Category: Community

Vipul Ishwarlal Patel will always be remembered for hard work and honesty

Asian Media USACommunity 0

Chicago, IL: We appreciate all of you joining us to honor the memory of Vipul Ishwarlal Patel. He passed away due to savior heart attack, on Monday – May 20, 2019, at 1:00 pm in Chicago.  Vipul will live forever in our hearts. May his soul rest in peace.

His funeral was well attended by community leaders, family members and friends. Hitesh Gandhi; Vice president of FIA, Lalbhai Patel; Chairman of Umiya Mataji Temple, Chandrakant Modi MD; Chairman Asian Cremation USA, Dinaben Modi, Sailash Masa, Rekha Patel, Usha Masi and Bipin Mama came from L.A. Jayshreeben and Devendra Patel joined from Chicago. Vipul had lots of friends among the photographer and videographer groups, along with Chirag Patel, Hanif, Kalpesh Gandhi, Asish Desai and Urvesh Thakkar. Nilu, Lubna [Threading Salon], Niki, Komal Jani, Manubhai Jani, Amit (Anant) Shah and Sardar Patel Group. Since, his both sons were in India, so, entire “Agni Sanskar Vidhi” was performed by Shital Patel son Devers Desai. Funeral was attended by Shobhana Patel’s coworkers and friends. Even though month of Ramadan, a lot of Muslim friends [Amrin, Noor and Ayesha], also attended the funeral. Kiran Rami and Sonal Rami contribute flowers and David Pimm donate funeral for Vipul Patel. Atul and Alka from Hare Rama and Hare Krushna participate in chanting Chapter 12 and 15 Bhagavad-Gita Adhyāya.

Vipul Patel was a simple man who loved his family and worked every day with reliability and dependably. Vipul was the prime example of accepting perplexing work that others in his profession stayed away. Vipul was successful warrior who met challenges early in life due to death of his father when he was just 11 yrs. old.  He became bread winner and concurrently completed Commerce degree. Motivation and hard work with range and depth of his visionary artistic talent and amazing energy lead him to successful, a self-taught, and talented well-liked popular Photo and videographer. He was known to many members of the Health and Engineering professional groups in the Chicago community.

One example comes to my mind. One day on hot sunny humid August 15 India Independence Day on Devon Avenue in Chicago, he was assigned to the parade route to take full length video, lasting several hours. When no one else wanted such weighty task, Vipul accepted the challenge.  He carried heavy video camera in poignant spectacle and produced an outstanding product. The highlight from his work was selected for broadcast watched by millions of viewers in the evening news on local TV channel.

Vipul and his wife Shobhana, has been the pillar of strength for Asian Media USA. They both burnt lots of midnight oil means long hours to keep up the professional excellence. Their dedication to raise the quality and delivery standards always moved to the higher levels for Asian Media USA. Vipul relentlessly covered numerous high-power events such as, the Governor of Illinois; and the Mayor of Chicago.  He always showed great class in meeting with the elected dignitaries like City Aldermen, Senators and Congressmen. His versatility is evident from the fact that he also covered the press briefing with Honorable Shri Venkaiah Naidu, the Vice President of India. Being an avid sportsman himself, Vipul always took special interest in covering the community sports event like the annual meets of Punjabi Cultural Society, Palatine, Illinois. The wide variety of his professional achievements also included meticulously covering the details of visits of many cultural and movie artists from India.

Vipul, despite his chronic illness exposing him to high risk of becoming dehydrated completed his duty.

His enduring work of creating a photographic memorial will be fondly remembered by many individuals, and families. Despite his health challenges, nothing stopped him from being outwardly, polished professional, running to the event after event, from one location to another, like temples, Consulate Office, Community festivals and community mega events like “Vibrant Gujrat and BJPWorld Hindu Congress”.

He is survived by his wife Shobhana and sons Suril and Ravish. As per the Hindu religious ritual, his body was cremated on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 [12 noon] Vipul has left lasting memory in our heart.

Special messages from Shobhana Patel;

Our hear felt and thanks to all the people who attended funeral services as well as others for their prayers and who sent us massages on social media, e-mail, Text and WhatsApp

Chandrasekhar Sunkara Committed Suicide After Killing His Wife and Two Children in Iowa

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West Des Moines Police said Monday afternoon that manner of death of Chandrasekhar Sunkara is suicide while the manners of death for Lavanya Sunkara and the two boys are homicide. “West Des Moines police continue their investigation into the Sunkara family deaths on June 15th,” West Des Moines Police said in a statement. “Forensic autopsies were conducted June 16th. The State Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the causes of death for all four family members to be gunshot wounds. The manners of death for Lavanya Sunkara and the two boys are homicide. The manner of death for Chandrasekhar Sunkara is suicide.”

Officials are working with surviving family members to provide support. Investigators are continuing to review evidence and conduct interviews, police said.

Chandrasekhar Sunkara 44 years old, Lavanya Sunkara 41 years old, a 15 year old boy and a 10 year old boy were pronounced dead at the scene. All four lived in the home.

Heavy.com reported that autopsies determined that Chandra Sunkara killed his wife and two boys before shooting himself.

A family friend from the Telugu Association of North America who wished to remain anonymous told the Times of India that Chandra had been severely depressed and there may have been a family dispute troubling him.

“This tragedy will impact family, friends, co-workers, anyone that new this family” Sergeant Dan Wade said in an earlier statement. “We are continuing to work through this investigation. We will follow through until we have answered as many questions as the evidence allows. We are confident, though, that there is no continuing threat to the community.”

Police said other family members, two adults and two children, were staying as guests. When the victims were discovered, one of the survivors ran outside looking for help. He found someone walking through the neighborhood and that person called 911.

Arranged marriages evolving to semi-arranged in India: UN

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While arranged marriages remain the norm in India, they are evolving into a system of semi-arranged marriages giving women more freedom and making them less vulnerable to domestic violence, according to a UN report.

The report, “Progress of World’s Women, 2019-20: Families in a Changing World”, released on Tuesday, however, blamed economic liberalisation in India for the spread of the dowry practice to more communities and the celebration of pricy, ostentatious weddings.

The report, which dealt with several aspects of marriage, said: “The practice of arranged marriages remains commonplace”, but, “the practice, however, has evolved over time and has been partially replaced by semi-arranged marriages, particularly in urban areas”.

In semi-arranged marriages, “families are involved in suggesting potential matches, but women choose whether to marry and who to partner with” in contrast to the traditional parent-arranged marriages where women often have little say and meet the groom only on the wedding day, the report said.

“Women in semi- and self-arranged marriages are three times as likely as those in family-arranged marriages to exercise agency on key areas of decision-making – including on expenditures, when to have children (and how many) and contraception – and twice as likely to be able to visit friends and relatives unescorted”.

“Those in semi-arranged marriages are also less likely to experience marital violence compared to those in traditional parent-arranged marriages”, it added.

The report was prepared by UN Women, the world body’s group for gender equality and empowerment of women. Releasing the report, its Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that there was a concerted effort to deny women their rights “in the name of protecting ‘family values’”.

But, she said: “This report counters that pushback by showing that families, in all their diversity, can be critical drivers of gender equality, provided decision-makers deliver policies rooted in the reality of how people live today, with women’s rights at their core.”

The report said that despite feminist campaigns and legal prohibition, the practice of dowry was spreading.

“Dowry has shifted from a signifier of marriage to a central condition for a daughter’s eligibility”, the report said. “Gifts that were once voluntary and/or nominal have become compulsory and have spiralled up in value”.

“Economic liberalisation and commercialisation have contributed to the spread of the practice from upper- to middle- and lower-caste Hindus, as well as to Christians, Muslims and tribal groups,” the report asserted.

Dowry practice also leads to violence and “husbands are the most common perpetrators and mothers-in-law are often implicated”, the report said.

“The status and economic position of families are linked with weddings as a public display of wealth”, it added.

It noted that there were differences in the status of women in the South and North of India. The area that includes India follows a patriarchal family system, but “a somewhat different and less rigid set of gender relations characterises the kinship systems in South India and South-Eastern Asia”, the report said.

In families in the South, the report said that “a greater degree of public mobility is allowed for women. This translates into women’s higher rates of employment, whether in agriculture, marketing or manufacturing, and greater responsibility for managing their household’s finances”.

In these areas women have some rights of inheritance, greater flexibility in where they live and to continue their interaction with their own relatives.

The number of divorces has doubled over the past two decades, although it is still minuscule with only 1.1 per cent of women divorced and most of them in the urban areas.

It noted that “the right to maintenance is weakly enforced” and divorced women are dependent on their parents, brothers or other relatives. (IANS)

Children’s Hope India raises $50,000 at luncheon in New York

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When 260 women get together, what can be better than getting inspired, enjoying shared laughter over common experiences, shopping to support emerging women entrepreneurs – and at the same time helping the girl child to get a great education?
All this happened on May 8, 2019 at the much anticipated Children’s Hope India Spring Luncheon at the Carltun in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, Long Island. This multi-faceted event raised $50,000 for the education and vocational training of girls in India and the New York Metropolitan area, according to a press release.
This pre-Mother’s Day luncheon brought in two generations of Indian-American women to support the cause of education. The guests included Laura Curran, Nassau County Executive and Taruna Chakravorty, wife of the Consul General of India.
Moneesha Sani, emcee of the evening as well as a member of the luncheon committee spoke eloquently about the work of Children’s Hope India and pointed out that over the past 27 years CHI has sponsored more than 20 projects and has helped over 300,000 women and children in India and the US.
A highlight of the spring luncheon is the Woman of Distinction Award, given to a woman who has managed to balance the challenges of the workplace, home and social responsibility. The 2019 Woman of Distinction is Jaishri Kapoor, Vice Chair of the board of trustees of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company and supporter of many iconic arts organizations.
In her inspiring talk she spoke about how she had always wanted a career in the arts and has continued to follow her passion by supporting iconic institutions and also young people to achieve their dreams in the arts. She said, “Each of these projects brings me closer to America and yet makes my bond with India that much deeper!” She looks forward to bringing performance arts to the CHI projects in India, and said, “I applaud Children’s Hope for the work they are doing for girls in India and I salute you for using the performing arts to do so.”
Guests at the Luncheon also got more than they bargained for – a barrelful of laughs, thanks to Zarna Garg who was the reason for smiles with her unique standup comedy routine which is very different from that of other comics. Known as funnybrownwoman, Garg is a wife, mother of three kids, a lawyer and a businesswoman, and her comedy touches upon everything from immigrant life to Indian food.
The spring luncheon was spearheaded by CHI board member Kavita Lund, and organized by the CHI benefit committee comprising of  Babita Advani, Milan Devjani, Aarti Kamat, Moneesha Sani and Madhulika Shroff. It was coordinated wonderfully by Jharna Jaisinghani of Artistic Affairs, and DJ Sharad provided the fun music for this lively event. Simran Khiantani and Sunita Sadhnani contributed to creating the spring like atmosphere at the luncheon.
The CHI luncheon is always a big supporter of desi women entrepreneurs and this year there was an exciting marketplace of jewelry, shawls, candles, essential oils, chocolates and clothing from many creative and enterprising women, with a percentage going to CHI.  These innovative businesses included ReeMat, Dhashi, Artistic Affairs, Kaia- Jewelry from the Heart, Shawlux, Saj Creations, Bija Essence, Manu Cashmere and Argento Silver Styles Inc.
Vikas Kapoor donated for performance art at CHI schools in honor of his wife, Jaishri Kapoor, CHI’s Woman of Distinction. Sponsors for the meet included  Knights of York, Sani Family Foundation, Seema Advani and Rita Patel.
Pierce Country Day Camp came in as a supporter of CHI and reached out to the Indian community about its state-of-the-art summer day camps for children in Long Island.
Between photo opps, the shopping, the cocktails in the outdoors, networking with friends and learning about the work that children’s Hope India does, the afternoon raised $ 50,000 for the girl child’s health and education.
The Children’s Hope India Luncheon is now in its 11th year. The CHI Girls High School is set up to educate up to 800 girls from the surrounding villages and slums of Bhopal.
Twenty girls from Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi are pursuing higher education in various colleges and technical institutes through the CHI Tandon scholarship program. Each girl was the first member of the family to even finish high school. Now their dreams of becoming financially independent engineers, doctors, business women and computer analysts are well on the way to becoming reality, said the release.
More than two decades ago, Children’s Hope India started as a small group of women professionals hoping to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. Now in 2018, Children’s Hope India has over 22 projects across several cities in India and the New York Metropolitan Area, and has impacted over 250,000 children by looking after their health, education and vocational training.
The focus of Children’s Hope India (www.childrenshopeindia.org) is the ‘whole’ child and providing all the tools a child needs to progress from poverty to prosperity with a cradle to career approach.

Gopio-CT hosts Indian Consul General Sandeeep Chakravorty at public forum and with elected officials in Connecticut

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Indian Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty and Deputy Consul General Shatrugna Sinha were hosted by the Connecticut chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) last month in Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut. Arriving at 2.30 p.m.. Consul General Chakravorty called on to Stamford Mayor David Martin at the Govt. Center in Stamford, along with GOPIO-CT President Anita Bhat, Past Presidents Shailesh Naik and Shelly Nichani and Treasurer Biru Sharma. Later in the afternoon, both called on to Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling along with GOPIO-CT officials and Norwalk’s Indian community leaders including Raj Misra and Anna Duleep as well as representatives of Norwalk’s Sikh Gurudwara.

The discussions were very cordial with both mayors and there were agreements on many new initiatives. Consul General Chakravorty very graciously offered to send various artists and performers from India visiting the USA to come and do shows in both the cities Stamford and Norwalk.  Both the Mayors offered full help and cooperation to facilitate such performances. Both mayors and the Consul General are interested in student exchange programs and the Consul General will further work in the same.

Most importantly the Consul General made an offer to the Norwalk Mayor Rilling and the Sikh community to hold a grand 550th Anniversary of Guru Nanakji’s birth anniversary. He will contact some eminent academician to come and give a talk on the life of the Guru. This was a major accomplishment and a tribute to our Sikh community. Mayor Rilling offered his full support. GOPIO-CT also proposed an India section at the Norwalk public Library which Mayor Rilling agreed and the Consul General has offered to provide books.

On the economic front, both mayors would like to invite Indian companies to consider Stamford and Norwalk to open their US destination. In this regard, Stamford Mayor Martin will take assistance from the Indian Consulate to invite Indian companies to business expo and investment seminars in Stamford. GOPIO-CT will facilitate such efforts.

Consul General Chakravorty also had a very good discussion with Congressman Jim Himes who is a leading member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Congressman Himes is very supportive of India’s interests and values.

CG Chakravorty also had a very informative discussion with Connecticut State Senator Bob Duff, the Majority Leader in Conn. Senate.

n the evening a reception was held at Hampton Inn for the many leaders of Indian diaspora in Connecticut to meet and greet Consul General Chakravorty and Deputy Consul General Sinha. GOPIO-CT President Anita Bhat welcomed the guests. GOPIO-CT Treasurer Biru Sharma moderated the session. Connecticut House Representative Matt Blumenthal, who represents Stamford, also joined the dinner meeting. Rep. Blumenthal was very appreciative of the contribution by the Indian American community in Connecticut.

Consul General Chakravorty gave a very descriptive talk on the election in India and how the country is a well-established democracy.  A Q&A session followed where the participants asked questions and expressed their concerns.

A donation of $2000 was made to Future 5, an organization in Stamford that takes underprivileged students from local high schools and tutor them in the hours after school.

First Ever Med-Quiz At Global Healthcare Summit In July, 2019 In Hyderabad

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health 0
(Chicago, IL: June 17th, 2019) “For the 1st time ever, AAPI will organize the popular Jeopardy-type Med-Quiz for the Medical students from all the Medical Colleges from the state of Telangana during the 13th edition of the annual Global Healthcare Summit in Hyderabad, India in July 19th to 21st, 2019,” Dr. Suresh Reddy, President-Elect of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), announced here today.
“The essence of AAPI is educational,” Dr. Reddy, while describing the purpose of the Med-Quiz, said. “That translates into numerous programs that AAPI has planned to motivate med students, physicians, academicians and researchers to excel and master their areas of work.”
The semi-final and the Final stages of the Med-Quiz will be held during the GHS 2019 in Hyderabad, said Dr. Suresh Reddy, who had envisaged and planned this firs ever event, encouraging the medical students to be part of the Global Healthcare Summit, and providing them with valuable opportunities for interacting with world renowned medical professionals from across the world. The winners will be awarded citations and cash prizes by AAPI and local organizers.
Dr. Seema Arora, the Chairman-Elect of AAPI, BOT, said, “We flew away from India decades ago. However, our hearts are still in India.” He said, GHS 2019 will focus on several relevant issues to serve the many healthcare needs and delivery of healthcare in India. For the first time, AAPI will organize Medical Jeopardy with cash prizes to winners, she said. She praised the local community and organizers for their enthusiastic support.
Dr. Sanku Rao, a past President of AAPI highlighted the 37 year old history of AAPI and the evolution of GHS.in the past dozen years and the many accomplishments/contributions in the delivery of healthcare in US and in India. AAPI is the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States, and has been in existence for nearly four decades. The Association has almost 130 local chapters, specialty societies and alumni organizations under its purview, and represents the interests of over 70,000 physicians and 15,000 medical students and residents of Indian heritage in the United States, Dr. Rao said.
Dr. Dwaraknatha Reddy, Convener  of the Summit, said, “It’s a well known fact that physicians of Indian origin excel in their respective areas of work and continue to play key roles in patient care, administration, academics and medical research in their adopted land, the United State. In order to cater to its diversity of medical specialties, AAPI continues to use a multi-disciplinary conference format.”
First Ever Med-Quiz At Global Healthcare Summit In July, 2019 In HyderabadSreeni Gangasani. Chair of AAPI GHS, said, “Packed with strategic planning sessions such as the much anticipated CEO Forum, Women’s Forum, Launching of Free Health Clinic, First Responders Training, CMEs, promote Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine Education,  Research Contest, Medical Quiz, Fashion Show, Cultural Events, pre and post visits for delegates, the GHS 2019 is expected to be one with the greatest impact and significant contributions towards harnessing the power of international Indian diaspora to bring the most innovative, efficient, cost effective healthcare solutions to India.
“The purpose of the Med-Quiz is to foster curiosity, enhance knowledge and understanding of the medical students,” Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Vice-President 2018-19, said. “Competing at a global level and being recognized by an international organization such as AAPI, will instill confidence in aspiring young physicians and will help exposing them to Western ways of learning and mastering their areas of study,”
Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, AAPI’s Secretary 2018-19, said, “Through Continuing Medical Education and non-CME seminars by experts in their fields, AAPI will provide comprehensive and current reviews and guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of various disease states to reduce morbidity and mortality and achieve cost effective quality care outcomes. At the end of the activity, it is expected that attendees will gain an understanding of the causation, diagnosis and the best clinical practices for the management of the diverse group of diseases discussed during this program.”
First Ever Med-Quiz At Global Healthcare Summit In July, 2019 In HyderabadDr. Ravi Koli, Secretary-Elect AAPI has capped the voluminous achievements of the past 37 years with a clear vision to move forward taking this noble organization and its vision for better healthcare to newer heights,” he said. He said, under his leadership, the 14th edition of GHS 2020 will be held in Visakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
According to Dr. Ranga Reddy, “One in seven Americans is touched by a physician of Indian origin. There is an equally large percentage of medical residents, fellows and students in the USA serving millions of Americans. AAPI’s GHS has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world-renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.”
Describing the process for the Med-Quiz, Dr. Raghu Lolabhattu, Co-Chair, Global Health Summit 2019, said, “Each Medical School will choose and send 5 medical students, representing each year of Medical school study. These students will compete with students from other med schools from the state of Telengana. The winners at the Preliminary Rounds will compete at the Global Healthcare Summit.”
Dr. Satish Kathula, referred to the highly impactful ADOPT A VILLAGE Program, spearheaded by Dr. Jagan Ailinani, a past President of AAPI, and Dr. Alok Aggarwal, who has adopted a village in the state of Telangana as examples of the good work done by AAPI. He said, AAPI provides a platform for many individuals who want to give back to their motherland.
First Ever Med-Quiz At Global Healthcare Summit In July, 2019 In HyderabadDr. Manoj Jain, Chair and spearheading the TB-Free India Movement, referred to AAPI’s collaborative efforts with several non-governmental organizations and the USAID, with a  commitment to strengthen its initiatives to “make every city, ever district, every village in India TB free.”
AAPI has made significant contributions towards addressing several issues affecting the healthcare system in India, AAPI has addressed the issue of Traumatic Brain Injury – the scourge of young India, and helped with the development of management guidelines thereby helping prevent deaths due to road traffic accidents, raising the importance and awareness on smoking cessation, Adopt a Village program and taking the initiatives to make quality healthcare accessible universally to village and taluka and district levels, and most recently a strong collaborative on making India TB Free with the signing of a MOU with USAID. Ten city pilots are well under way and significant progress is being made.
First Ever Med-Quiz At Global Healthcare Summit In July, 2019 In HyderabadDr. Suresh Reddy, Chair, Global Health Summit 2019, urged all AAPI leaders, local organizers and sponsors to fully participate in order to make the next edition of AAPI’s Global Healthcare a more effective one, serving the many healthcare needs of our mother India. Dr. Reddy, who will assume charge as the President of AAPI in July this year at the convention in Atlanta, USA, said,
“The GHS 2019, planned to be organized by AAPI in collaboration with BAPIO & GAPIO, as well as Host Alumni Chapters, including OGKTMA, ATMGUSA, KAMCOSA, and GMCGA, will focus on preventive health, targeting Rural Health, Women’s Health, and providing special CPR Trainings, that will equip First Responders to help save life.”
Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 37 years. For more details, please visit:  https://ghs2019.aapisummit.org/www.aapiusa.org

5th International Day of Yoga at the Iconic Washington Monument

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The 5th International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated on Sunday, 16 June 2019 at the iconic Washington Monument in Washington DC.
An unprecedented number of yoga enthusiasts of all ages and from every walk of life took part in the event, including representatives from the White House, US Department of State and other Government agencies, prominent members of the diplomatic community including Ambassadors of Nepal, Mauritius and Myanmar, members of international financial institutions including the World Bank and IMF, cultural and academic institutions, think-tanks, media and the Indian diaspora.
Welcoming the participants to the Yoga Day celebrations, Indian Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla noted that yoga has been widely adopted by people all over the world, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries, and has millions of practitioners in USA.  He said that yoga promotes a message of peace and harmony between the spiritual and temporal aspects of the world, making them philosophically a part of India’s civilizational ethos, echoed in the phrase, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” meaning, “the World is One Family”.
A guided yoga session based on the Common Yoga Protocol was performed by the participants. The session was led by Dr. Moxraj, Teacher of Indian Culture at the Embassy of India, along with other yoga volunteers.  In the run up to this year’s IDY, the Embassy had organized several curtain-raiser events in collaboration with yoga organizations and yoga studios at several places in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Washington DC, resulting in a record turnout for the Yoga Day celebrations.
Events to commemorate the International Day of Yoga were also held across USA including in the major cities of New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago, where thousands of yoga enthusiasts participated in the events.
Following the IDY event in Washington DC, an Indian Vegetarian Food Festival was organized at the Freer│Sackler, the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian Art, located on the National Mall to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Food connoisseurs in large numbers participated in the vegetarian food festival and savored delicacies from various regions of India. The festival also featured several cultural performances by talented local artists.

GOPIO convention in Varanasi a success

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Five Conference Sessions Discussed Strengthening Global Connections of Indian Diaspora GOPIO held its annual convention in conjunction with Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas on Jan 19th-to 21st 2019 at the Taj Gateway Hotel in Varanasi. Five conference sessions were as part of the convention. It was headed and coordinated by Dr. Asha Samant from USA who is GOPIO’s International Coordinator-at-Large.
The signature event of the convention was the Finale Awards Banquet on Jan. 20th evening. The chief guest was Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. V.K. Singh. The Guest of Honor was Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam. GOPIO inducted two PIO political leaders who have participated and helped in GOPIO activities in the past to its Honor Roll. They were New Zealand Member of Parliament Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and South Africa Member of the Parliament Aumsensingh (Omie) Singh.
GOPIO honored those who have done outstanding service to the community and society -at-large with Community Service Awards at the Final Banquet. This year’s awardees are: Veena Khosla from France, Parsram Punj from Australia, Dr. Indrani Rampersad from Trinidad, K.V. Shamsudheen – Sharjah, UAE and Dr. Deepak Kant Vyas – Saint Louis, USA. GOPIO also presented special awards to GOPIO Associate Secretary and community volunteer Jaswant Mody from the US and Confluence Founder Smita Srivastav from New Delhi, India. A fantastic entertainment was organized by Smita Srivastava of Confluence after the Awards Banquet.
The convention was inaugurated on May 19th evening at the Taj Gateway Hotel. Following the inauguration, GOPIO delegates were hosted with a warm Varanasi reception organized by the local committee consisting of Dr. Markanday Rai, Mr. Satish Rai and Mr. Madan Mohan Upadhyay. The event was held at the Meridian Hotel and sponsored by Rotarian Dr. Karma Raj Singh of Omega Plus Hospital in Varanasi.
Three conference sessions were conducted on Jan. 20th. First session on, Strengthening India’s Relations with Global Community through Indian Diaspora was chaired by GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham. In his Keynote Address, Aumsen (Omie) Singh, Member of Parliament from South Africa was enlightened the audience the campaign against Apartheid and launching of non-violent movement by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. Later participating speakers presented their opinions on the topic. The speakers were Ms.Purnima Voria, Chair, National India USA Chamber of Commerce, USA, Dr. Markandey Rai, Chancellor, GTAMSU, Senior Advisor UN Habitat Delhil Mr. Nirmal Sinha, GOPIO Founding Member and FIA Columbus, Ohio and Recipient Civil Rights Hall of Fame, State of Ohio in USA. Ms Pooja Thomre, Board Member, National FIA served as Resource person and concluded the session summarizing various statements of speakers.
The session on Opportunities, Development, Business and investment in India and UP was Chaired by Harbachan Singh, GOPIO Intl. Coordinator for North America, New York, USA with panelist team of Manohar Jetley, MLC, Lucknow, UP; Chandran Pillai, Managing Director, Bit technology Singapore; ,Parsram Punj, Parsram Foods Pty Ltd Australia and  Radha Krishnan, GOPIO Life Member from Detroit, USA as Resource Person.
Three sessions were presented on concluding day.FRANCOPHONE SESSION by Mehen Poinosawmy, GOPIO Intl. Coordinator for Europe, Paris, France was enlightening and provided a lot of information what was being going on in France and how the community is facing. Speakers/Panelists: Jean Regis Ramsamy, Co-Chair, Media Council, Reunion Island and Vikas Talwar, President of GOPIO France who explained their opinions of the situation. Ms. Charlotte Gressier, French Caribbean Island presented a research paper in depth.  Resource Person. Jagdish Lodhia, GOPIO Intl. Coordinator for Oceania summarized the session
 A session on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Investment and Start Up India was chaired by Kurian Abraham, GOPIO International Coordinator for South Asia, Kochi, India. Speakers/Panelists included Navin Pathak, Partner, Entry India, LLC, New Jersey, USA; K.V. Shamshudeen, Chairman, Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, Sharjah, UAE; Prof. H. A. Pandya, Vice Chancellor Gujarat University. Ahmedabad, India; Achal Mehra, Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India and Prof. G. Gopal Reddy, Member, University Grants Commission, New Delhi.
Empowering Indian and Diaspora Women was the last Session Chaired by energetic Speakers/Panelists: Mini Guleria, Co-Chair, GOPIO Media Council, Tarzana, California, USA Not to flatter but all the three speakers were amazing. Rini Johar, President, GOPIO-Redwood City/San Francisco, CA, USA spoke pm a handful of activities carrying alone with full commitments. Anju Garg, President, GOPIO-Los Angles, California, USA shared the health-related activities which were being carried by the chapter. Aparna Hande’s presentation was very impressive and full of her dedicated commitment.
After all the sessions, several resolutions were passed to be presented to GOPIO Executive Council for further action. President Ram Nath Kovind delivered the Valedictory Address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Varanasi on January 23rd. GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham and President Sunny Kulathakal called on the President. Dr. Abraham briefed him about GOPIO and some of the Diaspora issues as well as how the Diaspora can be mobilized for India’s benefit. Dr. Abraham and Mr Kulathakal presented President Kovind a copy of the book, Global Indian Diaspora – GOPIO Making an Impact.

National Council of Asian Indian Associations (NCAIA) Chicago Inaugural Programe

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Naperville, IL: On June 8, 2019 the National Council of Asian Indian Associations, Inc. (NCAIA) Chicago Chapter held its inaugural program to bring together over 45 active Indian American Community Service Organizations under one roof at the Northern Illinois University Campus in Naperville, Illinois. In the program 23 Organizations shared their mission and key accomplishments from various sectors such as Healthcare, Senior Welfare, Water & Environment, Education, Multiple Services, Peace Initiatives & International Relations, and Special Services benefiting millions of people in both US and India.
Indian Consul General, Hon. Shri Sudhakar Dalela, was the Chief Guest and Congressman from the 8th District of Illinois, Hon. Raja Krishnamoorthi, was the Guest of Honor at the program. The Program was sponsored by the Dean, College of Business of Northern Illinois University, Dr. Balaji Rajagopalan. There were around 180 people in attendance including youth. The Organizing Committee members included Harish Kolasani, Dr. Paul Prabhaker, and Dr. Manu Vora.
The National President of NCAIA Mr. Harish Kolasani spoke about NCAIA’s history and played a video of National board members from Washington D.C. they explained the mission and vision of their prestigious organization who hosted the community programs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many Central Ministers and the Indian Ambassadors while working closely with the Indian Embassy as an Umbrella Organization based in Washington D.C. Now, Harish Kolasani’s focused mission is to empower Indian community by promoting the effective community organizations, community leaders and any Indian-American who made or are making positive impact in the community.
Consul General Dalela mentioned about his experience with NCAIA in Washington D.C. and his connection with the Chairman Dr. Har Swarup Singh who was a former Indian Ambassador and congratulated the newly elected President Mr. Harish Kolasani. He also appreciated Harish Kolasani for the step he took to promote the organizations who are directly serving Indian community which will create motivation to all organizations to give effective services and also educate the community with the available free services from Indian organizations.
 Raja Krishnamurthy in his statement praised NCAIA for bringing 47 organizations and the vibrant audience under one roof.
After the presentations session, Consul General Dalela praised NCAIA team for conducting this effective program by creating the awareness of the important services rendered by Indian organizations which is very well received by all the community leaders.
Harish Kolasani thanked Dr Manu Vora for working behind the scene and conducting the program very professionally. Also, the NCAIA team and the community leaders who presented their work have sincerely thanked all the media supported this program with great photography and videography without any charge by showing their support to the community.

The Elderly & The World Wide Web (Infographic)

Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0
There are a lot of misconceptions around seniors and technology. There’s a general perception that the elderly are complete technophobes. We’ve all seen, and no doubt chuckled at all the funny memes out there or the jokes like the one where grandpa uses correction fluid on the screen to correct an error.
But let’s take a step back for a moment. It might make for a fun meme to share with your friends, but is this perception of the elderly correct? Not if you take a closer look at the elderly internet usage statistics. You’ll see that this is far from the truth.
In the following infographic about The Elderly & The World Wide Web, we’ll show you the facts. You’ll learn how the elderly really feel about the web and other tech. We’ll look at how they use the net, what type of information they access, and a whole lot more besides. As you’ll see, there are a lot of benefits of seniors using technology and the seniors themselves would be the first to acknowledge that. For more details, please visit: https://medalerthelp.org/elderly-the-world-wide-web-infographic/

7 Indian-origin kids win US Spelling Bee co-championship

Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Youth 0

The Bee kicked off Tuesday, May 28th with its biggest field ever, and the co-champions bested 557 other contestants ranging in age from 7 to 14 in Thursday night’s prime-time finals. The result was the first time more than two co-champions were named, with winners from five different states.

Seven Indian-origin kids, along with an American, were declared co-champions of the US National Spelling Bee after the tie among the eight couldn’t be broken even after 20 rounds of the finals.

The unprecedented decision to declare eight co-champions was taken Thursday night after the organisers ran out of their selection of difficult words to challenge them further.

The 10-year monopoly of Indian-origin children was finally broken with a non-Indian girl from Alabama, Erin Howard, becoming a co-champion.

They are: Rishik Gandhasri, 13, of California; Erin Howard, 14, of Alabama; Saketh Sundar, 13, of Maryland; Shruthika Padhy, 13, of New Jersey; Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Texas; Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Texas; Christopher Serrao, 13, of New Jersey and Rohan Raja, 13, of Texas.

The eight champions were more than great spellers – they were the best. Each will receive the $50,000 prize that is usually reserved for just one champion. After the Bee, the winners said they were pulling for each other in the final round, spelling each word silently from their seats at the side of the stage.

“It feels amazing that I’m here with all these amazing spellers,” Abhijay said after the Bee. ” I’m speechless.”

With each correct response in the 20th and final round, a roar went up from the audience. When the last of the eight surviving finalists, Rohan Raja, spelled his word correctly to assure that all eight were winners, the ballroom shook and confetti rained down on the stage.

“We will soon run out of words that will possibly challenge you,” Jacques Bailly, the Bee’s longtime official pronouncer, said at the end of the 17th round, calling the eight winners “the most phenomenal assemblage of spellers in the history of this storied competition.”

The 94-year-old competition has become increasingly competitive, with contestants training with coaches and some parents paying to bypass the traditional path to qualify for the annual contest, which takes place at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland.

In the past only two co-winners were declared – most recently Indians in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – making the eight this year a record. The national level contest held in a Washington suburb is broadcast nationally on the sports channel ESPN, giving it the aura of a major sports event and a big audience. The contest is sponsored by the media company, EW Scripps.

 The groundbreaking finals capped a day of intense competition that began at 10 a.m. with the field of 50 spellers meant to be narrowed to about a dozen finalists by 2 p.m. In a sign of what was to come, the contestants proved more resilient than ever before.

By 3 p.m., the Bee’s organizers resorted to what Shalini Shankar, a professor at Northwestern University, called a “lawn mower” round of extremely hard words intended to winnow the remaining field. It worked, with spellers knocked out by head-spinning words such as Wundtian, coelogyne and yertchuk. Yet other spellers vanquished the likes of huiscoyol, bremsstrahlung and ferraiolone to advance to the finals.

The day’s high drama mirrored the most nerve-racking moments in sports, a point underscored by a video on ESPN’s big screen that juxtaposed Colette Giezentanner successfully inching her way through the word “choledoch” with Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce game-winner against the Sixers in the NBA playoffs. When the judge uttered “correct,” the audience erupted in cheers.

Much has changed since Bailly himself won the Bee in 1980. The winning words from that bygone era – croissant in 1970, incisor in 1975, luge in 1984 – would make today’s finalists laugh.

Ansun Sujoe, a 2014 co-champion whose sister Hephzibah reached this year’s finals, said that just five years later, he barely recognizes the event. “What I went through at this phase was two rounds and it lasted less than two hours,” he said. “This lasted five hours. It tells you how much smarter these kids are. My sister knew way more words than I do, and I was like, ‘Wow, good job!’”

Experts say many of the contestants who made it to the final 50 have personal coaches and spent practically every waking hour studying in preparation for this moment. The result is an unprecedented field of master spellers.

Another game-changing development is the new invitational program known as “RSVBee,” now in its second year. In the past, spellers reached the national event only by winning a regional bee and securing a sponsor, often a newspaper, to cover expenses. But with the advent of RSVBee, which supplied 292 of this year’s 565 contestants, families who can afford a $1,500 entry fee – plus six nights at the $300-a-night Gaylord and other expenses – can bypass the traditional path to the Bee.

“It’s made the field balloon in an unprecedented way,” said Shankar, who is also the author of “Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z’s New Path to Success,” adding that the pay-to-play model may “change the character of the Bee and who gets here.” But she noted that even the kids who compete under the aegis of a sponsor typically have the help of a paid coach, “so it’s rare that you see someone of really humble means making it here anymore.”

Scott Remer, a New York-based tutor and author of a spelling bee textbook, coaches three of the 16 finalists. He said winning the Bee takes more than rote memorization. His students study word roots and how to spell sounds in Latin, Greek, German, Japanese and several other languages.

“A good speller knows a lot of words,” Remer said. “A great speller is able to spell pretty much any word that you throw at them because they’re able to use this process to break the word down and come up with a very well-educated guess.”

The Spelling Bee opens in school and the winners go on to contests at the next levels and those champions go to the national competition, along with some who meet other criterion for selection. The Spelling Bee is open to students in eighth grade and below.

In addition to children from all the 50 US states, students also participate from the Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea.

Shankar Mahadevan To Enthrall Audience At AAPI’s 37th Annual Convention in Atlanta

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Atlanta, GA: Shankar Mahadevan, the popular award winning Bollywood playback singer is all set to take the delegates by storm during the 37th Annual AAPI Convention & Scientific Assembly to be held from July 3rd to July 7th, 2019 at the fabulous and world famous Omni Atlanta at CNN Center and Georgia World Congress Center, Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) announced here. Shankar Mahadevan and his troupe will perform live at the much anticipated AAPI’s annual convention enthralling over 2,000 delegates from across the nation, who are expected to attend the Convention.

“AAPI’s Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly offers an exciting venue to interact with leading physicians, health professionals, academicians, and scientists of Indian origin,” said Dr. Parikh. “Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year.”

An accomplished musician in Bollywood world, Shankar is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that provides music to Bollywood films. Though a software engineer by profession and having worked with Oracle Corporation, Shankar’s interest in music made him venture into the field of music. He got his first award as a playback singer in Chennai film music, collaborating with A. R. Rahman and winning a National Film Award for his song in Kandukondain Kandukondain. Since then, he has given hundreds of enchanting numbers to the Bollywood world. The grand finale of the AAPI convention will be by Shankar Mahadevan and his team, who will take the audience to the memory line of Bollywood music on the final night, before a packed audience.

Dr. Naresh Parikh, who assumed charge of this premier ethnic organization representing 100,000 physicians and residents a year ago, gave credit to the support of AAPI executive committee, hard work of local Chapter members, and the organizing committee chaired by Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, Chairman of the Convention.  “Credit for the success of the Convention goes to the entire national organizing committee, AAPI executive committee, and Board of Trustees and all the AAPI members,” he said.

The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter. In addition to offering over 12 hours of cutting edge CMEs to the physicians, CEOs Forum, fabulous entertainment, and women’s leadership forum. The convention will be addressed by senior world leaders, including US Senators, Presidential candidates, Nobel Lauretes, Governors, Congressmen, and celebrities from the Hollywood and Bollywood world.

Dr. Sreeni Gangasan says, “This convention has been always one of the much awaited events of the year, there will be an Educational session with CME by world renowned faculty, full entertainment by Bollywood celebrates, Women’s Forum, CEOs Forum, Obesity Awareness Walk, many religious/cultural Activates and many more.”

Sadhguru, recognized around the world for his pioneering efforts to nurture global harmony, will lead an Isha Foundation Spiritual Forum during the Convention. some of the major themes as part of the CME sessions include: Pursuit of Happiness In Medicine; Burnout Prevention and Wellness in Physicians; Easy Life of a Hospitalist: An Illusion; and, Meditation and Mindfulness. Other themes at the CME include: Combining Ancient Sciences and Modern Medicine in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases; Mysteries of Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians – the Unresolved Questions; and, Cardio-oncology: Clinical Practice and Echocardiography.

Founded in 1982, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin representing a conglomeration of more than 80,000 practicing physicians in the United States, is the largest ethnic organization of physicians. In addition, it also serves as a platform for more than 40,000 medical students, residents and fellows of Indian origin in this country. The AAPI YPS/MSRF (Young Physicians Section/Medical Students’ and Residents’ Forum) runs under the main AAPI umbrella to give representation to them. 1 in every 7 people in the USA is touched by the care of a physician of Indian origin at any given time.

For 37 years, AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine. “Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!” said Dr. Naresh Parikh. For more details, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit:  www.aapiconvention.org   and www.aapiusa.org

Modi Leads BJP To A Landslide Win In Indian Election

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Editorial, India, Politics 0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide victory in the world’s largest election as voters endorsed his vision of a muscular, assertive and stridently Hindu India. The election results represent a stunning mandate for Modi and his new Team of Ministers, who are entrusted with the task of leading the nation in the next five years.

Modi, a charismatic and polarizing politician who towers over his rivals, led the BJP to a stunning and historic victory in the Lok Sabha battle, with the ruling party itself winning 303 seats in a marked improvement over its 2014 showing that left the Opposition dazed and demoralized.

For the second successive Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has managed to cross the halfway mark of 272 seats — where it had won 282 seats in 2014, this time, it won 21 more seats to finish with 303 seats. The BJP-led NDA won 348 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats where polling took place in a seven-phase election. The development sent the Sensex breaching the 40,000-mark as India Inc celebrated.

No Indian prime minister has returned to power with a similarly large mandate in nearly five decades. Modi’s win is a victory for a form of religious nationalism that views India as a fundamentally Hindu nation and seeks to jettison the secularism promoted by the country’s founders. While India is roughly 80 percent Hindu, it is also home to Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and other religious communities.

Modi first swept to power five years ago on a desire for change and the belief that he would transform this country of more than 1.3 billion people, unshackling the economy and creating millions of jobs. Unemployment has risen to a 45-year high and there are worrisome signals that Indian consumers are buying less, slowing the broader economy.

Such expectations remain unfulfilled, but in this election, Modi pushed a message of nationalist pride and told voters he was the only candidate who would safeguard the country’s security and combat terrorism.

Nearly 900 million people were eligible to vote in the six-week long election. The election results represent a tectonic shift that cements the BJP’s dominance of Indian politics under Modi’s leadership. “Something fundamentally has shifted” with this vote, said Milan Vaishnav, who heads the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The BJP “has emerged as the hegemonic force in Indian politics.”

The Indian National Congress, the country’s main opposition party, had a disastrous showing for a once-mighty political force that governed India for most of its post-independence history. Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi clan, failed to find a strategy to counter Modi’s appeal. Gandhi was unable to retain his own seat in the Congress stronghold of Amethi.

Gandhi, the Congress party leader, tried to dent Modi’s dominance. He attacked Modi for threatening the secularism promoted by the country’s founders and for failing to create jobs for millions of young people or to help struggling farmers.

Modi struck back, calling Gandhi the scion of a corrupt dynasty. Gandhi’s father, grandmother and great-grandfather all served as prime ministers of India (the family is not related to independence leader Mohandas Gandhi).

The opposition had “neither a program, nor a leader, nor a narrative,” Pavan Varma, a spokesman for a regional party aligned with the BJP, told the Indian television channel NDTV. The BJP, meanwhile, had Modi as a candidate and a potent election machine, he said. It also had more money than any other party in the race by several orders of magnitude.

Modi’s supporters exulted at the outcome. “It’s nothing short of a landslide,” wrote Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu on Twitter, calling the result a political tsunami that had swept the country. Indians have “voted for a clear, unambiguous choice,” he wrote. Several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping, congratulated Modi on his victory as votes were still being counted.

While Modi focused the election debate on national security – particularly after a terrorist attack in February in Kashmir – the next government’s major challenges promise to be economic. Bread-and-butter issues “got very little time and space” in this election, said Puja Mehra, the author of a new book on the Indian economy. Modi was “able to sway voter attention [away] from the economic hardships they faced” and toward issues central to his campaign, such as national security, religion and the importance of strong leadership.

Modi also benefited from considerable popularity among voters, many of whom view him as a corruption-free politician. The son of a tea seller, Modi comes from humble roots and rose through the ranks of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a group that seeks to make India a “Hindu nation.”

As chief minister of the state of Gujarat, Modi modernized infrastructure and successfully courted investment by domestic and foreign businesses. In 2002, he presided over the country’s worst communal violence in decades, when more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed by Hindu mobs. Members of his own party wanted him to resign.

Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, reports of violence by Hindu extremists have increased, including lynchings in the name of protecting cows, which some Hindus consider sacred. Some Muslims say they are increasingly fearful about the country’s direction. In the election campaign, senior BJP leaders engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Modi’s decisive mandate means that India will move further toward becoming a majoritarian democracy, said Suhas Palshikar, a political scientist and columnist. “It is not so much that the formal institutional structure will change,” he said. “What will change are the social and cultural values in the society.” Religious minorities will be “reduced to secondary citizens” while Hindu nationalists “have free play.”

Two months before voting began, a suicide bomber killed 40 security Indian security forces in the disputed region of Kashmir. Modi launched a retaliatory airstrike on an alleged terrorist training camp within Pakistan, an unprecedented step for India.

There is no proof the strikes killed any militants. In the confrontation that followed, an Indian pilot was captured by Pakistan and six Indian soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash now believed to be a case of friendly fire. But on the campaign trail, Modi repeatedly cited the strikes as proof of his government’s unique ability to combat terrorism and his toughness in matters of national security.

After the official campaigning period ended, Modi went to a Hindu pilgrimage site high in Himalayan mountains where he prayed and mediated overnight in a cave, an exercise in piety broadcast across the nation.

Cricket World Cup 2019 Dhoni, Rahul hit tons as India beat Bangladesh in World Cup warm-up

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India eased to a 95-run victory over Bangladesh in their final World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday after centuries from Lokesh Rahul and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped them post a mammoth total of 359.

Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first but, despite removing openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma cheaply, they failed to take advantage of bowler-friendly conditions in the morning session in Cardiff.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli scored 47 off 46 balls with five boundaries before Rahul and Dhoni added 164 runs in a fifth-wicket stand.

The partnership came to an end with the dismissal of Rahul, who finished with 108 off 99 balls with 12 fours and four sixes.

Rahul made the squad as a back-up opener but he is also competing for the number four spot alongside all-rounder Vijay Shankar and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik.

“The biggest positive from today was the way KL batted at number four,” Kohli said. “He is such a class player.”

Former captain Dhoni reached his century off 73 balls and went on to score 113 before losing his wicket to left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan in the final over.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya made a 21-run cameo to take the total to 359-7.

Bangladesh openers Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar made a steady start to the run chase before they were rattled by Jasprit Bumrah’s double strike in the 10th over. Sarkar was caught behind for 25 and Shakib perished to a perfect yorker for a first-ball duck.

Das (73) and Mushfiqur Rahim (90) offered some resistance with a 120-run partnership for the third wicket but they failed to step up the scoring rate against India’s wrist spinning duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs.

Das was dismissed by Chahal in the 32nd over, triggering a batting collapse as Bangladesh went from 169-2 to 216-8.

Both Chahal and Yadav finished with three wickets each as Bangladesh were bowled out for 264.

Kohli was pleased with his bowling unit ahead of their tournament opener against South Africa on June 5.

“Bumrah got us the breakthrough and Chahal and Kuldeep got us six wickets,” he said.

“In the second half (in the coming matches), the ball might turn a little bit but initially the ball will swing and seam, which will be the most important phase.”

India general election 2019: What happened?

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

After a long and arduous election, with months of campaigning and voting spread over seven phases, India’s 879 million voters have spoken. And, if not with one voice, then close to it. The Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been handed another historic mandate.

Modi’s 2014 victory was already record-setting — the first time a single party had attained a parliamentary majority in three decades. To win once at that scale was astounding, a black swan event. To win twice means that Indian politics, and India itself, has changed beyond recognition.

For the first decades after independence, India was a democracy but nevertheless a one-‘party state. The Indian National Congress, the party that spearheaded the independence movement, dominated most states and had a stranglehold on power in New Delhi. It was voted out once in 1977, after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi turned towards authoritarianism and was punished by a united opposition. Still, not until the 1990s did the party enter a permanent decline.

At that point, India ushered in an era of coalitions. A patchwork of regional, caste-based and ideologically distinct parties held the balance of power. It’s no surprise that this period also coincided with the growth of the private sector following the liberalization of the economy in 1991. Parties with no monopoly on the state are less likely to seek purely statist solutions.

Modi’s successive victories mark another era of Indian politics. No other political chieftains are holding the balance of power; only Modi matters. Back in the days of one-party rule, a sycophantic Congress politician said of his leader: Indira is India. That was hyperbole. But no politician since Indira Gandhi has had as powerful a claim to be identified with India’s conception of itself as Modi now does.

How has he earned that claim? Multiple explanations for the BJP’s victory have already been trotted out: the organizational strength of the party, its vast advantages in money and resources, the covert and overt backing of supposedly independent institutions — all hallmarks of democratic strongmen globally. Others will point to the weakness of the opposition and its crisis of leadership, or to Modi’s reputation for incorruptibility, his muscular foreign policy and the popularity of some of his welfare schemes.

All these, of course, are factors. But they didn’t determine this election. Neither did the economy. Regardless of the official figures for gross domestic product growth, the economy is under-performing. It’s rare anywhere in the world for incumbents to increase their political strength under such circumstances.

No, India has proved Bill Clinton wrong: It’s identity, stupid. This election was fought and won over identity — the identity of India and the identity of Indians.

Modi is the perfect representative for the young, aspirational, majoritarian, impatient Indians who have put him into office twice now. An overwhelming number of these 400 million voters see in him a self-made man, one who has every intention of asserting India’s centrality to world affairs. More, he appears strong and decisive, and wishes to impose a unity and uniformity on Indian politics. This clarity is comforting for most of his core voters.

The India of the past saw itself as a patchwork of competing identities, represented by the multiple powerful satraps of the coalition era and by the many factions within the umbrella tradition of the Congress prior to that. The BJP, under Modi, permits no such balancing. India is strong if it is united, Modi’s voters feel, and unity requires the welding of these multiple identities into a single one.

Hyper-nationalists on Twitter, as well as cabinet ministers, attack Modi’s opponents as the “tukde-tukde” gang — literally, those who want to break India into pieces. The BJP’s electoral logic has long been incredibly simple: Over four-fifths of India is Hindu and the BJP is the party that best represents Hindu interests. If most Hindus vote for them out of religious solidarity rather than on economic, class or caste interests, then the BJP will win.

The truth is that this is increasingly what Modi and the party have achieved. Their triumph isn’t merely a product of political management. It is a rhetorical and ideological battle, a culture war, which they have won.

All bets are off about India’s future. The West has long seen this country as a natural ally: one that has similar liberal institutions, is outward-looking and acts modestly on the global stage. But that is not the India wanted by the voters who have twice now demonstrated their loyalty to Modi so dramatically. Just as Indians are looking at themselves and their country anew, so the world will have to recalibrate its assumptions about India.

  • From just two seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to winning two back-to-back majority in general elections, the BJP now firmly occupies the position of dominance that the Congress once held. The 300+ seats BJP has won in 2019 is the saffron party’s highest ever Lok Sabha tally. It had won 282 seats in 2014.
  • Narendra Modi is the first non-Congress (and third ever) prime minister in India to return to power after a full five-year term.
  • In at least 21 states and Union Territories, the BJP has the highest vote share making it a truly pan-India party. BJP’s vote share in rural areas was higher (39.5%) than in urban constituencies (33.9%), which means BJP isn’t just a city-based party either.
  • The BJP won more than 50% votes in 224 of the 446 seats it contested compared to 136 in 2014. Together with its allies, the party won more than 50% of the votes in 15 states and UTs. In 10 states and UTs, the NDA won all the seats.
  • In the Hindi heartland, the BJP got over half the votes in 141 of the 198 seats it contested. At least 15 of its candidates won with a margin of over 5 lakh votes. BJP’s victories in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh come within six months of it losing assembly polls in these states. That’s unprecedented.
  • The party not only kept its core states – the Hindi heartland, Gujarat and Maharashtra – but also posted its biggest victories in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and the northeast. Only Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh appeared untouched. Even in Telangana, the BJP won four seats.
  • In 2014, the BJP had won 171 of 185 seats in UP, MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Gujarat. In 2019, though it won a fewer number of 158 seats in these states, its tally outside these states (which account for 358 seats) went up from 111 in 2014 to 142 this year. The BJP also retained over 80% of the seats it won in 2014.
  • In 2014, BJP’s vote share had gone up by more than 20% in 104 seats making them ‘Modi wave seats’. In 2019, the party has retained 96 of these, making them ‘double wave‘ seats.

BJP Overseas Supporters Celebrate Party’s Win

Staff ReporterCommunity, Editorial, India, Politics 0

After a four-month campaign from 12,000 kilometres away for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA, known as OFBJP, celebrated BJP win in Indian elections in 20 cities across the United States—from Boston to San Francisco.

BJP supporters from Massachusetts gathered at Brookside Club House in Andover, MA, to celebrate the victory. Overseas Friends of BJP-USA President Krishna Reddy Anugula said celebrations were planned in 20 cities across the United States, including New York, Washington, Chicago and San Francisco.

Anugula told the media that over 1,000 volunteers from his organization participated in phone bank call-a-thons that made more than 1 million calls to people in India asking them to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

During the four months before the elections, the OFBJP also held yagnas, “Chowkidar Marches” and other programs to encourage Indian citizens here to support Modi and to boost the party’s image in India, he said.

As the election trends started trickling in starting at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday night (local time), the OFBJP and the US-based station TV Asia began an overnight election watch in Edison, New Jersey, he said. About 400 Indians and Americans kept vigil overnight watching the results at a community center.

The group in a statement said: “Overseas Friends of BJP-USA congratulates Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party President Amit Shah, BJP leaders, millions of volunteers and volunteers of OFBJP and NRIs4Modi across the globe who toiled hard for this stupendous victory.”

“Millions of voters, including first time voters have participated enthusiastically in this world’s largest democratic elections to elect an able and proven leader, Narendra Modi,” it said.

Reddy asserted that although the BJP did not make a sweep of his home state of Telangana, his party was emerging as the main challenger to the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) improving its position both in the number of votes and seats.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the defeat of the Telugu Desam Party showed that the people of the state were ready for change and a corruption-free administration. It presented the BJP future opportunities there, he said.

TV Asia, the largest India-oriented TV operation in the US, held a marathon overnight coverage of the Indian elections for its viewers across the US, News Director Rohit Vyas told IANS.

The news operations, which are separate from the company’s community outreach and is politically independent, had representatives of both the OFBJP and the Overseas Indian Congress, as well as Indian community leaders on its programme analysing the elections, he added.

New India votes for good governance Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

The re-election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a strong mandate is a reflection of emergence of New India. By re-electing BJP and NDA, people of India have endorsed the good governance of Prime Minister Modi, his developmental policy based on Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas and his strong national security policy which has zero tolerance to terrorism.

People of India has shown the door to the opposition party’s negative politics and vetted the positive energy and politics of Prime Minister Modi. It shows that they have no faith in a politics that is based on lie and deception, which was the key aspect of electoral campaign of the Congress-led opposition parties.

In five years 2014-2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set  a high bar of leadership and governance. In just five years, India has become a bright spot of global economy and a world power that can no longer be ignored. In the next five years Prime Minister Narendra Modi would put fast track India’s development. Under Narendra Modi, I am sure, world’s largest democracy would soon become among world most powerful country and top three global economies.

We non-resident Indians (NRIs) are proud of India’s achievements. It’s a no mean achievement that 1.3 billion people have peacefully elected their leader for the next five years. Now that the elections are over, I hope, the opposition parties would respect the mandate of the people of India. And instead of making baseless allegations against EVMs, opposition parties would join Prime Minister Modi in achieving the aspiration and ambitions of New India.

What foreign media said about Modi’s victory

Staff ReporterCommunity, Finance/Economy, India, Politics 0

As India gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a historic mandate with the ruling BJP returning to power in the Lok Sabha, here’s how the foreign media covered Modi’s victory.

The UK’s Guardian in an editorial said that the landslide win for Modi will see “India’s soul lost to a dark politics – one that views almost all 195 million Indian Muslims as second-class citizens”.

“The biggest election in history has just been won by one man: Narendra Modi. In 2014 the Bharatiya Janata party won an absolute majority for the first time in its history… Despite a spluttering economy five years later, Modi seems certain to have expanded his parliamentary majority. This is bad news for India and the world,” the editorial stated.

Though the daily called Modi a “undoubtedly a charismatic campaigner”, it said that “rather than transcend the faultlines of Indian society – religion, caste, region and language – Modi’s style is to throw them into sharp relief”.

“He is a populist who speaks in the name of the people against the elite despite being a seasoned public figure. Modi deployed with terrible effect false claims and partisan facts,” the article said.

Pakistani daily Dawn in an editorial said that “communal politics in India has triumphed in an age that will define the future of the republic”.

“The results are astounding, and depressingly show that religious hatred and sectarian politics can be exploited to lure voters.” The daily said that the “focus must now turn to a practical way forward for sustainable peace in the subcontinent”.

The News International said that Modi won because the Congress allowed him to.

“If Modi has won despite the long history of failures on the economic front, bad governance and the open war on religious minorities, it is because the opposition, especially the Congress, allowed him to.

“If the BJP and Modi have won this election, they perhaps deserved to win. They put in a great deal of hard work and have had the hunger to win.

“While we cannot ignore the epic lies, obfuscation, jingoism and hate that the BJP used against Indian Muslims and Pakistan to win this election, you have to acknowledge that the opposition failed to call Modi’s bluff and expose his failures on every front,” it stated.

Author Pankaj Mishra in a piece for the New York Times said: “Over five years of Modi’s rule, India has suffered variously from his raw wisdom, most gratuitously in November 2016, when his government abruptly withdrew nearly 90 per cent of currency notes from circulation.

“From devastating the Indian economy to risking nuclear Armageddon in South Asia, Modi has confirmed that the leader of the world’s largest democracy is dangerously incompetent.”

“India under Modi’s rule has been marked by continuous explosions of violence in both virtual and real worlds,” the opinion piece said.

“Modi’s appointed task in India is the same as that of many far-right demagogues: To titillate a fearful and angry population with the scapegoating of minorities, refugees, leftists, liberals and others while accelerating predatory forms of capitalism.”

Author Vivan Marwaha, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post said: “Despite a record-high unemployment rate, a slowing economy and widespread agrarian distress, Indians overwhelmingly decided to give Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party a second chance to put the country back on track.”

“The slowdown in economic growth could still have emerged as a possible flashpoint during the elections. But the February suicide attack on Indian paramilitary forces in Pulwama and the government’s subsequent response – which included ordering air strikes on a terrorist camp in Pakistan – helped marshal vast amounts of support for Modi,” he said.

The BJP targeted the Indian millennials, who have largely grown up with social media, as carefully designed memes praising Modi went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp praising him for the terror strikes.

He said Modi was voted back to power as the “young Indians believed they had no credible alternative”. (IANS)

Shankar Mahadevan To Enthrall Audience At AAPI’s 37th Annual Convention in Atlanta

Staff ReporterCommunity, Entertainment 0

Atlanta, GA: Shankar Mahadevan, the popular award winning Bollywood playback singer is all set to take the delegates by storm during the 37th Annual AAPI Convention & Scientific Assembly to be held from July 3rd to July 7th, 2019 at the fabulous and world famous Omni Atlanta at CNN Center and Georgia World Congress Center, Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) announced here. Shankar Mahadevan and his troupe will perform live at the much anticipated AAPI’s annual convention enthralling over 2,000 delegates from across the nation, who are expected to attend the Convention.

“AAPI’s Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly offers an exciting venue to interact with leading physicians, health professionals, academicians, and scientists of Indian origin,” said Dr. Parikh. “Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year.”

An accomplished musician in Bollywood world, Shankar is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that provides music to Bollywood films. Though a software engineer by profession and having worked with Oracle Corporation, Shankar’s interest in music made him venture into the field of music. He got his first award as a playback singer in Chennai film music, collaborating with A. R. Rahman and winning a National Film Award for his song in Kandukondain Kandukondain. Since then, he has given hundreds of enchanting numbers to the Bollywood world. The grand finale of the AAPI convention will be by Shankar Mahadevan and his team, who will take the audience to the memory line of Bollywood music on the final night, before a packed audience.

Dr. Naresh Parikh, who assumed charge of this premier ethnic organization representing 100,000 physicians and residents a year ago, gave credit to the support of AAPI executive committee, hard work of local Chapter members, and the organizing committee chaired by Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, Chairman of the Convention.  “Credit for the success of the Convention goes to the entire national organizing committee, AAPI executive committee, and Board of Trustees and all the AAPI members,” he said.

The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter. In addition to offering over 12 hours of cutting edge CMEs to the physicians, CEOs Forum, fabulous entertainment, and women’s leadership forum. The convention will be addressed by senior world leaders, including US Senators, Presidential candidates, Nobel Lauretes, Governors, Congressmen, and celebrities from the Hollywood and Bollywood world.

Dr. Sreeni Gangasan says, “This convention has been always one of the much awaited events of the year, there will be an Educational session with CME by world renowned faculty, full entertainment by Bollywood celebrates, Women’s Forum, CEOs Forum, Obesity Awareness Walk, many religious/cultural Activates and many more.”

Sadhguru, recognized around the world for his pioneering efforts to nurture global harmony, will lead an Isha Foundation Spiritual Forum during the Convention. some of the major themes as part of the CME sessions include: Pursuit of Happiness In Medicine; Burnout Prevention and Wellness in Physicians; Easy Life of a Hospitalist: An Illusion; and, Meditation and Mindfulness. Other themes at the CME include: Combining Ancient Sciences and Modern Medicine in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases; Mysteries of Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians – the Unresolved Questions; and, Cardio-oncology: Clinical Practice and Echocardiography.

Founded in 1982, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin representing a conglomeration of more than 80,000 practicing physicians in the United States, is the largest ethnic organization of physicians. In addition, it also serves as a platform for more than 40,000 medical students, residents and fellows of Indian origin in this country. The AAPI YPS/MSRF (Young Physicians Section/Medical Students’ and Residents’ Forum) runs under the main AAPI umbrella to give representation to them. 1 in every 7 people in the USA is touched by the care of a physician of Indian origin at any given time.

For 37 years, AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine. “Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!” said Dr. Naresh Parikh. For more details, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit:  www.aapiconvention.org   and www.aapiusa.org

Key facts about Asian origin groups in the U.S.

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, Editorial, Education, Travel 0

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing major racial or ethnic group in the United States. More than 20 million Asians live in the U.S., and almost all trace their roots to 19 origin groups from East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Significant differences exist by income, education and other characteristics among the nation’s largest 19 Asian origin groups. These differences have been central to debates about how much data governments, colleges and other groups should collect about Asian origin groups, and whether it should be used to shape policies.

Here are some key differences between Asian origin groups in the U.S. and how they compare with Asian Americans overall.

1Six origin groups – Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese – accounted for 85% of all Asian Americans as of 2015. These groups together largely shape the overall demographic characteristics of Asian Americans. The remaining 13 origin groups each made up 2% or less of the nation’s Asian population. These groups have a variety of characteristics that can differ greatly from the largest groups.

2About half of Asians in the U.S. ages 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or more in 2015, a higher share than other races and ethnicities, but this share varies greatly by origin group. Those of Indian, Malaysian or Mongolian origin, for example, were more likely than other Asian origin groups to have at least a bachelor’s degree. By comparison, fewer than 20% of Cambodians, Hmong, Laotians and Bhutanese had a bachelor’s degree or more. Roughly a third of all Americans ages 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or more.

The differences in educational attainment among origin groups in part reflect the levels of education immigrants bring to the U.S. For example, 72% of U.S. Indians had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2015. Many of them already had a bachelor’s degree when they arrived in the U.S. with a visa for high-skilled workers, such as an H-1B visa. Half of H-1B visas, which require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, have gone to Indians since 2001.

3Seven-in-ten U.S. Asians ages 5 and older speak English proficiently. Large majorities of Japanese (84%), Filipinos (82%) and Indians (80%) spoke English proficiently in 2015. By contrast, Bhutanese (27%) and Burmese (28%) had some of the lowest rates of English proficiency.

4Income inequality is rising more rapidly among Asian Americans than other racial or ethnic groups, reflecting wide disparities in income among Asian origin groups. Asian households in the U.S. had a median annual income of $73,060 in 2015, higher than the $53,600 among all U.S. households. Only four Asian origin groups had household incomes that exceeded the national median for Asian Americans overall: Indians ($100,000), Filipinos ($80,000) and Sri Lankans and Japanese (both $74,000). By contrast, most of the other 15 origin groups were well below the national median for Asian Americans, including the two with the lowest median household incomes – Nepalese ($43,500) and Burmese ($36,000).

5As with education and income, poverty rates vary widely among Asians in the U.S. Asians overall had a poverty rate of 12.1% in 2015, 3 percentage points lower than the U.S. poverty rate (15.1%). Bhutanese (33.3%) and Burmese (35.0%) had the highest poverty rates among all Asian origin groups – more than twice the national average and more than four times the poverty rates among Filipinos and Indians (both 7.5%).

6Immigrants make up a higher share of some Asian origin groups than others. Among all Asians in the U.S., nearly six-in-ten were foreign born in 2015, significantly larger than the immigrant share among Americans overall (13%) and other racial and ethnic groups that same year.

Some Asian groups arrived as immigrants more recently than others. For instance, 85% of Burmese in the U.S. are foreign born, and many of them arrived as refugees starting in 2007. Eight-in-ten Burmese immigrants (81%) have been in the country for 10 years or less.

But not all U.S. Asian groups have high foreign-born shares. For instance, the first Japanese immigrants came to the U.S. in the 19th century as plantation workers in what is now the state of Hawaii. More recently, fewer Japanese immigrants have arrived to the U.S. compared with other Asian origin groups. This history is reflected in the low share of Japanese Americans who are immigrants (27%). Additionally, among Japanese immigrants, two-thirds (64%) have been in the country for more than 10 years.

7Among Asian immigrants, 58% have become U.S. citizens, though naturalization rates vary widely. Nearly eight-in-ten Hmong and Vietnamese immigrants are U.S. citizens (77% and 75%), the highest shares among U.S. Asian groups. Differences in naturalization rates reflect how long immigrants have lived in the U.S. Large numbers of Vietnamese and Hmong arrived in the U.S. as refugees starting in the 1970s and have had more time to naturalize. By contrast, many Bhutanese have arrived in the U.S. as refugees starting in 2008 (98% of Bhutanese immigrants have been in the U.S. for 10 years or less) and only 6% have naturalized, the lowest share of any group.

For more information on Asians in the U.S., see Pew Research Center’s detailed fact sheets for each national origin group and the methodology for the analysis.

Exit polls predict second term for India’s PM Narendra Modi

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India, Politics 0

If the results of exit polls are to be believed, the BJP led National Democratic Alliance is all set to make a clean sweep at the recently held India’s elections to the Parliament. Private polling commissioned by Indian media outlets points to a second term for the incumbent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although, given the patchy record of these polls, which have been wrong in past elections, we won’t know for sure until later this week.

It is, however, interesting to note that the most enthusiastic results have been thrown up by exit polls conducted in association with media houses who are perceived widely as cheerleaders of the Modi regime.

But if Modi does return to power, what might Modi 2.0 mean for India? One way of trying to answer that question is to compare campaign 2019 to the one that unfolded five years ago.

In 2014, when Modi first ran for national office — he was already a major regional figure by then, running western Gujarat state for over a decade — his campaign was dominated by his promises to usher in a sort of economic renaissance: Modi spoke of reforms to, among other things, make India an easier place to do business, make it better at generating jobs for the millions of young Indians who enter the workforce each year and to clean house to stamp out corruption.

All exit polls released at the conclusion of the seven-phase 17th general election predicted a second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. Most polls indicated minor to considerable setback for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh where it won 71 of 80 seats in 2014, but they were in agreement that the party would firmly hold on to its strongholds in the north and west and make considerable gains in West Bengal.

In southern States barring Karnataka, the BJP is projected to trail far behind opponents. The Congress and its allies are projected to make significant gains compared to the historic low they hit in 2014, but will end up some distance away from the halfway mark of 272 seats in the 543-strong Lok Sabha, according to these polls.

The polls predicted between 242 to 365 for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and between 77 and 164 for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Parties that are unattached to either side, which include the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) whose coalition in Uttar Pradesh is resisting the BJP, could get between 69 and 125 seats, according to various polls.

Exit polls have a long history of going wrong in India. According to Praveen Chakravarty, chairperson of the Congress Data Analytics Department, who compared exit polls with actual outcomes posted on Twitter: “~80% of exit poll seat predictions for all parties in large state elections since 2014 are wrong.” Exit polls are generally considered more accurate than opinion polls conducted before actual voting.

Around the world also, the credibility of opinion polls and exit polls has taken a beating in recent years. Almost all polls in the Australian election last week got the outcome wrong, and similar was the fate of polls during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Brexit. But what is common between these polls that went wrong was that all of them under-reported the support for conservative and ultra-nationalist positions. Indian exit polls on Sunday uniformly predicted a massive surge in favour of the Hindu nationalist BJP.

The exit poll projections indicate that Mr. Modi’s campaign to turn the election into a referendum on his persona rather than the performance of his five-year term has been successful.

First up is the News 18-IPSOS poll, the results of which say that the NDA is all set for a landslide victory bagging as many as 336 seats with BJP contributing a lion’s share of 276! This poll has restricted the UPA’s tally to a meager 82. The anchor of the show was seen merrily flying over a CGI globe in a VFX helicopter while the results popped up on screen!

 Next up is the Republic-CVoter poll that says that the NDA will get 287 seats while the UPA will be reduced to 128. It gives the Mahagathbandhan 40 seats and others 87. But, interestingly, Republic has another poll with Jan Ki Baat, according to which the NDA will bag between 295-315 seats, while the UPA will win between 122 and 12 seats. The BJP alone is set to score between 254 and 274 seats according to this poll. It is still not clear why they needed to conduct two polls. Not to be outdone by News 18’s helicopter, panelists on Republic’s show drove into the studio in swanky cars!

 Another poll that enthusiastically predicts the return of the Modi regime is the Times Now VMR poll that gives the NDA 306 seats, while says that the UPA could win as many as 132 seats. Cocking a snook at News 18’s helicopter and Republic’s cars, Times Now roped in a blue CGI Iron Man to do somersaults as results popped up!

 The India Today-Axis poll gave BJP and allies a whopping 339-365 seats, while giving the Congress and allies 77-108 seats. The News 24-Chanakya poll is meanwhile predicting a clean sweep for the Modi regime, especially in the heartland with wins in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi. Meanwhile, the News X Neta poll gives the NDA 242 seats while it gives the UPA 162 seats. It gives the SP-BSP-RLD 43 seats while giving others 88 seats.

 While almost all polls have written off the Mahagathbandhan, the ABP-Nielen poll is sticking its neck out and predicting a huge victory for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, predicting they will win 56 seats! Over all this poll says NDA could win as many as 267 seats, while the UPA will cobble up 127 seats, leaving others with 148 seats.

 TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee has rubbished the exit poll results as gossip, tweeting, “I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together.”

 Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha also echoed similar sentiments in his tweet saying,T”he silent voter will be king on May 23 rd 2019. The ‘fear factor’ playing havoc with respondents to pollsters in an ugly polarized election. Ridiculous #ExitPolls , almost laughable. UPA > NDA when the ‘real counting’ happens.”

But given how miserably exit polls have missed the mark in the past, it is best to exercise caution while accepting these results. Also, few journalists today have the grace to apologise like NDTV chief Pronnoy Roy did in November 2015 for getting the Bihar results wrong.

In his brilliant analysis of how and why exit polls get it wrong in The New Indian Express, Shankkar Aiyar writes, “… exit polls can overstate the case of vocal voters and miss the silent vote—and in India, there is an another factor, false responses driven by fear of retribution. Also, a higher turnout can skew assumed weightages, leading to erroneous calls on trajectory and/or tally.  In fact, the impact is aggravated when the data is drilled to deliver outcomes at a granular level.” He cites examples on 2004 and 2009, when pollsters got the trajectory and tally wrong. Aiyar further explains, “Exit polls also tend to get it right when there is a clear edge for one side at the outset of the election. On the flip side, exit polls can go haywire in close contests and when a thin sample is extrapolated to generate conclusions.”

In an age where many a newsroom has dedicated itself to being a mouthpiece of the ruling dispensation, equating in the process all voices and acts of dissent as anti-national, it may be surmised that the declaration of positive results is perhaps their way of keeping their political masters happy and curry whatever last few favours they can till the actual results are declared.

GOPIO-CT holds PUBLIC FORUM for ELECTD OFFICIALS IN CONNECTICUT

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Education, Finance/Economy 0

Indian Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty and Deputy Consul General Shatrugna Sinha were hosted by the Connecticut chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) on May 3rd in Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut. Arriving at 2.30 p.m.. Consul General Chakravorty called on to Stamford Mayor David Martin at the Govt. Center in Stamford, along with GOPIO-CT President Anita Bhat, Past Presidents Shailesh Naik and Shelly Nichani and Treasurer Biru Sharma. Later in the afternoon, both called on to Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling along with GOPIO-CT officials and Norwalk’s Indian community leaders including Raj Misra and Anna Duleep as well as representatives of Norwalk’s Sikh Gurudwara.

The discussions were very cordial with both mayors and there were agreements on many new initiatives. Consul General Chakravorty very graciously offered to send various artists and performers from India visiting the USA to come and do shows in both the cities Stamford and Norwalk.  Both the Mayors offered full help and cooperation to facilitate such performances. Both mayors and the Consul General are interested in student exchange programs and the Consul General will further work in the same.

 Most importantly the Consul General made an offer to the Norwalk Mayor Rilling and the Sikh community to hold a grand 550th Anniversary of Guru Nanakjis birth anniversary. He will contact some eminent academician to come and give a talk on the life of the Guru. This was a major accomplishment and a tribute to our Sikh community. Mayor Rilling offered his full support. GOPIO-CT also proposed an India section at the Norwalk public Library which Mayor Rilling agreed and the Consul General has offered to provide books.

On the economic front, both mayors would like to invite Indian companies to consider Stamford and Norwalk to open their US destination. In this regard, Stamford Mayor Martin will take assistance from the Indian Consulate to invite Indian companies to business expo and investment seminars in Stamford. GOPIO-CT will facilitate such efforts.

Consul General Chakravorty also had a very good discussion with Congressman Jim Himes who is a leading member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Congressman Himes is very supportive of India’s interests and values. CG Chakravorty also had a very informative discussion with Connecticut State Senator Bob Duff, the Majority Leader in Conn. Senate.

In the evening a reception was held at Hampton Inn for the many leaders of Indian diaspora in Connecticut to meet and greet Consul General Chakravorty and Deputy Consul General Sinha. GOPIO-CT President Anita Bhat welcomed the guests. GOPIO-CT Treasurer Biru Sharma moderated the session. Connecticut House Representative Matt Blumenthal, who represents Stamford, also joined the dinner meeting. Rep. Blumenthal was very appreciative of the contribution by the Indian American community in Connecticut.

Consul General Chakravorty gave a very descriptive talk on the election in India and how the country is a well-established democracy.  A Q&A session followed where the participants asked questions and expressed their concerns. A donation of $2000 was made to Future 5, an organization in Stamford that takes underprivileged students from local high schools and tutor them in the hours after school.

Trump’s New Merit-Based Immigration Plan

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Politics, Travel 0

US President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to reform the nation’s immigration system, intended to favor high-skilled immigrants and restrict family-based migration. President Trump unveiled an outline for reshaping how immigrants are admitted into the country — seeking to promote a more comprehensive approach to immigration ahead of a reelection campaign in which Democrats plan to portray his hard-line approach at the border as racist.

The new proposal, an effort led primarily by his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, appears destined for the congressional dustbin, with no clear strategy from the White House to turn it into law and essentially no support from Democrats who control half of Capitol Hill.

Currently, about two-thirds of the 1.1 million people allowed to migrate to the nation each year are given green cards granting permanent residency because of family ties. Trump’s plan, which does not add protections to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients, is expected to draw little support from Democrats who have railed against the administration’s lack of support for so-called “Dreamers,” who were brought to the United States as children by undocumented parents.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed the proposal as “condescending,” signaling that Democrats would not support legislation that does not include a pathway to citizenship. “They say family is without merit — are they saying most of the people that come to the US in the history of our country are without merit, because they don’t have an engineering degree,” Pelosi asked at her weekly press conference on Thursday.

But the White House and its allies on Capitol Hill have emphasized that the plan — few details of which have been publicly released — is primarily to showcase the kind of immigration that Trump and Republicans can support ahead of next year’s elections.

“We are proposing an immigration plan that puts the jobs, wages and safety of American workers first,” Trump said from the White House Rose Garden in front of an audience of Cabinet officials and GOP lawmakers. “Our proposal is pro-American, pro-immigrant and pro-worker. It’s just common sense.”

The president’s bid to sketch out a vision that could appeal beyond his conservative base represented a potentially risky shift at a time when he is eyeing a tough reelection campaign in which he believes immigration will play a major role.

Speaking at the White House, Trump on Thursday said that his plan aims to create a “fair, modern and lawful system of immigration for the US”, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The biggest change we make is to increase the proportion of highly skilled immigration from 12 per cent to 57 per cent, and we’d like to even see if we can go higher,” Trump said. “This will bring us in line with other countries and make us globally competitive.”

“We cherish the open door that we want to create for our country. But a big proportion of those immigrants must come in through merit and skill,” said the president, noting that immigrants, under the plan, will also be “required to learn English and to pass a civics exam prior to admission.”

According to the White House, the proposal would tighten family-based migration to focus on allowing nuclear families who migrate to the US, rather than extended family members.

The effort, championed by Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, also focuses on beefing up border security. Trump has claimed that the nation is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers and sought to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico by declaring a national emergency so as to bypass Congress and unlock billions of US dollars in funding.

 The new White House proposal does not change the net level of green cards allocated each year, but rather prioritizes high-skilled workers over those with family members who are U.S. citizens. It would allow applicants to rack up eligibility based on factors such as age, ability to speak English, job offers and educational background under what Trump called a new “Build America” visa.

But the proposal also sidesteps some major components of the nation’s immigration system that can be far more complex and controversial to resolve, such as the fate of the estimated 11 million immigrants without legal status and visas for temporary, low-skilled workers — issues that have divided the Republican Party and pit the business community against labor unions.

Vision-Aid’s Revathy Ramakrishna is Woman of the Year 2019

Staff ReporterCommunity, Editorial, India, Women 0

Revathy Ramakrishna, who was bestowed Woman of the Year Award 2019 by an independent panel of nine judges, said that this award is less about her and more about the cause she is so passionate about: Vision-Aid. The 17th Annual Woman of the Year Awards Gala, which was organized by INDIA New England News on Friday at Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA, was attended about 500 people. World-class Carnatic Music Teacher Tara Anand received the Lifetime Achievement Award 2019.

“On behalf of all the volunteers and visually impaired beneficiaries of Vision-Aid, I gratefully accept the award,” said Ms. Ramakrishna. “I feel so very grateful and honored to be selected from such a talented pool of nominees. When I read the profiles of, and met the other 19 nominees, I honestly thought each of them was so much more accomplished than I was. This decision to confer this award on me was less about me and more about the cause I am so passionate about – Vision-Aid.”

“It was inspiring to learn about the many amazing things our nominees have accomplished.  It was a privilege to celebrate them all. As an Indian American, it makes you proud to know that their contributions are making a difference not only in our community but also far beyond,” said Ms. Chandra. “Their work spans the preservation of our cultural roots, working with non-profits in several realms, excellence in the fields of law, business and medicine, to much needed work in refugee resettlement, domestic violence and gender issues.”

She said the committee was thrilled to honor Vision-Aid’s Ms. Ramakrishna. “We are thrilled to honor Revathy Ramakrishna as the India New England Woman of the Year, 2019.  She demonstrates focus and passion for an idea she has nurtured for over 15 years along with her professional accomplishments and service work in the local community.  The impact of her work at Vision Aid to empower and rehabilitate thousands of visually impaired individuals speaks for itself.  It can easily be said that in her case the whole is so much greater the sum of the individual parts,” said Ms. Chandra. “While we could only select one winner in a field with a lot of depth, we wanted to recognize two other individuals – Meena Ramamurti and Meena Subramanyam – who received an honorable mention for their terrific professional achievements and their ability to stitch our community together in magical ways.”

Ramakrishna serves as the volunteer Vice-President for Vision-Aid, a non-profit organization that serves the visually impaired by enabling, educating and empowering them to live their lives with independence and dignity. Vision-Aid has blossomed into an organization which has offered enablement, rehabilitation and skills training programs for thousands of blind and visually impaired across 10 locations in India, besides also running several programs online through the Vision-Aid Online Academy. Ramakrishna dedicated the Woman of the Year Award to visually impaired and volunteers of Vision-Ad.

Judges also selected two out of 20 Outstanding Women for Honorable Mentions: Meena Subramanyam, a scientist and an accomplished Bharatanatyam artist and teacher and Vice President and Global Program Leader in the gastroenterology therapeutic area unit at Cambridge, MA-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals; and Meena Ramamurti, Vice President at the Shishu Bharati School of Indian Languages and Culture.

Ramakrishna, the 2019 Woman of the Year, is an electronics engineer and health informatics professional by training. She works as a Program Manager at Fresenius Medical Care North America, a premier health care company focused on delivering the highest quality care to people with chronic renal conditions. She has been with the company for over 10 years and oversees the Government Reporting and Clinical Informatics program related to specific CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control) government mandated quality and reimbursement initiatives that are aimed at improving the quality of health care and patient outcomes.

Her analytical and technical background, subject matter expertise and communication and collaboration skills help her liaise as effectively with the Medical Office, Clinicians and business team as with the IT and technical teams to build consensus among diverse viewpoints and build high quality systems.

Ms. Ramakrishna says that she feels privileged to serve Vision-Aid alongside so many other community leaders and volunteers and be in the front-row seat of this amazing cause which aims to bring independence and dignity to the visually impaired while also creating a more inclusive world for them through our advocacy efforts.

“I am very passionate about this cause because I have personally experienced the immense challenges posed by visual disability faced by members of my family and have also seen first-hand how these can be mitigated and overcome, when a supportive environment is provided,” says Ms. Ramakrishna. “Unfortunately, even today, in developing countries like India, too many people still lack this kind of support and are turned away when their impairment cannot be cured by modern medicine and surgery.

“When my husband and I first started Vision-Aid it was a small organization running out of my husband’s home town in Vizag, India, benefiting people in that region. At the present time, it is gratifying to see its more expansive scope,” says Ms. Ramakrishna. “In 2019, Vision-Aid is bringing light into the lives of over 1000 visually impaired in 10 different locations across India each year. Our partners include the Aravind Eye Care system, the largest eye care system in the world, Sankara Netralaya of Chennai, Nethra Blind Schools in Hyderabad and Vizag and other leaders in the field.”

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta rules against Trump in fight over president’s financial records

Staff ReporterCommunity, Politics, U.S. 0

President Trump on Monday lost an early round of his court fight with Democrats, after a federal judge ruled the president’s accounting firm must turn over his financial records to Congress as lawmakers seek to assert their oversight authority.

Trump called the 41-page ruling from U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta of Washington, D.C. “crazy” and said he would appeal, adding: “We think it’s totally the wrong decision by obviously an Obama-appointed judge.

Lawyers for the president are fighting document and witness subpoenas on multiple fronts, and Mehta’s ruling came hours after former White House counsel Donald McGahn was directed not to appear before a congressional committee seeking testimony about his conversations with Trump.

Congressional Democrats have vowed to fight for evidence of potential misconduct by Trump and those close to him, and the president’s legal team is broadly resisting those efforts. How those fights play out in court in the months ahead could impact the 2020 presidential race.

In his decision, Mehta flatly rejected arguments from the president’s lawyers that the House Oversight Committee’s demands for the records from Trump’s accounting firm, Mazars USA, were overly broad and served no legitimate legislative function.

“It is simply not fathomable,” the judge wrote, “that a Constitution that grants Congress the power to remove a President for reasons including criminal behavior would deny Congress the power to investigate him for unlawful conduct — past or present — even without formally opening an impeachment inquiry.”

Trump has argued those congressional inquiries are politically motivated attacks on the authority of the presidency, while Democrats insist the subpoenas are essential to ensuring no president is above the law.

When the lawsuit was first filed, Trump’s private attorney Jay Sekulow said the president’s team “will not allow Congressional Presidential harassment to go unanswered.”

The company said in a statement that it will “respect the legal process and fully comply with its legal obligations.”

While Democrats scored the first court victory in the fight over the president’s financial records, it’s unclear how many of these disputes will reach higher courts, or how those courts might rule.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the ruling “lets America know that we have ground to stand on and that we have a legitimate argument and the courts support them. . . . I’m glad it was a strong decision, that bodes well hopefully in the future for an appeals process.”

Mehta’s ruling threw historical shade at Trump, drawing comparisons to former president James Buchanan, whom historians have blamed for failing to prevent the Civil War and is generally considered one of the country’s worst leaders. He, too, complained bitterly about “harassing” congressional inquiries.

Judge Mehta noted that Congress also launched an investigation into the conduct of President Bill Clinton before he entered the White House.

“Congress plainly views itself as having sweeping authority to investigate illegal conduct of a President, before and after taking office,” he wrote. “This court is not prepared to roll back the tide of history.”

The judge gave the White House a week to formally appeal the decision, adding “the President is subject to the same legal standard as any other litigant that does not prevail.”

An appeal could test decades of legal precedent that have upheld Congress’ right to investigate — a legal battle that is just one part of a broader effort by House Democrats to examine Trump’s finances, his campaign, and allegations he sought to obstruct justice in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation.

In the Mazars case, Mehta cut down Trump’s lawyers’ complaint that Congress was usurping the Justice Department’s powers to investigate “dubious and partisan” allegations of private conduct, by inquiring into whether Trump misled his lenders by inflating his net worth.

Rather, Mehta said, a congressional investigation into illegal conduct before and during a president’s time in office fits “comfortably”with Congress’ broad investigative powers, which include an “informing function,” or power to expose corruption.]

Trump, his three eldest children and companies also are attempting to block a subpoena, issued by the House Financial Services Committee, seeking Trump’s bank records from Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp. A federal judge in Manhattan is set to hear that case Wednesday. The pace of the president’s legal fights with Congress is intensifying.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said Monday that his panel will vote Wednesday to enforce its subpoena for the redacted portions of Mueller’s report, along with certain underlying materials.

Schiff accused the Justice Department of granting Republican lawmakers’ document requests and denying demands from Democrats.

“The refusal by the department, if it persists, will be a graphic illustration of bad faith and a unwillingness to cooperate with lawful process,” Schiff said.

On Monday, the Justice Department issued a formal legal opinion saying that McGahn, the former top White House lawyer, could not be required to appear before lawmakers in response to a congressional subpoena.

Democrats subpoenaed McGahn to testify Tuesday morning, hoping he would become a star witness in their investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice. As detailed in Mueller’s report, McGahn provided critical testimony about several instances of potential obstruction by Trump.

“The Department of Justice has provided a legal opinion stating that, based on long-standing, bipartisan, and constitutional precedent, the former counsel to the president cannot be forced to give such testimony, and Mr. McGahn has been directed to act accordingly,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement. “This action has been taken in order to ensure that future presidents can effectively execute the responsibilities of the office of the presidency.”

The 15-page legal opinion written by Assistant Attorney General Steven A. Engel argues McGahn cannot be compelled to testify before the committee, based on past Justice Department legal memos regarding the president’s close advisers.

The memo says McGahn’s immunity from congressional testimony is separate and broader than a claim of executive privilege.

The immunity “extends beyond answers to particular questions, precluding Congress from compelling even the appearance of a senior presidential adviser — as a function of the independence and autonomy of the president himself,” Engel wrote.

Trump told reporters the action was taken “for the office of the presidency, for future presidents. I think it’s a very important precedent. And the attorneys say that they’re not doing that for me, they’re doing it for the office of the president.”

Those comments underscore the high stakes of Trump’s current standoff with Congress — if either side loses a legal ruling by an appeals court, or the Supreme Court, the reverberations could be felt far beyond the Trump administration, changing the balance of power between the executive and the legislative branches of government for years to come.

In the fight over McGahn’s testimony, the Justice Department insists that immunity from testimony does not evaporate once a presidential adviser leaves the government because the topics of interest to Congress are discussions that occurred when the person worked for the president.

As a private citizen, McGahn is not necessarily bound by the White House directive, or the Justice Department memo, to refuse to comply with the subpoena. There was no immediate word from McGahn’s lawyer on whether he would comply with or defy the White House.

The move to bar McGahn from answering lawmakers’ questions angered House Democrats eager to hit back at what they view as White House stonewalling. The defiance raises the possibility that the House will hold McGahn in contempt of Congress, as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) has threatened.

“It is absurd for President Trump to claim privilege as to this witness’s testimony when that testimony was already described publicly in the Mueller report,” Nadler said in a statement. “Even more ridiculous is the extension of the privilege to cover events before and after Mr. McGahn’s service in the White House.”

An increasing number of Democrats also want to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) last week privately downplayed the possibility and encouraged her members to focus on their policy agenda.

Some Democrats believe opening an impeachment inquiry will strengthen their hand in trying to force the White House to comply with document requests and witness testimony, including McGahn’s.

House Democrats were hoping to make McGahn their key witness as they seek to unpack the findings of the Mueller report — particularly regarding questions of whether Trump obstructed justice.

India’s child mortality rate was world’s highest in 2015

Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, India 0

At 47.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, India in 2015 had more deaths among children under five than any other country, new research has found.

This is despite the great progress the country has made in reducing child mortality. During 2000-2015, the annual mortality among children under five came down from 2.5 million in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2015, said the study published in the journal Lancet Global Health.

The country had, however, large disparities in the under five mortality rate between richer and poorer states.

The highest mortality rate, in Assam, a state in northeastern India, was more than seven times that in the western state of Goa.

Although most under five deaths were due to preterm complications, preventable infectious diseases featured prominently as causes of death in higher-mortality states.

“India can accelerate its reduction of under five mortality rates by scaling up vaccine coverage and improving childbirth and neonatal care, especially in states where mortality rates remain high,” said study co-lead author Li Liu, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US.

For the study, the researchers analysed state-level Indian data on the causes of death among children under five for the years 2000-2015.

In 2017, India’s under-five mortality rate matched the global average (39 deaths per 1,000 live births), according to a report released on September 18, 2018, by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. (IANS)

Fewer U.S. babies were born in 2018 than in any year since 1986

Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, Women 0

With American women increasingly delaying having children, fewer U.S. babies were born in 2018 than in any year since 1986, according to provisional datafrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

About 3.7 million babies were born in the U.S. last year, 2% fewer than in 2017, according to the NCHS. Birth numbers fell across racial groups, with declines charted among white, black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian women.

In 2018, the U.S. saw not only a 32-year low in total births, but also a record-setting dip in national fertility rates. Based on 2018 data, a group of 1,000 women would be expected to have 1,728 babies in their collective lifetimes, the data say—well below the 2,100 required to replace aging generations without accounting for immigration and emigration, according to the NCHS.

The report, however, deals only with a snapshot in time and may not represent “births foregone. It’s simply births that have been postponed,” says Brady Hamilton, a statistician demographer at the NCHS and lead author of the new report. “Women generally do have, in the end, two children”—they may just have them later in life than did women of previous generations.

In other words, the data don’t suggest that Americans are actually getting less fertile, biologically, says Hans-Peter Kohler, a sociology professor at the University at Pennsylvania who specializes in fertility and was not involved in the NCHS study. Instead, Kohler says, the declining birth rates seem to be driven mostly by sociological reasons, as couples choose to delay starting a family so they can stay in school or the workforce longer, either by choice or out of financial necessity. The NCHS’ latest numbers support that theory: Birth rates fell for younger age groups, but rose slightly for women ages 35 to 44.

Population replacement is an important marker of a country’s public and economic health. If the number of older adults dying and aging out of the labor market is far larger than the number of babies born to eventually take their place, a country’s economy and social services can become unsustainable. But compared to other countries of similar socioeconomic status, like Japan and many in Europe, Kohler says the U.S.’ birth rate is keeping relatively good pace with its rate of population aging. “At the moment, there is no need to panic or see these trends as overly dramatic,” Kohler says.

In fact, some of the trends detailed in the NCHS report “are welcome news” for public health, Hamilton says, like the 7% decline in teen birth between 2017 and 2018—enough for the teen birth rate to hit a new record low, even afteryears of declines.

That’s good, of course, because most teenage pregnancies are “mistimed” or “unwanted,” Kohler says. He notes that the downturn in birth rates for teenagers likely reflects more widespread use of effective and long-lastingforms of contraception, perhaps due to expanded access under the Affordable Care Act.

5th Annual Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund Awardee Reception 69 Nonprofits Received Capacity Building Support from NYC Council

Staff ReporterCommunity, Finance/Economy, Youth 0
For the fifth consecutive year, the New York City Council has announced its support and commitment to investing in nonprofits through the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund. CCNSF, the first fund of its kind in New York City, was first announced in Fiscal Year 2015 to grant New York City-based nonprofits the support needed to increase capacity building for emerging and seasoned social services organizations.

69 community based organizations throughout New York City will receive transformative grants to support and create critical functions, provide economic stimuli and capacity building support to emerging and seasoned social services organizations.

 

These CBOs offer a varying array of services to New Yorkers, and are being funded to address a comprehensive menu of infrastructural needs including leadership development, financial management, and outcomes system development, among others. A representative from NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s office, NYC Councilmember Andy King, a representative from NYC Councilmember Adrienne Adams, NYC Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, the coordinating organizations for the Fund, and representatives from the 69 awardees gathered for a reception at Hispanic Federation on May 16th, 2019.

The coordinating organizations – Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, Hispanic Federation, New York Urban League and Asian American Federation have been critical in leveraging dedicated nonprofit funds from the City Council. To date, $7.5 million has been committed to the Fund, which addresses the need for capacity-building funding for nonprofit organizations in communities of color. The monies have had a considerable impact on the sustainability, growth and prosperity of many organizations providing crucial services to the most vulnerable communities in New York City.

CCNSF was championed by NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson and has broad support among Council Members including the Black- Latino and Asian Caucus. Oversight of the funding is provided by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD).

Through a competitive Request for Application (RFA) process, independent expert allocation committees with knowledge of the nonprofit sector and the capacity building challenges they face, utilized rigorous vetting methods to select grant awardees. Grants were awarded by the partner agencies in three separate funding streams, whose allocations were determined by U.S. Census data. Each awardee was carefully selected to utilize funds to grow capacity, address challenges, and equip communities.

The awardees are community-based organizations from all five boroughs. They offer a varying array of services to New Yorkers, and are being funded to address a comprehensive menu of infrastructural needs including leadership development, financial management, and outcomes system development, among others. In addition to awarding the capacity building awards, the coordinating organizations will conduct several trainings on board development, financial management and fundraising for the awardees.

“For the past 5 years, the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) continues to provide important capacity building support and resources to Asian Pacific American (APA) organizations. This fund has enabled us to invest and strengthen nonprofit organizations that provide valuable social services to all New Yorkers. The APA community is the fastest growing population in New York but receives minimal resources. CCNSF is an opportunity to counter this disparity and build capacity within our communities,” said Anita Gundanna, Co-Executive Director, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families.

Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Director, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families said, “CCNSF has strengthened APA-led community organizations across New York City that provide the most effective culturally competent and language accessible services. We thank Speaker Corey Johnson and the support of New York City Council for investing in the organizations that provide the most impactful services to address our community’s needs, but also employ many from our community. We look forward to City Council’s continued partnership to strengthen our communities.”

Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of the Asian American Federation said, “As one of the original partners who advocated for the creation of CCNSF, we are thrilled to see another 69 organizations serving communities of color throughout New York City receive this critical funding to build their capacity. Our communities are best served by community-based organizations that have deep roots and trusted relationships in their communities, so we must invest in their growth and stability if we hope to meet the needs of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. We look forward to working with the City Council to continue to support these important nonprofits.”

“We are thrilled and thankful to the New York City Council for committing to the development and prosperity of New York City’s nonprofits” said José Calderón, Presidentof the Hispanic Federation. “Now in its fifth year, it’s clear that CCNSF has strengthened over 210 organizations providing critical services to our city’s residents. The Fund is a model on how we can work together to ensure the long-term viability of organizations that are the cornerstones of communities all throughout New York City. Now more than ever, we need a robust CCNSF, and we look forward to the City Council’s continued support.”

