Category: India

Indian Americans are the highest paid community

Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0

Indian Americans, one of the fastest-growing U.S. racial groups, is also faring quite well economically—at least, collectively. They are the highest paid Asian-Americans, according to a new U.S. Labor Department report. Full-time Indian American workers had median and average weekly earnings of $1,346 and $1,464, respectively. The group was followed by Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino-Americans, respectively, the report said.

There was quite a difference between the sexes, though. Male Indian Americans had $1,500 as median weekly earnings, while females got $1,115 — a disparity of 26%. The least difference between sexes was 4% between male and female Japanese-Americans, who received $900 and $865, respectively, as median weekly earnings.

In general, Asian-American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) had median and average weekly earnings of $969 and $1,183, slightly more than Whites who raked $900 and $1,090, respectively. Blacks and Hispanics earned the least. The former was paid $640 median and $809 average, while the latter earned $600 and $765, respectively.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the nearly 18 million Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the country have vastly different experiences with education, wages and the labor market, according to the report. Their general success “can mask some really important differences in what’s going on within the subgroups,” said Keith Miller, a Labor Department economist and lead researcher on the study.

Some of the highlights of the report: last year, Filipinos working full time in the U.S. earned just 64% of the weekly median for Indians; native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders were unemployed at more than twice the rate of Japanese; just a third of Vietnamese had at least a bachelor’s degree compared with 60% of Koreans.

The report, released this month, is part of a White House initiative on the so-called “AAPI” community and updates information released in 2011 and 2014. It pulls back the curtain on a group composed of more than 50 distinct ethnicities speaking more than 100 languages.

The vast majority of the community—17.4 million—consists of non-Hispanic Asian-Americans. The other small portion of 560,000 is made up of non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Collectively, they represent about 5.6% of the U.S. population and descend from, or were born in, countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Nearly two-thirds are foreign-born and California is home to most, or nearly one-third of the group’s total.

India ratifies Paris Climate Deal

Staff ReporterIndia 0

India deposited its Instrument of Ratification to the Paris Agreement under the convention on Climate Change on October 2nd, coinciding with the International Day of Non Violence. The day also commemorated the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who epitomized a lifestyle with the smallest carbon footprint. With this India became the 62nd country to ratify the Agreement taking the cumulative emission of the countries that have ratified the Agreement so far to 51.89%. This significant contribution towards the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement underlines Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s commitment to global cause of environmental protection and climate justice and reaffirms India’s responsive leadership in addressing the impact of climate change.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations organized a Special event to commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October 2016, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The event is a reminder to Mahatma Gandhi’s unequivocal message to uphold values of peace, tolerance and understanding. 2 October was marked as the International Day of Non-Violence by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007.

Cosponsored by 140 countries the resolution established the commemoration of the International Day as an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. This year’s celebrations will be held at the ECOSOC Chamber of the United Nations on Sunday 2 October 2016 from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm. The President of General Assembly H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, Deputy Secretary General H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson, Finance Minister of Bangladesh H.E. Mr. Abul Maal A. Muhith, and Prof. Barry L. Gan, Director of Center for Non-Violence, St. Bonaventure University, New York will address the gathering. The opening segment will be followed by a recital of songs emphasizing virtues of Peace and Non-Violence by Ms. Sudha Raghunathan a renowned Indian Classical singer in the Carnatic Music tradition.

As a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s focus on preserving the environment, India will submit its certification of Instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on 2 October 2016 to the United Nations. India had last year the same day, announced it climate action plan and declared its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution.

This October also marks the fiftieth anniversary of performance of Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi, India’s music legend and most celebrated singer in the Carnatic Music tradition at the United Nations on the eve of UN Day on 23 October 1966. The UN Postal Administration (UNPA) will release a postage stamp commemorating the birth anniversary and fiftieth anniversary of performance by Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi at the United Nations on 2 October 2016. Assistant Secretary General, Department of Management will release the stamp on behalf of UNPA. The stamps will be available for purchase at the UNPA website http://unstamps.org . Dignitaries, diplomats and officials from the United Nations and the Permanent Missions to the United Nations, civil society, academia, media and invited guests will attend the Event.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon offers to mediate between India, Pakistan

Staff ReporterIndia, Uncategorized 0

With tensions mounting between the border of India and Pakistan, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has offered to act as mediator between India and Pakistan to defuse rising tensions over disputed Kashmir. The offer came after Pakistan’s ambassador met with the UN chief and urged him to personally intervene, while India said it did not want to aggravate the situation.

Ban called on “both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation,” a statement from his spokesperson said. The UN chief said India and Pakistan should address differences through diplomacy and dialogue, and offered to mediate. “His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides,” the UN spokesperson said.

Tensions between the two arch rivals have been boiling since the Indian government accused Pakistan-based militants of launching an assault on an army base in Kashmir earlier this month that killed 19 soldiers.

India had said it had carried out “surgical strikes” several kilometers (miles) inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on “terrorist” targets. “This is a dangerous moment for the region,” Pakistan’s ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told AFP after meeting with Ban at UN headquarters in New York. “The time has come for bold intervention by him if we are to avoid a crisis, because we can see a crisis building up.” Lodhi accused India of creating “conditions that pose a threat to regional and international peace and security”.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric earlier said the UN chief “would welcome all proposals” or initiatives aimed at de-escalation. Ban is following the situation “with great concern,” said Dujarric, citing the escalating rhetoric between the two countries and the increased tensions along the Line of Control that separates Kashmir between the nations.

A UN military observer mission (UNMOGIP) is looking into reports of ceasefire violations along the line of control and will report to Ban, he added. “UNMOGIP has not directly observed any firing across the line of control related to the latest incident,” he added.

In a statement to AFP, India’s mission to the United Nations said “India has no desire to aggravate the situation,” and that “our response was a measured counter terrorist strike. It was focused in terms of targets and geographical space,” the mission said. “It is reflective of our desire to respond proportionately to clear and imminent threat posed by terrorists in that instance. With our objectives having been met that effort has since ceased.”

The Pakistani ambassador said she had suggested to Ban that plans for a visit to India and Pakistan expected in November could be brought forward to avert a crisis. Lodhi also met this week with the current Security Council president, New Zealand ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, to ask that the top UN body keep a close eye on developments. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain seven decades ago, two of them over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

India calls for isolating nations supporting terrorism

Staff ReporterIndia 0

Aiming at Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj, India’s Minister for External Affairs told the UN that the world must isolate Nations exporting terror. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday, September 26th gave a stinging response to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s “tirade” on Kashmir at the UN General Assembly and asked him to look at what is happening in Balochistan.

Calling for global isolation of Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj said that “countries that nurture, peddle and export terror should have no place in the comity of nations. In our midst, there are nations that still speak the language of terrorism, that nurture it, peddle it, and export it. To shelter terrorists has become their calling card. We must identify these nations and hold them to account,” Swaraj asserted in her nearly 20-minute speech.  “These nations, in which UN designated terrorists roam freely, lead processions and deliver their poisonous sermons of hate with impunity, are as culpable as the very terrorists they harbour. Such countries should have no place in the comity of nations,” Swaraj said, in essence making a call to the international community to isolate such nations. “The terror apparatus that was behind 26/11 and Uri was also behind a number of terror attacks all over the world,” she said.

In a strong rebuttal of the “baseless allegations” made by Sharif from the podium of the General Assembly about human rights violations by India in Kashmir, Swaraj said, “I can only say that those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan. The brutality against the Baloch people represents the worst form of state oppression.”

Swaraj, speaking in Hindi, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended the hand of friendship to Pakistan by inviting his counterpart Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in May 2014, and also visiting Lahore last December in a goodwill gesture.

“But what did we get in return? Pathankot, Uri, Bahadur Ali,” she said, referring to the January 2 terror attack on an air force base in Pathankot that left seven soldiers dead, and the Uri attack of September 18 in which 18 soldiers died, and the capture of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali.

Taking aim at Pakistan’s role in nurturing terrorism, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a stirring call Sept. 26, in her speech to the United Nations General Assembly, for isolating Islamabad if it does not join a global strategy against the “malevolent” force threatening the world.

Warning the world that “we do not know who this Frankenstein’s monster will devour next”, said Swaraj, delivering her speech in Hindi. “If we want to defeat terrorism, there is only one way: that we unite across our differences, add steel to our resolve and inject urgency in our response. And if any nation refuses to join this global strategy, then we must isolate it,” she said.

Outside the UN the Pakistani protest against India over Kashmir failed to materialize in time for Swaraj’s speech. Only three protesters were at the barricades while she spoke. One of them said that they were expecting “two to three hundred protesters” from Washington and other places later in the day.

Swaraj also hit out against what she termed as Sharif’s “baseless allegations about human rights violations in my country. I can only say that those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan,” she said. “The brutality against the Baloch people represents the worst form of State oppression.”

While speaking of terrorism – “the biggest violation of human rights” – and its facilitators, Swaraj said, “It is important to ask, ‘Who is behind this and who benefits from it?’ Terrorists do not own banks or weapons factories, so let us ask the real question: who finances these terrorists, who arms them and provides sanctuaries?”

“Despite the blood and tears of innocent victims, attacks this year alone in Kabul and Dhaka, Istanbul and Mogadishu, Brussels and Bangkok, Paris, Pathankot and Uri as well as daily barbaric tragedies in Syria and Iraq, remind us that these malevolent forces are yet to be defeated,” she added. Swaraj spoke on the last day of the annual Assembly summit. The order of speakers is determined by the hierarchy of leadership and foreign ministers are among the last on the roster.

She also emphasised India’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which she said, were “matched by the development vision of my government, which is geared towards the achievement of these same objectives”. Several schemes of the Indian government dovetailed with the SDGs, such as the Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Make in India and Digital India campaigns.

While India will play a leading role in combating climate change through measures such an international solar alliance, it expects developed nations to hold up their end of the bargain by providing finance and technology transfers.

India urges UN to adopt global treaty on terror, UNSC reforms

Staff ReporterIndia, Uncategorized 0

India urged world leaders gathered at the 71st General Assembly of the United Nations to urgently adopt a long-pending global treaty on terrorism as well as implement the UN Security Council reform, while stating that the world today needs a more contemporary approach to combating terrorism and a Council that is less outdated. The Permanent and non-Permanent membership of the UN Security Council must reflect contemporary realities is an urgent necessity, India told the world leaders on Monday, September 26th.

Sushma Swaraj, India’s External Affairs Minister, while addressing the World Body, said, “We will be judged by our action and equally by our inaction. What goals have we achieved and what objectives remain unfulfilled?,” she said. As a result, we are unable to develop a norm under which terrorists shall be prosecuted or extradited. Therefore it is my appeal that this General Assembly acts with fresh resolve and urgency to adopt this critical Convention,” she said.

Swaraj appealed to the Assembly to act on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that India proposed in 1996 but is still languishing. Because of this failure, “We are unable to develop a norm under which terrorists shall be prosecuted or extradited.”

On Security Council reform, Swaraj said just as the world needs a more contemporary approach to combating terrorism, there is also need for a Security Council that is less outdated and that continues to reflect the world order of an earlier era.  “The vast majority of nations share the belief that the UN should not remain frozen in 1945, just to serve the interests of a few. Whether it is institutions or issues, we must come to terms with present day realities and the challenges that confront us,” she said.

Swaraj added that an expansion in  “We must move forward substantively towards text-based negotiations. If both these long pending issues are addressed during your Presidency, the success of this Session will be ensured,” she said.

“The 21st century has begun in the shadow of turmoil, but we can turn this into a golden age in the history of civilization through united and concerted efforts. But what happens tomorrow will depend on what we do today,” she said.

India loses WTO appeal in US solar dispute

Ajay GhoshIndia 0

India lost its appeal at the World Trade Organization in a dispute over solar power on Friday, failing to overturn a U.S. complaint that New Delhi had discriminated against importers in the Indian solar power sector.

The WTO’s appeals judges upheld an earlier ruling that found India had broken WTO rules by requiring solar power developers to use Indian-made cells and modules. The appeal ruling is final and India will be expected to bring its laws into compliance with the WTO rules.

“This report is a clear victory for American solar manufacturers and workers, and another step forward in the fight against climate change,” U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said in a statement.

U.S. solar exports to India have fallen by more than 90 percent since India brought in the rules, the statement said.

As in the earlier ruling, which was issued in February this year, the judges said India could not claim exemptions on the basis of that its national solar power sector was included in government procurement, nor on the basis that solar goods were in short supply.

There was also no justification on the grounds of ensuring ecologically sustainable growth or combating climate change.

The dispute, which the United States first launched in February 2013, involved an increasingly common target of trade disputes – solar power, with an increasingly common complaint – local content requirements.

The appeal ruling came just days after India launched a WTO complaint against subsidies for the solar industry in eight U.S. states.

Under WTO rules, countries are not allowed to discriminate against imports and favor local producers, but in the past five years countries keen to support their own manufacturers have frequently resorted to local content requirements, while keeping a sharp eye out for their use by others.

“We strongly support the rapid deployment of solar energy worldwide, including in India,” Froman said.

“But local content requirements are not only contrary to WTO rules, but actually undermine our efforts to promote clean energy by requiring the use of more expensive and less efficient equipment, making it more difficult for clean energy sources to be cost-competitive.”

RSS, BJP and India’s Independence Struggle

Ajay GhoshIndia 0

By George Abraham

“Even during the British times, the Congress party would not have faced so much adversity that we, our dedicated workers, have gone through in 50-60 years,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the event laying the foundation stone of the new party headquarters in New Delhi.

Congress response to the latest Modi swipe was swift and sharp. The senior spokesperson for the Congress party, Anand Sharma, responded during an urgently called press conference: “It does not behoove the Prime Minister of India to lower the dignity of his office by making a statement which is factually incorrect and an insult to the freedom fighters… It is a shocking untruth that the Prime Minister has publicly uttered. He has made a shocking comparison, trivializing the freedom struggle, insulting our national heroes for which he must not only withdraw that shameful statement but apologize.”

Ever since the ascendance of BJP to the center of power in New Delhi two years ago, it appears that a carefully crafted strategy is in place to appropriate icons and legacies that the party is sorely lacking. It is as if the party is so embarrassed by the lack of pedigree that they are even willing to go out and create some history of their own. With unlimited resources at their disposal, they get hold of some hired hands that are ready to scan every nook and corner to find any missing comma or invisible gaps in crumpled pieces of history to recreate a story to fit their narrative.

The recent efforts to diminish the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru to the development of a modern India and to redefine Sardar Patel’s role during the independence struggle and to recast him as anything but pluralistic is quite evident to all those keen observers of the fast moving political dynamics in the country. One may also witness the rush by the ruling class to embrace Ambedkar as one of their own while engaged in policies that continue to marginalize the Dalit community – all part of a public relations campaign to build a new image for the party and it’s faithful.

Despite their best efforts, RSS has failed miserably in proving that they have played any meaningful role to liberate India from the British colonialism. On the contrary, RSS only tried to disrupt the anti-imperialist struggle of the people of India. In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi had called upon the people to break different laws as part of the resistance to the British rule. In the context of these efforts, Gandhiji himself launched the famous Salt Satyagraha. However, Dr. K.B. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS, sent information down to his cadre not to participate in the Satyagraha.

The historical records show that Hedgewar himself participated in the Satyagraha in an individual capacity. However, he had an ulterior motive in doing so. According to the biography published by RSS, “Dr. Saheb had the confidence that with a freedom-loving, self-sacrificing and reputed group of people inside with him there, he would discuss the Sangh with them and win them over for its work.”

It became quite evident to the Congress leaders that Hedgewar went to jail not because he was committed to the freedom struggle but rather to break and disrupt the ranks of the Congress cadres who were united under the non-cooperation movement regardless of their religious affiliations. To thwart the sectarian and communal influence over the cadre, the All India Congress Committee passed a resolution in 1934 forbidding Congress members from becoming members of RSS, the Hindu Mahasabha, and the Muslim League.

The tradition of RSS keeping aloof from the freedom struggle that started by the founder Hedgewar continued under his successor M.S. Golwalker. As a matter of fact, he has taken it a step further by religiously complying with all the instructions from the government, disbanding RSS military department and not cooperating with the ‘Quit India’ movement.

Golwalker was also vehemently opposed to the very concept of a ‘Secular State’. In ‘We. Or our nationhood defined’, Golwalker praised the Nazi campaign against Jews and Gypsies and stated categorically that it was “a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by.” He also excoriated the Chinese for eating pigs, dogs, and rats and said: “Such men cannot be expected to have human qualities.”

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh which evolved into today’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), wrote a letter to the Bengal Governor Sir John Hobart as to how to respond to the ‘Quit India’ movement. In his letter dated July 26. 1942, he wrote: “Let me now refer to the situation that may be created in the province as a result of any widespread movement launched by the Congress. Anybody, who during the war, plans to stir up mass feeling, resulting internal disturbances or insecurity, must be resisted by any Government that may function for the time being.”

