugu Sangam, CATS, is the co-host of the convention. A total of 70 Conference Committees were announced and several prominent Telugu community members from the area adorned various key roles.

17th ATA Conference Convener SudheerBandaru requested the support of DC area Telugu’s to come forward in scores, volunteer and make this event a huge success. CATS President SudhaKondapu promised full fledged support of their entire team for the event from the bottom of their heart. Conference Coordinator Kiran Pasham announced that all the safety protocols were followed to conduct the event and appraised audiences that ATA in spite of being torch bearer of Telugu culture also is involved in a lot of SEVA activities.

Conference Director KK Reddy announced that 800 people attending the kick off meet itself conveys the enthusiasm within the Telugu community about this convention. Advisory committee chair Jay Challa pledged his full support and advised the committee to be always positive in their path towards the convention to make it a huge success. TANA, NATA,TDF,NATS, TATA, GWTCS, Varadhi, TAM, Ujwala, and several other organizations pledged their whole  hearted support for the event.

Festivities kickstarted with a plethora of ATA leaders from various parts of US descending upon DC metro area to participate in the event. Event Days Proceedings started with a strong contingent of  100 volunteers from ATA Executive board, Trustees, Adhoc, Standing Committees and local committees visiting Walter E Convention Center for a site visit and to plan the logistics. Fun filled evening programs included a medley of cultural and Bollywood dances.

Young Talented singers enthralled the audiences with their mesmerizing renditions of the popular Telugu songs. Fundraising event was held and $750K was raised towards the convention. Sumptuous food was provided. Saree clad Indian women and kids in ethnic attire adorned the halls of the meeting center and were witnessed having a great time. ATA Past Presidents ParmeshBheemreddy, KarunakarAsireddy congratulated the local teams and media for their outstanding support to ATA.

Scientists Urge Local Mask Mandates As Delta Sweeps The U.S.

Few places are considering renewals of the policy, but experts suggest it’s wise for everyone—including the vaccinated—to wear masks in public indoor spaces. Despite the predictions of an early fall surge, infections from the Delta variant have soared throughout the country and spread faster than health experts anticipated. In the past few weeks, every state except Vermont has seen a sudden steep climb in cases.

In response to the surge, Los Angeles County has led the way in reinstating a mask requirement for indoor spaces, even for vaccinated people, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that unvaccinated students—which includes all those under the age of 12 — wear a mask in school. On the state level, the California Department of Public Health has not changed its current guidance, which doesn’t require masks for vaccinated people, and a representative did not indicate whether an update was likely. So for now it’s unclear how many communities may follow L.A.’s example, even as local surges appear around the country.

“We’re seeing it pretty much hit everywhere all at once, which was a bit unexpected,” says Tara Smith, a professor of epidemiology at Kent State University in Ohio. She expected cases to emerge in the South, where people spend more time in air conditioning during the hot months, before moving northward. “That’s the tricky thing about exponential growth,” says Dominique Heinke, a postdoctoral epidemiologist in North Carolina. “It looks like a whole lot of nothing, and then out of nowhere, seemingly it just skyrockets, and getting it under control is going to be that much harder.”

This is especially true as states pour their energies into vaccination outreach while leaving mask mandates behind. Many public health experts believe the CDC jumped the gun in loosening its mask recommendations. The nation’s largest nurses union sent a letter on July 12 to CDC director Rochelle Walensky asking the agency to reinstate the recommendation for everyone to wear masks in public or when physically near people outside their household. During a recent webinar for health journalists, Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine and director of Scripps Research Institute, and Vaughn Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pittsburgh, both said they thought the relaxed guidance was premature.

Smith agrees. “I think the CDC rescinded that too early,” she says. The evidence base conclusively shows that masks substantially reduce the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others and reduce the risk of contracting it.

Mask fatigue

“There is a real COVID fatigue, so it’s harder to sell [mask-wearing] today than it was a year ago,” says George Turabelidze, the state epidemiologist for Missouri, which in June became the first state to see a surge hit. He says Missouri, which has never had a statewide mask requirement during the pandemic, is unlikely to issue one because the governor supports decision-making at the local level. Missouri’s cases continue to rise, particularly in rural areas, with a 20 percent increase from last week to this week. “We do not anticipate any improvement anytime soon,” Turabelidze says, adding that it’s hard to justify mandates for everyone.

“There is no scientific evidence proving that someone who is vaccinated and infected could transmit the infection to others,” he says. He explains that there have been indications suggesting it’s possible for vaccinated people to infect others, but no studies so far have clearly shown it’s happening. Without clear evidence that vaccinated people who develop a breakthrough infection can transmit the virus to others, he believes the science doesn’t justify requiring vaccinated people to wear masks. “But because nobody can rule it out, [transmission from vaccinated people] is still possible, probably at much lower level.”

He suspects that such a possibility is L.A. County’s rationale, but it may not be enough for other cities or regions. Still, he says it’s wise for vaccinated people to mask up when around higher-risk people, such as those who are immune-compromised or have underlying medical conditions. Turabelidze and his colleagues have been working hard to counter disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines to increase vaccination rates. Missouri had been lagging most of the country in vaccination rates, but recently surpassed 40 percent of all vaccine-eligible people.

Experts encourage masking, but states won’t require it

In some states, counties can’t require masking, even if they want to. For example, eight states so far have made it illegal to require masks in school, even in lower grades where students are too young to be vaccinated—and even though the CDC has advised all unvaccinated students to wear masks. One of those states is Arkansas, which currently has the second highest cases per 100,000 people in the U.S.

While recent Arkansas legislation prohibits requiring masks in any government spaces, “we are still recommending and strongly encouraging it for people who are not vaccinated, and many people who are fully vaccinated are choosing to wear masks,” says Jennifer Dillaha, the Arkansas state epidemiologist and medical director for Immunizations and Outbreak Response at the Arkansas Department of Health.

Arkansas is making a big push for vaccinations, but it’s difficult in such a rural state. Pharmacies are the only vaccine sites in most communities, but the state will soon offer vaccines at Dollar General stores. One barrier is that many people still don’t know where to get vaccinated, and many lack internet access, so the state is advertising the number 1-800-985-6030 for finding a site. “We’re strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated now, because with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, it takes five to six weeks to become fully protected, and they need both doses to be well protected from the Delta variant,” she says.

In Florida, another state seeing a rapid rise in cases, Governor Ron DeSantis is not considering any mask mandates or lockdowns, according to Christina Pushaw, the governor’s press secretary. She says DeSantis predicted a rise in summer cases for months, but he “emphasized that we are in a much better place than we were last summer, with a high rate of immunization among the most vulnerable population—senior citizens—which is reflected in lower hospitalization rates compared to last summer,” Pushaw says.

Instead, the state is focused on increasing immunizations through the state’s online vaccine locator and multiple synchronized messaging campaigns in several languages with statewide billboards and radio, digital, social media, and streaming media, according to WeesamKhoury, the communications director for the Florida Department of Health.

The Delta variant 

The higher transmissibility of Delta and its ability to evade some antibody protection means more opportunities for breakthrough infections, Heinke says. “If you’ve got this variant sending out so many more viral particles, proper mask wearing becomes more important,” she says. While breakthrough cases are rare, they do happen, Smith says, which is particularly concerning for those worried about potentially transmitting the disease to unvaccinated family members.

“I think it’s wise for many of us to continue to mask for those just-in-case scenarios, especially with unknowns about vaccine effectiveness with the Delta variant and others that may emerge,” she says. “At least until everyone in the population has had a chance to get vaccinated, which includes children who aren’t even eligible for the vaccines yet.” Although she doesn’t expect many places to implement mask mandates, she says it’s important to call for them, if only for the historical record. “We need to know some of the places where we erred, and I think this is going to be one of them,” Smith says. “Masks are such a simple intervention that not using them more definitively to protect individuals has been a misstep.”

