Category: Community

In Atlanta, a massive metroplex where little beyond the traffic report draws the attention of everyone, there is fear, frustration and anger about a white gunman’s decision to enter three Asian-owned spas and open fire. The alleged gunman is in custody, but the sense that the danger remains and that the public and even the law enforcement response to it has been less than robust is not hard to find. Instead, what Asian Americans living in the area described in the immediate aftermath of the murders is a sense that the growing anti-Asian hate crime around the country has not suddenly visited Atlanta but has become so violent and come so close as to be personal, and terrifying. There’s a sense among many that it’s hunting season, and they are the prey.

 “I don’t really know [them],” Shan tells me of the people working at the two Atlanta spas, Gold and Aromatherapy, that were attacked shortly after Young’s Asian Massage spa was targeted outside of the city. The Atlanta stores were owned and staffed by Koreans, Shan says matter-of-factly before what sounds like sadness sets in. “I feel sorry for their families. It’s just their American dream just gone, you know, just shot.”

I wasn’t sure if Shan was speaking metaphorically about destroyed dreams or actual gun shots. Then he mentions the state of U.S. gun control. A woman working as a massage therapist for Shan had already told him that a customer brought a loaded gun into one of the massage rooms not long ago. The woman had no idea the man was armed until the man decided to check the gun in his bag after his massage.

As Shan and I talk, customers arrive and customers go. Some stop at the front desk to pay before leaving. A Black woman in white clogs is meeting a friend and wants the sugar foot scrub. Another Black woman in a red sweater and black ballet slippers needs to pay and thanks Shan. She’s feeling so relaxed after her massage, her smile is almost detectable behind a black and white cloth mask. Later, a white man in jeans, a long sleeved-button down shirt and flip flops arrives for a massage appointment.

No one, not even the white woman who arrives later looking for security camera footage that may have captured an accident outside the store involving her teenage son, mentions the shootings. It’s as if this immaculately clean lobby with modern stuffed brown chairs and the faint scent of vanilla in the air is another world, separate from the one outside.

 Chicago IL: The partnership with the City of Naperville and The National India Hub, organized COVID-19 Vaccination camp at Mall of India on March 16, 2021 from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at 776 S, Illinois Route 59, Naperville, IL. The camp was administered by Prism Health Labs.

Harish Kolasani, the co-founder of National India Hub shared his excitement over the opening of the new location. He also announced the official launch of India Hub, a one-stop destination offering assistance on a variety of important matters to people of all the ethnicities.

Prism Health Labs has gained more and more accolades and has won another feather in its cap by bringing its mass vaccination mission to the City of Naperville. Mall of India leadership offered its prime location free of cost to help Prism achieve its goal.

The launch as well as the very first vaccination camp at this location Mall of India was graced by Congressman Bill Foster, Steve Chirico (Mayor of Naperville), Benny White (Naperville City Council), Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger with their presence. Also in attendance were Dr Samina Hijab, Dr. Imtiaz Arain MD; Dr. Vemuri Murthy, Seema Kapadia, Harish Kolasani Co-Founder of National India Hub, and Mall of India owners Vinoz Chanamolu Ajay Sunkara who is also Co-Founder of India Hub.

Congressman Bill Foster congratulated National India Hub and Prism Health Labs for the great initiative of organizing the vaccination camp. Mayor Steve Chirico praised the efforts of Dr. Mahbub Kapadia of Prism Health Labs and Mall of India owners and Omayra R Glachello IDPH Regional Health Officer for making this possible. Mayor Chirico said that he is looking forward to more and more camps like this and is very proud of the relationships and partnerships formed to make this camp possible. All the dignitaries, during their visit of the site, assured of their support and commitment to continuing these camps as more vaccinations became available. Ajay Sunkara, the Vice President of Mall of India along with his partner Vinoz Chanamolu thanked the City of Naperville for making the approval process for the vaccination camp at the Mall smooth and fast.

Dr Kapadia and his wife Seema Kapadia thanked each and every member of the team including India Hub and Mall of India teams who made the vaccination camp a huge success. Dr Kapadia mentioned how his wife Seema Kapadia and his sons have been a driving force behind all these campaigns to ensure smooth execution. Mrs Seema Kapadia is present at all the vaccination camps from the beginning till the end to ensure a safe, timely and equitable administration of the vaccine.

Dr. Benny White took great pride in being able to be present at the first vaccination camp in the great city of Naperville hoping it to be trendsetter and spearheading the upcoming camps. Dr Vemuri Murthy could not contain his happiness speaking at the vital center for the vaccination camp and appreciated the efforts of all the camp organizers for focusing their energy and sacrificing their time in order to make these initiatives successful.

Harish Kolasani extended his thanks to the Mall of India owners Vinoz Chanamolu and Ajay Sunkara for being instrumental in their support of this vaccination site by providing large space in the mall voluntarily and the mall manager Pramod Chintamaneni who helped with required arrangements. He also thanked the volunteers Laura Gaskill, Melissa Rehn, Kelly Pilleux, Sherry Podgorsky, Manisha Gore, Kim Wigge and Katie for their selfless service. The intensive care physician Dr. Imtiaz Arain and Dr Sameena thanked each and every one involved in the planning and execution of the entire camp. They also acknowledged the efforts and support of Dr Tariq Butt, President Chicago Medical Society.

Omayra R Glachello from Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] again proved her mettle by immaculately organizing the camp. The team also included members administering the vaccine Hemi Patel, Vaishali Shah,  and Syethia Gould. Prism Health Labs Staff included Mehbub S. Kapadia MD Prism Health Lab Executive Officer; Seema Kapadia (Wife), Spencer Howland, Spruha Shah, Harshad Patel, Amera, Aarefa. Volunteers at Registration Desk were Mohammad, Shevvy Podgorsky, Melissa Rehn and Kelly Pilleux

Harish Kolasani also appreciated the efforts of Asian Media and its  founder in creating awareness of the mass vaccination camps and locations so that everyone looking for an appointment for the vaccine is able to avail the opportunities provided by Prism Health labs through its multiple convenient and accessible locations.  Asian Media has been relentlessly covering the mass vaccination campaign run by Prism Lab with the sole purpose of community service and will continue to do this.

The National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens stands in solidarity with the AAPI Community.

 The National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens Inc. (NIAASC), has come out to express that they are extremely saddened by the massacre of eight innocent people, including six Asian women.

This violence comes at a time when racist attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)both verbal and physical are happening more and more often across the country, making these deaths even more painful.

Whilst condemning the abhorrent attack by the perpetrator, the Chairman Rajeshwar Prasad of NIAASC warned that hate crime committed against one community is a crime committed against every community and we must all join hands and prevent this from recurring.  President Gunjan Rastogi stated that hate crime has no place in civil society and both the Government administration and the private sector must make a joint effort to stamp out this systemic discrimination.

Our sympathies go to the families and friends of those who senselessly lost their lives in this racially charged attack. Unfortunately, racism still exists today, and it is a reminder to us all to stay vigilant. We hope this will be another eye-opener to the appropriate authorities to take immediate action so that such a tragedy never happens again.