Ekal Vidyalaya Fundraiser A Huge Success

Staff ReporterCommunity, Women, Youth 0

The annual musical fundraiser held by the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA New England Chapter featured a great musical group that entertained the audience beautifully while helping raise funds to support the holistic development of villages in remote rural India.

The event was held at the Ashland High School in Ashland, MA on Sunday May 12.  Women volunteers draped in special uniform sarees (bought at Sree Sai Vogue) and male volunteers wearing uniform jackets welcomed the audience.  The lobby was beautifully decorated by Aneesha Karody and featured some beautiful paintings from the Ekal Artist Raksha Soni.  Following the lighting of lamps by some of the early and strong supporters of Ekal, the event opened with a welcome by Dr. Subra Dravida , the president of the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA, New England chapter.

Dr. Dravida highlighted the work that Ekal does in over 86000 rural remote villages.  Using education, health and skill training as the three focused areas of intervention, Ekal is working to bring about integrated village development.  The concerted efforts to make a difference resulted in Ekal Vidyalaya winning the Gandhi Peace Prize, which is the highest honor given to an Non-Profit organization by the government of India.

In keeping with the Mother’s day theme, the EMCEEs for the evening were the mother-daughter team of Sudha Subbaraman and her daughter Vamsi who did a stellar job mceeing the event.  The heartbeats group presented several Bollywood numbers. The music was stellar and the audience was rocking through the performance.

A pledge drive was conducted to raise funds for schools. Motivating speeches presented by Manorama Chaudhury and Sachin Goel inspired the members of the audience to give. Ram Nehra, one of the founding members of Ekal New England was given the Ekal Ratna award for his service to Ekal by Dr. Subra Dravida and Puran Dang, Chairman Emeritus for Ekal New England. Ekal Youth Leader, Sanjana Krishna was honored for her tremendous commitment to the cause by Ekal Youth Program director Anuradha Upneja and former Ekal New England President Parveen Minocha. Latha Krishnan, the VP for Ekal New England presented the vote of thanks.

The event was followed by dinner. The attendees overwhelmingly applauded the event as one of the finest musical evenings in New England.

For more information on Ekal, please check out their website at http://ekal.org. 

Non Violence on Lord Mahavir and Gandhi birth anniversaries

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, U.S. 0
International Ahimsa Foundation USA celebrated Non Violence “A Message of Lord Mahavir” on his 2618th birth anniversary and also commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The event was held at the Consulate General of India in New York, The Master of Ceremonies were Shanie Persaud, Adeen and Shelly Jain. The event began with the American National Anthem sung by Shruti Goyal and followed by the Indian National Anthem by melodious Dr. Smita Guha.
Over 200 guests attended the event from the Indian American community, foreign press, and diplomatic missions and consulates from Italy, Bangladesh, Japan, Georgia and Indonesia.
The evening was graced by distinguished special guests. Among them were the Hon. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Guest Speaker Professor Lawrence A. Babb of Amherst College, Jessica Schaowski, Mayor’s office representative, Hon. Assemblyman David Weprin, and Hon. NYS Senator John Liu, Hon. NYS Senator Kevin Thomas and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney who introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to posthumously present the Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi in recognition of his promotion of nonviolence, said Gandhi has been a “truly inspirational leader, historic figure”.
Mahatma Gandhi was “transformational in so many ways” and an inspiration to all Americans and people across the world, Maloney said. She said Mandela and King both attributed their philosophy of non-violence and their leadership to Mahatma Gandhi and both are recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal.
“Already Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King have received the Medal. It’s only right that the inspirational leader for both of them was Mahatma Gandhi and so he should receive this award,” Congresswoman added.
Ms. Maloney, who spearheaded efforts to have the US Postal Service issue the first Diwali Stamp, urged members of the Indian-American community to reach out to the Congress members and friends across the nation to co-sponsor the legislation to honor Gandhi with the Congressional medal.
“We are working to get the Senate sponsor. We must pass it this year and honour his leadership and his gift to the world,” she said, adding that “we should all work together and have a day of National Service in this special year for Gandhi and to remember him, she said.
“There is not enough that we can do to remember and say thank you to Gandhi for his life’s work, for his gift of non-violent ways of handling problems.” Gandhi brought independence to India with non-violence and recognizing his contributions to values in America, Ms. Maloney said she introduced the bill last year to give him the greatest honour that can be bestowed by the US Congress on an individual.
The medal will “honour his leadership” and his gift to the world of inspiring with his principles of non-violence, Maloney echoed. Other keynote speakers were the Hon, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty and Samani Malay Pragyaji and Samani Neeti Pragyaji of Jain Vishwa Bharati of North America.
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty said Gandhi himself was deeply influenced by the work and principle of civil disobedience of American poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, emulating it in his life. “Gandhi was deeply influenced by Thoreau and it shows in his life and work. Our freedom fighters were also deeply influenced by the American independence movement and the Constitution,” he said.
Maloney added that India and the US, the world’s largest democracy and the oldest democracies, have several commonalities, share the same values and have been allies across the spectrum. She said that paying homage to the memory and teachings of Lord Mahavir, she said she was not aware that one of Mahavir’s most important message is ‘Live and let live.’ “This slogan is one of the most famous quotes in America.”
The celebration of Non Violence ‘A message of Lord Mahavir and Mahatma Gandhi began with a lamp lighting ceremony with Navkar Mantra by Samani Malay Pragyaji and Samani Neeti Pragyaji joined by the distinguished guest and Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Mrs Taruna Chakravorty and Dr. Neeta Jain, President and Founder of International Ahimsa Foundation.
Dr. Neeta Jain gave welcome remarks and reiterated the importance of Non Violence and teachings of Lord Mahavir and Mahatma Gandhi, now more than ever before, and emphasized why and what motivated her to start the IAF organization.
Dr. Jain, the only female Indian-American elected official in New York City, was recently nominated by the Consul General of India in NY, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, and was honored by the Society of Foreign Consuls in New York, Inc. on International Women’s Day for her tireless work in the South Asian Community. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was the special guest of the evening, joined Consul General Chakravorty and Dr. Neeta Jain, and other distinguished guests in the lamp lighting ceremony.
Consul General Chakravorty was the keynote speaker and Professor Lawrence A. Babb the guest speaker who delivered special remarks and was honored by IAF and CG of India for his scholarship and research work on India. Special remarks also delivered by Jessica Schaowski, the Mayor’s office representative, Hon Assemblyman David Weprin, Senator John C Liu, Kevin Thomas and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Samani Malay Pragyaji and Samani Niti Pragyaji of Jain Vishwa Bharati of North America also delivered special remarks and graced the evening with Shanti Ki Preksha (Peace Meditation) chants along with the guests.
The guests were entertained by colorful cultural performances throughout the evening by artists and performers from Manglastak Rhythm Dance Academy by Angel Shah, Saurya Doshi, Siddharth Doshi and Shiv Ajmeri and Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram Mahatma Gandhi’s prayer song by United Nations International School, directed by Ms. Ellen Cava.
Hon. Judge Deborah Taylor of The Honorable Society of the Inner Temple presented a video telecast commentary on Mahatma Gandhi.
Consul General Chakravorty, along with Dr. Jain and Vice President of IAF Dr. Raj Bhayani honored the dignitaries –NYS elected officials and the distinguished guests from the diplomatic community CG of Bangladesh Sadia Faizunnesa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN Toshiya Hoshino and Mrs. Hoshino, Ms. Annavaleria Guazzieri, Head of Education Section, Consulate General of Italy to NY, Mr. Giampiero Biagioli, Prof of Linguistics at Rutgers University Italian Studies, Civil Servant at Italian Foreign Ministry, Ms. Emanuela Costa, Italian Language teacher, and Selene Candido, Italian language teacher at Scuola d’ Italia with a shawl and IAF Prayer book.
The finale performance Ghoomar was presented by Rhythm Dance Academy. Artists  Khushi Ojha, Jigna Ojha, Nidhi Parikh, Aditi Parikh, Krishna Patel, Jedlina Sarita, Ashmita Saha and Krisha Patel captivated the audience. Vice President of IAF Dr. Raj Bhayani delivered acknowledged the presence of Foreign media from Italy, US, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, China, South Africa, Poland and India.
Dr. Jain gave special thanks to the Consul General and his staff who worked tirelessly and gave unprecedented full support to organize and hosted the IAF Non Violence event and the presence of all elected officials and all guests who were present. The event was generously supported by the media sponsors JITO, JAINA, South Asian Times, TV Asia, PTC, ITV Gold and Parikh Media. The evening began with special Jain vegetarian reception and concluded with Jain vegetarian dinner and desserts
 International Ahimsa Foundation Inc. was formed in 2012 to spread the message of non-violence and peace from Jain principles to the community. The goal of the foundation has been to promote the teachings of non-violence and peace in thought and action by providing dialogue, peace-building activities, and civic engagement across cultures. The Foundation hopes to encourage students and the community at large to get involved in creating a better world

Religious freedom conditions in India on a downward trend in 2018: US Commission Report

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, India, Politics, U.S. 0

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released an annual report that examines the state of religious freedom in several countries around the world, including India. The countries are categorised into two tiers, with India once again being placed in Tier 2, “for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the “systematic, ongoing, egregious” standard for designation as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA),” the report states. In its key findings, it notes that India saw religious freedom conditions continued on a downward trend in 2018, noting that last year, “approximately one-third of state governments increasingly enforced anti-con- version and/or anti-cow slaughter laws discriminatorily against non-Hindus and Dalits alike.”

The report adds that, in 2018, “approximately one-third of state governments increasingly enforced anti-con- version and/or anti-cow slaughter laws discriminatorily against non-Hindus and Dalits alike,” and notes that Christians were also the targets were mob violence “under accusations of forced or induced religious conversion.” Moreover, the report notes that in cases involving mob violence against a person over false accusations of forced conversion of cow slaughter, “police investigations and prosecutions often were not adequately pursued.”

In its key findings for India, the report takes note of the Supreme Court of India’s highlighting of “deteriorating conditions for religious freedom in some states” in 2018, stating that the court concluded that “certain state governments were not doing enough to stop violence against religious minorities, and in some extreme cases, impunity was being granted to criminals engaging in violence.” The report also highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on these issues, saying he “seldom made statements decrying mob violence,” and noting that “certain members of his political party have affiliations with Hindu extremist groups and used inflammatory language about religious minorities publicly.” These were some of the points the report notes to explain why India was once again termed a Tier 2 country.

The report outlines recommendations to the United States’ government, saying that it should “press the Indian government to allow a USCIRF delegation to visit the country and meet with stakeholders to evaluate conditions for freedom of religion or belief in India”. It calls for working with the Indian government to formulate a years-long strategy to curb religion-driven hate crimes by “pressing state governments” to prosecute public figures, including government officials, “who incite violence against religious minority groups through public speeches or articles.” The recommendations for this strategy also include bolstering the training and capacity of state and central police forces to prevent and punish instances of religious violence, encouraging the passage of the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2018, and assisting the law ministry to work with states to increase prosecution of hate crimes and hate speech targeting religious minorities, among others.

The report says that the conditions for religious freedom have declined in the last decade, stating, “A multifaceted campaign by Hindu nationalist groups like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to alienate non-Hindus or lower-caste Hindus is a significant contributor to the rise of religious violence and persecution.” It notes that in 2017, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) “reported that communal violence increased significantly during 2016,” highlighting that human rights organisations criticised the NCRB last year not adequately including data on mob violence or lynching. Given this, “the NCRB delayed its 2018 report to collect data on nearly 30 new crime categories, which will include hate crimes, lynching, and crimes based on fake news,” the report states.

The report notes that in 2018, Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir told Parliament that 111 people were killed and 2,384 people were wounded in 822 communal clashes in 2017. By contrast, in 2016, 86 people were killed and 2,321 were injured in 703 clashes, the report offers, later adding that independent organisations that monitor hate crimes found that 2018 saw more than 90 religion-based hate crimes that resulted in 30 deaths and many more injuries. However, the report also notes that in December 2018, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that communal attacks had declined 12%, compared to the peak in 2017.

The report also notes how “institutional challenges” have contributed to religious freedom concerns, with “the police and courts overwhelmed,” and highlighting how “worsening income inequality has left more Indians suffering from poverty and has exacerbated his- torical conditions of inequality for certain religious and social minorities.”

The report takes note of anti-conversion laws that are in force in seven states in India, noting that the fundamental right to freedom of religion “includes the ability to manifest one’s beliefs through expression intended to persuade another individual to change his or her religious beliefs or affiliation voluntarily.” The report outlines that in 2018, anti-conversion laws were primarily enforced against Christians and Muslims who were proselytising, and says that religious minority leaders and others were also arrested under these laws. It highlights the case of Hadiya, whose marriage had been embroiled in accusations of ‘love jihad’. The report does not mention this phrase, but takes note of “inflammatory allegations of an organized campaign to coerce Hindu women to marry Muslim men and convert to Islam,” stating that the National Investigation Agency investigated this alleged campaign and eventually concluded that there was no evidence for it. Meanwhile, the report mentions ‘ghar wapsi’ ceremonies, in which those born as Hindus who converted to another religion are converted back, stating that “In some cases, these conversion ceremonies reportedly involve force or coercion,” but noting that it is difficult to determine if such conversions are voluntary or not.

Notably, the report, while discussing the role of Hindutva/Hindu extremist groups, highlights that “moderate and extreme forces within the Hindutva movement point to the rise in the Muslim population from constituting 10 percent of the national population in 1951 to 14 percent in 2011, which in their view necessitates “mitigation” against the growing Muslim community.” It later takes note of the fact that numerous cities have been renamed, such as Allahabad and Faizabad, abandoning the names that had been given during the Mughal period, stating that this “has been perceived as an effort to erase or downplay the influence of non-Hindus in Indian his- tory and as an attack on Muslims within India today.”

The report also discusses cow vigilantism, noting that “cow protection” mobs, “a new phenomenon,” have engaged in more than 100 attacks since May 2015 that have led to 44 deaths and around 300 people being injured. “In 2018 alone, cow protection lynch mobs killed at least 13 people and injured 57 in 31 incidents.” It also takes note of hate crimes against religious minorities, including anti-Muslim rhetoric in West Bengal in April 2018, threats against Christians in Tamil Nadu in October 2018.

Per the report, impunity for large-scale incidents of communal violence persists in India, “without proper accountability or recompense.” Probes and prosecution of those allegedly responsible have been “ineffective” or “absent,” and victims have said that the government has not adequately helped in rebuilding “destroyed neighborhoods, homes, and places of worship.” The report emphasises that while the Supreme Court and fact-finding commissions “have noted common characteristics and causes of such violence, including incitement to violence against religious minorities by politicians or religious leaders,” the failure “to address those common characteristics and causes or to hold perpetrators accountable have contributed to a culture of impunity for such violence.”

Other than incidents and threats that are communal, the report also discusses the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 1976, and details how it has been used to target non-governmental organisations “with missionary and human rights portfolios,” who have been banned from operating in India. It notes that in November 2018, the government “demanded that 1,775 organizations provide further explanation for their failure to submit use of foreign funds over the last six years; these organizations included many non-Hindu religious groups, some Hindu trusts managing major temples, and secular human rights groups.” The report explains that some Hindus, including some “Hindutva extremists,” “perceive Christian missionaries converting Dalits to be particularly threatening, as there are nearly 200 million Dalits in India,” adding, “Many observers assert that it was this fear of mass conversion that led to the 2017 shutdown of Com- passion International, a U.S.-based Christian charity, which provided services to nearly 150,000 Indian children.”

The report also has a section on Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC), which has jeopardized the Indian citizenship of more than four million people. “Widespread concerns have been raised that the NRC update is an intentional effort to discriminate and/ or has the effect of discriminating against Muslims, and that the discretion given to local authorities in the verification process and in identifying perceived foreigners to be excluded from the draft list will be abused,” it notes. It also highlights the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying that “concerns about the targeting of Muslims through the citizenship process were separately exacerbated” by its introduction and passage in the Lok Sabha; the bill, which would have provided citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan “as long as they were not Muslim,” was dropped in the Rajya Sabha in February 2019, after the reporting period.

The report also discusses religious freedom for women, highlighting the Kathua case, in which an eight-year-old child was “abducted, gang-raped, and murdered as a message and threat to her Muslim nomadic community in Kashmir.” It notes that a priest, his son and a special police officer were charged in the case, and other police officials were charged with covering up the crimes. The report notes that while many protested the incident, “several others organized in support of the men charged, including members of the BJP.” It also highlights the Sabarimala Temple case, saying that following the Supreme Court’s ruling that adult women be permitted to enter the temple, “women attempting to enter the temple were physically attacked and others who publicly stated that they would try to enter the temple received hate mes- sages including death threats both online and in-person.”

The report also mentions a handful of positive developments with regards to religious freedom in India, such as the decline in communal violence in 2018, and the Supreme Court’s directive to the state and central governments to tackle mob violence, asking them to “pursue an 11-point plan, including compensation to hate crime victims, fast-tracking prosecutions, assigning senior police officers to deal with communal issues, and other provisions.” The report also mentions some progress in mob violence cases, citing June 2017’s Alimuddin Ansari lynching case, in which 11 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2018. Per the report, the Ministry of Minority Affairs was also granted a 12% increase in its budget.

Separately, Tenzin Dorjee, chair of the USCIRF, wrote a note in which he disagreed that religious freedom in India was deteriorating, stating, “While India must address issues related to religious freedom, I respectfully dissent on the views that India’s religious freedom conditions continued on a downward trend, the government allowed and encouraged mob violence against religious minorities, and some states are involved in ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.’” He notes that in the 30+ years he spent living in India as Tibetan refugee, he “mostly witnessed the best of India and sometimes worst due to intractable interreligious conflicts.” He acknowledges that “religious divides and power struggles” resulted in the Partition of India and Pakistan, and also “contribute to egregious violations of religious freedom and tragedies,” but says that in spite of these concerns, “India exists as a multifaith and secular country.” Dorjee says that as a Tibetan refugee, “the most vulnerable minority among all minorities” in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, where he lived, he “experienced full religious freedom,” citing China’s systematic attacks on the Tibetan community in comparison. Dorjee also highlighted isolated incidents of religious harmony, such as a Muslim village donating land and money to build a Hindu temple, and a Hindu head priest carrying a Dalit youth on his shoulders into the Chilkur Balaji Temple’s inner sanctum amid cheers from a huge crowd. He takes note of Nathowal village in Punjab, where Hindu and Sikh communities helped rebuild an old mosque, and Muslims and Hindus helped work at a Sikh gurudwara. “People in this village reported to the Times of India that they celebrated together annual multifaith festivals such as Diwali, Dusshera, Rakhi, Eid, and Gurupurab,” Dorjee writes, opining that such “stories speak for India’s multi- faith civilization, religious freedom, and interreligious harmony.” He ends with an appeal to the Indian government “to continuously respect religious freedom and strive to promote India as a vibrant country of and for the multifaith people.”

The complete report may be read here. The section on India is on pages 174-181.
https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019USCIRFAnnualReport.pdf

Sadhguru To Lead Spiritual Discourse During AAPI’s 37th Annual Convention in Atlanta

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion 0
(Atlanta, GA: May 10, 2019): Understanding the inherent humanity that unites all nations, religions and cultures, Sadhguru is recognized for his pioneering efforts to nurture global harmony, Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of American association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), said today, while announcing spiritual discourse led by Sadhguru during AAPI’s 37th Convention in New York.
The 37th Annual AAPI Convention & Scientific Assembly will be held from July 3rd to July 7th, 2019 at the fabulous and world famous Omni Atlanta at CNN Center and Georgia World Congress Center. Expected to have a record attendance of more than 2,000 delegates including Physicians, Academicians, Researchers and Medical students, “the annual convention offers extensive academic presentations, recognition of achievements and achievers, and professional networking at the alumni and evening social events,” Dr. Parikh added.
“Having Sadhguru at the Convention with his unique ability to make the ancient yogic sciences relevant to contemporary minds, and act as a bridge to the deeper dimensions of life, will make the convention and the delegates from across the nation richer, in so many ways,” said Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, Chairman of the Convention. “His approach does not ascribe to any belief system, but offers methods for self-transformation that are both proven and powerful,” Dr. Gangasani added.
Named one of India’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru is a realized Yogi and mystic who works tirelessly towards the physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing of all. Sadhguru’s work has deeply touched the lives of millions worldwide through his transformational programs.
“We need to create a culture of Health in society, instead of investing in just healthcare,” Sadhguru says. “What we call feeling healthy, is not just the absence of disease, but having a sense of wholeness within us.  If we feel like a complete being in our body, mind and spirit, that is when we are truly healthy.”
An author, poet and internationally renowned speaker, Sadhguru’s wit and piercing logic provoke and broaden our thoughts and perception of life. Sadhguru has been an influential voice at major global forums including the United Nations, World Economic Forum, the UK House of Lords, TED among many others.
Just as he has stated, “Your success in this world essentially depends on how well you can harness the prowess of this body and this mind,” Sadhguru believes in dedicating his life for the service of humanity. He established Isha Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by over three million volunteers worldwide. From powerful yoga programs to large-scale humanitarian projects for rural upliftment, education for the underprivileged, environmental restoration, as well as holistic and healthy living, the foundation’s activities are designed to create an inclusive culture and establish global harmony.
His fundamental vision is to offer the science of inner wellbeing to every human being – a science vitally helping realize the ultimate potential within. From this vision stem a multitude of projects, programs, and methods, all towards the same aim: to raise every human being to the peak of their potential, be exuberant, all-inclusive, in harmony within themselves and the world.

Perhaps Sadhguru’s mission is most succinctly summarized in his own paradoxical words: “I have no mission of my own. It is just that when you see a certain need around you, you do what you can do – that’s all. But I have a dream, that someday, walking on a street anywhere in the world, I would be able to meet lots of enlightened or realized beings. That would be the greatest blessing to happen to the world.”
As though responding to the growing need: “Physician, heal thyself,” especially when there are growing signs of burn out among physicians, AAPI is focusing on themes such as how to take care of self and find satisfaction and happiness in the challenging situations they are in, while serving hundreds of patients everyday of their dedicated and noble profession.
The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter. In addition to offering over 12 hours of cutting edge CMEs to the physicians, CEOs Forum, fabulous entertainment, and women’s leadership forum. The convention will be addressed by senior world leaders, including US Senators, Presidential candidates, Nobel Lauretes, Governors, Congressmen, and celebrities from the Hollywood and Bollywood world.
Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 37 years, AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.
“Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!” said Dr. Naresh Parikh. For more details, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit:  www.aapiconvention.org   and www.aapiusa.org

International Media Critical of Modi as Elections in India Nearly Concludes

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With the election in the largest democracy in the world, coming to a close and the world is awaiting for the crucial results to the Indian Parliament, the media, across the world, is filled with avidity, giving all sorts of analysis and predicting the outcomes. This election is witnessing a headstrong fight between the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the other opposition parties. While the Congress is trying hard to regain its lost ground, the ‘mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance), dominated by Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has been formed, leaving behind their old rivalry, sheerly to ouster Modi.

Media is playing a very significant role in this election along with allegations of being biased and spreading fake news. Even the global media is intently watching the turnarounds in this election. While Modi is being applauded for improving India’s global status and developing bonhomie with the superpowers, the international media is not all praise for the PM.

Some portions of the media are calling Modi an autocratic leader with his only objective being that of imposing his party’s Hindutva ideology on our secular nation while some are portraying him as the only beacon of home.

American news magazine Time has featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the cover page of its May 20 issue with a headline that may create controversy across India amid the election season. The headline reads “India’s Divider in Chief” that is and carries a caricature of the Prime Minister criticizing Modi.

This title pertains to the article in the magazine, written by Aatish Taseer with the headline “Can the World’s Largest Democracy Endure Another Five Years of a Modi Government?”
The write up compares former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s idea of secularism with the prevailing social “stress” under Modi,” the article read. Besides, the article has also recalled the Gujarat riots that allegedly claimed lives of scores of people.
It is not the first time when the magazine has come with critical commentary about Modi. In its published article in 2012, the magazine described him as a controversial, ambitious and a shrewd politician.
Referring to the 2014 victory, Taseer writes, “The nation’s most basic norms, such as the character of the Indian state, its founding fathers, the place of minorities and its institutions, from universities to corporate houses to the media, were shown to be severely distrusted. The cherished achievements of independent India–secularism, liberalism, a free press–came to be seen in the eyes of many as part of a grand conspiracy in which a deracinated Hindu elite, in cahoots with minorities from the monotheistic faiths, such as Christianity and Islam, maintained its dominion over India’s Hindu majority.
Modi’s victory was an expression of that distrust. He attacked once unassailable founding fathers, such as Nehru, then sacred state ideologies, such as Nehruvian secularism and socialism; he spoke of a “Congress-free” India; he demonstrated no desire to foster brotherly feeling between Hindus and Muslims. Most of all, his ascension showed that beneath the surface of what the elite had believed was a liberal syncretic culture, India was indeed a cauldron of religious nationalism, anti-Muslim sentiment and deep-seated caste bigotry.”

Paradoxically, in the same magazine, there was another article titled, ‘Modi Is India’s Best Hope for Economic Reform,’ wherein the writer, Ian Bremmer, praises Modi for his bold and much-needed reforms like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the biometric identification system- the Aadhar card, strengthening international ties, uplifting the poor through welfare schemes like Ujjwala Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, among others. “.. India still needs change, and Modi remains the person most likely to deliver. He has improved relations with China, the U.S. and Japan, but it’s his domestic development agenda that has done the most to improve the lives and prospects of hundreds of millions of people. Consider what he’s already accomplished during five years in charge,” the article read.

In an Opinion article, titled, ‘Modi Reminds India of Indira Gandhi. Will He Share Her Electoral Fate?’ published in The New York Times on May 8, the writer, Gyan Prakash, draws parallels between Modi and the former PM Indira Gandhi based on their autocratic form of ruling. The writer even goes on to say that the election results will show whether the public continues to accept an autocratic ruler or removes him like Indira Gandhi was defeated in the 1977 elections post-emergency. He further accuses Modi of destabilizing the democratic institutions.

Prakash writes, “Mr. Modi has ruled India with the iron will reminiscent of Mrs. Gandhi. He brooks no dissent and projects the personality cult of a strong Hindu nationalist warrior combating the nation’s internal and external enemies with “surgical strikes….While Mrs. Gandhi resorted to emergency rule to survive a political crisis, Mr. Modi’s regime thrives on Hindu majoritarian militancy. He stokes majoritarian resentments against the minorities to further his rule. Dissent is denounced as treason, and Hindu nationalists deride critics as elites guilty of “rootless cosmopolitanism.”

He further writes, “Riding to power in 2014 with an overwhelming majority for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Modi quickly moved to centralize power. His government bypassed the Parliament and issued ordinances to advance his policies. Civil society organizations have faced investigations. Unqualified Hindu nationalists were foisted on educational and cultural institutions. A law was instituted to exert greater control over the appointment of judges.”

In an interview, with the Financial Times’ South Asia Bureau Chief Amy Kazmin and South Asia Correspondent, Stephanie Findlay, discuss the 2019 elections. They start the interview by saying, “India’s election has turned into an ideological battle pitting an inclusive vision of a multi-faith nation against the view that Hindus should have sway.” They even talk about how the 2014 election was fought on the promise of economic development which clearly wasn’t fulfilled. Thus, Modi is fighting the 2019 elections  on the basis of national security, by creating an atmosphere of threat and promising that the Modi-led government will protect India as it did through the Uri and Balakot strikes. They have further accused Modi of playing the Hindu nationalism card to seek re-election.

Though the global media is divided in its opinion about Modi and his re-election, one thing which is common across all the sections is the lack of alternate leader for the Indian voters which gives Modi an upper hand in this fierce battle. Taseer rightly says, “Modi is lucky to be blessed with so weak an opposition–a ragtag coalition of parties, led by the Congress, with no agenda other than to defeat him.”

This election has become a fight to uphold our Constitutional principles and our democratic institutions. It is a battle to ensure that religion doesn’t overtake the ideals of justice and equality for all. As rightly described by Prakash, “With an authoritarian, hyper nationalist warrior asking for their support, Indian voters are tasked with making a consequential choice for India’s future. As B.R. Ambedkar, the great Dalit leader and the architect of India’s Constitution, once remarked, Indians were particularly susceptible to “bhakti,” or devotion. This was fine in religion, but in politics, he warned, it is “a sure road to degradation and eventual dictatorship.”

Taseer argues that To understand the deeper promptings of this enormous expression of franchise – not just politics, but the underlying cultural fissures – one needs to go back to the first season of the Modi story because only then “one can see why the advent of Modi is “at once an inevitability and a calamity for India.”
He says the India offers a unique glimpse into “both the validity and the fantasy of populism” and “forces us to reckon with how in India, as well as in societies as far apart as Turkey and Brazil, Britain and the U.S., populism has given voice to a sense of grievance among majorities that is too widespread to be ignored, while at the same time bringing into being a world that is neither more just, nor more appealing.”
But Taseer notes that Modi is lucky to be blessed with so weak an opposition – a ragtag coalition of parties, led by the Congress, with no agenda other than to defeat him. Even so, doubts assail him, for he must know he has not delivered on the promise of 2014.
“It is why he has resorted to looking for enemies within. Like other populists, he sits in his white house tweeting out his resentment against the sultanate of “them. And, as India gets ready to give this willful provincial, so emblematic of her own limitations, a second term, one cannot help but tremble at what he might yet do to punish the world for his own failures,” he says.
The article also recalled the Gujarat riots of 2002. Taseer describes Modi’s record on women’s issues as “spotty” and calls Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath a “hate-mongering priest in robes of saffron”.
In the wake of the article, reactions on social media were galore with people commenting in favor or against Modi depending on their political persuasions with some calling it a biased article against Modi’s popular government while others welcoming it as an objective thoughtful essay on the divisive politics of the Modi era.

France strongly supports India for UN SC Permanent Member

Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0
India and nations like Germany, Brazil and Japan are “absolutely needed” as permanent members of a reformed and enlarged UN Security Council to better reflect contemporary realities and the addition of these key members to the UN high-table is among France’s “strategic” priorities, the French envoy to the UN has said.
India is at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for the long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasizing that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.
“In terms of policy, France and Germany have strong policy which is to work together to enlarge the Security Council and to succeed in terms of the negotiations that should lead to the enlargement of the Security Council that we consider absolutely needed to better reflect the world as it is. There is no question about it,” France’s Permanent Representative to the UN François Delattre told reporters here last week.
Speaking along side German envoy to the UN Christoph Heusgen at the end of Germany’s Presidency of the Council for April, Delattre emphasised that France considers that “Germany, Japan, India, Brazil and a fair representation of Africa in particular are absolutely needed at the table to get towards a fairer representation of the Security Council. This is for us a matter of priority.”
He underlined that Paris believes the enlargement of the Security Council with the addition of a few key members is “one of our strategic priorities.”
Noting that when France and Germany launched their alliance for multi-materialism, he said it signifies that the two nations strongly believe in the UN as the core of today’s global governance and that they strongly believe in “multi-lateralism and means that we are actively working to reform and in some respects to refound, reinvent multi-lateralism so that it is really efficient for the decades to come.”
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, speaking at the informal meeting of the Plenary on the Intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council earlier this year, had said that on the issue of ‘Categories of Membership’, a total of 113 Member States, out of 122 who submitted their positions in the Framework Document, support expansion in both of the existing categories specified in the Charter.
“In short, more than 90 per cent of the written submissions in the document are in favour of expansion in both categories of membership specified in the Charter,” he had said.
Akbaruddin had said that while reform at the UN is a process rather than an event, “there is no process known to us here that has traversed winding pathways in the manner as this process of the Reform of the Security Council.” “In terms of inertia too, it has no peer. While the world is not what it was when we began the process, the objections to moving forward remain the same. While the global challenges of the 21st century have multiplied, we remain divided even about the process to adopt in order to move forward,” he had said.
France has maintained that if the crises of recent times have confirmed the centrality of the UN, they have also reinforced the need to make the organisation more effective and more representative of the current balances in the world.
“That is why France pushes for the expansion of the Security Council by supporting the accession to a permanent seat of Germany, Brazil, India, Japan, as well as a greater presence of African countries,” according to the Permanent Mission of France.

Wisconsin Honors Sikhs at Temple Where 6 Were Killed in 2012

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This year, Wisconsin joined Colorado, Utah, Washington and Connecticut in passing first-time resolutions. These states joined others that have previously issued proclamations like California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Additionally, 33 local proclamations and resolutions were passed, including first-time recognitions in Salt Lake City, UT; Lexington, KY; Olathe, KS; and more. Many of these successful initiatives were supported by the Sikh Coalition, putting Sikh community leaders in direct touch with their elected officials on both sides of the political aisle.
Nearly four million Americans were wished a “Happy Vaisakhi” by their own elected officials through social media posts that the Sikh Coalition worked to facilitate in time for April 14th.

Last week, the Governor of Wisconsin visited the Oak Creek sangat at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin to deliver the first-ever statewide proclamation declaring April Sikh Awareness & Appreciation Month. Gov. Tony Evers chose the Oak Creek gurdwara to honor and remember the victims, including my father-in-law, when six of our own were killed by a gunman with neo-Nazi ties on August 5, 2012.

A Milwaukee-area Sikh temple where a white supremacist fatally shot six parishioners in 2012 hosted Wisconsin’s governor Tuesday to make April Sikh Awareness and Appreciation month in the state.
The celebration had been months in the making but came at a time when houses of worship have been targets of violence recently. On Saturday, a gunman opened fire in a California synagogue where about 100 people were celebrating the last day of Passover, killing one and injuring three others. Last month, 50 people were killed during attacks at mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch .
Saturday’s attack is on the minds of parishioners in Oak Creek, but they say they’re not deterred. “There’s always a bit of fear when something like this happens,” said Pardeep Kaleka, 42, one of the parishioners at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. “But at the same time … that’s what faith really is. It’s to have courage in times when you do feel fear. I think we’re more excited than anything else.”
The national Sikh Coalition in New York has gotten 33 Sikh Awareness and Appreciation proclamations so far, including some from states, counties, cities, and school districts. The latest in Oak Creek has special significance because of its tragic past.
On Aug. 5, 2012, a gunman killed six parishioners and injured four others at the Oak Creek gurdwara — what Sikhs call their temples of worship. Kaleka’s father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, the founder of the Oak Creek temple, was among those killed.
“I don’t think shootings have a deterrent effect on faith communities. I think it actually strengthens faith communities,” Pardeep Kaleka said, noting that their congregation has doubled since 2012, going from about 1,000 members to somewhere between 1,700 and 2,000.
At the temple where parishioners were attacked, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers presented Sikh congregants with a plaque making the proclamation official, telling them “the state of Wisconsin is committed to better understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history and shared experiences of Sikh Americans.”
After the Wisconsin shootings, the Sikh Coalition reached out to about 300 gurdwara’s across the country to encourage them to have safety plans in place, said Satjeet Kaur, the coalition’s executive director. Those plans were updated after the church shootings in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015 and the attack at Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, Kaur said. That has meant assembling security task forces, adding cameras and asking local police for increased vigilance at temples, she said.
At the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, security staff has been added, windows with bullet-proof film have been installed, and an emergency plan for dealing with active shooters has been created, Pardeep Kaleka said.
Jaspreet Kaur Kaleka, 37, Pardeep Kaleka’s wife, was on hand to receive the proclamation from Evers. She said her congregation has made it a goal to raise awareness and understanding about their religion. Every year, temple parishioners participate in a 6K run in Oak Creek to remember the shooting victims and raise money for six scholarships — one in the name of each of the people killed.
“We need to tell people what we’re about, what we do, because at the end of the day we pretty much all believe the same thing,” Jaspreet Kaleka said. “We just want to be good people, we believe that there’s a greater being and just treating everybody basically how we want to be treated — and that goes across all religions.”
This grassroots effort was directly supported by the Sikh Coalition. They worked with local Sikh community leaders to help secure the proclamation and then facilitate the visit by the governor to the Oak Creek gurdwara. Everything, including media outreach and support, was handled by their team and helped further raise educational awareness so that we could focus on what truly matters: the community.

An Urgent Need to Advance Peace

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STOCKHOLM, May 10 2019 (IPS) – Let us be blunt: the world is in crisis. Peace, human rights, our planetary ecosystem, and our systems of conflict management and global governance are under enormous strain.

Global military expenditures reached 1.8 trillion in 2018, their highest level in real terms since the Cold War, driven by great power competition between the US and China. The ‘Doomsday clock’ is now set at 2 minutes to midnight, as the world has moved closer than ever to nuclear self-destruction as a result of US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal(the Joint Common Plan of Action (JPOA)), and withdrawal from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and uncertainties about North Korea’s nuclear plans.
And, buttressed by regular reports about the growing effects of global warming, rapidly declining biodiversity and theextinction of thousands of species, climate change is now widely acknowledged by citizens and experts in many countries as the world’s biggest threat.
The past decade has seen a reversal of the long-term trend of declining civil wars. According to the UN-World Bank publication Pathways to Peace, the world has seen sharp increases in the number of internal armed conflicts in the world over the past decade, most involving numerous non-state armed groups, and such conflicts are both increasingly internationalized and protracted.
Mostly as a result of conflict, some 68.5 million people are currently displaced, with the overwhelming majority of refugees residing in poor or middle-income countries. While there are often multiple, complex causes of conflict, key structural factors include weak institutions in combination with political and economic exclusion.
In developing and post-industrial states alike, factors such as growing income inequalities and the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption are undermining governance and faith in the ability of states and the political class to uphold the public good. Across the world we are witnessing a rise in populism rooted in anti-pluralism and exclusionary nationalist politics, attacks on the basic democratic tenets and a crisis of democracy.
With the global rolling back of human rights, there is a shrinking of civic space and dramatic decline in countries considered safe for journalists and for human rights defenders and women’s rights defenders.
And within the leading global governance bodies, such as the UN Security Council, divisions among major powers and failure in leadership to constructively address current crises in Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Venezuela are calling into question the continued credibility of such arrangements.
And within the leading global governance bodies, such as the UN Security Council, divisions among major powers and failure in leadership to constructively address current crises in Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Venezuela are calling into question the continued credibility of such arrangements.
Within this fraught context, leading individuals from the humanitarian, development and security fields will be convening in Stockholm next week*. The Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, cohosted by SIPRI and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will discuss how the world can better respond to emergencies and crises, and how it can stabilize and strengthen prospects for peace and longer term development.
By bringing together subject and regional specialists, humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, peace researchers, police and military representatives, political leaders and policy makers, the Forum seeks to stimulate essential, sometimes difficult, conversations among those who are working to support peace, rule of law and development embodied by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The international and professional diversity of those who will attend reflects the recognition of the need for interdisciplinary understanding of drivers of conflict, coordination across sectors and comprehensive approaches in responding to violence, hunger and injustice.
Substantial participation by representatives from the Global South reflects the need to develop truly people-centred approaches that are context specific, politically informed and locally owned. It embodies the realization that technocratic, template approaches to preventing conflict and assisting shattered states and societies are not acceptable and do not work.
With its commitment to advancing peace through evidence-based data, research and analysis, SIPRI is proud to co-host the Forum and to contribute to global efforts to find solutions to the grave problems that confront us.
*Follow the Forum Plenary live-stream on 14 and 16 May: Opening Session and High-Level Panel on Mediation: https://youtu.be/yaGj1RQOVKY Closing High-Level Panel on Inclusive Peace: https://youtu.be/ks28SC5MWhM

Alcohol intake in India up 38% this decade

Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0
Alcohol consumption in India increased from 4.3 litres a year per adult to 5.9 litres in 2017, a growth of 38 per cent, says a study of 189 countries’ alcohol intake.
Driven by the rise in alcohol intake in India, China and Vietnam, global alcohol consumption increased from 5.9 litres a year per adult in 1990, to 6.5 litres in 2017, and is predicted to increase further to 7.6 litres by 2030, showed the results published in The Lancet.
As a result of increased alcohol consumption and population growth, the total volume of alcohol consumed globally per year has increased by 70 per cent — from 20,999 million litres in 1990 to 35,676 million litres in 2017.
While intake is growing in low and middle-income countries, the total volume of alcohol consumed in high-income countries has remained stable, the study said.
The estimates suggest that by 2030 half of all adults will drink alcohol, and almost a quarter (23 per cent) will binge drink at least once a month.
“Our study provides a comprehensive overview of the changing landscape in global alcohol exposure. Before 1990, most alcohol was consumed in high-income countries, with the highest use levels recorded in Europe,” said study author Jakob Manthey from Technische Universitat Dresden in Germany.
“However, this pattern has changed substantially, with large reductions across Eastern Europe and vast increases in several middle-income countries such as China, India and Vietnam,” Manthey added.
“This trend is forecast to continue up to 2030 when Europe is no longer predicted to have the highest level of alcohol use,” he added.
Increasing rates of alcohol use suggest that the world is not on track to achieve targets against harmful alcohol use.
“Based on our data, the WHO’s aim of reducing the harmful use of alcohol by 10 per cent by 2025 will not be reached globally,” Manthey said.
“Instead, alcohol use will remain one of the leading risk factors for the burden of disease for the foreseeable future, and its impact will probably increase relative to other risk factors,” he warned, adding that implementation of effective alcohol policies is warranted, especially in rapidly developing countries with growing rates of alcohol use.
The study measured per capita alcohol consumption using data for 189 countries between 1990-2017 from the WHO and the Global Burden of Disease study.(IANS)

6 facts about U.S. moms

Staff ReporterCommunity, U.S., Women 0
American motherhood has changed in many ways since Mother’s Day was first celebrated more than 100 years ago. Today’s moms are more educated than ever before. A majority of women with a young child are in the labor force, and more mothers are serving as their family’s sole or primary “breadwinner.” At the same time, the share of mothers who are stay-at-home moms has held steady in recent decades after falling precipitously in the 1970s and 1980s.
Here are some key findings about American mothers and motherhood from Pew Research Center reports:
1.Women are more likely now to become mothers than they were a decade ago, and this is particularly the case among highly educated women.The share of women at the end of their childbearing years (ages 40 to 44) who had ever given birth was 86% in 2016, up from 80% in 2006. This was similar to the share who were mothers in the early 1990s.
Over the past 20 years, highly educated women have experienced particularly dramatic increases in motherhood. In 2014, 80% of women ages 40 to 44 with a Ph.D. or professional degree had given birth, compared with 65% in 1994.
The shares of women who were mothers also rose among those with bachelor’s or master’s degrees during this period, while rates of motherhood remained steady for women with less than a bachelor’s degree, at 88%.
2. Women are becoming mothers later in life. The median age at which women become mothers in the U.S. is 26, up from 23 in 1994. While this change has been driven in part by declines in births to teens, delays in motherhood have continued among women in their 20s. In 1994, more than half (53%) of women in their early 40s had become mothers by age 24; by 2014, this share had fallen to 39%.
3. Mothers are spending more time in the labor force than in the past, but also more time on child care. In 2016, moms spent around 25 hours a week on paid work, up from nine hours in 1965. At the same time, they spent 14 hours a week on child care, up from 10 hours a week in 1965. Dads, too, are spending more time on child care. (In addition to caring for their children, 12% of parents are also providing unpaid care for an adult. Among these parents, moms spend more time than dads on caregiving activities.)
Seven-in-ten moms with kids younger than 18 were in the labor force in 2015, up from 47% in 1975. In fact, mothers are the primary breadwinners in four-in-ten U.S. families. In 46% of households with a mother and father, both parents are employed full time, up from 31% in 1970.
4. About one-in-four mothers are raising their children on their own.While most U.S. mothers are married (68%), nearly one-quarter (24%) are solo moms. All told, about 9 million mothers are living with a child younger than 18 without a spouse or partner. Solo motherhood is particularly common among black mothers (56% are in this category). By comparison, 26% of Hispanic moms, 17% of white moms and 9% of Asian moms are solo parents. (Solo parenthood is far less common among fathers: 7% of dads are raising a child without a spouse or partner in the home.)
A relatively small but growing share of moms are living with an unmarried partner. In 1997, 4% of mothers were cohabiting, and by 2017 that share had doubled to 8%.
5. Most Americans say women face a lot of pressure to be involved mothers. Even in an era where women make up nearly half the U.S. workforce and men are more involved in housework and child care than in the past, the public sees vastly different pressure points for women and men in today’s society. Roughly eight-in-ten adults (77%) say women face a lot of pressure to be an involved parent; a significantly smaller share (56%) says the same about men.
In contrast, most adults (76%) say men face a lot of pressure to support their family financially, while only 40% say women face this type of pressure.
6. Foreign-born moms account for a rising share of U.S. births. While annual births have decreased among U.S.-born women since 1970, they have increased among the foreign born, driven both by a growing foreign-born population in the U.S. and by relatively high birth rates among that group. In the past quarter century, births to foreign-born moms have boosted fertility in all but two states. And they accounted for more than one-third of all births in three states in 2015 (New Jersey, New York and California).

Immigration Reform and Physicians Shortage Takes Center Stage at AAPI Legislative Day – US Lawmakers Praise AAPI’s Growing Clout in Advocating for Effective Health Care in US

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health, Politics 0
(Washington, DC: May 1st, 2019) Healthcare continues to be at the center of the national debate, especially after the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle Affordable Care Act, and to do away with the Individual Mandate, affecting almost everyone in the country.  Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, representing over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, wants to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill and around the nation, particularly on issues relating to healthcare.
Indian-Americans constitute less than one percent of the country’s population, but they account for nine percent of the American doctors and physicians. One out of every seven doctors serving in the US is of Indian heritage, providing medical care to over 40 million of US population.
AAPI leaders and members brought to the fore some of the major concerns of the Indian-American community, particularly those affecting the physicians and their patients during AAPI’s Legislative Day on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., on April 30th, 2019.
Attended by several key leading Congressmen and women from both the major political parties, the event held at the Rayburn House Office Building, highlighted key issues affecting physicians and the country in general. House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Ami Bera, (D-CA); Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D-Illinois); Rep. Tulasi Gabbard (D-HAWAI) , Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS);  Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC); Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ); Rep. Phil Roe, MD (R-TN); Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD); Rep. Andy Harris, MD (R-MD) and several other leading lawmakers addressed the AAPI delegates and listened to their concerns and promised support.
A White Paper outlining the concerns of the fraternity was submitted to lawmakers who addressed the delegates. Some of the issues outlined in the White Paper included, Increased Residency Slots, Immigration Reform, Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursements, Tort Reform, Repeal of the Individual Mandate, Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs, and, The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2017.
In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of AAPI, stressed the importance of young physicians in AAPI, who are the “future of AAPI.” He highlighted the efforts of the current team under his leadership” to make AAPI financially sound and stable for the years to come.”
“We are pleased with the enormous turnout of both AAPI members and the showing of bipartisan members of Congress at this year’s Legislative Day,” said Dr. Parikh, AAPI President. “It is a testament to the strength of AAPI’s reputation as strong leaders, with our physicians proudly serving as health care providers in all 50 states. With this event, we are building a strong foundation for future advocacy and legislative successes at both the federal and state level,” said Parikh.
In his opening remarks, AAPI Legislative Chairman – Dr. Vinod K. Shah, said, “AAPI is once again in the forefront in bringing many burning health care issues facing the community at large and bringing this to the Capitol and to the US Congress. This is an exciting time for Indo-US relations. Each of us, as part of AAPI, the largest ethnic organization, representing over 8,0000 Indian American Physicians have a unique role to play in strengthening the relationship between India, the largest democracy and the US, the greatest democracy in the world.”
Dr. Vinod Shah, who immigrated to the US 55 years ago, shared his own inspiring personal experiences, as to how he began his career as a cardiologist in a tiny remote region over a half a century ago, and today, he is proud to own and manage a series of large clinical practice serving millions of people across the state of Maryland.
“This immensely successful event, including our partnership with the Indian Embassy, has showcased AAPI’s strength relationship building and maintaining ties with our elected officials,” said AAPI Legislative Co-Chair – Dr. Sampat Shivangi. He emphasized “AAPI contributions in issues like lowering drug costs, strong advocacy on Immigration reforms, especially for physicians working in rural areas of the US and their long decades of waiting in acquiring Green Cards.”
Dr. Shivangi, a veteran of several decades of service to AAPI and to the nation, highlighted the “many important issues that were discussed at the event, including the need to increase in Residency slots, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements issues. Dr. Sampat Shivangi raised the issue of US-India trade relations, especially President Trump’s remarks where he has called India as king of Tariffs, with several U S congressmen. Dr. Shivangi emphasized the importance of public awareness to discuss this issue, among others, to do away with some misgivings, with the help of think tanks and open dialogue with experts on this issue. . 

In his keynote address, Ambassador Hon Harsh Vardhan Shringala  praised AAPI’s lobbying efforts on some of the issues affecting the broader Indian American community and other immigrant groups is also a testament to its growth and reach. Being one of the oldest Indian American organizations, it’s also among the most influential, as was evident from the number of members of Congress who took time out of their busy schedule to address the group.
“I believe all of you will have an important role to play in contributing to this. All of you in a sense are permanent Ambassadors here. You have an understanding of the US. You have an understanding of India and Indian society. So based on this understanding and the network that you have you will be in a position to take forward this relationship in different areas,” the Indian Envoy said.
Jason Marino – American Medical Association Senior Assistant Director, AMA Congressional Affairs, emphasized the need for more collaborative efforts between AAPI and AMA to have greater voice in healthcare policy making efforts on Capitol Hill.
In a detailed Report on Green Card delays affecting Indian American physicians, the Green Card Backlog Task Force pointed out that there are over 10,000 Physicians waiting for Green Card for decades. AAPI members would like to see the Green Card backlog addressed, which it says has adversely impacted the Indian American community. They stressed the need for bipartisan support to pass the Bill S-948 that will provide Green Cards to those serving in America’s under-served and rural communities. The measure has garnered support from leading members of the Congress and seeks to remove the 7 percent cap on Green Cards on every country regardless of their size. It “will address many of the concerns facing the Indian American community,” AAPI said in its list of demands.
The bipartisan members of Congress discussed ways to reform health care delivery, to ensure its cost-effectiveness, and the negative effects of defensive medicine, which has driven up the cost of health care. AAPI members told the gathering of both Republican and Democratic congressmen how important it was to increase the number of residency positions to address the upcoming physician shortage.
According to AAPI, there is an ongoing physician shortage, which affects the quality of care provided to American patients. There are patients who face lengthy delays in various specialties, a situation which will worsen over time. Legislation was introduced in previous sessions of Congress that would add 15,000 residency slots, training up to 45,000 more physicians, AAPI points out in its White Paper. “By adding more residency positions today, Congress can train more physicians to treat patients in the future,” AAPI stated.
Rep. Steny Hoyer underscored the need for reforming the entire immigration process and make it equitable and fair. “We need to deal with the issue of H-1B and J-1 visas” and expand opportunities for highly skilled foreign workers and students, he told the gathering. “I still believe and always will that the United States will continue to grow. We need the best, the brightest and the bravest”, he said.
About India-US relations, Hoyer, affirmed, “I believe it is the most important alliance of this century. We are in the second decade and we have seen incredible progress. I know that will continue”, he said referring to shared values including a dedication to the rule of law and democracy.

Rep. Krishnamurthy, who is a physician himself praised AAPI’s leadership’s lobby Day for all Americans. “You are very influential and we very much appreciate and we look to your guidance on healthcare policy and programs,” he told a packed audience of American leaders and members. Reminding them that he is aware of the many issues affecting the physician community, the Indian born Congressman said, “You touch the lives of 13 percent of Americans, while serving 1 out of every 7 patients.” The powerful orator urged AAPI leaders to continue their civic engagement, encouraging them to consider running for political office. “If you dream it you can achieve it,” he told AAPI delegates.
Rep. Ami Bera pointed to the strides the Indian community has made in the past few decades. “It took less than a decade to have four Indian Americans in the US Congress,” he said. Describing it as the “natural progression to be part of the success story of USA,” he urged for the need to have more physicians of Indian origin to be in US Congress. He pointed to the Bill in the US seeking to elevate the relationship between India and the US to the next level.  Endorsing his whole hearted support for Green Cards for physcians, he said, “We should give them Green Card with their Diplomas.”
Rep. Joe Wilson shared about his lkong association with India. He praised India’s vibrant . democracy and told of his dad’s visit to the Taj Mahal in 1944. Endorsing AAPI’s demand for more H1/J1 visas, he said, “we need more Doctors to serve our patients.” Rep. Dan Taylor from Texas lauded the fast growing Indian community in Texas and was  appreciative of the contributions of Indian Americans.
Rep. Frank Pallone told of the large number of Indian Americans, 353000 in his home state, New Jersey, which is the 3rd highest in the nation, among whom are 120000 in his district. He offered whole hearted support for AAPI’s demand for increased Residency slots with no cap on country-based Green Card.
Rep. Andy Barr from Kentucky pointed to physicians shortage in rural areas is acute and of the shortage of 120,000 by 2030. “We need to come together on Green Card/J1-H1 Visas based on skills.” Rep. John Sarbanes said, “I want to salute AAPI for your advocacy. No one rivals you in medicine. Healthcare remains a central to public policy and is challenging. Need to strengthen ACA. Your presence makes a huge difference.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, the first Hindu lawmaker to serve on Capitol Hill and current Democratic co-chair of the House India Caucus, told the AAPI gathering, “It’s been wonderful to see over the almost six years that I’ve been here in Congress how the relationship between our two countries has progressed. It has only continued to grow stronger and stronger. The commitment to continuing that momentum exists between both Democratic and Republican members of Congress and we’ve seen it cross between a Democratic administration and now a Republican administration,” she said.
Nissim Reuben – American Jewish Committee (AJC) Assistant Director: Asia Pacific Institute called to make strategic alliance and network with Lawmakers “trading the good will” between India and Jews to politically supportive of India’s favor, harnessing the good will Israel has for the benefit of India and the NRIs.
Nuala Moore – American Thoracic Society Associate Director, Government Relations and David Bryden & TB Advocacy Officer, shared about the efforts in eradicating TB in India and across the globe. With 8,000 new cases of TB everyday in India, they pointed to the United Nations Meeting where India’s Prime Minister Modi committed to the goal of eliminating TB by 2025, through education by involving Bollywood stars.
Joel Anand Samy Co-Founder and President, International Leaders Summit invited AAPI leaders to join in at the 4th summit to be held in Jerusalem in November this year, which will strengthen the strategic alliance between USA and India.
Kapil Sharma, Esquire Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, Wipro North America, pointed out that Wipro has donated $7 Billion, making it the 4th largest Foundation, and Azim Premji is today the biggest philanthropist outside of India. Highlighting the tremendous work the Indian companies do in the US, he stressed “for the need to recognize and appreciate our contributions in our adopted country. The US need to acknowledge what our contributions are to the US, especially investing in terms of money, man power, community services. He called on AAPI to to collaborate with WIPRO in its efforts for in-service teaching.
Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Vice President of AAPI hopes that “AAPI will discover her own potential to be a player in shaping the health of each patient with a focus on health maintenance than disease intervention. To be a player in crafting the delivery of health care in the most efficient manner. To strive for equality in health globally.”
“AAPI has been seeking to collectively shape the best health care for the people of US, with the physician at the helm, caring for the medically underserved as we have done for several decades when physicians of Indian origin came to the US in larger numbers,” said Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Secretary of AAPI, said.
Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, AAPI’s Atlanta Convention Cahir and Vice Chair of Board of Trustees, enthusiastically provided an update on the upcoming convention and urfged all AAPI members and Congressmen to attend the convention in Atlanta. “The convention team is working incredibly hard to provide a delightful 4 days of events packed with educational CME credits, world-class entertainment, leadership seminars, networking opportunities, exhibits, and more,” Dr. Gangasani said. “This meeting offers a rich educational program featuring the latest scientific research and advances in clinical practice. In addition, physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country will convene to develop health policy agendas and encourage legislative priorities for the upcoming year.”
“The growing influence of doctors 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,” said Dr. Suresh Reddy, President-Elect in a message. “With their hard work, dedication, compassion, and skills, they have thus carved an enviable niche in the American medical community. AAPI’s role has come to be recognized as vital among members and among lawmakers and the larger society,” he added.
Later in the evening, Ambassador Hon Harsh Vardhan Shringala hosted a dinner in honor of AAPI delegates and guests, where he recognized AAPI ‘s contributions. Dr.Naresh Parikh, Dr. Vinod Shah and Dr. Sampat Shivangi thanked the Ambassador and assured to continue to work in co operations with the Embassy to strengthen US-India relationships.
“We had a very fruitful discussion and we are very hopeful that Congress will act on the issues raised in our white paper,” Dr. Parikh, President of AAPI, summarized the day long event and the impact it has for the future of the growing Indian American community, healthcare providers and the healthcare industry. For more information on AAPI and its programs and initiatives, please visit:  www.aapiusa.org

AAHOA Announces 2018 Award Winners

Staff ReporterBusiness, Community, Fashion, Finance/Economy, Health, Profiles, Tourism 0

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney addressed America’s hoteliers on Saturday, April 27, during the closing night of the 2019 AAHOA Convention and Trade Show. In his remarks, Mulvaney touted his longtime relationship with the association and its members, the effectiveness of AAHOA’s advocacy efforts, and the strength of the American economy. Mulvaney’s relationship with AAHOA dates to his time in the South Carolina state legislature and as a restaurant franchisee. Mulvaney is a 2017 recipient of AAHOA’s “Friend of the Hotelier Award,” the association’s top advocacy honor.

“America’s hoteliers were honored to welcome our good friend Mr. Mulvaney to highlight the celebration of AAHOA’s thirtieth anniversary at our 2019 Convention,” said AAHOA Interim President and CEO Rachel Humphrey.

The celebration of achievement and excellence was a common theme as AAHOA reflected on its thirtieth anniversary during the 2019 AAHOA Convention and Trade Show in San Diego, Calif. On Friday, April 26, the association honored hoteliers for their contributions to the hospitality industry, and representatives from RLH Corporation announced the 2019 winner of the Bright Innovations Award. Winners received their awards on the main stage during the general session. The winners are:

AAHOA Award of Excellence: Jan Gautam
Outstanding Woman Hotelier of the Year: Deepa Patel
Outstanding Young Professional Hotelier of the Year: Ankit Panchal
IAHA Independent Hotel of the Year: Lexen Hotel North Hollywood
Outreach Award for Philanthropy: Bhupen Amin
Political Forum Award for Advocacy: Arti Patel
RLH Corporation 2019 Bright Innovations Award: Roshan Patel

“Every year, we honor hoteliers who go above and beyond in their contributions to the hospitality industry,” said Immediate Past Chairman Hitesh (HP) Patel. “It is incumbent upon us to recognize the excellence in our midst, and I cannot think of a better stage on which to do so than in front of thousands of AAHOA members at Convention.”

Earlier in the session, Outreach Award for Philanthropy winner Bhupen Amin addressed the general session about giving back to one’s community and the multitude of ways, big and small, that a hotelier can make a difference through charitable efforts.

“We have an amazing membership that is constantly raising the bar for what success and distinction as a hotelier means. I congratulate all our award winners and look forward to seeing how they influence our industry and shape expectations for innovation and achievement,” said Interim President and CEO Rachel Humphrey.

“As a franchisee and tireless advocate of small businesses, Mr. Mulvaney understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing America’s hoteliers. We are fortunate to have such a strong champion for regulatory relief and tax reform in the White House,” said AAHOA Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala.

 AAHOA is the largest hotel owners’ association in the world. The nearly 18,500 AAHOA members own almost one in every two hotels in the United States. With billions of dollars in property assets and hundreds of thousands of employees, AAHOA members are core economic contributors in virtually every community. AAHOA is a proud defender of free enterprise and the foremost current-day example of realizing the American dream.

India wins global support in naming Masood Azhar’s terror tag

Staff ReporterCommunity, Editorial, India, Politics 0

Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar was on Wednesday designated a global terrorist by the UN after China withdrew its long-standing block to the move, marking a major diplomatic and political victory in the Indian government’s efforts to counter cross-border terrorism.

Azhar was listed by the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee for his association with al-Qaeda and his role in financing, planning and facilitating terrorist acts by the JeM, shortly after officials announced in Islamabad that Pakistan would no longer object to his designation – a sign to iron brother China to lift the “technical hold” it had placed on four attempts to sanction Azhar.

Hindustan Times first reported on Tuesday that China was expected to lift its hold on listing Azhar at the UN on May 1.

Following the designation, Pakistan will be required to take three steps – freeze the funds and financial assets of Azhar, enforce a travel ban on him, and cut off his access to arms and related materials.

India’s permanent representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, informed Sanjeev Singla, private secretary to PM, about the listing and asked him to “brief the boss”. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been inquiring about the matter since morning, he could not be directly informed by Singla as the premier was in the midst of an election rally.

Singla is believed to have informed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who rushed to the PMO from Sardar Patel Bhawan and informed Modi of the development on a secure line.

Shortly after the February 14 suicide attack in Pulwama that killed 40 Indian troopers and was claimed by JeM, France, with the backing of the US and the UK, moved a proposal at the 1267 Sanctions Committee to sanction 50-year-old Azhar. After a 10-day period to consider the matter, China blocked the proposal on March 13 by saying more time was needed to discuss the issue.

This angered the US, which threatened to take the matter to the UN Security Council, where discussions are held in public, unlike consultations held behind closed doors by the sanctions committee. The heavy lifting was done by the US as it wanted the terrorist tag for Azhar during consultations on April 23, but China and Pakistan wanted it to happen after the Indian elections as they didn’t want the listing to benefit Modi, people familiar with developments said.

The date was then moved by the US to April 30, though China was insisting on May 15. A compromise of May 1 was reached after the US hinted it would take the matter to the Security Council, the people said.

India and its Western allies also continued to work with China throughout this period. During a visit to Beijing last week, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale shared evidence on the role of Azhar and JeM in terrorist attacks with Chinese officials, including foreign minister Wang Yi.

A fifth proposal to sanction Azhar was moved by France, the US and UK last month. In an apparent face-saving measure for Pakistan at the behest of China, this proposal didn’t contain references to the Pulwama attack and terrorism in Kashmir, the people said.

The statement issued by the UN on Azhar’s listing referred extensively to his links with al-Qaeda, its slain chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban, and his role in supporting and facilitating these terrorist entities and providing them arms but made no mention of Kashmir, where JeM has carried out several devastating attacks, or Pakistan, where Azhar is based.

The statement referred to Azhar’s role as former leader of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen but made no mention of this group’s activities in Kashmir. The statement also referred to Azhar’s activities only till 2008, with no mention of attacks such as the 2016 assault on Pathankot airbase blamed on JeM.

Need to institutionalize U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Stresssed

Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, India, U.S. 0

Indian American Rep. Ami Bera (D.-Calif.) has called to institutionalize the U.S.-India strategic partnership across various sectors, vowing to bring  in legislation to bring the tow nations closer than ever before. Bera, 53, predicted that this legislation, once enacted, would make India as much an ally of the U.S. as are its NATO partners and other close allies such as Japan and South Korea.

Speaking at the Capitol Hill 2019 Spring Conference of the U.S.-India Friendship Council last month, he said the legislation would “codify the importance of the U.S.-India partnership,” and while acknowledging that some of the aspects of the pending legislation “exists in other places, we’d like to incorporate language about the U.S.-India Enhanced Cooperation Act, which already exists, but put it into a comprehensive bill that will put India on a par with other major allies.”

Bera pointed out that necessarily anchoring this comprehensive legislation would be the growing U.S.-India defense and military partnership, which has grown to be the crown jewels of the strategic partnership between the two countries, which has led to “us increasingly recognizing India as a strategic partner.”

He said in the legislation, “We would look at how we can work with India to develop technologies like artificial intelligence, etc., so that you can get Indian companies and U.S. companies working together in a strategic fashion.

“We’d like to authorize the DOD (Department of Defense) to assist India reducing purchases from countries we may mutually view as adversaries and certainly those we view as adversaries,” Bera said, and added, “and we’d also like to assist India to increase its own capacity in self-defense.”

He also said that “we’d require the Department of Defense to conduct regular military engagements and dialogues with India, particularly in the western Indian Ocean region, where we already recognize India as having a vital role in protecting the Indian Ocean and keeping those lanes of commerce open.

“We see that partnership as critical and we already conduct major naval and defense exercises,” with India, he said.

Bera said that this comprehensive legislation would also push for the State Department to “advance India’s membership into APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum because we believe this is an important vehicle by which India can continue to seek its free and open trade across Asia.

“We also think it’s important to authorize and work with India in partnership to help advance and promote aid in third nations, and the countries in Africa is an example,” he said.

Bera pointed out that “India has much deeper and older relationships with Africa, and our understanding is that we can work together with USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) and other partners with India and go into those third developing countries — that could be a critical partnership for both countries.”

He also said another vital sector that he would like to see institutionalized would be in the education sector because already, each year, we know that hundreds of thousand of Indian students come to the U.S. to study.”

Bera said by the same token, “It will be in our interest to foster this partnership — where more American students go and study in India. “And, again, these planks would continue to move the U.S.-India partnership forward together,” and help institutionalize it, he added.

Bera said that “as we introduce this legislation, we would be looking to the U.S.-India Friendship Council and other organizations to help work with us as we move this legislation forward. “We still believe that the U.S.-India relationship can be that defining relationship in the 21st century and certainly a strategic relationship,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), in this remarks, lauded Swadesh Chatterjee, the founder and chair of the Friendship Council for “your incredible guidance and mentorship over the years.

“You have been a trail-blazer for the Indian-American community, when it was hard to get appointments with (Congressional) staff assistants, let alone getting members of Congress elected,” he said, turning to Chatterjee.

Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, continued that “that kind of dedication is something that I’ve never forgotten in terms of the commitment that people like Swadesh have shown and we’ve grown on the sacrifices that people like you’ve made.”

He recalled that it “took people like Swadesh and Ramesh Kapur, who were willing to speak out of turn, who were willing to chase down members of Congress down the hallways, just trying to get a word in. They refused to be passive observers of democracy, but were willing to get into people’s faces in Congress to move forward.”

Khanna continued, “I’ve always believed that their generation and the sacrifices that they’ve made for this country and the community, will always be far more than my generation.”

He said that thanks to this older generation, “Our generation was handed a lot of good opportunities in life — good families, good education, and it’s never lost on me how many people have paved the way for our being able to be in public service.”

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D.-Ill.), speaking at the evening reception, pointed out to the scores of political and community activists who were on hand spanning three generations, that it was the U.S.-India Friendship Council led by Chatterjee and a handful of other community leaders who were catalytic in lobbying the Congress to pass the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008, which was a transformational moment in the history of the relationship between Washington and New Delhi.

He said that “really showed the Indian-American community coming of age in terms of building those bridges between the U.S. and India that will last.”

Krishnamoorthi also made a strong pitch for more members of the Indian-American community to run for public office, including the U.S. Congress and help swell the ‘Samosa Caucus,’ of four Indian- American lawmakers in the House.

“If you dream it, you can do it,” he said, and added, “The fact that a guy like me with 31 letters in his name that 99 percent of my constituents cannot pronounce is testament to the greatness of this country and the fact that anyone can do anything they want to do in this country.”

Millennial desi women on a mission to make Kathak a household name

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, Entertainment, Women 0

New York Kathak Festival produced its first festival at the Ailey Studios and Ailey Citigroup Theater this weekend on April 19-21, 2019. The first of its kind, the New York Kathak Festival attended by over 750 was a confluence of artists and Kathak aficionados coming together as a community to learn, share, and connect over the 3-day event in the heart of Manhattan.

Originating in India, Kathak is a classical dance that carries history in its very form. The New York Kathak Festival is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by a team of 10 young professionals. “The NYKF organizing team is mostly millennial women who live and work in the New York + New Jersey area. The festival is our passion in addition to our careers,” said Meenakshi Lala, on behalf of the festival. Anisha Muni, also on the festival team said, “we created this event with the intention of using art to bring community together and create a platform for Kathak to blossom in New York City. We’re on a mission to make Kathak a household name.”

The festival created space for performance, teaching, and discussion. Raoul Bhavnani of the India Center Foundation, co-sponsored panel discussions on critical conversations relevant to Kathak dance. He commented: “An honor to co-host an expert panel on the present, past, and future of Kathak dance today during the Kathak Festival weekend. Well done to all the panelists who grounded us in the living tradition, gender, and the idea of the divine. Inspiring conversation.” Eminent artists contributed to the festival, including Pandit Divyang Vakil, Dr. Pallabi Chakravorty, Dr. Purnima Shah. Dr. Sitara Thobani, and many others. Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty and Air India supported this important event.

The concert lineup included 50 dancers and 10 musicians from all over the world. Prashant Shah, an Indian dancer now based in New York closed his showcase of traditional and contemporary Kathak to a standing ovation. Shivangi Dake Robert traveled the furthest—all the way from Singapore—and was electric. The weekend was closed with a finale by the festival’s guest of honor, legend Pandit Birju Maharaj and his foremost disciple, Saswati Sen. Speaking about the event’s organizers, Sen said, “what the seniors couldn’t do, these children have done: bringing everyone together for Kathak.” Maharaj, 81 years old and a highly celebrated 7th generation artist added, “now you must support them.” The FIA is a proud community partner of the New York Kathak Festival.

The New York Kathak Festival is a newly formed organization that presents and promotes dancers, scholars, and practitioners of Kathak, a classical dance tracing its origins to India. We produce a festival bringing together established and emerging artists from across the United States and beyond. The New York Kathak Festival is produced by the American Kathak community, inspiring creative exchange between local Kathak artists and diverse New York audiences.

PRATHAM HOUSTON RAISES RECORD $4.5 MILLION AT ANNIVERSARY GALA

Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Entertainment 0

On Saturday, April 20, 2019, more than 900 guests attended the annual Houston gala, which commemorated 20 years of Pratham’s presence in the US. Held at the Hilton Americas, the event raised $4.5 million—the largest amount ever by a local Indian-American charity—to support our education programs.

The enormous impact we’ve made on the education sector in India was reflected in the evening’s program. A touching video tribute to gala honoree Vijay Goradia, who established Pratham USA in 1999 after visiting a small preschool in the slums of Mumbai, was followed by an insightful conversation between Goradia and Pratham co-founder and president Dr. Madhav Chavan, a former University of Houston professor.

“Like I would bet on an established company over a startup, by investing in an NGO like Pratham, I am investing in the future of tens of millions of children,” explained Goradia, who pledged $1 million at the benefit. “It has a proven track record, continues to be well managed and grow.”

Local luminaries and gala underwriters Bimla and Swatantra Jain, who were also recognized for their longstanding commitment to education, made a commitment of $1 million to support the construction of a vocational training center in North India.

“This is our city’s 20th annual gala, and every year we see an increase in participation and

Celebrity guest Anil Kapoor was visibly moved by the tremendous show of support. “It’s a privilege, it’s an honor, it’s an emotional moment for me to be here listening, observing, absorbing emotionally the kind of work Pratham has done for 20 years!” exclaimed the Bollywood superstar. “I’m feeling really very small compared to all of you and all the people who have done so much for such a noble cause and for such a great organization. It proves that Pratham is one of the world’s best organizations.”

“It’s an easy sell,” explained Joe Patterson, senior vice president of Bank of America, who has been part of the Pratham family for close to two decades. “The efficiency of what Pratham does for really small dollars, what it can achieve in these villages and the way it pulls together the Houston community is very powerful.”

Among the many prominent community leaders and philanthropists in attendance were Dr. Anupam Ray (consul general of India), Raja Krishnamoorthi (Illinois congressman), Andrea and Bill White (former mayor of Houston), and Anne and Albert Chao.

The event, hosted by mistress of ceremonies Nicole O’Brian Lassiter, featured an inspirational speech from Ali Dhanani, who supports a Pratham vocational training center in Hyderabad; a heartfelt message from Pratham beneficiary Mamta Dawar; and lively entertainment from the dance group Rhythm India as well as a fashion show by leading Indian designer Anita Dongre presented by Raaz.

The evening’s success would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of gala co-chairs Peggy and Avinash Ahuja, Indrani and Hemant Goradia, and Shital and Bhavesh Patel and the generous support of sponsors, including Wells Fargo, Ascend Performance Materials, Packwell, Amegy Bank of Texas, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Fidelity Family Office Services, and PKF of Texas, all of which have been supporting Pratham’s transformative work for a decade.

Engineering Building at the University of Houston renamed after Dr. Durga and Sushila Agrawal

Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Science & Technology, Youth 0

Dr. Durga D. Agrawal, a longtime Houston resident, is well known for giving back to the community particularly to his alma mater – the University of Houston.  One 26th April 2019, the University recognized his sizable and generous gift by renaming the Engineering building as the Durga D. and Sushila Agrawal Engineering Research Building. A floor is also named after the couple and the gift will provide ongoing support for faculty, students, research and building operations.

Chancellor Renu Khator, Consul General of India Dr. Anupam Ray, members of the Indian community, students, faculty, Dr. Agrawal’s children, grandchildren and colleagues were present at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

In his remarks, Dr. Agrawal credited several people for his success. He expressed his admiration and respect for his professors at UH like Dr. Rhodes (who was present at the ceremony), Dr. Donaghey, Dr. Dawkins and Dr. Elrod who “put their heart and soul” into teaching students including some like him who had trouble understanding both the language and the American accent. He traced his values of compassion, giving back and respect for education to his parents and acknowledged his wife Sushila’s support and patience without which, he said, he would not have completed his doctorate or built his business.

UH, he concluded, “has a very special place in my heart. We must keep the torch of knowledge, excellence and innovation growing and glowing.”

Chancellor Dr. Renu Khator tweeted: “Today, we named the new Engineering building after Dr. and Mrs. Durga Agrawal, our alum and regent to celebrate their generosity. Your gift will inspire our students and alumni for many generations! Thank you.

Over the years, Dr. Agrawal, who is 74, has been providing endowments, scholarships and internships for UH students. In 2013, he was named a member of the UH System Board of Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry. He hopes his contributions “will encourage additional donors and attract high-caliber students, especially since many UH students are from the Houston area and will most likely stay here upon graduation to pursue their careers.”

The building today bears no resemblance to the one Dr. Durga studied in but has been rebuilt on the same piece of land. UH’s engineering college boasts of more than 4,200 students, including over 1,150 graduate students, enrolled in 10 engineering disciplines, as well as several interdisciplinary graduate programs.

Dr. Agrawal’s kindness and generosity isn’t limited to giving donations but also comes across in small gestures. When Houston was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, Dr. Agrawal and members of his family showed up at the campus with vans to transport stranded students to other locations and even took many home.

His deep seated value for education probably stems from his own early struggles for educational opportunities.  He was born in Lakhanpur, a small village in Madhya Pradesh in India with a population of 700. The village did not have a water supply system, electricity or high school which meant that he had to cycle or sometimes even walk to the high school 13 miles away. He was also the bookkeeper for his father’s prosperous business from the time he was in elementary school and reveals that “when you work in the family business, you learn a lot.”  

Encouraged by his parents, he attended one of the best engineering schools in India, IIT, New Delhi. In 1968, he came to Houston to pursue his Masters in Industrial engineering and in 1974 added a Doctorate to his resume, both from the UH Cullen College of Engineering.  He attributes his present success to the two institutions equally and gives back unstintingly to both. As he says “giving back to the community is important and there’s no other field where money invested gives back more returns than education.”

In 1975, Dr. Durga put his entrepreneurship skills to the test by building his company Piping Technology and Products from scratch, out of his garage. The company is today one of the leading providers of pipes for industrial and construction needs and employs over a 1000 people.

Dr. Agrawal also earns high marks for his spirit of community service. He was the first major donor and Founding president of India House, a community center that offers free services and community programs. As the founder and first President of the Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, he has been part of many delegations to promote trade and the exchange of educational and medical resources between Houston and India. No stranger to high ranking elected officials, he was once introduced by President George Bush as “my good friend from Texas” at a State Dinner for Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Capitol Hill.

A regular practitioner of yoga, Dr. Agrawal is a key contributor to the S-Vyasa Yoga Center that was recently inaugurated in Houston.

Vibrant Goa Global Expo/Summit 2019 Roadshow in Chicago

Staff ReporterBusiness, Community, Science & Technology, Youth 0
Chicago IL: Newly designated Consul General of India Mr. Sudhakar Dalela in collaboration with Indian American Business Council [IABC] headed by Harish Kolasani, IABC Founding Presidentheld Vibrant Goa roadshow highlighting Goa’s phenomenal success story in areas such as such as innovation, sustainability, industries, technology, youth, skill development and knowledge sharing and networking at the Indian Consulate premises in downtown Chicago on April 16, 2019. The entire gamut of Goa’s illustrious story will be extensively showcased at the Vibrant Goa Global Expo & Summit 2019 to be held in Goa, India on October 17-19, 2019.
 
Consul General of India Mr. Sudhakar Dalela in his keynote address comprehensively outlined India’s growing economic eminence and the trajectory of its extraordinary growth. Consul General Mr. Sudhakar Dalela commended the initiatives of the Goa’s leadership and the roadshow delegation including Dr. Jagat Shah and Raj Kumar Kamat in helping advance the vision of Goa through this magnificent Vibrant Goa 2019 Expo. Consul General of India Mr. Sudhakar Dalela said that this Vibrant Goa 2019 will augur well in validating Goa’s fastest growing economy which is driven by strong performance of industrial, mining, tourism and pharmaceuticals — that which waswas reaffirmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 
Dr. Jagat Show, Founder Managing Director of Global Network & Chief Mentor of Vibrant Goa 2019 in his presentation expansively delineated the goal of Vibrant Goa Global Expo & Summit and presented a host of audiovisuals illustrating the phenomenal trajectory of growth of the state of Goa vis-à-vis India’s burgeoning economic eminence. Dr. Jagat Shah said Vibrant Goa Global Expo Summit would be an ideal convergence of Goa’s industries and business community to showcase their strengths, highlight business opportunities and facilitate knowledge dissemination across 19 countries worldwide and 20 states in India. He added Vibrant Goa 2019 would provide a practical opportunity to its participants to understand the potential of Goa across various sectors
 
Harish Kolasani, IABC President welcomed the corporate, business and community leader and explained the overview of Indian American Business Council and its significant role in creating platforms in connecting business entrepreneurs; more importantly connecting the small to medium businesses between the United States and India. In a statement, Harish Kolasani said that in less than 24 hours IABC has received huge wave of interest in participating in the VIbrant Goa 2019 including prominant leader Smita Shah, Chair of Delhi Committee on Chicago Sister Cities International had made remarks on ways Delhi Sister City Committee can complement the Vibrant Goa 2019. 
 
Raj Kumar Kamat, Founder Managing Director of Kamat Group and President of Vibrant Goa Foundation presented the goal of the Vibrant Goa expo summit. Pranav Agarwal Director of Balasahree Foods made presentation on “blue fort’ producing basmati rice. Anand Chatterjee, General Manager of Planet Hollywood Beach Resort made presentation on burgeoning tourism of Goa. Pranav Aggarwal, a basmati rice exporter from Goa was also part of delegation with his Blue Fort brand.
 
Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, IABC Director proposed the vote of thanks and thanked Consul General Mr. Sudhakar Dalela for opening the doors of his office and hosting this milestone meeting that sought to connect the delegation from Goa to Chicago’s business leaders.
 
Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019 (VG GES 2019) (www.vibrantgoa.com), a dream project of Late Shri Manohar Parrikar the former Chief Minister of Goa state, is focused on inclusive development of Goa in key areas. Vibrant Goa Foundation organizes vibrant Goa 2019 in partnership with Global Network and BNI and in association with Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Goa State Industries Association and Goa Technology Association. Make in India is the manufacturing partner of Vibrant Goa 2019. Government of Goa, India supports the initiative.
 
VG GES 2019 will be one of a kind display expo; something that has never been witnessed by the people of Goa and its industry. This display shall be sharing all the developments, newer projects and vision of growth. In addition, the eco-friendly planet Hollywood beach resort was showcased at the Chicago roadshow.
 
The knowledge summit at VG GES 2019 will be organized concurrently with the Expo with an aim to bridge the gap between Goan industries and other national as well as international players. Moreover, internationally acknowledged and successful ‘Goans’ hailing from over 40 different countries shall be making a memorable visit to their native soil.
 
Pursuing the idea of our honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to see India proliferate in corporate and commercial realms across the world by providing optimal combination of skilled human resources and state-of-the-art technology; Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019 will be an ideal platform to meet, interact, network and discuss business possibilities for importers, exporters, investors, customers, experts and all those who matter in business and trade.
 
Vibrant Goa 2019 is based on the Vibrant Gujarat model which brings together global business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers to understand and explore business opportunities.
 
Key Sectors of focus: Agro and Food Processing, Emerging Technologies, Construction Equipment, IT (Information Technology), Light Engineering, Medical Tourism, Pharma and Biotech, Startups and Start-up Institutions, Ship Building, Education,Building Materials, construction and Real Estate, Film & Entertainment, Tourism and wellness, Services and other sectors. The key highlights of Vibrant Goa 2019 includes: Goa Expo, Business to Business B2B and Business to Government B2G Meeting, Knowledge Sharing Seminars on countries & sectors, Technology Transfer proposals, Opportunities of Investment and Joint Ventures, MoU signing with International Chambers, Company Site visits, Goa Shopping Festival and Guinness Book World Record attempt for largest Feni Drink (Cashew Liquor)
 
Over 17 international roadshows across 17 key countries globally and 20 national roadshows across 20 state capitals of India are being conducted to pave way for the participation of international & national delegations to help strengthen trade relations with India & Goa.

Indian Association of Greater Chicago organizes community day in Schaumburg

Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

Chicago, IL Indian Association Of Greater Chicago, IAGC as it is more popularly known in the city, organized a Community Day on April 13,2019, at Play N Thrive,81 Remington Road in Schaumburg, Greater Chicago Illinois.

The President and Founder Member of IAGC says in an interview, “IAGC is one of the leading organizations in Chicago land area to work with community and work for community to bringing all variety of programs with free of charge.” So all the beneficial activities that ladened that day was free of charge to all the community members and visitors who participated in the event.

Starting in the early morning at 8.30 am and continuing till 8 pm at night this event was one of a kind as the whole day was packed up with innumerable activities for the benefit of the community members and the visitors who participated in the event, all for free.

The event programs were chalked out on different areas comprising of 1) Will / Trust with multiple seminars which negotiated on prices to complete Will and Trust and free IAGC lifetime membership; 2) Life Insurance with multiple seminars negotiating on prices for term policies and giving participants free lifetime IAGC membership; 3) Business Seminars; 4) Health Camp; 5) Membership Drive;6) Job Fair;7) Eye & Ear Care;8) Blood Donation Drive; 9) Seminars on immigration; 10) Painting Exhibitions;11) Live Music; 12) Cultural Programs;13) Community Awards; 14) DJ and Dance and many more.

The President thanked the participant doctors who worked relentlessly for the Health Fair to make it successful.The participating doctors were : Dr. Bhargavi Nettam (Family Medicine), Dr. Mehul Vora (Endocrinologist), Dr.Surekha Sakala ( Dentist), Dr.Viji Susarala ( Psychologist), Dr. Jyothi Gogineni (Endocrinologist), Dr. Hetal Patel (Pediatrician), Dr. Hemal Patel (Gastroenterologist).

In the Art Exhibition more than hundred plus arts were exhibited throughout the day and was conducted by Piyas from Paisley Arts and Fabrics.

The Emcees Mukti Saptarshi, Reena Nadakudithi and Priti Kamat did a fabulous job in introducing every category of the event and the speakers.

The event was coordinated well by Shilpa paidimarry, Usha kabra, Ujwala Pawar, Garima Singh, Aparna Deshmukh.

Malla Reddy, The President & Founder of the organization, who is also a very successful entrepreneur and consultant, says in an interview that in spite of being successful in America he overseered that the IAGC mission “preserves, perpetuates and propagates the heritage of the people of Indian origin, to assist and promote cultural, educational, religious, social, economic, health and community activities of the people of Indian origin.”

Reddy thanked all the special guests,sponsors,coordinators,doctors, volunteers, and all the other participants who worked hard in making this event a very successful one.

The 12 hr long day event had free breakfast, lunch and dinner to all who participated in the event. In between the main course snacks and Indian Chai was served to all the coordinators, guests, volunteers and community members so that the participants were charged up the whole day to make it very commemorable and successful event.

President special thanked Satish Macha,KK ( BidShore),Narendra Kadiyala ,Keerthi and Rajesh for outstanding work and volunteering their precious personal time.

Reddy Thanked his team and IAGC BODs Hina Trivedi, Sanjay Shah,Narendra,Naveen Ankem,Rajesh,Manoj Singamsetti,Satish Macha, Harindar Puliyala and KK.

Reddy said one of his statements our sponsors are the best and they really care for community and here are the event sponsors and media partners: HR Pundit, Financial Services Mania by Thiru, PMS Mortgage inc, ,VR Chinni,Meghana Jewelers, Krishna K Rangaraju from New York Life,Radhika’s Kitchen,BidShore,Movers.com,India Videos,Atlantic Travels, Masala Restaurant,Universal Accounting Services,Rivaz Indian Food,Arlington Rental,Hot Breads,Arvy Foods,Usmania Restaurant, Asian Media,Hello NRI,Desi Talk,Desi Junction and Admark Solutions.

No other community day event was ever as large as this one as the impeccable arrangements didn’t make it seem like a long day to anyone but even after a long 12 hr event people left with all smiles across their faces.

The 19th Annual New York Indian Film Festival Announces Full Lineup May 7 – May 12

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, Entertainment 0

New York –April 24, 2019 –The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) announced the full lineup at the Launch event for their 19th year of celebrating Independent, art house, alternate, and diaspora films from the Indian subcontinent (May 7– May 12) at the Village East Cinemas in the Lower East Side of Manhattan (181-189 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003).  Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 32 screenings (29 narrative, 3 documentary and 32 short films). NYIFF will be featuring 7 World Premieres along with an International Premiere and 5 US premieres and the rest of the films being NY premieres.  NYIFF has been the go-to festival to see South Asian diaspora films that have not been seen in New York City and is continuing with this mission for the nineteenth year.

This year NYIFF has the largest number of regional (non-Hindi) language films – 20 in total. The languages focused on are Assamese, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Kannada, Ladakhi, Punjabi, and Harayanavi and all the films will have English subtitles.

NYIFF Festival Director Aseem Chhabra said “We are thrilled to share our lineup for this year. The NYIFF programming team has spent a number of months watching, tracking films and we now present to the audience the best of Indian cinema.”

Returning to NYIFF is award-winning filmmaker, Gurinder Chadha with her new film.  The festival will be hosting a Special Spotlight of Chadha’s Blinded by the Light, which will be making its New York debut after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is inspired by the true story of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his lifelong love of Bruce Springsteen.

Bengali Master Buddhadev Dasgupta’s Urojahaj (The Flight) will be a part of the special focus on Bengali cinema that NYIFF will be presenting this year. Seven features will be a part of this presentation, many by first time filmmakers, putting a spotlight on a resurgence of films from West Bengal.

Arijit Singh, a widely popular Bollywood singer will be highlighted at the festival with his second directorial venture Sa- a tribute to Satyajit Ray and Ravi Shankar. Anoushka Shankar plays sitar for the film.

Other highlights of the festival include Assamese filmmaker, Rima Das whose last film Village Rockstars was India’s official entry for the 2019 Oscars.   Rima’s new film Bulbul Can Sing will have its NY premiere at NYIFF along with Assamese master and National Film Award Winner Jahnu Barua’s World premiere of his new film Bhoga Khirikee (Broken Window).

Short Filmmakers Ashuman Sharma (Jalebi) and Vick Krishna (Mokshi) were in attendance at the NYIFF Launch event on Thursday, April 18 at the Consulate General of India, New York.  They are a part of NYIFF’s four short programs that includes a total of 32 short films.

Also announced at the NYIFF Launch, Celebrity Chef and filmmaker Vikas Khanna was named the Brand Ambassador of the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC).  Khanna is a Michelin-star chef as well as a cookbook author, humanitarian, filmmaker and was once voted New York City’s hottest chef. Khanna’s The Last Color starring Neena Guptawill be the prestigious Closing Night film for the festival and will be honoring mothers around the world on Mother’s Day.

Said Sunil Hali, Executive Director and President, IAAC,”We have received tremendous support from Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty and Consulate General India, New York. Corporate sponsors such as AIR INDIA, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank amongst others have come forward with significant contributions. The PIERRE from Taj Group continues to expand the relationship with IAAC. Local regional and community associations such as “Sadhu Vaswani Centers” continue to help in supporting our expanded mandate to promote regional films. Film schools have joined hands and now the leading broadcaster, IndiaCast with Viacom18 has confirmed as our exclusive broadcast partner for NYIFF2019 in USA in “powered by” category. A special 30-minute curtain raiser and a 90-minute special on NYIFF2019 will be produced by IndiaCast and aired on “Aapka Colors” and “Colors Rishtey”. We look forward to building such relationship to make NYIFF2019 a great success”.

Annual Festival of Colors celebration, SURATI HOLI HAI, takes on New Avatar in 2019

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, Entertainment 0

(New York, NY – Tuesday April 30, 2019) “When everyone is colorful, no one is different,” states Surati’s motto, celebrating equality and brotherhood across boundaries. 2019’s SURATI HOLI HAI, the country’s LARGEST Festival of Colors, epitomizes that sentiment, as a special partnership emerges this year between two neighboring New Jersey cities, Hoboken and Jersey City. 

The day-long event on Saturday, June 15, 2019, will promote peace, equality and unity through cultural diversity, color play, a color walk, live performances, cultural, educational and interactive workshops, interactive art, food & drink vendors, a children’s zone, DJ,  dancing and much more.

The festival will begin at 10 a.m. in downtown Jersey City with the Hudson River Fitness Color Walk featuring yoga, fitness, dance and drumming. Health professionals and organizations will offer workshops, lectures and fitness demonstrations. The walk will continue along the Hudson waterfront route to Pier A, Hoboken, where the Spring Festival of Colors will begin at noon. T-shirts, color packets and water will be given to registered walkers.

“What I love about our festival is that it is attended by all, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds or nationalities, thus spreading the message of love, brotherhood, acceptance and peace,” said Rimli Roy, Founder/Artistic Director. “Through the arts and culture of India, Surati Holi Hai is growing to be the tristate area’s most talked about, meaningful and unique celebration of the Spring Festival of Colors, with an incredible impact across diverse communities in the United States and beyond.”

Today, Surati Holi Hai is possibly the United States’ and definitely the East Coast’s most popular family-friendly cultural festival, having attracted more than 12,000 people in 2018 who registered from 22 U.S states and six countries around the world. To watch a video from previous events, please click HERE.

 Surati Holi Hai is organized by award-winning 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization Surati for Performing Arts, an organization that has been bringing quality performing arts, programming and festivals to the Hudson County communities and beyond for almost two decades now. Surati has performed at the United Nations Headquarters, The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The University of the U.S Virgin Islands – Reichhold Center, Alaska PAC to name a few. Our programming is currently funded by NJ State Tourism, Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs / Tourism, City of Jersey City, City of Hoboken, The Indian Govt – Consulate General of India in New York, Carepoint Health, NJCU (New Jersey City University), NY Waterway etc. Our past events have been sponsored by Comcast, State Bank of India, NY Life, Zee TV, TV Asia, Lycamobile, Mack-Cali, Silverman, BCB Community Bank, Bira to name a few. Our work and events have been featured in The Vogue, NY Daily News, Jersey Journal, Star Ledger, Hudson Reporter, News India Times, Desi Talk, Times of India and The Statesman, just to name a few. For more information, please visit www.suratiholihai.org.

Joe Biden Enters 2020 Democratic Presidential Race

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Politics, U.S. 0

Former Vice President Joe Biden announced his presidential candidacy on Thursday, April 25th by pointing to a “battle for the soul of this nation,” in what may be the last major addition to a sprawling lineup of Democratic candidates competing to challenge President Trump in 2020.

The former vice president and Democratic senator from Delaware announced his candidacy in a three-and-a-half-minute video released Thursday,  April 26th. His first rally as a presidential contender is scheduled for Monday at a union hall in Pittsburgh.

Biden, 76, had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing.

“We are in the battle for the soul of this nation,” Biden said in the video. “I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”

Biden hopes that he can win back white, working-class voters in Midwestern states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He rarely misses a chance to tout his blue-collar hometown of Scranton, and aides believe he is one of the few candidates in the race who could claw back rural counties that Trump won in a landslide in 2016.

Recent polls by Harvard-Harris and Monmouth University showed Biden with the strongest support among voters without a college education in the Democratic field.

The Wall Street Journal reports, Biden has sought to secure commitments for large-dollar donations in the weeks before his announcement. His plan, the Journal reported, was to announce a similarly large fundraising haul as candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Beto O’Rourke, without the small-dollar donor network of some of his rivals.

Critics say his standing in polls is largely a function of name recognition for the former US senator from Delaware, whose more than four decades in public service includes eight years as President Barack Obama‘s No. 2 in the White House.

Known for his verbal gaffes on the campaign trail, Biden failed to gain traction with voters during his previous runs in 1988 and 2008. He dropped his 1988 bid amid allegations he plagiarized some of his stump oratory and early academic work. But his experience and strong debate performances in 2008 impressed Obama enough that he tapped Biden as his running mate.

Biden decided against a 2016 presidential bid after a lengthy public period of indecision as he wrestled with doubts about whether he and his family were ready for a grueling campaign while mourning his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in May 2015. His son had urged him to run.

Biden’s candidacy will offer early hints about whether Democrats are more interested in finding a centrist who can win over the white working-class voters who went for Trump in 2016, or someone who can fire up the party’s diverse progressive wing, such as Senators Kamala Harris of California, Bernie Sanders of Vermont or Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

As former Vice President Joe Biden entered the 2020 presidential race Thursday, he immediately looked past the vast field of Democratic rivals and threw down the gauntlet toward President Trump, casting the race as a “battle for the soul of the nation.” His strategy amounts to a bet that ideology and policy matter less to Democratic primary voters than their desire for victory over a president who has upended social and political values that liberals hold dear.

Kanchana Poola Given Life Time Achievement Award at IAPC Induction Ceremony

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Entertainment, Profiles, Women 0

Kanchana Poola, a community leader and philanthropist, best described as the unassuming power-house of the Indian community, was awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Induction Ceremony of the Indo-American Press Club (IAPC) last month on Long Island at the at the popular Antun’s by Minar in Hicksville, NY.

Kanchana Poola served as the President of New York Tamil Sangam (NYTS) for several years and currently serves as an advisor of the decades old Sangam. She is a Life member of FeTNA and has been associated with American Tamil Entrepreneurs Association. She has contributed generously to several noble causes in India and in the United States.

A recipient of numerous honors, Kanchana was honored in New Jersey by the community organization Golden Elephants Events group for her dedicated service to the Indian community in USA, her unconditional support to educational institutions run for orphanage children in Tamil Nadu and to other notable charities as well. Kanchana was one of the ten women selected in NY/NJ/CT tri-state area to receive the award known as “Woman of Achievement Award.”

Kanchana was honored for her tireless service to the Tamil community living in USA especially in the New York area. Kanchana was the first woman president of New York Tamil Sangam (NYTS) – the first ever Tamil Association started in North America forty years ago for the cause of Tamils living in New York.  Her contributions to the Tamil community towards art, literature, culture and the language are countless. Kanchana was one of the main driving forces behind the successful completion of the three-day celebrations of Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America in July 2006 at Manhattan Centre in New York City. Kanchana was the longest serving Woman President of NYTS proving her able leadership qualities with exemplary service to the community.

Kanchana and Jagadeesan Poola have contributed to the Harvard Tamil Chair Fund.  They are Co-Chairs of The Asian Era and Aksharam magazines. In her acceptance speech, Kanchana Poola said her father instilled in her the value of giving —  for education, for the poor and the needy. The Poola couple were also honored by the NYTS.

During the solemn ceremony attended by community leaders, diplomats, political leaders and hundreds of community members, a new Team led by Sunil J. Koozhampala as the President of IAPC assumed charge for the coming year.

Sunil J. Koozhampala took the oath of office as IAPC President along with his Executive Committee for 2019. New Board members were also inducted and executive committees for New York Chapter & Philadelphia Chapter installed. Sunil is the publisher and MD of Rashtra Deepika Ltd and Deepika, a reputed Malayalam newspaper from Kerala. He also has hospitality interests in the US and Costa Rica. He called IAPC founder chairman Ginsmon Zacharia a visionary leader.