Then there was a mercy plea by Veer Savarkar, leader of the Hindu Mahasabha to the British Government that “if he is released, then he would be loyal to the British Government and was also ready to serve it.”He also opposed the ‘Quit India’ movement and asked Hindus to stay active in the war effort and not to disobey the government.

The words and deeds of these erstwhile leaders of RSS and BJP clearly indicate that they were not only non-participants in the freedom struggle where hundreds of people were risking their lives on a daily basis but also collaborators who supported the British on critical occasions. The British acknowledged that the RSS had “scrupulously kept itself within the law, and refrained from taking part in the disturbances that broke out in August 1942.”

It is quite a sad day when a prime minister of India belittles the sufferings of the freedom fighters under the courageous leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru while asserting that BJP faced much more adversity during the post-independence era compared to the Congress party during the freedom struggle. Political discourse is often riddled with hyperbole. However, the memory of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom deserves much more gratitude and respect from all of us.

If we would like to take a peek into the individual and collective sacrifices, there would be a page to write: Pandit Nehru was sent to jail about nine times and spent a total of 3,259 days; Mahatma Gandhi served time in prison for a total of 2,338 days, and that is equivalent to 6.4 years. Conventional histories have counted, at the minimum, about 100,000 Indian soldiers who were slaughtered in severe reprisals by the British forces desperate to impose order. Also, the death toll at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre alone was around 1,000. Then there was the famine in the East that was exacerbated by British ruthlessness and took millions of lives. Even Ghadar, the first organized movement of overseas Indians, who primarily lived in Canada and the United States, played a role in the struggle for independence for their homeland, and many hundreds paid the ultimate price with their lives.

If the ‘adversity’ Modi refers to is the ban on the RSS after the assassination of Gandhiji, one needs to pay attention to Sardar Patel, the first Union Home Minister, who wrote to Golwalker on September 11, 1948, commenting on the RSS activities: “As regards to RSS and Hindu Mahasabha..our reports do confirm that as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former (RSS) an atmosphere was created in the country in which such ghastly tragedy became possible”.

Patel’s letter continued as follows: “Apart from this, their opposition to the Congress, that too of such virulence, disregarding all considerations of personality, decency or decorum, created a kind of unrest among the people. All their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread the poison and enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection. As a final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the valuable life of Gandhiji. Even an iota of sympathy for the Government or the people no more remained for the RSS. In fact, the opposition grew. The opposition turned more severe when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed sweets after Gandhiji’s death. Under these conditions, it became inevitable for the government to take action against RSS”.

If the erstwhile Jan Sangh was kept at bay by other secular political parties till the late 70s, Patel’s letter clearly shed light on why it happened. I honestly doubt that if it were not for the Emergency rule imposed by Indira Gandhi, the Jan Sangh would have been rehabilitated so quickly and become the force that it is today.

The BJP, undoubtedly, is the biggest beneficiary of the stable institutions built by the Congress Party, under the stewardship of Gandhi and Nehru, which paved the way for the preservation of democracy and the rule of law. The BJP is the guardian of those institutions now, with little or no investment, and Indians everywhere would like to see them protected and preserved for generations to come!

(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA)

‘Unschooled’ Mumbai teenager Malvika Joshi makes it to MIT

Ajay GhoshEducation, India 0

Seventeen-year-old Malvika Raj Joshi doesn’t have a class X or XII certificate but has made it to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), thanks to her computer programming talent. Her’s is a story about a mother’s conviction to break stereotypes and the self belief of her teenage daughter, who showed why “merit” has more weightage than “marks”.

The Mumbai teenager has been provided scholarship by MIT as she is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree after getting a seat for being a three-time medal winner (two silver and a bronze) at International Olympiad of Informatics or commonly known as Programming Olympiad. The MIT has a provision for accepting students who are medal winners at various Olympiads (Maths, Physics or Computer) and it was Malvika’s medals that ensured that she can fulfil her aspirations of pursuing research work in her favourite subject — Computer Science.

Malvika recalls those early days during an emailed interaction from Boston. “When I started unschooling, that was 4 years back, I explored many different subjects. Programming was one of them. I found programming interesting and I used to give more time to it than to other subjects, so, I started liking it at that time,” she says.

Malvika found it difficult to get admission in elite Indian institutes like IIT, which has strict rules as one needs to pass class XII exams. In fact only institute where she got admission was Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) where she was enrolled into M.Sc level course as her knowledge was on par with B.Sc standard.

“There is absolutely no question that Malvika’s admission to MIT is based on her superlative achievements at IOI. It is a credit to MIT’s flexibility that they can offer admission to a student who demonstrates excellent intellectual potential despite having no formal high school credentials,” says CMI’s Madhavan Mukund, who is also National Co-ordinator of Indian Computing Olympiad.

However, Madhavan made it clear that Malvika is not a product of the system but despite it. “This is possible only for a student whose academic achievements are outstanding, which is the case with Malvika’s performance at IOI,” he has a word of caution. But this young Mumbai girl’s fascinating story starts about four years ago when her mother Supriya took an unbelievably tough decision.

She was in class VII at Dadar Parsee Youth Assembly School in Mumbai and doing exceedingly well in academics when her mother decided to pull her out of school. “We are a middle class family. Malvika was doing well in school but somehow I felt that my children (she has younger daughter Radha) need to be happy. Happiness is more important than conventional knowledge,” Supriya told PTI explaining her decision.

“I was working with an NGO that takes care of cancer patients. I would see students who are in 8th or 9th standard being affected by cancer. It affected me deeply and I decided that my daughters need to be happy.” The decision no way was an easy one. “In India, people are still not very aware about the term “home schooled” or “unschooled” as it is commonly referred. It also took sometime to convince Malvika’s father Raj, an engineer who runs his own business.

“My husband Raj wasn’t convinced initially as it was a risky proposition. The kids won’t have a 10th or 12th standard certificate and there was bound to be fear. I quit my NGO job and designed an academic curriculum for Malvika. I created a simulation (classroom like situation) at home. The confidence I had as a mother was that I am capable of imparting knowledge in my daughter’s.” But it worked. “Suddenly I saw that my daughter was so happy. She was learning more than ever –from the time she woke up to the time she was off to sleep. Knowledge became a passion,” the proud mother recalls.

For three consecutive years, she was among the top four students who represented India at the Programming Olympiad. Madhavan, who prepared Malvika for all three Olympiads, spoke about her brilliance. “During the past three years she spent extensive periods at CMI acquiring the background in mathematics and algorithms that she needed to excel at Informatics Olympiad. As part of this training for IOI, she had to fill in unexpected gaps in her education arising from the fact that she had not been formally enrolled in school.

“For instance, she had never studied matrices. She was never intimidated even when faced with a mountain of things to learn, and went about achieving her goals very methodically.” When Supriya was asked if more parents want to know about her daughter, she laughs as she says, “They are all interested in knowing how to get into MIT. I just tell them that we never aimed for her admission in MIT. I tell parents to understand what their children like.”

 

Navtej Sarna expected to be India’s Ambassador to the United States

Ajay GhoshIndia, U.S. 0

Navtej Sarna, India’s high commissioner to UK, is expected to take over from Arun Singh as India’s next ambassador to the US. Sarna has only recently been sent from South Block where he was secretary (west) to London as high commissioner. Reports here say, Navtej Sarna is being asked to move to Washington as the country’s next ambassador, as the U.S. prepares for a presidential transition.

Sarna’s name was discussed and cleared at the highest level, reports said. He will take over from Arun Kumar Singh who retires by month-end. Sarna has had a previous posting in Washington when he was Minister for Press, Information and Culture between 1998 and 2002.

Before moving to London, Sarna was Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs where he oversaw the successful hosting last October of the India-Africa Forum Summit that was attended by a record number of 53 African countries.

If appointed, Sarna would keep an informal tradition alive by being the third former ambassador to Israel to make it as either deputy head or ambassador in Washington DC. Sarna is likely to be joined by Santosh Jha who is currently joint secretary (policy planning) in MEA, tasked by foreign secretary S Jaishankar with the job of completely revamping this division. Jha is likely to be the next deputy ambassador there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally very happy with the organization of the Summit and had congratulated External Affairs Sushma Swaraj for it. It is clear Modi wanted someone in Washington he was confident would be able to steer the multi-faceted India-U.S. relations into a new phase with a new administration.
Sarna was among the longest-serving spokespersons of the ministry between 2002 and 2008. In his 35-year diplomatic career, Sinha has served in India’s diplomatic missions in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and South America. He has had postings in Moscow, Warsaw, Tehran, Geneva and Thimphu. Sarna is also a prolific author of many fiction and non-fiction books, with the most recent being ‘Second Thoughts: On Books, Authors and the Writerly Life’ that was released last year. He was a big hit in London’s literary circles and had also become, in a short span, a popular figure in the Indian community in the U.K.

India, U.S. Deepen Defense Ties with Landmark Agreement

Ajay GhoshIndia, U.S. 0

In yet another sign of growing close ties between India and the United States signed a landmark defense agreement Tuesday, August 30th, that will increase the military cooperation between two of the world’s largest democracies.
The agreement, coming after nearly a decade of painstaking discussions, was finalized during a visit to Washington by Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, and it was touted as a symbol of deeper defense ties between the two nations in an increasingly tense part of the world.

In a joint statement, Parrikar and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said discussions ranged from “increased strategic and regional cooperation, to deepened military-to-military exchanges, to expanded collaboration on defense technology and innovation.”

New Delhi had strong reservations about this agreement for nearly a decade, despite the growing strategic proximity between the two nations. Many security officials and politicians in the previous Indian administration had warned that it could lock their country into a formal and irreversible military alliance and push New Delhi into supporting U.S. conflicts, a move that could upset countries such as Russia and China and friendly nations in the Middle East.
The United States is a second-largest defense-equipment retailer to India, with about $4.4 billion value of deals in a past 3 years. It is also India’s many common partner in troops exercises. Six years ago, President Obama called a ties with India “the defining partnership for America in a 21st century.”

The Logistics Exchange Memorandum Of Agreement allows for reciprocal sell of logistics support, reserve and services between a dual countries’ armed forces. This includes food, water, fuel, gangling parts, repair, transportation, communication and medical services.

Washington, which has signed more than 100 such agreements with partner nations, promoted the deal as a way to build inter­operability between the two militaries.
It has been a bumpy road to greater military cooperation. Every time the United States reached out for a closer strategic embrace, New Delhi would take an awkward step back.

The agreement signed Tuesday “does not create any obligations on either party to carry out any joint activity. It does not provide for the establishment of any bases or basing arrangements,” the Indian governmentstatement said.

The agreement applies exclusively to authorized port visits, joint exercises, joint training, humanitarian assistance and ­disaster-relief efforts. It streamlines relations between the two militaries, allowing, for instance, refueling without having to come up with a new agreement each time, analysts said.

“It’s like having a tab at the local bar. It is an easier way of doing things. It will facilitate cooperation in high seas,” said Ben Schwartz, director for defense and aerospace at the U.S.-India Business Council.

India ranked 77 in Disaster Risk Index of the world

Ajay GhoshIndia 0

While Bangladesh is among the top five countries at risk of disaster, India ranks 77th on the World Risk Index, marginally better positioned than Pakistan which is placed 72. The index is part of the World Risk Report 2016 released on Thursday by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart in Germany.

The index assessed the risk of disaster in 171 countries through the combined analysis of natural hazards and societal vulnerabilities. Ranking No1, the island state of Vanuatu displayed the greatest risk in 2016. The researchers concluded in the report that lack of critical infrastructure and weak logistic chains substantially increase the risk that an extreme natural event will become a disaster.

“When it comes to aid measures following extreme natural events, the challenges mostly lie in the ‘last mile’ of the logistics chain: organising transportation despite destroyed streets or bridges and ensuring fair distribution when there is a shortage of (for example) water, food, and shelter,” explained Peter Mucke, Project Manager of the World Risk Report and Managing Director of Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft.

Crumbling transport routes, unreliable electricity grids, and dilapidated buildings not only hinder humanitarian aid from overseas, but also delay crucial aid for those affected in the event of a disaster, Mucke noted.

“The international community must invest more in the establishment and development of critical infrastructure even before disasters occurs,” Matthias Garschagen, Scientific Director for the report and Lead Scientist at United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, observed.

“Sufficient, high-quality infrastructure, which is well-managed institutionally, can not only prevent the often catastrophic consequences of natural hazards such as flooding or storms, but it can also play a crucial role in the distribution of humanitarian aid supplies in the event of a disaster. Critical infrastructure can thus reduce the risk of natural hazards for populations and absorb economic losses,” Garschagen said.

India 7th wealthiest nation

Ajay GhoshIndia 0

India has been ranked as the 7th wealthiest nation among all countries on earth, according to a report by New World Wealth. And the emerging South Asian country is among the top 10 wealthiest countries in the world with a total individual wealth of $5,600 billion. The United States tops the chart. The US is the wealthiest in the world in terms of total individual wealth held at $48,900 billion.

China stood second and Japan third, with total individual wealth of $17,400 billion and $15,100 billion, respectively. Others in the top 10 club include the United Kingdom (4) with a total individual wealth of $9,200 billion, followed by Germany (5th, $9,100 billion) and France (6th, $6,600 billion).

India is ahead of Canada ($4,700 billion), Australia ($4,500 billion) and Italy ($4,400 billion), which came in at 8th, 9th and 10th slots, respectively. Wealth refers to net assets of a person. It includes all their assets (property, cash, equities, business interests) less any liabilities, the report said adding that it excludes government funds from its figures.

The ranking of India as one of the top 10 wealthiest countries in the world is largely because of its large population. “Australia’s ranking is impressive, considering it only has 22 million people living there,” the report explained. Over the past 5 years, China was the fastest growing wealthiest country in terms of dollar wealth growth.

On India, the report stated, “Australia and India also grew strongly and India, Australia and Canada have just overtaken Italy over the past 12 months.” The study ranked the wealthiest countries in the world as of June 2016 in terms of total individual wealth held.

Google lists PM Modi in ‘top criminals’, gets court notice

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India, Social Media 0

A court here on Tuesday issued notices to global search engine company Google, its CEO and India head for listing Prime Minister Narendra Modi among top 10 criminals in the world. The court also directed registration of a criminal complaint case against Google and its top officials.

The court was hearing a complaint filed by advocate Sushil Kumar Mishra. The next hearing on the case will be on August 31.

The complainant said googling “top ten criminals of the world” showed the photograph of PM Modi. Gupta said he had written to Google asking it to remove Modi’s name but got no response. Gupta also claimed he had approached the police regarding the matter.

He then moved an application before the chief judicial magistrate but his plea was dismissed on November 3, 2015, on the grounds that it was a civil case. Gupta challenged CJM’s order by filing a revision application in court which allowed the revision application and passed the order.

Human Rights Abuses: a recurring alarm on Modi’s travels abroad!

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

As Prime Minister Modi is about to embark on his fourth visit to the U.S. in the last two years, U.S. lawmakers have sharply criticized India’s human rights record. In a speech in New Delhi, U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md), the ranking minority-party member of the  Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on India to “do better” to address issues of violence against women, government corruption, extra-judicial killings, human trafficking and outdated anti-conversion laws that are still in use. “ A country must respond to these challenges,” he said.

Modi faced similar criticisms and faced protest demonstrations from one group of another every time he has touched down on the American soil. However, these strident criticisms from prominent lawmakers on the eve of Modi’s address to a joint session of Congress reveals a deep-seated reservation by many in Washington of a leader who once was denied entry into the country based on his human rights record.

At a Congressional hearing held a week ago in Washington, Bob Corker (Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee R-Tenn) and Timothy M. Kaine (D-VA) questioned State Department officials on India’s human rights issues, including its crackdown on nongovernmental organizations receiving foreign funding such as Greenpeace and Ford Foundation, rising intolerance and India’s recent decision to deny visas to the members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom who were planning to travel to India.

Undoubtedly, the Indian American Community as a whole would like to see the bi-lateral relations between the U.S. and India strengthened and the progress achieved in the last decade or so to be consolidated between these two democracies. However, a strategic alliance is a partnership that would require trust and confidence in each other for a long term value creating relationship. There is no doubt that both of these nations need each other in the new world order, and the question is whether these two countries are at a point where they are ready to move forward with such a commitment.

Therefore, it is pertinent to analyze the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister from that vantage point. If the objective of the collaborative relationship is to achieve success for both nations, how can one advance that notion while justifying the denial of visas to a U.S. government body that monitors the core tenets of both of these democracies: freedom and justice? The appropriate action ought to be in assisting each other to achieve these goals and together building a stronger relationship.

For those who are advocating more reliable protection of religious freedom got a boost recently when Congress upgraded the ‘Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act’ giving Administration and the State Department new political tools in monitoring and creating watch lists. The legislation has also upgraded the office to Ambassador-at-large, who will be directly reporting to the Secretary of State. It includes a provision as well directing the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. The impact of these rules will eventually be felt across the board while nations draft agreements ranging from Trade to environment and Defense purchases.

President Obama’s speech in New Delhi, to a great discomfiture of Modi, was a parting shot directed at his government to modify its behavior as regards respecting the pluralistic legacy of the modern India. He listed the relevant articles in the Indian Constitution to make his case. Despite the public posture, one could detect a chasm between these two leaders who seem to think and view things from different perspectives.

I have been told that at a recent dinner party in Washington, a former official was standing in line to greet President Obama. While shaking hands, the official congratulated the President for the bold statement he has made in New Delhi. First, he smiled and let go his hands and ready to greet the next guest, but on second thought, leaned forward, tapped his shoulder and said ‘I meant every word of it.’ That says a volume of the thinking in Washington, especially with this White House.

However, U.S. is dealing with a different India today that has gained stature as a growing economic power and a global player that has to be respected and may even be courted. For the U.S, the changing dynamics in Asia necessitates new alliances and reliable partnerships.  A rising China has created new challenges for the U.S. in that part of the world and past agreements like the Indo-US civil nuclear deal points to a strategy of exploring ways to sustain their global engagement capability. Also, a 4 million strong Indian immigrant community in U.S. has become vocal supporters of close collaboration between these two countries, often lobbying with their Senators and Congressmen.

Despite all these natural advantages, India seemed to have put in a lot of effort in convincing the U.S. authorities for this ‘state visit’ and the upcoming appearance before the joint session of Congress. There are unconfirmed reports of a quid-pro-quo as regards major defense purchases preceded by a veiled warning of India taking its defense purchases elsewhere if the same level of respect is not accorded to Modi as it was with Dr. Manmohan Singh, his predecessor. It is widely known that the sound of money garners a lot of mileage in Washington just as in any other capital around the world. Apparently, Modi is getting his requital by gaining an opportunity to bloviate before those who once denied him a simple entry visa to the country.

However, if India has to gain genuine respect and to be able to operate from a position of strength and moral clarity, it has to start dealing with some of the issues the lawmakers have raised. Last two years have witnessed a growing intolerance in the country with attacks on places of worship of minorities, the murder of secular advocates and harassment of liberal thinkers. People are afraid that even their dietary habits like eating beef could cost them their lives. The HRD ministry has been converted to become a vehicle to promote the ‘Hindutva’ ideology across campuses by shutting down Dalit student organizations and applying sedition charges on students for mere sloganeering.

BJP and its followers seemed to believe that they have a monopoly in defining what constitutes nationalism, and it has become a cause of confusion and conflict in many university campuses. History teaches us that ultra-nationalism is a sentiment of superiority and aggression towards others or other countries. It is intrinsically connected to war and imperialism. Therefore, India as a pluralistic nation will be treading on dangerous waters with the ongoing nationalist campaign, and the Prime Minister has a great responsibility to set the right tone for the country.

Indian Diaspora in U.S. is much more a diverse community representing different regions, languages, cultures and faiths than what it is given credit for? According to latest statistics, 51% of the Diaspora consists of Hindus and the rest includes Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and other faiths. Indian Diaspora is primarily taking the shape of Hindu Diaspora due to the cultural identity, and most of the Indians including those who belong to other religions accept it as a practical matter.  However, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS branches outside of India) is becoming increasingly assertive in demanding unflinching patriotism and preservation of Hindu culture and continuing with their efforts to present a monolithic view of the Indian Diaspora to the American public.  It is alleged that many of the Diaspora organizations are raising money under the cover of ‘charity’ and ‘development’ to support RSS and its affiliates to wage violence against religious minorities in India.

There is little doubt that the RSS cadre is playing a prominent role in many of the Modi’s visits around the globe, particularly wherever there is a significant Indian community. It is only laudable that the Diaspora is enthusiastic and heartwarming towards any visit of a Prime Minister from their motherland. However, when that community is used as political pawns by turning them into a weapon against those who want to express their grievances; it not only defeats the purpose and good will but rather pits one group against the other and imports the same level of polarization and divisions to the country of their adoption.  The recent attempt by Sangh organizations to reserve all 25 grounds on the Capitol Hill on the day of Modi’s visit to address the joint session of Congress is a case in point. That ‘clever’ and calculated maneuver made it almost impossible for any other groups to gather near the venue and air their dissenting point of view that is protected under the U.S. Constitution.  It is quite obvious to any independent observer that the objective of such action is to stifle criticism and banish any dissent which is contrary to the spirit of democracy, and it is quite appalling to see it happening right here in U.S.

It is time for the Prime Minister to be more assertive in addressing these concerns at home and abroad and speak out forcefully when human rights violations occur in India. Unless he can align the actions of the radical elements of  his party in line with his lofty pronouncements abroad, the human rights issue will continue to cast a shadow on his trips abroad, especially to U.S. Alfred Whitney Griswold who once said the following: “Books won’t stay banned. They won’t burn. Ideas won’t go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor, and the inquisitor have always lost. The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas”. Let freedom reign!

(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA)

Historic Modi visit boosts bilateral ties between India & USA

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, making his second visit to the White House in two years, and his fourth visit to the United States since he was elected Prime Minister of India only two years ago, announced a crucial step toward ratification of the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gases, bringing the accord close to full implementation, giving a jolt of momentum to the international fight to curb global warming.

President Barack Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House for their seventh meeting since Modi took office in 2014, underscoring the warm relationship between the two leaders and the world’s largest democracies. Modi is to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday. “We discussed how we can, as quickly as possible, bring the Paris Agreement into force,” Obama told reporters during talks in the Oval Office.

So far, countries representing about 50 percent of global emissions have announced that they will submit legal paperwork to the United Nations documenting their compliance with the deal. The pact will become binding when at least 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions formally join. The inclusion of India, the world’s third-largest emitter after China and the United States, would guarantee that the deal will go into effect before the next American president takes office.

Historic Modi visit boosts bilateral ties between India & USAPrime Minister Narendra Modi, who had arrived in Washington, DC June 6 on a three-day visit, met with Obama at the White House in the morning, and the two then had a working lunch. The two countries also pledged to expand military cooperation and outlined principles for cooperation on cyber issues.

Following the meeting, the leaders of the world’s largest democracies also announced the agreement to cut the use of hydrofluorocarbons, potent planet-warming chemicals produced by coolants in refrigerators and air-conditioners.

Both the nations announced that they intended to complete a deal in which India will buy six nuclear reactors from Westinghouse by June 2017, fulfilling an agreement struck in 2005 by President George W. Bush. The price is still under discussion, but more difficult issues like liability have been resolved. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, DC June 6 on a three-day visit.

Economic cooperation was also on the list for Tuesday’s meeting, with Modi expected to meet with business leaders. India has the world’s fastest-growing large economy, but it is not growing fast enough to provide jobs to even a significant fraction of the one million people entering the work force there every month.

U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal were among the top officials present at the base to receive Prime Minister Modi.

“India and USA are natural partners, two vibrant democracies that celebrate their diversity and pluralism. Strong India-USA ties benefit not only our two nations but also the entire world,” Modi had said.

Nuclear Debate on Pakistan in the US Congress

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

A debate on the policy brief by ARCHumanKind, “The Pink Triangle Threat; Nuclear Proliferation: an assessment”, was sponsored in the US Congress, Washington DC on May 11, 2016, by US Congressman Duncan Hunter Jr.

Internationally renowned American foreign affairs scholar, Walid Phares, and Director of ARCHumanKind, Paulo Casaca animated the debate. Congressman Trent Franks, representing Arizona since 2002, also attended. He has been especially active in the fight against nuclear proliferation, and is one of the most experienced politicians in this field. Several high-level experts and journalists also attended the debate.

During the conference, it was highlighted that Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear weapons program in the world, and of particular concern was its recent announcement of the development and deployment of tactical nuclear weapons along its border with India. Whereas Pakistan has, in the past, been the primary source of international nuclear proliferation, and gives no guarantee of control on its nuclear weapons, a lighter, more diversified and widespread nuclear device capability, implied by its recent tactical nuclear weapons announcement, significantly increases the risks of a major nuclear catastrophe.

The contemporary nuclear proliferation wave centered in Pakistan was developed through the so called ‘Khan network’ – a mix state, non-state and fanatic corporate multinational that traded clandestine nuclear weapons technology across the world with the help of the Pakistani Army, that allowed both Libya and North Korea to develop their nuclear weapons program.

Speakers present considered nuclear terror proliferation as the most important threat impacting upon humanity today, and argued that this threat has considerably increased following the acceptance, by the major world powers, of the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, and the chilling message this has sent to the international community.

Captain Amarinder Singh Promises Solving NRI Issues If Congress Returned To Power

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India, Politics 0

New York, NY: “Punjab is undergoing difficult times at the present, and these difficulties can only be resolved and Punjab’s progress put back on track when Congress government comes back to power,” said Captian Amarinder Singh, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President and former Chief Minister of Punjab, while addressing a rally in New York on Saturday May 7, 2016. Stating that the conditions in Punjab are very bad, Capt. Amarinder Sigh said, Sikh leaders themselves are causing harm as some of them will go to any extent for the sake of titles.

He listened to personal issues and general complaints of the nearly 2,000 people in attendance at the rally.  He declared that the properties of NRI Punjabis that have been illegally occupied or confiscated will be freed and given back to the rightful owners.  Once the Conmgress government is established, new rules and procedures will be put in place to resolve NRI problems.  He said he was fully familiar with the problems of the NRIs and has great sympathies for them.

He warned that one has to be cautious of 3 things: White liquor, White Fly and White Topi.  He was critical of both the AAP government in Delhi and the Badal government in Punjab. He lamented that Badal family had ruined Punjab with corruption. In addition, talking about Punjab, he said, inattention to agriculture, joblessness and drug addiction by youth were among the major problems which required careful and urgent social and governmental intervention. He said Punjab was in a dire need for a creative and far-sighted Government and the Congress will be able to deliver that. The backbone of Punjab, the farmer, is in dire shape as their situation is deteriorating and farmers are being forced to commit suicide in alarming numbers.

Capt. Amarinder Singh was on his last leg of his journey in the United States and was addressing a large crowd at the Hilton Hotel in Melville, New York organized under the aegis of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA headed by President Mohinder Singh Gilzian.

Hon. Sangat Singh Gilzian, MLA from Tanda who, among others, accompanied Capt. Amarinder Singh from Punjab also gave a brief narrative of the deplorable conditions in Punjab and said that Punjab now needed a great leader like Capt. Amarinder Singh to save it from drowning. Hon. Sukh Sarkaria, MLA, Hon. Kewal Dhillon, MLA and Dr. Surinder Malhotra also spoke on the occasion.

Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA, thanked the audience for coming and participating in the discussions and said that this event brought historic crowd together in New York. Gurmit Singh Gill said that he would take thousands of Punjabi NRIs from USA to Punjab for the 2017 elections. Amongst those who played an active role in organizing the event and making it a grand success included  Karamjit Singh Dhaliwal, President Malwa Brothers Association and Vice-President of INOC, USA, Tejinder Gill and Jasvir Singh Nawanshahr.

According to a press release issued here, George Abraham, Chairman, Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President, and Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General, together with several senior officers of INOC, USA met with Capt. Amarinder Singh before the event, where they discussed some of the important issues and strategies pertaining to the work of the INOC, USA and its resolve to assist in the furtherance of the goal of Capt. Amrinder Singh in his campaign processes. Captain Amarinder Singh expressed deep appreciation for the hard work the group was doing especially in bringing the community together and encouraged Mohinder Singh Gilzian to continue with his good work.

Public Notice From The Government of India Regarding Change of Passport Outsourcing Service Provider

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Travel 0

The existing India Passport Application Centre in Washington DC, which is operated by M/s BLS International Services Limited [Address: BLS India Passport, USA, 800 K Street NW, Suite MR-12, Washington, D.C. 20001; website: www.blsindia-usa.com/passport/index.php; Email: Email: dc@blsgroup.in; Helpline: +18459990726] will close operations at COB on 6 May 2016 (Friday).

  1. With effect from 9 May 2016 (Monday), Embassy of India, Washington DC will accept passport applications through the new India Passport Application Centre (IPAC)in Washington DC, which will be operated by M/s Cox and Kings Global Services. A service fee of US$ 19.95 (inclusive of all taxes) per application will be charged at the IPAC in addition to applicable passport fees.

Details of new IPAC in Washington DC

India Passport Application Centre

Cox and Kings Global Services

Suite 100-90, 1250 23rd St NW Washington, DC 20037

Website: www.passport.in.ckgs.us*

* CKGS website containing contact details including telephone and Email will be operational with effect from 2 May 2016 (Monday).

Timings

Monday to Friday except holidays

Submission of passport applications: 0900 hrs. – 1530 hrs.

Collection of processed passports: 1530 hrs. – 1800 hrs.

Call Centre and Information Desk: 0900 hrs. – 1900 hrs.

  1. Transition Arrangements: During the transition of outsourcing services from M/s BLS International Services Limited (BLS) to M/s Cox and Kings Global Services (CKGS), acceptance of passport applications and return of processed passports will be handled as follows:
  • BLS will not accept any postal application after 22 April 2016 (Friday). Only postal applications post-marked on or before 22 April 2016 will be accepted by BLS.
  • BLS will not accept regular walk-in / appointment applications after 29 April 2016 (Friday).
  • BLS will only accept Tatkal walk-in / appointment applications from 2 May 2016 (Monday) to 6 May 2016 (Friday).
  1. Return of processed passports: Renewed passports for all passport applications accepted by BLS will be returned to applicants by BLS through walk-in collection or through postal dispatch, where the applicant has chosen for postal delivery. For passport applications under processing at the Embassy during the transition period, renewed passports will be returned to the applicants by Embassy of India, Washington DC. Applicants are advised to check tracking status of their applications on BLS website. BLS will also inform all those applicants by email whose renewed passports will be returned directly by the Embassy. In such cases, renewed passports will be available for walk-in collection at the Embassy’s Consular Office [2536 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20008] or will be dispatched by post, where the applicant has chosen for postal delivery.
  1. All applicants who have submitted their passport applications to BLS IPAC are advised to check status of their application on the BLS website and make immediate arrangements to pick up their renewed passports from BLS, if they are now available at the BLS IPAC.
  1. In order to avoid any inconvenience, applicants who are not in immediate need for renewal of their passports are advised to submit their passport applications to the new IPAC on or after 9 May 2016 (Monday). However, applicants may take care that their postal applications do not reach CKGS IPAC before 9 May 2016.
  1. For further information / clarification, applicants may send an email to the Consular Wing of the Embassy of India, Washington DC at consular@indiagov.org with subject head “Transition”.
  1. For information regarding new India Passport Application Centres at Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco, please visit the websites of Consulates General of India at Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco respectively.

India Has Largest Youth Population 356 million10-24 year-olds in India

Staff ReporterIndia, Youth 0

United Nations: With 356 million 10-24 year-olds, India has the world’s largest youth population despite having a smaller population than China, a recent report by the United Nations has stated. The report titled ‘The power of 1.8 billion’, said 28 per cent of India’s population is 10 to 24 year-olds, adding that the youth population is growing fastest in the poorest nations. Global number of youths is highest ever.
China is second with 269 million young people, followed by Indonesia (67 million), the US (65 million) and Pakistan (59 million), Nigeria with 57 million, Brazil with 51 million, and Bangladesh with 48 million, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World’s Population report said.

It said that developing countries with large youth populations could see their economies soar, provided they invest heavily in young people’s education and health and protect their rights. Within this generation are 600 million adolescent girls with specific needs, challenges and aspirations for the future, the report said.
As the world is home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 year, 9 in 10 of the world’s young population live in less developed countries. “Young people are the innovators, creators, builders and leaders of the future. But they can transform the future only if they have skills, health, decision-making, and real choices in life.
“Today’s record 1.8 billion young people present an enormous opportunity to transform the future,” UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehim said. The potential economic gains would be realised through a “demographic dividend”, which can occur when a county’s working age population is larger than the population that is dependent.
“Never before have there been so many young people. Never again is there likely to be such potential for economic and social progress. How we meet the needs and aspirations of young people will define our common future,” the report said.
In order to maximise the dividend, countries must ensure their young working-age populations are equipped to seize opportunities for jobs and other income-earning possibilities, the UN agency said.

India In Talks To Purchase US Predator Drones

Staff ReporterIndia, Science & Technology, U.S. 0

India is in talks with the United States to purchase 40 Predator surveillance drones. “We are aware of Predator interest from the Indian Navy. However, it is a government-to-government discussion,” Vivek Lall, chief executive of U.S. and International Strategic Development at San Diego-based General Atomics, told the media.

The push for the drones comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter heads to India this weekend for talks to cement military collaboration in the final months of the Obama administration. Indian military officials said they expected the request for the armed aircraft to figure in Carter’s talks with his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar.

As defence ties deepen with the United States, which sees India as a counterweight to China in the region, New Delhi has asked Washington for the Predator series of unmanned planes built by privately-held General Atomics, military officials said.

According to reports, India is trying to equip the military with more unmanned technologies to gather intelligence as well as boost its firepower along the vast land borders with Pakistan and China. It also wants a closer eye on the Indian Ocean. New Delhi has already acquired surveillance drones from Israel to monitor the mountains of Kashmir, a region disputed by the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals and the cause of two of their three wars.

The U.S. government late last year cleared General Atomics’ proposal to market the unarmed Predator XP in India. It was not clear when the delivery of the drones would take place. The navy wants them for surveillance in the Indian Ocean, where the pilotless aircraft can remain airborne for 35 hours at a stretch, at a time when the Chinese navy is expanding ship and submarine patrols in the region.

India’s air force has also asked Washington about acquiring around 100 armed Predator C Avenger aircraft, which the United States has used to carry out strikes against Islamist militants in Pakistan’s northwest and neighbouring Afghanistan. But it would need clearance from the Missile Technology Control Regime group of 34 nations as well as approval from U.S. Congress before any transfer of lethal Predators could happen, officials said.

Washington wants India to sign a set of agreements including on the use of each other’s military bases that would help them operate together. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has signalled its willingness to move forward with the proposed pacts after the previous administration did not act for more than a decade.

India’s Fastest Train Gatiman Express Begins Service On April 5th

Staff ReporterIndia, Science & Technology 0

Gatiman Express, the country’s fastest train, started plying between Agra and Delhi from April 5 opening a new chapter in the history of the Indian Railways. The state-of-the-art train takes one hour and forty minutes to complete the journey. Ironically, on the same route runs a passenger train which takes around eight hours to cover the 195-km distance. Railway officials have made all the required arrangements to start the most awaited train between the two heritage cities.

The service was flagged by railway minister Suresh Prabhu on April 5 from Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi. On the inaugural day, the train started its journey at 10am and reached Agra Cantt station at 11.40am. The Delhi-Agra Gatiman Express, the first train in India to run at a speed of 160 kmph, is expected to cover the 200-km distance in 100 minutes and will have train hostess.

The fare for chair car in fully air-conditioned Gatiman Express has been fixed at Rs 690, while a passenger will be required to spend Rs 1,365 for travelling Executive Class. In Delhi-Agra Shatabadi Express, the chair car fare is Rs 540 and Rs 1,040 for Executive Class. On the other hand, there is New Delhi-Agra Cantt passenger train, which takes seven hours and 34 minutes to cover 195 km at a meager speed of 25 kmph. However, it never reaches the destination on time and take one-two hours extra. The fare is kept at Rs 45 and it has 27 halts in comparison of not a single stoppage between Agra and Delhi in Gatiman express.

Additional divisional railway manager Sheelendra Pratap Singh said, “It is not that it runs on a slower engine. Its maximum speed is 110kmph. The train since its inception has been running on this decided schedule and there is no plan to change it. It takes so much time because it stops at each and every station. Moreover, it is stalled for other premium train to give passage.”

Obama Asks India, Pakistan To Stop Moving In Wrong Direction Over Nuclear Doctrines

Staff ReporterIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

President Barack Obama on Friday last week counselled India and Pakistan not to pursue aggressive military doctrines and nuclear arsenals as he wrapped up the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, his signature international effort to curtail the spread of nuclear weapons and source material.

During a press conference at the end of the summit that attracted leaders from all major powers, Obama sought to “see progress in Pakistan and India, that subcontinent, making sure that as they develop military doctrines, that they are not continually moving in the wrong direction.” He also expressed concern about “nuclear arsenals” expanding in some countries, “especially those with small tactical nuclear weapons that could be at greater risk of theft.”

The reference clearly was to Pakistan’s expanding nuclear arsenal with the addition of mini-nukes, but the US President also drew India into the picture with his reference to military doctrines, seen in some quarters as an allusion to New Delhi’s much-discussed but never implemented Cold Start Doctrine, a military manoeuvre that purportedly seeks to launch punitive armored strikes deep into Pakistan in a quick reaction response to egregious acts of terrorism by Pakistan inside India.

New Delhi has repeatedly said it has not implemented the Cold Start doctrine, and that Pakistan has historically been the aggressor with a military doctrine of terrorism and “death by thousand cuts” aimed at changing the status quo between the two countries. Still, there was a degree of surprise in Indian quarters that the US President’s lecture came despite the restraint exercised by the Modi government in what has been an extension of the UPA government’s Pakistan policy.

The Cold Start doctrine, a largely theoretical construct that has been debated in Indian strategic circles but not implemented, has rattled Pakistan to such an extent that it has developed and deployed battlefield nuclear weapons or tactical mini-nukes for use against an invading armored corps, even if it means nuking its own territory.

President Obama and other leaders have expressed fears that these mini-nukes dispersed to field commanders could be easy picking for terrorist groups that all too frequently infiltrate Pakistani military establishments, as evident in several attacks on military cantonments and garrisons. The concern was widely discussed by world leaders and their aides at the summit, both in the main session and on the margins.

Fearing a public dressing down, the Pakistani leadership bailed out from attending the Nuclear Security Summit, citing the Lahore terrorist attack as an excuse, thus forcing Obama to publicly voice the international concern.

Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that its nuclear weapons are safe and well-protected, but the assertion carries little credibility in the international community that has seen its blueprints and technology in the hands of countries such as Libya and Iran, and witnessed its nuclear scientists supping with al-Qaida leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

PM Modi To Visit Belgium, US, Saudi Arabia This Week

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

Washington, DC: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a three – nation tour to Belgium, United States and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 from the Indian capital.

According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup, the Prime Minister will reach Brussels, the capital of Belgium on Wednesday. Nandini Singla, Joint Secretary (Europe West) said, the Prime Minister will take part in a series of activities at Brussels apart from addressing Indian diaspora.

The Prime Minister will also take part in India-EU summit where he will take forward the ongoing consultations with the European Union, EU on finalization of Broad based Trade and Investment Agreement, BTIA. The Prime Minister is the first foreign dignitary who will be on the state visit to Belgium just a week after the deadly terror bombings which rocked Brussels.

In his second leg of the tour, the Prime Minister will attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit at Washington DC on Thursday and Friday this week. He will present national progress report outlining the measures being taken by New Delhi for strengthening nuclear security and safety of nuclear technologies and devices. He is also likely to have bilateral meetings with heads of some countries.

The final stop over of his trip is to Saudi Arabia where 2.96 million Indians are residing. Modi will visit office of two Indian companies besides holding talks with Saudi leadership’s on trade and investment among other issues. Some agreements are expected to be signed in Brussels and Saudi Arabia during the Prime Minister’s Modi’s visit.

Indian Premier & Ministers Spent Rs. 567cr on foreign trips in 2015-16

Ajay GhoshFinance/Economy, India, Politics 0

Washington, DC: The foreign trips of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues cost the Indian exchequer Rs. 567 crore in the last financial year (2015-16), an increase of more than 80% from the previous year, budget documents show. This is besides the over Rs. 500 crore his bureaucrats spend on their travel each year on an average.

The total tour expenses of the PM and his ministers went up from Rs 269 crore as estimated in the budget at the beginning of the 2015-16 fiscal to Rs 567 crore, as per the revised estimates towards the end of the year. In addition, the total tour expenditure of bureaucrats was over Rs 1,500 crore in the three years up to 2014-15.

The UPA-2 Cabinet and its PM spent almost Rs 1,500 crore on travel between 2009-10 and 2013-14. In comparison, the travel bill of the NDA government in three years (between 2014-15 and 2016-17) is estimated at Rs 1,140 crore.

The PM, however, has pledged to slash his expenditure on foreign trips by over 54% in the next financial year which will restore it to the level of UPA’s expenditure towards the end of its term in 2014.The travel bill of the Cabinet and the PM includes expenditure on travel by ministers, ministers of state and ex-PMs and the aircraft used by VVIPs — the PM, President and Vice-President.

Though Modi flaunts a leaner Cabinet, with 64 members compared to UPA’s 75 members, the salary bill of his ministers went up by more than 25% last year compared to 2013-14, the UPA’s last year in office. The allowances of his ministers also shot up to Rs 10.20 crore, which shows an increase of 8% over the expenditure made by theUPA Cabinet.

The cabinet secretariat, which assists the PM, has added a strength of at least 300 since 2015. The strength of the cabinet secretariat as on March 1, 2015 was 900 which increased to 1,201 in 2016, according to the budget.

The travel bills of successive governments have not been impacted by the downturn in the economy since 2008-09. Every year, the finance ministry comes out with a press note announcing a 10% cut in non-plan expenditure that imposes restriction on first class travel by bureaucrats and a cut on foreign delegations of Union ministers besides restrictions on conferences in five-star hotels. Interestingly, the curb on first class travel by senior bureaucrats is lifted in the second half of the fiscal every year.

U.S. lawmakers urge Modi to take action on religious violence

Ajay GhoshCulture/Religion, India, Politics 0
Eight U.S. Senators and 26 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have raised “grave concerns about the increasing intolerance and violence experienced by members of…religious minority communities,” in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing threats to Christians in Chhattisgarh and vigilantism over beef that has led to the murder of four Muslims.
Applauding India’s commitment to pluralism and tolerance, and reminding the PM that he had promised to ensure complete religious freedom in the country, the lawmakers urged him to “turn these words into action by publicly condemning” such violence.
“Of particular concern is the treatment of India’s Christian, Muslim and Sikh communities,” the lawmakers –several of them consistently pro-India — have written to the PM. “Our strong support of this partnership encourages us to relay our grave concerns.” The lawmakers said they were also concerned about the lack of recognition of Sikhism as a distinct religion.
The Modi’s government’s drive against civil society organisations receiving foreign donations in India has been an irritant in bilateral relations for sometime now. The lawmakers’ letter on religious violence, specifically naming Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal that share the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) ideological universe with Mr. Modi, could be potentially embarrassing for the PM. Mr. Modi will be in the U.S. on March 31 and April 1, to attend the nuclear security summit being convened by President Barack Obama. The letter also comes against the backdrop of the Centre’s unprecedented steamrolling of political dissent in the country, which is increasingly a talking point in the U.S. capital.
“On June 17th, 2014, more than 50 village councils in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh adopted a resolution banning all “non-Hindu religious propaganda, prayers, and speeches” in their communities. The Christian minority community has been dramatically affected: the ban effectively has criminalised the practice of Christianity for an estimated 300 Christian families in the region one day after a mob, which included members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, seriously injured six Christians in the village of Sirciguda. Since the ban was implemented, Christians in the Bastar District reportedly have been subjected to physical assaults, denial of government services, extortion, threats of forced expulsion, denial of access to food and water, and pressure to convert to Hinduism,” the letter said.
“We also are concerned that the nearly country-wide beef ban is increasing tensions and encouraging vigilante violence against the Indian Muslim community. On Monday, November 2nd, a Hindu mob killed Mohammed Hasmat Ali, a married father of three, in Manipur, India, after he was accused of stealing a cow. Mr. Ali reportedly is the fourth Muslim murdered in just six weeks by Hindu mobs angered over allegations of cows being slaughtered or stolen. We understand that the September 28th murder of 52-year-old Mohammed Saif in Uttar Pradesh sparked a national outcry over rising intolerance toward religious minorities which culminated in hundreds of prominent academics, business leaders, and authors protesting.”
“We want to raise additional concerns about the lack of recognition of Sikhism as a distinct religion, which prevents members of the community from accessing social services and employment and educational preferences available to other religious communities. Sikh community members reportedly are harassed and pressured to reject religious practices and beliefs distinct to Sikhism. On October 14, security forces killed two Sikhs and injured scores of others in Punjab who were protesting peacefully against the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s holy book,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Mr. Prime Minister, we applaud India as a pluralistic society with a long-standing commitment to inclusion and tolerance. We also applaud your statements about religious freedom and communal harmony, including your promise in February 2014 that your government would “ensure that there is complete freedom of faith…and not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others.” We urge you to turn these words into action by publicly condemning the ban on non-Hindu faiths in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh, and the violent assaults and other forms of harassment against religious minorities throughout India. We also urge you to take steps to control the activities of groups, such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and instruct Indian security forces to enforce the rule of law and protect religious minority communities from religiously-motivated harassment and violence.
Such steps would demonstrate your government’s commitment to fostering a stable and inclusive society and respecting international obligations on the rights of religious minorities, including religious freedom. We await your response,” the letter concluded.
Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Representatives Keith Ellison (D-MI), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Mark Walker (R-NC), Doug Collins (R-GA), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Ted Poe (R-TX), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Conyers, (D-MI) have signed the letter.

Indian Consulate Detects Fake US Green Cards Submitted To Obtain Travel Documents To India

Ajay GhoshIndia, Travel 0

(New York, NY: February 13, 2016) During its routine checks, the Indian Consulate in New York had identified that 7 suspicious US Green Cards, which it sent to the US Immigration for verification, and has found that six of the seven were found to be fake, media reports here say.

The detection of fake US Green Cards submitted to obtain Travel Documents to India, has led to the US the Immigration authorities and the police launching an investigation in to the working of Service Providers to the Indian Consulate here. They are said to be examining their possible nexus with people and agencies involved in the racket.

According to reports, there are two official service providers appointed by the Indian Embassy in the US. One is BLS International which provides Passport services, and the other is Cox & King which provides Visa services, among others. There have been complaints against BLS International ever since it started operations years ago. It is reported that almost every Consulate, and Embassy of India in the US, have expressed dissatisfaction with the working of the company but it continues to be in business. As per reports, BLS is believed to have strong political connections in India and its patrons there ensured the company remains in business in spite of all adverse reports.

It has been known for some time now that there are agents who claim to provide services to seekers of travel documents, for a price. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong in it. However, these agents also indulged in faking documents to get travel documents to those not eligible for obtaining those documents, for some reason. In such cases, these agents charged hefty fees, from $3500.00 upward.

As per reports, an Immigration official visited the Consulate on February 5th to speak with the Consulate authorities. Accompanied by the Consulate officials, the officer from the Immigration visited the offices of BLS International, located at 28 West 30th Street, Suite 202, New York, NY10001. As the official reached there he found in the BLS complex the Notary who had notarized the “fake Green Cards”. The officer asked him a couple of questions and went in to speak with the BLS officials about the presence of the Notary in the building. It was when the Notary, reported to be named Husain, picked up his stuff and bolted.

Media reports state that the US Immigration is now believed to be looking in to the issue not as a solitary affair of faking of some US green cards by just a few to obtain travel documents to India but as a much wider racket, involving many all over the US. Meanwhile, the local police are separately looking in to the case of “fraud”.

India Consulate General Advisory for Visa and Passport Applicants

Ajay GhoshIndia, Travel 0

(New York, NY: February 13, 2016) Taking into account of reports of fraud, Consulate General of India here has issued an advisory for Visa & Passport applicants. It says There are no agents or middlemen authorized to facilitate deposit of application forms in respect of visa/OCI/Renunciation and Passport renewal. Any individual can fill in the online application form and deposit the same without the involvement of agents or middlemen.

Indian Visa Services pertaining to acceptance of visa applications and delivery of processed passports have been outsourced to the M/s Cox and Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd. [2nd Floor, 235 West 23rd Street, New York-10011. Tel. 646-589- 0088and   516-206-1483 Website: www.in.ckgs.us ]. M/s Cox and Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd. also deals with the OCI applications and Renunciation of Indian Citizenship applications. The Consulate General of India, New York, does not authorize any other agents for facilitating the acceptance of visa /OCI/Renunciation applications and delivery of processed passports & other documents.

Similarly, Indian Passport Services have been outsourced to the M/s BLS International Services Ltd.[ 28 West 30th Street, Suite 202, New York- 10001 Tel. 888-683- 7830 Website: www.passport.blsindia-usa.com. For submission of application forms for renewal of passports under tatkal scheme, a copy of the passport particulars page and valid visa page needs to be sent for approval to the Consulate on tatkal@indiacgny.org & tatkal@gmail.com before the application is submitted at the BLS International Services.

The Consulate also has noted that the applications for emergency visa & attestations are done directly at the Consulate General of India, New York [3 East 64 Street New York, NY, 10065] without any prior appointment.

India Fares Poorly in Freedom House Report

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India, Politics 0

In India, the Hindu nationalist government “generally failed to curb a rise in anti-Muslim violence and intimidation, at times appearing to encourage or take advantage of religious divisions for political gain,” the U.S.-based Freedom House said in its annual report.

Across South and Southeast Asia, religious extremism gave rise to increased tensions and violence last year, the Freedom House said in its annual report. Released on January  27, the report features Asia as a region where “religious nationalism [is] linked to political tensions” and highlights six countries — all in South and Southeast Asia.

“In a range of Asian countries, strained political institutions were paired with various forms of religious nationalism or extremism,” noted a statement accompanying the report. In Myanmar, anti-Muslim discrimination “remained a serious problem,” the report notes, adding that it is unclear whether the newly elected National League for Democracy government will be able to address the issue.

In Muslim-majority countries, meanwhile, secularists and other minorities bore the brunt of the oppression. The report highlights a series of attacks in Bangladesh on atheist bloggers, foreigners and Shiites carried out by Islamist radicals. In Malaysia, increased conservatism has led to the persecution of the LGBT community, and in Brunei “the government restricted minority religious displays and moved toward implementation of a harsh new criminal code based on sharia.”

Among the listed nations, only Sri Lanka is singled out as a country that has seen a de-escalation, with Buddhist nationalists losing influence following last year’s surprise change in leadership. The country in fact saw one of the largest gains on the report’s ratings, shooting up 14 points to 55 on an index ranking freedom from 0 to 100. The country also was bumped up from “not free” to “partly free” on the reports’ three-tiered ranking system.

Across Asia, just 41 percent of the countries surveyed fell into the “free” tier. “In many countries with authoritarian governments, the drop in revenues from falling commodity prices led dictators to redouble political repression at home and lash out at perceived foreign enemies,” said Arch Puddington, senior vice president for research, in a statement accompanying the report, which also highlighted Thailand as a nation where “the previous year’s dramatic setbacks for freedom … continued to fester.” The region also performed poorly in Transparency International’s annual Corruptions Perception Index, which was released Jan. 27.

On 168 countries surveyed, much of Asia received less than 50 on a 100-point scale of perceived corruption. Cambodia performed the worst in Southeast Asia, scoring just 21 points, followed by Myanmar at 22. Singapore and Hong Kong were the only Asian nations to receive scores higher than 70.

“Has Asia Pacific stalled in its efforts to fight corruption?” asked Srirak Plipat, regional director for Asia Pacific. “This year’s poor results demand that leaders revisit the genuineness of their efforts and propel the region forward with actionable measures.”

United Nations’ poverty index shows 41% of Gujarat is poor: Congress

Ajay GhoshFinance/Economy, India, Politics 0

The Maharashtra Congress today said the United Nations’ multi-dimensional poverty index developed in 2013 showed that 41% of people in Gujarat were poor. “Out of 41% of the poor, 18.5% live in severe poverty. How can a state where every fifth person lives in abject poverty and 41% in poverty claim to be a model for anyone,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Sachin Sawant said at a press conference. He said the study showed that besides 41% poor, another 17% are vulnerable to poverty in Gujarat.

The state is ranked 12th in terms of development needs and falls in the “less developed” category. It is not the most developed state in the country, but on the contrary, it is the 12th most developed state, according to the RBI, he said.

Similarly, a state that boasts of agriculture growth, has 25 per cent of its population suffering from hunger and its condition is even worse that Odisha, he said. Gujarat is ranked 13th (24.69% of its population facing hunger) out of 17 states, in terms of states with the highest percentage of population affected by hunger, while the national average of such population is 23.31%, he said.

Hitting out at BJP national treasurer Piyush Goyal, who yesterday said that Gujarat had not seen farmers’ suicides, Sawant, quoting documents submitted by the Gujarat government in the legislative assembly, said from 2008 to 2013, 122 farmers committed suicide due to inability to repay their loans, crop losses and other reasons.

Sawant said the national growth rate had reached 9.3% during the UPA regime and all states, including Gujarat, had benefited. “By speaking about Gujarat and criticising other states, Modi insults people of those states,” he said, adding that the MPCC would bring out a book highlighting Narendra Modi’s “lies”. “BJP should be called Bahut Jhooti Party,” he said.

Year 2015: India-US Come Closer Than Ever Under Barack Obama, Narendra Modi

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

Looking back into the year 2015, among the many things that has transformed the world, if there was one thing that stands out is the closest bond between India and the United States. Under the leadership of U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ties between the two greatest democracies have evolved into strong and productive.

A “budding bromance” between India and the U.S. or “Modbama” as Foreign Policy called it, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, took their ties to a new high in the year gone by. The year began with Modi, once a persona non grata in the U.S., staging what was called a “diplomatic coup” with an invitation to Obama to be the first U.S. president to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day.

Beyond the symbolism, Obama’s “game changing” second visit to India in four years saw “Barack” warming up to Modi and sent what the U.S. called an “important message” to the world about their commitment to realise the full potential of India-U.S. relationship. The White House’s first National Security Strategy since 2010 reflected the changing relationship with Obama saying the U.S. was “primed to unlock the potential of its relationship with India” as part of its rebalance to Asia and the Pacific.

Nine months later, Modi returned the compliment with yet another hugely successful visit to the U.S. with a warm hug for Obama, a courtship with Silicon Valley and a love fest with the Indian diaspora. But even before Modi and Obama had their fifth bilateral meeting in New York, the two nations, at their first strategic and commercial dialogue, reached five key agreements.

Topping the list was a decision to step up their counter-terrorism efforts with Washington, for once, recognising the threat posed by South Asian terror groups, including Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba, responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, and the D company. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ended the year on another high note. “Gelling well” with his U.S. counterpart Ashton Carter, they agreed to further expand their growing defence partnership to make it what Carter called an “anchor of global security.”

As Carter welcomed India’s rise in the Asia-Pacific region, the two countries committed to identify additional projects for possible co-development and co-production of high technology items. Meanwhile, Obama called his “friend and partner” Modi a couple of times on a new hotline, first to win his support for the Paris climate deal and then to thank him for India’s positive role in reaching the historic accord.

At his year-end victory lap, Obama highlighted American leadership in bringing China, India and Brazil on board for the Paris climate deal among his successes of 2015 from thawing relations with Cuba to halting Iran’s nuclear program. The White House also acknowledged India’s “substantial sacrifice” in backing the sanctions against Iran that helped Washington seal the deal with Tehran.

“President Obama and Prime Minister Modi have a very, strong and productive relationship, not just on climate change but broadly,” Todd Stern, the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change said last week. “It was a quite extraordinary fact that within the space of four months there were two head of the state visits, one first to the United States in September of 2014 and then Prime Minister Modi invited the President to India just four months later in January,” the official said.

Thereafter the two leaders have been close communications with each other. “They met on the margins of the UNGA in New York and they met on the first day of the Paris meeting,” Stern said. According to Stern the meeting was a very warm and positive, cordial and detailed.

“In fact, they talked so long that – they were both supposed to go – and did go finally, but they were a little bit late to the announcement of this big Mission Innovation idea on R&D that both – well, the United States, India, China, many other countries ultimately were part of,” the U.S. official said. “So I think, that the call later, sort of more towards the end, was a check-in call to see how we were doing and to urge us all on together toward a successful conclusion. And I think it was done in that spirit, not in the spirit that there was some specific thing that had to be done before the agreement could get completed,” Stern said.

At the end of the election cycle in November next year, whosoever American voters choose as the new tenant of the White House next November, one thing is clear: Relations between India and the U.S. are poised for a take-off given solid bipartisan support for this.

The enduring legacy of Nehru

Staff ReporterIndia, Politics, Profiles 0

‘A moment comes, but comes rarely in history, when we step out from the old to new, when an age ends, and when a soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance’. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru delivered these inspiring words in his speech, ‘Tryst of Destiny’ in1947. He is still remembered for his vision and commitment to bring India from out of oppression into freedom, modernity, and self-reliance.

As we have celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14th, 2015, we are in awe as we recollect his contribution, not only towards gaining India’s independence but also for laying a strong foundation of a pluralistic and forward looking India. Yet, half a century after his death, the current leadership of India is busy trying to downplay his legacy for political expediency, and to re-create a nation away from the democratic and secular tradition he has championed.

When India gained Independence, there were monumental challenges resulting from the partition and the ongoing violence between Hindus and Muslims. The urgent task facing the leadership at the time was the resettlement of 6
million refugees, and arresting the spread of further violence. Nehru put together a team of dedicated patriots such as Sardar Tarlok Singh, Sarojini Naidu and S.K. Ghosh to limit the violence, as well as rescue and recover
abandoned and abducted women and children.

The enduring legacy of NehruWhen the British left, the Government, headed by Nehru, faced another important task: the national integration of 562 princely states. A newly created State department under the decisive leadership of Sardar Vallabhai
Patel along with Nehru ensured the integration of the country in a remarkably short period of time.

If we look back at history for a moment, we would admire how Nehru brought together exceptional people of different ideologies such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, S.P. Mookerjee, John Mathai, C.H. Bhabha and Shanmukham Chetty to be reflective of India’s secular and multi-faceted character in the Constituent Assembly. The Congress party delivered on the promise that the constitution they were about to create would reflect the aspirations of the Indian people.

The constitution of India was amongst the largest in the world with 395 Articles and 9 Schedules. The preamble spells out the basic philosophy and the solemn resolve of the people of India to secure justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for all its citizens. What Nehru has accomplished through this document with significant help and support from Ambedkar also is part of his vision to empower marginalized sections of the society.

Nehru was committed to ensuring social justice and the welfare of the masses as far back as 1938 by setting up the National Planning Committee under the banner of the Congress Party for the very purpose of improving the quality of life of ordinary citizens. These efforts culminated in creating a permanent planning commission to establish a just social order to ensure the equitable distribution of income and wealth. Nehru’s actions in these matters paint him as a socialist, however, he strongly believed that planning was essential to the development needs of a poor country with scarce resources, which needed to be managed optimally.

He was also concerned about the unequal access to land which was a big problem in rural India. After independence, the issue was prioritized, and by 1949, different states had passed land reform legislations to abolish the ‘Zamindari’ system and empowering the rural peasantry while doing away with the institutionalized exploitation by the feudal lords.

Nehru was a strong proponent of self-reliance, clearly recognizing that underdevelopment was the result of a lack of technological progress. Consequently, a new Industrial policy was enacted to develop key industries. While Independent India was in its infancy, he identified the production of power and steel for self-sufficiency and planning. In collaboration with other countries, India built steel plants in Rourkela (Orissa), Bhilai (M.P.) and Durgapur (W. Bengal). Dam projects were undertaken in various places to produce hydro-electric power, including the
flagship Dam at Bhakra Nangal, Punjab. The first oil refinery was inaugurated in Noonmati, Assam in 1962 as another leap forward towards industrialization. Nehru called them ‘the temples of modern India’.

Nehru was determined to foster a ‘scientific temper’ as he provided leadership in establishing many new Engineering Institutes, the most important being the premier Indian Institute of Technology, 5 of which were started between 1957 and 1964. His farsightedness is also evident in granting deemed university status to the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, and setting up the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Defense Research and Development Organization, and laying the foundation stone for the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Nehru’s own words stated that these would become ‘visible symbols of building up the new India and of providing life and sustenance to our people’.

Soon after independence, India embarked upon a nuclear program aimed at developing its nuclear capacity for peaceful purposes. As we know by now, Dr. Homi Bhabha’s pioneering work in this regard is widely acclaimed in
enhancing India’s capabilities in this area. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Program helped to establish the Indian Space Research Organization.

Nehru recognized the importance of education as a tool for empowerment and the establishment of the University Education Commission under the Chairmanship of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and Secondary Education Commission under the chairmanship of Dr. A. L. Mudaliar laid the foundation of education and higher education. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations was also established under Maulana Azad to promote policies pertaining to India’s external cultural relations.

Nehru also played a crucial role as a leader of the non-aligned world, shaping India’s foreign policy for the post-independence period. His charismatic personality, along with deep understanding of the country and the world enabled him to be an effective spokesman for the developing world and an advocate for liberation movements across the globe.

Undoubtedly, Nehru helped to build institutions that stood the test of time. The emerging nations during that period such as Yugoslavia, Egypt and Ghana failed in this regard, and results are quite evident for all of us to
see. Nehru’s vision and leadership were critical in shaping India as we know it today. According to ‘Journey of a Nation’, edited by Anand Sharma, Nehru laid the foundation of a self-reliant, productive and confident India, creating many of its Institutions leaving an indelible stamp on every aspect of the country.

Sadly, there are regressive forces at work now to undo the Nehruvian legacy and to take us back to the age when the soul of the nation was suppressed. Among reflective Indians, especially NRIs, it is time to realize that the ongoing Nehru bashing has been somewhat counterproductive. Nehru’s respect for democratic procedures and his inclusive vision will continue to remain relevant, without which a modern India might cease to exist! To revise a
famous quote to fit this narrative, ‘if India is to progress, Nehru is inescapable… we may ignore him at our own risk’.

Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer at the United Nations and Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA.

India’s government criticized over growing religious tensions

Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

A leading economic analysis group warned Friday that rising communal tensions in India were damaging Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reform plans and could scare off investors.

A report by Moody’s Analytics said members of Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, were fueling strife with provocative comments, an apparent reference to recent controversies over beef consumption and other domestic issues that have riled minorities, particularly Muslims.

“While Modi has largely distanced himself from the nationalist gibes, the belligerent provocation of various Indian minorities has raised ethnic tensions,” the group said. “Modi must keep his members in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility.”

The comments by Moody’s Analytics, a research division of the corporation that operates a separate credit rating agency, add to a growing debate in India over Modi’s policies and allegedly pro-Hindu rhetoric. The Indian leader took office in May 2014 promising to focus on economic growth. However, his conservative party, which has ties to hard-line Hindu groups, has garnered more headlines for pursuing laws seen as catering to India’s Hindu majority and for questionable statements by its politicians.

Some BJP-led states have banned the consumption of beef on the grounds that it’s offensive to Hinduism, which regards the cow as sacred. In September, a Muslim in northern India was lynched by a Hindu mob on suspicion that he ate beef; eight of 11 men accused in the death reportedly are relatives of a local BJP worker.

A BJP lawmaker, Sakshi Maharaj, said afterward: “We are ready to kill and get killed for cows.”

Modi did not appear to help matters when he finally spoke on the issue three weeks later, calling the killing “sad and undesirable” but saying his political opponents were trying to exploit it.

In recent weeks, scores of leading scientists and artists have returned awards given to them by government bodies in protest of what they call a growing climate of religious and cultural intolerance.

n August, a 76-year-old secular writer and critic of Hindu fundamentalists, M.M. Kalburgi, was gunned down in his home in southern India. This week, students at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India finally called off a strike they launched more than four months ago in protest of the government’s appointment of Hindu conservatives to lead the institution’s governing body.

An Indian activist participates in a candlelight vigil in New Delhi on Oct. 3 against the slaying of a Muslim who was killed allegedly for eating and storing beef in his house.
An Indian activist participates in a candlelight vigil in New Delhi on Oct. 3 against the slaying of a Muslim who was killed allegedly for eating and storing beef in his house.

Modi, a canny communicator who has cultivated a relationship with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, has sought to project an image of a muscular, modernizing India, which plays well among his many middle-class supporters as well as audiences overseas.

But the Moody’s report, titled “India Outlook: Searching for Potential” and written by Sydney-based economist Faraz Syed, could rattle Modi’s government by drawing a connection between the sectarian strife and India’s lagging economic performance.

The report said India’s economic growth rate of 7.3% in September was “below potential” and the country’s exports could be hurt by a slowdown in global demand. It also noted that India’s stock market, which boomed on excitement over Modi’s victory, has fallen 11% because of the government’s “consistent failure to deliver key economic reforms.”

Modi faces another key test in early November with elections in Bihar, one of India’s largest and most impoverished states, where the BJP is locked in a tight battle with a coalition of rival parties.

Modi, who has campaigned vigorously in the state, drew criticism this week when he told a rally that the BJP’s opponents would take affirmative action slots from Hindu lower classes and give them to “another community.” Commentators said it was an unspoken reference to Muslims, who make up a large minority in Bihar and about 14% of India’s 1.2 billion population.

“Overall, it’s unclear whether India can deliver the promised reforms and hit its growth potential,” the Moody’s report said. “Undoubtedly, numerous political outcomes will dictate the extent of success.”

Special correspondent Parth M.N. contributed to this report.

India Urges Expansion of UNSC

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

The United Nations came to be established in 1945 as a result of the world of 70 years ago, responding to the crisis of the World War II. The United Nations Security Council, the most powerful body of this international organization that represents the world’s 192 countries,  has been dominated by the FIVE Permanent member states. India has served seven terms as a non-permanent member of UNSC and has echoed the need for expansion and reform in the Security Council. A permanent seat in UNSC would elevate India to the status of USA, UK, France, China and Russia in the diplomatic sphere and warrant India a critical say in all global matters that matter globally. The United Nations continued to be a representative of the world order of 1945.

Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister of India, has strongly pitched for reforms in the United Nations Security Council and pointed out that neither India with nearly a sixth of the world’s population nor the largest continent Africa in terms of number of countries were on board. India has made several attempts, making a strong pitch for early reforms of the United Nations Security Council before a gathering of Africa’s leaders, saying both India and Africa can no longer be excluded from their “rightful place” in the world body. “Although Indians and Africans comprise nearly 2.5 billion people, our nations continue to be excluded from appropriate representation in the institutions of global governance,” Sushma Swaraj said last week. Swaraj, who addressed the ministerial meeting of the third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi, also referred to the scourge of terrorism faced by India and Africa, and said the menace of non-state actors and cross-border terrorism has acquired a new dimension.

“India and Africa can no longer be excluded from their rightful place of the permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council. How can we expect legitimacy from a governance structure that excludes the entire African continent and a country, which represents one-sixth of humanity?” Over 180,000 Indian troops have participated in U.N. peacekeeping missions – more than any other country, she pointed out.

She said India was committed to a people-centric approach for cooperation with African countries focusing on capacity building, human resource development, and technical and financial support for mutually agreed priorities. Unless there were more democratic global governance structures, a more equitable international security and development framework will continue to elude the world, Swaraj said.

She said “A major issue is that of UN Security Council reforms. The Security Council continues to be representative of a world order of 1945. It is inconceivable that the Security Council today does not have any permanent representation from Africa, which is the largest continent (in terms of number of countries),” Sushma Swaraj said while addressing the third India-Africa Editors’ Forum meeting here.

She said it was also incomprehensible that India, which represents almost one-sixth of the world’s population and has all credentials to be a permanent member of the Security Council, was still out of it. We all need to work together to remove this anomaly and the media has an important role in this,” she said.

India will surely have to cultivate a global consensus which will include the P-5. India is not the only country in the world eyeing a spot in UNSC. Other competing nations include the likes of Japan, Germany and Brazil. India commands three distinct characteristics which make its case for a permanent seat compelling. Currently having a population of 1.28 billion, India will become the most populous country in the world by 2022. Such a large portion of the planet’s population cannot be altogether ignored or kept at a distance from the decision making table of UNSC which brings with itself the “veto” power. Secondly, India happens to be the second fastest growing economy in the world making it an ideal destination for foreign investment and future growth. Thirdly, India is ruled by a democratic, secular government which has never been upstaged by an army coup and can be labelled as a “responsible” nuclear power.

A reform in UN Security Council would necessitate the need for an amendment in the UN Charter which is possible only when a resolution is adopted by two-third member nations in the UN General Assembly. It has to be further ratified by the constitutional process of two-third member nations including P-5. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest is on record stating “President (Obama) would support the inclusion of India in that process (reform of UNSC)” but cables leaked by Wikileaks quoted Former US Secretary of State and arguably the next American president Hillary Rodham Clinton ridiculing countries like India as “self appointed front-runners” for a permanent membership of UNSC.

“We are dismayed at the opaque manner in which the Security Council continues to mandate peace operations, without any accountability or transparency,” India’s Permanent Representative Asoke Kumar Mukerji said at a General Assembly session on peacekeeping operations. “The human costs of this failing are evident in both the rising number of casualties among UN peacekeepers, as well as an alarming growth in the number of civilians, now reaching 60 million according to the Secretary General, whose lives are being disrupted by the conflicts that an ineffective Security Council is powerless to resolve,” Mukerji added. He appealed to Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft to “take the lead to prioritize agreement on an early reform of the Security Council during this 70th Session.”

Modi’s Visit Strengthened Indo-U.S. Bonds: American Lawmakers

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

The historic visit by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to the United States last month has strengthened the bonds between India and the US, the two largest democracies of the world and opened up new avenues of co-operation, top American lawmakers have said.

“There are many different areas and sectors where the U.S. and India’s growing friendship will cover mutually beneficial ground. Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to the U.S. has allowed us to continue to strengthen those bonds and explore new opportunities for us to work together,” Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, said.

Gabbard is the first ever Hindu Congresswoman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was among the top American lawmakers to have met Modi and attended his address to the community at SAP Center in San Jose, California. During her meeting with Modi, she and other members of Congress discussed plans to build U.S.-India relations and promote technology partnerships. “Prime Minister’s 2-day tour of Silicon Valley included meetings with technology executives who offered their ideas and assistance in bringing India fully into the digital world,” she said.

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who also met Modi in San Jose, said Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley is symbol of the collaboration and cooperation between the US and India. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are values that both of our countries excel at and serve as a model for,” he said. Among the members of Congress who attended the event were the Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Ami Bera and George Holding, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Indians and Indian Americans; Eric Swalwell; Mike Honda and Jim McDermott.

Congressman Matt Salmon said the India and the U.S. were natural partners. “Our growing cooperation on issues like counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, and maritime security is a positive development for the region and the world,” he said. “At the same time, our economic and commercial ties have not kept pace with our deepening political ties,” he said.

“I am pleased to support the elevation of commercial issues in the recently concluded first U.S.-India Strategic and Economic Dialogue and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the U.S., where he heard ideas first-hand from entrepreneurs and business leaders in Silicon Valley on how we might advance our economic relationship,” Salmon said.

Following her meeting with Modi over the weekend, Congressman John Garamendi said that he raised the concerns of about the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in India with the Prime Minister. He is Sikh Caucus Co-Chair. “I appreciate that Prime Minister Modi gave me the opportunity to discuss these critical issues. Rest assured that he knows where I stand and that the message of my constituents was heard loud and clear,” he said.

Horrific lynching in India a planned uptick in Hindu supremacist violence against minorities say Indian Americans

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India 0

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC – www.iamc.com), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has strongly condemned the latest episode of anti-minority violence in India, in the form of a mob lynching of a Muslim man and his son in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, over mere suspicion of having eaten beef. Although the incident was made to appear like a spontaneous act of violence by an unruly crowd, there are strong indications that this was a planned act, intended to terrorize the Muslim population of the district and suppress dissent across India over the beef ban implemented in some states.

News reports indicate the son of a local politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instigated the mob of over 200 people, to attack Mohammad Akhlaq and his son. They beat Akhlaq to death, while his 22 year-old son Danish was injured and is in critical condition. Another son of Mohammed Akhlaq is a serving corporal in the Indian Air Force.

Beyond the mob’s inhuman behavior, it is alarming to note that the police have sent the meat from the victim’s refrigerator to a forensic lab to be tested, out of apparent respect for the mob’s feelings. This effectively turns the victim into the accused, despite the fact that even if the family were in possession of beef, they were not in violation of the Uttar Pradesh Cow Protection Act. Besides the law enforcement machinery, even the regional Hindi media has joined hands in labeling the victim, Mohammed Akhlaq as a cow-killer. Journalists from major media outlets attempting to visit the village in order to cover the story have been attacked by locals.

In a brazen act of state complicity with the killers, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate has threatened the family of the victim with “dire consequences” if they speak out. The fact that the local BJP leader Srichand Sharma announced a “mahapanchayat” (grand village gathering) to protest the arrests made in the case, is an indication of how Hindu nationalist forces are rallying behind the killers.

BJP and other Sangh-affiliated organizations have sought to make beef a deeply contentious issue across India. Although cow slaughter has traditionally been restricted, some BJP ruled states have banned the sale of all beef. India ranks 5th in the world in beef production, 7th in domestic consumption, and 1st in exporting. In 2014 India surpassed Brazil as the world’s top beef exporter. In the run-up to the last Parliamentary elections Mr. Modi had decried the “pink revolution,” lamenting India’s position as a major exporter of meat, although the industry is a source of livelihood for millions of Indians.

“Both the BJP, as well as Prime Minister Modi bear responsibility for the poison being spread through a twisted form of cultural nationalism,” said Mr. Umar Malick, President of IAMC. “It involves the PM wooing global audiences over promises of development, while giving a free hand to Hindu militias to terrorize and uproot hapless minorities,” added Mr. Malick.

The fact that this has happened in Uttar Pradesh, ruled by the Samajwadi Party (SP), is not a coincidence. The Sahay Committee, constituted to investigate the anti-Muslim pogrom in Muzaffarnagar in 2013, found both SP and BJP responsible for the mass violence that claimed over a 100 lives and resulted in the displacement of over 50,000 people.

IAMC has called on the national media to brave the attacks from local Hindu supremacist goons, and to expose the larger design behind the Dadri lynchings. Civil society must resist the increasingly fascist positions adopted by the Sangh and its affiliates. IAMC has also urged world leaders and technology titans that PM Modi has been courting since he came to office, to condemn Hindu nationalist fanaticism and diminishing religious freedom in India.

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://www.iamc.com

U.S. Think-Tank Describes Bihar Election As Modi’s Biggest Electoral Test

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

The Bihar state election, which begins on October 12 and concludes on November 8, will be the “biggest electoral test” for the Modi-led BJP government thus far, a top American think-tank has stated. The upcoming Bihar Assembly election this month will be the biggest electoral test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi this far, scholars from a top American think-tank have said, noting that the ramifications of its results will be felt far away from the state’s borders.

“No matter what the voters of Bihar decide, the ramifications will be felt far beyond the state’s borders,” scholars Milan Vaishnav and Saksham Khosla from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – a top U.S. think tank – wrote in an op-ed last week. If it prevails, this victory could provide the central government with new momentum. A win would bring BJP closer to a Rajya Sabha majority and boost its chances ahead of state elections in 2016 and 2017.

If it falls short, it would be a big blow, especially because Modi has associated his own reputation so closely with the campaign, even recently announcing a $ 19 billion (Rs1.25 lakh crore) economic package for the state, the Carnegie scholars wrote. The election could also make or break the careers of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his new found ally, Lalu Prasad Yadav, the think-tank scholars said.

“Kumar’s star, once among the brightest of all state leaders, has dimmed after the 2014 general election debacle. For Yadav, who will likely return to jail to serve time for a corruption conviction, a victory would maintain his and his family’s relevance in state politics,” they wrote. “Forming an alliance in Bihar would provide Congress some comfort for its spate of recent electoral defeats and boost the standing of the party’s heir-in-waiting, Rahul Gandhi,” they said.

NRIs Responsible for changing the world’s perception of India: PM Modi in San Jose

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

Indians living abroad are responsible for changing the world’s perception of India, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India told the Indian American community in California here on Sunday, September 27th, 2015. Using the analogy of cricket broadcasts, he said Indians in the US had a better view of what was happening in India than those who live in the country. “You are making the world change from here. Those who resist change will become irrelevant in the 21st century,” addressing thousands of Indian-Americans at the SAP Centre in San Jose, Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 21st century belongs to India and the world has begun to acknowledge the fact, as he addressed an 18,000-strong cheering crowd of Indian community members at the SAP Centre in San Jose. According to reports, Modi, in an over hour-long address to a “Modi, Modi” chanting crowd, also said that terrorism and climate change are the main challenges facing the world and urged all nations to unite in facing the twin threats. In a rock star reception like the one he had received at Madison Square Garden last year, Modi also asked the crowd for a “certificate” of his performance in the 16 months he has been in power.

He said the world now acknowledges that the 21st century belongs to India, to loud cheers.

“Sometime ago India was striving to join with the world, but today the times have changed and the world is thirsting to join with India,” he said. He also said he will give his every moment and every particle of his body in working for India’s betterment.

Asking the crowd for a certificate of his 16 months in power, Modi asked the rapturous crowd: “Did I live up to my promises, working day and night, and the responsibility that I have undertaken…Have I lived up to that?” to loud cheers and chants of “Modi, Modi”.

Modi, who said he was visiting the West Coast after 25 years, said he was seeing a “vibrant picture” of India in the large Indian tech community that lives and works here. Modi praised the “nimble fingers” of the Indian tech experts who “have made the world acknowledge India” with their competence, innovations.

He said he did not see the large numbers of Indians working in the US and other foreign countries as a brain drain, but as a “brain deposit”. Modi called terrorism and global warming as world’s main challenges and asked all nations to unite to fight this scourge as there was no such thing as good or bad terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said terror and global warming were the two big threats the world was facing. Modi said the world should stop differentiating between “good terrorism and bad terrorism. The UN is celebrating its 70th anniversary but till now it has not been able to arrive at a definition for terrorism. If defining it takes so much time, how many years will it take to tackle terrorism,” he said.

“Humanist forces in the world will have to put pressure so that it is decided in black and white what is terrorism. Since there is no definition, talk about good terrorism and bad terrorism is going on. We cannot protect humanity with this good and bad terrorism,” Modi said, adding that “terrorism is terrorism”.

Standing on a podium that turned slowly so that he could address everyone, Modi said the brain drain that was discussed for many years has now become brain gain. “I look at it differently. This is actually a brain deposit that is waiting for an opportunity to be of use to the motherland,” he said, adding that the time for that had arrived.

Highlighting how he had opened a new silent front against corruption, he said Aadhaar cards had helped weed out five crore fake gas connections and subsidy was now being given only for 13 crore units. This, he said, led to a saving of at least Rs 19,000 crore. He added that 30 lakh people had given up their gas subsidy under the Give It Up campaign.

Recalling the Ghadar movement in the US by Sikh migrants in the early 20th century, Modi said, “If those who came to work on the farms then wanted to do something for the Independence movement, the youth of today want to work for alleviating poverty back home.” The speech also mentioned the first Indians who made a mark in West Coast, including Jayaprakash Narayan, who studied in California.

“The world now accepts that this century will be India’s. And this has happened not because of me, but the 1.25 billion Indians,” he said, adding that India has now moved from the fringes to become the focal point. Often having to pause for the cheering crowd to settle down, Modi said his confidence in the country stemmed from the fact that India was young. “A country with 800 million youth and 1.6 billion young arms cannot be held back,” he said. The PM finished his address by announcing a direct Delhi-San Francisco Air India flight thrice a week from December 2 onwards.

Narendra Modi Concludes Historic Visit to USA

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

After a highly successful visit, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, on a visit to the United States from September 23 to September 28, 2015, to attend the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA, returned on Monday, September 28th after a historical visit, winning many a heart.

During the visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended and spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City at the headquarters of the United Nations. India also hosted a G-4 summit in New York, which was attended by Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, President of Brazil, Dilma Roussef.

In a first for the Premier of India, Modi visited the Silicon Valley, and the West Coast of USA on September 26 and September 27, 2015. During which he met several business leaders and the Indian diaspora in USA. Modi, who is known for using the social media extensively, visited the headquarters of the social networking site ‘Facebook’ and held meetings with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Tim Cook CEO of Apple, Sundar Pichai CEO of Google, Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm, John Chambers of Cisco Systems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi garnered support for ‘Digital India’ campaign by these top Chief Executive Officer’s of different companies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met several world leaders on September 28, 2015 in New York and also attended the peacekeeping summit. He held bilateral talks with the President of United States of America, Barack Obama, President of France, Francois Hollande, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, David Cameroon, President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Neto, President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, President of Sri Lanka Mathripala Sirisena, President of Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fateh el- sisi, President of Guyana David A. Granger.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his United States visit from New York last week with unmistakable signals that he wishes to take India on a higher growth path through American investments and technology collaboration, inviting U.S. business to enter India without inhibitions and join his “Make in India” campaign.

That Modi, during his second visit to the U.S since becoming the prime minister, devoted his five-day visit largely to wooing the investment community, and the tech-entrepreneurs later in California to make his dream of digital India program, an emphatic success, was evident from the list of people he was to meet both in New York and California – Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and CEOs from other media entities as well as Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JP Morgan, Steve Schwarzman, chairman, CEO of Blackstone, Charles Kaye, Co-CEO of Warburg Pincus, and Peter Hancock, president and CEO, AIF Insurance, all in New York and, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, CEO of Google Sundar Pichai, Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm, John Chambers, CEO of Cisco and Shantanu Narayen, the president and the CEO of Adobe. The Prime Minister visited Google while in California where he will reach evening of Sept. 26.

Starting in New York Sept 24, Modi made a strong pitch for investment in India during a roundtable with top Wall Street CEOs at Waldorf Astoria where he is staying. He touted India’s 7.3 percent GDP growth last year, noting that there has been a 40 percent increase in Foreign Direct Investment. He talked about his government’s efforts during the last 15 months to increase investment in areas of taxation, infrastructure and FDI.

By and large, the CEOs appreciated the steps taken by the government on ease of doing business, on economic growth and reforms. All of them, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters, were very bullish on India and said that India has a lot of potential for investment. They also acknowledged that financial market reforms have already started and more reforms would happen in the days to come.

Together, these companies like JP Morgan, Blackstone, Warburg Pincus and AIF Insurance, at the roundtable, manage billions and billions of dollars. “Most of them have exposure to India. So, this was a very good opportunity for the Prime Minister to listen to their experience of doing business with India, to see what concerns they had and how we could work to remove those concerns,” Swarup said.

“CEOs were very interested in India’s start-up sector. They appreciated steps taken by government to make business easier,” Modi tweeted after the hour-long meeting with CEOs.

The Prime Minister assured the investors that “work is already underway” to resolve their issues and asked the CEOs to give him a detailed note on all the concerns raised during the meeting which will be examined in detail and responded to. Modi “took on board” suggestions made by the executives as he outlined the scale of development he expects to happen in India and the tremendous opportunities it offers to foreign institutional investors and for FDI.

Giving the CEOs an indication of the quantum of investment required, Modi told them that India is going to construct 50 million houses, 600 villages are going to be connected with broadband and 24×7 electricity would be provided to all in an environmentally sustainable way. For these developments, 175 Giga watts of renewable energy are going to be created, 50 big cities are going to have metros. Modi’s point was India was not just among the fastest-growing economies but had also done much towards the ease of doing business, something that should attract investors.

Before flying back to India after his 5-day visit to US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made another pitch for reforms in the United Nations Security Council, during the world body’s peacekeeping summit today. At the summit, he also acknowledged his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharief, with a wave.

In New York, PM Modi and President Barack Obama decided to “further refine” the Indo-US strategic partnership while pushing ahead with cooperation in the areas of security, counter-terrorism, defence, economy and climate change. However, linking with the diaspora comprises an important facet of Modi’s foreign visits, including the current visit to the United States.

Combatting Terrorism Is Top Priority For India, US

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

Washington, DC: September 22, 2015: Describing Indo-US relationship into “a defining counter-terrorism partnership for the 21st century” India and the US have called on Pakistan to bring perpetrators of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks to justice on Tuesday in an India-US Joint Declaration on Combating Terrorism issued at the end of the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue that set the stage for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third summit with President Barack Obama next week.

Both the nations reaffirmed the commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms, which constitutes a profound threat to global peace and security, and to uphold our common values of democracy, justice, and the rule of law. They reaffirmed President Obama’s and Prime Minister Modi’s vision to transform the U.S.-India relationship into a defining counterterrorism partnership for the 21st century, while reiterating the threat posed by entities such as Al-Qa’ida and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Tayibba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and other regional groups  that seek to undermine stability in South Asia.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the dialogue, “reaffirmed the commitment of India and the United States to combat terrorism in all its forms,” the declaration said. Describing terrorism as “a profound threat to global peace and security, and to uphold our common values of democracy, justice, and the rule of law,” the declaration reaffirmed Obama and Modi’s “vision to transform the US-India relationship into a defining counterterrorism partnership for the 21st century.”

The declaration also “reiterated the threat posed by entities such as Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taeba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and other regional groups that seek to undermine stability in South Asia.” Calling on Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack, Swaraj and Kerry strongly condemned the July 27, 2015 terrorist attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab, and August 5, 2015, attack in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir.

Swaraj and Kerry, the declaration said, had also commended the continuing efforts to finalise a bilateral agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information.

They also commended progress toward India’s entry into the US Department of Homeland Security Global Entry Programme and the inclusion of Mumbai in the Strong Cities Network, a forum to build sub-national resiliency against violent extremism,

Swaraj and Kerry also commended progress toward a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian National Police Academy (Hyderabad) and the New York Police Department.

The proposed next meeting of the Homeland Security Dialogue will be held in early 2016.

The declaration also recognised the serious threat posed by ISIL/Daesh to global security and affirmed efforts to degrade and defeat this threat in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolutions. The declaration recalled the signing of the US-India Counter-terrorism Cooperation Initiative (CCI), establishment of the Homeland Security Dialogue in 2010, and several other joint initiatives.

It also reaffirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism that advances and strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism. Swaraj and Kerry also commended the meeting of the US-India Terrorist Designations Exchange in July 2015 to strengthen cooperation on domestic terrorist designations. Also commended was the proposed next round of the Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group in early 2016.

Joe Biden, John Kerry, & Sushma Swaraj Renew Commitment to Grow U.S.-India Trade Relations

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

Washington, D.C., September 21, 2015 – Kicking off the inaugural U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue and commemorating the 40th anniversary of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), the annual USIBC Leadership summit featured addresses by Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, and other high-ranking officials from both governments and industry leaders.

Continuing the dialogue established by President Obama and Prime Minister Modi in the last year, Vice President Biden delivered an address highlighting the importance of the U.S.-India trade relationship and the U.S. commitment to growing bilateral trade to $500 billion over the next few years. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to the importance of building stronger U.S.-India ties and reinforcing India’s position as an ally in the region.

USIBC Chairman Ajay Banga – who is President and CEO of MasterCard – delivered the State of the Council address. “The eyes of history remain fixed on India and the United States as they move closer to ushering in what could be a whole new era.  A new era for India.  A new era for India-U.S. Relations. It’s a new era that could see global trade accelerate and increase with Indian membership in organizations like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum,” said Banga.

The summit welcomed addresses from Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State, Independent Charge, for the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy.

The summit also featured a panel discussion on “Why Make in India?” moderated by CNBC anchor Seema Mody, featuring Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Amitabh Kant; Emerson President Ed Monser; Chairman of HDFC Deepak Parekh and Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal.

USIBC presented its prestigious Global Leadership Awards to Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo

USIBC presented its prestigious Global Leadership Awards to Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, and Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of HT Media, one of India’s largest publicly listed media companies. Both were honored for their contributions and commitment to driving a more inclusive global economy and for their roles as women leaders.

The awardees were introduced by Purna Saggurti, Chairman Global Corporate & Investment Banking, Bank of America Merrill Lynch who also serves as one of USIBC’s board of directors.

“These extraordinary leaders have made a lasting impact on their industries and on U.S.-India relations,” said Saggurti. “They have been a true inspiration to business and leaders across the globe and have raised the bar for all of us.”

 

“The USIBC plays a critically important role in strengthening the relationship between two great nations,” said Indra Nooyi. “There are tremendous opportunities ahead to work together in new ways that capitalize on our collective strengths and pave the way to shared prosperity for our countries, our companies and our citizens. PepsiCo is deeply committed to being part of this dialogue, and it is humbling to be honored at this year’s historic celebration.”

“As the representative of a media group that realizes the importance of looking at both India Shining, and the Other India to get a real picture of what is happening in our country, and as a woman leader in a nation where women are finally coming into their own, I am delighted to receive this award. Our two countries, both democracies, have a strong and free media and I see increasing opportunities for collaboration as media and technology companies from India and the U.S. navigate the evolving digital landscape,” said Shobhana Bhartia.

Renowned Indian-American artist, Natvar Bhavasr who is known for his abstract expressionism and “color-field” painting was awarded the Artistic Achievement Award. “My work aims to transcend boundaries and I am honored to receive this award that recognizes my Indian roots and my training in arts that took place in the United States. I would not be the artist I am today had it not been for the inspirations that have guided me in my absorbing the gifts offered by both cultures, my birthplace India and my half a century’s participation in the creative life of New York City,” said Natvar Bhavsar.

USIBC President Mukesh Aghi said, “In a world filled with complex security and economic challenges, the U.S.-India relationship matters more now than ever before. It is no surprise that Prime Minister Modi’s next stop is in Silicon Valley, the bedrock of entrepreneurship and innovation – those are the areas that will grow our economies, but also an area that requires strong talent and a continual commitment to foster a strong business environment. To achieve this end a crucial step is being taken to launch U.S. Business Centers in India to support the entry of U.S. small and mid-sized companies, universities, and skills’ providers into the market.”

Attending companies included leaders from MasterCard, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Boeing, American Tower Corp, Amway, Cigna, Dow, Pfizer, and UST Global.

Obama, Modi Likely to Meet in New York on September 28th

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to meet in New York later this month. Both are coming to the United Nations to address the General Assembly. Obama along with Vice President Joe Biden and several of his cabinet ministers, is set for a high-level engagement with the Indian leadership in a series of meetings later this month. This would be the highest level of engagement between the two countries since Obama’s trip to New Delhi in January to attend the Republic Day parade as the chief guest of Prime Minister  Modi.

Officials had a hard time setting up the meeting on one of the busiest days for the American president, given his address to the U.N. General Assembly earlier that day. Modi, on the other hand, would be flying in from Silicon Valley on Sept. 27 after addressing Indian Americans at the SAP Center in San Jose.

While no official announcement has been made yet, the proposed meeting is a reflection of the seriousness and commitment of the two leaders to this bilateral relationship. Notably, in the January joint statement, the two leaders committed themselves for more regular meetings. The Modi-Obama meeting in New York would cap more than a week of high-level India-U.S. engagement, most of it in Washington.

It is believed that Biden is keen to be part of this engagement. It was Biden who, during a visit to India a few years ago, who set the ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade from the current $100 billion to $500 billion per annum.

Therefore, it might not be surprising to learn that Biden is taking the lead once again when it comes to economic ties. Several cabinet-ranking officials, along with corporate leaders from both countries, are expected to be present at the 40th anniversary Leadership Summit of the US-India Business Council on Sept. 21.

Energy Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzeker are among those confirmed to attend the event. The next day TERI North America is to host the 6th India-U.S. Energy Partnership Summit. However, the first ever India-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, to be hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry at Foggy Bottom, is likely to be the center of attraction. While the dates of this dialogue have not been announced, it is expected to be held on September 22.

The decision to expand the India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue to a commercial one was taken during Obama’s January visit to India. Kerry, along with Pritzeker, would lead the U.S. delegation, while the Indian delegation would be led by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Sitharaman.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will be part of the Indian delegation. Indian Ambassador Arun K. Singh and his American counterpart Richard Verma are expected to be present.

Modi has digital designs on Silicon Valley

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

After wowing Indian Americans on the East Coast and wooing US big business to ‘Make in India’ last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now out to win over the Silicon Valley for his Digital India initiative.

The first Indian leader to visit California in more than 30 years later this month, Modi will go to Facebook for a town hall style question answer session and visit other top tech companies like Google and Adobe systems as also electric carmaker Tesla.

As the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced Sunday the September 27 town hall at the company’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters will “discuss how communities can work together to address social and economic challenges.”

Modi, who has more Facebook fans than any politician except for Barack Obama, is the first Indian prime minister to visit the Bay Area since Morarji Desai picked up an award at University of California, Berkeley in 1978 and Indira Gandhi visited Los Angeles in 1982.

Besides meetings with Sundar Pichai and Shantanu Narayen, India born chief executives of Google and Adobe respectively, he is also expected to attend events with Indian American entrepreneurs and social investors.

At Tesla, more than the zero emissions cars that it makes, Modi may be interested in its “Powerwall”, a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, for India’s clean energy initiative.

Modi’s visit to the Bay Area, home to a large number of Indian techies, is designed to win support for his “Digital India,” initiative that aims to expand Internet access, boost electronics manufacturing and develop apps to improve the delivery of government services.

“The visit allows Modi to build relationships with tech firms that want to invest in India, while also fostering support from the Bay Area’s influential Indian-American community,” Venktesh Shukla, president of the Silicon Valley branch of non profit organization TiE, also known as The Indus Entrepreneurs, told the San Jose Mercury News.

For Modi, “it’s a very well thought effort to capitalise on the connection he has with the diaspora and involve them at a point in time when India is perceived to be on a positive track in terms of governance,” Subimal Bhattacharjee, a cyberspace policy analyst and former India head of General Dynamics, the US defence contractor, told the Los Angeles Times.

Modi, who last year got a rock star like reception when he gave a speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden, is expected to do it again Sep 27 in San Jose.

An Indian American group organizing a community reception for Modi at the 19,000-seat SAP Centre says that more than 45,000 people have registered for free passes.

After the San Jose event, Modi flies back to New York for a summit meeting with US President Barack Obama Sep 28. The Modi-Obama meeting in New York would cap a week long high level India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in Washington DC.

Silicon Valley To Roll Out Red Carpet For Modi

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

It’s going to be a love-fest when India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Silicon Valley this September, bringing together technology giants and a leader who believes in technology as a weapon for good governance and economic development. Multiple events may be in store for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley, scheduled to take place around Sept. 27, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

While numerous community organizations are getting together to have a big bash on the lines of the Madison Square Garden extravaganza last September, some technology leaders are chalking up a smaller, more intimate gathering with the Prime Minister.

In the San Francisco Bay area, which houses an estimated half million people of Indian descent, a large number in the technology industry, a reception is being planned on the evening of Sept. 27 at the SAP Center, an indoor arena in San Jose which can seat close to 20,000. That effort is being led, as was the case in Madison Square Garden, by a newly formed organization, Indo-American Community of West Coast USA, which is looking to entrepreneurs, community leaders, physicians, motel owners and representatives of various organizations, as well as individuals for support, Khanderao Kand, one of the founders, told News India Times. Rao has served in senior capacities in the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh of the West Coast area and is a big-data technology entrepreneur.

The IACWC-USA held its first meeting July 19, attended by Vijay Chauthaiwale, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Foreign Relations Department, visiting San Francisco to oversee preparations for the community reception and India’s Consul General in San Francisco Venkatesh Ashok. India’s Ambassador Arun K. Singh conferred via video from Washington, D.C. “The event is a historic moment for the Indian community in Silicon Valley and the diaspora in general,” Chauthaiwale is quoted saying in a press release. The last Indian prime minister to visit Silicon Valley was Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949.

“He is the first (Indian) leader to be tech savvy,” and the community is all enthused by the prospect of his being here, Kand said. “He could even connect with Mark Zuckerberg,” of Facebook fame, Kand said, adding, “There is tremendous interest among techies.”

That is the part of the program being drawn up by the Indian government in coordination with a number of Silicon Valley high profile entrepreneurs. Shailesh Mehta, managing general partner at GraniteHill Capital Partners, a venture capitalist firm based in San Mateo, Ca., told News India Times, planning was just getting off the ground. The “big fan” of Modi said Indian-Americans in California want to put their best foot forward. “America does not stop in Washington, D.C. There’s a lot going on elsewhere,” he laughed.

Mehta said the meeting he is helping organize, “will be smaller and discussion will be on specific issues,” and it might be held at Stanford (University). “Our approach is – what can we offer to India, about technology here in the Valley, and on India’s technology agenda.” The focus will be on initiatives the Prime Minister has taken like Digital India, Swachh Bharat and the tech aspect of India’s development, said Mehta who is also a co-founder of The Indus Entrepreneurs or TiE, the storied IT mentoring organization.

Indian-Americans in Silicon Valley were very active in Modi’s elections, Vivek Wadhwa, a technology entrepreneur and academic, recalled. “People donated and held events to support Modi’s victory and many multimillionaires here gave money and advice,” during the BJP campaign, he said, adding, “Modi owes them a lot for helping him.” Besides, “His values are in sync with people here. His ministers are applying technology solutions to India’s major systems. It’s a love fest,” Wadhwa said, one which the likes of Zuckerberg, and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin would might likely join.

Indian Diaspora In Plans Grand Reception For PM Modi

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

The Indian community in the U.S. is planning to host a mega reception for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will travel to San Francisco after addressing a United Nations summit on sustainable development on September 25. About 500 Indian-American organisations have joined hands to host a grand reception for Modi in San Jose, Silicon Valley, on September 27, Rakhi Israni, spokesperson of Indo-American Community of West Coast (IACW) said in a statement.

“Prime Minister Modi has done a superb job in his first year in office, and it is evident by the public’s response to the upcoming event how excited the Indian diaspora is about the future of India,” the statement said. Online process for registration of reception’s organisers has been completed, it said. The United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda will be held from September 25 to 27 and will be convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly. Modi is expected to address the gathering on September 25 and then travel to San Francisco, becoming the fourth Indian premier to visit the U.S.’ West Coast.

His visit to San Francisco would also revive — after a gap of four decades with the exception of the former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao in 1994 — the post-independence tradition of Indian prime ministers visiting the US cities other than New York or Washington DC.

The thriving Indian diaspora in the US, in particular those on the West Coast and the Silicon Valley has welcomed Modi’s decision to visit San Francisco. Massive preparations are on to accord a grand welcome to him at the SAP Center, one of the largest indoor stadium in the Silicon Valley, known as the tech hub of the world. The event is expected to be attended by an around 18,000-strong audience.

“The reception is timed around the scheduling of many high impact meetings and programs, all of which stand to promote the shared ideals of innovation and entrepreneurship that define both Vibrant India under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Silicon Valley,” the IACW statement said.

The visit shall also highlight the contributions of India and Indian-Americans to the technology and clean energy sectors, it said. The PM is likely to visit the offices of Internet giant Google. In California, he will make a speech at the famous Stanford University. Modi had given his maiden address to the UN General Assembly last year and had then travelled to Washington to meet U.S. President Barack Obama.

Over 40,000 Sign Up for Prime Minister Modi’s Visit to California

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

More than 40,000 people have signed up for India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception being organized by the Indian American community in the Silicon Valley area of California September 27th this year. As per reports, the number is expected to increase after the registration process is opened to those not affiliated to the 500 community organizations which have joined hands for the reception.

Given that the capacity of SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. — an indoor arena in the heart of Silicon Valley — is just 18,000, the “Indo-American Community of West Coast,” a group created recently to organize the reception, would have to resort to a lottery to determine who would get free tickets to attend the event.

Khanderao Kand, convener of the Indo-American Community of West Coast, tweeted Aug. 22: “25K already registered for Silicon Valley event. Individual registrations to open next week.” In September last year, Modi addressed about 20,000 Indian Americans at the Madison Square Garden in New York, which was also attended by about 40 top American congressmen and senators. Modi is scheduled to travel to San Francisco after addressing a high-level summit on sustainable development hosted by the U.N. on Sept. 25.

Modi’s visit to San Francisco would also revive — after a gap of four decades with the exception of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 1994 — the post-independence tradition of Indian prime ministers visiting U.S. cities other than New York or Washington, D.C.

U.S. Waiting For Prime Minister Modi’s Visit Next Month: Nisha Biswal

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

The month ahead is going to be intense for the United States-India relations as the two countries inaugurate strategic and commercial dialogue in September in Washington during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second visit to the U.S. since becoming India’s Prime Minister last year, Nisha Desai Biswal, assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian Affairs, said in New York last week.

Biswal spoke on August 4th at the Indian Consulate in New York as part of the series of monthly Media- India lecture. The topic was “Vision of India-U.S. Relations in the coming years and its strategic significance in the global context”. She covered a range of subjects starting from economic relations to strategic aspects of bilateral partnership, the strong political relations, frequent visits at ministerial level and the role played by Diaspora.

The lecture was followed by Q & A session moderated by Consul General, Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M Mulay. The event was attended by a large number of people representing diverse backgrounds.

“We are very much looking forward to Prime Minister Modi’s return visit to New York” as well his visit to Silicon Valley,” Biswal said. She said that California is abuzz with anticipation and excitement over the tremendous opportunity Modi’s visit to the state brings.

Biswal visited California late last month to meet with IT entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley apparently to prepare ground for the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister, the second only by an Indian Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949.

She said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker “are very much looking forward” to hosting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the whole Indian delegation this fall. She said that work is already underway to make the visit an increasingly “significant and consequential” engagement between the two countries.

She said that during her visit to Silicon Valley, she noticed that entrepreneurs, scientists and investors are very focused on how to find new paths to partnership between the two countries are looking at new technologies that will power solution to the big challenges. “India is a development laboratory for very cutting edge new ways of tackling old challenges,” news reports quoted her as saying.

Biswal said bilateral trade has tripled in the past decade from $36 billion in 2005 to over $100 billion in 2014-15, setting the leaders of the U.S. and India on a more ambitious trajectory, calling for a quadrupling to 500 billion dollars in two-way trade in future. “We are ambitious, but we are bullish that that the ambition is going to be realized,” she said, implying that while $500 billion in two-way trade may be a pretty high target to be achieved, the U.S. is hopeful that it can be realized.

Long Island Celebrates India Day With Parade

Ajay GhoshIndia, Social Media 0

Hundreds of Indian-Americans came together from Long Island and Queens in the state of New York on August 9th to celebrate India’s 69th Independence Day. The parade held in Hicksville, Long Island, turned the “little Indian town” in a blaze of orange, green and white, the colors of the Indian flag. They marched down South Broadway playing drums and shouting “Long Live India,” media reports stated.

The two-mile parade ended at the Asamai Hindu Temple on East Barclay Street led by Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra as grand marshal. Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra was grand marshal, and the parade boasted a number of celebrities and elected officials including Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, Republican State Senator from Mineola Jack Martins, and representatives of various Indian-American community organizations, Newsday reported.

This year’s theme was “Women Empowerment & the Next Generation,” an issue addressed by Davuluri in her speech. Organizers Bobby Kumar Kalotee, Beena Kothari and Indu Jaiswal presided over the program. They said they chose Hicksville because it houses a Little India and local businesses supported the parade. This is the fifth parade to be held in Hicksville. Nassau County’s has witnessed a doubling of the population of Indians – from 20,000 in 2010 to 40,000 today, according to the Newsday report.

Registration Web Site Launched for Narendra Modi’s Silicon Valley Visit

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

Consul General in San Francisco Venkatesan Ashok, Deputy Chief of Mission Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu and national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party Ram Madhav were among hundreds in attendance Aug. 9 to launch the registration process for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Nearly 400 representatives from more than 160 organizations met to discuss Modi’s arrival to the Bay Area. The prime minister will address a reception at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Sept. 27.

The majority of the passes for the event will be distributed through the partnering organizations. Those interested in attending the event can visit the Web site, which was launched at the conclusion of the meeting:www.pmmodiinca.org.

Plans are well underway for the visit, including high-impact meetings and programs to promote the shared ideals of innovation and entrepreneurship that define Silicon Valley and the Modi-led India, said a press release.

Modi’s visit is anticipated to further his mission of empowering Indian people through the use of technology, as well as allow him to connect with the technology hub of the world with one of the world’s largest customer bases, India.

The Aug. 9 meeting got underway with Ashok issuing the mandate entrusting the organization called Indo American Community of the West Coast with the task of uniting all organizations for the purpose of planning the event. In accepting the mandate, the event’s convener, Khanderao Kand, noted the diversity of organizations present at the inaugural event. “We understand that the IACWC is a platform through which we must bring together the entire community, regardless of language, culture, religion or profession.”

Ashok, Sandhu and Madhav all stressed the importance of the diverse communities of IACWC to unite for the planning, with Madhav addressing the crowd at the meeting, stating three main prongs to Modi’s goals: unity, security and prosperity. The national general secretary said the event will help the prime minister communicate his objectives to a larger audience and help create the unity he wants.

Sandhu concurred with Madhav’s comments, stressing the importance of the event in the eyes of the world. He said that unity brings political strength, which could lead to a stronger India of the future.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis Pitches For Investment During Visit to New York

Ajay GhoshFinance/Economy, India, Politics 0

NEW YORK — Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last week made a high pitch for investment in his state, telling U.S. businesses that he wants to provide a boost to not just “make in India’ campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, but supplement that with ‘Make in Maharashtra’ as well. And he explained why investors should be in interested in Maharashtra.

Addressing prospective investors at a round table organized by the U.S.-India Business Council in New York June 29Fadnavis said the state government has taken measures to promote ease of doing business in Maharashtra because the government wants the state should be viewed as a top destination for doing business by domestic and international investors.

The chief minister, who was on a five-day visit to the United States was accompanied by senior government officials from the state. The USIBC meeting in Manhattan was the first of his official engagement in New York.

He said that the government wants to provide business to both medium and small enterprises and create much-needed jobs in his state. Fadnavis pitch for foreign investment was endorsed by USIBC. Its president Mukesh Aghi said at the meeting that Council’s member companies have been encouraged by the ease of doing business in Maharashtra.

“Now is the right time to invest in Maharashtra. It is a land of immense opportunity. I assure you that once you decide to come…we will do everything for you. Our government has decided that there is going to be no more red tape but only red carpet,” he told investors and the business community.

He said that the government is looking for joint ventures in critical projects such as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor, smart cities, adding that the government was inviting investments in manufacturing, agriculture, aviation, engineering and information technology.

The Chief Minister was also hosted by the Friends of Maharastra and the Indian Consulate in New York at the at the Pierre Hotel in New York. The sit-down dinner was attended by an estimated 300 people, inclduing leadeers of the Indian American community from the Tri-State area. The minister and his family were welcomed with koli dances and vada pav was on the menu.

At the Pierre Hotel, the minister reiterated what he said ealier during the day at the USIBC, urging people to come and make investment in Maharashtra which he said has the best infrastructure for doing business. At the reception he was accompanied by Minister of Industry Subash Desai who also spoke about the availability of skilled labor and a business friendly climate in Maharashtra.

The chief minister’s visit came less than two weeks after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley visited U.S. and w as also hosted by the USIBC in New York. The visit primarily aimed at attracting foreign direct investment in India’s infrastructure and other sectors.

Said Aghi: “I have no hesitation in saying that the state has the potential to emerge as a high ranking state on the ease of doing business index.” Earlier, the chief minister was received at the Newark International Airport by New Jersey Governor. During the day-long visit, Fadnavis met with the New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as well as other senior political leaders from New York City and Connecticut.

In a press release, India’s Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay told reporters that, given the large population of Indians in the New York-New Jersey area, Fadnavis will hold meetings with the states’ leadership and promote it as an attractive investment destination, not only among the diaspora but to a larger American audience.

Mulay said given Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on the ‘Make in India’ campaign and the country’s ambitions to grow at a fast economic rate, states must also take the lead and contribute actively to the economic development of the country. “Unless that happens, rapid growth will not take place and benefits of the economic growth will not reach small towns and rural areas,” he said.

Indian American Community Mourns Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Passing Away

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India 0

Several Indian American community leaders have expressed shock at the sudden demise of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who won popular acclaim as India’s president during 2002-07. He died on Monday, July 27th after collapsing during a lecture at the IIM-Shillong, officials said. He was 83. “Kalam is no more,” Meghalaya Chief Secretary P.B.O. Warjri told the media, shortly after the president passed away at Bethany Hospital, where he was taken to from the management school. Doctors said Kalam suffered cardiac arrest.

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI)  is saddened at the sudden demise of former President Dr. Abdul J. Kalam,” said Dr. Seema Jain, President of AAPI. “In his passing away, the world has lost one of the iconic and visionary leaders of all time and has left a tremendous void.”  In a world full of violence, hatred and enmity, Dr. Kalam’s was truly an inspirational voice that provided positive energy to the common man, especially the youth. His contribution to the scientific advancement of India is quite unparalleled. “We fondly remember his presence with us during the Global Health Summit in Ahmedabad, India in Janaury 2014,” she recalled. Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Abdul  J . Kalam , the former president of India lauded AAPI   for its 32 years of strong leadership in the United States. “You are part of 1.2 million physicians of Indian origin around the world, and growing, making up 25% of all physicians in the world,” he said.

“His simplicity, humility, and inspiring personality endeared him to all and he is the most popular president of India in recent times. He inspired millions of children and gave them motivational speeches across the country,” President, Overseas Friends of BJP-U.S., Chandra Patel said. “Dr Kalam was indeed a people’s President, and beloved child of India. All Indians across the world salute him for his invaluable contributions to India. His death is a tremendous loss to the nation and creates a big void that is hard to fill,” Mr Patel said.
North America Telugu Society (NATS) in a statement said, it is “deeply saddened” on the sudden demise of Dr Kalam. “Dr Kalam had a special relationship with the Telugu land, spending a major part of his life here,” said Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in another statement TANA was a supporter of Kalam’s Lead India 2020 movement.

“A PJ Abdul Kalam has left a rich legacy to the people of India and an even richer legacy to the world,” Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra said. “His love of nation and peaceful celebratory co-existence of multiple faiths are an enduring lesson of humility,” he said.

“India has indeed lost one of the iconic leaders of all time and the death of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has left a tremendous void,” Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, U.S., George Abraham said.

To Kalam, becoming a fighter pilot was a “dearest dream” but he failed to realize it by a whisker, bagging the ninth position when only eight slots were available in the IAF. In his new book, “My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions,” published by Rupa, Kalam, who specialized in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology, says he was desperate to pursue a career in flying.

“It is only when we are faced with failure do we realize that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives,” says Kalam, who went on to put his “heart and soul” at his job as a senior scientific assistant at DTDP. The book is filled with stories of “innumerable challenges and learning” in his years as the scientific adviser when India conducted its second nuclear test, his retirement and dedication to teaching thereafter and his years as president.

India Blocks 857 Adult Websites

Ajay GhoshIndia, Social Media 0

India has ordered Internet service providers to block access to more than 850 adult websites in what the government has described as a way to protect social decency. N.N. Kaul, a spokesman for India’s department of telecom, said Monday that the government was trying to control easy access to pornography following a directive from the country’s top court.

Kaul said that while Internet service providers in India will have to bar access, users may still view the sites through virtual private networks and proxy servers. He said the move would protect children. The leaked government order, dated last Friday, orders Internet service providers to block access to the 857 sites on grounds of morality and decency.

The Supreme Court said earlier in July that ordering a ban on adult websites was not its job but was an issue for the government. That followed an order from the court last year that suggested the government needed to monitor access to pornography. Many Indians are accusing the government of moral policing and infringing on personal freedoms.

“Don’t ban porn. Ban men ogling, leering, brushing past, groping, molesting, abusing, humiliating and raping women. Ban non-consent. Not sex,” popular Indian author Chetan Bhagat said on Twitter. “Porn ban is anti-freedom, impractical, not enforceable. Politically not very smart too. avoidable. Let’s not manage people’s private lives,” he added.

In the past India has tried to control social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and ask them to take down offensive material. It had briefly blocked several Twitter accounts in 2012 citing security and law and order fears. It also blocked access to a homegrown soft-porn website in 2009. Kaul said more websites may be added to the list of those to be blocked.

Tota Singh, Minister for NRI Affairs in Punjab State Government Heckled in New York

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

Tota Singh, Minister for NRI Affairs in Punjab State Government, was the target of wrath by hundreds of Sikhs in Richmond Hill, Queens, NY on July 19 who hurled him abuses as well as shoes for his alleged inaction to convict police officers involved in extra-judicial killings of thousands of innocent Sikhs during counter-insurgency operations in early 1990s

Tota Singh and other leaders from his Akali Dal Party were scheduled to address a meeting at Richmond Hill. But before that could take place hundreds of Sikhs protesting the visit and chanting slogans gathered at the venue, surrounding surrounded the area, according to group Sikhs for Justice, a Sikh rights monitor. New York police took to people to custody.

According to newspaper reports, the standoff between the Sikhs and Singh’s delegation continued for more than three hours and a heavy contingent of the New York Police was summoned at the scene.

“The North American Sikh groups are opposing the Akali Dal party for its failure to convict police officers involved in extra-judicial killings of thousands of innocent Sikhs during counter-insurgency operations in early 1990s,” SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said.

Tota Singh led a delegation to the United States and Canada to garner support of the Punjabi Diaspora for the 2017 state Assembly elections.

“We will not allow Akali leaders to visit America and challenge those Sikhs who oppose Akali policies and have taken political asylum for their political views,” organizer of the protest rally Himmat Singh said, according to Indian newspaper reports.

The ruling Akali Dal said in a statement in state capital Chandigarh that the attack in New York was an act of “frustration” by some “vested interests” who do not want the Akalis to paint a true picture of Punjab abroad. In an apparent bid to get political mileage the opposition Congress party described the incident as “manifestation of the anger that NRI Punjabis, particularly the Sikhs, have against Badal (current state chief minister) and his government for their hollow promises and failure on all fronts.”

Indian Govt. Rejects Devyani Khobragade’s Plea for Dual Citizenship for Her Children

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India, Politics 0

The Government of India has rejected IFS officer Devyani Khobragade’s plea seeking dual citizenship for her children, who are American nationals, saying Indian law does not allow this. Khobragade, who was India’s deputy consul-general in New York when she was arrested and charged with visa fraud, had recently approached the Home Ministry officials with the plea.

“We have conveyed to Khobragade that her children are not eligible for dual citizenship and hence her plea cannot be processed,” a senior Home Ministry official said. Her daughters were born in India but accepted U.S. citizenship as Khobragade’s husband is an American national. The IFS officer is accused of suppressing this fact to her employer, Ministry of External Affairs. The children held Indian passports, too.

After coming to know that Khobragade’s daughters held American passports, the MEA revoked the children’s Indian passports. She has challenged the decision in the Delhi High Court. The government took the action as dual citizenship is only applicable to those children who were born outside India. Khobragade’s daughters were born in Mumbai. Children of foreign diplomats, who are born in India, are given dual citizenship till the period of their parents’ service in India.

The government recently told the Delhi High Court that Khobragade obtained U.S. and Indian passports for her two daughters in violation of Indian law, without informing the MEA. This, it argued, raises serious questions about her “trustworthiness and integrity.” “Devyani Khobragade’s submission that the U.S. passports were only used for travel to U.S.A. does not in any way dilute the gravity and seriousness of her misdemeanor and are blatant violations of Indian Passports Act,” it said.

India highest recipient of US economic assistance: USAID

Ajay GhoshBusiness, Finance/Economy, India, Politics 0

Washington, DC: India is tipped to be the second largest economy in the world with the GDP going to be second only to China by 2050. Today, it is the third largest economy in the world after the US and China. However, the US, the largest economy in the world today has been providing assistance to India more than any other nation in the world.

The US provided $65.1 billion as economic assistance to India between 1946 and 2012, according to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) statistics.

It was the highest among the economic assistance provided to 200 countries and regions by the US during the period. USAID is the lead US government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realise their potential.

The data, which was inflation adjusted, shows India received $65.1 billion in economic assistance, followed closely by Israel, which got $65 billion. Pakistan, which received a total of $44.4 billion from the US, was among the top five countries of the total 200 nations and regions getting the economic assistance.

Indian economic aid was spread over various sectors and programs, including child survival and health, development assistance, HIV/AIDS initiatives, migration and refugee assistance, food aid and narcotics control. Some $26 billion of the total aid was provided for various USAID programs.

In comparison, of the total economic assistance provided to Pakistan, $13.8 billion was given for USAID programs, while $13.7 billion was attributed to the Economic Support Fund and Security Support Assistance.

US committed to take partnership with India still higher: Joe Biden

Ajay GhoshFinance/Economy, India, Politics, U.S. 0

“We are committed to take this relationship further” for the well being of both the US and India as also for the advancement of the international community, Joe Biden said suggesting that the world was “at the cusp of another sea change decade.” To seize this “historic moment, