Category: Community

The Annual Fundraising Banquet for Chinmaya Mission Chicago (CMC) harmoniously blended inspirational thoughts, spirited fundraising, sumptuous food, and artistic music performance by Eclipse Nirvana into a memorable evening. The event took place at Waterford Banquet and Conference Center in Elmhurst, IL on December 1, 2018.  The goal was to raise funds for the existing and upcoming special projects offered by the three Chinmaya Mission centers in the Chicago area—Badri Center in Willowbrook, IL,  Yamunotri Center in Grayslake, IL, and Gangotri Center in downtown Chicago area on Grand avenue.

With over seven hundred people in attendance and more than two hundred thousand dollars raised, the event was an overwhelming show of support for the spiritual and service-oriented work being done by Chinmaya Mission, both at the local and global level. Over five hundred thousand dollars were pledged toward interest free loans.

Chinmaya Mission was founded in the 1950s by the devotees of one of the greatest Vedantic Masters of twentieth century, Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.. Its purpose as stated in the words of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda is, “To provide to individuals from any background the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.”

The evening began ceremoniously by welcoming the revered guests, invited dignitaries and supporters including special guest and speaker acharya Shri Gaurang Nanavaty, head of the Chinmaya Mission Houston center. Gaurang Uncle’s inspirational message about the value of pursuing Higher Ideals and shifting our focus to Selfless Service moved everyone to aspire toward keeping the Timeless Values and traditions alive and well through the Bala Vihar and study group grassroots activities offered by the local mission centers.

Chinmaya Mission Chicago’s beloved resident Swami, Swami Sharanananda gave his love and blessings.  Posted to CMC by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, Respected Shri Jetindra Nayar, Smt Swapna Nayar, Shri Dhiren Khatri also graced the occasion.

Shri Shanker Pillai, president of Chinmaya Mission Chicago outlined the goals, activities, expansion plans, and the need for funds to continue in meeting the growing needs of the community.  Dr. Ashok Dholakia, vice-president of CMC elaborated on the existing Badri building complex expansion plan which is currently in the final planning/bidding stage and is expected to be completed within 2 years.

Shri Shanker Pillai elaborated on the building of well-planned retirement/senior homes adjacent to the Badri Center, to support the physical and spiritual needs of senior citizens. This is unique ‘no cost’ concept is designed so as not to incur costs to the occupants other than living and maintenance.  One, two and three bedroom units ranging in cost of $150,00to $300,000 based on the unit selected, to be refunded to the occupant or family member upon change of occupancy.  The anticipated timeline is 2 years for the completion of this project. Preliminary zoning and other work has already begun. There is a lot of interest in this project and interested people are requested to sign up by contacting Sri Shanker Pillai at 630-886-6442.

The entertainment for the evening was provided by the musical group Eclipse Nirvana, a group specializing in devotional music.

High school youth provided service throughout the evening by babysitting children of banquet attendees and helping with collecting donation envelopes.

The event came to a conclusion with the chanting of Bhagavad Gita chapter XV, followed by a delicious meal served by India House restaurant. Shri Arun Mehrotra, secretary of CMC gave the thank you address. A complementary souvenir book featuring inspiring articles, information about classes offered at Chinmaya Mission Chicago, class pictures, and advertisements from local supporting companies was given to each family as a token of appreciation for attending the banquet. Special mention of Smt. Smriti Mehta and Shri Suresh Kumar for the extra effort directed toward the successful production of this booklet.

Bala Vihar is an integral part of Chinmaya Mission and was started by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda to instill good values right from childhood and inspire kids to live a nobler life. In his own words, “Children are not vessels to be filled, but lamps to be lit.”

For over 39 years, Chinmaya Mission has been serving the Chicagoland area by conducting weekly Bala Vihar classes & adult study groups, summer youth camps, and spiritual retreats. Please contact Shri Shanker Pillai (630-886-6442) for details regarding activities at Badri Center (11S080 Rte. 83, Willowbrook, IL 60527/www.mychinmaya.org) center, Mrs. Rajul Bhalala (847-302-2383) for details regarding Yamunotri Center activities (30877 N Fairfield Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030/ www.chinmaya-yamunotri.org). Mr. Nitish Kanabar (347-829-9099) for Chicago City Center- Gangotri, 955 W Grand Ave, Chicago IL 60642

National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) is celebrating their 20 years of championing Dalit rights in India. Prior to 1998, Dalit rights was considered a social evil and discriminatory practices, while not given due recognition from the human rights perspective. NCDHR emerged as a platform which initiated a Pan India perspective of Dalit rights during its initiation of recognition within the Human Rights paradigm. In 1998, 25 lakh signatures were collected from the community including community leaders and academia, demanding effective implementation of constitutional safeguards for the protection and promotion of the Dalit Rights and total elimination of untouchability.

“Over the past 20 years, NCDHR has emerged as a formidable resistance movement, defending the rights of our community. It is an incredible moment in history for our partners and associates to reflect on the journey thus far and innovate new strategies to combat the divisive and casteist forces” said Mr. Paul Divakar, co-founder of NCDHR.

In 2001, when there was not sufficient response and effort by the government, the issue was raised in the global level at World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. Over 200 delegates from different streams of life, including Dalit Rights activist, Human Rights activist, parliamentarians, academia, artists, solidarity groups among others participated in the conference to highlight the issue of Dalits. The three main outcomes of the conference were guiding the countries to report on the specific themes of African American Issue, Palestine Issue and Dalit Issue in South Asia.

During the last 20 years, NCDHR has worked towards deepening the structures of Dalit Rights. NCDHR was involved in training over 2000 Dalit Human Rights Defenders in the usage of SC/ST (PoA) Act 1989, building capacities of Dalit organizations and advocates; sensitizing the Judges through National Judicial Academy.

Prof. Vimal Thorat, co-founder of NCDHR unanimously reiterate the relevance and importance of locating the leadership, articulations, and demands of Dalit women within the larger anti-caste movement. “We feel NCDHR placed this in context several years ago by launching AIDMAM to ensure Dalit women remain in the center of all the interventions ”

NCDHR has prioritized the importance of Gender rights through All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch [AIDMAM] and Economic rights through Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan [DAAA] including land rights with Civil and Political rights through National Dalit Movement for Justice [NDMJ] for ensuring overall approach for rights and entitlements. In 2004, NCDHR has initiated National Dalit Watch [NDW] for mapping the inclusion of Dalits in disaster risk reduction.

NCDHR facilitated the state partners to come together and advocate for the amendment in the SC/ST (PoA) Act, which was finally adopted in 2015. With its partners in 22 states, NCDHR has worked towards better implementation of the SCC/STC for rights and development of the SC/ST communities. As a result of our interventions, the government to release Rs. 4596.08 crores for scholarships for Dalit students in higher education.

Both Mr. Henri Tiphagne and Mr. Martin Macwan, co-founders of NCDHR felt that in the current challenges political climate, NCDHR has played a crucial role in protecting the rights of Dalit Human Rights Defenders. “ In celebrating the 20 years of its existence, NCDHR must innovate and build on the experiences towards enabling strategic actions”, they said.

Dalit Rights has seldom got any support or recognition from the wider society at large in the country, where over 201 million people are discriminated on the basis of their caste, even today.

NCDHR stands relevant in today’s environment as there is an absence of anti-discriminatory law, which has resulted in constant targeting of violence and discrimination against Dalits. In education, Dalits children face discrimination from teachers and other children as well as lack of access and availability of scholarships and hostels. In employment, where jobs are been outsourced to the private sector, there is a significant gap in availing jobs for these communities. In housing, Dalits are still segregated not only in villages but even in cities. Violence against Dalit women are steadily on the increase, with over 25 thousand cases were registered in 2016-17 alone, while over 40 thousand cases were registered under SC/ST (PoA) Act. In Budgets, there is a gap of INR 86796 crores in 2018-2019, for ensuring the development of the communities.

Ms. Asha Kowtal, General Secretary of AIDMAM and Dr. Rameshnathan V. A., General Secretary of NDMJ added their views on current relevance of NCDHR on Dalit Rights. “NCDHR has evolved in addressing the contemporary issues of young Dalit women leadership, discrimination in primary and higher education and other issues as we go along!”

Internationally, the caste issue comes under the terminology of Discrimination based on Work and Descent (DWD). In India and South Asia, Dalits are considered as the major groups under DWD, but globally there are many groups in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe; who face similar forms of exclusion and structural discrimination. NCDHR with its global interventions is trying to bring these communities together towards addressing the issue of DWD globally.

One-in-ten Americans say they feel lonely or isolated from those around them all or most of the time, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year. While this is a small share of U.S. adults overall, the share rises significantly for some groups, including those who feel weak ties to the communities they live in and those who are financially stressed.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, frequent loneliness is linked to dissatisfaction with one’s family, social and community life, the survey found. About three-in-ten (28%) of those dissatisfied with their family life feel lonely all or most of the time, compared with just 7% of those satisfied with their family life. Satisfaction with one’s social life follows a similar pattern: 26% of those dissatisfied with their social life are frequently lonely, compared with just 5% of those who are satisfied with their social life. It’s unclear whether dissatisfaction with particular areas of life leads to feelings of loneliness or vice versa – or whether something else entirely is driving reported feelings of loneliness and isolation.

One-in-five Americans who say they are not satisfied with the quality of life in their local community feel frequent loneliness, roughly triple the 7% of Americans who are satisfied with the quality of life in their community.

Frequent loneliness is also associated with lower community attachment and knowing fewer neighbors. Those who feel not too or not at all attached to their local community (16%) are more likely than those who are somewhat or very attached (6%) to say they feel lonely or isolated frequently. And one-in-five Americans who say they don’t know any of their neighbors report feeling lonely or isolated all or most of the time. This is double the share among those who know only some of their neighbors (10%). Just 6% of those who know most or all of their neighbors say they feel frequent loneliness or isolation.

Those who show interest in leaving their current community also report higher levels of loneliness. Respondents were asked whether, if they could, they would want to move to a different community. Those who would want to move (17%) are more likely than those who wouldn’t (6%) or weren’t sure (8%) to say they feel lonely all or most of the time.

Personal finances also relate to feelings of loneliness. People who say they are somewhat or very dissatisfied with their personal financial situation are significantly more likely to express feeling frequent loneliness than those who are satisfied with their finances (17% vs. 5%). Similarly, 14% of those who say they don’t have enough income to lead the kind of life they want report feeling lonely or isolated frequently, compared with just 5% of those with enough income to lead their ideal life.

