Category: Community

In the last two years, GOPIO had organized conferences, public platforms on issues, community celebrations and social service and philanthropic activities. The Biennial Convention held in New York in June 2016 has become a corner stone for GOPIO to be more involved in business, technology, investment and philanthropic activities. GOPIO decided to initiate GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce (GICC) which was officially launched on January 10th, 2017 in Mumbai. In the last two years, GOPIO organized conventions in Paris, Bangalore in conjunction with Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and GOPIO Global Indian Business Summit in Durban South Africa.

With the last GOPIO team ending its term in Bahrain, a new team was elected by an online vote before the convention. Over 70% of the delegates participated in the election. The following persons were elected:

During the convention, Sunny Kulathakal, an Indian from the Middle East was sworn in as the Global President of the organization for the two-year term of 2018-2019. It is the first time in the history of three-decade old GOPIO that an Indian from a country outside the US & Europe was given this position. Kulathakal has been actively involved with GOPIO for more than a decade. He served the Organization as Middle East Co-Coordinator, Executive Vice President & Global Ambassador.

South Africa’s Ishwar Ramlutchman is the new Executive Vice-President while Ram Gadhavi from the US is new Vice President. Dubai-based journalist Issac John has taken on the mantle of GOPIO Global Ambassador. Dr. Thomas Abraham from the US will continue as Chairman. Others elected/appointed are Lal Motwani and Dr. Asha Samant as International Coordinators-at-Large, Mehen Poinoosawmy as International Coordinator for Europe, Jagdish Lodhia as International Coordinator for Oceania, Kurian Abraham as International Coordinator for South Asia, Rita Abraham as International Coordinator for South Africa, Johny Kuruvilla asInternational Coordinator for the Middle East, and Harbachan Singh as International Coordinator for North America.

The Executive Council Meeting also appointed the following persons: Executive Trustee of the Foundation – Inder Singh; Chairman of GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce – Niraj Baxi; Secretary (Admin) – Dr. Rajeev Mehta; Chairman Chapter Review Committee and Automation – Dinesh Mittal; Treasurer – Kewal Kanda; and, Associate Secretary – Jaswant Mody

The Sikh Coalition has announced that New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has conferred the state’s first-ever citation in recognition of April 2018 as Sikh Awareness & Appreciation Month. Through the Sikh Coalition’s engagement, the New York citation now joins the outstanding community-driven Sikh Awareness & Appreciation Month resolutions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

“In New York, we know our diversity is our greatest strength, and Sikh Americans enrich our communities across the state,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. “I extend my best wishes to the Sikh community during Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month.”

Additionally, 40+ bipartisan Congressional and Governors’ offices joined the Sikh Coalition to celebrate Vaisakhi by sharing social media posts on their platforms on April 14th, reaching a potential eight million Americans. These Sikh awareness initiatives join a Vaisakhi resolution introduced in the U.S. Senate and over 40 official Vaisakhi and Sikh awareness resolutions, proclamations, citations and events secured by Sikh leaders across the United States.

These additional recognitions include the following: Tucson, AZ; Union City, CA; Rock Island County, IL; Silvis, IL; Burlington, NJ; Fair Lawn, NJ; Franklin Park, NJ; Franklin, NJ; Glen Rock, NJ; Hamilton, NJ; Highland Park, NJ; Jersey City, NJ; Marlboro, NJ; Middlesex County, NJ; Monroe, NJ; Oakland, NJ; Robbinsville, NJ; Sayreville, NJ; Somerset County, NJ; Trenton, NJ; New York, NY; Houston, TX; Auburn, WA; Burien, WA; Kent, WA; Renton, WA; Tukwila, WA; King County, WA; and in the states of California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Pennsylvania. We acknowledge these and other communities that spread Sikh awareness this April.

“This  public recognition demonstrates the power that we have as a community to raise Sikh awareness locally and nationally,” said Sim J, Singh, the Sikh Coalition’s National Advocacy Manager. “It’s inspiring to see so many Sikh community members working together to achieve this outcome as we continue our joint efforts to combat hate and educate the American public.”

The Sikh Coalition would like to thank the hundreds of Sikhs that worked to raise Sikh awareness this month as we continue our organizational work to educate the American public in a sustainable and cost effective way. Another marquee moment is coming this week when the groundbreaking episode of CNN’s United Shades of America, the first-ever hour-long cable episode focusing on the Sikh American community, airs this Sunday, May 6th at 10 pm ET/PT and 9 pm CT.

The South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA) announced a new initiative April 19, to launch a nationwide “Naturalization Drive.” A majority of SABA chapters will be hosting local drives on May 19, “providing support to a community that does not usually get” (sic) it, the organization said in a press release.

Spelling out the advantages of citizenship, SABA noted it “is the path to fully participating in American life.” Citizenship allows a person to vote, freely travel, protect themselves and family members from the risk of deportation, hold a wider range of jobs, petition to unite with other family members, and run for public office.

The Naturalization Drive is targeting eligible South Asians in the community who wish to apply for U.S citizenship. Clinics across the country will be available to assist those applying for citizenship, the organization said. “It will be a great event to promote civic engagement to serve the South Asian community pro bono,” SABA said.

For more information about local events, SABA urged those interested to reach out to participating chapters who will hold the event on May 19 —  SABA Austin, SABA Chicago, SABA Colorado, SABADC, SABA Florida,SABA Georgia, SABA Greater Boston, SABA Houston,SABA New Jersey, SABA New York, SABA Northern California, SABA Sacramento, SABA San Diego, SABA Southern California, and SABA Washington.  The chapters in Connecticut and Metro St. Louis, Missouri, will hosting theirs later in the year.

The South Asian Bar Association of North America is an umbrella organization to 26 chapters in the United States and Canada. For more information visit http://www.sabanorthamerica.com/page/naturalization.

The National Crime Records Bureau data of 2016 suggests that crimes against children in India have increased by 14 per cent from 2015.

Crimes against minors have soared 500 per cent over the past 10 years in India, says a new analysis by Child Rights and You (CRY).

CRY has done a cumulative analysis which revealed a rise of sexual crimes against children to 106,958 in 2016 as against 18,967 in 2006.

“More than 50 per cent of crimes against children have been recorded in just five states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal,” said a CRY statement.

According to the NGO, while Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 15 per cent of recorded crimes against children, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh came close at 14 and 13 per cent respectively.

“It is also a matter of grave concern that in 11 out of 36 states and union territories (UTs), more than 50 per cent of the offences against children are sexual offences and in 25 out of 36 states and UTs more than one-third of the crimes against children are sex crimes,” it added.

The National Crime Records Bureau data of 2016 suggests that crimes against children in India have increased by 14 per cent from 2015.

As per a 2016 analysis of crimes under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, sexual offences accounted for one third of all crimes against children in India.

According to it, a sexual offence is committed against a child in India every 15 minutes. All crimes under POCSO Act constitute around 33 per cent of total crimes against children. The number of sexual offences registered against children increased by an alarming 300 per cent over the last five years.

The report comes amid widespread anger over incidents of rape throughout the country. An eight-year-old girl from a nomadic group in Jammu and Kashmir was found raped and murdered in January while the body of a nine-year-old girl was found in Gujarat with 86 injury marks.

Two incidents of rape of minors were reported on Thursday — from Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

Fury in diaspora over the stomach-turning details of the heinous crimes, the political motives behind them, and the patronage given to the accused April 14, 2018

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos has joined millions of Indians and people of conscience across the world in expressing its outrage and disgust over the gang-rape and murder of 8-year old Asifa Bano in January, as well as the rape of the 17 year old Dalit girl in Unnao, UP. The ghastliness and brazenness of the crimes has been coupled with outrageous attempts by Hindutva goons to protect the perpetrators.

Asifa Bano, belonging to the Bakarwal community in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was kidnapped, drugged and brutally gang raped for three days. Her strangled body that was found on January 17, 2018 bore mute testimony to the inhumanity of her tormentors.

Police reports indicate Asifa was locked inside a temple and repeatedly raped for three days and finally strangled to death. The perpetrators, including the temple custodian have been apprehended, and the police have DNA evidence linking the men to the crime. Their motive was apparently to push Asifa’s community away from the area. Furthering the violence carried out by the four men, a mob of BJP-affiliated lawyers blocked the police officers from making their way to file the police report, making bogus claims that the men would not get due process.

This was done as part of a premeditated terror tactic to drive out a Muslim nomad community to which Asifa belonged. Different arms of the local government and political groups colluded to subvert the initial investigation and are using extrajudicial means to protect the accused.

In the case the of 17-year Dalit girl from Unnao village in UP, a powerful BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sehgar raped her last year and intimidated her whole family against complaining to the police. The family had to flee for safety to Delhi but her old father persisted in lodging the complaint. As a result he was tortured and killed in cold blood while in police custody. Despite prima facie evidence, the administration of Yogi Adhityanath did not place the culprit under arrest, until after a week of sustained public outrage, and international media attention.

During a recent interview given to media the girl broke down and even fainted while narrating the horror “Jaise papa ko maara tha. Woh joota pehan leta hai. Aur jalte hue cycle ka tyre chhua chhua ke maarta hai. Paani daal daal ke maarta hai” (He would torment people the way he killed my father. He puts on his boots and uses burning bicycle tyres to torture his victims).” In an act of extreme depression the victim even tried to burn herself outside the residence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath.

“Asifa’s and Unnao rape survivors horror stories are examples that illustrate cowardly attempts to protect the beasts who committed these heinous acts. Moreover the Hindu Ekta Manch rally in Jammu is a low point in the history of the country where obstruction of justice and rewarding rapists have become new benchmarks in service to religious fascism,” said Mr. Ahsan Khan, President of IAMC. “We call upon the state and central governments to demonstrate their own humanity, by holding the perpetrators accountable to the full extent of the law,” added Mr. Khan.

This is the most ghastly tragedy in a pattern of brutalities against Muslims and Dalits under the current regime. Anti-Muslim and Dalit rhetoric has become mainstream. The political motivations behind these heinous crimes are often euphemistically expressed in prime time television by the ruling party’s spokespersons and associates.

Indian American Muslim Council is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with chapters across the nation. For more information, please visit our website at: http://iamc.com/

The thirteenth edition of the World Social Forum came to an end on Saturday (March 17), attracting more than 60,000 people to the various activities and debates held during the five-day event.

The main venue was on the campus of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), in Ondina, but other spaces of the Bahia capital held activities as well, including the Exhibition Park, the Isba Theater and the Pituaçu stadium..

The tone to the Forum was set by discussions of democratization of communication, financial system, work, education and youth, future of work, science and technology, employment and income, rights for migrants and refugees, national sovereignty and science and technology. “This is my first forum and the debates have been very rich and complementary and show the importance of our struggles and confrontations against the advance of neoliberalism,” says Chilean student Maribel Diaz.

Cedro Silva, the president of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores da Bahia highlighted the importance of the event held in the capital of Bahia. “CUT Bahia is proud to have organized the World Social Forum here in Salvador. The positive result is that we are sure that people from other states, from other countries, will return to their places of origin full of energy and possible solutions for a possible society that respects the rights of all.”

Here is a review of what was promoted during the 5 days of activities at WSF 2018:

A democratic and collective space between social organizations; the World Social Forum was also the opportunity for many families to earn extra money and support themselves. This is the case of Maria Andrezina, an artisan from Tocantins. She traveled a distance of more than 1500 km in three days of travel to expose

Naperville, IL, April 15, 2018: The unseasonably cold, rainy April day did not dampen the enthusiasm of the guests as they poured into the Islamic Center of Naperville (ICN) to attend the Open Mosque Day hosted by the Islamic Center on Sunday, April 15th. They walked in from the cold to a warm, friendly welcome by about 80 volunteers from ICN who have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to make this a successful event.

 “We really enjoy hosting our friends and neighbors from different faiths and we strive hard to make their visit to our mosque a memorable one” said Shoaib Khadri, President of the Islamic Center of Naperville. “This is our sixth Open Mosque Day and at every one of them, we see many familiar faces of interfaith partners, friends and people who have attended before, but this year, we saw a significant number of new people, which was very welcoming.  The primary purpose of the event was to give people of different faiths an opportunity to visit a mosque, something they may have never had a chance to do, and learn more about their Muslim neighbors and the faith that they practice.”

The guests started coming in as soon as the doors opened at 11 AM and it was a constant flow of people who varied from students to church groups, elected representatives, school board officials, law enforcement officers, local girl  scout troops, families with kids, and the elderly across various faith denominations. Many students from local community colleges who are in Professor Dave Huber’s “World Religion” class participated in the event to get some firsthand exposure to Islam. The organizers estimated over 800 attendees based on the registration figures.

The format of the Open Mosque Day (OMD) was similar to the previous similar events with the main booths and food in the gym, the congregational prayers in the prayer halls, and presentations in separate rooms. A new addition to this year’s OMD was an inspirational gallery showcasing beautiful exhibits with verses of the Quran as well as Hadith – the sayings of Prophet Mohammed.

All the booths were laid out along the periphery of the gym with a large open area in the middle for people to gather, meet with a seating section facing a stage where continuous videos featuring the activities of ICN were played along with some snippets about Islam. The booth on Prophet Muhammad provided information about the life and the teachings of the last messenger of Islam where volunteers discussed various aspects of the prophet’s exemplary character and its impact on the Muslims. A second booth was dedicated to the Quran, the holy scripture of Islam that Muslims believe was the divine revelation from God.

The booth that always attracts a lot of questions was the “Islam and Extremism” booth considering all the negative perception of Islam in the public. The volunteers shared a lot of material that clearly explained that aggression and killing of innocent people were clearly forbidden in Islam and how most violence carried out in the name of religion is actually politically motivated and had no religious basis.

People lined up to get their names written in Arabic Calligraphy by Mahfooz Khan, an active member of the ICN Interfaith Committee who also has a flair and talent in Arabic Calligraphy. An “Artifacts and Culture” booth highlighted different aspects of Islamic culture, architecture with displays of different artifacts.

An “Islam & Science” booth illustrated the harmony between Islam and science by highlighting various scientific facts with references to the Quran and the numerous contributions of Muslims to the field of Science.

The “Women in Islam” booth was buzzing with activities with people curious to learn about women’s rights in Islam and questions about why women cover their hair. Various women volunteers at the booth were happy to answer their questions while giving the female guests a unique opportunity to try on a hijab (head scarf) that the guests were allowed to take home. Volunteers also drew beautiful designs of henna on guests’ hands.

The guests enjoyed a wide array of food ranging from Mediterranean cuisine to South Asian snacks to delicious desserts with tea and coffee. The food tables were well staffed with cheerful volunteers and continually replenished with the delicious food throughout the event. There were booths with free literature on Islam and copies of the Quran for people to take home, including a separate booth with literature in Spanish.

One of the most attractive features of the event was the screening of a multimedia presentation titled “Journey through Time” which was produced by Yousuf Siddiqui, Chairman of ICN’s Outreach Committee – a beautifully articulated message highlighting six of the greatest messengers of Islam – Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad with direct references in the Quran on each of them. Mr. Yousuf Siddiqui, said “We wanted to show our guests that Islam believes in these prophets, and their common message of the worship of One God. We had huge interest from the visitors and had excellent dialogue afterwards in the post question and answers sessions.” A recent addition to the multimedia presentations was a video production called “The Great Women in Islam” that highlighted inspiring stories from women who are revered in Islamic history as well as great contributors to the faith over the years.

Shahab Sayeedi, a board member of the ICN as well as an active member of the Outreach Committee, presented the basics of Islam and answered guest’s questions. Islam 101 presentation at the top of every hour was a popular attraction as the crowds filled the room Shahab said, “The Islam101 presentations provided our guests with an understanding of Islam and some of its practices while allowing them to ask questions and any clear misconceptions they may have had in a friendly and relaxed environment in the mosque.”

A new feature called “The Feedback Wall” – a large paper mounted board to solicit feedback from the guests, captured the mood of the visitors as many of them penned their thoughts in vibrant marker colors. Mayor Steve Chirico of Naperville, who spent a fair amount of time interacting with the hosts as well as the guests, commented: “Thank you for being such wonderful community partners.”Another guest wrote: “It’s amazing how at home I feel when we talk about our similarities and not our differences, Thank you for sharing your beliefs.”  Bishop Andrew Child of the Church of Latter Day Saints who brought a number of his congregants, summed it up very well: “Thank You! Inspiring event. We can all learn from each other and strengthen one another in our faith.”

During 2 separate events held in California on March 17^th and 24th, The American India Foundation raised over $1.8 Million to Help Underprivileged in India. At the 5th annual gala held on March 17^th, the Orange County, California chapter of the American India Foundation celebrated 16 years of service to India’s underprivileged population and raised more than $500,000 to support the organization’s contributions to education, public health, livelihood, leadership and gender focus in India, according to a press release. The event was attended by more than 300 local community professionals and was held at the Pasea Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, California.

The evening was filled with traditional Indian cuisine, a live performance by the performance ensemble Molodi and the auction of international travel packages, art painted live by Gregory Adamson and a wine and culinary experience at Gagnon Cellars of Temecula. Master of ceremonies was comedian Anish Shah and the live auction was hosted by Matt Rogers.

The gala honored the achievements of Kevin and Nita Parikh of the Avasant Foundation and highlighted contributions of the Orange County chapter to foundation programs. The gala was chaired by MSI International and Tarsadia Foundation. AIF’s Southern California chapter was launched in the summer of 2013 to accelerate the foundation’s mission of catalyzing social and economic change in India.

The Foundation on March 24 hosted its annual ‘Bay Area Gala 2.0’ at the Union Square Hilton in San Francisco, raising funds in helping to achieve its mission addressing development challenges in India, including poverty, educational gaps and maternal health. The $1.3 million raised at the gala will help the foundation with continuing to deliver life-changing programs to those in need.

The gala drew leaders and luminaries from the Indian American and wider Bay Area communities who came out to support the foundation which, in its 18 years of service, has uplifted the lives of over 3.7 million people in India.

Among the AIF initiatives the funds will support are: Digital Equalizer, the Learning and Migration Program, the Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative, Market Aligned Skills Training, Ability-Based Livelihoods Empowerment and Rickshaw Sangh.

“We are working with over 13,000 schools in India and have impacted 200,000 families through our education and skill development programs, but there is lot to do,” AIF chief executive officer Nishant Pandey told India-West. “Our vision is to significantly scale up all our programs and leverage resources of the government and the private sector towards this goal.”

The CEO added that he is “proud of everything” AIF is doing, particularly by the passion and commitment of all its supports. “(The) Bay Area has been a big pillar in terms of the time and resources of people,” Pandey said, adding the foundation is looking for more engagement and resources from the area, which has already had a tremendous impact. “The magnitude of challenges in India is huge and we would like to scale up all our programs.”

During the event, AIF Board co-chair Lata Krishnan addressed the more than 500 donors and supporters on hand with the gala’s keynote address, relaying the inspiration she exudes having been with the organization for nearly two decades. “Having been here for over 17 years I am still inspired and energized by how little it takes to impact not just one life, but millions. I believe that in today’s uncertain times, civil society and nonprofits, like AIF, help bridge the gap between government and society,” Krishnan said. “It is our role to enhance the abilities of the government and the private sector to transform poverty into potential.”

Vijay Goradia, Indian American founder and chairman Vinmar International, received the AIF Leadership Award for his tireless support of nonprofit organizations dedicated to education and entrepreneurship. “When you are young and healthy, what you give is gold. When you are old, what you give is silver. What you leave behind when you are dead is lead. My wife and I decided to give when we are of sound mind and healthy,” said Goradia, who pledged $100,000 to AIF. “I believe the more resources you put in, the greater the impact. The sooner you put those resources to work, the quicker you will get the results,” Goradia added.

Millions of people have tuned in for Swedish physician and statistician Hans Rosling’s TED Talks over the years, and the videos caught the attention of at least one famous fan: Bill Gates. Gates and his wife Melinda went on to befriend Rosling, who gained his global audience with insights on how data can help lead to better outcomes in global poverty and health.

Rosling died in February, 2017, but he leaves behind the new book Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, coauthored with his son, Ola Rosling, and daughter-in-law, Anna Rosling Rönnlund. Gates has called the book “one of the most important” he’s ever read, and one of his two favorites of this year so far.

TIME caught up with Gates to talk about what makes the book — and Rosling — so special.

Gates: Hans believed the world was making remarkable progress, and he wanted everyone to know about it. Factfulness is his final effort to help people identify areas where things are getting better and spread that improvement. It explains more clearly than almost anything else I’ve read why it’s so difficult for people to perceive progress. He offers clear, actionable advice for how to overcome our innate biases and see the world more factfully. This is one of the most educational books I’ve ever read, and I think everyone can benefit from Hans’ insights.

If the world really is improving at a faster rate than people think, why does it matter whether people have incorrect notions about it?

It’s easier to accelerate progress if you know how far we’ve already come. If you don’t believe the world has improved, you’re more likely to look at a tragedy and think nothing can be done. But someone who knows how much progress is possible can look at a bad situation and say, “How can we make this better?”

Hans liked to call himself a “possibilist,” which is a perfect way to describe this worldview. He believed that things could get better, not that they will get better. A possibilist like Hans doesn’t wait for improvement — he looks for the areas where progress is happening and finds way to duplicate it in other places.

Rosling details ten instincts that distort our perspective on the world — like an instinct toward negativity, or one toward fear. Which of the 10 do you find most concerning for our future and why?

I’m worried about the blame instinct, although not for the obvious reasons. When something happens, it’s human nature to look for the person responsible. Everyone knows the problem with creating scapegoats. But our instinct to turn people into heroes can also be a barrier to progress.

With a few exceptions, things don’t get better because of heroes. There were heroes 1,000 years ago, and the world was awful. Modernity is a miracle of systems. Jonas Salk was an amazing scientist, but he isn’t the only reason we’re on the doorstep of eradicating polio — it’s also thanks to the coordinated vaccination effort by health workers, NGOs, and governments. We miss the progress that’s happening right in front of us when we look for heroes instead of systems. If you want to improve something, look for ways to build better systems.

What fact in this book especially surprised you?