(From Gunjan P. Rastogi, President – NIAASC)

(New York, NY: March 19, 2021) Dismissing concerns expressed and shared on various media platforms of the recent changes to OCI Card Holders made by the government of India, Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Consul General of India assured an Indian community representative meeting called by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) on March 11th, 2021 that there is no major changes that have been announced during the most recent proclamation by the government of India.

Ambassador Jaiswal was addressing an interactive session organized by Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) International, which was attended by all GOPIO chapter and representatives in the North East of the USA, on Thursday, March 11^th evening. Ambassador Jaiswal was joined by Deputy Consul General Shatrugna Sinha and other top ranking officials from the Consulate in New York and responded to several concerns expressed by the Indian American community leaders.

GOPIO was represented by its chapters of New York, Manhattan, Central New York, Central Jersey, Connecticut, South Jersey and Cleveland. The Indian community groups represented at the interactive meeting included the national Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), Federation of Indian Associations of Columbus (Ohio), India Association of Greater Boston, Indian Diamond and Color Stone Association, Indian American Forum for Political Education, South Asian Council for Social Services, Saheli of Boston, Gurpur of Boston, Federation of Malayalee Associations of America (FOMA), Society of Indian American Engineers and Architects, National Indian American Association for Senior Citizens and Education Initiative in India.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of GOPIO International shared with the audience about the numerous initiatives undertaken by GOPIO in collaboration with the Indian Embassy and Consulates around the nation. Dr. Abraham referred to the emerging US-India Relations and the Role of Indian American community; concerns regarding the consular services, particularly with focus on consular services, traveling to India during Covid times and about the new notifications on OCIs.

Sudha Acharya, Executive Director of South Asian Council for social Services, shared with the Indian officials as to how the pandemic has had a huge toll, particularly on the South Asian community in the New York region, which consists of nearly half of the population that belongs to the South Asian community. Pointing to the works by her organization, as many are ill and many lost health coverage, Acharya said, she and her organization is making all that is possible to deliver groceries to seniors and serving them hot meals.

Neelam Wali at SAHELI urged the community and the Indian officials that they “Need help with legal issues. Financial help, especially when mothers are sent back home and children stranded here.”

Patsy Leopold, representing the Guayana community in the US, said, “We have immigrated from India to Guyana. Now, we have 300,000 of us in the New York region,” and need support and help to support the community in these days of Covid.

Shivender Sofat, President of GOPIO Manhattan pointed to the many issues experienced by NRIs that get being addressed by CG’s office. “We have been working collaboratively on several areas of concerns with the Consulate,” he said. Referring the upcoming Saheed Divas, planned for March 23rd, he said, the newest GOPIO Chapter is planning monthly interactive sessions with CG and community leaders. He is committed to focus on Indian origin students in the NY region and addressing their needs and concerns. Lal Motwani, International Coordinator of GOPIO, invited all participants to attend the Holi celebration by artists from around the world on March 28^th. The celebration, co-sponsored by the Indian Consulate, is being organized as an international event.

In his response, Ambassador Jaiswal focused on several issues faced by the Indian America community. On the Indo—US Relationship, the diplomat said, “We have bipartisan support in the Congress. Our relationship continues to flourish and prosper, when either Party in the US is in power.” He referred to Fiver Areas of collaboration and cooperation between the two democracies: 1. Healthcare partnership; 2. Digital strategy; 3. Education and knowledge sharing; 4. Renewal of climate sustainability; and 5. Defense collaboration.

Ambassador Jaiswal declared that “We have vaccinated 27 million people in India, as India vaccinates more than 2 million people daily. India has supplied vaccines to 69 nations, delivering 58 million doses to the nations around the world.

For OCI cardholders, entry fees to be charged for visiting national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, national monuments, historical sites and museums in India and tariffs in airfares in domestic sectors in the country shall be at par with the Indian nationals, the Ministry ordered.

OCI cardholders will also have parity with Non-Resident Indians in the matter of inter-country adoption of Indian children subject to the compliance of the procedure as laid
down by the competent authority for such adoption.

Other such matters where OCI cardholders will have parity with Non-Resident Indians include appearing for the all India entrance tests such as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (Mains), JEE (Advanced) or such other tests to make them eligible for admission only against any Non-Resident Indian seat or any supernumerary seat; and purchase or sale of immovable properties other than agricultural land or farm house or plantation property.

The ministry further said that the OCI cardholders can pursue the professions in India as per the provisions contained in the applicable relevant statutes or Acts as the case maybe, which includes doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists, advocates, architects, chartered accountants.

India has specified that an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder shall require a special permit for various activities which includes missionary, journalistic activities or to visit any place which falls within the Protected or Restricted or prohibited areas as notified by the Central Government.

On Consular services, the Indian envoy said, as of now, the business visas and the employment visas by India have been restored. However, at this time, Tourist visa stands suspended. Stating that Emergency Visas are being issued, he cautioned that there are some changes being made to the program. “Pre-approval has been done away with,” he said. “Apply for Emergency visa with the documents sent in by mail. For death related reasons, we want you to come straight to the Consulate and will be addressed with the shortest duration with efficient ways emergency visas issued.” He expressed confidence that with covid pandemic declining, travel or tourism visas are expected to be made available soon.

On the much discussed OCIs, Ambassador Jaiswal insisted that “None of the elements in the proclamation is new. All past notifications are put together.” The only new phenomenon is that buying and selling of farmhouses have been added to the list because of its misuse, he pointed out.

On the most contentious issue of the government of India describing OCIs as “foreign nationals” Ambassador Jaiswal said, “You will be treated as NRIs. The new laws do not change your status. If there is any particular concern, please contact us and we will address your concerns.”

Dr. Abraham pointed out that many OCI businesspeople who have established successful business India are concerned about the GOI notification of OCI card holders as foreign nationals. He referred to the new directives for OCIs, asking companies doing technology and other research needing special permission from the government, which is the process, their ideas will get divulged to their competitors.

“I have received several telephone calls and e-mail communications from large number of businessmen that many government agencies are already requiring them to follow the rules as a foreign national, which never happened before. This will have a large adverse effect on investments from OCIs and those who have taken foreign citizenship,” Dr. Abraham added

Ambassador also assured the community that when the pandemic subsides, the Consulate will organize Visa Camps, allowing people to obtain visas from their hometowns.

Deputy Consul General Sinha, while praising the Indian American community said, “The Indian Diaspora is the strongest pillar of India’s outreach to the world. OCIs are in par with Indian citizens. Rules remain the same and not much has changed. Don’t go by the media, and many voce concerns due to misconceived notions.” On the question of visa issues, he assured that “The process has been streamlined with new guidelines. While the Tourist visa is under suspension, Emergency visas are being issued.”