A similar pattern emerges when looking at annual income: 16% of those with an annual family income less than $30,000 say they feel lonely all or most of the time, compared with 9% of middle-income adults and 6% of higher-income adults.

While loneliness is more common among some groups than others, the share of people who feel this way is fairly consistent across most major demographic groups. Roughly one-in-ten Americans say they feel lonely all or most of the time across gender, racial and ethnic, and age groups. There are few differences by community type or party affiliation. In addition, even parental status and the number of years spent living in a community aren’t strongly correlated with feelings of loneliness or isolation.

Marital status is, however. Those who are divorced or have never been married (17% each) are more than twice as likely to feel frequent loneliness than those who are married (6%).

Chicago IL: The Diwali Party presented by Pratibha Jairath (of Bollywood Sargam) in association with Altaf Bukhari of A B Entertainment was held at Ashyana Banquets on Nov 16th 2018. It was once again, a roaring success with over 500 people attending the event with Bollywood music and dance theme. It may have been a gray and dreary evening outside but inside, the hall was charged up with the amazing intensity of ladies dressed in jazzy, vibrant colors and men had equally matched them with their formal attire.

The evening started with warm welcome and Diwali greetings by the host Pratibha Jairath. She reminded the significance of Diwali, how it was celebrated in our diverse India and actually all over the world. She pointed out that same diversity was evident in the audience tonight.

Ms Jairath invited the Chief Guest Mr. Anil Loomba of Home Mortgage Solution for Lamp lighting. It was exciting to see that he brought his new grandson to stage. She proceeded further to invited other Guests of honors, Sponsors and supporters including Mr. Sunil Shah, Mr. Mayur Ganger, Dr Anuja Gupta, Mr. Brij Sharma, Mr. Ramanna Adhiraju, Mr. Altaf Bhukhari, Mr. Om Dhingra and Mr. Surinder Jain of Ashyana.

The musical concert started with sit down session by Pratibha Jairath in pink Sari that matched the neon pink LED light used in the décor of the hall. She presented a variety of songs, including “Suno Sajna Papihe ne”a song with a slight classical touch. Her rendition of the haunting melody ‘Yaara sili sili’ brought a big round of applause. She enthralled folks with interesting numbers like Diwani mastani, Piya Tose and Morni Baga ma and people started to dance by their tables. By the time Ms Jairath started ‘Do Lafzon ki hai’ and ‘Chura Liya’ everyone was on dance floor.

Another surge of excitement was seen when popular singer Bhupendra Singh came to stage with his popular numbers like ‘Do Dil’ and ‘Inteha ho gayee’……. His fans were just in a trance.

Raju Bankapur entered the stage with a big BANG number, Jumma Chumma and continued with his fast dancing medley ending with ‘Ye dosti’.

Fusion Qwali was a total hit with audience. It  was a mix of Qwalies from different decades…Starting with Salam e Ishq meri jaan (Pratibha Jairath) including Na toh Karvan ki talash (Om Dhingra), Rashqe Kamar (Pradeep Sood and Vibha Rajput), Haal kya hai (Hari Mehta), Teri mehfil mein kismat, Allah ye ada and final piece Jhoom baraber Jhoom (Raju bankapur).

Multi-talented Raju Bankapur presented a beautiful flute item, one of his favorites “main tenu samjhava’ song.

Ms Jairath has strong ties with community because she has always maintained “Main Aasmaan nahin chhoona chahti, bus aapke dilon ko chho loon, meri yahi hai tammanna”.  In her conversation with Mr. Mayur Ganger, she attributed the success of party to her wonderful friends.

Mr. Brij Sharma, a business entrepreneur, well known community leader and her strong supporter exclaimed “Wow, Pratibha, What a connection you have established with community that just with a few emails, you bring over 500 people to your party. You should continue this tradition of getting friends and community under one roof for festivals”.

The program had lot of variety which was appreciated by audience. Ms Jairath thanked a number of people who had brought their friend groups and especially Vandana Bankapur & Raju Bankapur for both decoration and execution help. She also commended her reception team Asha Mehta, Ranjana Gulati, Neelam Walia and Vandana Bankapur. She also thanked ‘Hitesh Master Orchestra team’ including Kafi Khan and Richard Christian for awesome music and Abhi Trivedi for doing DJ in last hour that kept people on the dance floor.

The ambience and arrangement of food was exceptional. There was a huge array of appetizers and dinner items that were certainly enjoyed by audience… people danced away thru the night and  a number of them commented that that they were looking forward to the next party.

Chicago IL: Indian American Medical Association IL celebrated 38th annual dinner gala banquet on Saturday, November 17 at Aston place in Willowbrook.. The gala was a huge success with over 400 members, guests and the invitees attending the event. Many Chicagoland dignitaries were in attendance among whom were Congressman Danny Davis, Congressman Peter Roskam, cook county president Toni Preckwinkle and Indian consul general Neeta Bhushan.

The theme of the event was “share our pride: celebrate our work place”. Masters of Ceremonies were ABC Channel7 TV Anchor Ravi Baichwal and University of Chicago student Shreya Singh.  It was a nonstop seamless evening of elegance, high class fashion show by Raaz, inspiring conversation, high profile honorees, sparkling presentations, fine cuisine, a comedy show par excellence, and a grand finale of Bollywood music by Shahzad Dar & troupe.

IAMA team headed by Dr. Srinivas Reddy along with Dr Vijay Prabhakar, a community leader made this event a successful one. The Honorary Life Membership of IAMA Honors to Congressmen Davis and Roskam, Cook county president Toni Preckwinkle, Indian Consul General Neeta Bhushan, ABC 7 news anchor Ravi Baichwal and community leader Dr. Vijay Prabhakar was the highlight of the event.

ABC anchor Ravi Baichwal gracefully welcomed all the guests while Dr Sidney Jain, IAMA Treasurer proposed a vote of thanks. The two important noteworthy features of the event were the presentation of IAMA Awards to community activists and leaders who had contributed a lot in the medical fields. Global Champion of Resuscitation award was given to Chicago Medical Society President Dr. Vemuri Murthy. The IAMA headed by Dr Srinivas Reddy also recognized with awards the CEOs and hospital heads in Chicago land who made the event yet more graceful by their presence.

In his address, IAMA President Dr Srinivas G Reddy touched upon the activities of his organization and indicated that he was determined to take it to a new height in the coming year. Collaboration was a key part of the success of the IAMA’s activities in 2018, under the vibrant leadership of Dr. Reddy assisted by his team. Dr. Srinivas Reddy firmly believes that the success of any individual and organization centers around honoring core family and championing our traditional family values.

The culmination of its various activities during the year was when IAMA hosted a South Asian Media Luncheon and sponsored several activities to combat Opioid epidemic and violence prevention programs in the inner city of Chicago. Under dynamic leadership by Dr. Reddy, IAMA introduced several activities to strengthen the organization and programs to involve second-generation physicians into the Indian American Medical Association of Illinois.

Poverty, parental ignorance blamed for spike in cases of sexual violence against minors in New Delhi, other parts of nation

India is witnessing an unprecedented upsurge in sexual violence against minors and children’s rights activists says poverty, parental ignorance, and unsafe living conditions are the chiefly to blame.

In the latest reported case, a 2-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped near a railway track in New Delhi’s Kotwali area on Nov. 20.

The toddler, who had been sleeping with her parents on a footpath, was gagged and taken away by a 24-year-old man. She was later found lying unconscious, naked and bleeding near the tracks. Her condition reportedly stabilized after she was hospitalized.

Sexual crimes against minors are increasing, according to studies by the federal government’s child development department.

The most vulnerable group is aged 5-12 years. The surveys conducted across all 29 Indian states indicated that more than half of Indian children, or 53 percent, reported experiencing one or more forms of sexual abuse.

The study conducted under the federal Child Development Ministry this year said some “21.9 percent of child respondents reported facing severe forms of sexual abuse.”

In at least half of the cases, the abusers were persons “known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility,” it added.

A lack of parental awareness and unsafe living conditions of children were cited as the prime reasons for the rising number of cases of violence against children, according to Dilip Malhotra, a children’s rights activist based in New Delhi.

Children under 18 comprise 44.4 percent of India’s 1.2 billion people, reveals a study by David K. Carson, Jennifer M. Foster and Aparajita Chowdhury entitled “Sexual abuse of children in India.”

The study, conducted in 2011, claims Indian children are prone to exploitation and abuse because of half of the population has no access to basic education, nutrition, shelter or healthcare.

An estimated 1.7 million Indians are homeless, living on the streets, sleeping on railway platforms, and seeking refuge in other public places.

Many children who suffer abuse have no means of reporting the crimes they are subjected to, Malhotra said.

“They mostly face these ordeals in private and suffer the consequences both physically and mentally,” he added.

There have been at least six reported cases of child rape in New Delhi in recent months.

On April 24, a 13-year-old girl was raped in forestland in the capital. On June 12, a 12-year-old girl was raped inside a car. And on July 16, a 6-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped.

On Aug. 24, a 16-year-old girl reported that four men kidnapped and raped her over a period of one week. On Sept. 18, a 22-year-old man raped a 7-year old girl at a park. And on Sept. 24, a 6-year-old girl was raped by one of her neighbors on the terrace of her home.

Malhotra said most child abuse crimes go unreported. For most parents from impoverished households, eking out a living is a more pressing concern than reporting sexual harassment to the police, which they see as futile given the low rate of convictions.

Even in reported cases, the conviction rate hovers around 28 percent. Psychologist Ajit Nanda said the majority of child rapists are known to their victims.

“They could be anyone — an uncle, their father’s friend, an elder brother’s classmate. The problem is that the child for a long time doesn’t even understand what is happening to them,” Nanda said.

Srinigar-based rights advocate Shuja ul Hassan said those who prey on children often get away with it due to a lack of evidence against them.

“A child who is barely four or 5 years old doesn’t know what rape means and therefore cannot really explain what happened to them. Due to the lack of evidence, the culprits usually get away scot-free,” he said.

Hassan, a practicing lawyer, said parents should more closely monitor who their children interact with, in order to safeguard them and stop them from coming to harm.

Education is the key to check violence against children, said Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan, a children’s rights activist who is based in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Moral and sex education should be made compulsory in schools and college nationwide, and pornographic literature and films should be banned, he said.

“Separate tribunals should be set up specifically for cases of child sexual abuse,” he said.

Mass media should also be better utilized to create awareness about the risks children face because most parents do not always understand the danger they are potentially in, experts say.

Source: UCAN

According to report India tops the list of countries, with 46.6 million stunted children, followed by Nigeria with 13.9 million and Pakistan with 10.7 million.

Stunting among children under five has fallen globally from 32.6 per cent in 2000 to 22.2 per cent in 2017, but India is home to almost a third of the world’s stunted children, according to Global Nutrition Report.

The report released on Thursday states that India tops the list of countries, with 46.6 million stunted children, followed by Nigeria with 13.9 million and Pakistan with 10.7 million.

For the study, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) used district-level aggregate data from the 2015-2016 National and Family Health Survey (NFHS) covering 601,509 households in 604 districts in India to understand the causes of the spatial variation.

“India holds almost a third (31 per cent) of the world’s burden for stunting and because India is so diverse from state to state, it is important to understand how and why stunting prevalence differs. Researchers used mapping and descriptive analyses to understand spatial differences in distribution of stunting,” the report said.

The mapping showed that stunting varies greatly from district to district (12.4 per cent to 65.1 per cent), with 239 of the 604 districts having stunting levels above 40 per cent.

The three countries with the most children who are wasted are almost the same ones – India (25.5 million) and Nigeria (3.4 million) but also Indonesia (3.3 million), the report suggested.

Using regression decomposition models, the study compared districts with low (less than 20 per cent) versus high (more than 40 per cent) burdens of stunting and explained over 70 per cent of the difference between high and low-stunting districts.

The study found that factors such as women’s low Body Mass Index (BMI) accounted for 19 per cent of the difference between the low versus high-burden districts. Other influential gender-related factors included maternal education (accounted for 12 per cent), age at marriage (7 per cent) and antenatal care (6 per cent).

Children’s diets (9 per cent), assets (7 per cent), open defecation (7 per cent) and household size (5 per cent) were also important factors.

“India’s national nutrition strategy – which is focused on addressing district-specific factors – draws on analyses such as these along with district-specific nutrition profiles to enable diagnostic work and policy action to reduce inequalities and childhood stunting,” the report noted.

“The figures call for immediate action. Malnutrition is responsible for more ill-health than any other cause. The health consequences of overweight and obesity contribute to an estimated four million deaths, while undernutrition explains around 45 per cent of deaths among children under five,” said Corinna Hawkes, co-chair of the Report and Director of the Centre for Food Policy.

New York-based well-known community leader and philanthropist Peter Bheddah received the prestigious Bharat Samman Award at the 30th annual NRI Pravasi Divas on October 26, 2018 for being a successful businessman turned outstanding humanitarian helping the needy in India and the United States. The award was conferred on Bheddah in the presence of Lord Swraj Paul, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Commissioner of Canada to India Mr. Nasir Patel, and many other dignitaries at the House of Lords in London, United Kingdom.

The Bharat Samman Award is bestowed upon a group of select People of Indian Origin living in India or abroad for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields.

The award is confirmed by the NRI Institute, a non-profit NGO that is a registered body of PIOs connecting the Indian diaspora since 1989 as a platform to honor exceptional overseas Indians. The recipient of the Bharat Samman Award demonstrates an understanding of a community’s needs through exemplary selfless volunteer service.

Chicago IL: The Annual Board Meeting was held at 1228 Tiffany Ct, Indian Creek on November 9, 2018. This term IAGC unanimously elected its new leader Malla Reddy Bokka and the new board under the guidance of KK Reddy from Advisory Board.

“I am honored to be elected as President-Elect of Indian Association of Greater Chicago unanimously by the Board of Directors and It’s great privilege to serve Indian community and my mission to preserve and maintain the heritage of all American Indians in Chicago and it’s suburbs; to promote literary, cultural, educational, religious, social and economic activities of the Indian community” said by Malla Reddy Bokka, President-Elect & Founder, IAGC

The event was presided by Founding Members Malla Reddy, Manoj Singam – Setti and Harindar Reddy Puliyala. IAGC President Malla Reddy will spearhead the team for the two year term (2018 thru 2020) with the help of Vice President Gurmeet Singh Dhalwan , Executive Chairman Harindar Reddy Puliyala, Business Development Director Nilesh Topiwala, Advisory Board Chairman Hina Trivedi and the entire board which include Secretary Nawaz, Treasurer Sandeep, Joint Secretary Prasanth, Joint Treasurer Rajesh , Cultural Secretary Mahesh Voora.

The President Malla Reddy plans to take the organization to new heights with events planned for celebrating New Year Celebration, India Independence Day, Ganesh Utsav, Holi, Diwali, Pongal and Batukamma. This term IAGC will also host Winter Coat Drive, Food Drive, Toys of Kids, Will & Trust, and Conducting yoga camp etc..

 IAGC Youth wing is a subsidiary allied front of IAGC this is formed in order to rally support for IAGC from members and potential members of a younger age, as well as to focus on subjects and issues more widely relevant among IAGC youth. IAGC Youth Wing plans to take on projects like Job Fair, Cricket Tournament, Indoor Game competition and Youth Leadership Development Skill Camps etc.

The Embassy of India in Washington D.C. hosted a Solemn event called “in memory of the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks,” which was attended by Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counter-terrorism in the U.S. State Department Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, Mr. Basant Sanghera and Ms. Jennifer Whethey, Director in the US National Security Council at the White House, Rabbi Levi Shemstov, Executive Vice President, American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad).

According to a press release, remarks on the occasion were delivered by India’s Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, Ambassador Nathan Sales and Rabbi Levi Shemstov.

During his remarks, Ambassador Sarna paid tributes to the innocent lives that were lost during these attacks which included Indians and citizens from 14 other countries, including the United States.

He condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and urged the international community to call on Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of this heinous terrorist attacks to justice.

He also thanked the U.S. State Department for instituting a “Rewards for Justice” program announcing a bounty for any information leading to arrest or conviction of any individual involved in planning or facilitating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

A moment of silence was observed for the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks. To honor the memory of the victims, a moment of silence was observed by the attendees followed by the lighting of candles.

Extracts from an article written on this occasion were delivered by Kia Scherr, Co-founder of a charity ‘One Life Alliance’ and a family member of one of the American victims.

The event concluded with the screening of the HBO documentary on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, titled ‘Terror in Mumbai.’

The Consulate General of India, New York in collaboration with Consulate General of Israel and The American India Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held a memorial service on Monday, November 26, 2018 to pay homage to Indian, American & Israeli victims of the barbaric Mumbai terror attacks. Mr. Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York led the memorial service in the presence of Indians, Americans and other nationalities who had also come to pay homage to the victims.

Given the solemnity of the occasion, the gathering stood for a minute of silence in honor of the victims of HAIFA Day and those who were lost in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Mr. Issac Blech then sang national anthems of U.S.A., Israel and India. Speaking on the occasion, the speakers of the evening – Mr. Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel, Mr. Seth Siegel, bestselling author and Mr. Jagdish Sewhani, President of AIPAC were all united in their message that the world stands in solidarity & friendship with India to mourn & fight Terrorism together and condemned the impunity available to the masterminds in Pakistan & called for justice.

Consul General Chakravorty highlighted the significance of HAIFA battle in the history of India – Israel relations and remembered the tragic 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai. He also read out the recent statement made by Government of India and Mr. Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, in which Mr. Pompeo called upon all countries, particularly Pakistan, to uphold their UN Security Council obligations to implement sanctions against the terrorists responsible for this atrocity, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and its affiliates.

Chicago IL: Gujarat Cultural Association, Chicago (GCA) hosted Diwali Celebrations, accompanied by an Musical Melodies Group by Raju Bankapur and his Group that attracted a large number of family’s friends, and community figures of the city, on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at The Meadows Club, 2950 W. Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL. The program was highly successful with the active support of the Sponsors, Executive Board, GCA Members and Volunteers.

Gujarat Cultural Association was established by brain child and founding member Mr. Shankarbhai Patel, Lalubhai Patel, Babubhai Patel and others in 1973. Gujarat Cultural Association is a First and Largest Gujarati Association in Chicago Metropolitan Area.

 The Program start with Mrs. Amisha Patel welcoming everyone, including Banquet Chair Mr. Jyotendra Patel and GCA, Chairman Kanti S. Patel. Event commenced with the traditional lighting lamp ceremony was performed by Chief Guest, Dr. Rasmi Patel and Guest of Honor Mr. J.B. Bhatti, Consul, from Indian Consulate Office, Kanti S. Patel and his wife Jyoti Patel, Jyotendra Patel and his wife Geeta Patel and other dignitaries.

MC was “Evergreen” Mrs. Amisha Patel & Hetal Patel. Amisha Patel invited Kanti Patel, Chairman of GCA and Chief Guest on Stage Dr. Rasmi Patel. Mr. Kanti Patel introduces Chief Guest, Dr. Rasmi Patel.

Dr. Patel thanked Gujarat Cultural Association for tireless work by its member, especially Kanti Patel. Amisha invited Guest of Honor Mr. D.B. Bhatti. Mr. Bhatti congratulated leadership and entrepreneurship of the community of diaspora from Gujarat and especially paid special tribute to Mahatma Gandhi who also hailed from Gujarat in India. Amisha Patel also invited on Stage Hon. Dorothy Brown, Clerk of Circuit Court, IL. Mr. Kanti Patel introduce Ms. Dorothy Brown. Brown said, I salute the Gujarat Cultural Association, Chicago during the Diwali observance. May this New Year be filled with joy and further progress for the betterment of all, as you celebrate the “Festival of Lights.”

Award Ceremony followed and were given to outstanding community leaders as follows,

• Distinguished Banker of the year Award:  Mr. Moti Agarwal
• Outstanding Accountant Award:  Mr. Anil Shah
• Distinguished Community Leadership Award:  Dr. Anuja Gupta
• Women of the Year Award:  Mrs. Rita Shah

Other prominent leaders, Community Members and Distinguished Businessman fellows were recognized on the stage by Kanti Patel, Chairman of GCA and received a Bouquet of Flower. Included was Mr. Kalpesh Joshi of AAHOA Director of Upper Midwest, Mita Patel from Air India, Iftekhar Hasnat from MB Financial Bank, Ashok Punjabi of Chicago Imports, Pratap Gohil, CEO of Summit Construction, Sunil Shah from New York Life Ins., Ashok Shah of Senior Medicare Specialist, Mr. Gulzar Singh from Pan Oceanic Company.

Wishing everyone very happy, healthy and prosperous upcoming New Year, Kanti S. Patel concluded his speech by requesting everyone for their continued support co-operation and participation in future events. Among the invited dignitaries Hon. Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois, Hon. Jesse White, Secretary of Illinois State, Hon. Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President were not present in event however they send message to Gujarat Cultural Association.

Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois, in his massage said Thank you for your daily efforts in promoting the well-being of the community and the richness of Indian Culture here in the Land of Lincoln. As the Gujarat Cultural Association celebrates Diwali, it is also an exciting year across the State of Illinois as we commemorate our state’s 200^th birthday.

Toni Preckwinkle, President of Cook County, in her massage said Gujarat Cultural Association has evolved to strengthen and unite the Gujarati Community through organized picnics, sports competition, musical events and collaboration with other national organizations.

Jesse White, Secretary of Illinois State, in his massage said each year GCA’s annual banquet, also known as the Hindu Festival of lights, brings community members together to celebrate Diwali tradition with a festive dinner and outstanding entertainment.

Gujarat Cultural Association also Celebrate 200^th Birthday of State of Illinois

In the national capital of India, the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was celebrated by ADF India through a campaign I’m Human, Rights to commemorate the United Nations’ proclamation on 10th December, 1948 in Paris that ushered in a groundbreaking understanding of the universality of human rights.

The campaign that took place at the India International Centre Annex, New Delhi on Thursday, November 22, 2018, urged the governments both in center and states to uphold the right to life, to family and to religious freedom as was the original intent of the Universal Declaration. Please find the Geneva Statement at ImHumanRight.org.

The participants that included several legal luminaries, social activists and reputed members of civil society reminded the government of the day that as a signatory of the Universal Declaration and being the world’s largest democracy – India’s role in this campaign is vital and to reaffirm that human dignity is innate and that human rights cannot be given or taken away by the State or any other actor.

Rebecca M. John, Senior Advocate, speaking on human right violations in the Hashimpura massacre case said, “Make no mistake, by taking 31 years to punish the guilty, our justice system failed all of the victims, and each one of us.”

“I hope the “I’m Human, Right?” campaign will draw attention to the violations of basic fundamental freedom faced by religious minorities, especially Christians across the country. We encourage the fellow citizens to no longer be silent on these issues and ensure those who continue to violate fundamental human rights are held accountable,” said Tehmina Arora, Director, ADF India.

Chicago IL: The Federation of Indian Associations Chicago, (FIA Chicago) will be celebrating its 10th year anniversary in 2019. The Annual Board Meeting was held at Granite City, Schaumburg on November 4, 2018. This year FIA Chicago unanimously elected its new leader Ninad Daftari and the new board.

The event was presided by Founding Members Sunil Shah, Onkar Sangha, Sunny Kullar, Rita Singh, Mukesh Shah, Dhitu Bhagwakar and Current President Neil Khot. President Elect Ninad Daftari will spearhead the team for the year 2019 with the help of Executive Vice Presidents Hitesh Gandhi and Payal Shah and the entire board which include Vice Presidents Dr. Kamal Patel, Jatinder Bedi, Aishwarya Sharma, Gurmeet Singh Dhalwan and Altaf Bukhari, Secretary Harsh Shah, Treasurer Saurin Thakkar, Joint Secretary Abir Maru, Joint Treasurer Dharmesh Gandhi, Cultural Secretary Hema Shastri, Directors : Shital Daftari, Chetan Patel, Nirav Shah, Ila Patel Chaudhri, Hansal Patel, Geetaanjali Advani Maru, Vibha Rajput, Urmil Patel, Ganesh Kar, Swaranjit Singh and Prabh Khaira.

The incoming President Ninad Daftari plans to take the organization to new heights with events planned for Celebrating India’s Republic Day, Independence Day and Cultural events like Holi and Diwali. This year FIA Chicago will also host Medical Wellness Checkup Camp, Blood Donation Drive, Food Drive and Toys of Kids during the holiday season.

With the help of the Advisory Board Members Syed Hussaini (WinTrust Bank), Manish Gandhi (Power Plant Services), Brij Sharma (Power Volt), Asha Oroskar (Orochem), Smita Shah (Direct Floors), Pradeep Shukla (CPA) and Neal Patel (MedStar), FIA Chicago plans to take on projects like Job Fair, Entrepreneurship camps and Youth Leadership Development Skill Camps.

FIA Chicago was founded to bring Cultural awareness to the Chicagoland area and has now grown to serve the community by hosting many events for the community and helping the community grow and become one.

Delegates from different states of US to meet at the Hotel Sheraton Tysons, Virginia for a 3-day Convention.

The 20th convention of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) will be held at Hotel Sheraton Tyson in Northern Virginia on November 16th and 17th. The Convention will start with a While House Briefing on Friday, Nov. 16th afternoon followed by followed by a reception at the Indian Embassy hosted by Indian Ambassador. The Convention theme is NFIA  & Indo – Americans, WE’RE GOING PLACES.

The convention will start with an Welcome Reception and Inaugural Dinner for the delegates and the VIP guests at the Sheraton Tyson. Conference sessions (see details below) will be held whole day on Nov. 17th. The convention will end with an Awards Banquet on November 17th evening where NFIA will honor nine Indian Americans for their outstanding contributions in their chosen field and for community service. NFIA General body meeting will be held on Nov. 18th where NFIA policies are adopted and new officers are elected.

Saturday 17th November 9:00 am – 5:00 pm will begin with the Panel of the Past Presidents of NFIA chaired by NFIA Founder President Dr. Thomas Abraham. The Panel will deliberate Mobilizing the Indian Community in the US, moderator of the Panel being the current NFIA president Mr. Sudip Gorakshakar. Several seminars sessions throughout the day will follow with topics on Health and Wellness, Trade and Commerce, on an NGO Snehalya, a Sitar Workshop, a Session on Art of Living, an Entrepreneurs Workshop. See more details below.

The seminars would culminate with a Technology 20/20 Summit. The evening with start with a Cocktail/Social hour and Grand Awards Dinner Banquet, NFIA National Awardees’ Felicitation, Cultural Program, Fashion Show and a Concert. NFIA General Body Meeting will be held on Sunday, Nov. 18thwhere after passage of President’s and Treasurer’s report, election will be held  which will be followed by the New NFIA Board Meeting. Lunch will follow. For registration, visit www.nfia.net.

The India Association of Long Island (IALI) has been partners with The Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) in fighting hunger on Long Island for the past 23 years to help those in need across Long Island.

Peter Bheddah, started the Diwali Food Drive, all those years ago, and it quickly gained momentum. Mr. Dev Ratnam joined the INN Board, to continue the charitable work. IALI presidents over the years and their Executive committees and members all pitched in with donations of food, medications, clothes and of course money, to help those in need and want across Long Island. IALI has helped to bring food to 800,000 to hungry and homeless Long Islanders. IALI is close to reaching 1,000,000 meals very soon.

On Sunday, November 11, 2018, this year, for the Diwali food drive, IALI gave a very generous check of $17000/- to INN to continue this exemplary service. This amount was accumulated by donations by IALI members and Major sponsors  Mr. Peter Beddah, Dr. Kishore Kunchum, Mrs. Indu Chhabra and Friends and Mr. Raj & Jyoti Gandhi.

The Festive Diwali event took place at the Mary Brennan Inn, Hempstead. The program was admirably Emceed by Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan. A ceremonial lamp was lit by the dignitaries present, Mr. Tony Santino, former Supervisor Town of Hempstead, Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Mr and Mrs. Bheddah, Mrs. Indu Chhabra, Mr. Dev Ratnam, IALI President Gunjan Rastogi, IALI Officers and Executive Council members. Mrs. Aruna Saxena was honored for being the Chair of Diwali Food Drive for last six years.

 Young Tara Chaudhary gave a very lovely and lively dance recital and Mrs. Jyoti Gupta and Amita Karwal sang a beautiful song.

The IALI President, Mrs. Gunjan Rastogi, along with Past Presidents, Mr. Satpal Malhotra, Mrs. Indu Jaiswal, and Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan, members of the executive committee, Mr. Lalit Aery, Mr. Gobind Gupta, Mr. Vimal Goyal and the standing Chairs, Mrs. Amita Karwal, Mrs. Jyoti Gupta, Mr. Rajeev Chaudhary and Mrs. Saroj Aery and Mrs. Jaya Bahadkar were all present. A large number of IALI members were in attendance for the celebration including Mr. Ved Behl, Mr. & Mrs. Sood long time supporters of Diwali Food Drive.

The Association of Indians in America (AIA) has planned to celebrate its 50th anniversary of its birth in a grand manner the Garden City Hotel in Garden City, Long Island on Saturday, December 1. “The Association of Indians in America is the oldest grass root Indian Organization in United States of America, which was established in 1967 to help the newly arrived Indian immigrants assimilate and settle in their new adopted homeland,” Banquet Chairman Ravishankar Bhooplapur and Chair of Media Smiti Khanna, are quoted saying in a press release.

The Association of Indians in America is the oldest national association of Asian Indians in America. It was founded on August 20, 1967 after the United States Congress passed the 1965-66 Immigration Act, repealing the Asian Exclusion Act of 1917. The Constitution of the AIA was adopted in 1970 and was incorporated in 1971. AIA obtained the IRS exempt status in 1973.

AIA is the grass-root national organization of Asian Immigrants in the United States, fostered on the democratic principles of “one member one vote”, with chapters and membership spread across the United States of America. AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment.

According to a press release, the AIA was instrumental in the resettlement of Indians who were fleeing from Uganda to escape the tyranny of Idi Amin. Since then, AIA has been a pioneer in serving the causes of the Indians in America addressing issues related to professional licensing, immigration, racial and professional discrimination, civil rights, the glass ceiling and many more.

In the past 50 years, many people of prominence have had the opportunity to be honored by the organization and speak at their annual events. These include nobel laureates such as S. Chandrasekhar in 1973, Norman E. Borlaug in 1976, Lawrence R. Klein in 1981, Peace Corps of America in 1991 and Amartya Sen in 1994;  leading artists Ravi Shankar, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Amjad Ali Khan, Zubin Mehta, Ali Akbar Khan and Yehudi Menuhin; and globally acclaimed academicians Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, Margaret Meade, Professor T. N. Srinivasan, Professor Robert A. F. Thurman, just to name a few.

The most popular event that is held by AIA and was started in 1987 is their annual Diwali Celebration at South Street Seaport in New York City.

India remains among a handful of countries on an annual index of places with the worst records of punishing those behind the murders of journalists. The “impunity index”, prepared by the Committee to Protect Journalists, has 14 countries this year. India is one of seven countries that have been on the list every year since it was first released in 2008. Somalia, Iraq, the Philippines, Mexico, Pakistan and Russia are the others.

The organization releases the list to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which falls on November 2. Countries are ranked on the basis of the number of unsolved murders of journalists over a decade as a percentage of their population. Those with five or more such cases make it to the index.