The framework that Hans uses to describe the world was a revelation for me. He categorizes people by four income levels and emphasizes the commonalities that exist on each one. For example, people tend to buy shoes and bikes when they double their income from $2 a day to $4 a day, whether they live on the outskirts of Kinshasa or a remote village in Bangladesh. Organizing populations by how they live — rather than where they live — is a much more precise way to talk about the world.

(Courtesy; THE TIME)

MASCONN as it ushers in its 10th anniversary celebration with its very own superstar Biju Menon’s show Madhuram Sweet 18 in the state of CT. In addition to the popular and acclaimed movie star Biju Menon of South Indian Film World, he will be accompanied by over two dozen stars from the Bollywood world on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2018 at 3 pm at Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06605. Phone # (800) 424-0160

“With a live audience exceeding over 1,600 people from across the states of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, the event, the first ever of this kind, organized my the Malayalee Association Of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN)http://www.masconn.org, the event is a platform for all people of Indian origin to come and celebrate our culture and enjoy the entertainment,” said Sujana Nair, an organizer of the event. Inviting sponsors to the event, he added, “It’s a a golden opportunity to showcase your products and services before a fast growing South Asian community in the Tri-State region.”

The South Asian community in the state of Connecticut is fast growing. They are well known for their business initiatives, higher income, higher education levels and is fast becoming a prominent community with many seeking public offices around the nation.

For more information about the event and for sponsorship opportunities, please visit: http://www.masconn.org

An Indian court has sentenced Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to five years in jail for poaching rare antelope back in 1998. The court in Jodhpur also fined him 10,000 rupees ($154; £109) for the crime. He has since been taken to jail.

Khan killed the two blackbucks, a protected species, in the western state of Rajasthan while shooting a film. Four other actors who starred with him in the movie and were also charged with the offence have been acquitted.

Khan, 52, can appeal against the verdict in a higher court. Correspondents say he will have to spend at least a few days in prison.

What is behind the Salman Khan case?

This is the fourth case filed against the actor in connection with poaching animals during the filming of the 1998 movie Hum Saath Saath Hain. In 2006, a trial court convicted the actor in two cases of poaching and sentenced him separately to one year and five years in prison. The Rajasthan high court suspended the sentences the following year, and eventually quashed both convictions in 2016.

The state government has appealed against that order in the Supreme Court. Khan was then acquitted of a third case in 2017, which was for possessing unlicensed weapons used to poach the wildlife in 1998.

The original poaching complaint against him was filed by the local Bishnoi community, who revere and worship the blackbuck. In December 2015, Khan was cleared in a 2002 hit-and-run case in which a homeless man died and four others were in injured. His car allegedly ran over them while they were sleeping on a street in the western city of Mumbai.

A lower court had convicted him in May 2015. During his trial, Khan had argued that his driver had been behind the wheel, but the judge said it was the actor who had been driving under the influence of alcohol.

Seven months later, the high court acquitted him. It said that key evidence – including testimony from a policeman who had since died – was not reliable.  In January 2017, Khan was also acquitted in another case that charged him with using illegal firearms to kill the blackbucks.

One of Bollywood’s biggest stars, the actor has appeared in more than 100 films and has a huge fan following across the vast spectrum of Indian society.

His fans include the middle-class English-speaking audiences as well as poor slum dwellers for whom the 350-rupee ($5.20; £3.40) tickets do not come cheap.

Known for his romantic roles as well as action films, Khan has won several prestigious Indian cinema awards. The eldest of the three sons of well-known screenplay writer Salim Khan, he is a hit on social media too – his Facebook page is liked by more than 36 million fans, while on Twitter he has 32.5 million followers.

Khan’s conviction is making waves on both mainstream and social media.  The hashtag #BlackBuckPoachingCase is the top trend on Twitter India while #Salman Khan is also trending.  Many of the tweets addressed the fact that the case has gone on for years.

Five Indian American women were honored with an Achievement Award by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran at the Indian American Forum Gala at Antuns by Minar in Hicksville, New York, on March 22.

Pinky Rangi, Dr. Isha Mehta, Nami Kaur, Reema Rasool and Ananga Manjari Malatesta Gonzalez were honored for their outstanding achievements within the community, according to a press release.

Indu Jaiswal, Dr Bhupendra R Patel, Ravi Batra, Pinky Rangi, Mr Rajan Rangi, Kamal Dandona, Ranju Batra, Satbir Singh Bedi and Chanbir Kaur. Curran lauded the honorees for their achievements and hoped many more women will come forward to play significant role in the county.

Curran also spoke of the many opportunities that were available to women in Nassau County.

Shammi Singh, Dr Shama Rasool, Indu Jaiswal, Reema Rasool and Dr Ayaz Rasool

The gala was attended by a couple of local politicians and officials and attracted a large number of community members, leaders and presidents of various organizations.  Those who addressed the gathering included IAF founder Bobby Kumar Kalotee, IAF chair Indu Jaiswal, IAF PR chair Mohinder Taneja and Gala Chair Shammi Singh.

(New York, NY) On Wednesday, March 28, NYTWA members, including yellow cab, green car, black car, and app-dispatched drivers, gathered on the steps of City Hall to mourn four colleagues who committed suicide in the past four months and to demand immediate action by the Mayor. Drivers stood with Gabriel Ochisor, the son of Nicanor Ochisor, a yellow-taxi owner-driver who committed suicide on March 16th.

NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai said, “The Governor, Speaker and Majority Leader should have been standing with us today to give us courage as we mourn our brothers, instead they are scheming to put congestion pricing on the backs of drivers. Yellow cabs, in particular, have contributed to close to $1 billion toward the MTA since 2009. There is a serious crisis among drivers.  Any other cut to their wage – especially one aimed at reducing their ridership – is going to have serious human consequences. Albany and City Hall need to hear our call for help. It’s born from tragedy not theater.”

Four driver deaths in four months: Nicanor Ochisor, a yellow taxi owner-driver, Danilo Corporan Castillo and Alfredo Perez, Bronx livery drivers, and Douglas Schifter, a black car driver. All driven to financial ruin by unregulated Wall Street darlings Uber and Lyft, who in 2016 had more lobbyists than Walmart, Microsoft and Amazon combined. Meanwhile, an MIT study found more than half of Uber drivers earn below minimum wage. No driver wins this vicious race to the bottom.

Nicanor’s family has started a GoFundMe campaign to pay off his medallion so his wife can finally retire. Speakers at the rally included:  Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance; Gabriel Ochisor, son of Nicanor Ochisor; City Council Member Barry Grodenchik; City Council Member Stephen Levin

Nicanor, the most recent driver pushed to suicide, was an immigrant worker and a yellow taxi medallion owner-driver, who drove with his wife, an increasing pattern among drivers’ families working around the clock without time to rest or recuperate with loved ones, adding to the crushing devastation of poverty. Nicanor lost his life savings and was pushed to financial ruin when New York City broke its promise to professional drivers. Instead of keeping its commitment to yellow cab drivers, who operate in the heavily-regulated medallion industry, the city allowed Uber, Lyft, and their cohorts to flood our streets with vehicles covered by zero regulation. This anti-regulation zealotry came at the expense of professional drivers. Black car, yellow cab, green car and even Uber drivers themselves have been pushed into poverty as drivers see their incomes plummet, competing for fares in streets swamped by 100,000 for-hire vehicles and with no relief in sight.

We must stop treating the devastation of people’s lives as inevitable. We cannot allow Uber to continue to destroy lives for a business model that hasn’t even been proven sustainable. We must come together now and demand protections for ALL drivers and for rational regulations that level the playing field.

NYTWA has the following demands:

Cap the number of for-hire-vehicles to protect full-time work. Yellow and green cabs are already capped. Uber/Lyft are not and are responsible for the flooding of cars on our streets.

Establish the TLC-regulated yellow and green cab meter rate as the wage floor across all sectors. No company can go lower.  No more slashing rates on drivers’ backs. Uber & co. should also not be able to charge more from the rider and pay less to the driver.

Raise the current rates so that drivers are able to support themselves and their families.

Place caps on expenses charged drivers such as vehicle financing, commission / lease rates and TLC fines.  Fines should be in relation to how much we earn, not punish us for being poor.

Protect drivers against wage theft by increasing the Taxi and Limousine Commission enforcement capability and allowing restitution to drivers when companies have been found to violate rules.

Founded in 1998, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) is the 19,000-member strong union of NYC taxicab drivers, representing yellow cab drivers, green car, and black car drivers, including drivers for Uber and Lyft. We fight for justice, rights, respect and dignity for the over 50,000 licensed men and women who often labor 12 hour shifts with little pay and few protections in the city’s mobile sweatshop. Our members come from every community, garage, and neighborhood. To find out more visit NYTWA.org, follow us on twitter.com/nytwa or like us on facebook.com/nytwa.

Small gestures can have a big impact. In a healthy relationship, people tend to give love and support freely and frequently. They don’t wait for a special occasion to show their appreciation. They genuinely enjoy doing nice things for one another “just because” ― no prompting necessary.

We asked relationship experts to tell us what kinds of things, both big and small, happy couples do for each other without being asked. Here’s what they had to say:

1. They check in with each other.

“Whether it’s a ‘hello’ text or call to ask, ‘How did it go?’ the happiest couples reach out. They call to say, ‘I’m running late,’ or ‘We just landed,’ or ‘Do you need me to stop at the store on my way home?’ The message: I’m thinking of you. The result: A feeling of being connected, being a key part of each other’s lives.”  ― Winifred M. Reilly, marriage and family therapist and author of It Takes One to Tango

2. They give each other compliments.

“This doesn’t have to be a lovey-dovey compliment about being the best wife in the world, but even an offhand remark recognizing someone’s contribution, like ‘great dinner!’ Although some couples do well without positive feedback, the majority of people like at least a little bit of verbal recognition for their contribution, and happy couples are free with positive feedback.”  ― Samantha Rodman, psychologist and dating coach

3. They surprise each other with a card, just because.

“Giving your partner a card that says ‘Thinking of you’ or ‘Thank you for all you do’ is such a sweet gesture. It will make him or her feel special and it’s a great reminder to you as well of all you have to be grateful for. An added fun touch would be to leave the card somewhere your loved one will happen on it. My husband loves to leave cards for me in the refrigerator. I often leave his cards under his pillow.” ― Susan Pease Gadoua, marriage therapist and the co-author of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels

4. They act generously, instead of keeping score.

“Generosity is something freely given as a gift, with nothing expected in return. When a relationship feels secure, it is easy to want to offer more than your fair share of tasks or thoughtful gestures to show your love for your partner. Whether moving their clothes to the dryer for them or going on their favorite hike again, highly fulfilled couples tend to maintain great satisfaction from being thoughtful and generous toward their partner rather than scorekeeping.” ― Kari Carroll, couples therapist

5. They speak openly about their thoughts and feelings.

“When partners feel that it’s like pulling teeth to get each other to divulge any thoughts or feelings, a relationship can feel very lonely. Happy couples may not communicate constantly on a deep level, but they do it frequently enough to feel that they really know one another.”  ― Samantha Rodman

6. They surprise their partner with their favorite food.

“We all know that food is nurturing and helps people feel connected. But when you go out of your way to bring home a special food you know they will love, it’s a wonderful way to put ‘I love you’ into action. If the favorite food is a meal that you make — rather than, say, a pint of Haagen Dazs — you’ll undoubtedly get even more points.” ― Susan Pease Gadoua

7. Or with a freshly washed car.

“Regardless of whether you do the washing yourself or take the car to a car wash, when your partner sees their squeaky clean wheels on the street or in the driveway, he or she will likely be very grateful.” ― Susan Pease Gadoua

8. They’re in the habit of saying ‘thank you.’

“Despite the mundanity and complacency that can develop within a long-term partnership, a sure way to keep the fire alive and burning brightly is to watch your partner beam when you regularly notice and point out their contributions to your life. People want to be reminded they are of value to you, and secure couples understand that this should be frequent. Although you may assume your love to be understood, in reality, acknowledging your partner’s efforts and contributions consistently builds an even deeper connection.” ― Kari Carroll

All couples argue, but it’s the way they argue that determines if their relationship will go the distance. “Instead of attacking the other person’s character, happy couples color inside the lines and express their own feelings,” psychotherapist Vikki Stark, director of the Sedona Counselling Center of Montreal, told The Huffington Post. “It’s fine to say, ‘I’m furious with you right now!’ It’s not fine to say, ‘You’re a sorry excuse for a human being.’”