To another question, the Ambassador Jaiswal said, “Rules for foreign nationals will apply to all naturalized citizens in the US.” He reiterated the govern position that RBI permission is needed to buy and sell properties in India. On dual citizenship, he said, “OCI card stays as a connection. No further plan at this time regarding dual citizenship for people of Indian origin.”

“GOPIO and other Indian Community organizations have common interest of achieving better US-India Relations,” Dr. Thomas Abraham said. “GOPIO has had interactive sessions with Indian Consulate and Embassy officials in the past and have discussed contemporary issues which are of concern to Indian American community and the Indian Diaspora at large. GOPIO International and its chapters in the Northeast in cooperation with other community organizations are grateful to Consul General Jaiswal and other Consuls for meeting with the Indian American community leaders today to discuss some of the issues of n interest to the Indian Diaspora community.”

“GOPIO will continue to keep this dialogue with Indian missions around the world,” Dr. Abraham added.

On final note on the new OCI Card notification, Dr. Abraham sad that he had received hundreds of responses from OCI Card holders and those who have taken citizenship in other countries about the hazzle of buying and selling their properties in India.

“India has gained from NRIs and PIOs and therefore Govt, of India must remove that confusion of OCI card holders being termed as foreign nationals and that all those who moved out of India for employment and settled in foreign countries and taken citizenship in other countries must be treated at par with NRIs,” Dr. Abraham concluded.

GOPIO is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, secular organization with Individual Life Members and over 100 chapters in 35 countries. GOPIO’s volunteers are committed to enhancing cooperation and communication between NRIs/PIOs and the local communities, building networks, bonds, friendships, alliances, and the camaraderie of citizens and colleagues alike.  GOPIO volunteers believe that when they help network the global Indian community, they facilitate making tomorrow a better world for the Indian Diaspora and the countries they live in.

The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center (http://keralacenterny.com) recognized and honored close to hundred healthcare workers and police officers from Queens and Long Island and surrounding areas at virtual Zoom meeting for their praiseworthy service during the pandemic and conducted a seminar and interactive session on Covid 19 attended by experts in various fields of health.

The program began on Sunday, February 21, 2021 with the introduction of the MC for the program, Jose Stephen, by the Executive Director of the Kerala Center, Thambi Thalappillil.  Kerala Center Youth Secretary Jaimy Abraham sang the prayer song.  Kerala Center President Alex K. Esthappan delivered the welcome speech.

The chief guest was Consul A.K. Vijayakrishnan, Consul for Community Affairs from the Indian Consulate who praised the Indian healthcare workers for their devotion and commitment to fight Covid-19.  New York State Senator Kevin Thomas noted the outstanding service performed by Malayalee healthcare workers during the pandemic and that many had to work very hard along with the risk of infecting family members. Senator Thomas announced that a state proclamation congratulating the Kerala Center for its great work will be issued.

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, FOMAA President Aniyan George, Loka Kerala Sabha Member E. M.  Stephen, FOKANA President Georgy Varghese, NYPD Captain Shibu Madhu, American Malayalee Law Enforcement United (AMLEU) President Thomas Joy, Dr. Agnes Therady (Franciscan Health SVP & CNO), Jose Kadapuram (Director of Kairali TV in the USA), Prof. Suja Mohan (Director of Nursing, HHC Queens) and Mary Philip (New York Nurses Association) spoke as special guests. Many people have commented that this meeting, which honored healthcare workers personally, was a special one.

The recognition ceremony was followed by seminar and panel discussion related to Covid 19 and related health issues as the second part of the Zoom meeting, Dr. Robin Koshy (infectious disease), Dr. Rajan Krishnamani (Cardiology), Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran (Nephrology), Dr. Sanjaya Satapathy (Hepatology), Dr. Rajiv Jayadevan (Kerala), Dr. P. V.  Cherian (Bahrain) and Dr. Agnes Therady (Hospital Administrator) spoke regarding issues in their field of expertise. They answered questions from the audience during the Q&A session. The seminar was put together by Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran of Northwell Health, who also served as the moderator of the seminar and ineractive session.

Kerala Centre Directors Abraham Thomas, P. T. Paulose, James Thottam, Raju Thomas and Matthew Vazhappally worked behind the scene to coordinate the program and Secretary Jimmy John proposed a vote of thanks at the conclusion of the meeting.

The Kerala Center was founded in 1993 when an old YMCA building in Elmont was bought by the group. It is a secular, civic, cultural and educational institution promoting Malayalam language and literature and serves the Kerala and Indian community. The center offers Yoga classes currently through Zoom. Every year it organizes its Annual Awards, where outstanding achievers and contributors to society are honored.

Ajoy Dube from Bellflower, CA was installed as the nationally elected President of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA).

A virtual Swearing-in and installation Ceremony for all the nationally elected Officers was held at the 1st General Body Board for the new term of NFIA.

National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), the largest non-profit umbrella organization of Indian associations, was established in 1980 and aims to unify the diverse Indian American community by coordinating and promoting the activities of its member associations.

The Virtual oath swearing-in ceremony and Elections were officiated by the Founder President from 1980 to ’88 Dr. Thomas Abraham. Dr. Abraham declared the results of the New Team. Since the founding of the organization Dr. Thomas made it a point to guide each upcoming leader to work vehemently towards the upliftment of the organization. He has been personally attended each convention and worked one-on-one with Conveners which has exalted the success of the organization.

The Nomination Committee consisted of Past NFIA President Sohan Joshi, Hari Har Singh (E.D) and Kewal Kanda,

Bellflower, California – National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) conducted its bi-annual election between Dec 26 – 27, 2020 on a nationwide electronic voting among eligible members of NFIA and the result was declared on Dec 28, 2020 by the Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Thomas Abraham and Past President Ashok Madan. Online voting had to be done only for the election of seven Directors-at-Large and the Vice Presidents for Pacific North and Pacific South. All other officials were elected uncontested.

“Ninety six General Body members had the opportunity to vote. Of these, 77 participated in the voting process”, said Dr. Thomas Abraham Chair of the Election Committee.

For the positions of Director-At-Large there were 15 candidates for the 7 positions and 7 positions were filled in by voting from 77 member participants.

Mr. Ajoy Kumar Dube who was elected president of the National Federation of Indian Associations is a veteran  community involvement, both in the metropolitan Los Angeles and in California and has been working in the community for several decades in leadership positions. A retired Boeing Engineer by profession, Mr. Ajoy Dube is bringing into the current Executive Committee lot of enthusiastic team members who have contributed to their local communities and to NFIA for last several years.

Executive Committee Members including Lavanya Reddy (Executive Vice President), Dr. Satish Mishra (Vice President), Ashok (Pat) Patnaik (Vice President), Raj Razdan (Vice President0, Dr. Makam Subbarao (Secretary), Dr. Om Sharma (Joint Secretary) , Pooja Thomre (Treasurer) are all veteran members of NFIA and are bringing in their experience besides their long term service association with NFIA.