In its mission to offer a common platform for media professionals of Indian origin and improve their working conditions, Indo-American Press Club received encouragement from over 250 community leaders and dignitaries as it celebrated 6 years of growth & expansion and held a induction ceremony for its 2019 team.

Others who were honored at the colorful ceremony included:

* Dr. Neeta Jain, Democratic Party and Civic Community leader

* Mr. Devadasan Nair, Consul Community Affairs, Indian Consulate, New York

* Mr. Ashok Vyas, Program Director of ITV Gold

* Mr. Ven Parameswaran, Senior Columnist, Writer & Critic

* Mr. Varkey Abraham, Business Entrepreneur

* Guruji Dr. Dileepkumar Thankappan, Renowned Yogacharya

* BCB Bank – Manager Roopam Maini

* Mr. Mohan Nannapaneni, Co-Founder of non-profit organization TEAM Aid.

* Sujeet Rajan, Executive Editor, Desi Talk  and News India Times

The Indo-American Press Club was formed in 2013 with lofty ideal of providing a common platform to journalists of Indian origin living in the United States, while fostering closer bonds and cooperation among an extensive network of journalists across the nation, who are committed to professionalism and have the well-being of the larger society, For more details, please visit: https://www.indoamericanpressclub.com/

Dr. Jacob Eapen Committed to Serving Humanity and to Help People Live Healthier Lives

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health 0
Dr. Jacob Eapen of Fremont, California, was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award by his Alma Mater, Trivandrum Medical College in Kerala at a solemn ceremony on February 16th, 2019. Dr. Eapen, born and raised in Trivandrum, Kerala, in southern India, said, “This award takes you back to your heritage.”
A Pediatrician by profession, this compassionate and gentle soul spends countless hours through the years doing community services. When he hasn’t been serving on various Boards in or near Fremont, his home since the mid-1980s, he has provided medical assistance nationwide and overseas. In all, Dr. Eapen has spent nearly four decades, giving back to a world too often in need.
Dr. Eapen earned his M.D. at the University of Kerala Medical College and his Master’s in Public Health from UC Berkeley. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.
Dr. Eapen completed his Medical Degree from Trivandrum Medical College in India in 1976 and Pediatric training at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India.
The native of Kerala, did not limit his talents and skills to benefit himself and family alone. His mission to bring health to all, and particularly on preventive medicine took him to several continents, serving the poor, the needy, the weak and the sick.
Eapen says, “At 15, when I started my pre-medicine education, it wasn’t because of any passion for medicine but more due to the influences by my parents. My father was an engineer with the Kerala government services. We had many doctors in the family even going back two generations. Once I obtained my medical training, I practiced pediatrics in both Tanzania and Nigeria and that gave me a different perspective in health care.”
Dr. Eapen left his kith and kin, the security and familiarity of the country that he was born and brought up and reached the shores of Africa, where he worked as the Director of Pediatric Unit in Agha Khan Hospital in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania in 1980. In pursuit of his passion for reaching out to many more, he accepted an offer to teach in Sub-Sahara, Nigeria in Africa without neglecting to practice for the undernourished children and their parents. While he was working at the Nigerian hospital, Dr. Eapen saw hundreds of children die from diseases brought on by malnutrition. Since then, he has dedicated his career to pediatric services for the underprivileged. He also mastered two native languages– Swahili and Hausa.
In 1988 Dr. Eapen was appointed Health Advisor by the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (IJNHCR) to the Republic of the Philippines. He accepted this new challenge to cater to the needs of nearly 30,000 Indo-Chinese refugees in the Philippines Refugee Processing Center, Battan.
Dr. Eapen had to reinvent himself in this new world meeting new challenges and coping with stress of work. He endeared himself to the refugees, created meaningful relationships with the staff and addressed himself to learning more and more. With his expertise and long standing experience, Dr. Eapen crafted a health proposal for the underserved Filipino indigent population that lived around camp at Morong, Battan.
Herman T. Laurel, Adminstrator at the Refugee Processing Center wrote: “No other Medical advisor before him has figured as positively in Health Services group affairs, nor shown as much commitment to its mission, for which he has earned our respect and high esteem.” Sylvia Bitler, the nursing coordinator of World Relief Council (WRC) paid him tribute as he was leaving the Philippines in the following words, “This brilliant and compassionate man literally hides a world of expertise behind his unassuming manner. Our loss is certainly the gain of his next associates.”
In 1990 Dr. Eapen was appointed Director for Research and Public Health Programs at International Health Services, Mountain View, California. The objective of this not-for- profit organization was the development of appropriate but low-cost diagnostic kits for use in developing countries.
Dr. Eapen also conducted a USAID-supported clinical trial in India on a simple device to test for tuberculosis. While serving as the Director of International Affairs for Stop Aids Worldwide (SAW), Dr. Eapen met Mother Theresa at Calcutta, India, to promote the work of this organization in India.
Since 2012, he has been serving as the Medical Director of Alameda Health System (AHS), Oakland, CA. Alameda Health Systems is one of the largest public health systems in the state of California. It acts a safety net for the residents of Alameda County (1.5 million people). Employed as a pediatrician with AHS for 25 years and currently also serves as the medical director of the Ambulatory of the AHS.
Dr. Jacob Eapen was at the helm of the Newark Wellness Center as medical director. Since 2004, he has served on the board of directors of Washington Hospital in Fremont, where there are as many as 600 Doctors serving tens of thousands of patients daily. The Hospital has been ranked among the top 100 best hospitals in the country.
The Indian American physician has also served two terms on the State Association of California Health Care Districts Board, and on the board of directors of KIDANGO, a private nonprofit agency providing child development programs in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties.
Dr. Eapen has also brought his expertise in the health problems of children in developing countries to the doorsteps of many centers of learning. He has lectured on Primary Health care and Health Issues in a Refugee Camp, to students at Stanford and UCSF Medical schools as well as at the School of Public Health at Berkeley. Good medical practice comes in myriad forms, but good doctors share one trait: they are truly present in their clinics, deeply engaged with their patients and their area of specialization.
During his long career, Dr. Eapen has received several honors and has served in numerous leadership roles across the world. That seemingly endless work has earned him national and global recognition. Dr. Eapen’s commitment to the healing ministry and his compassion for the poor, and his ability to touch individuals through his personal and professional achievements, has earned him numerous awards.
Dr. Eapen was given the 2017 Sainik School (Kerala, India) Lifetime Achievement Award. He was honored by the Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americas 2010 Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding Achievements and Contributions in the Field of Medicine and Public Health. He received the FIJIAID International Award in May, 2010.
He is a 2007 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a prestigious honor given annually by the New York-based National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.  The medal celebrates the immigrant experience and seeks to honor Americans from a wide variety of backgrounds for their positive and lasting imprint on our society.
Dr. Eapen stated, “The US is a melting pot of immigrants where, everyday people strive to achieve the American Dream. I have attained many reputed recognitions here, and then to be recognized by my adopted country as one of the outstanding citizens who have made positive contributions to the community is a very humbling experience and this, at the same time, makes me proud of my roots.”
In 2004, Jacob Eapen was awarded the First Physician Recognition Award from the Medical Board of California. The California Medical Board, which licenses physicians throughout the state, created a Physician Recognition Task Force to begin an annual program to recognize physicians for outstanding service. He is also a recipient of the Congressional Record of Honor and the City of Newark Mayoral Commendation.
Dr. Eapen was honored by Stanford Medical School, and was selected as one of the 40 outstanding Stanford Medical Alumni from among 7,000 graduates of the last 60 years, and was profiled in a book commemorating 40 years of the Stanford Medical School in Palo Alto.
In 1999, Dr. Eapen was recognized as the Spectacular Care Giver of 1999, “in recognition of your outstanding patient service, consistently superior level of performance and reliable contributions to the team at NewarkJ-Health Center,” Alameda County Health Services. In 2001, he was bestowed with the Global Awards & Golden Honor from Kerala Kala Kendram, associated to Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy (Fine Arts Council of Kerala.)
Dr. Eapen is the first Indian American to win 5 public general elections in America. He serves as the board of director of a large community hospital in California. He also served in the advisory board of school of public health University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Eapen was elected to the California State Hospital Association, and Association of California Health Care Districts, and was appointed to the board of directors of KIDANGO, a private, nonprofit agency providing child development program in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco Counties in Northern California. He is the recipient of the first physician award from the Medical Board of California.
In 2007, he was bestowed with the Mother Theresa award – Humanitarian of the year, by the Friends of the South Asian American Communities (FOSAAC).
He was recognized as the Spectacular Care Giver of 1999 “in recognition of your outstanding patient service, consistently superior level of performance and reliable contributions to the team at Newark Health Center”  by the Alameda County Health Services
Currently, Dr. Eapen serves as Pediatrician for Alameda County Health Services where he reaches out to the poor children in Oakland and Newark, and the juveniles in their retention center in San Leandro. California is fortunate to have the services of Dr. Eapen, taking into account the numerous uninsured and indigent people that populate the area.
Good medical practice comes in myriad forms, but good doctors share one trait: they are truly present in their clinics, deeply engaged with their patients and their area of specialization.  Dr. Eapen says, “I have embraced Public Health Services in an explicit and deliberate attempt to foster more appropriate and effective policies, and practices, to benefit the community especially the disadvantaged and underserved population.”
Dr. Jacob Eapen, who serves as a Treasurer and Director of Washington Township Health Care District, where has worked nearly two decades, says, most of the center’s patients are lower income and transitory, so it’s important to have as many services as possible at one facility. He noted half of the pediatrics services done at the center are sick child care, but the other half is “well child care.”
Dr. Eapen has been the commissioner of public health in Alameda County, California, for more than four years. Currently, he serves as Pediatrician for Alameda County Health Services where he reaches out to poor children in Oakland and Newark, and the juveniles in their detention center in San Leandro. California is fortunate to have the services of Dr. Eapen, taking into account the numerous uninsured and indigent people that populate the area.
He served as an adviser to “Every Child Counts” Commission, Alameda County. He is an important speaker against the potential closure of clinics in Alameda County, because of costs. He was awarded the Spectacular Care Giver of 1999 by the Alameda County Health Services “in recognition of (his) outstanding patient service, consistently superior level of performance and reliable contributions to the team at Newark Health Center.”
Dr. Eapen is currently serving as a board member of Washington Hospital in Fremont, California. He was one of the first Indo Americans ever to win a general election in Northern California. He is also a member of several California State boards: The Association of California Health Care Districts (ACHD) (representing about 44 district hospitals in California Governance Forum), The California Hospital Association (CHA) (representing more than 500 hospitals in California) and The Advisory Board of California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation.
He is dedicated to improving access, removing both logistic and insurance barriers, expanding outreach services and reducing Emergency Room waiting time. Dr. Eapen is also pressing for better investment in preventive care through cost effective health programs. For him, minimizing disparities in community health care is an important priority.
As a member of the board he envisions minimizing the disparities in immunization rates, incidence in obesity, diabetes and hypertension as well as increasing open communication and enhancing the image of the hospital as a patient friendly place. In addition to Dr. Jacob’s outstanding performance, he is thankful for the support of his family. Tremendous appreciation goes to his family’s understanding for his numerous commitments to his objectives and social engagements.
Acknowledging self as “a leader, educator and practitioner in Public Health in Alameda County,” Dr. Eapen says, he is deeply aware of the community health needs. “With my national and international experience in the field of medicine and technology,” Dr. Eapen is committed to continuing his life-long mission to usher in a new sensitivity to the medical needs of the diverse population in his community and around the world, where his expertise and skills are needed.
Dr. Eapen has devoted his medical expertise to the health problems of undernourished children in developing countries and to poor and disturbed juveniles in the United States. Time and again, he has demonstrated his commitment to the healing ministry and to improving public health for the underserved worldwide. In the words of Hon. Fortney Pete Stark, “he has embraced Public Health Services in an explicit attempt to foster more appropriate and effective policies to benefit poor, undeserved patients”
The awards, honors and recognitions, take Eapen back to experiences that may fuel his charitable view on life: the many years he spent in sub-Saharan Africa as a teacher and physician. Eapen recalled some days in Africa where he would arrive at the medical clinic at 8 a.m. to find 150 people already waiting in line for medical help, including some who had walked for hours. Dr. Eapen recalls, “You experience that and you value life more. You realize that life is so fragile.”
This brilliant and compassionate physician literally hides a world of expertise behind his unassuming manner. Mrs. Annamma Eapen, his 95-years-old mother, lives in Trivandrum. Dr. Eapen is married to Shirley Jacob, who works for Amgen, a biotech company. They have two grown children, Dr. Naveen and Dr. Sandhya. Dr. Sandhya is married to Dr. Ryan, and the couple are blessed with a 3 months old son, Issac. Dr. Naveen is married to Dr. Stephnie. To quote Dr. Jacob Eapen: “The world needs to advance in compassion.”

GOPIO-NEW YORK ORGANIZES SUCCESSFUL HEALTH CARE SYMPOSIUM

Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin – New York Chapter (GOPIO-New York) organized a community Health Care Seminar on April 20 , 2019 at the Indian American Kerala Center in Elmont, New York. The event was once again, a grand success. Seven prominent physicians and healthcare providers, each an expert in their specialized field served as speakers and panelists.
 The program started with an inaugural session with welcome greetings and messages from Kerala Center Vice President Alex Esthappan, GOPIO-New York President Beena Kothari, GOPIO International Coordinator-at-Large Lal Motwani and GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham. The first speaker was Dr. Jagamohan Kalra, M.D. Hematologist, Oncologist, and Internist – triple board certified, who identified and addressed various types of cancers and concluded that modern health care is our best wealth.
Dr. Prachi Dua , M.D. an ophthalmologist spoke in details about the cataract surgery and provided information on modern  cutting edge technology available for the best eye care . Dr. Ketan Laud , M.D. a famous and prominent Retina specialist, treats all medical and surgical conditions, talked about Diabetes and Retinal health in great details.
Dr. Parinda Dave, DDS, who practices general and family dentistry, spoke about the importance of Oral Health care. Dr. Dua said that if regular dental care is not done, could lead to many serious health hazards including heart issues.
 Registered world famous Nutritionist/Dietician Rita Batheja , M.S., RDN,CDN, FAND, AFMCP , eloquently informed the audience about the balance diet and importance of green raw vegetables in our daily diet. Community activist and dietician Indu Jaiswal further reinforced importance of diet in one’s health.
Distinguished Chiropractor Dr. Michael Posner, who is also internationally certified instructor of Tai Chi-Chi Young, meditation and weight loss spoke about how great posture empowers your level of energy, create better health and wellbeing, while reducing stress .
Dr. Yousuf Syed , M.D.MPH. a Pathologist , was the moderator who introduced the speakers , encouraging robust discussion of event’s agenda and topics and moderated Q&A session.
 “With a well-attended program, our community is very much interested in such programs and GOPIO New York will continue to do health educational seminars,” said GOPIO-New York President Beena Kothari. GOPIO’s next health related seminar is titled Aging Gracefully with Proper Health Care in early June.
 The symposium was co-sponsored by Alliance of Global Sindhi Associations, India Day Parade (IDP), Indian American Forum (IAF) and Long Island Ladies Council (LILC). GOPIO-New York can be contacted at beena.kothari@gmail.com, Tel: 631-988-1280.

Forum on “Understanding Hate Crimes and Protection of Places of Worship” Held

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion 0

On 6th April, Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) hosted a first-of-its-kind Forum on “Understanding Hate Crimes and Protection of Places of Worship” for faith based and community leaders to learn how to prevent and respond to hate crimes against places of worship. Facilitated by the United States Department of Justice Community Relations Services (CRS), it held presentations by representatives from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Harris County District Attorney’s office, FBI Houston Field Office, Department of Homeland Security and Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

About 40 faith based organizations attended the forum which was held at the Houston Durgabari Society. The event touched on four issues: Hate Crimes Prosecutions Overview, Hate Crimes Statistics and Symbols of Hate, Preventing and Responding to Active Shooter Situations and a Panel Discussion on Protecting Places of Worship by Interfaith leaders.

A brain child of HGH Past President Partha Krishnaswamy, the forum sought to educate custodians, caretakers and members of temples, churches, synagogues, gurudwaras and mosques on tackling the uptick in hate crimes against places of worship.

Almost all the presenters pointed out that expressing hate, name calling and the display of offensive symbols, no matter how vile, are not in-and-of-themselves criminal. The Constitution is bound to protect the rights of even those who indulge in hate speech. It has to rise to the level of a criminal act before law enforcement agencies can take action.

Recent attacks against religious sites include the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh; Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, S.C.; Victoria Islamic Center, Victoria, Texas, the Oak Creek, Wis., Sikh temple; and the Overland Park Jewish Center in Kansas.

Moderator Harpreet Singh Mocha and Kim Milstead, both from the US Department of Justice were instrumental in putting the program together.

Deputy Chief US Attorney Office of Southern District of Texas, Sharad Khandelwal kicked off the program by highlighting the January 28th 2017 attack on the Victoria Islamic Center, a mosque about 80 miles in Victoria, Texas. Residents around the center woke up to a fire that engulfed the entire mosque and raged for hours eventually burning down the mosque to the ground. It was emotionally devastating for its congregation but Khandelwal noted the outpouring of support from the community. A prayer vigil was attended not just by Muslims but by other local communities with churches and synagogues providing their premises for worship until the mosque was rebuilt.

A squad of law enforcement agencies such as the ATF, FBI, Victoria Fire and Police Department used “every single law enforcement method and technology to crack the case.” The perpetrator was charged with a hate crime that got him 24 years of prison time. This was the repeated assurance offered by Khandelwal that in the event of a hate crime, the Department of Justice will not hesitate “to call it a hate crime and make sure justice is served.”

Bureau Chief-Special Crimes Harris County District Attorney’s Office Ruben R. Perez who works for Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg also reiterated that their office was there to help and protect people and would prosecute all cases of arson, graffiti, theft, vandalism and aggravated assault on a place of worship. He encouraged the gathering to dial 911 as a first responder if they saw something that was out of the ordinary, or call CrimeStoppers with tips and speak up if they notice an overt display of hate speech against a community or race on social media.

FBI Houston Supervisory Special Agent Tricia Sibley recommended two sites helpful in understanding hate crimes, hate symbols and their incidence – Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program FBI and StopHoustonGangs. In a recent report, Federal Bureau of Investigation logged 7,175 hate crimes in 2017, a 17% increase from the prior year that was caused by growing attacks against racial and religious minorities. The number represented the third consecutive year that hate crimes went up and the biggest year-by-year increase in hate crimes since 2001. Due to an increase in attacks on Hindu temples and individuals, the FBI began tracking hate crimes against Hindus since 2013.

FBI Houston Supervisory Special Agent Chris Johnson offered some broad based guidelines and resources on securing places of worship and how to survive an active shooter. Since 2014, 1016 hate crimes motivated by religious bias were reported and occurred at churches, temples, mosques, gurudwaras and synagogues.

While entering to a place of worship should be a welcoming experience, some easy security measures he suggested were: Invite local law enforcement personnel to your building during larger prayer services or meetings. Other than the main access points, all other access points should be locked during services. Fire alarm and sprinkler systems should be tested regularly

Ushers can be the first line of defense. They should be positioned at the main access points and trained to spot “something that doesn’t add up” such as nervous behavior, excess clothing or constant adjusting of clothing. Have ushers greet and talk to newcomers in the congregation Install surveillance cameras in conspicuous and inconspicuous places. The perception of surveillance could change someone’s behavior and help law enforcers apprehend the perpetrator. 74% of active shooters enter through the main access point. If you have only one camera, install it at the main access point.

Security cameras should employ good lighting.

In case of a suspicious item, do not touch or tamper with it. Dial 911 immediately.

In case of a threat by phone, do not hang up. If possible record the conversation, ask questions and write down the exact wording of the threat.

In case of a suspicious person, note down license plates, write down descriptions of what the person looked like and what they did. Such evidence is critical for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute if necessary.

A case of vandalism, no matter how minor, must be reported. Follow up with the appropriate officer regularly on the progress of the case. “See something, say something.” Call 911 if you spot suspicious behavior. Develop a plan and educate members of the congregation on the plan.

In case of an Active shooting:

In the wake of the 2012 shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek Wisconsin, Special Agent Johnson noted a dangerous trend in that the attacks are getting deadlier almost “as if the shooters are trying to outdo the previous shooting.”

A study of 160 active shooters in the US from 2000-2013 showed that 3.8% or 6 of them were at places of worship. 69% of the 160 incidents ended in 5 minutes or less. Law enforcement response time was 3 minutes and 67% of the incidents ended before the police arrived.

Some do’s and don’ts:

In case of an active shooter, evacuees should leave all personal belongings behind.

Avoid using elevators and escalators to escape. He recommended viewing a film on YouTube called “Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active shooter.” During an active shooting, the three basic response actions are Run, hide or fight. Individuals can run away from the shooter, seek a secure place where they can hide or incapacitate the shooter with improvised weapons such as fire extinguishers or chairs. When hiding, silence electronic devices like cell phones, lock and barricade the door with heavy furniture, turn off lights and remain silent.

Provide first responders with a site plan including information about door and window locations as well as locks and access controls.

Commander Criminal Intelligence Division Houston Police Department M. Wyatt Martin clarified that the average response time after a 911 call is 5 minutes. He also encouraged the gathering to call Stephen Daniel at 713-308-3246 for a site security assessment and training in how to protect the place of worship.

Developing a strong relationship with the local commander is important in helping protect a place of worship. One can also text 911 now for emergencies while the non-emergency number is 713-884-3131.

Officer Martin strongly suggested the need for a plan of action, a plan of evacuation and a security committee to create a security plan. A good idea when entering a public place, he cautioned, is to check out the exits on the property. In a concluding panel discussion, representatives from Interfaith ministries – Rev. Gregory Han – IMG Interfaith, Dr. Zahra Jamal – Rice University, Jason Plotkin from the Synagogue, Kedar Thakker – BAPS Mandir and Morris Grunill from the Fort Bend Church shared the security protocols they utilize to protect their place of worship.

Security is a high priority for the BAPS Mandir. Ketan Thakker stated that BAPS looked at security through 2 perspectives – IT and people perspective. Since they host several events a year which sometimes attract almost eight thousand people, they take precautionary steps such as installing several cameras that are monitored, invite law enforcement to temple events, have officers present but in the end, he emphasized that “human vigilance is best.”

The Fort Bend Church has a carefully thought out multilayered system of security. Members are first greeted by parking lot attendants, then greeters and ushers. Security Officers are present on campus. During the week only one entrance is used except Sundays when all 6 entrances are used. An in house security committee meets once a year to review and revise security measures.

Other suggestions included conducting fire drills or exercises to make a quick departure from the space, “using proactive fellowship” to check out newcomers, monitoring social media for hate feeds, asking first time people to stand and be acknowledged, knowing the people in your immediate vicinity and “finally educate and create awareness without creating panic.”

The Hindu American Foundation, a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington D.C., has been actively working for years with the Department of Justice, law enforcement, and legislators across the country to track and address bias motivated attacks on Hindus and other religious and ethnic minorities. HAF also requests help in tracking incidents of identity-based or bias-motivated intimidation, threats, harassment, and violence being experienced in our communities by filling out the Bias-Motivated Crime Data Collection Form, if they or someone they know has experienced or witnessed an incident. Contact HAF for assistance at info@hafsite.org or 201-223-8222.

FEMA had a grant program of $150,000 to enhance the security of religious centers that are at risk for hate crimes. Organizations can apply at https://www.fema.gov/nonprofit-security-grant-program.

Other resources:

Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS) Visit justice.gov/crs

Find your regional FBI office at fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices

Learn about the FBI’s hate crime reporting process and statistics at fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes

Find hate crime data collection guidelines and a training manual at ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime-data-collection-guidelines-and-training-manual.pdf

Protector Security Advisor Program (PSA) provide voluntary security surveys and assessments of facilities. Visit dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/PSA-Program-Fact-Sheet-05-15-508.pdf.

Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov/protecting-houses-worship

TiECON East Keynote Speakers Announced: Legendary Investor Jim Breyer, Kronos CEO Aron Ain, Veracode CEO Sam King and Seema Kumar of Johnson & Johnson

Staff ReporterBusiness, Community, Education, Finance/Economy, Health 0

TiE Boston, one of the region’s largest and oldest organizations supporting the Massachusetts entrepreneurial ecosystem and connecting entrepreneurs, executives and venture capitalists, announced today the four keynote speakers who will feature at its annual conference, TiECON East. The day-long conference will be held on May 7, 2019 at the Westin Boston Waterfront hotel in Boston and will feature artificial intelligence and digital health as central themes.

The four keynote speakers spanning morning to evening sessions are: legendary investor, founder and CEO of Breyer Capital Jim Breyer, Kronos CEO and author Aron Ain, Veracode CEO Sam King and Seema Kumar, Vice President of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication at Johnson & Johnson.

“We are very excited that four giants of the new economy have joined TiECon East 2019 as keynote speakers,” said TiECON Chair Sanjay Jain. “In addition, we will have about 40 speakers who are experts in their fields. TiECON East will give you the facts and knowledge that you need to make vital business decisions.”

Breyer, who has led investments in household names including Facebook, Didi, Spotify and Etsy, will talk about his new focus on AI-driven companies. His recent investment, Boston-based AI fintech startup Kensho, was acquired by S&P Global for $550 million.

Interviewing Breyer will be another VC heavy-weight and author, Hemant Taneja of General Catalyst.  Taneja, whose investments include Snapchat and Stripe, recently authored “Unscaled: How AI and a New Generation of Upstarts are Creating the Economy of the Future”. The conference’s AI & Robotics track will feature several Boston-based leader and unicorn companies including Teradyne, DataRobot, RapidMiner and Cambridge Mobile Telematics.

Ain, CEO of Lowell-based software giant Kronos, will be another prominent keynote. Under his leadership, Kronos has grown to a stunning $1.4 billion in revenue, while creating an exemplary work culture. In 2018, Kronos topped Boston Globe’s “Best Places to Work” list.  Mr. Ain, who recently published “WorkInspired: How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work” will discuss how company culture is central to building an enduring business.

The third keynote speaker is Sam King, CEO of Boston-based cybersecurity giant Veracode and a recognized expert in cybersecurity, the emerging practice of DevSecOps and business management. As a founding member of the Veracode team, Sam helped lead the establishment and growth of the application security category working with industry experts and analysts. In addition to security and technology, Sam is also passionate about developing leaders and creating positive work environments that foster creativity and personal growth.

The final keynote speaker is Seema Kumar, Vice President of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication at Johnson & Johnson. From acquiring robotics startup Auris for $3.4 billion, launching JLAB incubators in 13 global locations, to investing through JJDC, Johnson & Johnson is a player to reckon with in Digital Health. Ms. Kumar will walk the audience through JNJ’s major push in entrepreneurship globally.

In addition to AI, digital health will be another prominent theme at TiECON East 2019.

Leaders from Veritas Genetics, IBM Watson, Amazon, Virtusa and John Halamka of BIDMC, amongst others, will discuss how new entrants like Amazon, technologies like big data and AI, and upstart companies are rapidly changing healthcare as we know it.

“No other conference in Boston comes close to the quality of speakers and depth of discussion than TiECON East. This is because our conference is put together by domain experts – our members who are founders and executives of leading companies in their fields,” said TiE Boston President Nilanjana Bhowmik. “As a not-for-profit, we keep ticket prices low to make such a high-quality event accessible to a broad range of attendees including engineers, founders, and executives in tech and health care.”

SAKHI to honor Champions of Gender Equality

Staff ReporterCommunity, Profiles, Women 0

On Friday, May 3, 2019, Sakhi for South Asian Women (Sakhi), New York City’s first South Asian American women’s organization and an award-winning nonprofit that combats domestic and sexual violence in NYC’s South Asian community, will celebrate 30 years of service and advocacy at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine at its gala Honoring the Power Within.

ACLU Artist Ambassador, best-selling author, and Top Chef host/executive producer Padma Lakshmi will serve as the gala’s Honorary Chair. Sakhi will recognize ‘me too’ movement founder Tarana Burke and philanthropist Indrani Goradia.

Sakhi’s 30th Anniversary Honored Guests Padma Lakshmi, Honorary Chair, best-selling author and host/executive producer of Bravo’s Top Chef Tarana Burke, Honoree, ‘me too’ founder, activist, and advocate Indrani Goradia, Honoree, philanthropist, advocate, and founder of Indrani’s Light Foundation Eve Ensler, Award Presenter, author of Obie Award-winning The Vagina Monologues, Tony Award-winning playwright, author, performer, and activist Amanda Nguyen, Award Presenter, 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, founder and CEO of Rise Mayuri Veda, Special Remarks, thriver and peer advocate Padma Lakshmi, ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights and women’s rights, best-selling author, and host/executive producer of Bravo’s Top Chef is serving as the Honorary Chair of the gala.

Ms. Lakshmi says that, “Sakhi is fulfilling an important role in the Asian-American community, supporting those who need it most. The work they do is vital.” Two in five South Asian women experience domestic violence compared to one in four in the general population. Through crisis management, safety planning, job training, counseling, and more, Sakhi works with South Asian survivors of violence and sexual assault to achieve safety and independence.

Sakhi will honor two champions of gender equity and justice: Tarana Burke and Indrani Goradia. Honoree Tarana Burke is the founder of the viral ‘me too’ movement.

Time magazine included her on their 2018 Time 100 list as one of the world’s most influential people. For over 25 years, Ms. Burke has worked to increase access to resources for communities affected by sexual violence and racial injustice. Like the #metoo movement, Sakhi works with South Asian survivors of violence to take control of their lives and see themselves not as victims, but as agents of change. Ms. Burke says, “‘me too’ was born from a need to center black and brown girls in the movement to end sexual assault. Sakhi has been a model for gender justice, a resilient community partner, and I couldn’t be more humbled to stand with them as they celebrate their 30-year journey.”

Ms. Burke will be introduced by Amanda Nguyen, the founder and CEO of Rise and a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work on behalf of survivors of sexual assault. Sakhi also works with different communities and institutions to end domestic violence. Sakhi leads grassroots workshops that destigmatize taboos around domestic violence in South Asian communities and trains doctors, law enforcement officers, and other frontline providers to treat South Asian survivors with greater cultural sensitivity.

Honoree Indrani Goradia is an example of the power of collaboration. Ms. Goradia is an activist, philanthropist, and founder of Indrani’s Light Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the level of care for domestic-violence survivors. In 2013, Ms. Goradia joined forces with global health organizations, the PSI Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to lift women and girls out of poverty. Ms. Goradia says, “As an advocate and survivor, I have dedicated my life to uplifting the voices and power of survivors across the globe, and I am deeply honored to receive this award for Sakhi for South Asian Women’s 30th anniversary celebration.

Indrani’s Light and Sakhi are inextricably linked in a movement fighting for justice for all survivors of violence.” Ms. Goradia will be introduced by Tony Award-winning playwright Eve Ensler. Ms. Ensler wrote the best-selling play The Vagina Monologues, which won an Obie Award and has been published in 48 languages and performed in more than 140 countries. “It is an honor to bring together these powerful leaders in the movement to end violence against women for Sakhi’s 30th anniversary celebration,” says Sakhi’s Executive Director, Kavita Mehra.

“They share our belief in uplifting the voices and power of survivors of violence and are role models for all of us at Sakhi. As one of the first South Asian women’s organizations in the country, and the first to break the stigma about gender-based violence in the South Asian community, we’re proud of the progress we’ve made. As we embrace a new chapter of our history, we’re urgently looking to our friends and supporters to help us expand our services to meet the rising needs facing South Asian survivors of violence in New York City. We raise nearly half of our annual budget at our annual gala. This year we have an ambitious goal of raising $600,000, which will support Sakhi’s critical work in crisis intervention, mental health counseling, as well as help us launch our new transitional-housing program.” For more information, including gala ticketing and sponsorship information: www.sakhi.givesmart.com

Sakhi for South Asian Women (Sakhi) exists to end violence against women. Sakhi unites survivors, communities, and institutions to eradicate domestic violence to work together to create strong and healthy communities. The organization uses an integrated approach that combines support and empowerment through service delivery, community engagement, advocacy, and policy initiatives. Founded in 1989 by a group of five South Asian women—Anannya Bhattacharjee, Mallika Dutt, Tula Goenka, Geetanjali Misra, and Romita Shetty—who were from diverse professional fields such as banking, film, law, and public health, Sakhi, meaning “woman friend,” was created to fill a critical need—in spite of an abundance of religious and cultural centers, professional associations, and ethnic-specific groups within New York’s large South Asian immigrant population, there was no place for women to address the silenced subject of domestic violence. Through efforts to serve survivors and mobilize community members to condemn abuse, Sakhi has changed the conversation on domestic violence in the community. Margaret Abraham, author of Speaking the Unspeakable: Marital Violence Among South Asian Immigrants in the United States, has noted, “What Sakhi did was bring together issues around ethnicity and gender, which were previously not discussed in our communities. They shifted domestic violence from a private family problem to a public social

Sanjay Raman Appointed Dean of the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst

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Sanjay Raman, associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region and president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, has been named the new dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The announcement was made by John J. McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. Raman begins his new duties at UMass Amherst in August.

McCarthy said, “I’m delighted to welcome Sanjay Raman as our next dean of the College of Engineering. He possesses an outstanding combination of skills in academic leadership, research and development, and collaborating with colleagues across academia, industry and government. We look forward to drawing upon his rich experience in establishing collaborations within and outside the university.”

Raman succeeds Timothy J. Anderson who served as UMass Amherst’s dean of the College of Engineering from 2013-18. Anderson is a Distinguished Professor in chemical engineering and remains on the faculty.

At Virginia Tech, Raman is a tenured full professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering based at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Va. From 1998-2009, he was assigned to the Virginia Tech main campus in Blacksburg.

As the associate vice president (AVP) for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region (NCR), Raman is responsible for planning and executing region-wide initiatives to enhance the university’s research, education, and outreach missions, focusing on cross-cutting themes of data and decision science, integrated security, intelligent infrastructure, global systems science, policy, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Since July 2016, he has also served as the president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, a 501(c)(3) university affiliated research organization whose mission is to deliver analytic and technology solutions to the university’s government and non-government customers, extending the brand and impact of the Virginia Tech Research and Innovation enterprise.

From 2007-13, Raman served as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), on loan from the university under Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments. He is also a graduate of the Virginia Tech Executive Development Institute.

Raman earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1998 and joined the ECE faculty at Virginia Tech. Prior to his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, Raman served as a nuclear-trained submarine officer in the U.S. Navy from 1987-92. He earned a bachelor’s of electrical engineering degree, with highest honors, from Georgia Tech in 1987.

Raman is a founding member of the Virginia Tech Multifunctional Integrated Circuits and Systems (MICS) group, focused on innovative research in analog, mixed-signal, and RF/microwave/mm-wave IC designs, optoelectronics, and RF interfaces. Raman is an Elected Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for leadership in adaptive microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits. He is also an elected member of the Administrative Committee of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society.

Designers from India show festive wear in New Jersey at “Spring Soirée 2019”

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An array of Indian and US-Indian designers showcased their latest collections at the fashion and lifestyle exhibition Spring Soirée 2019 April 14, at the Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, New Jersey.

The exhibition was a one-stop shop for the spring wedding season.

The show ‘Spring Soiree, 2019’ showcased the versatility of Indian designers whose wide-ranging styles were not restricted to any culture or ethnicity, but also included the ethnic and traditional, according to a press release from organizers House of Chic by Heena Surani, a New York-based pop-up retail company, in collaboration with Vandana Malhotra Puri.

Currently their fashions have been seen in Dubai, New York, Dallas and Los Angeles, and at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, and according to organizers, the Mumbai event “is already creating a buzz in Indian style and fashion magazines.”

The ‘Spring Soiree, 2019’  has been held in New York City, and Westchester before being taken to New Jersey. Many well-known designers (with their collection) such as Jayanthi Reddy, Adhya, Myoho, Lotus Sutr, Priya Chahabria, Inaarabypriya, Harshi, Dolly Saraf Jain, Dhashi, Roma Bhalla, Aneehka, ReeMat, BG Jewels, Tinted Teal, Allure Jewels and many more participated in the event.

In the New Jersey show, exquisite Indian embroideries with Western cuts made it on the ramp, the collections holding an international appeal, organizers said. It included festive couture, handcrafted luxury pret, which derives inspiration from the fusion of modern trends, fall styles to summer spring looks – including kurtas, salwaar suits, tunics, semiformal Indian wear and many more silhouettes were highlighted.

On April 14, House of Chic and Vandana Malhotra Puri hosted the New Jersey edition of Spring Soirée 2019 at the Royal Albert Palace in Fords. The fashion and lifestyle exhibition featured clothing, jewellery, and accessories with traditional and bridal wear as a focus.

Participating clothing designers included Jayanti Reddy, Priya Chhabria, Aneeka Harshi, Myoho, Roma Bhalla, Lotus Sutra, Heena Kochhar, Dhashi, Aadhya, and Kama Fashion by Dolly Jain. Jewellery brands Reemat Designs and Bijoux by Priya Chandra also participated. Fusion wear, kurtas, lehengas, and dupattas provided both formal and casual options for shoppers and the New Jersey Indian community came together to celebrate Indian fashion.

The event was designed to create a “buzz” around Indian fashion, according to the event’s press release. The New Jersey event followed Dallas, New York City, and Westchester and Heena Surani’s fashion events business House of Chic has also run similar events in Los Angeles and Dubai.

“A holistic cocktail of the antique artistry mixed with modern wizardry of silhouettes, cuts and jaw dropping designs,” organizers said in the press release. “The response was outstanding and crowds are now waiting for the next Exhibition with the next stunning Collection,” they added.

Indo-American Arts Council Presents “The Colors Of Her Heart”

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, U.S., Women 0

Choreographed and directed by Mallika Sarabhai, The Colors of Her Heart is a spellbinding, dance-theatre-multimedia production, that uses the haunting lyrics of British musician Samia Malik with the creative visual imagery and story creating skills of Yadavan Chandran. On the stage, six women tell their poignant stories bringing awareness into the issue of gender inequality.

What do all women across the world share as experiences? Whatever the color of their skins, whatever their language and culture, the single identity that leads to their exploitation and violence against them is their gender. With songs in Urdu and English and stories that are both personal and universal, the heartful composition draws you into the world of women and their lives, dwelling on their experiences of vulnerability, love, pain, rejection, discrimination, and violation.

The ballet shifts between powerfully spoken monologues as accounts of the performers, group and solo dances, emotive pieces, even a ghazal that come together rhythmically with the bilingual live music by Samia Malik. The pieces reflect upon the common thread that binds all women, bringing together not just the stories of six women, but the pains, travails and victories of women of all nations.

The Colors of Her Heart plays at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre on 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019 on April 17. The show starts at 7PM and there will be a talkback with the Mallika Sarabhai, Yadavan Chandran and Samia Malik at the end of the show.

Mallika Sarabhai is one of India’s leading choreographers and an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer, who has specialized in using the arts for social change and transformation.She first came to international notice when she played she played the role of Draupadi in the Peter Brook’s play The Mahabharata for 5 years, first in French and then English, performing in France, North America, Australia, Japan and Scotland.

Mallika has won many accolades during her long career, the Golden Star Award is one of them, which she won for the Best Dance Soloist, Theatre De Champs Elysees, Paris 1977. As well as a dancer, Sarabhai is a social activist. She manages the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts located at Ahmedabad, a centre for the arts and for the use of arts as a language for behavior change.

The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information please visit www.iaac.us.

Skipping breakfast may increase death risk

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Do you skip your morning meal and eat dinner late at night? If so, it may increase the risk of death and other heart-related problems, researchers have warned.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, suggest that people with such an unhealthy lifestyle had a four to five times higher likelihood of early death and increased chances of a second heart attack.

“Our research shows that the two eating behaviours are independently linked with poorer outcomes after a heart attack but having a cluster of bad habits will only make things worse,” said co-author Marcos Minicucci, from Sao Paolo State University in Brazil.

“We also think that the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endothelial function could be involved in the association between unhealthy eating behaviours and cardiovascular outcomes,” he added.

For the study, the team involved 113 patients with a mean age of 60, of which 73 per cent were men. The study enrolled patients with a particularly serious form of heart attack called ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

According to the team, this was the first study to evaluate these unhealthy behaviours in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Skipping breakfast was observed in 58 per cent patients, having late night dinner in 51 per cent, and both behaviours in 41 per cent.

To improve eating habits, researchers recommended a minimum two hour interval between dinner and bedtime.

“A good breakfast is usually composed of dairy products (fat-free or low fat milk, yogurt and cheese), a carbohydrate (whole wheat bread, bagels, cereals), and whole fruits,” the team said.

April 22nd is Earth Day Perceptions of people on potential threats to EARTH

Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Environment, Science & Technology 0

April 22 is Earth Day, an annual event that highlights environmental concerns and encourages civic action. This year’s Earth Day comes amid widespread global concern about climate change. The way people perceive and respond to climate changes depends on one’s ideology, location, income and education, among the many other factors.

A 2018 Pew Research Center survey on how people evaluate eight potential threats, as well as other polls conducted by the Center, has some surprising conclusions.

  1. Majorities in most surveyed countries say global climate change is a major threat to their nation. In fact, it’s seen as the top threat in 13 of 26 surveyed countries, more than any other issue the survey asked about. People in Greece express very high levels of concern, with 90% labeling climate change a major threat (similar to the 88% there who cite the condition of the global economy). People in South Korea, France, Spain and Mexico also express strong concerns. Eight-in-ten or more in each of these countries say climate change is a major threat.

Americans are less likely to be concerned about climate change, with 59% seeing it as a serious threat. About as many people in the United States cite climate change as point to ISIS (62%) and North Korea’s nuclear program (58%). Americans most frequently cite cyberattacks as a major threat. People in Russia (43%), Nigeria (41%) and Israel (38%) are the least likely to say climate change is a major threat to their nation.

  1. Substantial shares see climate change as a minor threat or not a threat at all. Not all people in the surveyed countries consider climate change to be a major threat. A median of 20% across these countries consider global warming a minor threat, while 9% say it is not a threat. About half or more in Israel and Russia say global climate change is a minor threat or not a threat (58% and 51%, respectively). In the U.S., roughly a quarter (23%) believe climate change is a minor threat, while 16% say it is no threat at all.

  1. Concerns about climate change have risen significantly in many countries since 2013. The share of people expressing concern about the threat of climate change around the world has grown since 2013, when Pew Research Center first asked respondents whether they see it as a major threat to their nation. In 2013, a median of 56% in 23 countries said climate change was a major threat; in the Center’s most recent Global Attitudes survey, a median of 67% in the same countries hold this view. And in 10 countries, the share of people who see global warming as a major threat has grown by at least 10 percentage points. For example, 83% of people in France say this, up from 54% in in 2013, an increase of 29 points. Mexico has seen a similar increase, from 52% to 80%, or 28 points.

Americans have also grown more concerned about climate change, even if their overall level of concern is lower than in some other countries. Nearly six-in-ten Americans see climate change as a major threat (59%), up 19 points from 2013.

  1. People with more education tend to be more concerned about climate change; in some countries, women and younger people are also more concerned. Education, gender and age are related to evaluations of climate change as a threat. In most countries surveyed, those with higher levels of education are more likely than those with less education to see climate change as a serious threat. For instance, Hungarians with a postsecondary or higher education are 11 percentage points more likely than their less-educated counterparts to say that climate change is a major threat. Women are more likely than men to be concerned about climate change in nine of the 26 surveyed countries. In Canada, for example, 72% of women consider climate change a major threat, compared with 59% of men. Age is also associated with views of climate change in some countries. In the U.S., 71% of those ages 18 to 29 say climate change is a threat, compared with half of Americans 50 and older.

  1. In the U.S., there’s a wide partisan gap about climate change.Among American adults, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are less likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to express concern about climate change. Roughly a quarter (27%) of Republicans say climate change is a major threat, compared with more than three-quarters of Democrats (83%) – a 56 percentage point difference. Democrats have also grown more worried about climate change since the question was first asked five years ago, while Republican opinions on climate have remained roughly the same. This trend is consistent with wide and growing political divides among Americans on a range of beliefs about climate issues.

AAPI’s Legislative Day 2019 on Capitol Hill on April 30th To Be Addressed by Dozens of Key US Lawmakers

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health 0

(Washington, DC: April 21, 2019) Healthcare continues to be at the center of the national debate, especially after the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle Affordable Care Act, and to do away with the Individual Mandate, affecting almost everyone in the country.  Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, representing over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, wants to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill and around the nation, particularly on issues relating to healthcare.

Indian-Americans constitute less than one percent of the country’s population, but they account for nine percent of the American doctors and physicians. One out of every seven doctors serving in the US is of Indian heritage, providing medical care to over 40 million of US population.

Continuing with its mission and objective to have its collective voice heard on the corridors of power, AAPI is organizing its annual Legislative Day on April 30th, 2019 at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. With participation from dozens of key Congressmen and Senators, the event will be a unique opportunity for AAPI to be part of the decision making process on matters related to healthcare.

“AAPI has been seeking to collectively shape the best health care for the people of US, with the physician at the helm, caring for the medically underserved as we have done for several decades when physicians of Indian origin came to the US in larger numbers,” says Dr. Naresh Parikh, president of AAPI. “During the annual Legislative Conference, among others, AAPI will discuss: Increased Residency Slots, Immigration Reform, Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursements, Tort Reform, Repeal of the Individual Mandate, Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs, and, The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2017,” he added.”

“AAPI is once again in the forefront in bringing many burning health care issues facing the community at large and bringing this to the Capitol and to the US Congress,” says Dr. Vinod Shah, Chair of AAPI Legislative Affairs Committee. “As Congress has now passed a repeal of this part of the Affordable Care Act, which takes place in 2019, what does this mean for the average physician practice if patients drop their health care coverage and how will this impact premiums? AAPI will have an opportunity to hear from the Congressmen on their perspectives on this critical issue,” added Dr. Shah.

AAPI urges US Congress to support and implement the H.R. 3592, The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2017. This legislation introduced in the last session of Congress, would provide for research and grants to improve the cardiovascular health care of South Asian Americans, Dr. Shah said.

Dr. Vinod Shah urged his “AAPI colleagues and everyone interested in or connected with providing health care to attend this event and ensure that our concerns and needs are heard by our lawmakers and ensure that they act on them.”

“AAPI Legislative day is a flagship annual event that is eagerly awaited to rekindle and renew our energy in bringing up the issues that we need to bring to the attention of national policy makers and leaders of the US Congress on Capitol Hill,” said Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Co-chair of AAPI Legislative Affairs Committee. “A tradition of more than two decades which has brought many important transformations in National Health policies that have helped Physicians of Indian Origin, now, it is the need of the day to renew our friendship with new leadership and brief on our issues.”

According to Dr. Shivangi, “Even though our major issues of uniform licensing laws and reciprocation, discrimination in residency have been done away with to some extent, we need to be still vigilant with the issues of Foreign Medical graduates in residency allotment, increase in Medicare funding so as to increase the Residency slots. The most burning issue of all at present time is H1 Visa, waiver and decades of wait for Green Card that affects Indian Physicians. It is also time to welcome our new Indian Ambassador to USA Hon. Harsha Vardhan Shringala to AAPI. I look forward to see many of our friends in Washington, DC on April 30th, 2019.” Dr. Shivangi added.

Stating that the US is currently experiencing a physician shortage, which will be exacerbated by retiring baby boomers, affecting thousands of patients’ access to a physician, and ultimately the health care they need, AAPI strongly supports, the much needed “Immigration Reform, particularly with the focus on H-1 and J-1 visas are used by many South Asian American physicians, playing an important role in providing critical health care across the country,” Dr. Suresh Reddy President-Elect of AAPI, pointed out. “Combined with the Green Card backlog consisting of more than 4 million people, we are very concerned about the impact immigration reform will have on the South Asian American community,” Dr. Reddy added.

“The conference will focus on Immigration Reform and ways for AAPI members to be part of the process in the implementation of the health care reform in this country,” adds Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Vice President of AAPI. “While medical school enrollment has climbed 2% annually over the past five years through new schools and expansion of existing schools, the number of residency slots funded by Medicare has been capped at about 100,000 since 1997. Congress can act by passing legislation adding 15,000 more residency slots, which will help to train up to 45,000 more doctors in the next two decades,” he added.

AAPI is committed to Tort Reform, says, Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Secretary of AAPI. “In order to reduce the practice of defensive medicine, bring down the overall cost of health care, and limit the number of meritless lawsuits, tort reform will bring fairness into the court system and better serve both the doctor and patient communities.”

In its efforts to help patients struggling with higher healthcare cost, AAPI will urge the lawmakers to help lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs. The exorbitant cost of prescription drugs is a critical health care issue, as some life-saving drugs are too expensive for many patients. As physicians, we want to ensure that the medicines their patients need are affordable and will be taken, to ensure a high quality of life, reduction of chronic ailments, and effective treatment today to prevent increased health care costs in the future.

Pointing to the fact that Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursements have not kept up with the cost of care and the growing populations utilizing them, AAPI wants the Congress to review reimbursement schedules. Failure to do so will result in patients’ inability to find a physician in their community who accepts Medicare and/or Medicaid patients.

Dr. Naresh Parikh says that “AAPI continues to discover her own potential to be a player in shaping the healthcare of each patient with a focus on health maintenance than disease intervention. To be a player in crafting the delivery of health care in the most efficient manner. To strive for equality in health globally. The annual Legislative Day is another way to impact Healthcare policy and programs in a most effective way. Come and join us on Capitol Hill on April 30th.” For more information on AAPI and its several noble initiatives benefitting AAPI members and the larger society, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

Sri Lanka Terror Attacks: ‘International network’ linked to bombings

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A wave of bombings that killed 290 people in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday was carried out with the support of an international network, Sri Lankan officials said. The government has blamed a little-known local jihadist group, National Thowheed Jamath, although no-one has yet admitted carrying out the bombings. Over 500 others were injured in the suicide attacks on churches and hotels.

Sri Lankan authorities were warned about a bomb threat from National Thowheed Jamath a full two weeks before the attacks, cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said at a press conference. He said that the warnings were not passed on to the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, or his cabinet. Wickremesinghe acknowledged that security services had been “aware of information” but had not acted on the information.

Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said, was a result of “colossal intelligence failure” as there was prior information about the attack. He demanded the resignation of the Inspector General of Police. “As a government, we apologize to families and other institutions. The problem is that even when we met the Prime Minister at the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister was also in the dark,” he said.

The emergency declaration by the Sri Lankan Government will give police and military extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court orders. Police have arrested 24 people in a series of raids and the president’s office declared a state of national emergency.

Four Indians were among those killed in the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, while many others, including a leading Tamil actress, had a narrow escape.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj quoted the Indian High Commission as saying that it had been informed by the National Hospital in Colombo about the death of three Indian nationals — Lakshmi, Narayan Chandrashekhar, Ramesh. “We are ascertaining further details,” the Minister said.

Islamist extremists carried out the first six major suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, The Daily Mirror reported. Investigators said that two terrorists had on Saturday checked into Room 616 of The Shangri-La hotel, one of the three Colombo hotels where blasts took place in quick succession, the English language daily reported.

Close circuit television camera (CCTV) footage revealed that the suspects detonated the bombs in the cafeteria and on the corridor of the hotel, it said.

Investigators suspect that C-4 explosives weighing 25 kg were used for the bombings at the hotel, it said.

The investigators who broke into the room found materials used by “radical Islamic extremists”, the daily quoted sources as saying. It was unclear if the bombers were locals or international terrorists who arrived on tourist visa to the island nation.

On Monday, another blast rocked a street near a church in the capital, Colombo. Police were attempting to defuse explosives in a vehicle used by the attackers when it blew up. It is not yet known if anyone was hurt.

On Monday, 87 detonators were found from the main bus station at Pettah in Colombo while a bomb the security forces were trying to defuse exploded near the St Anthony Church in Colombo, triggering panic in the area.

An improvised explosive device (IED) was also detected near the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Monday morning and was defused in controlled explosion by the Sri Lanka Air Force, according to the Daily Mirror.

Police said that they had seized a van and its driver who allegedly transported some suspects into Colombo and also raided a safe house used by the attackers.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the bloodbath, Senaratne told the media: “NTJ was involved. It is a local organisation. We don’t know whether they are linked to outsiders. All those arrested are locals.” But he too admitted that without an international network, “these attacks could not have succeeded”.

The first of the eight blasts took place on Sunday morning in three luxury hotels — Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-la, Kingsbury — in the heart of Colombo and in a church each in Colombo, Negombo, 30 km from here, and in the Tamil-majority Batticaloa town in the island’s east that was once a Tamil Tiger stronghold.

Later in the afternoon, another blast hit a guest house near the zoo in Dehiwala in Colombo, killing two persons, and a housing complex at Dematogoda in the city leaving three policemen dead.

Sri Lanka’s National Security Council on Monday announced plans to impose a “conditional state of Emergency” from midnight. It said the measures would target terrorism and would not limit freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, the US State Department said that terrorist groups continued to plot possible attacks in Sri Lanka and urged Americans visiting that country to exercise increased caution.

After Fire Destroys Parts of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Macron says new cathedral will be ‘more beautiful’

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In the latticed shadows of the medieval masterpiece that was Notre Dame de Paris, centuries of history unspooled: two calamitous world wars, bubonic plague, revolution, the sprawling, messy intricacies of daily life. Its mighty bells clanged at momentous junctures — when Paris was liberated from the Nazis in 1944, in tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

A massive blaze at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris devastated large parts of the 850-year-old church. The fire is now out, but the cathedral’s iconic spire fell during the hours it took to battle the blaze. French President Emmanuel Macron, in an address to the nation, promised Parisians that they will “rebuild this cathedral together.”

Onlookers wept and gasped in horror as more than 400 firefighters fought the ferocious and fast-moving blaze, which broke out about 6:45 p.m., destroying large parts of the 850-year-old Gothic monument.

Firefighters said the roof had been mostly destroyed, and at one point they feared the entire structure could collapse. Flames licked up the tall spire, which eventually buckled and collapsed in on itself, but by midnight, with the fire’s intensity finally fading, officials at the scene said the cathedral structure, including the two towers on the main facade, had been saved.

On Monday, it was the bells of Paris’ other churches that tolled — in an anguished, prayerful gesture of solidarity and support for the burning cathedral.

The cathedral was minutes away from total destruction, officials say.

But despite Mr Macron’s pledge experts say its reconstruction could take decades.

Fifty people will investigate the cause of the fire. Paris public prosecutor Rémy Heitz said there was no obvious indication of arson and that the blaze was being treated as an accident.

A combined €800m ($902m; £692m) has already been pledged by a number of companies and business tycoons to help rebuild the Unesco World Heritage site.

In a televised address on Tuesday evening, President Macron suggested he wants it rebuilt by the time Paris hosts the Summer Olympics in 2024.

“We’ll rebuild Notre-Dame even more beautifully and I want it to be completed in five years, we can do it,” said Mr Macron, who had already pledged to launch an international fundraising scheme for the reconstruction.

“It’s up to us to convert this disaster into an opportunity to come together… It’s up to us to find the thread of our national project.”

But Eric Fischer, head of the foundation in charge of restoring the 1,000-year-old Strasbourg cathedral, told AFP the Notre-Dame may take “decades” to rebuild.

Frédéric Létoffé, the head of the group of companies for the Restoration of Historic Monuments, put the timescale at between 10 and 15 years, warning substantial work would be needed to secure the site before restoration can begin.

The blaze – which was discovered at 18:43 (16:43 GMT) on Monday and was fully extinguished almost 15 hours later – destroyed most of the cathedral’s roof and led to the collapse of its iconic spire.

Experts have not yet been allowed on site to assess the damage and firefighters have sent a drone to survey the scale of the destruction.

The main structure, including the two bell towers, was saved in a time window of 15 to 30 minutes by a team of 400 firefighters, he said.

In his speech Mr Macron heaped praise on the fire services, saying they took “extreme risks” to tackle the blaze.

Volunteers from 92 cultures convene to plan the 29th Annual Skokie Festival of Cultures

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Representatives from 92 different cultures convened on Monday – April 15, 2019, to organize the 29th Skokie Festival of Cultures  scheduled to take place on May 18 & 19, 2019 at Oakton Park. The three-day event is expected to draw an estimated 25,000 people from the Village of Skokie and surrounding areas.

The festival will kick- off on Friday evening with an International Short Film Festival and feature more than 60 ethnic performances throughout the weekend as visitors experience the cultural diversity existing within Skokie through the event theme “Passport to the World.”

John Marquardt, chairman of the Planning Committee and Pamela Zeid from the Village of Skokie led the volunteer meeting to finalize the cultural booth selection criteria.

This year’s event is expected to feature cultural booths highlighting cultural diversity existing within the Skokie community.  The purpose of the festival is to bring together people from the Village for an entire weekend allowing them to celebrate one another’s customs and cultural backgrounds in a fun and colorful setting.

The food vendors for this year’s event include Skokie Rotary, Windsor Ice Cream, Blackhawk BBQ & Seafood, Lee Concessions, Tamale Express, LC Restaurant, Uncle Zorba’s Greek Foods, Urhai Community Service Center and the Perk & Pickle Food truck.

This year’s event is sponsored by Geico, NorthShore University HealthSystem, State Farm, Nicor Gas, Renewal by Andersen, Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool, Byline Bank, Chiro One Wellness Centers, Eye Level, Power Home Remodeling, First Bank Chicago-Highland Park, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs of Skokie Valley.

John Marquardt, and Pamela Zeid who led meeting did an excellent job at addressing questions from participating organizations; and generating enthusiasm and excitement of the upcoming event.

Krishna Goyal, Member, Skokie Human Relations Commission, who has been serving the Village of Skokie for more than 20 years and Chandrakant Modi, M.D. Chairperson, Gandhi Memorial Chicago, also attended the meeting. Due to Easter Sunday Babu Verma could not attend this meeting however he is part of cultural committee executive member in Village od Skokie.

“This is the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and we are elated to be participating in this event to celebrate Gandhi’s life through literature and photos,” said Chandrakant Modi, M.D.

Gandhi Memorial Chicago will also participate in Skokie’s annual Fourth of July Parade.  Arnold Oskin who organizes the parade shared that slots are starting to fill up and those who care interested can register on the website.   Gandhi Memorial Chicago float will be part of Fourth of July Parade in Skokie.

For businesses or community organizations interested in supporting the festival through donations may contact Jon Marquardt at 847- 674-1500, ext 3520. In return for their support Friends of the Festival will receive advertisement during the event Skokie Park District facilities and lobbies.  The planning committee is also looking for volunteers for the event.  Volunteers may go to the Festival website and submit an online application.

5 Million people lost job opportunities after demonetization in India: Study says

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

India is in the midst of national elections on an almost incomprehensible scale: Over five weeks, more than 900 million people across 29 states and seven territories will cast their ballots at over a million polling stations. Voting, which began on April 11, is set to conclude on May 19 — although the ballot count will not begin until four days later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a second term amid a tepid economy and increased tensions with Pakistan following a February 14 suicide attack in Kashmir linked to a Pakistan-based terrorist group. The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has joined forces with a number of smaller parties to stop BJP. One matter at stake is the future of India’s identity: Is the country a multi-ethnic, secular democracy? Or is it a state where Hindu values take precedence?

Since the November 8, 2016 demonetisation, at least five million people lost opportunities to work across the country, while the overall unemployment rate doubled between 2011 and 2018 to 6%, says a ‘State of Working India’ (SWI) report published by the Centre for Sustainable Employment (CSE) of the Azim Premji University (APU) that was released on Tuesday.

Researchers from the university used unit-level data from the Consumer Pyramids Survey of the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), which covers around 5.22 lakh individuals quarterly, to get an outline of unemployment and what could be done to address it.

The rural Workforce Participation Rate (that is, the percentage of people working against the population within the working age) among men dipped from close to 72% in January-April 2016 (a few months before demonetisation) to slightly above 68% by December 2018. The corresponding figure for urban men reduced from 68% to nearly 65% in this time.

“The numbers seem to suggest we are in a perfect storm-like situation. On the supply side, there is rising aspirations, youth bulge, higher levels of general educational degrees. On the demand side, there has been a collapse of public sector employment, weak link between growth in private industry and employment, and factors such as demonetisation and GST,” Amit Basole, lead author of the report, said at its release. “It seems like employment opportunities have been hit by demonetisation and has not recovered after that,” he observed.

The report shows that the worst-hit in terms of lost employment opportunities were those in rural areas with pre-university or graduate certification, and those between the ages of 20 and 24 years.

SWI relied primarily on date from CMIE rather than the Centre’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), whose last report was in 2011-12. While a report on 2017-18 had been prepared, it ran into controversy as the Centre refused to release it. Leaked versions of the report pointed to soaring unemployment rates — reportedly highest in 45 years.

P.C. Mohanan, who resigned from the National Statistical Commission in protest against the Centre’s decision not to release the report, said there was much insight in the 2017-18 report, which had been carefully drafted to tally with previous five-yearly PLFS reports.

“Unemployment has been concentrated in a small age group: 80% of rural unemployment is among those aged between 15 and 29 years, while the corresponding figure is 77% for urban areas. These are all fresh graduates and unemployment levels among them can have serious consequences on the economy and society,” he said.

The report suggests tackling unemployment through a national urban employment guarantee scheme, modelled on the existing Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. APU researchers propose a programme that provides 100 days of guaranteed work at ₹500 daily in the city — from maintenance of public buildings to greening and environment-related works.

“The country will see more than half of the population live in urban centres in a few decades. Hitherto, the thinking was to provide opportunity through private services. But this scheme will provide means to focus on public goods,” said Harini Nagendra, Professor, APU.

Indian-American PAC endorses Harris for president Tulsi Gabbard outraises Kamala Harris among Indian-American donors

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics, U.S. 0

An Indian-American political action committee (PAC) has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris of Indian and Jamaican descent for the 2020 presidential race.

“In such a critically important election, one that will shape policy and politics for generations to come, Indian Americans can’t afford to stay on the sidelines,” the Indian American Impact Fund’s co-founder Raj Goyle said in a statement last week. Goyle, also a former Kansas state lawmaker, said it was for that reason that the organization chose to be “the first Indian-American or Asian-American political organization to endorse” Harris, whose mother was from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, media reports say.

“In the coming months, we look forward to mobilizing our network of resources to ensure Senator Harris secures the Democratic nomination and is elected the next president of the U.S.,” Goyle said.

Harris thanked the Impact Fund for the endorsement. “This endorsement and the support of the Indian American Impact Fund and its members means so much to me,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will fight for an America that restores the values of truth and justice and works for working people, from raising incomes to expanding health care.”

The Impact Fund Executive Director and former Maryland state delegate Aruna Miller said her group was “proud to endorse” Harris. “She is a tested leader who has demonstrated, throughout her career, a strong commitment to our community’s progressive and pluralistic values,” Miller said.

Harris, one of the first Democrats to launch the presidential campaign in this election cycle, is also one of the front-runners at the moment. If elected, she will become the first woman, the first Indian-American, the first Asian American, and the first African American woman to serve as president.

Meanwhile, Sen. Kamala Harris released 15 years of her tax returns las week, showing that she and her husband earned almost $1.9 million in 2018. Most of the adjusted gross income of $1,884,319 in 2018 reported by Harris, D-Calif., came from her husband Doug Emhoff’s earnings as a lawyer. Harris reported $157,352 in Senate salary and $320,125 in net profit from the memoir she released before announcing her campaign.

Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu US Congresswoman and Democratic 2020 presidential candidate, has vastly outraised Senator Kamala Harris of Indian and Jamaican descent among Indian-American donors in the 2020 presidential fundraising derby so far.

Gabbard, who is a Hindu American but not Indian-American, has raised more than $237,000, from the community. In comparison, Harris, daughter of an Indian American mother and Jamaican American father, has so far raised only $72,606 from the community, according to AAPI Data, which publishes data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

In a clear sign that Harris, one of the strongest contenders in the crowded 2020 Democratic field, has not been fully embraced by the community, the Senator even trails New Jersey’s Corey Booker among Indian-Americans, the American Bazaar reported on Saturday.

Booker has raised more than $131,000 from Indian Americans. A big reason for that is New Jersey is home to nearly 370,000 Indian Americans. But Harris’ home state of California has the largest Indian American population in the country – more than 712,000. Yet, her campaign hasn’t received traction among Indian American campaign donors, the AAPI Data research reveals.

Historically, Indian Americans have donated huge amounts to congressional and gubernatorial candidates from the community. However, their track record in bankrolling candidates from the community so far is spotty. In the last presidential election cycle, the campaign of former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal attracted only lukewarm support of the community.

Facebook joins GAME to train entrepreneurs in India

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Facebook and the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) — a consortium of public and private organizations — on Tuesday announced a partnership to train entrepreneurs and create jobs across India.

Phase one of this partnership, to be rolled out this year, will cover 10 states including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra, among others.

The partnership is in line with Facebook’s commitment to train five million people with digital and entrepreneurial skills by 2021, the social networking platform said in a statement. Women currently constitute 23 per cent of Internet users and six per cent of mass entrepreneurs in India.

“When you give women and youth the skills and technology to improve their lives, we can equip them to unlock economic and social value for themselves and their communities,” said Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director, Facebook – India, South and Central Asia.

GAME and its partners will assist small entrepreneurs build their businesses using digital platforms like Facebook and Instagram to aggregate demand, market products and acquire customers.

“Imagine the power of a platform that can bring together communities of artisan clusters, agri-entrepreneurs or homepreneurs in the thousands to learn, collaborate and succeed,” added Ravi Venkatesan, Founder, GAME.

GAME and Facebook will kick-off their engagement with a project empowering local communities of rural entrepreneurs — using digital and physical modes, a landscape review and identification of solutions for women entrepreneurs and a grand prize challenge for innovative models that spur new business creation.

With its ongoing programmes, Facebook has already trained over one million people across 150 cities and 48,000 villages with support from 50 partners.

TIME’s List of 100 ‘Most Influential People’ 2019 Released

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Indian-American comedian and actor Hasan Minhaj has been named in Time magazine’s 2019 list of 100 most influential people in the world. Also named in the coveted list are lawyers Arundhati Katju and Menaka Guruswamy, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In Minhaj’s profile for Time, The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah writes about the first time the two met in 2014. It was on the sets of the Comedy Central show “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

“We were both fresh-faced kids trying to find our voice in the fast-paced world of late-night television,” Noah writes. “Fast-forward five years later, Hasan is still as fresh-faced as ever, but his voice booms across screens around the world, thanks to his groundbreaking Netflix show ‘Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj’.”

Noah goes on to say that “after hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and releasing his stand-up special ‘Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King’ in 2017, the opportunity for a late-night show of his own wasn’t just obvious, it was necessary. We’ve needed Hasan’s voice since Donald Trump came down that golden escalator and turned immigrants and Muslims into his targets.

He continues: “See, Hasan is a first-generation, Indian-American Muslim. But Hasan also loves the NBA, struggles with a “crippling” sneaker habit and speaks fluent hip-hop. ‘Patriot Act’ is the manifestation of Hasan’s whip-smart commentary, charisma and sincerity. It’s also a consistent reminder that Hasan is America. And America is Hasan.”

On his six-month-old 32-episode Netflix show, Minhaj, 33, has been taking on socially relevant topics including the Indian elections, student loan debt crisis, Amazon’s plan for world domination and immigration enforcement in the Trump era.

But the episode that got the most attention was his takedown of Mohammad bin Salman, which Netflix pulled from the Saudi Arabian market at its government’s request. “The Patriot Act” is also nominated for a Peabody Award in the entertainment category.

Also featured in among Pioneers are Katju and Guruswamy, who led the fight for equal rights for the LGBTQ community in India and were lead lawyers representing the petitioners seeking to decriminalise homosexual activity between consenting adults, which was punishable by up to 10 years in jail according to Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Along with being a Supreme Court of India judge, Guruswamy is the B.R. Ambedkar Research Scholar and Lecturer at Columbia Law School.

The “two amazing public-interest litigators,” were honored by Priyanka Chopra, who writes: “Armed with a well-planned strategy that went beyond their well-researched legal arguments, Arundhati and Menaka became beacons of hope for the Indian LGBTQ+ community. Their perseverance and commitment led an entire community to a historic win by humanizing their struggles and giving them the freedom to love.”

Chopra says Arundhati and Menaka have helped take a giant step for LGBTQ+ rights in the world’s largest democracy. In their committed fight for justice, they have shown us that we as a society must continue to make progress, even after laws are changed, and that we must make an effort to understand, accept and love. It is who we are as people.”

Ambani, who’s listed among Titans is the richest Indian. This year, he retained the top spot in the Forbes annual list of 100 richest Indian tycoons, According to Forbes, his wealth increased to $38 billion from $22.7 billion last year. Writing his profile, Anand Mahindra, chairman of business conglomerate the Mahindra Group says “Ambani’s father Dhirubhai was a visionary in Indian business, whose Reliance Industries conglomerate pioneered ways of targeting global scale,: adding, “But Ambani’s vision is now even more ambitious than that of the father whose blessings he unfailingly invokes at the launch of each initiative.”

Mahindra says the scale of Reliance Jio mobile-data network, which has already connected over 280 million people in India with low-cost 4G “is impressive by any standard. But what is truly jaw-dropping is the way it will allow Reliance to potentially dominate a staggering array of new businesses.”

Pakistan Prime Minister is listed among leaders like President Donald Trump and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Journalist Ahmed Rashid says “Pakistan is at a critical crossroads, and the man in charge is the closest it has to a rock star.” Khan captained the team that won the 1992 Cricket World Cup, built a cancer hospital in Lahore, then a university for kids who could never have dreamed of attending one.

Khan, who Rashid says entered politics 20 years ago, is now “Prime Minister of an impoverished nation that cannot pay its bills and is dependent on handouts from rich neighbors like China and the Arab Gulf states.” Rashid says that despite all the criticism, Khan “still generates the broadest hope among young and old that he can turn Pakistan around, and help make South Asia an ocean of peace rather than a state of permanent conflict.”

Bhopal gas tragedy among world’s major industrial accidents of 20th century: UN report

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Among the other nine major industrial disasters after 1919 listed in the report are the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters as well as the Rana Plaza building collapse.

The 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy which killed thousands of people is among the world’s “major industrial accidents” of the 20th century, a UN report has said, warning that 2.78 million workers die from occupational accidents and work-related diseases each year.

The report released by the the UN labour agency International Labour Organization (ILO) said in 1984, at least 30 tons of methyl isocyanate gas, which was released from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the Madhya Pradesh capital, affected more than 600,000 workers and nearby inhabitants.

“The Government figures estimate that there have been 15,000 deaths as a result of the disaster over the years. Toxic material remains and thousands of survivors and their descendants have suffered from respiratory diseases and from damage to internal organs and immune systems,” it said.

The report titled ‘The Safety and Health at the Heart of the Future of Work – Building on 100 years of experience’ said the Bhopal disaster was among the world’s “major industrial accidents after 1919”.

Among the other nine major industrial disasters after 1919 listed in the report are the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters as well as the Rana Plaza building collapse.

In the Chernobyl disaster in April 1986, one of four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl power station in Ukraine exploded, releasing at least 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The explosion killed 31 people immediately and thousands of people in the aftermath.

“The number of casualties in the region increases every year due to long term effects including a sharp increase in thyroid cancer,” the report said.

Following a major 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami which struck north-eastern Japan in March 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plants experienced equipment failures which caused a series of explosions, fires and radiation releases, causing injuries to plant workers and emergency responders, it said.

In one of the worst industrial disasters in Bangladesh, the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka collapsed in April 2013. The building, which housed five garment factories, killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500.

According to recent estimates released by the ILO, each year 2.78 million workers die from occupational accidents and work-related diseases (of which 2.4 million are disease-related).

An additional 374 million workers suffer from non-fatal occupational accidents. It is estimated that lost work days globally represent almost four per cent of the world’s GDP, and in some countries, this rises to six per cent or more.

The report attributes stress, excessively-long working hours and disease to worker casualty every year, underlining ILO’s message that no paid work should threaten a worker’s wellbeing, safety or life.

The agency also identified several new or existing occupational risks of growing concern, that affect women more than men. These include modern working practices overall, world population growth, increased digital connectivity and climate change, which are believed to account for losses of almost four per cent of the global economy.

“The world of work has changed, we’re working differently, we’re working longer hours, we’re using more technology,” ILO’s Manal Azzi told UN News. “The report says 36 per cent of workers are working excessive long hours, meaning more than 48 hours per week,” she said.

Noting that “people are increasingly asked to produce more and more, they have no time to rest,” Azzi highlighted that women are particularly at risk because they tend to be the primary carer for children or parents and lack the time to exercise.

“Not only do you work when you’re at your office but then you’re working at home as well,” Azzi said, adding that “so it’s a lot of sedentary work and that affects cardiovascular diseases as well”.

The greatest proportion of work-related deaths – 86 per cent – come from disease, according to the ILO, with some 6,500 people a day dying from occupational diseases, compared to 1,000 from fatal occupational accidents.

The greatest causes of mortality are circulatory diseases (31 per cent), work-related cancers (26 per cent) and respiratory diseases (17 per cent).

“As well as the economic cost we must recognise the immeasurable human suffering such illnesses and accidents cause. These are all-the-more tragic because they are largely preventable,” Azzi said.

Launched during the ILO’s centenary year – and ahead of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28, the report underlines the life-saving value of promoting prevention, to save lives and encourage healthy working environments.

“Serious consideration should also be given to the recommendation of the ILO’s Global Commission on the Future of Work, that occupational safety and health be recognised as a fundamental principle and right at work,” Azzi said.

The report said that new risks may emerge whereas other risks may be on the rise.

“While the road ahead presents many new challenges to safety and health at work, it is important for governments, employers and workers, and other stakeholders to seize the opportunities to create a safe and healthy future of work for all,” it said.

Since 1919, the ILO has adopted more than 40 international labour standards promoting occupational health and safety.

6th Annual Turban Day on Times Square

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion 0

Thousands of people from the New York region came together to the city’s iconic Times Square to celebrate  ‘Turban Day in Times Square’ relishing the experience of having a turban wrapped around their head by enthusiastic volunteers who took the opportunity to raise awareness about Sikh faith and culture.

The event was organized by Sikhs of New York in association with the Consulate General of India in New York. Turban Day, which started in 2013 at Baruch College, is celebrated annually to spread awareness about the Sikh community and promote its culture and identity. Chanpreeet Singh, co-founder of Sikhs of New York, told PTI that more than 38,000 turbans have been tied in the past seven years.

Sikhs in the United States have borne the burden of post-9/11 hate crime and Sikh children experience continue to experience bullying in schools according to organizations that have been active around the country and engaged law enforcement to help prevent verbal and physical violence on the Sikhs. One of the worst incidents of violence was the Aug. 5, 2012 massacre at the Oak Creek Gurdwara in Wisconsin by a White supremacist. And just days after 9/11, a Sikh man in Arizona was shot dead as reprisal for the attack on the World Trade Towers in New York City.

This was the 7th year of Turban Day, and according to Sikhs of New York, the main organizers of the event, to date 38,000 turbans have been tied, the event has received 1 million live views; reached more than 12 million digitally, and receives massive international coverage. More than 10,000 volunteers have come forward to help out over the years. Anjleen Kaur of the National Sikh Campaign which collaborated with Sikhs of New York to organize the day in the Big Apple, told the media. “What Turban Day really represents is justice and equality.”

This time round there was an added incentive. Renowned ice-cream makers Ben & Jerry’s joined the Turban Day campaign, putting it on their social media sites. and giving out coupons for their delicious scoops. At the event, Ben & Jerry’s gave away coupons to some 500 lucky New Yorkers, Kaur said.

Deputy Consul General of India in New York Shatrughna Sinha said the Consulate is commemorating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak with Gurubani recital programs.

As part of the commemoration of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary as well as to mark Baisakhi, this year the Consulate associated with The Sikhs of NY on Turban Day, Sinha said.

“This is a great environment and ambience and the crowd is fantastic,” Mr Sinha said, sporting a blue turban as he took part in the commemoration. There is no better way than this to raise awareness about Sikhism as well as propagating the message of universal brotherhood and humanity of Guru Nanak Dev ji,” he told PTI.

Sikhs of New York co-founder Chanpreet Singh said in the seven years that Turban Day has been organized in the city, there has increasingly been awareness about Sikhism, not just through people who are getting turbans tied but by the thousands others on social media following the event.

Dharmatma Saran & Shree Saini Win At The Global Beauty Awards

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Fashion, Profiles 0
Dharmatma Saran, Chairman and Founder of Miss/Mrs. India Worldwide and Shree Saini, the reigning Miss India Worldwide, won awards as the Director/Producer and Best Title Holder respectively at the Second Global Beauty Awards held on April 7 at Snoqualmie Casino in Seattle, Washington State. The Global Beauty Awards has been acclaimed as the Academy Award (Oscar) of beauty pageant industry. The event was attended by beauty pageant leaders from around the world. Sarah Rose Summers, the reigning Miss USA, was Emcee for the gala event.
Dharmatma Saran who is the pioneer in starting Indian beauty pageants in the USA and the world was honored for creating Miss India USA thirty eight years ago and also the only international Indian pageant – Miss India Worldwide with affiliates in over 40 countries. “He provides exceptional opportunities to his winners,” said the citation, “many of whom have gone to become Bollywood celebrities and the Who’s Who of the Indian community worldwide.”
Dharmatma Saran in his acceptance speech thanked Maureen Francisco and David Van Maren, Producers of the awards, for this honor. He also thanked Ekta Saini for nominating him  and his wife Neelam Saran who has been a source of strength in his thirty eight years of pageant journey. Saran got this award out of 15 other influential nominees from around the world.
Shree Saini, the reigning Miss India Worldwide, was awarded as The Best Pageant Titleholder, out of 15 nominees from all over the world. The citation for Shree said ” As Miss India Worldwide, Shree saini has spoken at hundreds of events in over 70 cities, 11 states and 5 countries, al while being a full-time college student. She has collaborated with Governor, the Secretary of State, College Presidents, Mayors, and dozens of nonprofits, and her work has been published in over 500 newspapers.” Shree in her acceptance speech thanked her parents and Dharmatma Saran, Chairman of Miss India Worldwide, for their continued support.
Beautiful, compassionate, talented, ambitious, gentle, humble, determined and dedicated to achieving the lofty goals she has set before herself at a very young age, Shree Saini is a woman with a golden heart. Shree from the state of Washington was born in India. She immigrated to the United States as a toddler.
A woman with a noble mission, what the 22-year-old University of Washington student, is aspiring to achieve in her life, is to create awareness on a number of pressing social issues through her organization, and through her web-portal.  “I began my nonprofit at age 15. I work on raising awareness and raising funds for several nonprofits including anti-human trafficking and anti-bullying,” the young visionary says. “I am very passionate about my non-profit and want to lead a life of service,” she says. “I want to help end human trafficking and work to promote the importance of emotional well-being in our society.”
Dharmatma Saran, chairman and founder of the New York based India Cultural Festival (IFC) that organizes the trail blazing Miss India Worldwide, is a pioneer in entertainment, holding Indian pageants and fashion shows in the USA and worldwide.
In 1990, Dharmatma Saran, decided to take the pageant one step further to an international level and started The First Miss India Worldwide Pageant to identify and honor beauties of Indian origin the world over and the show graduated to become the top most international Indian pageant on the earth. “For the first time ever, Asian-Indian communities from all over the world came together in New York for this event,” says Saran with a sense of pride. “To the best of our knowledge, no other ethnic organi­zation has ever conducted a pageant of this magnitude on an international level.”
The pageant was an instant success and was acclaimed as the most glamorous Indian function in the world. “When Miss India New York started in 1980, I had perhaps not even in my wildest dreams imagined that in less than twenty years, we would fledge out to be a mass movement with affiliates in over 40 countries, let alone that we would one day have a live internet webcast and broadcast our most prestigious function, the Miss India Worldwide, to an audience of over 300 million people!”
The pageants aim to honor achievement, to celebrate our culture in many ways, among them, the ability to meet people, make friends, to respect and be respected, to continually strive to improve standards, and to live a life as close to the laws of nature.
In line with other prestigious international pageants, IFC started staging Miss India Worldwide in various parts of the world. In 1997, the pageant was organized in Bombay to salute India on its 50th anniversary of Independence. In the year 1998, the pageant was organized, in associa­tion with UTV International, in the exotic and beautiful city of Singapore, South Afrcia, Malyasia, UAE, Surinam and several other states in the US.
In addition, she uses the many social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, among others, to enhance her life’s mission. Through Shree Saini YouTube page, she wants to spread her message by creating short videos of discussions on social issues, college life, raising awareness of important organizations and human rights, as well as anything to help the community.
Shree won the Miss India USA after many years of focus and practice, participating and winning in several pageants. Shree has competed in a number of pageants within the Miss America organization. She was the first runner-up at Miss Moses Lake 2014, Miss Seattle 2016 and Miss Seattle 2017. She also won the Miss Seattle People’s Choice Award in 2016 and 2017, and Miss Congeniality, Highest Fundraiser, Director’s Award. All her pageant exposure has served as a platform for what she truly loves, in spreading awareness against bullying and other social issues. As Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, says, “Shree has used her platform to spread her story of perseverance, tolerance and heart health.”
Miss India USA was started by the New York-based community leaders Dharmatma Saran and Neelam Saran, under the banner of the India Festival Committee around 36 years ago, Miss India USA is the longest running Indian pageant outside India. “It has evolved over the years. Earlier, the participants of pageants presented their talent around Bollywood dance and songs and classical dances. But now pageant participants come out with their own innovations,” Dharmatma Saran said.
Saran contributions to Indian culture has been appreciated and recognized by various organizations around the world and he has been acclaimed as “India’s cultural ambassador to the world.” He has traveled with his wife Neelam to various countries to start Indian pageant. Recently he was awarded Bharat Gaurav Award held at the headquarters of United Nations in New York.

Optimism persists, but concerns about terrorism and Pakistan loom large among Indian Voters

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0
Polls in the largest democracy in the world opened earlier this month. As many as 900 million people, are expected to cast their ballots to elect a new government at the end of the weeks long electoral battles across the states of India. In April and May 2019, Indians will go to the polls to elect a new Lok Sabha, the 545-seat lower house of the Indian Parliament. When it comes to specific aspects of their democracy, Indians voice strong frustrations about elections and elected officials.
The elections to the Indian Parliament follow a year in which most Indian adults showed dissatisfaction with the nation’s progress on issues including unemployment, inflation and the efficacy of elections. Even prior to the Pulwama attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, majorities of Indians voiced concern about terrorism and the threat posed to their country by Pakistan. But despite these worries, most Indian adults are satisfied with the direction of their country and the economic prospects of the next generation, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 2,521 respondents in India from May 23 to July 23, 2018.
Here are 12 takeaways about public opinion in India that provide context about the public’s views leading up to the national elections.
1.      Indian public opinion on national conditions
1Indian adults certainly recognize that their personal economic well-being has benefited greatly from strong national economic performance: Indian economic growth has averaged 7.3% per year since 2014. Roughly two-thirds (65%) say the financial situation of average people in India is better today than it was 20 years ago. Only 15% say things are worse.
But there are signs of public unease. About two-thirds of Indians (66%) believe that today’s children will be better off than their parents. But that optimism is down 10 percentage points since 2017.
Similarly, a majority of Indians (55%) are happy with the way things are going in their nation today. But that is down 15 points from 70% in 2017 and marks a return to the level of public satisfaction in 2015, the first full year of Narendra Modi’s government. Still, Indians’ mood remains much higher than in the last two years of the previous government of Manmohan Singh.
2.      Lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India’s biggest challenge
Lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India’s biggest challenge, with 76% of adults saying it is a very big problem – little changed over the past year. In 2018, despite an estimated 3.5% formal unemployment rate, 18.6 million Indians were jobless and another 393.7 million work in poor-quality jobs vulnerable to displacement, according to estimates by the International Labor Office.
Other aspects of the economy are also at the top of the public’s concerns. More than seven-in-ten (73%) believe rising prices are a very big problem.
About two-thirds of the public says corrupt officials (66%), terrorism (65%) and crime (64%) are very big problems. In each case, such concern is down significantly from 2017 – by 20 percentage points in the case of crime, 11 points for terrorism and 8 points regarding officials’ corruption.
Indians with at least a secondary education are significantly more worried about corrupt officials than the less educated. Notably, there is little partisan difference in views of these problems.
On one very personal aspect of crime, more than half (54%) of Indians say the statement “most people live in areas where it is dangerous to walk around at night” describes India very or somewhat well.Roughly half of the public believes the gap between the rich and the poor is a very big problem (51%) and a similar share complains about poor-quality schools (50%). But while the latter sentiment has not changed since 2017, concern about inequality is down 10 points. More than four-in-ten are very concerned about air pollution and health care (both 44%), but these views are also down 10 points.
Notably, incidents of communal violence are higher than they were in 2014, according to Indian Ministry of Home Affairs data, but only about a third of Indians (34%) see this as a very big problem facing the country.
3.      When asked whether various challenges facing India have gotten better or worse in the past five years, a time frame that largely encompasses the term of the current Modi government, few Indians voice a positive judgment. Just one-in-five (21%) say job opportunities have gotten better, while 67% think things have gotten worse (including 47% who say much worse). A similar share believes prices of goods and services (19%), corruption (21%) and terrorism (21%) have gotten better.
Meanwhile, 65% say prices have gotten worse, 65% are of the opinion that corruption has worsened (including again 47% who say it is much worse) and 59% think terrorism is worse. (This survey was conducted roughly nine months prior to the Pulwama attack, later claimed by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad.) Roughly one-in-four think the gap between the rich and the poor has narrowed (27%) and that air quality has gotten better (27%). In both cases, more than half the public thinks these things have gotten worse. And just 28% say communal relations have improved, while 45% say they have gotten worse.
As the Lok Sabha election nears, there is a decidedly partisan take on the direction of the country and the challenges facing India. Members of the opposition Indian National Congress party (Congress) are 21 percentage points more likely than backers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to say that job opportunities have worsened and 17 points more likely to say the same about air pollution. Congress adherents are more likely than BJP supporters to believe inequality has gotten worse (by 17 points), that corruption has worsened (12 points) and that terrorism and communal violence has become more of a problem.
4.      As Indians head into election season, more than half (54%) are satisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. However, satisfaction has declined 25 percentage points from 2017, when 79% voiced approval. Men are more likely than women to give Indian democracy a thumbs-up, though one-in-five women decline to offer an opinion. Indians with a secondary education are more likely than those with less than a secondary education to be satisfied with their democracy, though one-in-six (17%) less-educated Indians offer no opinion. Such satisfaction is a partisan affair: 75% of BJP supporters, but only 42% of Congress adherents, are satisfied with how Indian democracy functions.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) say most politicians are corrupt (including 43% who very intensely hold this view). Notably, nearly seven-in ten (69%) of both BJP supporters and Congress backers share the view that elected leaders are corrupt.
Another 58% voice the opinion that no matter who wins an election, things do not change very much. This includes a majority of both BJP and Congress adherents.
And only 33% of Indian adults believe elected officials care what ordinary people think. Men are more likely than women to believe that officials don’t care, but almost a third of women (32%) decline to voice an opinion.
5.      At the same time, the public thinks that the Indian state allows democratic values to flourish.
By more than two-to-one (58% to 26%), Indians say their rights to express their own views are protected very or somewhat well. Those with more education are more likely than those with less education to say freedom of speech is protected, although, again, a significant share of the less educated (22%) voice no opinion.
A similar proportion (56% to 27%) says most people have a good chance to improve their standard of living in India. People living in urban areas are more likely than those in rural parts of India to believe in such opportunities. BJP supporters (66%) are more likely than Congress adherents (53%) to say Indian democracy delivers economic opportunity.
A plurality (47%) believes the court system treats everyone fairly, a perception held especially among young people.
6.      Globalization and India
Indians (71%) overwhelmingly believe trade is good for their nation.Support for trade, in principle, is roughly comparable to that in Japan (72%) and the United States (74%), but lower than that in the European Union (85%), according to a recent international survey by Pew Research Center. And the share of Indian adults who say growing trade and business ties between India and other countries is very good has nearly doubled, from 25% in 2014 to 49% in 2018.
The rise in intense Indian support for trade reflects a widely shared perception that international commerce benefits individuals. Contrary to public opinion in the U.S., Europe and Japan, a majority of Indians believe trade with other countries leads to an increase in wages (57%) and creates jobs (56%). And such sentiment is up slightly from 2014. Few Indian adults believe trade kills jobs (15%) or undermines wages (13%). At the same time, roughly half of Indians (52%) say trade increases prices, a sentiment that is widely shared in other emerging markets yet is contrary to economic theory that international commerce should lead to falling prices.
Educational attainment plays a role in Indian views of trade. Of those who offer an opinion, adults with at least a secondary education are far more likely than those with less education (86% vs. 63%) to say that trade is good for India. They are also more likely to believe that trade creates jobs (72% vs. 49%) and boosts wages (71% vs. 50%), but also to think that trade leads to higher prices (65% vs. 46%). Less-educated Indians are roughly three times as likely as more educated Indians to voice no opinion about the impact of trade, highlighting the significance of education in shaping public views of globalization.
For those who provided a response, there is also a generational difference in public opinion about the impact of globalization. Young Indians, those ages 18 to 29, are more likely (59%) than older Indians, those ages 50 and older (50%), to believe that trade generates new employment. And young Indians (55%) are more likely than their elders (45%) to say trade raises prices. Older Indians are, however, more likely than their younger compatriots to have no view, or less willing to share that view, on the personal impacts of trade.
BJP supporters are more likely than Congress backers to think trade creates jobs and raises wages, but they are also more likely to believe that trade raises prices.
7.      With more than 1.35 billion people, India is home to the world’s second-largest population and nearly a fifth of the total world populace. India also happens to be the top source of international migrants – one-in-twenty migrants worldwide in 2015 were born in India. In 2017 more than 16 million Indians were living abroad, with high concentrations in the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Still, this constitutes only about 1% of India’s birth population, putting the nation well under the 3% average emigration rate for other countries around the world.
When asked if people leaving for jobs in other countries posed a problem for India, more than six-in-ten (64%) said this type of emigration was a problem, including nearly half (49%) saying it is a very big problem. Although outmigration itself may not be viewed favorably, in 2016 Indian migrants abroad collectively sent nearly $63 billion worth of remittances back to family and friends living in India, or roughly 3% of total gross domestic product.
At the same time, Indians show little enthusiasm for expanding immigration into their country. Roughly three-in-ten Indians (29%) say their government should allow fewer immigrants, with an additional 16% volunteering that there should be no immigration at all.
Just 13% think more immigration into India should be encouraged, and 11% think immigration levels should stay about the same as they are now. In 2017, just over 5 million people (or less than 1% of the population) living in India were born in other countries, with most of them coming from neighboring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.
8.      When thinking about why people move abroad, Indians say it is to advance careers and pursue educational opportunities. Roughly three-quarters think finding better jobs and furthering education are important reasons why people in India move to other countries. Roughly half see uniting with family living in another country as an important reason why Indians relocate abroad, while only about a quarter think Indians move to escape violence.
More than eight-in-ten Indians with higher incomes and educational attainment cite the pursuit of better career and education opportunities as reasons people move to other countries, while fewer cite fleeing violence or joining family abroad. Indians in both urban and rural areas also see following better prospects for learning and working abroad as important reasons people in India emigrate.
9.      India-Pakistan relations
Most Indians see Pakistan, their neighbor to the west, as a threat. When asked how serious of a danger Pakistan poses for India, about three-quarters in India (76%) say Pakistan is a threat, including 63% who say it is a very serious threat. Only 7% of Indians do not see Pakistan as a danger for their country. (This survey was conducted roughly nine months prior to the Pulwama attack, later claimed by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad, and retaliatory Indian air strikes in Pakistani territory.)
Indians from many walks of life share in this sentiment. Those in rural areas and urban centers, supporters of the prime minister’s BJP and supporters of the opposition Congress party, as well as Indians across age groups, all agree that Pakistan threatens their nation.
Indians who express confidence in Narendra Modi are more likely (70%) to see Pakistan as a threat than are those with less confidence in the prime minister, although even among this latter group about half view Pakistan as a danger (51%).
One source of historical tensions between these two nations lies in Kashmir, a region in the Indian subcontinent whose possession has been disputed since the Partition of India – the creation of the modern Indian and Pakistani states – in 1947.
A majority of Indians (55%) see the situation in Kashmir as a very big problem. When asked how this issue has changed over the past five years, more than half (53%) say circumstances in Kashmir have gotten worse. Only 18% think things have gotten better, and just 6% believe conditions are the same.
When asked about the government’s strategy in dealing with the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, a majority believes the Indian government should use more military force than they are currently using. Equal, though small, shares think the military should use either less or about the same amount of force (both 7%).
10.  Global views of India
Throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s term in office, international perceptions of India have been mostly positive. Majorities in all five Asia-Pacific countries surveyed have a favorable view of India, with such positive judgement ranging from 64% in South Korea to 57% in Indonesia and Australia. Half the American public also shares this upbeat opinion of the world’s largest democracy.
Compared with 2014, the year Modi first came to office as prime minister, views of India abroad have largely remained stable. Favorable views have increased by a negligible 5 percentage points in South Korea, while they have decreased by the same amount in Japan, Indonesia and the U.S. The Philippines holds more positive views today than four years ago, with a 13-point increase in Indian favorability over that time.
11.  There is a notable gap between how Indians see their country’s global stature and how others around the world see it. While 56% of Indians believe their country is playing a bigger role in world affairs than a decade ago, a median of just 28% across 26 nations polled agree. Pluralities in six countries believe India’s role has grown over the past 10 years, with notable shares saying India’s stature has increased in advanced economies, including France (49%), Japan (48%), South Korea (48%), Sweden (47%) and the UK (46%).
Fewer (a median of 22%) think India’s global role has diminished in the past decade. In particular, South Africans (37%) and Brazilians (32%) see India as a less important global power. The most common view across the nations surveyed (a median of 34%) is that India’s role is about the same as it was 10 years ago.
In many European countries, people with higher levels of education and income are more likely to think India plays a larger role today than it did 10 years ago. For example, roughly six-in-ten in France (59%) and the UK (58%) with a postsecondary degree or more say India’s power has grown, compared with about four-in-ten of those with less education.
Views of India’s relatively stagnant role on the world stage compared with 10 years ago diverge from international evaluations of China – a median of 70% in 25 countries say Beijing is playing a more important role in world affairs than 10 years prior. (For more comparisons between countries, see Chapter 3 of “Trump’s International Ratings Remain Low, Especially Among Key Allies.”)
12.  Across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in the U.S., the share of the public who express confidence in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exceeds the share who lack confidence in him. A majority in the Philippines give the leader a vote of confidence for his handling of world affairs, as do more than four-in-ten in Japan, Australia and South Korea.
The U.S. shows some division in perceptions of the Indian prime minister, with slightly more of the public saying they have confidence in Modi than do not (39% vs. 32%, respectively).
More than a third of Indonesians (37%) express confidence in Modi, though an equal proportion offer no opinion. Roughly a quarter (26%) have no confidence

BJP government’s approval ratings sink as elections begin in India

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0
The net approval rating of the Narendra Modi government has dropped 12 points between March 12 and April 12, according to the CVOTER-IANS tracker.
The performance rating of the Central government had peaked in the days after the Balakot air strike on February 26, touching the highest level of 62.06 on March 7.
After remaining in the 50s till March 22, the approval ratings have come down to 43.25 on April 12, a day after the first phase of polls held for 91 Lok Sabha seats.
Exactly a month ago on March 12, the approval rating of the government was 55.28.
The tracker findings are based on survey of people who were asked if they are “very satisfied”, “satisfied to some extent”, “not satisfied” and “Dont’ know/can’t say” about the performance of the Central government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On March 7, 51.32 per cent of the respondents had said they were very satisfied with the performance of the government. However, the net approval rating, taking into account all the responses, has been in constant decline and is settling into the pre-Pulwama levels.
The government’s net approval rating was 32.4 on January 1 and remained between 30 and 40 for the entire month before rising steadily after the mid-February when the Pulwama attack took place which was followed by air strike against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot resulting in sharp rise. Around half of the voters surveyed by CVOTER-IANS continue to be very satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The poll tracker interviewed 12,050 voters on April 4 and found that 50.95 per cent of them said they were very satisfied with the performance of the Prime Minister while another 22.49 per cent said they were satisfied to some extent. There were 25.29 per cent voters who said they were not happy with him at all.
The satisfaction level with the Prime Minister remained high mostly after the air strikes on the terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot whose momentum on the voters has sustained despite a slight dip. The latest findings of the tracker poll has come just three days ahead of the first phase of polling on April 11.
The Prime Minister had the best approval rating of over 55 per cent on March 6, 7 and 8. But the sample size on those days was half of what it was on April 4. There has also been a marginal rise in those who are not at all satisfied with the Prime Minister from around 20 per cent in the first week to March to around 25 per cent in the first week of April. (IANS)

Pope falls to the knees in South Sudan, a dictator falls in Sudan

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Pope Francis on Thursday last week knelt in front of political leaders of South Sudan and kissed their boots. “I express my heartfelt hope that hostilities will finally cease, that the armistice will be respected, that political and ethnic divisions will be surmounted, and that there will be a lasting peace for the common good of all those citizens who dream of beginning to build the nation,” the Pope later said.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011, ending Africa’s longest-running civil war. But that did not bring peace in the new nation. In 2012, South Sudan and Sudan fought over the control of an oil-rich region, until an agreement was signed six months later. But later, South Sudan fought among itself, after President Salva Kiir sacked the cabinet and accused Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup. That civil war has displaced over 2 million people and killed thousands. A ceasefire was declared in June 2018, but a UN report says “hostilities have persisted“.
In Sudan, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was ousted by the nation’s military on Thursday, after nearly four months of protest, dozens of deaths at the hands of the security forces and endless chants of “revolution!”. al-Bashir had ruled the impoverished nation for 30 years and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for playing “an essential role” in a genocidal purge in Darfur.
Yet, the protesters did not get the revolution they were hoping for, as Lt. Gen. Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf, the defence minister, took charge. He announced the new terms: Political prisoners will be released, but Sudan will undergo a two-year “transition” under the military, during which the Constitution will be suspended. There are similarities to this in Algeria, where President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had to resign after 20 years in view of protest earlier this month, only to be succeeded by interim leader Abdelkader Bensalah, the upper house speaker.

UN labor agency ILO sees big challenges on 100th anniversary

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In 1919, the International Labour Organization was brought to life to fight for social justice. A century later, many workers are still exposed to exploitation, particularly in Africa. Martina Schwikowski reports.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been “a trusted voice” to “ensure social justice in every corner of our world,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.
He made the remarks at a high-level meeting to commemorate the centenary of what was the first ever United Nations agency.
The UN chief painted a picture of a time of upheaval, when newly-emboldened labor unions in many parts of the world, demanded fair treatment, dignity at work, adequate wages and an eight-hour working day.
Guterres said that ILO has had its “finger on the pulse on people’s concerns,” and “played a central role in the struggle for social progress.”
Acknowledging ILO’s more than 180 conventions and implementation programs “on everything from gender equality to forced labor,” UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said that “injustice is still a reality for millions of people,” highlighting the predicament of child workers, forced laborers and those trafficked into prostitution.
“Over 40 million people today are victims of modern forms of slavery, more than twice the number involved in the transatlantic slave trade,” she said.
Citing decent work as one of her own priorities, Espinosa affirmed that it makes the United Nations “more relevant to people,” by demonstrating the “everyday impact of international agreements like the 2030 Agenda, and multilateral bodies like the ILO.”
Founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1919, the ILO is a UN agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work by setting international labor standards. The ILO is the first specialized agency of the UN with 187 member states.
On April 11, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that ILO’s centenary is an opportunity to renew the commitment to collaborate for social justice. He noted that ILO’s motto, “If you desire peace, cultivate justice,” and its Constitution, which emphasizes that “universal and lasting peace can be established only if it based upon social justice,” is something that for 100 years the organization has been striving to establish, but he asked whether, after 100 years, work conditions and the role of labor are still considered cornerstones to social justice and peace. He praised the ILO’s Global Commission Report on the Future of Work for recognizing the importance of anthropology, specifically how work is a necessary component of human fulfillment but one that must be harmonized with other parts of human nature, like the importance of family and community. Work, he said, is important, above all, for forming a person’s character and dignity in accordance with personal creativity and responsibility. He also addressed the issues of access to work and social security protections for those who cannot work, as well as the necessary legal, political and ethical underpinnings to ensure fairness in employment and not reducing the dignity of workers to commodities. He finished by emphasizing that the Holy See looks forward to continued collaboration with the ILO.
Following is the Archbishop’s Full Intervention:
Madam President,
The Delegation of the Holy See is pleased to participate in this High-level Meeting on the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the International Labour Organization (ILO). We consider this celebration an opportunity to renew the necessary commitment to work together in order to achieve the goal of a social justice available to all, leaving no one behind, while moving forward into the second century of the Organization.
At the time of its creation, after the ravages of World War I, the motto that was chosen declared: Si vis Pacem, cole justitiam – If you desire peace, cultivate justice. It echoed the values that were foundational in guiding the action of the Organization, as enshrined in the first paragraph of the Preamble to the Constitution: “Whereas universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice.” This key point was emphasized even by the Nobel Committee when it awarded the Peace Prize to the ILO, in 1969: “there are few organizations that have succeeded, to the extent that ILO has succeeded, in translating into action the moral idea on which it is based (…) [thus having] permanently influenced the social welfare legislation of every single country ”[1].
One hundred years later, the question remains: are the conditions of work and the role of labor in societies still the cornerstones to grant social justice and peace?
The ILO’s Global Commission Report on the Future of Work encouraged governments and all stakeholders to commit to a set of measures in order to deal with the unprecedented challenges coming from the today’s world of work. The basis of the Agenda on the future of work is a human-centered approach[2]. In so doing, the ILO recognized work as a necessary component of human fulfillment, while reaffirming that every aspect of the human person, not only as a worker but as a member of a family and of a community, must be at the center of inclusive and sustainable strategies for integral development. “Recognizing the centrality of the person means restoring dignity to work and production processes. It means putting the working person at the forefront even before the work he does”[3].
Important consequences, however, follow from these premises. First of all, access to decent work for all is an essential condition for development. During the last decades, the world economy has not been able to create sufficient decent work opportunities for all. “While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few”[4]. The latest data, in fact, show that globally only one out of four persons has the protection of social security, while 5.2 billion people remain without any coverage[5]. Secondly, as repeatedly underlined by Pope Francis, decent work must fully integrate the ecological paradigm, rather than being based on a selfish and outdated growth model. The three “T” motto used by Pope Francis in his mother language – Tierra Land, Techo Housing, and Trabajo Work – push us to reassert the inner value of developmental principles based on the dignity of the human person.
Social protection for inclusive economic growth, together with the promotion of decent work for all, has proven to enable a number of low and middle-income countries to strengthen their social protection systems.
Such progress demonstrates that our societies can afford to provide at least a basic level of social security for all while aspiring to accomplish something more. Inclusive social protection actually facilitates the transition from an informal to a formal economy; it can allow societies to support workers in carrying out their family responsibilities; it responds to the necessities of peoples and communities while caring for those in need.
Rights and benefits should not be disposable. The Decent Work Agenda today is part and parcel of the global development agenda and it is universally applicable, regardless of countries’ economic, social or political status. Labour should have its legal and political framework based on just ethical principles that bear real political, legal and economic consequences. A labor contract, by definition, involves a transaction between human beings, it cannot, thus, be considered as a mere commercial relationship. As clearly stated by the ILO Constitution, “Labour is not a commodity”.
The activity of human labor is important, above all, for its role in the formation of a person’s character and dignity. It is not consumption, but the capability of creating new things, relations, expressions, that marks the vitality of a person. The personal imprint, given through work, brings about satisfaction and the will to grow and to contribute in a positive way to social coexistence. As stated by Pope Francis, “work should be the setting for this rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values [and] relating to others.[6]” From this perspective, the same forces of globalization that today are generating unequal growth can be tomorrow a powerful instrument for the development of the human being. With the diffusion of modern technology new ideas can spring forth, with the circulation of peoples there is an occasion for greater interaction and creativity and with trade in goods and services there arise opportunities that can be put at the service of the common good.
In conclusion, Madam President, the path forward to an effective and inclusive development needs new visions and strategic investments to provide employment and to sustain enterprises, especially where the social gap is deep. Giving priority to decent work keeps economic activity at the service of the human being and its social relations and strengthens the ethical foundation that can help to guarantee it. The good practice and continued relevance of social dialogue, with its important contributions, is increasingly necessary, in a context of global developments, employment as well as in labor relations. Over the last century, we have had the pleasure to observe that, in order to promote a real social dialogue, the effective tripartite structure of the ILO, has been both an objective in itself and a means to achieve other objectives.
We wish to commend the ideals that, 100 years ago, presided over its creation and reaffirm that “the ILO possesses the moral compass to guide its decisions and the values by which it must assess all changes in the world of work. The task is to shape the emerging realities of our time into conformity with those values, and not the reverse”[7]. The Holy See confidently looks forward to continued collaboration, as the International Labour Organization addresses the theme of labor and of its impact on the economy and society, in the best interest of every human person and for the just progress of every country.
Thank you, Madam President.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard criticized for ties with Indian right-wing outfits

Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0
As Hawaii Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard addressed supporters at the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, March 30, several people gathered outside to protest her ties to nationalist groups in India. Waving signs reading “Tulsi, Prince$$ of the R$$” and “Stop Supporting Fascism in India,” the rally, organized by the Organization for Minorities of India, included Christians, Dalits, and Sikhs. “I came here because I want to preserve American values of freedom and justice,” said Los Angeles-based businessman Harjeet Singh.
Flyers alleging Gabbard’s close ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were distributed. It also posed a series of questions to Gabbard regarding her meeting with OFBJP members in the U.S., her acceptance and later refusal of the being the chairperson of the World Hindu Congress held in Chicago last year.
Inside the church, Gabbard shared her experiences serving as a soldier in the Army National Guard, being deployed twice to the Middle East, serving in Congress for more than six years, and on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, a press release from her campaign office said.
According to Organization for Minorities of India, Gabbard was questioned about her RSS ties and her collaboration with the group by Pieter Friedrich, an analyst of South Asian affairs. “Hawaii resident Michael Brannon Parker says he has known you since you were a child and he introduced you to the RSS,” said Friedrich. “Vijay Pallod of Texas is a leader in RSS-affiliated groups in the USA, and he confirms that he met you through Michael Brannon Parker. In your first two terms in office, you also met the RSS spokesperson at least three times. And you spoke at many RSS events, including two in India. When did your collaboration with the RSS begin and how much money have they given you?”
Protestors outside the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, Calif., March 30, organized by the Organization for Minorities in India, included Christians, Dalits and Sikhs, who decried Gabbard’s close ties to Hindu nationalist groups in India and the U.S.
“I’m a soldier, and I took an oath,” Gabbard said in response to the question. “One oath in my life.” She continued, “That was an oath to serve and protect this country, to put my life on the line for the people of this country.” She added, “We stand for aloha, we stand for diversity, we stand for peace.” While most of the audience remained seated, she stated, “Thank you everybody for standing with me.” Finally, she concluded, “It is this kind of attacks that are rooted in religious bigotry that we must stand together and condemn.”
“It’s sad to see Tulsi refusing to acknowledge the extreme violence of the RSS,” said Arvin Valmuci, a spokesperson for Organization for Minorities of India said.
“We remember the most recent pogrom against Christians, in 2008 in Odisha, where even the chief minister of the state said that the RSS was guilty,” he said. “It’s even more shameful that Tulsi, as participants in the protest told us, refused to answer any of the questions about her links to the RSS.”
Supporters cheer as Hawaii Congresswoman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard addresses the campaign rally.
As Gabbard’s event ended, dozens reportedly interacted with the demonstration outside. Some gathered to listen as several demonstrators spoke through a megaphone, the OMI press release said.
“I am a representative of the black community,” the OMI press release quoted demonstrator Jada Bernard as saying. “It is sad to say that, in 2019, white nationalism is an issue for the black community. The diversity of America must be protected,” he said.

Rep. Ami Bera calls to institutionalize U.S.-India Strategic Partnership

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 Four-term U.S. Rep. Amerish ‘Ami’ Bera (D.-Calif.) — the longest-serving Indian-American U.S. lawmaker — whose influence and clout in the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee has been enhanced with the Democrats regaining the majority in the House, has said he will shortly unveil legislation he’s authored and co-sponsored by several other members of Congress, to institutionalize the U.S.-India strategic partnership across various sectors.
Bera, 53, predicted that this legislation, once enacted, would make India as much an ally of the U.S. as are its NATO partners and other close allies such as Japan and South Korea.
Speaking at the Capitol Hill 2019 Spring Conference of the U.S.-India Friendship Council last month, he said the legislation would “codify the importance of the U.S.-India partnership,” and while acknowledging that some of the aspects of the pending legislation “exists in other places, we’d like to incorporate language about the U.S.-India Enhanced Cooperation Act, which already exists, but put it into a comprehensive bill that will put India on a par with other major allies.”
Bera pointed out that necessarily anchoring this comprehensive legislation would be the growing U.S.-India defense and military partnership, which has grown to be the crown jewels of the strategic partnership between the two countries, which has led to “us increasingly recognizing India as a strategic partner.”
He said in the legislation, “We would look at how we can work with India to develop technologies like artificial intelligence, etc., so that you can get Indian companies and U.S. companies working together in a strategic fashion.
“We’d like to authorize the DOD (Department of Defense) to assist India reducing purchases from countries we may mutually view as adversaries and certainly those we view as adversaries,” Bera said, and added, “and we’d also like to assist India to increase its own capacity in self-defense.”
He also said that “we’d require the Department of Defense to conduct regular military engagements and dialogues with India, particularly in the western Indian Ocean region, where we already recognize India as having a vital role in protecting the Indian Ocean and keeping those lanes of commerce open. “We see that partnership as critical and we already conduct major naval and defense exercises,” with India, he said.
Bera said that this comprehensive legislation would also push for the State Department to “advance India’s membership into APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum because we believe this is an important vehicle by which India can continue to seek its free and open trade across Asia.
“We also think it’s important to authorize and work with India in partnership to help advance and promote aid in third nations, and the countries in Africa is an example,” he said.
Bera pointed out that “India has much deeper and older relationships with Africa, and our understanding is that we can work together with USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) and other partners with India and go into those third developing countries — that could be a critical partnership for both countries.”
He also said another vital sector that he would like to see institutionalized would be in the education sector because already, each year, we know that hundreds of thousand of Indian students come to the U.S. to study.”
Bera said by the same token, “It will be in our interest to foster this partnership — where more American students go and study in India.
“And, again, these planks would continue to move the U.S.-India partnership forward together,” and help institutionalize it, he added.
Bera said that “as we introduce this legislation, we would be looking to the U.S.-India Friendship Council and other organizations to help work with us as we move this legislation forward.
“We still believe that the U.S.-India relationship can be that defining relationship in the 21st century and certainly a strategic relationship,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), in this remarks, lauded Swadesh Chatterjee, the founder and chair of the Friendship Council for “your incredible guidance and mentorship over the years.
“You have been a trail-blazer for the Indian-American community, when it was hard to get appointments with (Congressional) staff assistants, let alone getting members of Congress elected,” he said, turning to Chatterjee.
Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, continued that “that kind of dedication is something that I’ve never forgotten in terms of the commitment that people like Swadesh have shown and we’ve grown on the sacrifices that people like you’ve made.”
He recalled that it “took people like Swadesh and Ramesh Kapur, who were willing to speak out of turn, who were willing to chase down members of Congress down the hallways, just trying to get a word in. They refused to be passive observers of democracy, but were willing to get into people’s faces in Congress to move forward.”
Khanna continued, “I’ve always believed that their generation and the sacrifices that they’ve made for this country and the community, will always be far more than my generation.”
He said that thanks to this older generation, “Our generation was handed a lot of good opportunities in life — good families, good education, and it’s never lost on me how many people have paved the way for our being able to be in public service.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D.-Ill.), speaking at the evening reception, pointed out to the scores of political and community activists who were on hand spanning three generations, that it was the U.S.-India Friendship Council led by Chatterjee and a handful of other community leaders who were catalytic in lobbying the Congress to pass the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008, which was a transformational moment in the history of the relationship between Washington and New Delhi.
He said that “really showed the Indian-American community coming of age in terms of building those bridges between the U.S. and India that will last.”
Krishnamoorthi also made a strong pitch for more members of the Indian-American community to run for public office, including the U.S. Congress and help swell the ‘Samosa Caucus,’ of four Indian- American lawmakers in the House.
“If you dream it, you can do it,” he said, and added, “The fact that a guy like me with 31 letters in his name that 99 percent of my constituents cannot pronounce is testament to the greatness of this country and the fact that anyone can do anything they want to do in this country.”

Indian Americans host event for candidate Laura Fortgang in New Jersey

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Dr. Jayesh Kumar Patel and his team organized a fund raiser for Laura Fortgang who is a candidate for Assembly from the 26th Legislative District from the Democratic Party, at his home in Parsippany. The event was attended by the Mayor of Parsippany – Mike Sariano along with elected officials from Verona, West Caldwell, Morris County, Jefferson Township, Montville Township, Rockaway Towenship, Passiac County, Fairfield and several communities in the district.
Mayor Mike Sariano spoke on the ability of Laura to include all people’s views and their aspirations in decision making. He said that she brings to the table the ability to work with diverse people for a progressive and better community as a leader. He assured Laura Fortgang will move forward with the development and she will recieve all the support from him and his team.
Laura Fortgang promised that she will work on improving the education standard of the schools in the district, building better transportation facilities to the district to retain working class people so that they can travel to work easily within the tri state. She promised to decrease the taxes, especially amongst the taxes being paid by senior citizens so that they can lead a good retired life after having worked hard all their life. She said  that as a small business owner she understood the difficulties of running a business in a competitive environment and promised that she will be a supporter of small business in the district. She hoped that she will receive all the support from the community in her endeavor to serve the 26th Legislative district in New Jersey.
Dr.Jayesh Patel who was the host for the event that saw over 200 people attend the event, thanked the Mayor for taking time to attend the event and assured Laura Fortgang all the support for her re election. Several Community leaders like Rajendar Dichpally, Raju Patel, Chandu Patel attended the event.

Jet Airways cancels all international flights

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Jet Airways, facing its worst existential crisis in its over 25-year-old history, Friday extended suspension of its international operations till next Monday due to severe liquidity issues.
Incidentally, the stake sale bid invited by the SBI-led consortium of bankers, which manages the day-to-day operations of the airline, also closes by the end of the day Friday, after being extended by two days.
Airline founder Naresh Goyal, the UAE carrier Etihad Airways, Air Canada and the country’s national investment fund among others are reported to have submitted bids, according to media reports.
On Thursday, the airline had announced temporary grounding of its international operations – Jet was the largest international airline from the country till the financial crisis – when it had also suspended operations to the entire Eastern and Northeastern markets as Jet was forced to ground 10 more aircraft following default of lease rentals.
This has left Jet with no large aircraft while it had just 14 planes for domestic operations as of late Thursday. “Jet has decided to extend suspension of its international operations till Monday, due to severe cash crunch,” airline sources told PTI Friday.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) called an urgent meeting to discuss the crisis that Jet Airways, which is facing acute financial woes, is undergoing, news agency PTI reported.
Saying that the airline was working to minimise guest inconvenience, a Jet Airways spokesperson said, “…The airline’s management and its key stakeholders including its consortium of lenders, continue to work closely towards resolving the current situation.”
Jet was the largest domestic carrier operating in the international sector with a hub in Amsterdam, where a cargo agent had taken possession of an aircraft this on Tuesday demanding bill payment. This led to the cancellation of the Amsterdam-Mumbai flight that day.
Thursday Jet flights to London, Amsterdam and Paris from Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru scheduled were cancelled for operational reasons,” Je had said, adding it had also cancelled the Bengaluru-Amsterdam-Bengaluru flight Friday.
On the domestic front, all Jet operations to and from the Eastern and Northeastern states were suspended till further notice. Following this, there would no Jet flights to and from Kolkata, Patna, Guwahati and other airports in the region, travel industry source had told PTI.
Jet had also said its Mumbai-Kolkata, Kolkata-Guwahati and Dehradun-Guwahati-Kolkata flights stood cancelled till further notice due to “operational reasons.”As of Thursday, the airline had just 14 planes–way down from 123 planes in operations till a few months back.
Of the 14 aircraft that it operated till Thursday evening, eight were wide-body B777s (seven) and an A330– generally used for long-haul international operations.
The remaining six planes were, three B737s, which are largely used for flying on domestic routes besides on short- haul international destinations and the rest three are regional ATRs.
With just 14 aircraft left for operations, aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola had told PTI that the ministry was awaiting a report from the DGCA to decide whether Jet can continue to fly on international routes.
The government rules stipulate an airline must have at least 20 planes for operating international operations. The developments came as banks refused to release the promised additional loan of ₹1,500 crore and original promoter Naresh Goyal pledged 26% of his holding in Jet Airways with Punjab National Bank. This is to borrow money from the bank to continue operations of the airline.
It could not be immediately ascertained how much money was sanctioned against the share pledge. Jet Airways on Thursday informed stock exchanges about the pledge.
The airline cancelled three domestic flights for Friday. These include Mumbai-Kolkata, Kolkata-Guwahati and Dehradun-Kolkata via Guwahati. “Guests have been informed and refunds are being processed,” an airline spokesperson said.

NGOs Blast US for Undermining Criminal Court

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As it paves a destructive path against international institutions and multilateralism, the Trump administration is slowly but steadily undermining the United Nations and its affiliated agencies.

The US has already withdrawn both from the Human Rights Council in Geneva and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris while, at the same time, it has either cut off, or drastically reduced, funding for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and for UN peacekeeping operations (by a hefty $500 million).
The most recent attack has been directed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague which was planning to investigate war crimes committed in Afghanistan, focusing both on the Taliban and US soldiers.
The US action to revoke the visa of Fatou Bensouda, Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, has not only triggered protests from academics and from human rights and civil society organizations (CSOs) but also left several lingering questions unanswered.
When the United Nations decided to locate its secretariat in the city of New York, the United States, as host nation, signed a “headquarters agreement” back in 1947 ensuring diplomatic immunity to foreign diplomats and pledging to facilitate the day-to-day activities of the world body– without any hindrance.
So, is the revocation of the visa a violation of the 1947 US- UN headquarters agreement? Or has the US a right to impose proposed sanctions on ICC judges when it is not even a member of the ICC?
And is the revocation of the visa the shape of things to come, with political leaders from countries such as Iran, Venezuela and Cuba– blacklisted by the Trump administration– being refused admission when they are due in New York next September for the annual General Assembly sessions?
The protests against the US decision have come from several CSOs, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and the World Federalist Movement- Institute for Global Policy (WFM/IGP).
The letter from the three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) states “the purpose of the visa restrictions is to block and deter legitimate criminal investigation into serious crimes under international law”.
“Not only might they have a chilling effect on ICC personnel and others advocating for accountability, but they will set a dangerous precedent with serious implications on the overall fight for impunity, especially the right of victims and their legal representatives to seek justice and reparations without fear of retaliation.”
Dr. Tawanda Hondora, Executive Director of WFM-IGP, told IPS the Trump administration has been consistent in its reckless application of retrogressive policies that undermine a rules-based international order.
He said its policies are seriously damaging the post-WWII system of international law and practice, and have exponentially increased the risk of armed conflict in a world in which many more states now possess weapons of mass destruction.
“The revocation by the US of Fatou Bensouda’s visa violates Article IV of the UN-US headquarters agreement”.
There is no question that the US is applying its immigration laws with the objective of improperly influencing the ICC Prosecutor’s investigations into crimes committed by all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan, he argued.
“It is wholly unacceptable that this administration is using Bensouda’s personal situation to coerce her to breach her mandate under the Rome Statute and to the UN Security Council,” he declared.
Dr Martin S. Edwards, Associate Professor of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University in the US, told IPS both civil society and other countries are right to be critical here.
“I would hope that this is solely intended to make life difficult for Bensouda and not part of a more general trend of denying visas for General Assembly visits”.
However, said Dr Edwards, there is little about this administration and its mix of insecurity and unwarranted bluster that should surprise anyone.
“I would think that this could lead to similar attempts to deny visas for General Assembly visits” He pointed out that the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro could be a natural target here as an extension of diplomatic efforts to isolate him.
It would be ironic that a President that frames his accomplishment as a reassertion of American power would be afraid of what he would say from the podium, said Dr Edwards.
But the hallmark of this US Presidency has been a singular focus on controlling perceptions and information, rather than confidently relying on our diplomatic prowess to produce results.
Historically, the US has grumbled about leaders coming to New York (denying Arafat was legally easier than a Head of State), but one can imagine this White House pushing the envelope here, since it’s perfect “red meat” for the President’s base, he added.
The legal basis for doing this is incredibly thin, based on a false reading of Section 6 of the Headquarters Agreement, which grants leaders a right to access to the UN, and the US would surely lose in arbitration, Dr Edwards noted.
Briefing reporters on March 15, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said since 1998, the United States has declined to join the ICC because of its broad, unaccountable prosecutorial powers and the threat it poses to American national sovereignty.
“We are determined to protect the American and allied military and civilian personnel from living in fear of unjust prosecution for actions taken to defend our great nation. We feared that the court could eventually pursue politically motivated prosecutions of Americans, and our fears were warranted,” he declared.
Dr Palitha Kohona, a former Chief of the UN Treaty Section, told IPS the US is not only, not a party to the Statute of the ICC, but it also inserted Article 98 of the Statute during its negotiations excluding US nationals from its jurisdiction.
Subsequently, the US formally advised the UN Secretary-General that it will not ratify the Statute thereby exempting it from any obligations arising from signature.
Thus, the US has emphatically signalled its position with regard to the Statute of the ICC. Therefore, denying a visa to the prosecutor only underlines its consistent opposition to the Statute, said Dr Kohona a former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.
While one could raise one’s eye brows about the US action, said Dr Kohona, one is reminded again that we still live in a world where the powerful dictate the terms and modify the rules to suit their convenience, despite the dreams of those idealists who had hoped to create a world governed by a transparent and predictable framework of rules equally applicable to all.
“Unfortunately, the rules, especially those relating to human rights and humanitarian affairs, tend to be applied with vigour only to the weak and the meek and not to the powerful. This is the reality of the world that we inhabit,” he noted.
Dr Edwards of Seton Hall University said: “As for the ICC, Bensouda is caught between a need to investigate non-African cases to signal her independence, but picking the biggest fight imaginable in the process”.
This does fit a general US pattern of using ICC as a tool against other countries while exempting itself from investigation in the process, so in one sense it is not surprising.
“The bigger danger for the ICC is that this might set a precedent for other countries to try to tamper with its work in similar ways moving forward,” he declared.
Dr Hondora of WFM-IGP called on the United Kingdom and France – members states to UN Security Council (UNSC) and the Rome Statute – to initiate a debate in the UNSC regarding the lawfulness and propriety of the US decision to revoke Bensouda’s visa in the peculiar circumstances of this case.
He said WFM-IGP calls on the UN General Assembly to object to the revocation of Bensouda’s US visa as it sets a precedence that will see representatives of governments and international bodies that different US administrations object to being personally targeted with punitive personal US sanctions with the intention of prejudicing how they discharge their roles and responsibilities under key treaties.
WFM-IGP also calls on the General Assembly to seek an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding the lawfulness – under the US-UN Hosting Agreement – of the US decision revoking Bensouda’s visa to the US in retaliation to a decision taken by the Office of the Prosecutor to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan.
(The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@ips.org)

All South Asian Countries, Except Afghanistan, Are Happier than India; Finland Tops the List, US Ranked # 19

Staff ReporterCommunity, Environment 0
All South Asian countries, except Afghanistan, are happier than India, according to the World Happiest Report 2019. India ranked # 140th happiest country, as compared with Pakistan as the 67th happiest country in the world; Bhutan #95; Nepal # 100; Bangladesh # 125; Sri Lanka # 130; and Afghanistan # 154. Maldives was not included in the report.
“When you factor in population growth, world happiness has fallen in recent years, driven by the sustained downward trend in India,” according to a statement by the World Happiest Report 2019. “As for emotions, there has been a widespread recent upward trend in negative affect, comprising worry, sadness and anger, especially marked in Asia and Africa, and more recently elsewhere.”
As in 2018, Finland again took the top spot as the happiest country in the world according to three years of surveys taken by Gallup from 2016-2018. Rounding out the rest of the top ten are countries that have consistently ranked among the happiest. They are in order: Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. The US ranked 19th dropping one spot from last year.
This year, the Report analyzes how life evaluations and emotions, both positive and negative, have evolved over the whole run of the Gallup World Poll, starting in 2005-2006. For life evaluations at the national level, there have been more gainers than losers.
Among the 20 top gainers in life evaluations from 2005-2008 to 2016-2018, 10 are in Central and Eastern Europe, five are in sub-Saharan Africa, and three in Latin America. The 10 countries with the largest declines in average life evaluations typically suffered some combination of economic, political, and social stresses. The five largest drops since 2005-2008 were in Yemen, India, Syria, Botswana and Venezuela.
This year’s happiness report focuses on happiness and the community: how happiness has evolved over the past dozen years, with a focus on the technologies, social norms, conflicts and government policies that have driven those changes. Special chapters focus on generosity and prosocial behaviour, the effects of happiness on voting behavior, big data, and the happiness effects of internet use and addictions, according to the statement.
“The world is a rapidly changing place,” said Professor John Helliwell, co-editor of the report. “How communities interact with each other whether in schools, workplaces, neighborhoods or on social media has profound effects on world happiness.”
The World Happiness Report 2019, which ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be, according to their evaluations of their own lives, was launched today at the United Nations. The report was produced in partnership with The Ernesto Illy Foundation.
“We are living a moment of transition to a new age and this generates a sense of uncertainty,” said Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè and Member of the Board of Fondazione Ernesto Illy. “Social happiness is therefore even more relevant, in order to give a positive perspective and outlook for the present and for the future.”
The chapter by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network focuses on the epidemic of addictions and unhappiness in America, a rich country yet one where happiness has been declining rather than rising.
“This year’s report provides sobering evidence of how addictions are causing considerable unhappiness and depression in the US,” Sachs said. “Addictions come in many forms, from substance abuse to gambling to digital media. The compulsive pursuit of substance abuse and addictive behaviors is causing severe unhappiness. Government, business, and communities should use these indicators to set new policies aimed at overcoming these sources of unhappiness.”
The report, produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) with the support of the Ernesto Illy Foundation, is edited by Professor John F. Helliwell of the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research; Professor Richard Layard, co-director of the Well-Being Programme at LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance; and Professor Sachs, director of SDSN and the Earth Institute’s Center on Sustainable Development. Policy applications of happiness research are collected in a companion SDSN publication Global Happiness Policy Report 2019.
According to Professor Sachs, “The World Happiness Report, together with the Global Happiness and Policy Report offer the world’s governments and individuals the opportunity to rethink public policies as well as individual life choices, to raise happiness and wellbeing. We are in an era of rising tensions and negative emotions (as shown in Chapter 2) and these findings point to underlying challenges that need to be addressed.”
The World Happiness Report 2019 includes the following chapters:
Chapter 2 Changing World Happiness: by John Helliwell, Haifang Huang and Shun Wang, presents the usual national rankings of life evaluations, supplemented by global data on how life evaluations, positive affect and negative affect have evolved on an annual basis since 2006, and how the quality of government and various forms of conflict have influenced those evaluations.
Chapter 3 Happiness and Voting Behaviour: by George Ward, considers whether a happier population is any more likely to vote, to support governing parties, or support populist authoritarian candidates.
Chapter 4 Happiness and Prosocial Behavior: An Evaluation of the Evidence by Lara Aknin, Ashley Whillans, Michael Norton and Elizabeth Dunn, shows that engaging in prosocial behavior generally promotes happiness, and identifies the conditions under which these benefits are most likely to emerge.
Chapter 5 The Sad State of US Happiness and the Role of Digital Media: by Jean Twenge, documents the increasing amount of time US adolescents spend interacting with electronic devices, and presents evidence that it may have displaced time once spent on more beneficial activities, contributing to increased anxiety and declines in happiness.
Chapter 6 Big Data and Well-Being: by Paul Frijters and Clément Bellet, asks big questions about big data. Is it good or bad, old or new, is it useful for predicting happiness, and what regulation is needed to achieve benefits and reduce risks?
Chapter 7 Addiction and Unhappiness in America: by Jeffrey Sachs, surveys a number of theories of addiction, presents evidence of rising US prevalence of several addictive behaviours, and considers a variety of possible causes and cures.
In presenting these results at the launch, coeditor John Helliwell noted that “over the seven years of World Happiness Reports, there has been a steady increase in the level and sophistication of reader interest. At first, readers mainly wanted to see how countries ranked. Now we see ever-increasing interest in using the happiness lens to help understand what makes for happier homes, schools, workplaces, and communities, and to use these findings to help make lives better everywhere.”

Police charge Bishop Franco of raping nun

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, India 0

Police have charged Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar with raping a Catholic nun multiple times, nine months after she complained in southern India’s Kerala state. The police team probing the allegations filed charges on April 9 before a magistrate in Kottayam district, where the nun’s convent is based.

A 2,000-page charge sheet listed charges of wrongful confinement, rape of a woman incapable of giving consent, causing grievous bodily harm during rape, unnatural offense and criminal intimidation.

If found guilty, the bishop faces imprisonment of not less than 10 years or up to life in jail. The charge sheet also lists 83 witnesses, 40 of them Catholic leaders including Cardinal George Alencherry, the major archbishop and head of the Syro-Malabar Church.

Three bishops — Joseph Kallarangatt of Pala, Kurian Valiakandathil of Bhagalpur and Sebastian Vadakkel of Ujjain — and 25 Catholic nuns and 11 Catholic priests are also named as witnesses.

The nuns, who have been campaigning for justice for the alleged victim, have termed the development a turning point in a case that has attracted international attention.

“We have only crossed one major step in the fight to ensure justice for our sister,” said Sister Anupama Kelamangalathuveli, one of the nun’s supporters.

The alleged victim is a former superior general of Missionaries of Jesus, a diocesan congregation that functions under Bishop Mulakkal’s patronage.

She complained to police on June 27 last year that Bishop Mulakkal had sexually abused her 13 times from 2014 to 2016 when he visited her convent in Kuravilangad village in Kottayam district.

Sister Anupama and four other nuns have been supporting their former superior. They also joined a public protest organized by the Save Our Sisters (SOS) forum, formed by a group of social activists.

Following the public protest, police arrested Bishop Mulakkal on Sept. 21 and placed him in judicial custody. He was later released on bail by Kerala High Court. He has always maintained his innocence.

The Vatican removed him from his administrative responsibilities and appointed an administrator. The prelate, however, continues to stay in the bishop’s house in Jalandhar in the northern state of Punjab.

“We know the bishop is powerful and influential and can do anything to subvert the case,” Sister Anupama told uanews.com.

“We bank on the justice of God that sustained us throughout this fight for justice,” she said, adding that the powerful Catholic hierarchy “will do everything to influence the witnesses.”

The way in which the hierarchy responds to the case will decide the future of the Catholic Church in India, according to Shaiju Antony, joint convener of SOS.

“The people in India, irrespective of religion, believe Catholic priests and nuns. If a priest or nun is a witness in a case, they believe they will tell the truth and the victim will get justice. But in this case the situation is entirely different,” he told ucanews.com.

Antony said police have video-recorded statements of witnesses in case they retract them under pressure from the church leadership.

Father Augustine Vattoli, who was forced to quit the post of SOS convener after his superiors castigated him for his involvement in the case, sees the latest development as “very positive.”

“This will pave way for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the country as it gives a message that, however mighty one might be, the law will take its own course,” he said.

Source: UCAN

Indian communities in New York call for defense of democracy

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics, Travel 0

The NYC “Defense of Democracy” rally brought together the rich diversity of the Indian Diaspora in the United States – scientists and engineers, service workers and computer professionals, artists and doctors, Hindus, Sikhs, Dalits and Muslims, policymakers, activists, left and liberal intellectuals and community leaders.

Commenting on the lynchings and targeted attacks on Muslims and Dalits that have increased exponentially since the coming to power of Narendra Modi in 2014, Sarah Anderson-Rajarigam of Dalit Solidarity Forum, one of the co-sponsors of the rally said, “Dalit Solidarity Forum deplores the heavy targeting of Dalits and other marginalized communities. We unite our voices with Dalits and other minorities in their fight for freedom and support them in their efforts to uphold the constitution”. Out of all the mob-lynching incidents by so-called ‘cow-protection’ mobs since 2010, 97% have taken place between 2014 and 2018.

Coalition for the Defense of the Constitution and Democracy (CDCD) have in their press release have stated that the BJP government has responsible for systematic erosion and weakening of democratic values and institutions. It has been attacking and weakening constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission, Supreme Court, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The CBI and Income Tax department have also been used to intimidate media organizations critical of the BJP government.

Sunita Viswanath of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, said, “We are Americans of Hindu faith, many of us Indian, who stand opposed to the ideology of Hindutva and the atrocities against minorities and dissenters being committed in the name of Hinduism. We stand with all the people of India who are calling for an end to this regime that threatens democracy, disregards the dignity and safety of minorities, and has declared war on the poor.”

The BJP has significantly increased corruption and corporate plunder. To distract people from its record of failed governance, the BJP has increased war mongering and is busy dividing the people along communal lines. When Muslims, Dalits, and the Left have resisted or spoken up against the injustice, they have either been imprisoned using draconian laws such as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Adivasi (indigenous) people and landless laborers, who have been fighting for land and forest rights, have been arrested and harassed. Workers, who have been struggling against the government’s increased privatization and casualization of work, have been fired or put in prison. With the emboldening of patriarchal forces, in many instances, the attacks on women’s rights and safety have been led by BJP ministers and leaders.

Mohammad Jawad, National General Secretary of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), speaking on why IAMC has joined the rally said, “The people of India will eventually recognize the divisive and hatred the current BJP/RSS government is spreading and will unite to preserve our constitution and defeat this government.”

The protestors at the Defense of Democracy rally held placards and shouted slogans such as:

· Ensure Free and Fair Elections! Election Commission must guarantee election free of violence, intimidation, and rigging

· Stop the witch-hunt! Release all UAPA arrestees and drop all charges

· Stop the lynchings of Dalits and Muslims! Arrest and prosecute the perpetrators

· Stop culture of fear! End the attacks and intimidation of activists, artists, workers and women

The demonstration was held in front of the Indian consulate, New York.

USCIS Strengthens Guidance for Spousal Petitions Involving Minors

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced additional guidance regarding the adjudication of spousal petitions involving minors, following up on the agency’s February update to its policy.

The guidance, published as an update to the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM), instructs officers to conduct an additional interview for certain I-130 spousal petitions involving a minor. Generally, the bona fides of the spousal relationship are assessed in person by USCIS when the alien spouse applies to adjust status, or by the Department of State when the alien spouse applies for an immigrant visa. However, I-130 spousal petitions involving a minor party warrant special consideration due to the vulnerabilities associated with marriage involving a minor. As such, USCIS is modifying its policy to require in-person interviews at this earlier stage for certain I-130 petitions involving minor spouses.

“As part of our continued efforts to strengthen guidance for spousal petitions involving minors, we have instructed USCIS officers to conduct an additional in-person interview earlier in the immigration process for certain petitions that warrant additional scrutiny,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “While USCIS has taken action to the maximum extent possible to detect and closely examine spousal petitions involving a minor spouse, Congress should address this issue by providing more clarity under the law for USCIS officers.”

Interviewing earlier at the I-130 petition stage provides USCIS with an additional opportunity to verify information contained in the petition and assess the bona fides of the claimed spousal relationship. USCIS officers will now conduct interviews for the following I-130 spousal petitions as part of the adjudication of any I-130 spousal petition where:

The petitioner or the beneficiary is less than 16 years old; or

The petitioner or the beneficiary is 16 or 17 years old and there are 10 years or more difference between the ages of the spouses.

While there are no statutory age requirements to petition for a spouse or be sponsored as a spousal beneficiary, USCIS published guidance earlier this year detailing factors that officers should consider when evaluating I-130 spousal petitions involving a minor. USCIS considers whether the age of the beneficiary or petitioner at the time the marriage was celebrated violates the law of the place of celebration. Officers also consider whether the marriage is recognized as valid in the U.S. state where the couple currently resides or will presumably reside and does not violate the state’s public policy. In some U.S. states and in some foreign countries, marriage involving a minor might be permitted under certain circumstances, including where there is parental consent, a judicial order, emancipation of the minor, or pregnancy of the minor.

In addition, per regulation, USCIS may use its discretion to issue a request for evidence (RFE) where appropriate.  As with any benefit, the burden is generally on the petitioner to demonstrate the validity of their petition and the bona fides of their spousal relationship.

These AFM updates are part of USCIS’ continuing efforts to ensure that our policies and processes remain current and are compliant with existing immigration law. USCIS also created a flagging system that sends an alert in an electronic system at the time of filing if a minor spouse or fiancé is detected. After the initial flag, the petition is sent to a special unit that verifies that the age and relationship listed are correct before the petition is accepted. If the age or classification on the petition is incorrect, the petition will be returned to the petitioner for correction.

For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and Linkedin (/uscis).

New York Workplace Discrimination Law Better Protects Sikhs

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The New York State Senate unanimously voted to pass Senate Bill 4037, which prohibits New York employers from discriminating against employees due to their religious attire, including grooming observations, last week.

Senate Bill 4037 makes it very clear that employers have an obligation to provide reasonable accommodations for religious attire and grooming practices, such as the Sikh turban and unshorn hair. This critical piece of legislation was inspired by the Sikh Coalition’s advocacy efforts in 2011 and successful multi-year settlement against the New York City Metro Transit Authority (MTA) for discriminating against Sikh employees who were previously denied the right to wear religious head coverings in full public view.

“New York has sent a clear message to their employers that respecting and protecting our religious rights in the workplace matters,” said Sikh Coalition Policy and Advocacy Manager, Nikki Singh. “We thank New York legislators for working with organizations like the Sikh Coalition to make sure this new law passed.”

In early April, the Sikh Coalition launched an online petition campaignacross New York to mobilize Sikh community members to write their elected officials in support of the bill. On April 8th, the Sikh Coalition also mobilized 14 New York gurdwaras (Sikh houses of worship) and 22 civil rights organizations to sign onto letters supporting the legislation. On April 9th, the Sikh Coalition joined a rally in Albany, New York in support of the legislation.

“No Sikh should ever have to make the unthinkable choice between their faith and career,” said Ms. Singh. “This legislation will have an immediate impact for Sikhs who have been turned away from employment in New York, and it further paves the way for every Sikh across the state to know that their faith should never impede the career they want to pursue.”

For over 17 years, the Sikh Coalition has been fighting to end employment discrimination in the United States. This work has included successfully litigating high-impact employment discrimination cases against local and federal government agencies, major Sikh-populated industries, Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. Army. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination in the workplace, please contact the Sikh Coalition’s legal team for a free and confidential consultation. The Sikh Coalition continues to handle an average of over 200 free legal aid cases per year, including many employment discrimination cases.

Additionally, the Sikh Coalition has led grassroots efforts to pass landmark employment discrimination laws in California in 2012. In 2011, the Sikh Coalition also initiated and secured the passage of New York City’s “Workplace Religious Freedom Act,” which significantly enhanced religion-based protections for employees working in New York City.

“We thank every New York Sikh community member that has taken action in support of this legislation, including 14 New York gurdwaras,” said Ms. Singh. “When we mobilize, the Sikh voice has the power to create change that positively impacts the lives of millions.”

The Sikh Coalition also thanks New York State Senator John Liu (D-11th District), the eleven co-sponsors of Senate Bill 4037, along with the tireless efforts of New York State Representative, David Weprin (D-24th District) for bringing this legislation to fruition.

Journalists, diplomats visit Pakistani madrasa that India claims was hit by its air strike

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On Wednesday, April 10, a group of journalists from foreign news organizations and foreign diplomats was permitted access to a madrasa in Pakistan that was the alleged target of air strike by the Indian military, Reuters reported. The Indian government had claimed that it killed several hundred “terrorists,” Reuters noted. The madrasa is on a hilltop in the Jaba village area, near Balakot. Reuters explained that some visitors expected to clarify several details, especially regarding India’s claim that the air strike was a success and hit a major terror training camp, or if they missed the madrasa and instead landed in the hills, as Pakistan has said. Another aspect was if the madrasa “was a cover” for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The organisation claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, after which India mounted the air strike.

However, the diplomats and reporters did not have sufficient time to address these queries. They were only permitted into the madrasa’s main building, and “were hurried away by the army, which organised the trip, after less than half an hour. Those arriving by vehicle had even less time,” Reuters stated, adding that they were also only permitted a limited interaction with the madrasa’s teachers and students, which ranged from young to older teenagers. When questioned about this, army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan did not have anything to hide, and that reporters could come to stay for a night or even a month in the future. He denied that JeM had recently used the madrasa, and indicated that “If there was a relationship it was a long time ago,” Reuters stated.

At least three diplomats told Reuters that “it was very difficult to draw any firm conclusions because of the six-week delay in gaining access and the restricted time allowed to look around.” One Western diplomat said, “I don’t think the site was hit but I still can’t be 100 percent after today,” adding, “As to whether JeM were here – they may have been but I can’t determine that from this either.” The group was “shown craters that the allegedly wayward missiles had created on the surrounding hillsides” on its way up to the madrasa compound, Reuters reported.

The group of diplomats and journalists did not see any indication that there had been construction work to remove structures, or build new ones, Reuters noted, adding that vegetation also did not seem display any signs of being hit by a missile attack. Satellite images have suggested that the primary buildings on the hill seemed to be in the same condition as they were prior to the air strike.  For the complete Reuters piece, go here.

 

Men tend to act less interested, while women tend to act a little more interested in sex Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

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Newswise — When heterosexuals have casual sex, previous research indicates it is typically the woman who sets the boundaries. If she’s not interested, usually nothing will happen.

“When men and women in the study met, about half of the men said they were interested in having sex with the woman, whereas most women were uninterested initially,” says Associate Professor Mons Bendixen at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Psychology.

So the women in the study basically have little interest in having casual sex at first – unless they find the man really attractive.

But a man who gives the impression of wanting to have sex with anyone, anytime, is definitely not what most women are looking for. That could be why men acted way less interested in sex than they really were.

“Men who are overly eager do not come across as attractive,” says Professor Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair in the same department.

The whole thing is a tactical game, say the researchers, and the new NTNU research suggests that men and women’s real intentions may be different from the signals they send each other.

Bendixen is the first author of a recent study dealing with the sexual signals that men and women send to each other.

Do women really want to have sex?

Men who report being the most interested in having sex reduce their signals of interest more.

Evidence from the study suggested that women, on the other hand, might pretend to be a little more interested than they actually are.

“We think this may be to keep the man’s attention a little longer,” says Kennair, but this study does not speak to that directly.

Or perhaps the strategy gives her more opportunity to assess the quality of the guy. And as long as the woman does not seem to be excluding the possibility of sex, men across the board are willing to spend more time with her – and enabling her to check out whether he’s a good choice.

And, if a man is of high quality, that could actually shift the woman’s interest, so that an initially uninterested woman becomes truly interested in the man.

“The exception to this general sex difference is when the woman is as interested as the man. In this case, women also pretend to show less interest.”

“Both men and women who are truly interested in a partner might be trying to ‘play it cool.’ In economic terms, it’s about supply and demand. The most in-demand people are not the most available – they are a rare commodity in the mating game,” says Professor Martie Haselton of UCLA.

“By playing it cool, women and men can also avoid some of the sting of rejection if their partner is not actually interested in them,” says Haselton.

The researchers collected two rounds of data from students at NTNU. The survey included questions such as when they last met with a potential sexual partner, and whether they eventually ended up having sex.

The first round of data collection took place in the spring, when most students are busy studying. The second round was in the autumn, right after the start of the semester and the introduction week activities.

The researchers found a significant difference between the two rounds. Sexual relationships were far more common during the autumn introduction week.

Women choose the most attractive guys

“Among singles, we found differences between men and women when it came to who ended up having sex,” says Bendixen.

Women were much more likely to have sex if they thought the potential partner was attractive. This was consistent with previous findings.

They were also far more likely to have sex if they were new students. Female students who had been at university for a while were much more selective.

“More than half of the new female students who had met an attractive partner the last time they were at a pub or at a party ended up having sex with him,” says Bendixen.

“This behaviour is probably related to two factors: one is the absence of ‘daughter-guarding’ or ‘sister-guarding'” once students arrive at university,” says Kennair.

Fathers – and siblings – might keep a watchful eye on young women’s sexual behaviour and dissuade them from having casual sex. This can be explained by evolutionary biology. But new students in a new city no longer have those same obstacles hindering their free sexual expression.

“The second factor has to do with the perception of increased competition for the men,” Bendixen says.

Female students outnumber male students. So in a lot of groups it can seem like there’s some competition for the men.

In this kind of a situation, women are more willing to have sex. The few guys that are available are simply perceived as more attractive.

Some get a lot – a lot get none

The most important factor in whether men had sex was how many sexual partners they have had previously. This could contribute to their being perceived as sexually attractive and available.

“It’s really the same reason for both men and women – the man’s sex appeal – that decides whether they end up having sex,” says Kennair.

So there’s a lot for some, and much less for the rest. Once a woman decides to have casual sex, she usually chooses the man she finds most sexually attractive.

Other studies show that long-term relationships function slightly differently. In this case women may have to lower their expectations a bit, because the most attractive men are often already taken or because they are able to pursue short-term relationships instead of long-term ones.

“A lot of women have had sex with more attractive partners than the men they end up with in long-term relationships,” says Kennair.

“In our research, women did not appear to act coy in general; rather both sexes downplay their signals if they are very interested. These are novel findings,” Bendixen notes. “Further, men do not pursue women that send signals of low interest.”

###

Reference: APA PsycNET: Adjusting signals of sexual interest in the most recent naturally occurring opposite-sex encounter in two different contexts. Bendixen, Mons Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen Biegler, Robert Haselton, Martie G.

Neeta Bhushan Rids Indian Consulate of Corruption

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CHICAGO – A high profile Indian Foreign Service Officer, Neeta Bhushan is a woman of steel. Currently she is the Consul General of India at Chicago. Her legacy as CG will be that corruption shall not revisit Chicago’s Indian Consulate, and it shall forever remain a “guardian” to the NRIs.

“Consulate is your guardian,” she had announced to the community the very 1st day on her arrival to this Chicago posting. Now 3-years later, one sees a transformed Consulate. Its doors stay open to public. From all over, the NRIs look up to it for support, guidance and advice. Organizations seek “legitimacy.” Destitute women seek solace. This unique achievement is truly a feather in her cap; it’s something that her predecessor miserably failed at.

A great organizer, she put into effect numerous great initiatives all through. Many of these shall go into annals of history for having far reaching positive consequences for India. Transfer of ?600 crore worth of the state-of-the-art ‘Seed Development Technology’ to India’s Andhra Pradesh is one such example. The research facility is coming come up at Kulnoor. Neeta Bhushan was singularly instrumental in getting this high profile pact through. Not only it included the transfer of seed genetics, but the techniques at ‘genetic modification’ as well. India, now a seed-importer, will soon be exporting seeds world over, including to US, over and above its national seed demands.

NB is her initialism. NB means Neeta Bhushan. It also means ‘Neat Business.’ As if the Pied Piper of Hamlin, the economist in Neeta Bhushan drove entire Midwest commerce India-wards. The trade from the 9 US states that she commands shot up to 7036 Million US Dollars. It increases as we read. Illinois alone, where she is headquartered, contributes $2482 Million to this. Her neighbor at Chicago, the Boeing, is supplying 205 aircraft to SpiceJet in India; and another 75 to Jet Airways. Neeta Bhushan’s domain, Midwest, is America’s hub of Meat and Food Industry. It be emphatically mentioned that 53,445.78 Kilos of poultry meat and 21627 units of live poultry have been exported to India. These figures form a roaring introduction to Neeta Bhushan’s endeavors that have resulted in reduction of the trade deficit between US and India.

From the very onset, Neeta Bhushan started with a bang! Yoga Day was her very first signature event that startled the community. Organized in a huge arena, the day-long celebrations were attended by who’s-who of the Midwestern United States. These included several Congressmen, Senators, Corporate Magnets, and Religious leaders. On her behest, a Local Chicago leader reinforced the Yoga Day with a 15-minute long live interview on significant National Public Radio.

In the history of Indian Embassy, Neeta Bhushan has the singular honor of hosting the Presidential visit to Chicago. She hosted the sitting Vice President of India while ensuring full-fledged protocol and impregnable security bubbles. The arrangements involved a series of impossibles that don’t event meet an ordinary eye. It needs an emphatic mention that Neeta Bhushan’s behind-the-scene set-ups contributed big time towards the flawless conduct of the first ever World Hindu Congress that was held in Chicago. Delegations from over 18 countries had sent participated that included a dozen of International leaders; one a ‘Head of a State.’

On Commerce front, the India Business Conference that Neeta Bhushan organized has been a trendsetter for the local leadership-aspirants. Its roaring success with over 450 businessmen in attendance was a road-map for reluctant business organizations to do things the right-way. In a span of few hours, Consul General Neeta Bhushan delivered an introduction to almost all Indian states and their industries, and also have American corporate houses participate in Panel Discussion to seek their way of doing business with India.

Much to the awe of many, Neeta Bhushan has been omnipresent. That way she has been a community person. There has been no organization, whose event Neeta Bhushan has not attended. Such has been her zeal, as I would find her presiding-over over three functions a day, after attending the full day of her office. More so, none has ever been denied her audience. A regular visitor to the Universities and Academic Institutions, Neeta Bhushan has handled the academia with a astute diplomatic skills.

Neeta Bhushan is an eagle-eyed officer. She knows the community threadbare. She wont delegate the accountability to the experience-lacking untrustworthy. But same time she wont annoy them. She knows how to message whose ego, and when. She could maintain a delicate balance amongst the perpetually warring factions of the community. Her this officer-attribute has resulted in Neeta Bhushan being center of attraction all over the Midwest. She has been the favorite of the elderly and the students alike.

Memory be the measure, Neeta Bhushan has been the most photographed amongst the Consul Generals. Her friendly persona has helped her make deep inroads into region’s Politco-Bureaucratic circles. No wonder she could set a new trend by hosting India’s national functions at Chicago’s venues be it Millennium Park or Harris Theatre pro bono.

But her affable persona shrouds an iron-lady. Neeta Bhushan carries an iron hand with a velvet glove on it. Rather than looking the other side, she would catch the bull by the horns and pin it down. One can define her as a “No Non-sense Officer.” And rightly so! After all she hails from a family of legendary bureaucrats. That way she inherited Administration skills as a ‘Sense of Fact’ from her IAS father. When the need arose, she put these to use as her second nature. Neeta Bhushan was quick to catch the chronic corrupt practices from within the Consulate, pinpoint the responsibility, and execute remedial measures. Such was the wrath of her actions, that the offenders tended to take refuge in the lap to local disparaging rowdies. The Result: Consulate rid of malpractices; and Neeta Bhushan victorious in her stance.

With over 25 years experience in her haversack, Neeta Bhushan is a diplometese personified. Pauses and silences are part of her vocabulary. She masters non-answers, and answers alike. She wont answer when its not needed to. But when she does, her responses are extensive, elaborate and accurate.

She is a prolific speaker. In her speeches she supports her arguments with extensive statistics and data. Neeta Bhushan has been the most sought after in the region as a Key Note Speaker. Recently, she was the keynote speaker at the prestigious Allen Lerner Lecture Series at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Besides, she has also addressed Booth School of Business at University of Chicago; University of South Dakota; and the Purdue University. Alongside US Senator Dick Durbin, US Senator Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and several Congressmen, Neeta Bhushan had the honor of breaking ground for Chicago-located Fermi Lab’s new accelerator project (See the top banner photo). This PIP-II Particle Accelerator project comprises construction of a 4-story Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment a mile below the earth’s surface with significant components manufactured and contributed by India. This tech know-how will assist India in its domestic accelerator program especially Indian Spallation Neutron Source Initiative.

All said and done: ‘Sagacious’ is her one word definition. Sagacious she is, didactic not. What could be a her teaching, I pondered! ‘Carry the ordinary along, but don’t settle for the ordinary,’ I deduced.

Pope Francis blames Europe, US weapons for children killed in wars

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Pope Francis blamed Europe and the United States for the deaths of children in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, saying Saturday that wealthy Western countries fuel conflicts by selling weapons in war zones.

Speaking to students and teachers of Milan’s San Carlo Institute, Francis said the reason there are so many wars around the world is “the rich Europe and America sell weapons … used to kill children and kill people.”

Without such firepower, the pope added, there wouldn’t have been war in countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. .

“A country that produces and sells weapons has on its conscience the death of every child and the destruction of each family,” Francis said.

Talking about the need for countries to welcome and integrate migrants, the pope refuted the crime concerns governments cite to keep out asylum-seekers.

Foreigners aren’t the source of most crime in Italy because “we also have lots of them,” Francis said.

“The Mafia has not been invented by Nigerians. Mafia is ours,” he said. “All of us have the possibility of being criminal. Migrants bring us wealth because Europe has been made by migrants.”

Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican for a audience with students and teachers of the San Carlo Institute of Milan, Saturday, April 6, 2019.

IAPC Confers Life Time Achievement Award on Kanchana Poola IAPC receives full-throated support of Indian community at Induction Ceremony

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Kanchana Poola, a community leader and philanthropist, best described as the unassuming power-house of the Indian community, was awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Induction Ceremony of the Indo-American Press Club (IAPC) on March 31st here on Long Island at the at the popular Antun’s by Minar in Hicksville, NY.

During the solemn ceremony attended by community leaders, diplomats, political leaders and hundreds of community members, a new Team led by Sunil J. Koozhampala as the President of IAPC assumed charge for the coming year.

Sunil J. Koozhampala took the oath of office as IAPC President along with his Executive Committee for 2019. New Board members were also inducted and executive committees for New York Chapter & Philadelphia Chapter installed. Sunil is the publisher and MD of Rashtra Deepika Ltd and Deepika, a reputed Malayalam newspaper from Kerala. He also has hospitality interests in the US and Costa Rica. He called IAPC founder chairman Ginsmon Zacharia a visionary leader.

In its mission to offer a common platform for media professionals of Indian origin and improve their working conditions, Indo-American Press Club received encouragement from over 250 community leaders and dignitaries as it celebrated 6 years of growth & expansion and held a induction ceremony for its 2019 team.

Kanchana Poola served as the President of New York Tamil Sangam (NYTS) for several years and currently serves as an advisor of the decades old Sangam. She is a Life member of FeTNA and has been associated with American Tamil Entrepreneurs Association. Kanchana and Jagadeesan Poola have contributed to the Harvard Tamil Chair Fund.  They are Co-Chairs of The Asian Era and Aksharam magazines. In her acceptance speech, Kanchana Poola said her father instilled in her the value of giving —  for education, for the poor and the needy. The Poola couple were also honored by the NYTS.

Others who were honored at the colorful ceremony included:

* Dr. Neeta Jain, Democratic Party and Civic Community leader

* Mr. Devadasan Nair, Consul Community Affairs, Indian Consulate, New York

* Mr. Ashok Vyas, Program Director of ITV Gold

* Mr. Ven Parameswaran, Senior Columnist, Writer & Critic

* Mr. Varkey Abraham, Business Entrepreneur

* Guruji Dr. Dileepkumar Thankappan, Renowned Yogacharya

* BCB Bank – Manager Roopam Maini

* Mr. Mohan Nannapaneni, Co-Founder of non-profit organization TEAM Aid.

* Sujeet Rajan, Executive Editor, Desi Talk  and News India Times

 

IAPC, which was founded by a group of Kerala origin group of media persons, felt overwhelmed by the presence of crème de la creme from other communities as well–Tamil, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Telugu, Punjabi…. you name it.  The official business of induction ceremonies was interspersed with presenting plaques to the evening’s honorees, speeches by the Guests of Honor and entertainment.

 “The ceremony was a sure sign of the strong support from the Indian community,” said Ginsmon Zachariah, Founder Chairman of IAPC. “The presence of IAPC leaders, past and present, leaders of various community organizations as well as many accomplished people in their fields, not to speak of the media professionals, were in attendance, was indeed encouraging for the member sof IAPC to move forward with courage and pride.”

Indeed, IAPC already has 12 chapters and has become the fast growing syndicate of print and electronic media professionals of Indian origin working in USA, Canada and Europe. It is committed to enhance the working conditions of journalists, offering educational and training opportunities to its members.  It has hosted 5 International Media Conferences in USA, with topnotch media professionals coming from as far as India and Australia.

The incoming General Secretary Mathewkutty Easow in his welcome speech said:  “Like any other successful organization, IAPC is forging ahead with 7 “P’s” – Purpose, Pathway, Passion, Perseverance, Positivity, Patience and Principles to become a source of pride to its members and envy to other organizations.”

Kamlesh Mehta, IAPC Board Member and Publisher of The South Asian Times, called IAPC a strong platform for Indian ethnic journalists who are not well paid and do not enjoy benefits like a pension plan. He asserted that IAPC is working toward providing some security to them with support from the community.

Neeta Jain, Democratic District Leader of NY’s 25th assembly district (Part B) and Civic Community Leader, in her acceptance speech said that the media’s role is important because “your pen and words can make a big change in the world.”

Devadasan Nair, Consul – Community Affairs with the Indian Consulate in New York gave this advice to IAPC in his speech: “Media shall always bring the truthful and right news to the public. IAPC should attract and include media persons hailing from all regions of India and it shall grow to be an internationally renowned organization.”

From the Guests of honor, Dr. Toshiya Hoshino, Japan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, in his address highlighted the strong ties between Japan and the US and Japan being a partner country of India. Deepak Misra, Minister, Permanent Mission of India to the UN, graciously attended the entire proceeding of the evening.

Congressman Tom Suozzi and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino sent messages of good wishes to IAPC. Kevin Thomas, New York State Senator, was held up with the state budget work.

As for the prominent attendees, here are just a few names: Bobby Kumar, Bhuvana Rao, Dr. Raj Bhayani, Jagdish Sewhani, Nagendra Gupta, Shaker Nelanuthala, Sunil Hali, Sharanjit Singh, Dr Raj Uppal, Lalit Aery, Arvind Vora, Rajesh Shah, Sunil Modi, Rizwan Qureshi, Dr. Thomas Mathew, Thomas Koovalloor, Sibi David, Gunjan Rastogi, Beena Kothari, Bina Sabapathi, Nilima Madan, Pinki Jaggi, Dilip Chauhan, Ravi Bhooplapur, Andy Bhatia, Shiv Dass, Arjen Bathija, Dave Sharma, Indu Gajwani, Rashmi Sinha,  Roopam Maini, Davendra Vora, Anand Ahuja, Dr M.N. Krishnan & Sashikala, Dr Bala Swaminathan, Dr & Mrs Kasinathan, Gobind Munjal, and Dr Syed Yousuf.

Dr. Parikh complimented IAPC for its six-year journey during which it has moved “from strength to strength,” and thanked the organization for honoring two people from his organization. He complimented IAPC for going from strength to strength over 6 years.

Air India’s Regional Manager – Americas Bhuvana Rao told ITV Gold in an interview at the event  that the Indian media plays a constructive role as it contributes to bringing the Indian community together as well as India and US closer as partners.

A coffee table book titled ‘Global Religions’ compiling seven issues of the interfaith journal, One World Under God, was released at the event. It is published by Global Interfaith Foundation, which was started last year by Darshan Singh Bagga, a real estate developer, and is edited by Parveen Chopra, the Managing Editor of  The South Asian times.

Scintillating  entertainment was  provided by a group displaying Chenda Melam drum art of Kerala, and  Soormay bhangra group.  Dance performance was given by Sowparnika Dance Academy headed by Ms. Malini Nair.

Vineetha Nair, Director IAPC Board, kicked off the meeting and handed the mike to young emcees Jinu Ann Mathew and Andrew G Zacharia. The vote of thanks was given by Biju Chacko, National Secretary. IAPC Chairman Babu Stephen Could not attend because of family emergency.

Trump Retreats on Health Care After McConnell Warns It Won’t Happen

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President Trump backed off plans to introduce a Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act after Senator Mitch McConnell privately warned him that the Senate would not revisit health care in a comprehensive way before the November 2020 elections.

Reversing himself in the face of Republican consternation, Mr. Trump said his party would not produce a health care plan of its own, as he had promised, until after the elections, meaning he will only try to fulfill his first-term promise to repeal and replace his predecessor’s signature program if he wins a second term.

The president’s abrupt about-face, announced on Twitter on Monday night after talking with Mr. McConnell, all but ensured that health care will take a central place in next year’s campaign, elevating an issue Democrats consider one of their strengths. But it may take the legislative heat off Republicans exasperated by Mr. Trump’s unexpected push to devise a wholesale replacement for President Barack Obama’s health law in the coming months.

“I made it clear to him that we were not going to be doing that in the Senate,” Mr. McConnell, the majority leader from Kentucky, said on Tuesday. “He did say, as he later tweeted, that he accepted that and that he would be developing a plan that he would take to the American people during the 2020 campaign.”

The latest scuffle over health care shows a sea change in the Republican stance heading into 2020.

The president’s last attempt to replace Mr. Obama’s health care program blew up in 2017 when his party controlled both houses of Congress. Democrats seized the House in last year’s midterm elections in part on a promise to defend the most popular parts of the Affordable Care Act, so when Mr. Trump revived the issue last week, it distressed Republicans who consider it a political liability.

Mr. Trump had surprised allies by ordering his administration to ask a federal court to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act and then promised a Republican replacement. Democrats, consumer groups, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies have said that 20 million people could lose health coverage if courts accept the administration’s argument.

Mr. McConnell said he spoke with Mr. Trump on Monday afternoon to explain that the Senate would not return to the issue in a broad way before the next election. “I pointed out to him the Senate Republicans’ view on dealing with comprehensive health care reform with a Democratic House of Representatives,” Mr. McConnell said.

But if that warning was meant to quiet the president, it did not work. Hours later, Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter, “The Republicans are developing a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) & deductibles than Obama Care.”

Elections in India crucial for safeguarding India’s Democracy& pluralism

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

As India heads to the polls in April/May 2019 a wide cross-section of Indians gathered on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the Indian Consulate in New York City (NYC) to stand in solidarity with people fighting to defend the Constitution, democracy and human rights in India. The NYC “Defense of Democracy” rally brings together the rich diversity of the Indian diaspora in the United States – scientists and engineers, service workers and computer professionals, artists and doctors, Hindus, Sikhs, Dalits and Muslims, policymakers, activist, left and liberal intellectuals and community leaders.

Some 900 million people can cast their ballot is, predictably, a source of anxiety and excitement on all sides of the political spectrum, and on this side of the globe. Traveling in a car en route to his next meeting with voters in India, Sam Pitroda, Chicago-based telecommunications entrepreneur and former advisor to India’s Prime Minister, shares his concerns about the heated election environment. Chicago based telecommunications entrepreneur and former cabinet minister and advisor to Indian Prime Ministers, was at an event celebrating the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Those belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and their supporters in the U.S., are enamored of Prime Minister Modi. Those in other parties, including the largest, Congress Party, complain of the loss of secular values and rise of Hindu chauvinism. Others are sprinkled in between, joining either side or exercising their independence.

Hundreds of Indian residents in the U.S., and a sizable number of Indian Americans have left or are planning to leave in the next few days and weeks, to participate in campaigns of parties they support, and even vote if eligible.

From the Overseas Friends of BJP to the Indian Overseas Congress and regional parties with U.S. chapters, like Telangana Rashtriya Samithi, or the Samajwadi Party of Uttar Pradesh, or former U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, and Shiromani Akali Dal, Telugu Desam, members and supporters living abroad, are engaging the Indian electorate, whether by participating in phone banks from New Jersey to California, or by being physically present in India.

“In the last three days alone we have been holding more than 16 ‘Chai Pe Charchas’ and ‘Chowkidar’ marches around the United States,” Krishna Reddy Anugula, president of the Overseas Friends of BJP, told the media. He also pointed to the organization Sikhs of America, which held a car rally in support of Modi in Maryland on March 31. Members of Sikhs of America had not returned calls by press time.

Commenting on the lynchings and targeted attacks on Muslims and Dalits that have increased exponentially since the coming to power of Narendra Modi in 2014, Sarah Anderson-Rajarigam of Dalit Solidarity Forum, one of the co-sponsors of the rally said, “Dalit Solidarity Forum deplores the heavy targeting of Dalits and other marginalized communities. We unite our voices with Dalits and other minorities in their fight for freedom and support them in their efforts to uphold the constitution.” 97% of all the lynching incidents since 2010 by so-called ‘cow-protection’ mobs have taken place between 2014 and 2018 since the BJP came to power.

The organizers of the rally said, the BJP government has also been responsible for systematic erosion and weakening of democratic values and institutions. It has been attacking and weakening constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission, Supreme Court, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI). BJP ministers as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief have given statements indicating that they would like to change the constitution to implement their fundamentalist agenda. The CBI and Income Tax department have also been used to intimidate media organizations critical of the BJP government.

Sunita Viswanath of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, said, “We are Americans of Hindu faith, many of us Indian, who stand opposed to the ideology of Hindutva and the atrocities against minorities and dissenters being committed in the name of Hinduism. We stand with all the people of India who are calling for an end to this regime that threatens democracy, disregards the dignity and safety of minorities, and has declared war on the poor.”

The BJP has significantly increased corruption and corporate plunder. To distract people from its record of failed governance, the BJP has increased war mongering and is busy dividing the people along communal lines. When Muslims, Dalits, and the Left have resisted or spoken up against the injustice, they have either been imprisoned using draconian laws such as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Adivasi (indigenous) people and landless laborers, who have been fighting for land and forest rights, have been arrested and harassed. Workers, who have been struggling against the government’s increased privatization and casualization of work, have been fired or put in prison. With the emboldening of patriarchal forces, in many instances, the attacks on women’s rights and safety have been led by BJP ministers and leaders.

Mohammad Jawad, National General Secretary of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), speaking on why IAMC has joined the rally said, “The people of India will eventually recognize the divisiveness and hate the current BJP/RSS government is spreading and will unite to preserve our constitution and defeat this government.”

The Defense of Democracy rally called for:

  • Ensure Free and Fair Elections! Election Commission must guarantee election freeof violence, intimidation, and rigging
  • Stop the witch-hunt! Release all UAPA arrestees and drop allcharges
  • Stop the lynching of Dalits and Muslims! Arrest and Prosecute theperpetrators
  • Stop culture of fear! End the attacks and intimidation of activists, artists,workers, women

Rep. Pramila Jayapal gives tearful speech about non-binary loved one

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At an Equality Act hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal made the deeply personal revelation. Three hours into Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing about the Equality Act, a bill that would add LGBTQ people to federal nondiscrimination laws, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., shared a tearful story about her child coming out of the closet.

“My beautiful, now 22-year-old child told me last year that they were gender nonconforming,” she said. “The only thought I wake up with every day is: My child is free. My child is free to be who they are, and in that freedom comes a responsibility for us as legislators to protect that freedom.”

Before Jayapal’s heartfelt comments, several GOP lawmakers and Republican-invited witnesses shared concerns about the Equality Act. One witness, Julia Beck, a self-described radical feminist and vocal opponent of transgender rights, testified that women’s sports could be irrevocably changed by the bill because men might pretend to be transgender women in order to win competitions.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., even posed an outlandish hypothetical, asking what would happen if President Donald Trump were to declare himself “the first female president.” He then asked, “Who would celebrate that?”

 “As I listened to some of you today, I was struck by this push to presume that these provisions would somehow be manipulated or used by people in ways that would hurt existing sex protections,” Jayapal said at the beginning of her almost four-minute speech. “It occurred to me that we are talking about fear versus love; we are talking about fear versus freedom.”

She then continued to discuss the “heavy burden of conflict” her child had carried before coming out as nonbinary and how, by bracing their gender identity, has allowed them to flourish.

“My child is finally free to be who they are,” Jayapal tweeted after the hearing. “With that freedom comes a responsibility, for us as legislators, to legislate with love and not fear.” Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for Jayapal, confirmed that Tuesday’s hearing was the first time the lawmaker shared this personal family story.

Sikh Coalition’s Complaint Leads To Further Action Against ICE

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This week, the Sikh Coalition filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in response to ongoing concerns regarding violations of civil rights for Sikhs at ICE detention facilities across the United States.

The complaint demands included increased Punjabi language access for Sikh detainees in compliance with ICE’s own Language Access Plan, an investigation into systematic policies of prolonged detention, better access to critical medical care, and full and consistent religious accommodations for Sikhs at detention facilities under federal law.

“Access to due process, religious accommodations, medical care, and language assistance is not an immigration issue; it’s a basic human rights issue,” said Sikh Coalition Senior Staff Attorney Cindy Nesbit. “Our government has a responsibility to make sure that every person being detained is treated fairly under the law, and we have an organizational responsibility to hold our government accountable.”

The Sikh Coalition also joined South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), several other civil rights organizations and members of Congress to brief legislators about these concerns while demanding further transparency and oversight into the treatment of Sikh detainees. Click here to watch the April 2nd briefing.

Since January 2019, when news broke that several Sikh detainees were on hunger strike protesting their detention, the Sikh Coalition has been engaged in advocacy to raise concerns about the safety, civil rights and religious rights of Sikh detainees. On February 12th, the Sikh Coalition sent a demand letter to the DHS, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and key congressional and senate offices insisting on further investigation and oversight.

On February 15th, the Sikh Coalition joined other civil rights organizations, immigration attorneys and activists for a day of action in El Paso, Texas. This involved Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur and Community Development Manager Inderpreet Kaur meeting with 42 Sikh detainees – including those who had been force-fed after hunger striking in protest of these violations – inside the El Paso and Otero detention facilities. To read more about our organizational response to the Sikh hunger strike, click here.

The Sikh Coalition has previously provided support to detainees whose civil rights are being violated because they are not permitted to freely practice their religious beliefs while detained. Last year, this support included providing background expertise on Sikh religious observance as part of a court filing for the Oregon Federal Defender’s Office, which represented a number of Sikh detainees at the Sheridan Detention Center. This court filing, in part, led to the detention facility changing their policy and allowing Sikhs to maintain their dastaars.

Additionally, the Sikh Coalition continues working with organizations and sangats to gather actionable data on Sikhs who are detained so that we can better identify needs and resources. This support includes providing dastaars, gutkas, parsad and a clean prayer space at detention facilities, and also connecting detainees to Punjabi translators and lawyers while providing oversight on humanitarian conditions within the detention facilities.

The Sikh Coalition recognizes that immigration is a long-standing and complex issue. Even though we do not provide direct legal services on asylum or immigration cases and it has not been a primary focus area, we are here to make sure impacted community members’ civil rights are protected.

Sikhs around the world aim to plant million trees as ‘gift to planet’

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion 0

Sikhs around the world are taking part in a scheme to plant a million new trees as a “gift to the entire planet” as part of celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, the media reported on Friday.

According to the Guardian, the project aims to reverse environmental decline and help people reconnect with nature.

Rajwant Singh, the President of the Washington DC-based environmental organisation EcoSikh, which is coordinating the Million Tree Project, said he wanted to mark the anniversary in a significant way.

EcoSikh collaborates with thousands of Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions all over India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the US, UK, Australia, France, Hong Kong, Norway and many other countries.

The Sikh diaspora has taken on the challenge and tens of thousands of trees have already been planted, the report said, adding that most of the trees were planted in India and also in the UK, US, Australia and Kenya.

“Guru Nanak was a nature lover. (He) had talked about nature as a manifestation of God and many of his writings talk about how we need to learn lessons of life from nature,” said Singh.

He said he hoped the project would motivate Sikhs – especially the young – to improve their relationship with nature and would be seen more broadly as “a gift to the entire planet”.

Sikh Union Coventry, an environmental organization based in Washington, said it plans to plant 550 trees in the Coventry area and has already started planting native trees, shrubs and flowers such as hazel and hawthorn at various sites.

Sikh Union Coventry chair Palvinder Singh Chana said: “As Sikhs, our connection to the environment is an integral part of our faith and identity. Future generations will benefit from the fruits of our labour, symbolising peace, friendships and continuity for generations to come.”

People involved in the drive said that the million tree target would be achieved by the time of Guru Nanak’s birthday in November. (IANS)

The countries with the 10 largest Christian populations and the 10 largest Muslim populations

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion 0

“Top 10” lists can often be helpful in displaying and illuminating data. For example, the two tables of countries with the largest Christian and Muslim populations featured here reveal differences in the concentration, diversity and projected changes in the world’s two largest religions.

The two lists show that the global Muslim population is more heavily concentrated in Islam’s main population centers than the global Christian population is for Christianity, which is more widely dispersed around the world. Indeed, about two-thirds (65%) of the world’s Muslims live in the countries with the 10 largest Muslim populations, while only 48% of the world’s Christians live in the countries with the 10 largest Christian populations.

To put it another way, more than half (52%) of the world’s Christians live in countries other than those with the 10 largest Christian populations, while this is true for just over a third (35%) of the world’s Muslims. In absolute terms, there are twice as many Christians (1.2 billion) as there are Muslims (609 million) living in countries that are not on their religion’s top 10 list.

A number of the countries with the world’s 10 largest Muslim or Christian populations also have large (and in some cases, larger) populations of other faith groups. In India, which has the second-largest Muslim population, Islam is a minority religion (making up 15% of the country’s population) and Hinduism is the majority faith. Nigeria, which has the sixth-largest Christian population in the world (87 million), also has the world’s fifth-largest Muslim population (90 million).

In addition, the lists illustrate the extent to which the population centers for these religions have moved away from their historical and traditional hubs. The countries with the five highest Muslim populations are all in South and Southeast Asia or in sub-Saharan Africa, rather than the Middle East; and the countries with the three highest Christian populations are in the Americas rather than in the Middle East or Europe.

Overall, there are about 2.3 billion Christians in the world and 1.8 billion Muslims. That gap is expected to narrow by 2060, when Pew Research Center projects there will be 3 billion Christians and nearly 3 billion Muslims. That’s because Muslims, on average, are younger and have more children than do Christians.

In 2060, the share of the world’s Muslims living in the countries with the 10 largest Muslim populations is expected to be slightly lower than it is today (60% vs. 65%). Meanwhile, the share of Christians living in the 10 countries with the highest Christian populations is expected to remain the same (48%).

The 2060 lists for Muslims and Christians are also expected to change in other ways. By 2060, India is expected to supplant Indonesia as the country with the largest Muslim population. Still, India’s Muslim population will remain a minority religious group (19%) in the Hindu-majority country.

The country with the highest Christian population, the United States, is expected to remain in that position in 2060. Lower down on the list, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya are expected to be added, while Russia, Germany and China will fall out of the top 10.

Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that the United States is expected to remain the country with the highest Christian population in 2060.

The 10 Happiest Countries in the World

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Happiness, unlike cost of living or exchange rates, is a difficult thing to measure, but one initiative at the United Nations thinks it can get close to figuring it out. In honor of the International Day of Happiness on March 20, the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network has published the 2019 World Happiness Report—an annual study that examines the connections between happiness and development (while encouraging policymakers to place more of an emphasis on happiness, rather than the more easily quantifiable measures of development). Around 1,000 people in every U.N. member state rate their quality of life on a scale from 0 to 10, while researchers cull data from six areas—GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, trust and corruption, perceived freedom to make life decisions, and generosity. While you may not be lucky enough to find yourself in one of these blisstopias today, we still recommend slapping a smile on your face and paying it forward.

  1. Finland

For the second year in a row, Finland is number one when it comes to happiness. The country consistently ranks among the top education systems in the world, occasionally only beaten out by South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Much of that educational success comes from a widespread reverence for teachers, who are required to have a master’s degree (state-funded), and a pedagogical system that focuses less on quantitative testing and more on experiential learning and equal opportunity. To celebrate their ranking, the country’s tourism board is launching a contest where the eight winners get a free summer trip to experience that happiness for themselves and explore the Finnish landscape, alongside a local host. The “Rent a Finn” contest runs through April 4, 2019.

  1. Denmark

Denmark moved up a spot this year, from third on the list to number two. The country rates near the top in all the metrics the data geeks at the U.N. pored over for the report—life expectancy, social support, and generosity among them—but it is also a country hugely committed to renewable energy production (39.1 percent of its energy was wind-generated in 2014). Home to the world’s most bike-friendly city and a coastline that you could spend a lifetime exploring, the country’s happiness certainly comes in part from a respect for the planet it’s built on. But a recent study from the Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute (whose existence is probably reason enough for a top spot) narrows down Denmark’s happiness to a number of different categories, including trust in the government, economic security, freedom, civil participation, and work-life balance. Our main takeaway from the institute’s continuing research is that if you want to be happy, the first step is to stop stressing about how happy you are…and go for a bike ride.

  1. Norway

Norway has been dropping in the ranks since 2017—when it held the top spot—and this year it comes in as the third-happiest country in the world. But, there’s not too much to complain about. Like the U.N. shows, year after year, in its Human Development Report, where Norway has taken the top spot for 13 years in a row, there is more to the country that makes it so livable—and its people so happy. The mix of a well-integrated government welfare system and a thriving economy built on responsible management of its natural resources (good riddance, fossil fuel-powered cars), means that very few are left behind, and the feelings of social support, trust in government, and economic well-being that come from that all contribute to overall happiness.

  1. Iceland

Iceland ranks high in terms of the proportion of respondents who said they felt like they had a fellow citizen to count on when the going gets rough. This perhaps became most obvious in the wake of the country’s post-2007 financial collapse and subsequent revitalization. You’d think that the perpetual flood of American tourists arriving into Reykjavik might have dealt a blow to the residents’ happiness—it’s got to be a little harder to get that dinner reservation than it used to be, after all—but when it comes to well-being, the Icelanders are unfazed. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they can always escape the city to a countryside that looks like another planet.

  1. Netherlands

The biggest stat from the Netherlands this year? That its happiness levels have barely changed (we’re talking less than 0.03 percent) between 2005 and 2018. And in the Netherlands, it turns out, happiness starts young. A 2013 Unicef report rated Dutch children the happiest in the world, based on a number of metrics related to educational well-being, safety, and health. Vincent van Gogh was the exception, not the rule.

  1. Switzerland

From how many vacation days workers should have to how many immigrants should be allowed into the country, Switzerland is a country where everything is voted on, and referendums down to the local level happen many times a year. This system of direct democracy means that Swiss citizens feel an unparalleled sense of participation in their country’s evolution, from landmark decisions on human rights to whether a new traffic light should be installed in their neighborhood. The Swiss are known to be insular, and it can be off-putting to first time visitors, but there is a strong social fabric held together by a belief that every voice matters, which can go a long way toward feeling content. This political outlook also may help explain why three of its cities—Basel, Geneva, and Zurich—made the top 10 rankings of the best cities for expats.

  1. Sweden

This year, Sweden continued to jump up in the rankings, from the ninth spot last year to the seventh. A high GDP per capita, which it shares with many of its Nordic neighbors, is not the sole reason, either: An emphasis on social equality that is built into the education system starting in kindergarten, 16 months of paid family leave that can be split between a couple after a new child is welcomed into a family, and free day care also make Sweden the best country for women, according to a separate study. Basically, an emphasis on work-life balance leads to a happier populace. Turns out feeling productive and rested leads to major smiles. Are you listening, New York City?

  1. New Zealand

Sure to fuel an already burning rivalry, New Zealand beat its neighbor Australia, who didn’t even make the top 10, this year. Condé Nast Traveler readers say, year after year, that Kiwis are a warm, welcoming bunch, but according to the U.N.’s research, a lot of that comes from satisfaction not only when they’re out and about, but also in the workplace. We would guess the country’s vast natural wealth—its beaches, vineyards, and mountains—plays a role, too.

  1. Canada

Here’s yet another reason for all those Americans to grab their best hiking boots and head north. The only country from the Americas to have made it into the top 10, Canada’s number nine placement is proof that money isn’t everything, as it beats out its neighbor (the U.S. came at number 19, down from 18 last year). Canada’s best ranking? In its citizens sense of freedom to make their own life choices.

  1. Austria

Knocking out Australia from the top 10, Austria made the cut with high scores in life expectancy and GDP per capita. Remember when we mentioned that taking a bike ride might help with happiness rankings? Well consider this: biking is one of our favorite ways to get around Austria (well, at least its wine country).

Dr. Jacob Eapen Honored By His Alma Mater, Trivandrum Medical College Committed to Serving Humanity and to Help People Live Healthier

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health 0

Dr. Jacob Eapen of Fremont, California, was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award by his Alma Mater, Trivandrum Medical College in Kerala at a solemn ceremony on February 16th, 2019. Dr. Eapen, born and raised in Trivandrum, Kerala, in southern India, said, “This award takes you back to your heritage.”

A Pediatrician by profession, this compassionate and gentle soul spends countless hours through the years doing community services. When he hasn’t been serving on various Boards in or near Fremont, his home since the mid-1980s, he has provided medical assistance nationwide and overseas. In all, Dr. Eapen has spent nearly four decades, giving back to a world too often in need.

Dr. Eapen earned his M.D. at the University of Kerala Medical College and his Master’s in Public Health from UC Berkeley. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.

Dr. Eapen completed his Medical Degree from Trivandrum Medical College in India in 1976 and Pediatric training at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India.

The native of Kerala, did not limit his talents and skills to benefit himself and family alone. His mission to bring health to all, and particularly on preventive medicine took him to several continents, serving the poor, the needy, the weak and the sick.

Eapen says, “At 15, when I started my pre-medicine education, it wasn’t because of any passion for medicine but more due to the influences by my parents. My father was an engineer with the Kerala government services. We had many doctors in the family even going back two generations. Once I obtained my medical training, I practiced pediatrics in both Tanzania and Nigeria and that gave me a different perspective in health care.”

Dr. Eapen left his kith and kin, the security and familiarity of the country that he was born and brought up and reached the shores of Africa, where he worked as the Director of Pediatric Unit in Agha Khan Hospital in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania in 1980. In pursuit of his passion for reaching out to many more, he accepted an offer to teach in Sub-Sahara, Nigeria in Africa without neglecting to practice for the undernourished children and their parents. While he was working at the Nigerian hospital, Dr. Eapen saw hundreds of children die from diseases brought on by malnutrition. Since then, he has dedicated his career to pediatric services for the underprivileged. He also mastered two native languages– Swahili and Hausa.

In 1988 Dr. Eapen was appointed Health Advisor by the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (IJNHCR) to the Republic of the Philippines. He accepted this new challenge to cater to the needs of nearly 30,000 Indo-Chinese refugees in the Philippines Refugee Processing Center, Battan.

Dr. Jacob Eapen Honored By His Alma Mater, Trivandrum Medical College Committed to Serving Humanity and to Help People Live HealthierDr. Eapen had to reinvent himself in this new world meeting new challenges and coping with stress of work. He endeared himself to the refugees, created meaningful relationships with the staff and addressed himself to learning more and more. With his expertise and long standing experience, Dr. Eapen crafted a health proposal for the underserved Filipino indigent population that lived around camp at Morong, Battan.

Herman T. Laurel, Adminstrator at the Refugee Processing Center wrote: “No other Medical advisor before him has figured as positively in Health Services group affairs, nor shown as much commitment to its mission, for which he has earned our respect and high esteem.” Sylvia Bitler, the nursing coordinator of World Relief Council (WRC) paid him tribute as he was leaving the Philippines in the following words, “This brilliant and compassionate man literally hides a world of expertise behind his unassuming manner. Our loss is certainly the gain of his next associates.”

In 1990 Dr. Eapen was appointed Director for Research and Public Health Programs at International Health Services, Mountain View, California. The objective of this not-for- profit organization was the development of appropriate but low-cost diagnostic kits for use in developing countries.

Dr. Eapen also conducted a USAID-supported clinical trial in India on a simple device to test for tuberculosis. While serving as the Director of International Affairs for Stop Aids Worldwide (SAW), Dr. Eapen met Mother Theresa at Calcutta, India, to promote the work of this organization in India.

Since 2012, he has been serving as the Medical Director of Alameda Health System (AHS), Oakland, CA. Alameda Health Systems is one of the largest public health systems in the state of California. It acts a safety net for the residents of Alameda County (1.5 million people). Employed as a pediatrician with AHS for 25 years and currently also serves as the medical director of the Ambulatory of the AHS.

Dr. Jacob Eapen was at the helm of the Newark Wellness Center as medical director. Since 2004, he has served on the board of directors of Washington Hospital in Fremont, where there are as many as 600 Doctors serving tens of thousands of patients daily. The Hospital has been ranked among the top 100 best hospitals in the country.

The Indian American physician has also served two terms on the State Association of California Health Care Districts Board, and on the board of directors of KIDANGO, a private nonprofit agency providing child development programs in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties.

Dr. Eapen has also brought his expertise in the health problems of children in developing countries to the doorsteps of many centers of learning. He has lectured on Primary Health care and Health Issues in a Refugee Camp, to students at Stanford and UCSF Medical schools as well as at the School of Public Health at Berkeley. Good medical practice comes in myriad forms, but good doctors share one trait: they are truly present in their clinics, deeply engaged with their patients and their area of specialization.

During his long career, Dr. Eapen has received several honors and has served in numerous leadership roles across the world. That seemingly endless work has earned him national and global recognition. Dr. Eapen’s commitment to the healing ministry and his compassion for the poor, and his ability to touch individuals through his personal and professional achievements, has earned him numerous awards.

Dr. Eapen was given the 2017 Sainik School (Kerala, India) Lifetime Achievement Award. He was honored by the Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americas 2010 Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding Achievements and Contributions in the Field of Medicine and Public Health. He received the FIJIAID International Award in May, 2010.

He is a 2007 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a prestigious honor given annually by the New York-based National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.  The medal celebrates the immigrant experience and seeks to honor Americans from a wide variety of backgrounds for their positive and lasting imprint on our society.

Dr. Eapen stated, “The US is a melting pot of immigrants where, everyday people strive to achieve the American Dream. I have attained many reputed recognitions here, and then to be recognized by my adopted country as one of the outstanding citizens who have made positive contributions to the community is a very humbling experience and this, at the same time, makes me proud of my roots.”

In 2004, Jacob Eapen was awarded the First Physician Recognition Award from the Medical Board of California. The California Medical Board, which licenses physicians throughout the state, created a Physician Recognition Task Force to begin an annual program to recognize physicians for outstanding service. He is also a recipient of the Congressional Record of Honor and the City of Newark Mayoral Commendation.

Dr. Eapen was honored by Stanford Medical School, and was selected as one of the 40 outstanding Stanford Medical Alumni from among 7,000 graduates of the last 60 years, and was profiled in a book commemorating 40 years of the Stanford Medical School in Palo Alto.

In 1999, Dr. Eapen was recognized as the Spectacular Care Giver of 1999, “in recognition of your outstanding patient service, consistently superior level of performance and reliable contributions to the team at NewarkJ-Health Center,” Alameda County Health Services. In 2001, he was bestowed with the Global Awards & Golden Honor from Kerala Kala Kendram, associated to Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy (Fine Arts Council of Kerala.)

Dr. Eapen is the first Indian American to win 5 public general elections in America. He serves as the board of director of a large community hospital in California. He also served in the advisory board of school of public health University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Eapen was elected to the California State Hospital Association, and Association of California Health Care Districts, and was appointed to the board of directors of KIDANGO, a private, nonprofit agency providing child development program in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco Counties in Northern California. He is the recipient of the first physician award from the Medical Board of California.

In 2007, he was bestowed with the Mother Theresa award – Humanitarian of the year, by the Friends of the South Asian American Communities (FOSAAC).

He was recognized as the Spectacular Care Giver of 1999 “in recognition of your outstanding patient service, consistently superior level of performance and reliable contributions to the team at Newark Health Center”  by the Alameda County Health Services

Currently, Dr. Eapen serves as Pediatrician for Alameda County Health Services where he reaches out to the poor children in Oakland and Newark, and the juveniles in their retention center in San Leandro. California is fortunate to have the services of Dr. Eapen, taking into account the numerous uninsured and indigent people that populate the area.

Good medical practice comes in myriad forms, but good doctors share one trait: they are truly present in their clinics, deeply engaged with their patients and their area of specialization.  Dr. Eapen says, “I have embraced Public Health Services in an explicit and deliberate attempt to foster more appropriate and effective policies, and practices, to benefit the community especially the disadvantaged and underserved population.”

Dr. Jacob Eapen, who serves as a Treasurer and Director of Washington Township Health Care District, where has worked nearly two decades, says, most of the center’s patients are lower income and transitory, so it’s important to have as many services as possible at one facility. He noted half of the pediatrics services done at the center are sick child care, but the other half is “well child care.”

Dr. Eapen has been the commissioner of public health in Alameda County, California, for more than four years. Currently, he serves as Pediatrician for Alameda County Health Services where he reaches out to poor children in Oakland and Newark, and the juveniles in their detention center in San Leandro. California is fortunate to have the services of Dr. Eapen, taking into account the numerous uninsured and indigent people that populate the area.

He served as an adviser to “Every Child Counts” Commission, Alameda County. He is an important speaker against the potential closure of clinics in Alameda County, because of costs. He was awarded the Spectacular Care Giver of 1999 by the Alameda County Health Services “in recognition of (his) outstanding patient service, consistently superior level of performance and reliable contributions to the team at Newark Health Center.”

Dr. Eapen is currently serving as a board member of Washington Hospital in Fremont, California. He was one of the first Indo Americans ever to win a general election in Northern California. He is also a member of several California State boards: The Association of California Health Care Districts (ACHD) (representing about 44 district hospitals in California Governance Forum), The California Hospital Association (CHA) (representing more than 500 hospitals in California) and The Advisory Board of California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation.

He is dedicated to improving access, removing both logistic and insurance barriers, expanding outreach services and reducing Emergency Room waiting time. Dr. Eapen is also pressing for better investment in preventive care through cost effective health programs. For him, minimizing disparities in community health care is an important priority.

As a member of the board he envisions minimizing the disparities in immunization rates, incidence in obesity, diabetes and hypertension as well as increasing open communication and enhancing the image of the hospital as a patient friendly place. In addition to Dr. Jacob’s outstanding performance, he is thankful for the support of his family. Tremendous appreciation goes to his family’s understanding for his numerous commitments to his objectives and social engagements.

Acknowledging self as “a leader, educator and practitioner in Public Health in Alameda County,” Dr. Eapen says, he is deeply aware of the community health needs. “With my national and international experience in the field of medicine and technology,” Dr. Eapen is committed to continuing his life-long mission to usher in a new sensitivity to the medical needs of the diverse population in his community and around the world, where his expertise and skills are needed.

Dr. Eapen has devoted his medical expertise to the health problems of undernourished children in developing countries and to poor and disturbed juveniles in the United States. Time and again, he has demonstrated his commitment to the healing ministry and to improving public health for the underserved worldwide. In the words of Hon. Fortney Pete Stark, “he has embraced Public Health Services in an explicit attempt to foster more appropriate and effective policies to benefit poor, undeserved patients”

The awards, honors and recognitions, take Eapen back to experiences that may fuel his charitable view on life: the five years he spent in sub-Saharan Africa as a teacher and physician. Eapen recalled some days in Africa where he would arrive at the medical clinic at 8 a.m. to find 150 people already waiting in line for medical help, including some who had walked for hours. Dr. Eapen says, “You experience that and you value life more. You realize that life is so fragile.”

This brilliant and compassionate physician literally hides a world of expertise behind his unassuming manner. Mrs. Annamma Eapen, his 95-years-old mother, lives in Trivandrum. Dr. Eapen is married to Shirley Jacob, who works for Amgen, a biotech company. They have two grown children, Dr. Naveen and Dr. Sandhya. Dr. Naveen is married to Dr. Stephnie, and the couple are blessed with a 3 months old son, Issac. Dr. Sandhya is married to Dr. Ryan. To quote Dr. Jacob Eapen: “The world needs to advance in compassion.”

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