The 2018 list analyzed murders of journalists between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2018. India had 18 unsolved cases in the period. Somalia, Syria and Iraq – countries ridden with conflict during the period – lead the list. South Sudan, Afghanistan, Colombia, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nigeria also figure on the index.

The Committee to Protect Journalists also measured “political will to address impunity”, based on whether governments had participated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s impunity accountability mechanism, which seeks information on the status of investigations into journalists’ murders. Five of the 14 countries on the index, including India, did not respond to that request, the report said.

The index counts deliberate murders of journalists for their work, and not those killed in combat or while on dangerous assignments. Cases where no one has been convicted were treated as “unsolved”. The index in 2017 had 12 countries.

The International Leaders Summit and the Commonwealth of Virginia ’s elected official Honorable David A. LaRock, express its sorrow over the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where eleven worshippers were killed. The International Leaders Summit and the partners of its initiative The Jerusalem Leaders Summit, issued the following statement:

We convey our deepest condolences to the grieving families who lost loved ones in the tragic attack at The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jewish community across our nation and around the world. We stand with the Jewish community and affirm our shared values and principles.

The attacker’s murderous rampage shouting “all Jews must die” ought to be a wake-up call for America’s engaged stakeholders and leadership. In our free society, established under the rule of law, the evils of anti-Semitism and hatred towards any religious and ethnic groups must be addressed through robust measures. Individuals and groups fueling hate-filled rhetoric ought to be held to account.

We urge our elected leaders and our civil society to remain vigilant and to continue to strengthen the rule of law and advance our shared values and principles which protect life,  liberty and private property.

Co-signers of the statement:

Honorable David A. LaRock, Member, House of Delegates, Commonwealth of Virginia

Natasha Srdoc, Co-Founder, International Leaders Summit and Jerusalem Leaders Summit

Joel Anand Samy, Co-Founder, International Leaders Summit and Jerusalem Leaders Summit

Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Executive Advisory Board Member, International Leaders Summit, President and CEO, US Info Systems of Mississippi LLC and Chairman, Mississippi State Department of Mental Health

Chris Edmonds, Executive Advisory Board Member, International Leaders Summit; Represents his heroic father, the late Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations, Israel’s highest honor for non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the holocaust.

Hanover Park, IL: Verandah Retirement Community celebrated its Grand Opening on Oct 28^th 2018. Verandah is the first multicultural community in the Midwest designed to celebrate both Indian & American lifestyles. The project is a planned unit development (PUD) with residential senior housing and a commercial lot fronting Irving Park road on a 12-acre property located in Schaumburg township. Excitement for this project has been building since 2016 when the project first started. Verandah received final approvals from the Village of Hanover Park, IL in Oct 2017. Construction started in March 2018 and is planned to progress in phases over the next 2 years.

Verandah is a unique retirement destination community designed to celebrate both Indian & American lifestyles thru a fusion of cuisine, activities, entertainment, traditions and cultures. Verandah offers an equal housing opportunity for seniors from all backgrounds who wish to take advantage of this ‘east meets west’ philosophy. Verandah has many features, amenities and facilities which were thoughtfully designed to offer a convenient, worry-free lifestyle to the 55 years plus senior community. The emphasis was on providing a continuum of care which allowed for residents to be as active as possible but still have access to specialized services and facilities as health needs changed without having to leave the community.

Verandah is located in Schaumburg Township’s Hanover Park village. The location is central and close to new Elgin-Ohare expressway. Chicago’s O’Hare airport is about 30 mins away and downtown Chicago is about 45 mins away. The area also has two excellent medical centers. The Schaumburg area was selected as it is widely recognized for its diversity and access to extensive retail, shopping & dining avenues. In addition, Schaumburg is close to other attractions important to the Indian community including various religious organizations, ethnic grocery stores and restaurants.

Verandah will offer townhomes & condominiums for sale with a huge Clubhouse and medical facilities for use of the residents. The homes range in size from 1450-2000 square feet for the townhomes and 620-1200 square feet for the condominiums. The townhomes and condominiums are especially built for senior living and offer a convenient, low maintenance lifestyle. The housing will be offered at $200,000-$475,000 to accommodate various budgets & lifestyles. The base-price includes upscale finishes & all appliances. A variety of upgrades will be offered. The housing is especially built for senior living with all-ranch and first-floor master bedroom options. All exterior maintenance will be taken care off by the homeowners association fees in the range of $350-475 per month.

The Clubhouse will be the main attraction feature of the community. It is planned as a 20,000 square feet facility with a vegetarian dining room, community room, gym, computer room, library, beauty shop, theater. The dining facility will serve chef-made multicultural & Indian cuisine using fresh local ingredients for lunch & dinner daily. The Clubhouse will offer a full calendar of activities and entertainment options to provide many avenues for social interactions. The property will also offer extensive landscaped areas including a big pond, park, walking paths.

The medical services will include a doctor’s office, physical therapy office, home-health service and an Assisted Living & Memory Care facility. “Our emphasis is on socialization of the seniors. Loneliness is a big problem in the senior community. At Verandah we designed many amenities & facilities to bring the seniors out of their homes and be involved in group activities, make new friends and enjoy their life some more” said Dr Anuja Gupta, founder & CEO.

Construction started in March 2018 and will progress phases with townhomes planned to be built in 2018, condominiums in 2019 and medical facilities in 2020. The Grand Opening on Oct 28^th will involve ‘unveiling’ of the Model Townhome. “By showing a Model Townhome on the property we hope that prospective buyers will find it useful to envision themselves living in the homes” says Dr Anuja Gupta.

Chicago, IL: Brahma Samaj of Greater Chicago celebrated the Navratri function on Saturday October 27. The event was a grand success. More than 650 Samaj members, friends and families joined this fun filled evening. This became simply another feather in the cap of the progressive march of BSGC towards becoming one of the most popular Social and religious organization in the Chicagoland.

Our president John Trivedi and Vice president Raj Trivedi left no stone unturned in making this event a roaring success. Ketan Raval and Pankaj Raval worked tirelessly. Dr. Ravi Trivedi provided a much appreciated supervision.

Chicagoland’s famous Sa Re Ga Ma Orchestra, Rajesh Chilam and Nipa Shah entertained the crowd for almost five hours with Garbas, Dandias and Movie song based musical remixes. Nipa Shah along with Rajesh Chalam, Richard Christian and Chintu of Orchestra Saregama rocked the evening. They kept everyone dancing on their melodious garba. Nipa’s garba selection from traditional popular ‘Ranglo’ to latest Loveyatri hit ‘Chhogala tara’ captured hearts of audience of all ages where people continued craving for more.

Suga Builders, the popular and trusted name in our community was the sponsor for the delicious food which was included in the admission. Mr. Jasprit Suga himself attended the event till the Aarti and personally made sure that the food and catering was exemplary. He showed a true spirit of giving back to the community. Suga builders established in 1991 are a very well-known and respected name for commercial and residential construction projects. The company is built on core values of accountability, quality, professionalism, and excellent customer service.

Food for the evening was catered by Sai Saffron – one of the most popular caterers in Indian community. Sai saffron specializes in all type if food items from regional Indian menus like Gujarati, Punjabi, Rajasthani etc to indo-chinese, Mexican and fusion. People enjoyed delicious Pav Bhaji and Gujarati favorite Khichu with tea during the break.

The youth participated much enthusiastically and the whole event was taken to a new level of energetic Garba songs and dances which they enjoyed very much. You could see the smiles and sweat on their faces from the fast paced swings and tempo.

The Diwali Dinner, which is the annual well attended event for the Samaj, will be held at the Grand Conference Hall of the Fairfield Marriott in Schaumburg on December 1, 2018. The event is nearly sold out and the reservations are open at www.brahmasamaj.org. We also hold our Membership drive at these Diwali and Hindu New Year function.

By popular demand, the BSGC is bringing the “Singles to Mingle “Event in the summer of 2019. The Samaj has been holding these for last few years and the community has benefited a lot from this.

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the Bengaluru office of human rights body Amnesty International India on Thursday in connection with alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.

According to the economic intelligence agency, Amnesty was denied permission under the FCRA but decided to circumvent this by routing money through another organisation.

“After Amnesty international India Foundation Trust was denied the permission/registration under FCRA, 2010 by [Ministry of Home Affairs], they resorted to bypass the FCRA Act by floating commercial entity in the name of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd,” the ED said in its statement. Amnesty officials said they did not want to comment on the matter yet as the raid was still underway.

Telugu is the fastest growing language in the U.S., says a study by an American think tank. The south Indian language, Telugu, the fourth most spoken language in India, is still outside the top 20 of the most widely-spoken languages other than English in the U.S., reports the BBC.

Between 2010 and 2017, the number of native Telugu speakers in the US surged 86%—the largest uptick in a foreign language-speaking group—the results of a September 2018 study by Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) show. This was the highest jump among the most widely spoken foreign languages in the country, among those that had over 400,000 people speaking it.

Speakers of other popular Indian languages like Hindi and Gujarati also clocked high growth rates.

The study on languages spoken in the U.S. used data from the American Community Survey and compared the number of people who said they spoke a language other than English at home in 2010 and 2017, the BBC said.

Back in 2000, the US was home to just 87,543 Telugu speakers—the language is native to the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which were a single entity until 2014. By 2010, there were 222,977. According to the latest figures, there are 415,414 of them, CIS found when looking at Census Bureau population data as of July 01, 2017.

Out of the top 10 fastest-growing languages in America, seven are from South Asia. The rise of Telugu was connected to the links forged between Hyderabad and the U.S. engineering and technology industries, Prasad Kunisetty, founder of the Telugu People Foundation, a non-profit organization in the U.S., was quoted as saying.

The rapid growth of IT in the mid-1990s led to a huge demand for software engineers, he said. Many were recruited from Hyderabad, which sends students to the U.S. in large numbers. Down the years, Telugu-speaking Americans have continued to hire software engineers from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the BBC said. Notable U.S.-based Telugu speakers include the first Indian American Miss America Nina Davuluri and the current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Of the more than 60 million people who speak a language other than English out of the total population of about 320 million, the vast majority speak Spanish. Out of the most commonly spoken South Asian languages, Hindi is first, followed by Urdu, Gujarati and then Telugu.

The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center (http://keralacenterny.com) will honor five Indian American Malayalees for their outstanding achievements in their field of specialization or for their service to the society at its 26th Annual Awards Banquet to be held on November 3rd.

“Kerala Center has been honoring outstanding achievers since 1991 and every year we invite nominations and the committee has to make a unanimous choice for a candidate in a category to receive the award and this year is no different from previous years in terms of their achievements,” said Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of the 26th Kerala Center Awards Committee.

“In 27 years, Kerala Center has become a secular civic institution providing services to the Indian American community and we are recognizing those who are achievers and contributors to society,” said Kerala Center President Thambi Thalappillil.

This year’s honorees include two achievers in corporate leadership; Bobby V. Abraham, former Chairman of the BOD and CEO of Paragon Trade Brands (Seattle, WA) and Jayasankar Nair, former CEO and currently Senior Advisor to Sabinsa Corporation (East Brunswick, NJ). Other recipients are: Malini Nair is the Owner and Director of Sowparnika Dance Academy in New Jersey for performing Arts; writer Chacko M. Chacko for Literature and Community volunteer Joy Ittan for Community Service.

The chief guest Devadasan Nair, Consul for Community Service at the Indian Consulate in New York. Keynote speaker is Dr. S.N. Sridhar, Professor of Linguistics and India Studies, and Director of the Center for India Studies at Stony Brook University. Shanti Bhavan Founder Dr. Abraham George will also address the evening. This year’s Gust/Hosts are Philanthropist Sreedhar Menon; Columbia University Professor P. Somasundaran and Entrepreneur and Businessman Dilip Varghese.

The awardees will be honored at the Kerala Center’s 25th Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 3rdstarting at 6.30 p.m. at The Kerala Center, 1824 Fairfax St., Elmont, New York. World’s Fair Marina in Flushing (Queens, New York City, address: 1 World’s Fair Marina,

Kerala Center Founder and Executive Director E.M. Stephen said that the Center had recognized 145 achievers in the last 26 years who have continued to become bigger achievers and contributors to the society.

Bobby V. Abraham, Recognition for Achievement in Corporate Leadership – Bobby V. Abraham, was Chairman of the BOD and CEO of Paragon Trade Brands from 1992 to 2000 – an NYSE listed Company that he took Public while running it previously as a division of Weyerhaeuser Co. He has also served as a Member of the BOD and lead Director for several other US and International Co’s in the last 20+ years. In addition, he has been actively involved as an investor and mentor to start-ups & non-profits. Currently he lives in Seattle, WA

Recognition for Achievement in Corporate Leadership – Jayasankar Nair

Jayasankar Nair, hailing from Trivandrum in Kerala, had his education in Ranchi and Kerala. Joined State Bank of India as Probationary Officer, held very senior management positions with that premier Bank, then had important assignments with Centurion and IndusInd Banks. He held positions with Sabinsa Corporation of Chief Financial Officer for 9 years and Chief Executive Officer for 5 years and is currently helping the Sabinsa Group as Senior Advisor. He has had tremendous success in all his assignments and has been a sought-after speaker on Management, Marketing and Behavioral Science with the Rotary Organization and various Banks in USA and India. He also contributed to social causes through Rotary, State Bank of India and own efforts.

 Recognition for Achievement and Contributions in Performing Arts – Malini Nair

 Malini Nair is the Owner and Director of Sowparnika Dance Academy, an unique and premier Indian Dance Institution in NJ. A native of Trivandrum,Malini Nair completed her b-tech in Civil engineering from College of Engineering Trivandrum. After working in the IT sector for 10 years, Malini Nair chose her passion as a profession and established the dance academy. Currently she trains more than 150 students in different Indian forms like Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattom, Fusion and Folk dances. Malini Nair is also an active community leader who is a part of many major Indian Associations in the NY-NJ Area. Malini Nair is married to Jay Maniyil and the couple has teenage twin boys Arjun and Ajay.

Recognition for Outstanding Contribution as a Writer – Chacko M. Chaco

Chacko M. Chacko, a retired furniture businessman also known as CMC, is a short story writer. His stories were regularly published in Malyalam Pathram with the writer name as CMC. Although, studied only up to 10th standard in Kerala, he got encouraged to write short stories after attending FOKANA Convention in 1992. Altogether CMC has published six books. Among them, one is a drama titled Kakkathi Pravachanam. Two books are translation from Jiddish writer Shalom Aleichem. Three other books include short stories and one is titled CMC stories. CMC is also a silent helper of the poor and needy. CMC lives with his wife in New Rochelle and blessed with three children and three grandchildren.

Recognition in Community Service – Joy Ittan

Joy Ittan has been involved in various kinds of political, social and cultural activities since his school days.  He has been active in organizing various labor unions in Kerala, involved in human rights movements for uplifting the underprivileged and besides contributing charity projects. Even after moving to the US, he continued his services for the betterment of the unfortunates in Kerala while serving the immigrant Keralite communities in local and national level at various capacities.  He served the Westchester Malayalee Association in various positions including as its President, Vice President of FOKANA and Chairman of its Charity Committee as well as Convener and Coordinator of FOKANA Conventions. Joy had contributed for building six houses for the poor, provided scholarship to underprivileged students and paid full wedding expense for four girls in Kerala. A recipient of India Press Club’s 2017 Best Social Worker Award, Joy live with his wife Jesy and children in Valhalla, New York

By Jitendra Muchhal

With around 300 attendees, and sunny perfect weather, the Friends of MP – NY/NJ Picnic 2018  was a grand success. The 4th Annual Picnic in succession, was enjoyed by all. The main attractions this time were Indore Kaa Rajwada, Acche Lal Paanwala, Bhutte Kaa Kees, Chana Jor Garam and MP’s Treasure Hunt.

Deputy Counsel General of India in New York Shri Shatrughna Sinha and noted Community Leader Shri Sunil Nayak and Shri Anwar Feroz attended the Picnic.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shri Shivraj Singhji Chouhan congratulated on the successful gathering .

“It is a delight to witness the spirit of brotherhood of @FriendsofMP members of the New York Tri-state area at their 4th annual picnic. I congratulate each of you for being able to hold on to your roots & share your love for MP through such initiatives, even in a foreign land,” he said in a message.

More pictures are available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PTdwlA8xdMfgMVzRA8gy-U8_JeurwKXI?usp=sharing

During a glamorous gala, attended by many of Silicon Valley’s Indian American glitterati, raised $1.2 million, and was reportedly ahead of the event that the chapter was well on its way to meet its $2 million fundraising goal for the year.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai  was the chief guest the annual gala held at the Palo Alto Hills Country Club Sept. 29 during  Pratham USA’s annual San Francisco Bay Area gala.

In his address at the gala, after receiving Pratham’s Corporate Leadership Award, the Indian American leader said, “While most children in rural India attend schools, they are not proficient in math and reading,” said Pichai. “Access to knowledge is the key to opportunity,” he said, adding: “My parents made sure I had a good education.”

Despite the 2009 Right to Education Act, which guarantees every child in India access to education, more than 100 million are illiterate, noted Pratham’s CEO Rukmini Banerji, a former economist who – with Pratham founder Madhav Chavan – has developed many of the organization’s unique teaching methods. Banerji noted onstage that a decade ago, only 11 million of India’s children had reached 8th grade. Today, 22 million kids reach the 8th grade and the majority continue their studies beyond that level, she said.

The Pratham approach is unique: kids at Pratham’s schools are grouped by proficiency, rather than grade level, which means no child falls behind. Pratham’s reading program teaches most children to read in 30 to 60 days. In an interview with India-West on the sidelines of the gala, Banerji noted with pride that by age 18, 80 percent of Pratham’s alumni are still enrolled in some form of education.

Pratham is India’s largest education-focused NGO; it has impacted more than eight million low-income children through its reading and learning program and vocational training modules. Pratham also runs the annual ASER survey — with funding from Google’s philanthropic arm — a massive undertaking which records reading and math abilities for children in 600,000 Indian villages.

In a live feed from India during the gala, Pratham students displayed projects they had worked on using the Pra-Digi tablets. One boy displayed a solar bicycle he had made using instructions from a Google search, and parts he bought from Amazon. Another showed a money-printing machine he had built to print Rs. 10 notes. A young woman displayed her knowledge of magnets and opposing forces from knowledge she had gained on the internet. Heartwarmingly, the group sang the Woody Guthrie classic: “This Land is Your Land.”

Chicago, IL, October 16, 2018 – On Saturday, October 6, 2018, close to 350 prominent business leaders, dignitaries and members of the local Indian-American community gathered in downtown Chicago for the annual Pratham gala. Held at the elegant Venue SIX10, with its panoramic views of the city and Lake Michigan, the event raised $350,000 for Pratham’s transformative educational programs.

In his keynote speech, Steven D. Levitt, William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and co-author of Freakonomics, made his admiration of Pratham clear: “I get asked to do roughly 100 events like this a year and this is the only one I accepted.” With wit and wisdom, Levitt recounted his own attempts at making a difference in the world: “When you see how incredibly ineffective I’ve been over and over and over, by comparison, you might begin to appreciate more what Pratham has been able to do in that amount of time.” Levitt emphasized that “it is the hardest thing in the world to actually make change” and urged the audience to support Pratham in its mission to do so.

Guests were also visibly moved by the words of Pranali Kaurati, a remarkable graduate of Pratham’s bedside assistance training program, who has overcome great adversity in her young life. “The three-month Pratham training period was one of the best experiences of my life,” she explained. “My dream is to help people who can’t help themselves. I was one of them a few years ago, and now thanks to Pratham and my job, I get to look after patients and assist them with their needs, and this provides me with an incredible amount of satisfaction and happiness.”

Chicago teens Vinayaka Amin, Avanti Parkhe and Vikas Reddy, who had spent two weeks in India as part of Pratham USA’s youth leaders program, spoke about their visit. “This experience had such a profound impact on us,” said Reddy on behalf of the group.

“We hope to continue our involvement with Pratham for many years to come.”

The evening also included a live auction as well as a performance by singer/songwriter Subhi, who wowed the audience with her original blend of jazz and South Asian music.

Chapter president Joher Akolawala was thrilled with the evening’s turnout, a reflection of the overall momentum of the chapter: “We have nearly tripled our volunteer membership and net contributions over the last five years at the Chicago chapter, and the credit goes to the committed and generous Chicago community.”

First-time attendees Rattan Khosa, CEO and founder of AMSYSCO, Inc and Mafat Patel, co-founder of Patel Brothers, were among the many notable faces that graced the event hosted by gala co-chairs Alwar Narayanan and Sandeep Rao.

Sponsors included Vinakom Inc., GE, Allstate Insurance Company, McKinsey & Company, Mondelēz International, Infosys, Accenture, Microsoft, Ernst & Young LLP, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Luxfer PLC, Opera Solutions, United Airlines, and Diageo.

New Delhi: The Quint and Network 18 Founder Raghav Bahl’s home and office in Noida were raided last week by Income Tax officials. “Income Tax officers on Thursday, 11 October, entered the office of Quintillion Media Pvt Ltd in Noida, which runs the website The Quint and is owned by Raghav Bahl. According to the I-T officer leading the team, they were conducting a “search” on one floor of the office, and a “survey” on the other,” reported Quint.

The Editor’s Guild of India, in a tweet, asked the Income Tax Department to “not exercise powers in a way that could be seen as an intimidation of the government’s critics”.

Raghav Bahl, in a statement to the Editor’s Guild, said: “I have a matter of great concern to share with the Guild. While I was in Mumbai this morning, dozens of IT officials descended on my residence and The Quint’s office in Noida for a survey.”

Stating that he was heading back to Delhi, Mr Bahl stressed, “We are a fully tax compliant entity, and will provide all access to all appropriate financial documents.”

His mother and wife were confined to their house. A report said that the I-T officers at the residence of Raghav Bahl and Ritu Kapur are also attempting to clone data from Ms Kapur’s gadgets.

“He said he had spoken to the officer on his premises and requested him, strongly, to not try and pick up or see any mail or document that was likely to contain very serious or sensitive journalistic material. “If they do that, then we shall seek extremely strong recourse. I do hope the EG (Editor’s Guild) will back us on this, and thereby set a precedent for any such exercise that may happen on any other journalistic entity in the future. They should also not misuse their smartphones to take unauthorised copies of this material,” reported NDTV

Expressing concern over the raids, the Editors Guild of India, in a statement, said, “While the tax administration is within its rights to make inquiries in compliance with the relevant laws, it should not exercise those powers in a way that could be seen as intimidation of the government’s critics. The Guild believes that motivated income tax searches and surveys will seriously undermine media freedom and the government should desist from such attempts.”

Working Mother magazine has named Ankita Mirchandani as the 2018 Working Mother of the Year. Mirchandani of Chicago is the senior manager of operational transaction advisory services at Ernst & Young LLP. The Indian American executive is also the mother to 2-year-old Amara, the publication said.

At the outset of her career, Mirchandani spent a good amount of time away from home serving clients around the country, Working Mother wrote.

In 2016, before her maternity leave, she started discussing with her practice lead and mentor, Mitch Berlin, about how she could successfully continue her client-serving role as a new mom, given her extensive travel, it said.

Returning from maternity leave, Mirchandani and her mentor piloted a program, now known as NEST, designed to strengthen Transaction Advisory Services’ client delivery model.

It challenged where and how work gets done by exploring client-serving opportunities that can be done at the EY U.S. office with limited presence at a client site, the report said.

This program enables employees to focus on niche offerings and continue their career trajectory in client-facing roles while limiting the need for typical Monday-to-Thursday travel.

What was originally conceived as a solution for retaining high-performing working mothers has now been expanded to all employees, both male and female, who need the additional flexibility, it added.

The program, under Mirchandani’s leadership, has grown from three to 25 people in the last two years with plans to expand more, and it now has a global presence with hubs in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, London and India, Working Mother said. “Ankita continues to challenge norms and think beyond just working parents to promote flexibility for all,” Ernst & Young said in a statement.

By International Organization for Migration

BERLIN, Oct 12 2018 (IOM) – Prepared by IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC), the Global Migration Indicators Report 2018 summarizes key global migration trends based on the latest statistics, showcasing 21 indicators across 17 migration topics.

The report is based on statistics from a variety of sources, which can be easily accessed through IOM’s Global Migration Data Portal.

The report compiles the most up-to-date statistics on topics including labour migration, refugees, international students, remittances, migrant smuggling, migration governance and many others, enabling policy-makers and the public alike to have an overview of the scale and dynamics of migration around the world.

Moreover, the report is the first to link the global migration governance agenda with a discussion of migration data. The topics chosen are of particular relevance to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report discusses the state of play of data for each topic and suggests ways to improve this.

“While the GCM and the SDGs provide important frameworks to improve how we govern migration, more accurate and reliable data across migration topics is needed to take advantage of this opportunity. This report provides an overview of what we know and do not know about global migration trends,” said Frank Laczko, Director of IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC).

“The international community has taken steps to strengthen collection and management of migration data, but more needs to be done. A solid evidence base is key to inform national policies on migration and will be needed more than ever in light of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,” said Antonio Vitorino, the new Director General of the International Organization for Migration.

DG Vitorino visited Berlin on Thursday (11/10), where he met with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and other government representatives.

Mr. Vitorino took office as Director General of IOM on 1 October 2018.

For more information and figures, download the Global Migration Indicators 2018 here: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/global_migration_indicators_2018.pdf

Chicago IL: AAA Entertainment organizes another memorable Cultural Extravaganza – More than 1100 people attended the spectacular Garba organized by AAA Entertainment on September 28 at Monty’s Elegant Banquets in Bensenville, Illinois. Beautifully decorated with colorful lights, beautiful Bollywood music and the fashion bazaar were the special attractions of the event.

AAA Founder and President Amit Vatal accompanied, Anoop Mamtani of Atlantic travels and Hemi Patel and other community leaders started the program with traditional lamp lighting followed by musical performances. AAA Entertainment and Atlantic Travels team, began the evening by offering a prayer. The starting was with famous garba songs along with remixes by Hitesh Master Nayak and his team.

The program commenced with rhythmic live music including Drum and Dhol beats of orchestra and vocal choral by Nayak. Garba dance started by the participants moving in clockwise fashion around the goddess Durga’s representation. The whirling dancers, clapped hands, and later added distinct sound of wooden sticks struck together in perfect harmony by toe tapping music and people, especially ladies including small girls wearing colorful dress. Tempo of dance picked up gradually as time progressed.

The evening was full of rhythmic traditional Garba music with equally passionate and high energetic performance by the swirling dance around Maa Shakti. There were participants of all ages of men and women, enjoying and celebrating the memorable evening. Many in the audience, especially ladies of all ages wore very colorful and traditional dresses for this special occasion.

After the brief break and Aarti, the festive music of Dandiya-Raas commenced with the participants that lasted beyond midnight. AAA Entertainment has been organizing memorable events in Chicago land to promote Indian culture to new generations and encourage involvement from many other ethnicities.

“The Board of Trustees, Executive Committee Members and Volunteers made amazing efforts and efficient planning including proper attention towards the security, safety of each participants and parking arrangement” said Vatal. Vote of thanks was expressed by board members to all participants, sponsors and staff of Monty’s Elegant Banquets.

Another attraction of the event was the hours long fashion bazaar. There were various booths at the bazaar ranging from designer apparel and jewelry to satellite services, banking products and books.

Speaking at the event, Amit Vatal of AAA Entertainment said that such festivities carry a message of unity and brotherhood to a new generation born in this country. He also thanked the audience and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

The packed auditorium rocked with non-stop dancing by the young and the old, which lasted for hours. The event concluded in the wee hours of morning highlighted by devotional Arti of Mataji.

Chicago IL: The whirling dancers, clapping hands, distinct sound of wooden sticks struck together, toe tapping music and people wearing colorful clothes marked the Navratrey celebration at the Garba & Dandiya Raas dances held all over Chicago land. Over 1200 people of different age groups joined and celebrated the Grand Live Bollywood Dandiya Night by Poonam Bhatia & Hitesh Master at Bolingbrook High School on October 6, 2018

A night of fun and revelry to bring in the Hindu festive season Navratri and eventually Diwali, was put together by Ganesh Subramanian of Chicago Wedding and Fashion Photography. People of all communities, dressed in their festive attires, started reaching Bolingbrook venue by 7 pm. This reporter reached the Venue much before the actual show started.

Orchestra SaReGaMa with Hitesh Master and his maverick musicians had set up their band before the gate of the hall was opened. The sound was being set up by Kafi khan who himself is an accomplished Rhythmist. The live band had Richard Cristian in octopad and sampler, Chetan Soni on Roto drums and Gopal shah on Acoustic drum set.

Poonam Bhatia, Bollywood Playback singer who has given playback  in more than ten regional languages in India and does a lot of charity work all over the USA, arrived there by 6.30pm to do her sound check with the band. Once the sound check was done, the gates of the hall were opened to the public. Suddenly about a thousand revelers thronged the place and signed up for the raffle by eVasthra & Uptick Financials! Some of them went straight to the stalls which were set up to sell small knickknacks. And some went directly to have a bite from the food counters that were set up specially that day for them by Tandoor Hut.

Once the music started playing, everybody came to the center of the hall and started dancing to the beats of orchestra SaReGaMa. Hitesh master apart from conducting his musicians, also did magic with his fingers on the keyboards!! Poonam Bhatia, along with co singers Taarika Bhatia and Darshana Patel, as usual did the magic with her voice!! Hitesh Master also crooned in the mic! Taarika Bhatia is the lead singer with Bollywood singer Mika Singh’s band. Since it was a Bollywood Dandiya evening, a lot of Bollywood songs were also included along with the traditional Gujarati numbers. The hall kept reverberating with the beats of dandiya till about 10.15pm, which was the time deadline for the venue. Thereafter people had to stop dancing, though they did not want to!! The fun had just begun.

The event promoter Ganesh Subramanian thanked everyone for making it a grand success and announced the winners of the raffle and promised to give them many more such fun filled evenings!!

The event was produced by Ganesh Subramanian & Menaga Rajukannan of Chicago Wedding & Fashion Photography (www.chicagowfp.com) & eVasthra (Indian Designer Online store based out of Chicago – www.evasthra.com) in collaboration with Tandoor Hut of Naperville & Uptick financial solutions – Remy Mel and sponsored by Professional Mortgage Solution – Ashok Lakshman,  Mygo consulting, Bartosz Balaz of Allstate agency & ComForcare, Lotus Montessori of Naperville and many others.

Thanks to all volunteers including Sandhya Subbu, Karthik Giri, Param Yarasani, Chakri Gandham, Anuthama Raghu and many others who helped in bringing the live event to Chicago audience.

Chicago IL: American Telugu Association (ATA) a 27+ years old organization has conducted its flagship event Dussehra and Bathukamma Celebrations at Sri Balaji Temple, Aurora (Chicago) on Sunday Oct 7th. ATA Advisory chair Hanumanth Reddy garu along with event organizers Dr. Meher Medavaram, Laxmi Boyapalli, Bhanu Swargam, Regional team comprising of Venkat Thudi, Mahipal Vancha, Hari Raini and Core team members wished the community – prosperity, happiness and wealth during this festive season. Around 300 + saree clad Indian women attended the occasion to celebrate the festival of Dussehra/Bathukamma festival offering flowers to the goddess Gauri/Bathukamma with much fervor and gusto.

Event started with Vigneshwara Pooja, offering prayers to lord Ganesh to remove any obstacles.  ATA team was party to the lamp lighting ceremony. Smt. Sunitha Reddy explained the importance of the Bathukamma festival and thanked the ladies for their beautiful Bathukamma’s. Unique decoration by Anitha Pochampally portraying Bathukamma was the highlight of the event, Kids and Ladies were witnessed having a great time snapping pictures in front of the backdrop.

Sumptuous food was served to the audiences and the post lunch festivities kick started with Bathukamma arriving traditionally amidst prayers. Ladies carrying their home made Bathukammas placed them in the rangoli formation made out of rice flour.  Maleeda was offered to the goddess as a ritual offering which included various saddi’s. Celebrity folk Singer Raagam Shalini, a special attraction for the event, enthralled the audiences with her mesmerizing voice and everybody was witnessed dancing to the tunes of Bathukamma. Bathukamma, an arrangement of flowers in the shape of a pyramid is a hugely popular festival in Telugu states and celebrates the goddess Gauri.

ATA team thanked the community for their unconditional love and support and appreciated the sponsors for lending a helping hand to celebrate the customs and traditions of of our telugu culture. Best Bathukamma & Raffle ticket winners were awarded prizes by Dr.Mehar Medavaram and Sainath Boyapalli. Volunteer efforts were overseen by Narasimha Chittaluri, Mahipal Vancha, Venkat Thudi, Hari Raini & Venkat reddy. Media & food logistics were handled by Jagan Bukkaraju, Ramana Abbaraju , Karunakar Doddam and Vijay Yanala.

India’s top court has ruled adultery is no longer a crime, striking down a 158-year-old colonial-era law which it said treated women as male property. Previously any man who had sex with a married woman, without the permission of her husband, had committed a crime.

A petitioner had challenged the law saying it was arbitrary and discriminated against men and women. It is not clear how many men have been prosecuted under the law – there is no data available.

This is the second colonial-era law struck down by India’s Supreme Court this month – it also overturned a 157-year-old law which effectively criminalised gay sex in India.

While reading out the judgement on adultery, Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that while it could be grounds for civil issues like divorce, “it cannot be a criminal offence”.

Last August, Joseph Shine, a 41-year-old Indian businessman living in Italy, petitioned the Supreme Court to strike down the law. He argued that it discriminated against men by only holding them liable for extra-marital relationships, while treating women like objects.

“Married women are not a special case for the purpose of prosecution for adultery. They are not in any way situated differently than men,” his petition said. The law, Shine said, also “indirectly discriminates against women by holding an erroneous presumption that women are the property of men”.

In his 45-page petition, Shine liberally quotes from American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, women rights activist Mary Wollstonecraft and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on gender equality and the rights of women.

However, India’s ruling BJP government had opposed the petition, insisting that adultery should remain a criminal offence.

“Diluting adultery laws will impact the sanctity of marriages. Making adultery legal will hurt marriage bonds,” a government counsel told the court, adding that “Indian ethos gives paramount importance to the institution and sanctity of marriage”.

What did the adultery law say?

The law dictated that the woman could not be punished as an abettor. Instead, the man was considered to be a seducer. It also did not allow women to file a complaint against an adulterous husband. A man accused of adultery could be sent to a prison for a maximum of five years, made to pay a fine, or both.

And although there is no information on actual convictions under the law, Kaleeswaram Raj, a lawyer for the petitioner, said the adultery law was “often misused” by husbands during matrimonial disputes such as divorce, or civil cases relating to wives receiving maintenance.

“Men would often file criminal complaints against suspected or imagined men who they would allege were having affairs with their wives. These charges could never be proved, but ended up smearing the reputations of their estranged or divorced partners,” he told the BBC.

Interestingly, Indian folklore and epics are full of stories about extra-marital love. Most love poems in Sanskrit, according to scholar J Moussaief Masson, are “about illicit love”.

But Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu text, says: “If men persist in seeking intimate contact with other men’s wives, the king should brand them with punishments that inspire terror and banish them”.

What did the judges say?

All five Supreme Court judges hearing the case said the law was archaic, arbitrary and unconstitutional. “Husband is not the master of wife. Women should be treated with equality along with men,” Chief Justice Misra said.

Judge Rohinton Nariman said that “ancient notions of man being perpetrator and woman being victim no longer hold good”.

Justice DY Chandrachud said the law “perpetuates subordinate status of women, denies dignity, sexual autonomy, is based on gender stereotypes”.

He said the law sought to “control sexuality of woman (and) hits the autonomy and dignity of woman”.

Critics have called the law “staggeringly sexist”, “‘crudely anti-woman’“, and “‘violative of the right to equality’“.

“The legal system should not regulate whom one sleeps with,” wrote Rashmi Kalia, who teaches law.

The main concern, according to the respected journal Economic and Political Weekly, is “not whether the expectations of fidelity in a marriage are right or wrong, or whether adultery denotes sexual freedom.”

“It is whether the state can and should monitor a relationship between adults that is too complex, sensitive and individual for it to be capable of doing in a just manner,” the journal wrote in a recent editorial.

Adultery is considered illegal in 21 American states, including New York, although surveys show that while most Americans disapprove of adultery, they don’t think of it as a crime.

“The criminal statutes remain in force for largely symbolic reasons, and there isn’t enough enforcement risk for anyone to incur the political costs of repealing them,” Deborah Rhode, a professor of law at Stanford University and the author of Adultery: Infidelity and the Law told the BBC.

Adultery is prohibited in Sharia or Islamic Law, so it is a criminal offence in Islamic countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia.

Taiwan punishes adultery by up to a year in prison and it is also deemed a crime in Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia is drafting laws that prohibit all consensual sex outside the institution of marriage.

In 2015, South Korea’s Supreme Court struck down a similar law where a man could be sent to prison for two years or less for adultery. The court said the law violated self-determination and privacy.

More than 60 countries around the world had done away with laws that made adultery a crime, according to Indian lawyer Kaleeswaram Raj.

In the UK, adultery is not a criminal offence and like many other countries, one of the main reasons given for divorce.

Couples cannot use adultery as a ground for divorce if they lived together as a couple for six months after the infidelity was known about.

Have there been previous challenges to the law?

In 1954, the law was first challenged by a petitioner asking why women cannot be punished for the offence, and that such “exemption was discriminatory”.

The Supreme Court rejected the plea.

Since then, the top court has rejected similar pleas, including the constitutional validity of the law, at least twice – 1985 and 1988.

“The stability of marriage is not an ideal to be scorned,” a judge said in 1985.

A married woman had approached the court, demanding the right to file a complaint of adultery against her husband’s unmarried lover. The court, rather patronisingly, described the plea as a “crusade by a woman against a woman”.

It said the law was about punishing the “outsider” who “breaks into the matrimonial home” and “violates its sanctity”.

Two different panels on law reforms in 1971 and 2003 recommended that women should also be prosecuted for the offence.

“The society abhors marital infidelity. Therefore there is no good reason for not meting out similar treatment to the wife who has sexual intercourse with a married man,” the 2003 panel, led by a judge, said.

In 2011, the top court, hearing another plea, said the law was facing criticism for “showing a strong gender bias, it makes the position of a married woman almost as a property of her husband”.

Nearly two in every five women in the world who kill themselves are Indian, according to a Lancet study published this week that says the country’s suicides rates constitute a public health crisis.

The rate of Indian women who die by suicide has fallen since 1990, but not as fast as elsewhere in the world, and now represents 36.6% of global female suicide deaths, the report in the UK medical journal found.

Indian women who died by suicide were more likely to be married, to be from more developed states and, by a large margin, aged below 35.

“It shows girls in India are in serious trouble,” said Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the Population Foundation of India, a public health group.

She and other specialists blamed the trend on early marriage – one-fifth of Indian women still marry before the age of 15 – along with male violence against women and other symptoms of a deeply entrenched patriarchal culture.

The suicide rate among Indian women was three times higher than what might be predicted for a country with similar geography and socio-economic indicators, the researchers said.

“Our social norms are very regressive,” Muttreja said. “In the village, a girl is called her father’s daughter, then she is her husband’s wife, and when she has a son, she is her son’s mother.”

Muttreja said research carried out by her organisation had shown that 62% of surveyed women believed it was legitimate for their husbands to beat them.

The researchers speculated the link between suicide and marriage was due to the burdens of youth motherhood, the low social status afforded to wives in some households, the lack of financial independence and exposure to domestic violence.

“The disproportionately high suicide deaths in India are a public health crisis,” the authors, who are mostly affiliated with Indian public health research groups, said.

Around one in four men in the world who die by suicide are Indian, roughly the same proportion as in 1990, the study said.

Suicide was also the leading cause of death for young people of both genders but was worse for women.

The study noted that suicide had recently been decriminalised, so there was a possibility the true rate could be even higher but hidden by families and doctors for fear of stigma or police interference.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines

Befrienders India – National Association
c/o Sneha, 11 Park View Road
R.A.Puram
600 028
Chennai
Website: befriendersindia.org

Centres

Lifeline Foundation
17/1A Alipore Road
Sarat Bose Road
700 027
KOLKATA
Hotline: +91 33 2474 4704
Hotline: +91 33 2474 5886
Hotline: 2474 5255
Website: education.vsnl.com/n4h/

AASRA
A-4, Tanwar View, CHS,
Plot NO – 43, Sector 7
Koparkhairane
400 701
NAVI MUMBAI
Contact by: Face to Face   – Phone   – Letter:
Hotline: +91 22 2754 6669
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MAITREYI
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605001
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ROSHNI
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S.P. Road
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SECUNDERABAD
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Hours:
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Saath
B12 Nilamber Complex
H.L. Commerce College Road
Navrangpura
380 006
AHMEDABAD
Hotline: +91 79 2630 5544
Hotline: +91 79 2630 0222

SNEHA
11 Park View Road
(Near Chennai Kaliappa Hospital)
R.A. Puram
600 028
Chennai
Contact by: Face to Face   – Phone   – Letter:
Hotline: +91 (0) 44 2464 0050
Website: snehaindia.org
E-mail Helpline: help@snehaindia.org
24 Hour service:

The Samaritans Sahara
Sir J-J. Road
Byculla Bridge
400 008
MUMBAI
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Hotline: +91-22-2307 3451
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Sumaitri
1 Bhagwandas Lane
Aradhana Hostel Complex
Basement
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NEW DELHI
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MAITHRI – Cochin
Ashirbhavan Road
Kacheripady
Ernakulam Kochi
682 018
Kochi
KERALA
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Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10:00 – 20:00