While Director-At-Large like Aparna Hande, Dr. Lalita Kaul, Minhaj Akhtar are re-elected and are bringing in their long term service association experience with NFIA. There are 2 Director-At-Large who are elected for the first time at NFIA. A Medical Informatician and Researcher Dr. Sukrit Mukherjee has served NFIA before as an appointed member, helping the organization with technological support needed during the difficult time of  Covid era and wants to take NFIA to greater community service by creating an ingenious technological platform. Mr. Vamshi Reddy is a first time elected Director-at-Large and wants to help the organization. Veteran community leaders Mr. Subash Razdan and Mr. Sudip Gorakshakar were also elected as the new Director-at-Large.

There are many new faces in Regional Vice Presidents of NFIA. Mrs. Prashanthi Harathi and Mrs. Kamini Khare were elected as the RVP of Pacific North and Pacific South Regions respectively. Satish Gabhawala, Gunjan R. Rastogi and Aruna Patel won their respective RVP titles of Central (Illinois), New York (NY) and South East (GA) unopposed. Mr. Kamlesh Munshi and Mr. Gope Gidwani kept their RVP positions for Capital (DC) and New England respectively uncontested.

The Oath Ceremony of the newly elected Executive Committee members was conducted on Dec 30, 2020 via Virtual Video Conference using Zoom by Dr. Thomas Abraham, the founder and past president of NFIA. All the elected officials were sworn in.

On Dec 30, 2020 after the Oath Ceremony, a motion was passed to appoint Dr. Hari Har Singh as the NFIA Executive Director Admin and the motion was carried passed without any objection. There were 2 candidates for the Chairman position for the NFIA Foundation and an electronic voting was conducted during the Dec 30, 2020 virtual meeting to select the Chairperson for the NFIA Foundation by Dr. Thomas Abraham. Mr. Babu K. Patel was elected winner as the new Chairperson for the NFIA Foundation.

The administrative positions were elected by the New Board. Chairman of NFIA Foundation Mr. Babu Patel, Executive Director Admin: Dr. Hari Har Singh and Women’s Conference Chair Dr. Manorama Gupta.

India Association of Sacramento (IAS), a 15+ year old Indian American community organization in Sacramento, CA from USA, hosted the annual Virtual Indian Republic Day celebrations, their flagship event for 2021, on Tuesday January 26th, at 7PM which was streamed live on Facebook and YouTube simultaneously. As per IAS President Bhasker Vempati, it was a well-received event viewed by thousands of people including Sacramento, California and all over the world.

In previous years, IAS and rest of the community members joined the Consulate General of India, San Francisco staff at Capitol Building to celebrate the Day. Assembly member Bauer-Kahan Honored India Republic Day at the Capitol Building in 2019 while Assembly member Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) passed a resolution on the Assembly floor in 2018 to honor India’s Republic Day.

“This year keeping in mind the pandemic of COVID-19 and it’s subsequent social distancing rules we have had to modify our celebration of this important day for all Indian Americans. We came up with very unique and creative ways with multiple initiatives in a 90 minutes long Indian Republic Day Celebration to commemorate this momentous day in a safe way following the ‘new norm’. One of our efforts is educating our youth regarding the importance of this important day in the Indian history”, said Vandana Sharma, IAS Vice President.

India gained its independence from the British on August 15th, 1947, after almost two hundred years of British rule. The British East India Company came to India in the 17th century to trade with a rich and prosperous India, created an Empire that lasted for two centuries, and then left an exploited and impoverished nation. Republic Day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic.

The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country’s transition towards becoming an independent republic. 26 January was chosen as the date for Republic day because it was on this day in 1929 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress, according to Ranju Verma, IAS official. Ranju Verma also thanked Shivesh Sinha, Darshna Amin, Madhuri Natu, Romesh Trivedi and other volunteers for their support in coming up with a great sequence of programs.

Program started with wonderful singing of the National Anthems of the USA and India. In the beginning of the program, former IAS president Shivesh Sinha introduced the new IAS executive board -Bhaskar Vempati, Vandna Sharma, Amitab Shaik, Ranju Verma and Gobi Ramaswamy.

IAS newly elected President, Bhaskar Vempati sincerely thanked the previous IAS leaders & volunteers in setting up a great platform for IAS activities and assured that the new board will continue the rhythm and service the needs of the greater Sacramento Indian American Community. The next performance in the program was brought to the audience by Urshita Panda, who sang a lovely song which successfully instilled feelings of nationalism and pride within viewers. Vande mataram sung gorgeously by the IAS Team.

Local Indian American teen, Amogh Itagi presented the Instrumental Presentation of the National Anthem of India. He played Janaganamana with multiple instruments – the tabla, harmonium, recorder, trumpet, and mandolin. Arya Girls Team performed an eye-catching Ganesha prayer dance performance to start the program off with a high-spirited note. Over two dozen dazzling variety Indian cultural programs including patriotic songs have mesmerized the audience. Cultural performances brought enthusiastic applause from the attendees.

Ambassador and Dr. Nagendra Prasad – Consulate General of India, San Francisco attended this online event, congratulated all on the occasion of Republic Day. He praised Dr. BR Ambedkar, architect of Indian Constitution. He said he is looking forward to visiting Sacramento and the vibrant Indian Community in Northern California, an area full of innovators and Entrepreneurs from Indian origin. He praised IAS for coordinating this event in spite of COVID 19 crisis. He complimented IAS for doing charity activities for the last 15 years. He said CGI – SFO working hard during COVID for success of Vande Bharat Mission for needy people travelling to India. He assured SFO Indian Consulate continues to provide services and assured of best services in future.

The recently elected members Yedukondalu Chalamcharla (YK) Folsom City Council, Sirisha Pulipati from Rancho Cordova City Council and Bobby Singh-Allen, Elk Grove Mayor delivered heartfelt messages about their feelings towards India’s Republic Day. They spoke about the significant ideals the Indian constitution includes and their importance. IAS Board of Trustees, Shivesh Sinha, Bhavin Parikh, Satish Nagaraj, Ajit Natu, Vinod Balakrishna and the other leaders including Dr Venu Kondle, Jaya Badiga, Hari Setty, Sumiti Mehta and representatives from several other IAS supporting organizations have delivered congratulations and wished the audience on the occasion of Republic Day. Several young kids and adults including Atharva Maddy, Dhyeya Mallesara, Arushi, Dhriti Saravanakumar, Pammi Badoni, Amelia Sharma portrayed regional Indian leaders or cultural characters and greeted the community in regional languages.

Established in 2005, IAS is one of the leading Indian American community organizations in Sacramento. It is a non-profit organization serving the Indian American communities in the Greater Sacramento region. IAS strives to foster a strong Indian- American social, cultural and community presence in Greater Sacramento. IAS has been organizing India Day annually, which showcases India’s cultural heritage and history. Since its inception, IAS has raised over $175,000 funds and supported over 25 for non-profits in and out of the U.S. In 2020 alone, IAS raised $15,000 and assisted needy people living in the greater Sacramento with face masks, meals, groceries, medical and school supplies, said Bhavin Parikh from IAS. Through this republic day event, IAS is supporting a non-profit, Jnana Sindhu Residential School, a school for visually blind students.

Gobi Ramasway, and Amitab Shaik from IAS executive board thanked everyone for having a fabulous 2021 year and encouraged all to visit IAS website http://www.iassac.org/  for more information on IAS events/activities for the upcoming year.

It was the day of Diwali 2020 when Abhilasha Rathi made up her mind to helm the Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America (MMNA) for the next four years. She was pleasantly surprised when her name was proposed but mulled over it for a few days. While her husband Bharat and father-in-law Prabhulal Rathi were supportive and left the decision to her, it was her mother in law Draupadi Rathi and daughters Suhani and Shriya, who, she says, encouraged her to take up the challenge. A member of the New England chapter in Boston, this acceptance makes Abhilasha the second woman president in  MMNA history after Dr. Seema Rathi.

The Maheshwari community, whose origins are steeped in fascinating folklore, hail from Rajasthan. The organization was created in 1983 to preserve the community’s culture and traditions and to connect the Maheshwari community living in the US and Canada. Today, it boasts of 4000 plus members with ten Chapters spread across North America. One of the biggest industrialist families of India, the Birlas, belong to this community.

Born in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, Abhilasha was raised in Hyderabad, Telangana. After completing her graduation in Commerce, she married Bharat, a software professional, and moved to Boston in 1991. Determined to carve out a career, she enrolled for various courses but eventually gravitated towards Client Server

Programming. She is currently the Software Quality Engineering Manager at CVS Health where she oversees QA processes to ensure that the software meets technical, functional, and business requirements.

A significant portion of Abhilasha’s work involves leading teams and calls for “collaboration and management skills”, qualities she needs in spades in her new position. Rather than “managing,”  she prefers to use the term “serving” the team and enabling their success because when “your team is successful, you’re successful.” One of her favorite quotes by Henry Ford sums up her style of working:  “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.”

Aside from her own inclination, Abhilasha traces her community service mindset, in part, to her parents Vijay Kumar and Urmila Taori. She recalls the constant stream of people who would drop in to discuss community matters with her father. In hindsight, she appreciates her mother’s unstinting support for her father’s passion for community work. In a fortunate coincidence, she found a similar sense of social commitment in her husband’s family. These firsthand lessons would be invaluable in forging her own path for community work.

As a teenager, she was actively engaged with the Maheshwari Samaj, Rajasthani Graduates Association and other organizations. After joining MMNA, she served in different roles but repeatedly emphasizes that a position or designation has never been important for her – making a difference is reward in itself.

Underlining the benefits of working in the community, she cites the instance of the 2016 International Maheshwari Rajasthani Convention. Although the New England Chapter signed up to be hosts of the convention, the logistics were daunting given that the number of volunteers were limited. As co-convenor, she encouraged members to enroll in the planning and execution and after an 18 month planning period, what crystallized, apart from a successful convention, was an extremely close knit group that is bonded to this day. Abhilasha was also at the frontlines of the 2020 virtual MMNA Utsav.

As general secretary for the past four years, Abhilasha worked with President Vikas Bhutada in setting up and maintaining various communication channels so Chapter leaders could collaborate with each other easily. She used her tech expertise to spearhead systematic procedures that helped everyone be on the same page and actively worked with the digital team. These experiences have helped her develop a personal rapport with members of the different chapters that will serve her well in the coming years.

Abhilasha is also involved in causes like the Walk for Hunger where she walked 20 miles, not once but several times, to raise funds for the program and the annual Cancer Walk to support friends who are cancer survivors. During COVID-19, she along with MMNA members, supported the cause of food donations to shelters. She has three key takeaways from all these years of volunteering: Be adaptable, persistent and celebrate small wins.

Her list of goals for her term as president include greater engagement with seniors, more participation by the Rajasthani Abroad Youth Samaj (RAYS)), celebrating festivals like Teej and Gangaur, strengthening current initiatives such as interest free loans to deserving students, matrimonial alliances, providing guidance to entrepreneurs, the women’s wing (Sakhi) and philanthropic efforts like food drives and walks to support causes. The new president also plans to roll out a Professional Networking Group to connect the youth of the community.

With so much on her plate, Abhilasha keeps herself fit with walking, yoga, and Zumba. Her soul is nourished by the Bhagwad Gita and she likes to unwind by donning the chef’s hat and bringing “creativity to her cooking.” Hawaii remains an all-time favorite holiday destination.

SwarTaal Musicals and GOPIO-Manhattan chapter organized a Valentines Day Musical Evening to raise funds for the chapter’s new initiative ‘Community Feeding’ in New York City. The fundraiser was initiated by singer Pallavi Verma Belwariar of SwarTaal Musicals who is also Founding Life Member of GOPIO-Manhattan with active coordination by Dr. Jaya Daptardar, Vice President of GOPIO-CT. The Manhattan chapter’s new initiative sponsors the Interfaith Services providing food to homeless and the needy on every last Monday of the month at the Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan. The chapter started supporting this program since December 2020.

Singer Belwariar was joined by singers Kedar Godbole, Leena Damle and Kashyap Jani. Dr. Daptadar compered the program and served as the MC. The evening program was filled with love and romantic songs of the yester years of Bollywood music.

New York based India’s Deputy Consul General Shatrugna Sinha was the chief guest who complimented GOPIO for its new initiative. Consul for Community Affairs A.K. Vijayaraghavan was also present at the event.

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham said that the GOPIO-Manhattan chapter has done exemplary work since it was launched in September 2020. He spoke on the new initiative and then introduced the chief guest. GOPIO-Manhattan Executive Vice President Rajasekhar Vangapati spoke about chapter activities and requested everyone to become member of the chapter while President Shivender Sofat thanked all singers for supporting the new initiative.

Chicago IL: Mahatma Gandhiji 73rd death anniversary was observed by singing of Gandhiji’s favorite hymns, Release of a book, Swearing in of New Gandhi Memorial Board , Powerful Tributes by Community Leaders and  Floral tributes to the Mahatma Gandhi Statue in the National Heritage Park on McCormick Boulevard in Skokie, Illinois.

The homage ceremonies opened with garlanding of Gandhi’s Statute followed by singing of the American national Anthem followed by the Indian national Anthem sung by Mrs Bharti Desai, renowned Gujarati singer. Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman of Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Chicago welcomed the guests and announced the new officers of the Board of Directors: Chandrakant Modi MD, Founder, Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman, Dr. Mrs. Santosh Kumar, President, Dr. Sriram Sonty & Dr. Vijay G Prabhakar Vice Presidents and Mrs. Bharti Desai, Treasurer. Chairman Suresh Bodiwala applauded the Founder of the Gandhi Memorial, Chandrakant Modi MD who personally donated over $150,000 dollars in 2005 to facilitate this Gandhi Statue in Skokie. Chairman Suresh Bodiwala hoped that the new Board will expand the organization’s activities to be more global in outlook and involve all other communities in cherishing Gandhi’s vision.