What else stands out in happy couples’ approach to arguments? Below, Stark and other relationship experts share eight ways healthy couples argue differently.

1. don’t shy away from discussing topics

Couples in it for the long-haul don’t shy away from discussing topics that could just as easily be swept under the rug. They ask the big, scary questions ASAP — “When, if ever, are we going to have kids?” “What are we going to do if you get that job in another state? I don’t want to move to there!” — so they don’t become bigger isssues in the relationship later on, said Diane Sawaya Cloutier, an author and relationship expert.

“When taboo or uncomfortable topics remain unaddressed, they can turn any benign event into a big drama that could have been avoided in the first place,” she said. “Couples who talk about it can manage potential dramas.”

2. They start slow and take turns talking.

Arguments generally end the same way they began, said Bonnie Ray Kennan, a marriage and family therapist based in Southern California. Couples who’ve mastered the art of arguing fairly take things slow, addressing difficult conversations with a soft, reassuring tone and dialing it down whenever things get too emotionally charged.

“Starting a difficult conversation softly and respectfully dramatically increases the chances of a good outcome,” she said. “Conversely, a ‘harsh start-up’ is very hard to process well, especially for men.” Couples who argue with finesse also know the value of give and take: “One person speaks and the other person truly listens,” Ray Kennan said.

3. They don’t name call.

Happy couples in long-term relationships rarely get into knock-down, drag-out fights because they don’t lower themselves to school-yard tactics: no matter how heated things get, there’s no name calling, eye rolling or biting sarcasm.

“Both partners understand that contemptuous behaviors are hard to take back and have a corrosive impact on a relationship,” Ray Kennan said. “Over time, they’ve become mindful of the effects of such dirty fighting and so they take it out of their repertoire.”

4. They know how to cool down.

When things do get out of hand, savvy arguers know how to get a grip on their emotions. They value taking a time out, whether that means counting to 10 and taking slow, deep breaths or simply telling their spouse, “Hey, can we revisit this in the morning?”

“These couples know how to acknowledge and honor their emotions without getting overrun by them,” Amy Kipp, a couples and family therapist in San Antonio, told HuffPost. “They use self-soothing skills to make sure they’re at their best. When both partners are able to soothe themselves and take breaks, they’re usually able to reach a resolution (or agree to disagree!) with more ease.”

5. They set ground rules for arguments.

It’s not that long-time couples have never resorted to low blows or have said something regrettable during an argument. They have in the past — and then they learned from the mistake. Once the emotionally charged fight ends, smart couples lay down some ground rules for arguing so it never gets out of hand again, said author and relationship expert Mario P. Cloutier.

The ground rules could be specific — “We will not interrupt each other when one is giving his or her perspective” — or more big picture: “It’s not about being right. It’s about getting to a common ground and resolving the problem,” suggested Cloutier.

6. They acknowledge each other’s feelings and points of view.

They may be bumping heads but couples in happy, long-time relationships try their best to see the other side of the argument, Kipp said.

“They may say, ‘I know you see it differently than me, but I appreciate that you are listening to my perspective,’” she said. “These positive moments decrease defensiveness and allow for a more productive conversation.”

7. They give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Partners who are able to have healthy and productive arguments don’t jump to conclusions in the middle of fights. They aren’t quick to assume their S.O. wants to jump ship and leave them just because he or she is a voicing a concern. They quiet their insecurities, listen and try to give their partner the benefit of the doubt, Kipp said.

“Healthy relationships mean that people assume their partner is doing the best they can at the moment,” she explained. “In an argument, this means assuming both partners have the same goal: a mutually beneficial resolution. This allows arguments to be a team effort to achieve the goal rather than an adversarial ‘fight.’”

8. They never forget that ultimately, they’re a team.

Even during their most tense arguments, healthy couples never forget that they’re a team: for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…  and until the argument exhausts them and both parties agree that they’d rather call a timeout and get a bite to eat.

“Couples in satisfying long-term relationships are able to remember that, no matter how angry they may be, life will continue after today,” said Stark. “Because of that, they don’t want to do lasting damage. Even in an emotional state, they are able to hang on to the long-term value of the couple. They’re a team, protecting their future together.”

(Courtesy: Huffington Post)

Indian American cardiologist-turned-entrepreneur Dr. Kiran Patel and his wife Dr. Pallavi Patel, a pediatrician, contributed $171,500 along with Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County in Florida, to buy a home for Sonya Pratt, a single mother of two boys and a girl, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Tina Swain, the CEO of Habitat Hillsborough praised the couple and the Patel Foundation for their donation which “was made in partnership with the Patel-owned Clearwater Beach Wyndham Grand Hotel & Beach Resort, whose staff members volunteered more than 400 hours to help build homes for many Habitat for Humanity homebuyers.”

Patel attended the home’s dedication ceremony on Monday, March 5 and presented Pratt with the house keys.

Pratt told the Tampa Bay Times that she has always dreamed of owning her own home as until now, she was living with her sister in a two-bedroom apartment along with one other adult and three children.

Patel is thankful to be member of the community and is happy that he can contribute to the Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County.

“It’s wonderful being here and this is what happens when fellow human beings help one another. Money is something that people can create, but time is something that God gives us that is so important and so valuable to make life better for others,” he told the Tampa Bay Times.

“I would first like to thank God and then the Drs. Patel, and thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone one else who made this possible,” Pratt told the Tampa Bay Times.

With the help of family members, Pratt completed the required 300 hours of “sweat equity” involvement in building the home as well as the 10 homeownership-related classes she needed to take in order to qualify for the program’s zero-interest mortgage.

Also, Joyce Beeman, a representative of the Tampa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented Pratt with an American Flag and she also received a handmade comforter, which was created by Nancy Blunk and was given to her by Harriet Blymiller of the Quilter’s Workshop of Tampa Bay.

Pratt will now enjoy her new three-bedroom, two-bath home with her mother Ann Jackson and two sons, her adult daughter Kennethia Blue will soon be living next door to her in another home built by Habitat for Humanity.

A former Chicago-based partner of Indian origin, in the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for scheming with a client to bilk their companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Navdeep Arora, 53, was a former partner in the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company Inc.. He was found guilty of plotting with a former internal consultant at State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., to defraud both companies out of phony consulting fees, a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said.

Investigators found Arora also fraudulently obtained money from McKinsey, State Farm and other McKinsey clients in the form of purported work-related travel reimbursements for expenses that were actually incurred on Arora’s personal trips.  The total in fraudulent bills equalled more than half a million dollars at $586,000, the press release said.

Arora falsely expensed personal trips to Scottsdale, Ariz.; Vail, Colo.; Las Vegas, Nev.; London, England; Prague, Czech Republic; Munich, Germany; and elsewhere.  He took the State Farm employee, Matthew Sorensen, on two personal vacations – to Napa, Calif. and New York, N.Y. – and expensed them to State Farm as business expenses.  The costs included flights, hotels, meals, car services and other items.

Arora, of London, England, and formerly of Chicago, was arrested in 2016 at JFK International Airport in New York after arriving on an overseas flight.  He pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman imposed the sentence March 14, in federal court in Chicago.

Arora and Sorensen “concocted a fraudulent scheme to benefit themselves during their employment,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunil R. Harjani argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum, according to the press release.  “The defendants’ actions have caused both companies to undertake time and expense uncovering this fraud, destroyed a longstanding relationship between these two companies, and caused reputational harm,” Harjani is quoted saying.

Sorensen, of Bloomington, Ill., also pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge.  Judge Guzman in September 2017 sentenced Sorensen to one year and one day in prison.

Arora and Sorensen had a longstanding business relationship through Arora’s work overseeing the consulting services McKinsey provided to State Farm, according to the press release.  At State Farm, Sorensen provided input and recommendations about whether to hire outside consultants for company projects and who to retain.

According to the charges, their fraud scheme began in 2007.  Arora and Sorensen used two corporate entities – “Gabriel Solutions” and “Andy’s BCB” – to defraud their employers out of the phony fees.  Sorensen, the press release said, billed McKinsey for the bogus work purportedly performed by the companies, while Arora allocated the fees to the State Farm projects to which he was assigned.  As a result, McKinsey and State Farm paid $38,265 for consulting services purportedly performed by “Andy’s BCB,” and $452,710 in fees billed by “Gabriel Solutions.”

Sorensen pocketed a large majority of the money, while Arora received a substantial salary and benefits from McKinsey for maintaining its business relationship with State Farm, the press release said.

Popular Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi has been sentenced to two years in prison for human trafficking, according to a BBC report. The BBC reported that in 2003, Mehndi and six others were accused of taking large amounts of money from people and making false promises of taking them to the U.S. and Canada to look for jobs.

“I have been granted bail. We will appeal in higher court,” the singer said.  The Court of Judicial Magistrate Nidhi Saini, held Daler Mehndi guilty under section 420 (Cheating) and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (Conspiracy). Mehndi was granted bail after he furnished a bail bond and said he would challenge the verdict.

The singer apparently made these people a part of his performing troupe so that when they went on tour, they could be “illegally” dropped off to get jobs in the North American region. According to an NDTV report, in 1998 and 1999, Mehndi and his brother Shamsher Singh had allegedly taken two troupes to the U.S. during which 10 people were supposedly “dropped off” illegally in San Francisco and New Jersey.

Though police had seized documents in 2006, including a list of the victims who had paid the alleged “passage money” to the brothers, after raiding the offices of Mehndi at Connaught Place in New Delhi, they claimed that he was innocent.

However, the court had upheld that the singer be prosecuted as there was “sufficient evidence against him on the judicial file and scope for further investigation” and soon after the police registered a case against Mehndi and Singh, 35 more complaints came in, “alleging that the two brothers had taken ‘passage money’ from them to help them migrate to the U.S. ‘illegally’ but had failed to do so,” according to an NDTV report.

Mehndi was convicted on Friday, March 16 in the Patiala state of Punjab, but was soon released on bail and told the Associated Press that he is innocent and that his brother was the main accuser, who died last year.

Mehndi rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s with his energetic, Punjabi songs including the hit numbers “Tunak Tunak Tun,” “Bolo Ta Ra Ra” and “Saade Naal Rahoge Toh” and has lent his voice for Bollywood film songs as well.

A Chicago alderman and former Democratic candidate for governor has announced plans to launch One Illinois, a statewide, nonprofit digital news outlet, in April.

Billed as nonpartisan, the progressive news site clearly will be aimed at countering the conservative Illinois Policy Institute and Breitbart News, among others.

Founder Ameya Pawar, who will serve as president and executive director, said the effort will be funded through a Kickstarter campaign and contributions from readers, philanthropists, agencies and organizations. (Here is the link.)

“We want to build a lasting coalition of neighbors around the issues that unite us,” Pawar said in announcing the startup Wednesday. “We believe journalism and storytelling is the best way to shape a new narrative about Illinoisans reconnecting with one another.”

In an obvious jab at the Illinois Policy Institute’s media enterprises, Pawar said: “There are outlets out there — we know who they are — and we’re out to change their prevailing narrative that casts state politics as a zero-sum game with only winners and losers. We’re going to change the way people perceive communities as deserving and undeserving by putting a human face on public policy and its effects on residents across the state.”

An alderman from Chicago’s North Side since 2011, Pawar dropped out of the gubernatorial race last fall, citing insufficient campaign funding.

Longtime Chicago journalist Ted Cox, a veteran of the Daily Herald, DNAinfo Chicago and the Chicago Reader, will serve as editor of One Illinois. At the outset he’ll oversee a staff of freelance writers, video producers and podcasters.

“Our goal is to build a broad-based audience across party lines, across race and class, and across Illinois to help shape a more positive and unified narrative,” Cox said in a statement. “Our journalism is committed to giving voice to the people. . . . We’re going to let Illinoisans talk to each other and tell their stories through good, solid journalism, and that’s going to have an impact.”

One Illinois is the second Chicago-based digital news startup announced in recent weeks. Three former editors from DNAinfo Chicago also unveiled plans for Block Club Chicago, a new neighborhood news website to be funded by reader subscriptions.

Chicago IL: Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chicago Midwest (UMSCM) Celebrated colorful legendary Festival of  Holi, symbolizing victory of God over Evil by Hindu’s all over the word, by sprinkling  colors with Dancing & Chanting,.

 This occurred on Saturday – March 03, 2018. It is unusual for any event to be held outdoors in Chicago is this time of year in month of March due to the unpredictable freezing cold weather. Believers in trust faith and miracle of the Mataji ignored the standard and against the odds of snowy weather, held the celebration outdoor at Umiya Mataji Temple Chicago, 1800 Joliet Street, West Chicago, IL 60185. Over 500 community members braved the weather and showed up in big turnout including prominent community leaders, sponsors, committee members, volunteers, friends, and well-wishers, participating in half day event.

Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring. Known widely as the Festival of Color, it takes place over two days, and is a celebration of fertility, color, and love, as well as the triumph of good versus evil.  Holi split into two events: Holika Dahan and Rangwali Holi. Holika Dahan takes place the night before Rangwali Holi. Wood and dung-cakes are burned in a symbolic pyre to signify good defeating evil (in Hindu Vedi scriptures, the God Vishnu helps burn the devil Holika to death). The next morning, people gather in public spaces and take part in Rangwali Holi. This is a raucous affair where people chase each other around, throwing handfuls of colored powders (known as gulal) at one another, while getting drenched in water.

Holi celebration was aimed to garner the spirit of giving and scattering joy, commencing with variety of delicious food. The event started with appetizer including Hot Bhajiya (Pakora), Gota & Tea served as light refreshments. Subsequently at the end of Holi celebration, Steamy hot Dinner was served with Khichadi, Kadhi and Thepla. This event was free of charge for participants by Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chicago Midwest.

It was a great joy to see the children having a good time in the woods playing with colors with their friends and family as well as participating in the community enrichment activities of Holi. Whole area was covered with clouds of vibrant colors. It was a memorable breathtaking celebration.

Shree Umiya Mataji is a Kuldevi of all Kadva Patidars Samaj. It was a heart touching religious moments eclipsing with Aarti & Bhajans. All the devotees prayed at Mataji in temple with a great gusto by dancing and singing devotional songs. The audience repeatedly chanted ‘Shree Umiya Mata Ki Jai!!’ and the whole atmosphere was festive devotional saintly and spiritual.

“We celebrate this festival to forget the outgoing year’s pains and begin the New Year with feelings of love, sympathy, cooperation, equality and positive energy. Occasions like this are a good opportunity to introduce kids to the cultural aspects of our tradition,” said by Lalbhai Patel

“Holi solemnizes the love of Radha and Krishna. The spraying of colored powders recalls the love dance of Lord Krishna and His devotees. The color, fun and frolic that accompany the celebration of Holi are the witness to a feeling of oneness and sense of brotherhood. The festival brings home the spirit of cultural and social harmony” Said by Khodabhai (Ken) Patel.

Umiya Mataji Sanstha of Chicago Midwest (UMSCM) plans to build Umiya Mataji Mandir. They purchase Church with land acquired at $ 1. 4 million at 1800 Joliet Street, West Chicago, IL 60185, Lot Size is 8 and ¾ acres, Current Pre-existing Building size is 8000 sq. feet attached house of 3 bed room house. UMSCM is a not for Profit, 501 3 (c), organization was establish in 2016 with an objective to build a first ever Temple of Mataji along with great Community center. The main purpose of the association is to provide a platform for Cultural, Educational, Social, Religious and spiritual needs of Kadva Patidar Samaj.

UMSCM executive board: Jayantibhai P. Patel (Chairman), Shailesh R. Patel (Vice Chairman), Lalbhai M. Patel (President), Dipal G. Patel (Vice President), Devandra Patel (Secretary), Jignesh H. Patel (Jt. Secretary), Saurabh Patel (Jt. Secretary), Piyush Patel (Treasurer) and Hasmukhbhai P. Patel (Jt. Treasurer)

UMSCM working team: Ashok S. Patel, Ashvinkumar A. Patel, Vishnubhai G. Patel, Dashubhai R. Patel, Girishkumar Patel, Jagdish N. Patel, Jayesh V. Patel, Jitendra Patel, Mahendra R. Patel, Navnitkumar Patel, Pulkitkumar N. Patel, Rajendrakumar Patel, Sanjay G. Patel, Bharat Patel Kantibhai (KS) Patel, Kishan Patel, Jitubhai Patel and Rasik Patel

Anuradha Kedia, cofounder of The Better India with her husband Dhimant Parekh — both have engineering backgrounds — started the effort in 2009 as a side-project blog. They spent their weekends writing posts about people doing good work that reflected a side of Indian communities they felt wasn’t represented in mainstream news at the time.

“There was so much negative and sensational news out there about all the issues that existed within our country. We know that coverage is important,” Kedia said. “But we knew a lot of people who work on the ground, who work in the social sector helping people, some in their own small ways, and we felt none of these organizations and none of their good deeds really got any mainstream coverage.”

Over next few years, the site started to spread beyond their network of friends and family. Journalists from larger news organizations sent The Better India tips for social issues and solutions-focused stories that didn’t fit at their own organizations, Kedia and Parekh said. (In those early days, when he spoke to mainstream media editors, Parekh claims, many told him there would be no readership for explicitly positive stories; the market incentives simply weren’t there.)

The two soon realized that places they spotlighted would sometimes get a flood of interest from strangers wanting to help out. A couple of years into the blog’s existence, they had written a post about a school for deaf students, Parekh said, and a week later the school got in touch to say a group of people had driven over to volunteer and donated money for renovations.

“It was a huge revelation: If these kinds of stories, read by just a few thousand back then, could drive this kind of response, then imagine what we could achieve if we got to hundreds of thousands, then millions, of readers,” Parekh said.

Kedia quit her job to focus on building sources, reaching out to people working in sectors from health and science to education to gender rights to hear about what was changing, what approaches they were trying, on-the-ground realities: “The work done in those years formed the backbone of the site; we still get stories to this day that come through that network.” By 2014, the site had grown too big for one person to run it; Parekh also left his job to join The Better India full time. At the beginning of 2015, they raised around USD $160,000 from angel investors to hire more staff. It’s also gotten some funding from the Independent and Public Spirited Media Foundation.

The Bangalore-based operation is now a profitable organization with 27 full-time staffers, and its good news mission sprawls across all the usual distribution channels, plus some: The site now has 1.9 million followers on Facebook, 565,000 on Twitter (“no traffic, just influencers”), 52,000 on Instagram, and 10,800 subscribers on YouTube. It also has about 100,000 subscribers to its email newsletters (in additional to a regular briefing, it even offers customized corporate packages), 35,000 subscribers to its WhatsApp channel, some content partnerships with larger organizations including radio stations, and ambitions for a TV show, Kedia and Parekh say. 30 percent of its audience comes from outside of India (mainly, the U.S., U.K., and Singapore).

“We still see ourselves as, we would call it a solutions-based media platform,” Parekh said. “What we really focused on, as Anuradha talked about earlier, are innovations, initiatives by common citizens, grassroots-level change.”

The good news focus is, of course, not an unfamiliar editorial strategy, though The Better India caught an early wave. Its stories are all over the place: A quick scan of recent pieces will get you original interviews, delightful histories, policy explainers, and many original videos — but also a lot of excited headlines on top of aggregation from larger mainstream outlets such as The Times of India, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and the Week. (All media are watching each other: The Times of India, for instance, now has a Good News & Inspiring News Stories from India section.)

The Better India publishes around 18 to 20 pieces a day — a mix of video, short hits, and longform — around half of which come out of original reporting. Its stories continue to be relentlessly positive, often accompanied by an action item (e.g., This resilient farmer tills his land with a cot frame. Here are his bank details if you want to donate. Reader, he got the bulls.)

Right now sponsored content makes up 80 percent of The Better India’s revenue, a stream Parekh said he expects will continue to grow in the next few years. The “Partner Campaigns” section of its site hosts these sponsored videos and stories. “We were trying to figure out how do we work with that wouldn’t dilute our content. We thought: Hey, let’s look at brands that want to talk about stuff we also want to talk about, if there’s an overlap, we could partner and co-create content,” Parekh said. Programmatic advertising is currently another slice of revenue. The site juststarted to test asking for reader donations as well. (Three additional revenue streams under consideration for the coming year: organizing events around issues such as healthcare innovation and women’s empowerment, providing consulting to companies looking to build corporate social responsibility initiatives, licensing publishing and audience engagement tools it built in-house.)

(A couple of years ago, you may have seen that viral video above — or read one of the many articles about it — about a small company in Hyderabad that made edible spoons. That was one of The Better India’s biggest successes. The video is part of an India Innovates series, and TBI is looking for sponsors for a second season.)

The site also has a section that functions like a contributor network for foundations, NGOs, and other vetted social-good initiatives to post policy ideas, inspirational stories, helpful guides — though here no self-promotion is allowed and no money is exchanged. In all of these sections, the main rule applies: only inspirational, useful, fun topics allowed.

The Better India has earned its reach by being everywhere, and though it’s hampered by being mainly English-language, it’s made more systematic efforts to reach beyond younger, urban readers. It designed a WhatsApp hack to help broadcast a “magazine” digest — a PDF pulled together automatically from posts published to the site that day and fed into a design template, allowing people to read Better India stories offline (about 80 percent of subscribers there who get the content, read the content). It’s started a Hindi edition. It syndicates some of its stories to regional news outlets that translate and run those stories for their own audiences. It’s making a lot of social-friendly video, but not just to “jump on the video bandwagon.” In any case, The Better India has also taken a significant hit from Facebook’s recent algorithm changes.

“This is why we’re experimenting with formats,” Kedia said. “If you’re looking at populations that are lower income, that have not had as much access to education or exposure to technology, video, through sharing, has reached these underserved populations as well. Even if they aren’t able to consume our longform articles in English, they can get the gist of the video.”

Can you unplug from your mobile device and not feel anxious? If not, you’re in the majority — Americans are more tied to their personal technology than ever. The latest statistics from the Pew Research Center reveal that 69 percent of adults use social media, and three-quarters of those look at Facebook at least once a day.

Is that troubling? A professor at Arizona State University says asking that question is becoming more urgent. “It’s a very recent phenomenon,” said Matt Sopha, clinical assistant professor of information systems in the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU. His research areas include social media and influence and information systems teaching methods. “There have been murmurings of it over the years, but we do have to rethink our relationship with technology,” he said.

A nationwide initiative called the National Day of Unplugging is asking all Americans to do just that by going on a 24-hour “digital detox,” from sundown Friday through sundown Saturday.

Instead of looking at their devices during this time, people would instead go outside or connect with each other face to face.

Sopha is available to comment on our relationship with our mobile devices and what we can do to develop healthier habits.

Question: Are you worried about how we engage with our devices?

Answer: I have a deep affinity for technology and for gadgets and gizmos and all of that stuff. But I do make a concerted effort to unplug from the devices from time to time. I try to not actively engage with my phone when I’m at home or out with my loved ones.

The nature of how we engage with these devices has taken on a new meaning in the zeitgeist.

I was reading the other day that on average we spend about four hours a day on our devices. If you’re awake time is 14 or 15 hours a day, you’re talking 20 percent of your day is spent glued to this device.

I wonder what that does to us.

One of the questions I ask my grad students all the time is: “We have evolved technology. But we have to take a step back and look at how technology is evolving us.”

If you think about how our brain processes stimuli, are these devices training our brains in a way that we don’t necessarily understand? It’s tapping into pleasure centers and dopamine receptors.

We were at a concert not too long back. The young lady sitting next to use was fascinating to me because she spent the entire show on Snapchat, recording the concert and photographing the concert and snapping her friends. She was experiencing the concert through the screen rather than through the environment around her. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was missing out on something.

What happens when technology takes over and we forget how to human?

Q: Are young people concerned about how much time they spend on their devices?

A: This is one of the things they always want to talk about because theirs is a generation of digital natives. Whereas with my generation, the internet wasn’t really a thing until I was a teenager.

They’re very versed in this, almost to the point where they take it for granted sometimes. The class tries to reposition their thinking about technology in the workplace and technology as a tool.

The young people that I teach are so much smarter than I ever was at their age. They ask bigger questions. They are intellectually curious. They observe the world around them in a way that is incredibly powerful.

That gives me hope.

But I will live a thousand years and I will never know what Snapchat is for.

Q: Why is it so hard to put down our phones?

A: If you think about social media feeds, they’re by design endless. It’s not like, ‘OK, you’ve reached the end of your updates and you’re done.’ They’re constantly feeding you more stuff. And companies like Facebook and Twitter do that because they want to serve you ads and they want to mine your data.

It’s the old adage that if any service is free, you’re not the customer, you’re the product.

And they trigger these pleasure centers in our brain to give us that “just one more post.”

Q: Is completely unplugging is the answer?

A: I try to take a healthy middle-ground approach.

If we’re going to use the analogy of an addiction, would you tell someone addicted to a chemical substance, “OK, cold turkey for 24 hours and you’re good”?

I don’t think that completely unplugging form our devices is a healthy way to approach it, because then we limit ourselves from being able to utilize the observable good that they can do.

I’m a marathoner and a triathlete. I put my earbuds on and I listen to podcasts. And I keep my phone with me because if something were to happen to me, there would be a GPS footprint. I get my work email on my phone. And my mom calls me.

All of that is healthy.

I think the thing that’s unhealthy is when it becomes obsessive — when you’re picking up the phone to look at and it and you don’t remember why you picked it up.

Perhaps we need to not break up with our technology but to reassess our relationship — maybe go to couples counseling for our technology.

Oscars 2018 took a somber turn as Tom Petty’s Room at the Top was performed by Eddie Vedder to remember the artistes who unfortunately passed away in 2017 and 2018. Indian cinema icon Shashi Kapoor and India’s first female superstar Sridevi were among those honored at the 90th Academy Awards ceremony here during the “In Memoriam” montage.

The Indian stars got a musical tribute by Eddie Vedder who took the stage to sing Tom Petty’s “Room at the top.”

They were included in the annual montage along with stars such as John Heard, Tony Anne Walker, Jane Foray, Robert Osborne, Martin Landau, Glenne Headly, Roger Moore, George A. Romero and Jerry Lewis.

Actress Jennifer Garner introduced the segment by paying tribute to late star Audrey Hepburn. “There is no joy without sorrow,” Garner said, and then acknowledged the loss of film world with the departed souls.

Actor Sridevi, who died unexpectedly on February 24, and legendary actor Kapoor was remembered during the In Memoriam session at the 90th Academy Awards held on Sunday, March 4^th in California.

Sridevi, known for her ability to slip into myriad roles, expressive eyes, sheer comic timing and her fluid dancing skills, died on Feb. 24. Her death left everyone shocked, and saddened.

Boney Kapoor along with his daughters Janhvi and Khushi bid a final farewell to Sridevi in Rameswaram last week. The first female superstar’s untimely death in Dubai came as a shock to the film industry. Her mortal remains were brought back to India on February 27 after Dubai authorities determined that she had died of accidental drowning in her bathtub.

Son of Prithviraj Kapoor and younger brother of Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor made his debut in Bollywood with the 1961 film “Dharmputra” after working as a child artist. He passed away in December 2017.

Bollywood’s ultimate “charm house” Shashi Kapoor then went on to make a name for himself globally by associating with international cinema. He was honored with the Padma Bhushan – the third highest civilian honor – by the Indian government in 2011. In 2015, he was bestowed with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Also at the event was Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistan-born actor, who did not let his time on stage go to waste. Before presenting the award for best production design, Nanjiani and Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o, expressed their support for the Dreamers and other immigrants. In what The New York Times describes as the Oscars’ “most pointed political statements,” the two briefly spoke about how dreams are the very foundation of Hollywood. “To all the Dreamers out there, we stand with you,” Nanjiani said.

While the glamorous Priyanka Chopra missed this year’s awards, after sizzling on the red carpet for the past two years, as she was not well. But the “Quantico” actress took to Instagram and gave a shout out to her friends attending the Oscars. “I wish all my friends nominated tonight all the very best! So sick but wishing everyone from bed! Can’t wait to know the winners! #oscars2018,” Chopra wrote on Instagram, posting along with a selfie.

Mindy Kaling  was spotted at the Vanity Fair after party along with her “The Office” star B.J. Novak, sending social media into a tizzy, wishing for the two to hook up soon. Kaling said: “I will freely admit: My relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell. He is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend.”

Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman was spotted at the Oscar Concert on March 1. Included in the lineup was his famous number from “Slumdog Millionaire,” the Indo-Asian News Service reported. The concert was held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, as part of a collaboration between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Rahman won two Oscars for “Jai Ho,” from British filmmaker Danny Boyle’s film “Slumdog Millionaire” at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009.

The Sikh Coalition on February 22 announced that it has named Satjeet Kaur as its new executive director. In her post, Kaur will lead the day-to-day management of the coalition’s staff and drive the strategic direction of the organization in the U.S., it said in a news release.

“This organization has been built through the outstanding work of so many people over the last 17 years,” said Satjeet. “I’m humbled by the opportunity to use this momentum to further civil rights in this country and empower the Sikh community.”

Since joining the staff in 2010, Satjeet has contributed to every programmatic area of the organization’s work. In her early years, she managed operations, supported education projects, developed Sikh awareness resources and launched the Sikh Coalition’s social media platforms. Recently, as the Senior Director of Development and Finance, she refined organizational branding, incorporated game-changing technology, and installed new processes that resulted in the Sikh Coalition receiving recognition as one of the top nonprofits for transparency and governance. Click hereto learn more.

Of late, as the senior director of development and finance, she refined organizational branding, incorporated game-changing technology, and installed new processes that resulted in the Sikh Coalition receiving recognition as one of the top nonprofits for transparency and governance, the coalition noted.

“Satjeet is undoubtedly the right choice for this job. Her integrity, judgment and commitment to the community have inspired thousands. For nearly eight years, I have admired her endless contributions to our work and her leadership across the Sikh community and within our team,” said co-founder and board chairman Narinder Singh in a statement.

“She has the full support of our board, the complete trust of our staff and the backing of the philanthropic institutions that help support our work,” Singh added.

After serving as interim executive director for the past five months, Singh will return to the board of directors as executive chairman. In this expanded capacity he will chair the board of the Sikh Coalition and provide support to Kaur and the leadership of the organization.

The Sikh Coalition’s goal remains working towards a world where Sikhs, and other religious minorities in America, may freely practice their faith without bias and discrimination. In 2018, this work continues through high-impact advocacy in the courtroom, classroom, community and halls of Congress, it said.

“For 17 years, you have depended on us to defend your rights and create lasting impact for the generations that follow,” said Kaur. “I’m honored to help lead this work with our committed team and I am excited about what the future holds for bringing you more lasting results.”

March 8, 2018 (New York, NY) – This week, the Sikh Coalition’s legal team has taken on three hate crime cases, and we are in the process of connecting with other communities on at least three more hate incidents. This is in addition to a hate crime case we have been involved with since January.

While this is an alarming recent spike, it follows a pattern: We estimate that Sikhs in the U.S. are experiencing an average of one hate crime per week since the start of 2018. This figure is likely to be the tip of the iceberg as many individuals of hate crimes do not report them to law enforcement or the Sikh Coalition.

We provide completely free and confidential legal assistance to Sikhs who have been discriminated against or subject to bias based upon their religious beliefs or identity. Please fill out our legal intake form if you believe you have been discriminated against or subject to bias, and would like to request legal assistance from the Sikh Coalition. The Sikh Coalition handles nearly 200 free and confidential legal intakes a year, and we examine every submission on a case-by-case basis.

“Our organization is designed to be your insurance policy when a hate crime occurs,” said the Sikh Coalition’s Legal Director, Amrith Kaur. “Nobody in America has more legal experience dealing with hate crime cases for Sikhs than our organization, and we are always here to protect your rights.”

TAKE ACTION & KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

1. Report Hate Incidents – If you or somebody you know has experienced threats of hate violence, bias-based property damage or hate vandalism, seek medical attention if needed and call law enforcement immediately. Please be aware that law enforcement should not ask you about your immigration status, and in the event that they do, you have the right to not answer this question. Please contact the Sikh Coalition at 212-655-3095 or by filling out our quick reporting form to have a free and confidential consultation with experienced attorneys in either English or Punjabi.

2. Know Your Rights – Download our FAQ guide on hate crimes, hate speech and on how to report incidents to authorities and the Sikh Coalition. Display our hate crime poster at your gurdwara, which is available in both English and Punjabi. Additionally, the Sikh Coalition continues to provide educational brochures that introduce non-Sikhs to the Sikh faith and community. This resource is available in 18 different languages. To get copies of any of our resources please email education@sikhcoalition.org.

3. Share Gurdwara Security Toolkit – Print or email our Gurdwara Security Toolkit, and share it with your gurdwara. In 2017, over 50 gurdwaras worked with the Sikh Coalition to take proactive steps to make their gurdwaras safer. Ask your gurdwara if they have already participated, and if they haven’t, please have a committee member email community@sikhcoalition.org.

4. Share This Information With Your Friends and Family – Forward this email to your immediate circle of friends and family. Encourage them to sign up for the Sikh Coalition’s email alerts so that they can continue to receive related updates on resources and information. Take the next easy step and post this information to your social media accounts. It’s critical that we disseminate this information to everybody in the community so that if a hate crime happens, they know we are here to provide free and confidential legal resources.

GOPIO officials and Chapter Representatives had a fruitful meeting with Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty and other Consulate Officials in New York on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018. The meeting was a follow up to the meeting in September last year when a GOPIO delegation met India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and appealed to launch Know India Program (KIP) during the Summer for the second and third generation PIOs in the US who have not visited India. The Indian Minister had in principle had accepted this proposal and the Indian Consulate in New York had invited a GOPIO delegation to the Consulate for discussion to launch Govt. of India’s Know India Program (KIP) during the Summer for the PIO youth during summer time.

The Indian Consulate officials included Consul General Chakravorty and the other Consuls. The GOPIO officials included Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, Vice President Ram Gadhavi, Secretary Dr. Rajeev Mehta, Chapter Review Committee Chair Dinesh Mittal, GICC Co-Chair Prakash Shah, GOPIO Media Council Chair Nami Kaur and GOPIO Council on Seniors Chair Sudha Acharya. GOPIO discussed several other issues including providing assistance to NRIs/PIOs in need and joint programs with the consulate.

The Consulate on its part updated activities and services provided for the community. These include joint efforts with the community organizations as well as organized directly by the Consulate such as the India Lecture series. The Consul General reiterated that the KIP proposal presented by GOPIO to Sushma Swaraj had been accepted by the Ministry of External Affairs, and will start in Summer of 2018. This program caters to young PIOs around the world who have not visited India, to make that visit and get to know about the country of their origin.

GOPIO delegation brought the following issues to the attention of the Consulate: PIO youth participation from the US in Know India Program (KIP); High need for social services for the NRI/PIO community in the US; Growing need to address the mental health conditions within the Diaspora; PIOs being charged 10 times fees for off campus enrollment in  Universities; NRI/PIO Seniors experiencing hunger, loneliness and depression; and, Limited Consulate resources to attend NRI/PIO events e.g. Independence Day.

The biggest outcome of this meeting was the plan to launch Govt. of India’s Know Indian Program (KIP) for the 3rd and above generation US PIOs of age 18-30 who have not visited India before. More details of the selection process will come later. The meeting also decided to initiate several new programs with the Indian Consulate, especially in coordinating social services to needy NRIs/PIOs, health series talks and activities of GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce (GICC) hosting Indian business delegation.

The meeting ended with a positive discussion on how GOPIO can play an instrumental role to support the Indian Government’s objectives with respect to their nationals living abroad and helping the Indian Consulate to provide services to the Diaspora community.

Soor Aur Saptak, a group of Indian-American singers has planned a rollicking Bollywood style event Feb. 24, in Portland, Oregon, to raise funds for a foundation that treats visually impaired children in India.

In India, there are an estimated 400,000 blind children out of the 1.5 million around the world. It also notes that 75 percent of visual impairment is avoidable, in a world where there are some 217 million visually impaired and 36 million blind people.

“Recognizing the significance of sight for a child – which includes tremendous opportunities for education, socializing, productivity, and family life – Soor Aur Saptak dedicated their efforts to restoring vision for children in rural India,” the press release says. It chose Seva Foundation to channel the funds it raises because this organization has worked globally to eradicate visual  impairment and blindness, Soor Aur Saptak says.

Soor Aur Saptak, which means “Notes and Octaves” in Hindi, was founded in 2012, and held its first event in 2013, raising $6,500. But in 2017 the event raised more than $43,000 which enabled almost 69,000 children to have eye screenings, it said in a press release. “Selling out each year, bringing people together for an all-singing, all-dancing Bollywood evening continues to be a successful way to help raise awareness and funds for a good cause,” the group says. The Feb. 24 event will be held at the Sonrise Church in Hillsboro, Oregon.

The American India Foundation (AIF) Orange County chapter is expecting to raise $500,000 at their fifth annual gala on March 17, at the Pasea Resort in Huntington Beach, California. The gala will also be celebrating AIF’s contribution to India for 16 years under their five programs of education, livelihood, public health, leadership and gender focus.

The gala is expected to draw a crowd of over 300 local community professionals and will honor the achievements of Orange County contributors and highlight the success made by the OC contributions to the programs.

The evening will be filled with traditional Indian cuisine, a live performance by Molodi Live (as seen on Good Morning America) and a live auction featuring International travel packages, exclusive sporting opportunities, wine and culinary experience.

AIF’s Orange County Chapter was launched in the summer of 2013 with the aim of accelerating AIF’s mission of catalyzing social and economic change in India. Last year they raised over $400,000.

AIF is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development. Its programming seeks to achieve gender equity through developing inclusive models that focus on and empower girls and women.

AIF was founded in 2001 by then President Bill Clinton following a suggestion from then Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee. AIF has raised more than $118 million and impacted some 3.7 million lives from across 24 states of India. Learn more about the people who make this a reality—our Board of Directors, Trustees, advisory councils, and international team of development professionals.

 Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), was the center of attention at the Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America’s (BJANA) first ever “BJANA Talk Show” held in Freehold, New Jersey on Friday, February 9.

Since UIDAI is the main agency of the Government of India which is responsible for implementing Aadhaar, the talk show focused on questions about Aadhaar, the complexity of maintaining privacy and implementation, and how it will reach to 1.2 billion Indians.

The talk show was attended by over dozens of BJANA members and streamlined live on Facebook. Vinay Singh, the president of BJANA, introduced Pandey giving a brief background of his education and success with Aadhaar.

The Facebook live was broadcasted to over 1,000 viewers who actively participated by sending their questions in for Pandey. In the past, Pandey has addressed the questions and concerns of Indian Americans about banking in India, property inheritance without Aadhaar and handling financial and investment accounts.

Today, Aadhaar is the most trusted ID and widely held unique identification system in India which has the facility of authentication online and offline anytime, anywhere. Aadhaar has empowered 1.19 billion Indians with a credible identity.

Nowadays, the fact is that Aadhaar inspires more confidence and trust between person-to-person and person-to-system than any other identity document in India. Almost every sixth person in the world holds an Aadhaar card.

Aadhaar—the 12 digit unique identification number—has tremendous potential to bring revolutionary transformation as it empowers people in myriad ways so that a sense of enhanced security and trust prevails in the life of people at large.

And all this is possible because of Aadhaar, its technology, its platform, its authentication infrastructure and its use as the verifiable identity. Aadhaar has enabled one-sixth population on this planet to prove irrepudiably that s/he is the one whom s/he claims to be and has brought in digital revolution in the life of every Indian.

True to its transformational potentials of cleansing the system of fakes, ghost and duplicates, Aadhaar has turned into a game changer in favour of poor. It has not only been able to create secure and safe environs where people can trust a person with his verifiable ID but has also been an instrument to curb black money, money-laundering, check on benami dealing and banking frauds, improved tax compliance, enhanced transparency in the system, hassle-free deliveries of service, ease of life and business, etc.

However, Aadhaar is often under attack from various quarters mainly on the misconceived grounds of surveillance or Orwellian design that may significantly alter the relationship between the state and the citizen, ill perceived data “breach” or leakages, so-called exclusions and denials, privacy invasion, etc. Let me dispel with due respect to the critics, some of the misperceptions.

At the onset, it is pertinent to know Social Security Number (SSN) story as to how one of the developed democracies United States of America introduced unique identification numbers to cleanse their system through an enactment in 1935 for a limited purpose of providing social security benefits during the Great Depression. Later, in 1942, it expanded the scope through an executive order which mandated all federal agencies to exclusively use SSN in their programs. In 1962, SSN was adopted as official Tax Identification Number (TIN) for income tax purposes. Further in 1976, Social Security Act was further amended to say that any State may, in the administration of any tax, general public assistance, driver’s license, or motor vehicle registration law utilize SSN for the purpose of establishing the identification of individuals and may require any individual to furnish SSN.

Chicago IL: The first ever launch of Ashley’s Music Foundation (also known as AMF) took place at the Tall Grass Clubhouse in Naperville, IL. Ashley’s Music Foundation, is a non-profit organization that was created by a very talented 16-year teenage singer Ashley Singh from Naperville to promote music programs in underprivileged schools in Chicago land area.

Ashley Singh is a junior at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, IL and has been a prominent member of the Waubonsie music program for the past 3 years. She is incredibly passionate about music, as she started training in Indian classical music at the age of 4. After learning various styles of singing for 12 years, she grew very fondly of music. She is fully convinced about the importance of music learning for young minds such as integration of left and right brain, concentration, self-confidence and self-identity. She herself is the beneficiary of leaning music and changes she has experienced in her life. She believes that music education should be an integral part of every child’s learning curriculum.

Nothing pains her the most when she hears that school districts cut back on music programs due to lack of funding and resources. To make a difference in the lives of children in those school districts who are struggling with their own music programs, Ashley decided to start her own music foundation. This foundation is dedicated to spread the love music education among young children. Ashley made it her mission to implement music programs in schools that did not have one, to inevitably help each student become more in tune with music, education, and their own identity. As a pilot program, AMF has started the music program at Excel Academy of Englewood under the name Matanoia Choir as pilot program in January 2018. She plans to extend the program to other schools on south side Chicago in the academic year 2018-2019.

The AMF launch began around 6pm, when all members of the community who came to support Ashley and her foundation. The event formally started with a lamp lighting ceremony and the honors were done by Ashley Singh, Rita Singh, Sanjeev Singh, MaCassa Johnson, Matthew Obrzut, Sunil Shah, Neil Khot, and Ashfaq Hussain Syed. After the lamp lighting ceremony, Ashley gave a powerful presentation on how music is so important and why every child should have access to music education. She also spoke about AMF and explained her mission for the foundation. MaCassa Johnson, who is the founder and executive director of State of Emerge-A-City and advisor of AMF, and Matthew Obrzut, the principal of the Excel Academy of Englewood also joined Ashley and spoke more about AMF mission, current activities and future plans. They shared how much the foundation is positively impacting the lives of the students in Excel Academy of Englewood. Following Ashley’s presentation, a video by the principal of Waubonsie Valley High School, Mr. JasonStipp, was played. Mr. Stipp unfortunately could not attend the event but wanted everyone to know how supportive he is of AMF and the foundation’s mission. The night ended when our community leaders, Sunil Shah, Neil Khot, and Clarence Welton shared their kind words and wishes for the future of AMF.

Ashley’s Music Foundation (AMF) was created in June of 2017 and continues to help students in Chicago Public Schools through the power of music. Partnered with the State of Emerge-A-City, a non-profit organization helping students through leadership programs and much more, AMF has already implemented a choir program into the Excel Academy of Englewood. This school acquires students from 15-21 years of age, each either having been expelled from their previous school or had aged out of their grade. Each student faces detrimental adversities like drug abuse, violence, and lack of security on a daily basis. So through the power of the gift of music, AMF strives for each of these misguided students to be geared towards a path of passion, dedication, and retention.  AMF’s mission is for every student in the Chicago land area to have access to a music program through their school. AMF emphasizes the importance of music and its goal is to raise awareness of this. Ashley Singh, founder and CEO of AMF, has been deeply affected by the fine arts and aspires to see other students be beneficially impacted in the same manner. For more information, please visit www.amfchicago.org

The landscape of relationships in America has shifted dramatically in recent decades. From cohabitation to same-sex marriage to interracial and interethnic marriage, here are eight facts about love and marriage in the United States.

1Love tops the list of Americans’ reasons to marry. About nine-in-ten Americans (88%) cited love as a very important reason to get married, ahead of making a lifelong commitment (81%) and companionship (76%), according to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey. Fewer said having their relationship recognized in a religious ceremony (30%), financial stability (28%) or legal rights and benefits (23%) were very important reasons to marry.

However, being a good financial provider was seen as particularly important for men to be a good husband or partner, according to a 2017 survey by the Center. About seven-in-ten adults (71%) said it was very important for a man to be able to support a family financially to be a good husband or partner, while just 32% said the same for a woman to be a good wife or partner.

As far as what helps people stay married, married adults said in a 2015 survey that having shared interests (64%) and a satisfying sexual relationship (61%) were very important to a successful marriage. More than half (56%) also named sharing household chores.

2Half of Americans ages 18 and older were married in 2016, a share that has remained relatively stable in recent years but is down 9 percentage points over the past quarter-century. One factor driving this change is that Americans – particularly men – are staying single longer. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2017, the median age at first marriage had reached its highest point on record: 29.5 years for men and 27.4 years for women.

Marriage declined most among those with a high school diploma or less education. In 1990, 63% of this group were married; by 2015, that had dropped to 50%. In contrast, 65% of those ages 25 and older with at least a four-year college degree were married in 2015.

As the U.S. marriage rate has declined, divorce rates have increased among older Americans. In 2015, for every 1,000 married adults ages 50 and older, 10 had divorced – up from five in 1990. Among those ages 65 and older, the divorce rate roughly tripled since 1990.

3The number of U.S. adults cohabiting with a partner is on the rise. In addition to the half of U.S. adults who are married, 7% were cohabiting in 2016. The number of Americans living with an unmarried partner reached about 18 million in 2016, up 29% since 2007. Roughly half of cohabiters are younger than 35 – but cohabitation is rising most quickly among Americans ages 50 and older.

4Remarriage is on the rise. In 2013, 23% of married people had been married before, compared with just 13% in 1960. Four-in-ten new marriages in 2013 included a spouse who had said “I do” (at least) once before, and in 20% of new marriages both spouses had been married at least once before.

Remarriage is more common among men than women. Among previously married men (those who were ever divorced or widowed), 64% took a second walk down the aisle, compared with 52% of previously married women, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of 2013 Census Bureau data. One possible reason for this disparity is that women are less interested than men in remarrying. Among previously married women, 54% said in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey that they did not want to marry again, compared with 30% of men.

5One-in-six newlyweds (17%) were married to someone of a different race or ethnicity in 2015.This reflects a steady increase in intermarriage since 1967, when just 3% of newlyweds were intermarried, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center analysis.

While Asian (29%) and Hispanic (27%) newlyweds are most likely to intermarry in the U.S., the most dramatic increases in intermarriage have occurred among black newlyweds, 18% of whom married someone of a different race or ethnicity, up from 5% in 1980. About one-in-ten white newlyweds (11%) are married to someone of a different race or ethnicity.

Intermarriage is more common in certain metropolitan areas, as well as in urban rather than rural areas. For example, 42% of newlyweds in Honolulu were intermarried – by far the largest share of the 126 metropolitan areas analyzed. By contrast, about 3% of newlyweds in Jackson, Mississippi, and Asheville, North Carolina, married someone of a different race or ethnicity.

6. Public support for same-sex marriage has grown in the past 10 years. In 2007, Americans opposed legalizing same-sex marriage by a margin of 54% to 37%. In 2017, more favored (62%) than opposed (32%) allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally.

Surveys conducted by Gallup found that about one-in-ten LGBT Americans (10%) were married to a same-sex spouse in 2017. Now, a majority (61%) of all same-sex couples who live together are married.

7. Sizable minorities of married people are members of a different religious group than their significant other or identify with a different political party. About four-in-ten Americans (39%) who have married since 2010 have a spouse who is in a different religious group, compared with only 19% of those who wed before 1960, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey. Many of these interfaith marriages are between Christians and those who are religiously unaffiliated.

Meanwhile, marriages and partnerships across political party lines are relatively rare in the U.S. Large majorities of members of both political parties say their spouse or partner belongs to the same party. In 2016, 77% of both Republicans and Democrats who were married or living with a partner said their spouse or partner was in the same party.

8. Americans are increasingly looking for love online. A total of 15% of American adults have used online dating sites and/or mobile dating apps, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, up from 11% who reported doing soin 2013. Roughly four-in-ten Americans (41%) know someone who uses online dating, and 29% know someone who has entered a long-term relationship via online dating.

The growth in online dating can be seen particularly among young adults. The share of 18- to 24-year-olds who use online dating has almost tripled in recent years, from 10% in 2013 to 27% in 2015. Mobile dating apps are partly responsible of this increase: 22% of 18- to 24-year-olds now report using mobile dating apps, up from just 5% in 2013.

For the most part, people today view online dating positively. About six-in-ten (59%) say it is a good way to meet people, and 47% agree that it is easier and more efficient than other ways of meeting people.

“We, retired civil servants belonging to different Services and batches, wish to register our deep concern at the continuing incidents of mindless violence in the country, especially those targeting the minorities, and the lackadaisical response of the law enforcement machinery to these attacks.

The killing of Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant worker from West Bengal in Rajsamand, Rajasthan, on the 25th Anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid has deeply shaken each of us. The recording of the brutal act on video and the circulation of the justification for the killing over the internet cuts at the roots of an inclusive and pluralistic society drawing its inspiration from the teachings of Buddha, Mahavira, Ashoka, Akbar, the Sikh Gurus, Hindu Sages and Gandhi. The violent incidents in Udaipur in support of the alleged killer are a pointer to how deep the sectarian poison has spread among the population of this country.

In the last nine months, we have seen the death of Pehlu Khan on 3rd April after he was attacked by a crowd of so called Gau Rakshaks near Behror, Alwar, on 1st of April. The killers named by him have not been arrested so far. However, seven others have been arrested and subsequently let off on bail.

The second killing on 16th of June of Zafar Khan was in the name of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Municipal Chairman and other Safai Karmacharis in Pratapgarh reportedly beat him to death while he was opposing the naming and shaming process for making Pratapgarh open defecation- free. There is no arrest so far with the police claiming that Zafar Khan died of a heart attack.

The third killing in June 2017, was that of 16-year-old Junaid Khan on a train returning after Eid shopping in Delhi following a dispute over seats on the train when following abuses and insults he was stabbed and thrown out of the train at Asoti station, where he bled to death.

Following an outcry against this incident both within and outside India, the Prime Minister made a statement that “killing people in the name of ‘Gau bhakti’ is unacceptable”. He repeated this once again a day before the Parliamentary session started on 15th of July, 2017, at an all India meeting of the BJP, where he placed the onus on taking stringent action in these cases on the State governments. However, the killings continue without any check.

The fourth killing happened on 27th August, 2017, when Anwar Hussain and Hafizul Sheikh, both 19 years of age, who were transporting cattle purchased from Dhupguri in West Bengal to Tufangunj in Cooch Behar. As they got lost on the way, a mob accosted them in the early hours and when they could not pay the 50,000 rupees demanded of them, beat them both to death. Though three persons were arrested for the lynching, efforts to identify others in the mob have not produced any result so far.

The fifth killing happened on 10th of November, 2017, when Umair Khan and his friends transporting cows were fired on by so called Gau Rakshaks in Govindgarh Tehsil in Alwar district. Umair Khan was killed and his body was carried to the railway track in an attempt to destroy all evidence. Of the seven killers only two were arrested. However, two of the victims, Tahir and Jawed, were placed behind bars.

The Indian Express of December 25 quotes a BJP MLA from Rajasthan – Gyan Dev Ahuja of Ramgarh – who said that “if one engages in cow smuggling or slaughters a cow, he will be killed.” Such language is an open incitement to violence, acts of which are slowly poisoning the body politic and examples of which are listed above. Such words and actions have no place in a civilized society and fly in the face of established jurisprudence. Vigilantism is let loose upon a hapless group with all its tragic consequences.

Apart from the murders, we are deeply concerned to see the acceleration of a process of ghettoization through organized resistance to sale of properties to Muslims, or refusal by owners to have them as tenants. A recent case reported in the media relates to prevention of a Muslim buyer to take possession of a house in the Maliwara locality of Meerut that he had paid for. The daily indignities that the Muslims face in this and many other ways is bound to lead to an atmosphere of resentment in that religious community that will further vitiate an already poisoned environment. The “love-jihad” campaigns of right-wing Hindu groups are again symptomatic of the efforts by extremist elements of the majority religion to interfere in the basic constitutional rights of citizens to enter into marriage with a partner of their choice.

In the past few weeks in December, we are witness to increasing targeting of Christians around the observation of Christmas. On 15th of December, police detained groups singing carols in Satna. When a group of priests went to make enquiries, they were also reportedly detained by the police. In Uttar Pradesh, the Hindu Jagran Manch warned Christian schools in Aligarh against observing Christmas. In Rajasthan, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad allegedly stormed a Christmas function on the grounds that this was an attempt at forced conversion.

We seek now and without delay a clear response from the Hon’ble Prime Minister and his government on these issues, along with immediate and firm action against the perpetrators of such hate crimes against minorities in this country by the respective law enforcement authorities.

These recent incidents undermine our Constitutional values and weaken the rule of law to create a new normal in society. Our existing laws provide adequate protection if they are implemented with the necessary will and determination. Legal protection alone however is not a solution when the communal virus has already spread far and wide in the society. It is essential for each of us as individuals to reflect on the repercussions of a situation where the present trends could threaten the peace and cohesion that is a fundamental pre- requisite for our growth and development. And for all of us, most of all for those who belong to the majority community, to go beyond mere reflection, to stand up, oppose and publicly condemn the communalization of our society and our country.”
– (The above letter written to the Prime Minister was signed by dozens of Civil Servants from across India)