Mixed mask messaging

As an epidemiologist, Heinke would like to see more places require indoor masking. “I think we’ve let our guard down too quickly,” she says. The CDC’s guidance was that vaccinated people can remove masks indoors. “But with no way to verify that, it pretty much gave permission for everyone to take off their masks indoors, so that means you have a good number of unvaccinated people unmasked in these spaces where SARS-CoV-2 spreads incredibly efficiently.”

6 Factors That Will Determine The Severity Of The COVID-19 Surge In The U.S This Fall

Here we go again. The United States is now experiencing a fourth wave of COVID-19, with very rapidly rising infections. The surge in new daily cases is driven by the Delta variant, which makes up 83% of sequenced samples in the U.S. and which is estimated to be twice as transmissible as the original strain. One of the reasons that Delta spreads more easily is that a person infected with this variant has a viral load 1,000 times higher than someone infected with the original version of SARS-CoV-2.

Hospitalizations and deaths are also rising, though more slowly than cases, reflecting the fact that 49% of all Americans are fully vaccinated. Even with Delta, COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective at preventing severe illness and death. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor on COVID-19, estimates that over 99% of people dying in the U.S. from the illness are unvaccinated. But the levels of vaccination are not high enough in some areas to prevent new surges among those who are not inoculated. And with growing infections among the unvaccinated, some vaccinated people are not surprisingly getting breakthrough infections because no vaccines are 100% effective. So, what happens next? How is the pandemic likely to play out into the fall and winter? Here are six factors that are likely to drive the shape of the pandemic in the coming months.

First, local vaccination rates will continue to be the most important factor in determining what will happen

The U.S. now has a patchwork pandemic, in which communities with low vaccination rates are likeliest to see surges in infection. One recent analysis found that 463 U.S. counties now have high rates of new infection—at least 100 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past week, which is over five times the overall U.S. rate. In 80% of these counties, less than 40% of residents are fully vaccinated. The five states with the lowest rates of full vaccination—Alabama (34%), Arkansas (35%), Louisiana (36%), Mississippi (34%), and Wyoming (36%)—are all experiencing major surges.

In these five states, while 4 out of 5 people aged over 65 have had at least one shot, the vaccination rate is much lower in the 18-65 age group, and lower still in adolescents (those aged 12-17). Few adolescents in these states have had at least one dose: just 24% in Arkansas, 16% in Alabama, 17% in Louisiana, 15% in Mississippi, and 19% in Wyoming. This leaves young people highly vulnerable to the fast-spreading Delta variant. Compare these numbers with a highly vaccinated state like Vermont, where almost 100% of those aged over 65 and 68% of those aged 12-17 have had at least one dose—and cases and hospitalizations are less than 3 and 1 per 100, 000, respectively.

It is also clear that the uptake of vaccines has slowed down and in some places almost stagnated, particularly in the southern states. The U.S. went from administering more than 3 million doses a day in mid-April to only around 500,000 doses a day right now. If you live in a poorly vaccinated community—and especially if vaccination rates are stagnant or barely rising—your community is at an elevated risk of a surge. Data from this week suggest that in some states affected by surges the rate of vaccinations is increasing, but it is unclear if this trend will continue.

In highly vaccinated states, an influx of unvaccinated visitors can also create a potential set up for local outbreaks. We saw this in Provincetown, Mass., where a super-spreader event presumed to be from a large influx of unvaccinated visitors led to a major cluster (430 confirmed cases as of July 23, 2021). Of the Massachusetts residents affected in this outbreak, 69% reported that they were fully vaccinated. And it would have been much worse had the vaccination levels of the Provincetown community not been so high. But the secondary impact of these types of clusters on pockets of unvaccinated children and on high risk or immunocompromised adults will in part depend on the amount of transmission from vaccinated people who have breakthrough infections.

Moving forward, we think a few policy and social aspects will have a huge impact on whether vaccination rates increase in this country—in particular, whether there is a concerted effort to depoliticize vaccines (political affiliation appears to be driving differences in vaccination uptake) and whether more businesses and schools start to require vaccinations for participation and employment.

Second, whether public health measures are reinstated will affect how long those surges continue

In communities facing a surge related to the Delta variant, the right public health response is to restore control measures such as community-wide indoor mask mandates, social distancing rules, scaling up test and trace, and intensifying workplace and school mitigations (including improved ventilation) until vaccination rates increase. Los Angeles county, for example, recently reinstated an indoor mask mandate for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to help curb its rapid spread of the Delta variant. Similarly, last week San Francisco Bay Area health officials urged residents of seven counties and the city of Berkeley to resume wearing masks indoors. Sound pandemic management requires tailoring measures to the local situation on the ground.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) placed a significant roadblock to such tailored management when it changed its mask guidance in May, saying vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors—this guidance had no nuance to account for community transmission levels or outbreak status. The guidance basically gave local governments and businesses the cover to drop mask mandates and indoor limits for both vaccinated and unvaccinated, leading both to change their behavior and putting other unvaccinated people, including children under 12, at risk. We agree with former Surgeon General Jerome Adams when he says, “the CDC urgently needs to revise its guidance to vaccinate and mask in places where cases are rising yet vaccination rates remain low.” CDC should consider releasing specific metrics for on-ramping and off-ramping public health measures that local and state public health bodies can take into consideration. Such guidance would lead to less confusion and build more public trust. Many schools are reopening in five weeks, and we think there is an urgency for the CDC to provide more specific guidance on masks, testing, and other mitigations against COVID-19 in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that all students over 2 years old, and all teachers and staff, wear masks, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19—that could help, though the need for masking should be tailored to local community transmission levels.

University and college campuses will also need to grapple with the challenges that Delta brings. A new study by Yale University researchers David Paltiel and Jason Schwartz found that colleges where over 90% of all students, faculty and staff are fully vaccinated can safely return to normalcy, but campuses below this vaccine coverage may need measures such as distancing and frequent testing of the unvaccinated.

Third, the local pattern of COVID-19 could be influenced by how much protection is provided by past infection.

Research suggests that if you have had COVID-19, you acquire some degree of immunity. In theory this might mean that if your community has low vaccination rates but a high proportion of people were previously infected, the chances of a surge from the Delta variant are lower. But we need to be careful about jumping to any conclusions. The science suggests that the immunity from past infection may be partial and short term, which is why the World Health Organization, CDC, and other public health agencies recommend that people who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 still get vaccinated. Additionally, a new analysis from Public Health England found that reinfection is more likely with the Delta variant compared to the Alpha variant—further argument for even those who have had and recovered from COVID-19 to get vaccinated.

A fourth factor is whether vulnerable Americans will need booster shots and if some decrease in immunity will lead to seasonal increases in cases, similar to the way influenza rates rise every winter

Last week, Israel’s health ministry released data raising the possibility that the protection that the Pfizer vaccine provides against infection may wane over time. We need to be very cautious about the data: they are preliminary and based on small numbers, and other nations have not seen a similar waning. There are also supportive data based on lab studies that say that for most people, vaccine-induced immunity may last years (at least against the current variants), although such immunity may wane for those who are more advanced in age or have weakened immune systems.

After previously ruling out the need for boosters, the Biden Administration has now signaled that it is looking into recommending a booster (a third shot of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) for people 65 and older or those with weakened immune systems. Experts are also considering whether those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot of Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. At a recent senate hearing, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that her agency is following large cohorts of vaccinated residents in nursing homes as well as cohorts of vaccinated frontline health workers with weekly testing to understand how efficacy against vaccines may be changing over time. Such data will likely help determine whether and when boosters are needed.

Some infectious disease experts, such as the German virologist Christian Drosten, believe that COVID-19 could become a “seasonal epidemic,” with an annual rise in cases in the winter. If it turns out that immunity from the vaccine does decline over time among the elderly and immune compromised and that COVID-19 is seasonal, this combination would provide a strong case for giving these vulnerable people boosters ahead of winter.

Fifth, we don’t know exactly how common it is for vaccinated people to become infected and transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others, though so far it appears to be relatively uncommon

The good news is that all the authorized vaccines greatly reduce your chances of becoming infected (e.g. the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines reduce this risk by 91%)—and reduce the risk of becoming severely ill, hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19 at an even higher rate. But no vaccine is 100% effective. So we would still expect a small proportion of fully vaccinated people to get infected and sometimes transmit the virus to others.

Research is underway to try and determine just how common it is for vaccinated people to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others and how the Delta variant impacts this risk, and the results will have a bearing on the next phase of the pandemic.

Sixth, another new variant of concern could arise

All viruses change (mutate) over time, and such mutations are more likely when a virus is circulating widely. Most mutations don’t change the ability of the virus to cause infections and disease, but some canThat means that, as long as SARS-CoV-2 is spreading, there’s a possibility that new variants of concern could arise, which could again change the trajectory of the pandemic.

The good news is that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against all known variants. Scientists are also confident that if a new variant arises that evades the protection of current vaccines, vaccine manufacturers will be able to quickly reformulate and test vaccines against these new variants. But currently, half of America and most parts of the rest of the world are not vaccinated; in Africa, for example, just 2% of people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Globally, cases and deaths have gone up by 25% over the last two weeks and these continued surges are giving the virus ample opportunity to evolve. As new variants evolve, it won’t be our ability to create reformulated vaccines that will limit us. Instead, the main hurdle will be to turn those new vaccines into vaccinations here in the U.S. and worldwide.

During the 1918 influenza pandemic, one third of the world’s population was infected and society was vulnerable to consecutive waves with minimal number of tools to combat them. In 2021, we have extremely powerful vaccines in addition to tried and true non-pharmaceutical measures such as masks that can help us shape our destinies to a greater measure than was possible a century ago. But the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that even with these tools, there are significant social and political challenges that are delaying our recovery.

Healthcare Insurance Rate Rises As Marketplace, Medicaid Enrollment Rises

The uninsurance rate may be declining and the American Rescue Plan Act’s changes may be partially responsible for this shift, according to a Commonwealth Fund report. The report pulls its data from a survey conducted by SSRS. The researchers interviewed over 5,400 adults in a primarily online survey from March 9 through June 8, 2021.

In the first half of 2021, approximately one in every ten American adults was uninsured. Populations between the ages of 19 and 34, populations with incomes that were less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and Latinx or Hispanic communities had the highest shares of uninsurance—13, 16, and 20 percent respectively. The researchers noted that this uninsurance rate for the first half of 2021 is lower than the uninsurance rate for 2020. According to the Commonwealth Fund’s Biennial Health Insurance Survey released in August 2020, the adult uninsurance rate for the first half of 2020 was 12.5 percent. Additionally, two out of every five adults had unstable healthcare coverage.

The report outlined four possible reasons that the uninsurance rate would drop. First, it is possible that pandemic-related coverage losses were not pervasive.  Previous studies have demonstrated that coronavirus-related job loss was largely concentrated among low-income individuals, who were less likely to receive healthcare coverage through their employer.  Additionally, many employees were furloughed, instead of losing their jobs altogether. Of those who were furloughed, a previous survey indicated that 53 percent continued to receive employer-sponsored health plan benefits.

The Commonwealth Fund survey found that 54 percent of adults who lost their healthcare coverage experienced a coverage gap of only three months or less. Those who did lose their employer-sponsored healthcare coverage might have found healthcare coverage elsewhere. This is particularly possible in light of the second and third possible motivators for this shift in uninsurance. The second potential cause is that the Biden administration—along with many states that have state-based exchanges—initiated an Affordable Care Act marketplace special enrollment period.

When it started in mid-February 2021, the enrollment period was supposed to last for a couple of months but the Biden administration soon extended it to August 15, 2021. The current administration has also promoted the Affordable Care Act marketplace health plans much more broadly than the previous administration. Third, increased subsidies for the Affordable Care Act marketplace along with COBRA subsidies may have bolstered interest in marketplace plans, drawing greater enrollment and improving coverage rates.

Temporary advance payments of premium tax credits have substantially lowered costs for some enrollees on the Affordable Care Act marketplace since the American Rescue Plan Act was passed in March 2021. Some enrollees can access health plans with premiums of $10 per month or less if they are eligible for tax credits. Individuals whose incomes are at over 400 percent of the federal poverty level can also receive subsidies. And those who lost their healthcare coverage due to the pandemic may have their COBRA premiums fully covered. Finally, the Medicaid maintenance of eligibility standard that the federal government implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic may have enabled lower uninsurance. This mandate will lift with the public health emergency, however.

As a result of these rules which make healthcare coverage more affordable, enrollment in Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace has increased. In a separate study, experts from Avalere noted that the boost to enrollment on the Affordable Care Act marketplace could have unforeseen ramifications for payers.  The influx of new enrollees and potential enrollees could place a greater strain on payer customer service offerings. Additionally, the higher volume of members may have an impact on payers’ risk adjustment and medical loss ratios projections.

Covid May Have Claimed As Many As 5 Million Lives In India

India’s actual death toll from covid-19 could range between 1.3 million to a staggering 5 million, with even the most conservative estimate putting its tally at more than double the U.S., the highest recorded in the world so far. The numbers, derived from research models and local authority data, range from three to 10 times the country’s official count, adding to evidence that the true cost of India’s outbreak has been massively under-reported. As corpses floated in the Ganges, a river sacred to millions of Hindus, and crematoriums and graveyards were overwhelmed, skepticism grew over the death toll of around 420,000 recorded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has used the ostensibly low mortality rate to defend India’s covid track record.

Bloomberg approached authorities in about half of India’s 28 states and territories seeking death data from April and May for the last two years and analyzed figures from researchers and experts. The result is clear: the real toll has been vastly underestimated because of a combination of under-counting, a backlog in the civil registration system and a lack of testing leading to covid deaths being classified as other conditions like heart disease. The findings dovetail with estimates from researchers around the world. Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, has devoted much of the past year to modeling India’s pandemic. Her studies suggest the death toll is around 1.3 million up to June 15.

Rukmini S, a leading data journalist, has written that the numbers she’s gathered suggest a death toll closer to 2.5 million. A report from the Washington-based Center for Global Development think tank released Tuesday, July 20, 2021, studied data from three different sources, finding that excess deaths – a term public health experts use to describe mortality from all causes during a crisis that is above what would have been expected in ‘normal’ conditions – likely ranged between 3.4 million to 4.9 million.

“Regardless of source and estimate, actual deaths during the covid pandemic are likely to have been an order of magnitude greater than the official count,” said the report, co-authored by Arvind Subramanian, former chief economic adviser to the Indian government and two other researchers. “True deaths are likely to be in the several millions, not hundreds of thousands, making this arguably India’s worst human tragedy since partition and independence.”

The federal Health Ministry in a July 14 press release called media reports on higher covid death counts “speculative.” India’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament Tuesday that “detailed guidelines for reporting of deaths have been issued by Union Health Ministry to all states and union territories.” The ministry did not respond to written questions from Bloomberg – instead it released a statement Thursday, July 22, saying reports of higher death tolls were misleading. “Given the robust and statute based death registration system in India, while some cases could go undetected as per the principles of infectious disease and its management, missing out on the deaths is unlikely,” it said.

Despite widespread reporting on oxygen shortages across India as the second wave of infections hit the country in April and May, the minister added that “no deaths due to lack of oxygen has been specifically reported” by local governments. The states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha combined have close to 300,000 excess deaths in the six months to June, according to all-cause mortality numbers analyzed by Bloomberg – more than 5.5 times their official covid death data of about 53,000. That already represents three-quarters of India’s official toll, though they are just four among 28 states and territories and 17% of the nation’s 1.4 billion people.

State government officials say in most cases that people who had not been tested or had tested negative – but showed coronavirus symptoms – were not counted in the official toll. In rural areas, many people went untested, untreated and ultimately uncounted, contrary to federal government guidelines. At least six states did not respond to requests for all-cause death data. The figures paint a very different picture to the narrative presented by Modi, who has said that India handled the outbreak better than any other country, pointing to its low mortality rate as evidence. Modi’s popularity has fallen as the country’s health infrastructure almost collapsed: his government’s approval ratings dropped from 75% in 2019 to 51% this year, according to polling company LocalCircles’s survey released May 29. While under-reporting of covid fatalities is a global phenomenon, the problem is aggravated in India because deaths were already poorly counted before the pandemic. Only 92% of all deaths are registered and only a fifth of those are properly medically certified.

“Not capturing a death is dishonor to a life,” said Mukherjee. “Without relating the deaths and hospitalizations to vaccine and variant data, we will never be able to grasp the effectiveness of vaccines or clinical lethality of the variant.” Historically India has published ‘all-cause’ mortality data every two years, Rukmini said, but noted that she and other reporters have recently accessed this data via local sources. It is “available and should be made public. We don’t need to wait for two years.”

Across some of India’s most populous states, local reporters and non-governmental organizations have pieced together a more accurate picture of the pandemic. The eastern state of Bihar saw nearly 75,000 unexplained deaths in the first five months of 2021, most during the deadly second wave of the pandemic. That represents almost 10 times the state’s official covid death figure, the news channel NDTV reported. “In Madhya Pradesh, the state bulletin gives one figure, while the district bulletin gives an entirely different number, while crematoriums are telling a different story,” said Amulya Nidhi, the national co-convener of Jan SwasthyaAbhiyan or People’s Health Movement. His organization’s data shows that in April and May, about 14,695 people lost their lives to covid-19 in 20 of the state’s 51 districts, while the official figure is only 2,425.

From January to May this year, Andhra Pradesh excess deaths may have jumped as much as 34 times, the Hindu reported, citing civil registration data. Unaccounted deaths also have been reported from Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Even the capital New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai, where record-keeping is generally better, have large unexplained death numbers. In May and June, some states including Bihar and Maharashtra reconciled their death data, pushing the country’s cumulative mortality toll up.

Not all ‘excess deaths’ have to be covid-19 deaths, but most of them likely are because they occurred during the virus surge, said ChinmayTumbe, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and author of the book ‘The Age of Pandemics (1817-1920): How they shaped India and the World.’ “The problem of course is that the government is going to maintain that we have a great reporting system,” Tumbe said. “I’m afraid that what the data shows is that’s clearly not true.”

Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated’ Spreads In US, Fueled By Delta

Fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, Covid cases are rising in almost all the 50 states in the United States, and with less thanhalf the US population fully vaccinated, public health chiefs warned of an “extraordinary surge” coast to coast. Covid are going up, so are the number of hospitalizations and deaths.  Data compiled by the New York Times showed that the average rate measured over the past 2 weeks was rising in all 50 states – varying from a dramatic 373% in Tennessee to 10% in Maine. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases official, said there had been an extraordinary surge in the Delta variant of Covid-19 – which is more transmissible – around the world, including in the US.

Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus team, confirmed that unvaccinated Americans “account for virtually all recent Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths”. Four states that are currently seeing high increases in Covid-19 cases have accounted for over 40% of the total Covid cases seen in the country this past week, Zients said. One in five cases occurred in Florida, in which about 50% of the state is fully vaccinated. “Each Covid-19 death is tragic, and those happening now are even more tragic because they are preventable,” he said. Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Nevada are also seeing surges in infections in many parts.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and research scientist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan has pointed to a compelling preprint study out of China recently that showed people who were exposed to the Delta variant got sick fast. The study has found that people infected with the Delta variant are shedding way more virus, which could explain why it’s so contagious. Rasmussen says the good news is that it still transmits in the same way as the original strain, so all of those mitigation tools like masking and handwashing and social distancing – all of those still work to block Delta. And the vaccines are still highly effective against this variant.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns that new COVID-19 cases are on a sharp rise, up 70%, fueled by the Delta variant. Officials expect more spread in the nation’s unvaccinated population. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths remain far below last winter’s peak and vaccines are effective against Delta. But rising cases prompted the official, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to declare in a briefing on July 16th that the trend is clear. Unvaccinated people are at risk. She pleaded with Americans to get fully vaccinated.

Describing the new trend across the nation, Walensky says it’s a little bit of a mixed picture. Cases are rising in some places like California and New York that have pretty good vaccination rates. But she says by far, the most spread is happening in places where not many people are vaccinated. In fact, 97% of people who get so sick with COVID-19 that they have to be hospitalized are unvaccinated. Officials are concerned by these numbers and point out that sickness and death is avoidable. COVID-19 is now a vaccine-preventable disease, and people who’ve been holding out should get vaccinated.

During the press briefing, Walensky said that in places that are hot spots where there’s low vaccination rates, it may make sense for local officials to consider masking requirements until the vaccine campaign can catch up. The Los Angelus County has mandated indoor masking, including vaccinated people, and  so we’ll have to see if other places follow suit. “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk. Communities that are fully vaccinated are generally faring well,” she said.

IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation Celebrates Silver Jubilee

IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation “IITBHF”, the US based alumni support group for Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay celebrated 25Years of giving and supporting its alma mater with over $50 million in donations, at a virtual event attended by hundreds of leading alumni and past and current IITB Directors.

IIT Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri lauded the Heritage Foundation’s efforts for its far-reaching contributions over the last 25 years. He said, “Our success as the top ranked Indian Institute would not have been possible without the heartfelt and far-reaching support of IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation and the alumni donors.”  He requested the alumni to continue their efforts in supporting IIT Bombay’s vision to enhance its teaching and research standards so that it ranks among the top 50 World Institutes by IITB @75.

Distinguished Alumni and Past Chairs of IITBHF Raj Mashruwala, Victor Menezes, Bharat Desai, and KanwalRekhi and Directors Phatak and Sukhatme also spoke at the event. Current Chair Raj Mashruwala said, “What IITBHF has achieved over the last 25 years would not have been possible without the generous support of over 3300 alumni donors.” The establishment of the IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation as the first US based IIT alumni group has helped meet Director Sukhatme’s vision of an IIT that has a “Tryst with Excellence”.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. D. C. Agrawal President IITB Heritage Foundation said, “this is an occasion to remember our founding, rejoice in our achievements and renew ourselves for the future.” The program detailed the many achievements of IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation over the last 25 years:

 

 

  • Raised over $50 million in donations from over 3300 unique donors.
  • Helped establish the most recognizable “IIT” and “IIT Bombay” brand in US and elsewhere.
  • Supported 575 named scholarships benefiting nearly 5000 students.
  • Funded construction and establishment of 25 Major Centers, Schools and Laboratories.
  • Established Faculty Alumni Network to connect IITB faculty with Alumni faculty at other Universities.
  • Funded “Young Faculty Awards” and “Teaching and Research Excellence Awards”.
  • Established 19 Chair Professorships.

IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation is a US based non-profit charity organization established to support students, alumni, faculty, and research at IIT Bombay. It is an all-volunteer organization established in 1996. IITBHF has a Platinum ranking with Guidestar, which rates US non-profit charitable organizations.  Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the second IIT to be set up in 1958, is recognized worldwide as a leader in the field of engineering education and research. The Institute was granted the status of ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Ministry of Education (the then Ministry of Human Resources Development) on July 9, 2018. IIT Bombay is reputed for the quality of its faculty and the outstanding caliber of students graduating from its undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

The Institute has 15 academic departments, 32 centers, two schools and four Interdisciplinary programs. Over the last six decades, more than 60,000 engineers and scientists have graduated from the Institute. It is served by more than 681 faculty members considered not only amongst the best within the country, but are also highly recognized in the world for achievements in the field of education and research. The Institute is recognized as one of the top centers of academic excellence in the country as well as internationally. Over the years, there has been dynamic and rapid progress at IIT Bombay in both academic and research activities, with a parallel improvement in facilities and infrastructure to match with the best institutions in the world.

Manisha Bharti Is CEO Of Pratham USA And Global Executive

Pratham, one of India’s largest and most respected education NGOs, announces the appointment of Manisha Bharti as the first Chief Executive Officer of Pratham USA and Global Executive. The organization made the announcement July 15, 2021. Bharti, who will start in September, brings more than 25 years of professional experience in global development, having held senior leadership positions at FHI 360 and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She is currently Chief of Strategy and Programs at GHR Foundation, one of Minnesota’s largest philanthropic organizations, where she oversees a grant portfolio within health, education and international development, Pratham-USA said in a July 15, 2021 press release.

“The position of Chief Executive Officer and Global Executive has been established to unify Pratham’s business development, strategy and communications,” Deepak Raj, chairman of Pratham USA is quoted saying in the press release. “Manisha’s appointment marks a significant commitment by the organization to strengthen our US chapters while enhancing our brand globally and improving alignment across regions.”  “Manisha is ideally suited for this role,” said MadhavChavan, co-founder and president of Pratham. “Throughout her career, she has driven change, scaled organizations and displayed a talent for bringing people together—invaluable assets for helping shape Pratham’s future.”

Pratham CEO Dr. Rukmini Banerji welcomed Bharti’s induction and said, “Our India and US teams have always worked very closely with one another, but this was particularly true during COVID. Together, we can go from strength to strength while at the same time supporting the growth of our international work. With her background and experience, Manisha will be an integral part of this next phase of Pratham.” “There is such a need for the kind of grassroots, high-quality education Pratham provides with its community-based and digital platforms that are increasingly global in scope,” Bharti said. “I’m excited and humbled by this opportunity to help shepherd and co-author Pratham’s next chapter. I look forward to working with the global team to deepen Pratham’s impact in India and share its learnings to improve education around the world.” Executive Director Bala Venkatachalam will remain in his position until the transition is complete, at which time he will assume a new global role within the organization.

Dwarkamai’s “Centers of Spiritual Excellence” Celebrates Dhanyadivasam

Chicago IL: Dwarkamai, dedicated to organizing events and conducting activities directed towards personal spiritual development of the community by following the teachings of Shri Sainath, a saint from Shirdi The Guiding Principle behind opening Dwarkamai’s “Centers of Spiritual Excellence” was to take the worship center closer to devotee’s homes based on request from devotees in an area rather than make devotees drive for hours to visit a worship center. The same principle has brought us to the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL where a group of 60 devotee families felt the need for a worship center nearby and requested Dwarkamai to open a Spiritual Center on the lines of those started in Massachusetts.

Under the guidance of our mentor, Shri Anil Naik, Support from the members of the community who wished to have a location in the Northwest suburbs and a Landlord willing to go the extra mile, Dwarkamai’s newest “Center of Spiritual Excellence”, Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Rolling Meadows, IL opened its doors to the community on Dusherra Day, Oct 25, 2020 and has been providing volunteer driven services to the community since then. Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Rolling Meadows continued the month-long Shri Venkateswara and Navagraha Praana Prathistha Mahotsavam- July 2021 with the Dhanyadivasam event on Thursday, July 15th, 2021

During Dhanyadhivasam, the Vigrahas will be completely immersed in Dhanyams for 11days. Bhagavan is saluted through this ritual as “Vishwa-bhuk“, the protector of the Universe. The essence of the manthrams recited at this time is that the Lord is recognized as the Controller, Master and Consumer of the entire universe and pray to him for his satisfaction with the offering of Anna or Dhanyam. It states that the food is a form of nectar and is offered to the Lord as a form of complete surrender unto HIM.  The Dhanyam used for this event will be distributed as Prasad to the devotees at the temple on Monday, July 26th, 2021 between 6.30pm and 8pm. Please come in large numbers and take home this Prasad of the Lord. The next event during this month-long event is the PranaPrathisthaMahotsav event scheduled from July 29-31, 2021. We invite the community to come and participate in this once in a lifetime event.

Indian American Night Held On Long Island, NY

 

 

Nassau County Executive Hon. Laura Curran along with Indian American Forum under the leadership of Founding Member Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee and Chairwoman Indu Jaiswal brought the community together to celebrate “Indian American Night” at the Eisenhower Park on July 11th.

Chaired by Beena Kothari & Co-chaired and Emceed by Flora Parekh, the event honored distinguished community leaders who made a significant stride through these unprecedented times.

 

Several distinguished community leaders, students and achievers were honored by Special Citations – namely Mukesh Modi, Beena Kothari, Dr. Jag Kalra, Deepa Goyal, Priya Suri, AnkurSahani, Anika Tolat  and Hardev Singh. Nassau County executive Hon. Laura Curran shared valuable county resources and information as we move along post difficult times.

Fascinating dancers, melodious singers and bollywood performers coordinated by Jyoti Gupta and InduGajwani rocked the event. Graceful young Bollywood dancers, choreographed by Manik Malhotra, Jyotika Patel, ShilpaMithaiwala, young table player and melodious singers namely Kiran Arora, Mitchel Johnson, Kulbhooshan Sharma  portrayed true Indian American Culture – Home away from home.

Several community leaders and IAF Board Members graced the event – to name a few MohinderTaneja, Jasbir (Jay) Singh, Vijay Goswami, Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan, Rizwan Qureshi and many more.  The event was generously covered by several print and TV media. Additional information can be found at www.indianamericanforum.org.

The Shoe Project Aims At “Empowering Global Communities One Step At A Time”

Boston-based women empowerment media platform, Women Who Win, recently launched a charity program, “The Shoe Project”, in which they provide footwear and health education to underserved global communities. Currently, India has a slum population of over 80 million people, and slum residents have to walk miles every day to find back-breaking and grueling labor.

They often work without proper (or any) footwear. Additionally, there is a significant population of women in slums and villages who live and work barefoot. Women Who Win Co-founder, Dr. Deepa Jhaveri is also a podiatrist. This inspired the team to provide good quality, podiatrist – approved, and weather appropriate shoes to these communities because proper footwear is essential in preventing foot disease, infections, and amputations, and to keep safe while working.

With thousands of people working barefoot everyday, they face significant risk to the health of their feet. Further, there are 62 million diabetics in India, and 25% result in DFUs (Diabetic Foot Ulcers) and 20% need foot amputations. With this in mind, not only are they providing the shoes, their team is collaborating with podiatrists across the U.S. to educate and provide guidelines on foot health, which will also be donated with each pair of shoes. (translated to Hindi and other local languages).

Women Who Win collaborated with the Indian Medical Association of New England to provide the shoes and educational materials on proper foot health. This summer, they had an outstanding response to their pilot program. They partnered with Lions Club of Juhu in Mumbai, to donate over 700 pairs of shoes to the women of the Adivasi village. These women were excited to finally have the right footwear to complete their work, and showed sincere blessings to our entire team. Co-founder Dr. Manju Sheth states, “The donation of shoes project to those who need it the most has been the fulfillment of the dream of our co-founders. As a physician,I have seen up close the devastation caused by multiple medical conditions including diabetes on the feet including ulcers ,gangrene leading to amputations.

Many complications are preventable with good shoes and education on how to protect your feet. As always, good intentions bring together like minded people.We are very blessed to have received the support of great organizations like Lion’s club, especially the women’s team of Juhu, Mumbai and IMANE (Indian Medical Association of New England), led by DrDhrumil Shah. It will be an ongoing project with multiple organizations In India followed by other places in the world as we are a global platform.” Going into the next phase of the project, the team hopes to reach different underserved communities across India, providing all different kinds of footwear.

Co-founder ShaleenSheth states, “It was striking to see how much receiving a simple pair of shoes can mean to people. I would love to provide different types of shoes for different needs as we grow the project -athletic shoes, shoes for particular health conditions etc. I would be most excited to partner more with women-led shoe companies and manufacturers, supporting their businesses, and helping in the cause of women empowerment, the mission of our platform. As a non-healthcare worker, I learned a lot about why taking care of your feet, and your body as a whole is so important, and a privilege in some way. Not all communities have the resources to do that, so it’s exciting that our organization can help solve a part of this.”

This initiative in its early days has truly started to resonate with the healthcare community, and the South Asian community. Dr. Jhaveri states, ‘“this project is very close to my heart as it ties in my profession and my Indian roots to create an immense impact in the daily lives of hundreds of people by preventing limb threatening foot infections. This project has also created a buzz in the podiatry community, particularly with Indian-American podiatrists as well as major footwear companies who have offered tremendous support of this initiative.”

Founded by three South-Asian women from Boston, the platform is coming to its one-year anniversary, and has seen wonderful success in showcasing the stories of leading women across industries and all walks of life to an audience of thousands of people in over 80 countries. The team has created a global community with a passion for women empowerment, with weekly stories and forums for all topics such as women’s health, lifestyle, inspiration, business & entrepreneurship, and more. To join this dynamic community, share your story, and be a part of initiatives like this, email the team at womenwhowin100@gmail.com Join Women Who Win in empowering global communities one step at a time.

Dr. Manju Sheth – A Physician at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital with a passion for media, she is the President of India New England Multimedia, the New England Choice Awards, and the director of the Woman of the Year Gala. Her Chai with Manju series has featured esteemed guests including Congressman Joe Kennedy, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Neha Kakkar, Sadhguru, Ro Khanna, and Sonu Nigam to name a few. She has a passion for womens’ causes and was co-chair of the Women’s Forum at the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE)

She believes Women Who Win is the place to discover the stories and challenges behind successful women.Dr. Deepa Jhaveri – An experienced podiatrist, skilled in Clinical Research, Medical Education and Healthcare Information Technology. Deepa has a passion for causes that help uplift women. She has a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University and is on the executive board of the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE). She believes Women Who Win is a platform for empowered and like-minded women to strengthen their network. ShaleenSheth – A Boston-based young professional, with a passion for technology and social entrepreneurship, Shaleen works in the e-commerce space, and a co-founder of Women Who Win. She believes women empowerment comes from different generations sharing their stories and creating a supportive community together

To donate to the cause, and for more information, visit their site below https://www.womenwhowin100.com/shoes Check out a video of their pilot program with the Lion’s Club of Juhu and Indian Medical Association of New England linked below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOuD-M5BjjE

Dr. Anupama Gotimukula-Led Leadership Vows To Take AAPI Newer Heights

Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI)has vowed to  make AAPI a premium  healthcare leader, primarily focusing to improve and reform the current healthcare system and help towards making a better healthcare model for the patients;  create awareness projects on major chronic diseases burdening our health care system through Lifestyle modifications; establish a support system to members going through racial discrimination in the US; support AAPI legislative efforts to make healthcare better and affordable to all and promote charitable activities globally.

During a solemn ceremony attended by hundreds of AAPI delegates from around the nation, Dr. Anupama Gotimukula and a new executive committee, consisting of Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect; Dr. Anjana Samadder, Vice President; Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary; Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer;  Dr. Kusum Punjabi, Chair, Board of Trustees; Dr. Soumya Neravetla- President, Young Physicians Section; and, Dr. Ayesha Singh, President, Medical Student/Residents & Fellows Section;assumed charge of AAPI during the 39th annual Convention at the at the fabulous and world famous Omni Atlanta at CNN Center and Georgia World Congress Center on July 4th.

Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalgadda, the outgoing President of AAPI passed on the gavel to Dr. Gotimukula, who will lead AAPI as its President in the year 2021-2022, the largest Medical Organization in the United States, representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians and Fellows of Indian origin in the United States, serving the interests of the Indian American physicians in the US and in many ways contributing to the shaping of the healthcare delivery in the US for the past four decades.  A resident of San Antonio, TX, Dr.Gotimukula  is a board certified Pediatric Anesthesiologist, practicing since 2007, is affiliated with Christus Santa Rosa, Baptist and Methodist Healthcare systems in San Antonio. After graduating with distinction from Kakatiya Medical College, NTR University of Health Sciences in India, she did Residency at University of Miami & University of Illinois, and Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at University of Michigan.

As a Healthcare Leader, Dr. Gotimukula recognizes that “API has power. We have legitimate respect and trust of our communities in every corner of America. AAPI will leverage that power of our purpose and networks to help address specific challenges related to women and the numerous challenges women face.”

Dr. Kusum Punjabi, a very young and energetic leader of AAPI, assumed office as the Chair of Board of Trustees of AAPI on July 4th. The youngest to date to be holding this position in AAPI’s 40 years long history and the first person to go to medical school in the USA, Dr. Punjabi completed her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in Biology and Economics and graduated with high honors as a Henry Rutgers Scholar. She, then completed MD/MBA program from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Business School.

Holding leadership roles while a student, Dr. Punjabi says, “I was the Class President in medical school and got the Deans Award that year. I then went to Philadelphia and completed my residency in Emergency Medicine from Drexel University – Hahnemann University Hospital. For the past 12 years, I work as an Emergency Physician at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson university hospital in NJ serving our local community and teaching at the Medical school as Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine.”

Dr. Punjabi has “served many board positions at American Medical Association (AMA,) women’s section and young physicians section and at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) for past 12 years starting in the Young Physician sections. I have led community service projects, organized webinars and conferences, written in AAPI newsletters and journals. I have won several national elections of AAPI before being unanimously elected as Chair of the Board.”

Dr. Punjabi says, “My goal as Chair of the Board is to develop long lasting programs within AAPI that promote professionalism, unity, mentorship and inclusivity. I hope to clearly re-define AAPI’s mission of service, academic achievement and supporting Indian Physicians working in America through advocacy and leadership. I want patients to know the value of the care they receive from our ethnic group and our mission of promoting the safest and best healthcare practices for our patients.

Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with additional qualifications in Addiction, Geriatric and Forensic Psychiatry, and serves as Psychiatric Medical Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services. A former Clinical Asst. Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University, Dr. Kolli had served as the President-Elect in 2020-21, Secretary of AAPI 2019-20, Regional Director of AAPI 2017-18, Past President of Pittsburgh Chapter of AAPI (TAPI), Past President of Rangaraya Medical College Alumni of North America and as the Past President of Association of Telugu Medical Graduates in USA.

“In my role as the President-Elect of AAPI, I will be working closely with the entire AAPI leadership to make AAPI a more dynamic and  vibrant organization playing a meaningful and relevant part in advocating health policies and practices that best serve the interests of all patients  and  promoting the  physician’s role   as  the  leaders of the  team based health care delivery,” Dr. Kolli says. “We will work together to promote our values of professionalism, collegiality, excellence in patient care and enhance AAPI’s reputation as a premiere professional organization offering educational programs and advocacy.”

Dr. Kolli wants to “focus on battling the stigma of mental illness and access to quality mental health care broadly. I will be forming liaison with mental health professionals in India and globally and bring awareness of various biopsychosocial therapeutic options  to promote wellness and recovery from mental illness and substance use disorders.  We will also actively promote physician wellness and self care to address the challenges of physician burnout and suicide.”

Dr. Anajana Samadder, Vice President of AAPI, said, “My journey with AAPI in the past 20 years taught me lots of lessons, skills and molded me to take more responsibility in the organization. My ordeal with Covid -19 was hard, but it also made me strong, resilient and tenacious. I will bring to the organization the level of commitment, hard work, experience and skill set needed to accomplish the various goals for AAPI and its members.”

Dr.Anjana Samadder has shown great leadership qualities which she proved during her tenure as local chapter President (Central Ohio), Regional Director(Ohio and Michigan) and as AAPI National Treasurer. She has also served diligently in different capacities within AAPI including being National Coordinator for AAPI Annual Convention, 2018 in Columbus.  Dr. Smaddar served as the Chair, AAPI Women’s Forum and has organized first live conference of this year in Tampa, Florida (March 19 to 21,2021) with great success. Her vision for AAPI is “to help build an ethically strong, morally straight and fiscally responsible organization. It is also vitally important to bring much needed diversity to keep AAPI thriving.”

Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary of AAPI said, “I want to assure that I will sincerely work for the betterment of our beloved organization, AAPI.” A board certified hematologist and oncologist from Dayton, Ohio, practicing Medicine for nearly two decades, Dr. Kathula is a clinical professor of medicine at Wright State University- Boonshoft school of medicine, Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India in 1992. He has been actively involved in community service locally, nationally and internationally for the last two decades. He has been awarded with the “Man of the year-2018, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. ’”

Dr. Kathula has served in numerous capacities, before being elected as the Treasurer of AAPI-2020-21. He had served as the Chair, IT Committee- 2019-20; Editor, Enewsletter-2019-20; a member of AAPI’s Board of Trustees- 2014-17; and Regional Director- 2012-14, in addition t several roles at the local and regional level.  He has served as the President and founding member of Association of Indian Physicians from Ohio; President, Miami Valley Association of Physicians of Indian Origin; President, ATMGUSA; and has worked with Ohio State Medical Association on various issues.

A recipient of several Community Service/Awards, Dr. Kathula wants to “Make AAPI a mainstream organization and work on issues affecting physicians including physician shortage, burnout, and credentialing, while leveraging the strength of 100,000 doctors at legislative level.” Another area, he wants to work is to “Encourage and engage next generation/young physicians in AAPI activities. While working closely with other physician organizations such as AMA.”

Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer of AAPI said, “I am honored to be elected as the Treasurer of national AAPI. As an organization, AAPI is committed to increasing young physicians’ knowledge base, enhancing their careers, and empowering them to play a key role in healthcare advocacy and community service. I will continue my dedicated work of several years helping fulfil our mission.”

Dr. Krishan Kumar is a pediatric emergency medicine physician in East Meadow, New York and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Nassau University Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital. A recipient of the prestigious Parvasi Bharatiya Diwas Award, Dr. Krishan Kumar, served as the Chair and Program Director, Department of Pediatrics, Nassau University Medical Center, from January, 2017-April 2019. Dr. Kumar is a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at NY College of Osteopathic Medicine and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at  NY College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has served as the Medical Director, Fire Police EMS Academy- County of Nassau, NY from 2000 to January 2019.

Dr. Kumar was recognized among America’s Top Pediatricians by Consumer’s Research Council of America- Excellence 2010. The Congressional Certificate of Merit Award- given by Peter King, Chairman, Home Land Security, for “In recognition of being awarded the 2011 community service and leadership award by the South Asian Political Action Committee   in October, 2011.

The growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in the 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 the 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.

“As we look forward to the future beyond COVID-19, we at AAPI have so much more room to grow and serve,” Dr. Gotimukula said. “I challenge myself, my Executive Committee, and you all, my AAPI colleagues, to rise up to the task of building on our accomplishments and successes over the last several years. My team and I have defined several goals for this year to further AAPI’s mission, along three key dimensions.”  Dr. Gotimukula urged AAPI to “improve health equity; get rid of discrimination; fight South Asian racial bias; reduce physician burnout; and, improve the career trajectory of the younger generation of Indian American doctors who will be taking care of us as we age.”  For more details, please visit: www.appiusa,org

PPA Entertainment Successfully Launches Mega Event After Covid

Hundreds of artists and community members were recognized at the very first event of PPA Entertainment at Big Suchir, Downers Grove, IL. PPA Entertainment has been created on the foundation of friendship and community service by three music loving and philanthropist friends. The purpose of the event was not only to celebrate music and friendship but also to recognize the family and friends of the artists and leaders who support them without coming into limelight.

PPA Entertainment is run by Pinky and Dinesh Thakkar, Pratibha Jairath and Ashok Potdar. Pinky Thakkar is a successful female entrepreneur along with a number of talents that she has. A wife, a mother, a brand mother , a businesswoman, and an artist , Ms. Thakkar has been supporting various community initiatives for many years. Pratibha Jairath is a well-known name in the community for her super successful events and artistic skills. Ashok Potdar is known for his community service that he provides running a successful association helping hundreds of senior citizens.

The beautiful musical event started with lamp lighting by the organizers along with the chief guest Sunil Shah and his wife Rita Shah and other distinguished guests followed by a melodious devotional song by Rita Shah.  Sunil Shah congratulated the organizers for organizing a well thought-out and well-planned event. He mentioned how these events build bridges and bring communities and people together. He, as always, ensured his support for all the future initiatives of PPA Entertainment and extended his best wishes to everyone.

Sunil Shah and Rita Shah presented plaques to the special guests that included Dr. Bhupinder Beri, Aparna Khot , Dinesh Thakkar, Kirit Thakkar, Gurmeet Dhalwan  , Dr. Asha Oroskar, Dr. Kamal Patel  , Anil Loomba, Brij Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Vinita Gulabani.  Brij Sharma, CEO POWERVOLT, talked about his inspirational journey as a successful entrepreneur and explained how his wife Vijay Sharma stood by him like a pillar of strength through thick and thin

Some guests were recognized for their contributions in their respective fields that included Prachi Jaitly, Phani Krishna and Naveen Karna (AANA Team), Dr Madhu Uppal, Malhan, Ramesh, Dharam Punwani, Raju Bankapur, Shaila Khedkar, Sanjiv Gulati, Ali Khan, Hitesh Gandhi, Anil Loomba, Altaf Bukhari, Pinky Thakkar, Ashok Potdar,  Neha Potdar, Pina Potdar, , Saif Ali, Suresh Bodiwala , Niranjan Nathwani, Chirag Shah, Raman Patel, Late Mr. Chitu Patel, Gaurang Ahivasi and Dipti Soni.

Rita Shah gave an immaculate singing performance with a very beautiful and soulful song and proved her mettle in the field of music. Her notes and pitch was right on like any professional vocalist and spoke volumes of her amazing artistic capabilities. The evening was made melodious by a number of vocalists that included Rita Shah, Pratibha Jairath, Bhupendra Beri, Raju Bankapur, Shaila Khedkar, Jitendra Bulsara, Sanjiv Gulati, Mir Ali , Shirley K, Usha Kumaria, Anil and Asha Oroskar, Bharat Dhutia, Pinky Thakkar, Kirit Thakkar, Mukund Thakkar, Harish Thakkar, Hansa Patel, Saif Ali, Ashok Potdar, Gopal Bhardwaz.

The musical atmosphere was very well complemented by a sumptuous five course dinner by Big Suchir. The excellent hospitality and beautiful venue added to the grace of the entire event. Big Suchir, located in Downers Grove, IL and run by a very well-known entrepreneur Niranjan Nathwani, is a favorite venue of thousands of people. After the dinner, the event concluded with all the guests dancing to the musical beats along with a vote of thanks by the organizers.

COVID-19 Spikes, Delta Variant Hit Almost Every State In USA

Most areas of the country are seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases as variants of the virus serve as a painful reminder that the pandemic is not over despite eased restrictions. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have documented an increase in average daily cases over the past two weeks. But nine in particular, including seven in the South, have seen cases at least double in that time period, according to data from The New York Times.

The seven-day-average of new cases was 13,859 as of July 6, up 21% compared to two weeks earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cases attributed to the most recent days might rise further because of a reporting lag following the July 4 holiday weekend. The spike comes as the Delta variant, which is more transmissible than any previous strain, accounted for around 52% of cases in the two weeks ending July 3, according to the CDC. Despite having among the highest availability of vaccines of any country, America’s immunization campaign has dropped off steeply since April. President Joe Biden narrowly missed his goal of having 70% adults at least partly vaccinated by Independence Day, with the current figure at 67%. Regions in the Midwest and South with lower vaccination rates are experiencing higher case rates than regions with high vaccination rates such as the Northeast, a trend that has become increasingly clear in recent weeks.

A hospital in Springfield, Missouri, ran out of ventilators to treat hospitalized COVID patients over the weekend, local media reported. The city of 160,000’s two hospitals were treating 213 COVID-19 patients as of Monday, up from 168 on Friday and 31 on May 24, the Kansas City Star said. “The trajectory that we’re likely to see is two different flavours of the pandemic in the United States, one in which it’s more of a problem in places where there’s a high level of unvaccinated individuals,” Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told AFP.

“In other parts of the country, the pandemic is largely going to be something that’s managed as more of an ordinary respiratory virus,” he added. Mr. Adalja said that even with Delta becoming the dominant strain he envisioned a “decoupling” of hospitalisations and deaths from rising cases in highly vaccinated regions, as has been seen in Israel. “Increasingly, I think we have to start to shift our focus away from cases and really look at hospitalizations, because that’s what the vaccine was designed to do — it was designed to decouple cases from hospitalization,” he said.

Real world data has shown that the Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines have retained high efficacy against severe COVID and the same is almost certainly true of the Moderna vaccine, according to experts. Most areas of the country are seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases as variants of the virus serve as a painful reminder that the pandemic is not over despite eased restrictions. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have documented an increase in average daily cases over the past two weeks. But nine in particular, including seven in the South, have seen cases at least double in that time period, according to data from The New York Times.

In Los Angeles County, officials recorded more than 1,000 new cases for three consecutive days this week for the first time since March. Arkansas also reported more than 1,000 new cases for a third straight day Friday. “The majority of states have large swaths of population that are still not protected,” said Amber D’Souza, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She said that despite tremendous progress on vaccinations, the new data show the outbreaks are mostly hitting areas with lower vaccination rates. Those spikes are due in part to the spread of the more transmissible delta variant and loosened COVID-19 restrictions, D’Souza said.

“We expect to see continuing surges of infection until we are able to bring vaccination rates higher than they currently are,” she added. Overall, the U.S. is now averaging more than 19,000 new cases for the first time since the end of May, marking a 60 percent increase compared with two weeks ago. A third of those cases were documented in five states — Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Nevada — CNN medical analyst Jonathan Reiner told the network Monday.

Throughout the pandemic, rises in coronavirus cases have typically preceded spikes in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. While the rate of COVID-19 deaths is still decreasing in the U.S., data from the Times shows an 11 percent increase in average daily hospitalizations over the past two weeks. During that same period, vaccination rates have plummeted to an average of 500,000 a day, the lowest level since President Biden took office.

Months after Biden declared vaccines were available to all Americans 18 and over, 58.9 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, as are 48 percent of all Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccination rates of the five states with the highest daily average of new coronavirus cases — Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, Louisiana and Nevada — are all below the national percentages. D’Souza said government officials need to focus on localized data “because within a state often there really are different stories happening with vaccination and therefore with infection.” And even with the recent surge, she said the nationwide case count is not expected to reach 2020 levels, in large part because 79 percent of those 65 and older have been fully vaccinated.

“There are a lot of reasons for hope,” she said. “That being said, things have stalled this past month. We are seeing reduced vaccination and increased infection, and that is the worry of what that forebodes for the fall.” Experts have said that unvaccinated people are more at risk to develop serious illness and die from the delta variant that now makes up a majority of cases in the U.S. Biden’s chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, said last week that more than 99 percent of people who died of COVID-19 in June in the U.S. were not vaccinated.

Several polls have shown that Republicans are less likely to get vaccinated than Democrats. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the vaccination gap between counties that voted for former President Trump in 2020 and those that voted for Biden has nearly doubled in two months. Efforts to narrow that gap face stiff competition from some vaccine opponents.“The government was hoping that they could sort of sucker 90 percent of the population into getting vaccinated. And it isn’t happening,” said conservative author Alex Berenson, drawing applause at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas.

Some officials are now weighing whether to take action to combat COVID-19 case surges. Los Angeles County and St. Louis County are recommending all people wear masks indoors, even if they are vaccinated. In Mississippi, the state’s Department of Health called on residents aged 65 and older and those with chronic medical conditions to avoid all indoor mass gatherings. On Sunday, Fauci told CNN’s “State of the Union” that there should be more local mandates to prevent COVID-19 spread, calling it a “life and death situation.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing Monday that the federal government will “certainly support” local leaders if they decide to institute restrictions “to keep their community safe.”Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) told ABC’s “This Week” that he plans to travel to six cities in his state this week in an effort to combat vaccine hesitancy. “We’ve got to overcome that mistrust because it — Republicans, Democrats, we all suffer the same consequence if the delta variant hits us and we’re not vaccinated,” Hutchinson said.

Michael Kuruvilla, First Indian American To Lead Police Force

Michael Kuruvilla, an Indian American has assumed office as of July 12th to serve as the Chief of Police of Brookfield, a suburb of Chicago, making him the first South Indian American to hold such a post in the United States. Kuruvilla’s parents are from Kerala. His father, John Kuruvilla, an accountant, and mother, Saleena Kuruvilla, a pharmacist (both are retired)came to the US as students and had an arranged marriage.

Asked about his India connection, Chicago-born Brookfield Deputy Chief of Police Kuruvilla, 38, told indica News that he used to visit Kerala when he was a kid. The last trip he made to India was in 2013 with his family. Kuruvilla’s wife Sibil is a licensed social worker that manages a community mental health center and they have two children ages 10 and 3. In an interview with indica News, Kuruvilla shared how he was always fascinated by law enforcement, admitted it was an unusual career choice for his community, and said that his first job as police chief would be getting body cameras on. There are thirty-one police officers in his department and three non-sworn personal staff. Excerpts:

You started as a patrol officer and today you are going to be chief of police; is this a dream coming true?

I began my career as a patrol officer with the Brookfield Police Department in July 2006…. The short answer is YES, this is absolutely a dream come true, in that I am being given the opportunity and privilege to truly lead my police department at the helm of the organization for the years to come. I sincerely hope that my style of service and leadership will permeate throughout the department to spur others to serve similarly.

Did you always want to be a police officer?

I was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and moved to the northwest suburbs of Buffalo Grove during my childhood. Growing up, I was always fascinated with law enforcement, as I truly admired their role in providing service to the community and upholding law and order. Being of Indian-American origin with immigrant parents, law enforcement as a career possibility was not an option, mostly because it was an unknown professional arena for my family and I.

I was fortunate that by the time I was seriously considering pursuing law enforcement as a career option, a good friend that I had grown up with — also an Indian American, Malayalee — had already been hired by the Chicago Police Department, and he was a great source of support and guidance. By the time I actively pursued law enforcement as a career path, I had also completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work. My educational background has been an invaluable asset to my law enforcement career.

What would be the first job that you would like to work on as the police chief?

I have been leading in my current role of deputy chief and alongside my current chief of police. My hope in taking over his role is to continue the culture of professionalism, integrity, and honor in increasingly substantial ways. The implementation of body-worn cameras (BWCs) has been my project from day one. We are now crossing the finish line, so to speak, and I am incredibly proud of my police department and the Village of Brookfield in the ways that they have truly embraced and encouraged this evolution in policing so well.

This will be an enormous step of transparency that I believe will only highlight and exemplify the exceptionally high standards of professionalism that the men and women of my department have been demonstrating in our work all along. Also, we have a wonderfully established partnership with the community mental health center that has provided my department with crises services. We hope to continue that partnership into the future.

Was it hard earning the position you have reached today, do you think you had to work extra hard being a minority and brown? Are you the only Indian-American officer in your department?

I believe all police officers must have a special dedication and passion to do this type of work. It is not for the faint of heart, and the experiences and challenges that police officers must face often take a toll over the long run. The Brookfield Police Department has upheld a tradition of providing excellent public safety services all along. I have been very fortunate and blessed to rise through the ranks over the course of the last 15 years, and to be able to influence my organization and the greater community that we serve on every level.

I believe that my hard work and dedication has been exemplified on every level, but the work we do in law enforcement simply cannot be done solo or independently. I am the only Indian-American police officer in this department currently.

What are your thoughts when politicians on the progressive left say, “defund the police?”

My focus is in how to best or optimally utilize the funding that my department has currently been entrusted with, and to seek out ways to add funding and resources wherever possible. There are many needs in the community that a police department simply cannot solely fulfill or meet wholly, however, we need to work together collectively (all facets of the government and the community), to find ways to add funding, seek grants, etc, to provide the much-needed services (i.e. increased mental health options) to the members of the community that need them.

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