India’s Consul General at Chicago Amit Kumar administered the Oath of Office to the new Board of Directors of Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Chicago headed by Dr. Mrs. Santosh Kumar.

Dr. Mrs. Santosh Kumar in her presidential remarks said, “I am honored to be part of this noble institution, the Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Chicago. With all humility, I accept this great responsibility as your President. Mahatma Gandhi inspired me as a teenager to choose Law as my career rather than being a physician for what I studied for. GandhiJi ‘s freedom struggle and the injustice done to our motherland emboldened me to become an Attorney to fight for the oppressed. Gandhiji’s words: “Be the Change” is the words of reckoning that still guide me every step of the way and are relevant even today in this digital age.

Consul General Amit Kumar and his wife Mrs. Surabhi Kumar are very God Fearing and Simple people called to serve with a smile. We look forward to seeking his guidance as our new Board builds on the legacies of our past presidents and boards in realizing GandhiJi vision in our daily lives. I am fortunate to have three very creative, energetic and dedicated leaders: Dr. Sriram Sonty, Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, Mrs. Bharathi Desai to join me on the new Board with our Chairman Bodiwala. Today we seek Mahatma Gandhi blessings in all our endeavors as we strive to incorporate Gandhiji ideals into our everyday lives by embarking on life transforming projects that can make a difference in our lives and in the lives of our communities., She added”.

Dr. Vijay G. Prabhakar, the Master of Ceremonies introduced India’s Consul General Amit Kumar and his wife, Mrs. Surabhi Kumar as an action couple who has endeared themselves to the community. Dr. Prabhakar recalled the key assignments held by Consul General Amit Kumar which included Deputy Chief of Mission at Washington D.C., Chief of Human Resources Management at Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi, Deputy Chief of Mission at Tokyo, who also had previously served in PMI, UN, New York, Beijing, China, Berlin, Germany, and Ankara, Turkey. Career Diplomat Amit Kumar is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, India and had worked with the Spiritual Guru Dalai Lama, when he as Director of Protocol, External Affairs Ministry, Delhi. Dr. Prabhakar commended the work of the Consul General Amit Kumar along with his Consuls P.K. Misra, Ranjith Singh and L.P. Gupta during this pandemic time for their effective response to the Midwest Community needs.

Speaking on the occasion, Consul General Amit Kumar traced the different significant initiatives of Gandhiji during India’s freedom struggle and extolled Gandhiji’s services to the Nation. Consul General Amit Kumar congratulated the new board of the Gandhi Memorial Foundation and was pleased to note that Mrs. Santosh Kumar and Dr. Vijay Prabhakar was involved in several Gandhi initiatives in Delhi and Chicago. He also commended Dr. Sriram Sonty’s efforts for a U.S. Gandhi Stamp. Consul General Amit Kumar exhorted the Indian diaspora to translate Gandhi’s vision into action by undertaking meaningful and purposeful projects here in Chicago. Consul General Amit Kumar honored Dr. C.M. Modi and his wife Mrs. Dina Modi with a silk shawl. Mrs. Surabhi Kumar presented the MAFS Gandhi Global Icon Medallion to Dr. C.M. Modi, Founder Gandhi Memorial, Chicago for all his efforts in nurturing the Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Chicago.

Consul General Amit Kumar released a Book: “Lasting Legacy of Gandhiji -Ma Santosh Kumar” and Dr. Sriram Sonty received the first Copy of the book. Dr. Sriram Sonty said that 7 June, 1893, the day young Gandhi was thrown out of the Durban to Pretoria train at the Pietermaritzburg Railway station was the turning point in Gandhi’s life. From that date, Gandhi took up the fight against racial oppression and Gandhiji’s    nonviolence movement was born, he added. Dr. Sonty said that when he personally visited that Railway station in 1983, it led him to become a staunch Gandhi follower.

Ms. Nisha Modi daughter of the Gandhi Memorial Founder Dr. C.M. Modi acknowledged the honor bestowed on her parents at the event. Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, President, American Association of Multi Ethnic Physicians, Chicago read the message U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi sent for the occasion. U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in his message reminded us of a Gandhi quote,” It is not just words. Action expresses priorities.” That defined Gandhi’s own life, as well as your work to honor him and his legacy. Americans for generations to come can learn from Gandhi’s example as we strive to create a more perfect Union. A Union that shuns violence and promotes civil rights, equality and liberty for all its people, Congressman Krishnamoorthi added.

Community leaders Sohan Joshi, Trustee FIA-Chicago, Dr. Suresh Reddy, AAPI Past President, Chandini Divvuri, Chairperson, Nari Global Foundation, Palatine, and Smitesh Shah, UMAS Coordinator, Chicago paid glowing tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion. Gandhi’s favorite songs were sung by the MAFS Senior Chorale Group led by Anthony Rathor, Urvashi Bhatt, Himali Bharucha, Promila Mehta and Pankaj Patel while floral tributes were placed at the Gandhi Statue.

Ms. Bharti Desai, Treasurer of Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Chicago proposing a vote of thanks appreciated the presence of all the guests who attended this event despite the chilling cold weather. Ms. Desai said ”  We the people are eternally indebted to Dr C.M. Modi and his family for a generous gesture that is remembered in posterity. The presence of our Honorable Consul General Amit Kumar with us on this cold morning is a testament of Government of India’s support for propagating Gandhi’s ideals throughout the world. Sir Amit Kumar Ji, Thank you for being with us and we look forward to your continued support to our new board with all the exciting plans ahead.  Your presence here is a great source of inspiration to our new board and we count on your continued support.”

The Gandhian Society (USA) along with Indian Consulate in New York held a prayer meeting to observe the 73rd martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Consulate in New York on January 30th, 2021. The event was attended (virtually) by members from the family of Mahatma Gandhi – Arun Gandhi (Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi), Ela Gandhi (Grand Daughter of Mahatma Gandhi and former member of Parliament from South Africa, and Tushar Gandhi (Great Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi). The event was supported and attended by Indian Consul General Randhir Jaiswal, Deputy Consul General Shatrughan Sinha, US Law makers – Cory Booker, Eric Adams (Brooklyn Borough President), Upendra Chivukula and many other community leaders who paid tributes and homage to the great legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. UN representatives Perks Ligoya (Malawi) and Rodrigo Carazo (Costa Rica) also addressed the event virtually and paid homage to the Greatest Human Being that walked the earth – Mahatma Gandhi. Indian American Community Leaders like Padmashri H R Shah, Mukund Thakar, Deepak Shah, Rajeev Pandya, and many others also paid homage to the Father of Nation in India – Mahatma Gandhi. The highlight of the event was the participation of our youth volunteers who talked about what the Mahatma and his teachings meant to them and how it has inspired them. The other highlight of the event was the melodious bhajans rendered by renowned classical singer Varsha Joshi. The event concluded by a simple lunch.

Gandhian Society (USA) was founded by Mr. Bhadra Butala who plans to spread the message of Mahatma Gandhi in the USA with his team of volunteers and supporters. Team members of Gandhian Society Rajendar Dichpally, Mahesh Wani, Dr. Deepak Naran, Gunjan Desai, Hasmukh Patel and Shiva Kumar plan to work diligently to take the message of the Mahatma to the masses in the USA via partnering with educational institutions and like minded organizations. We also plan to setup an emporium that will offer literature, Gandhian memorabilia, Khadi and Handicraft products. Additionally, we plan to engage in multiple humanitarian projects both for needy communities in the USA as well as India. 

Demonstrators showing solidarity with protesting farmers in India rallied Jan. 26 outside the Indian consulate in New York, some honking their car horns while others stood in the snowy weather, yelling slogans and waving flags.

The crowd gathered on Manhattan’s east side on India’s Republic Day, a national holiday that honors the anniversary of India’s constitution coming into effect. Indian farmers have been protesting for nearly two months over new laws they say will benefit big corporations and wreak havoc on the earnings of smaller scale farmers. They want the laws withdrawn.

Drivers sounded their horns as they went by the blocked-off street where the consulate is located, off Fifth Avenue near Central Park. Those who stood on the street chanted against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with one sign reading: “Someone stop their boy Modi before he eats us too! Save the farmers!”

Parminder Singh came from Chicago, saying his family in the Indian state of Punjab was “getting hurt by the law that’s made by the Indian government right now.”

Many of the farmers are Sikhs from the northern state and neighboring Haryana, which are major agricultural producers. Among those at the New York march were protesters calling for the establishment of Khalistan, a separate homeland for members of the religion, and carrying flags emblazoned with the name of the secessionist movement.

“We are here today to challenge India, who has carried out the genocide of Sikhs and enacted farm bills to carry out the homicide of the Sikhs and the farmers of Punjab and Haryana,” said Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, of Philadelphia, the president of the Council of Khalistan. “And so we are here to challenge India under their constitution. It has attacked the Sikh identity and Sikh religious institutions.”

Organizers said other protests were planned at consulates in other parts of the country Jan. 26. Other solidarity protests have been held around the United States in the last two months, in cities including Houston and San Francisco.

In India on Republic Day, tens of thousands of farmers stormed the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, breaking through police barricades and shocking onlookers watching as it was broadcast on live television.

Indian authorities used tear gas, water cannons and placed large trucks and buses in roads to try to hold back the crowd, including rows upon rows of tractors. Police said one protester died after his tractor overturned, but farmers said he was shot. Several bloodied protesters could be seen in television footage.

A group of unknown people have vandalised, broken and ripped from the base a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a park in the US state of California, shocking and outraging Indian-Americans across the country, who have demanded that the officials investigate it as an incident of hate crime.

The 6-ft tall, 650-pound (294 kg) bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi, in the Central Park of the City of Davis in northern California, appeared to have been sawed off at the ankles and half its face was severed and missing, local news firm Davis Enterprise reported.

The vandalized statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found by a park employee in the early hours of the morning of January 27, the police said. The statue is being removed and will be stored in a safe place until it can be evaluated, said Davis City councilman Lucas Frerichs.

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which was donated by the Indian government to the city of Davis, was installed by the city council four years ago amidst protests from anti-Gandhi and anti-India organizations.

Organization for Minorities in India (OFMI), which spearheaded these protests and opposed the installation of the statue. The City of Davis had however voted to go ahead with the installation. Since then OFMI had launched a campaign to remove the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Indian-Americans have expressed deep anguish and shock at the incident. In protest against the vandalism of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in California’s Davis, the Indian Association of Sacramento has decided to hold a car rally and has demanded reinstallation of the statue. In a post on Facebook, the group announced that the car rally will be held, and invited people to “Stand Up For Peace, love And Gandhiji, Reinstate Gandhi Statue: Vigil/Car Rally.” 

Indian Overseas Congress strongly condemns the destruction of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in California. The Indian Overseas Congress USA, an advocacy organization that stands for democracy and freedom, strongly condemns the desecration and destruction of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Davis’s town in California. It is more hurtful to see that the miscreants who had done this despicable act on the eve of Jan 30th, the day when Mahatma Gandhi paid the ultimate sacrifice for every Indian citizen’s freedom. IOCUSA shares the shock and anguish in this regard along with every member of the Indian Diaspora.

Investigators are unsure of when exactly the statue was torn down. It has been removed and stored in a safe place for evaluation. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi was donated by the Government of India to the city of Davis in 2016 and was installed by the city council four years ago amidst protests from anti-India organizations.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that India strongly condemns the malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice, adding that its embassy in Washington DC has taken up the matter with the US Dept of State for a thorough investigation and appropriate action. The MEA further stated that the Consulate General of India in San Francisco has separately taken up the matter with the City of Davis and local law enforcement authorities. 

It has been reported that unknown miscreants vandalized and ripped Gandhi’s statue from the base in the central park of Davis in California. 

(Picture: Sacramento Bee)

With Covid-19 infections in India consistently on the decline for the past four months, the Home Ministry has allowed further reopening of more public spaces and services while keeping Covid-19 protocols intact.

With many experts saying that India is past the Covid-19 infection peak and in view of a consistent drop in the number of new Coronavirus cases for the lost four month, the government has decided to relax a lot of Covid-19 restrictions starting from February. Several activities in the economy which had been completely restricted during the initial phases of lockdown are inching towards normalisation of their operations.

While domestic flights resumed with 80 per cent capacity in December, schools and colleges have started reopening only now, with more avenues set to exercise greater flexibility from February 1.

Reopening of Schools

In the national capital, the state government announced that students in classes IX and XI, as well as colleges, polytechnics and diploma institutions will be allowed to physically attend classes beginning February 5. Delhi opened schools to classes X to XII last week.

The Gujarat government too announced reopening for classes 9 to 11 on February 1. Private tuition classes for Classes 9 to 12, and private coaching classes for competitive examinations will also be allowed.

The reopening of the primary schools is still a long shot.

Delhi University to reopen from Feb 1

All colleges, centres and departments of the Delhi University will reopen from February 1. While the entire teaching staff has been asked to be physically present, only final year students will attend classes in small batches.

Final year students, who need access to laboratories and have practical classes, will be allowed to return first.  However, it is not mandatory for them to attend.

Domestic and international flights

After staying shut for over 2 months, the Centre announced reopening of domestic flights from May 25, 2020 with a capacity of 33 per cent of pre-covid levels. This capacity limit was gradually increased from 33 per cent to 70 per cent in four phases. The last increase was back in December when the capacity was fixed at 80 per cent.

International flights have still not been given the green signal to fully operate. The ban on scheduled international passenger flights was extended till February 28, the aviation regulator DGCA said on Thursday. The DGCA has allowed flights on selected routes on a case-to-case basis and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July. India has formed air bubble pacts with around 24 countries including the US, the UK, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France.

Flights

As a new Covid-19 virus strain emerged in the UK, India along with several other nations, suspended flights from the country. After assessing the situation pertaining to the variant, the Centre decided to further extend the restrictions on the number of flights from the UK till February 14. Under the news restrictions, only 30 weekly flights will be allowed between the 2 countries. Earlier, the restrictions, imposed since January 8, were put in place till January 23.

Reopening of Cinema halls

From February 1, the Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed cinema halls to operate at a 100 per cent capacity. The cinema halls after the Covid lockdown, were first allowed to open with a 50 per cent capacity in October. A new set of SOPs issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting calls for at least 6-feet social distancing, mandatory face coverings among other things.

(Picture: Economic Times)

President Joe Biden appointed two Indian Americans, Sohini Chatterjee and Aditi Gorur, to the leadership team of the US mission to the UN last week.

The mission said that the appointments “reflect President Biden and Vice President (Kamala) Harris’s commitment to building a talented, experienced, and diverse administration that looks like America”.

Chatterjee, who had served in former President Barack Obama’s administration focusing on global development issues, will be a senior policy adviser.

Gorur, an expert on UN peacekeeping, will be a policy adviser.

Biden, who has announced a return to greater involvement with international organisations, appointed career diplomat, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, as the Permanent Representative to the UN and she is awaiting confirmation by the Senate in that role.

She will succeed Kelly Craft, a political appointee of former President Donald Trump, who scaled back international engagement.

Chatterjee, who is a lawyer, was recently on the faculty at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and has been a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She has also been a lawyer with the international group at the legal firm Steptoe & Johnson.

Gorur was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and lived in India, Oman and Australia, according to the US mission. She was the director of the Protecting Civilians in Conflict Programme at the think tank, Stimson Center, focusing on UN peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and the protection of civilians in armed conflict conducted field research in conflict areas like the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and South Sudan.

Biden has named at least 20 Indian Americans to senior positions in his administration. They include Neera Tanden, to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget with cabinet rank; Vivek Murthy to be Surgeon General, and Vanita Gupta, as Associate Attorney General.

Niki Haley, who was the first Indian American to get a cabinet position in the US, was appointed by Trump as UN Permanent Representative. (IANS)

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin was joined by members of the Town Board and dignitaries from the Indian American Forum for a ceremonial hoisting of the National Flag of India to mark the 72nd India Republic Day.  The small socially distanced ceremony held outside of Hempstead Town Hall was an important show of solidarity between the world’s most populous democracy as it observed its historical day of transition to a republic, and America’s largest township. What’s more, the event was streamed live on the Town of Hempstead Facebook Page and featured a special message from the Consulate General of India, New York, Mr. Randhir Jaiswal.

Supervisor Don Clavin and the Town Board recognized the holiday as an important celebration of freedom in the world’s most populous democracy, and thanked the Indian-American community for their contributions to America’s largest township. 

 “The Town of Hempstead is the proud home of a great number of Indian-American families who continue to add to the incredible diversity found in the economic, civic, and cultural life of America’s largest township,” said Supervisor Don Clavin.  “Our community is better for their contributions, and I am glad to celebrate this important day with my Indian-American neighbors.”

The histories of both the United States and the Republic of India have been interwoven through the decades since the original Republic Day whereupon the two nation’s emerged as intrinsic partners on the world stage.  The deep ties produced through this transoceanic partnership extend to the individual level as well, with the United States being home to a large and fast growing Indian American community.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced celebrants to reimagine traditional Republic Day festivities both in the Town of Hempstead and elsewhere, Supervisor Clavin and the Town Board felt it necessary to observe the holiday which honors the adoption of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950 and the transition of the nation to a republic.

The limited event still featured the recognition of three honorees by the Town of Hempstead and the Indian American Forum, as well as patriotic song performances and blessings from Pandit Samiran Chakraborthy of New York Kali Mandir Temple. Nipun Marwaha performed the American and Indian National Anthems and Jyoti Gupta led the patriotic song medley. The event was sponsored by the Indian American Forum, Long Island Ladies Circle, Indian Association of Long Island and the India Day Parade Committee. Also in attendance was Chairwoman of the Indian American Forum Indu Jaiswal and Bobby Kumar Kalotee, Chairman of Friends for Good Health and Nassau Health Care Corporation Board Member.

The first honoree serves as Chief Legal Officer for the Nassau Health Care Corporation. Megan C. Ryan oversees all legal, privacy and ethics functions for the various hospitals included in the corporation. Playing a vital role in keeping these hospitals running efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Ryan has done such a spectacular job that her efforts were recognized by the New York Law Journal and Law.com. In addition to her work with Nassau Health, Ms. Ryan is currently serving her second term as president of the North Merrick Board of Education.

The second honoree is no stranger to anyone from Freeport. Chief Raymond Maguire has worn many hats in the Freeport Fire Department throughout his decades of service. He currently wears two, serving as both Executive Director and Secretary of the Freeport Fire Department. Additionally, Chief Maguire has served as President of the local chamber of commerce for several years and is currently a Vice-Chairman for the Toys for Tots Foundation.

The third honoree is the owner of local Indian eatery Rajbhog Café since 2001. Sheetal Talati was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and is the chief proprietor for her restaurant. In fact, Rajbhog Café is one of the only businesses in the Long Island Indian Business Fraternity that is solely women-owned and operated. Her restaurant serves as a common meeting place for seniors, peers and community leaders and is a integral part to the neighborhood.

Following the livestreamed ceremony, the Hempstead Town Facebook page posted a compilation of traditional and modern dance performances by local dance groups on Long Island. Featuring various dances by choreographer and performer Jyotika Patel, a Temple Navagraha Dance by the Sarvamangala Shri Saneeswara Temple, and performances from Arya International, be sure to check out the post on the Town of Hempstead Facebook page!  

“This is a great day around the world as communities celebrate India Republic Day and the historical significance of the holiday,” said Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby. “I am proud to celebrate this special day with neighbors from across the township as well wishers around the world recognize the adoption of the Constitution of India,” said Councilman Bruce Blakeman.

“The adoption of the Constitution of India was an incredibly important moment in world history, which is why I am elated to join in the reimagined festivities taking place this year in honor of India Republic Day,” said Councilman Anthony D’Esposito.

“Members of the Indian-American community have such a profoundly positive impact on the Town of Hempstead,” said Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr.  “It is truly a pleasure to join together with representatives from that community in celebration of the monumental achievement the founding of the Republic of India was and still is to this day.”

“The founding of the Republic of India through the adoption of the Constitution of India is a historical event of great significance I am proud to acknowledge today,” said Councilman Thomas Muscarella.

“I am proud of the accomplishments of the great Indian-American community who call Hempstead Town home and it is my pleasure to join them in celebrating India Republic Day,” said Councilman Christopher Carini.

“It is my sincere wish that while we must celebrate differently this year due to the pandemic,  that the pride felt by those instrumental in founding the Republic of India be recognized and celebrated widely on this special day,” said Supervisor Don Clavin.  “May our friends both residing in India and throughout the diaspora be encouraged by what we honor on Republic Day.”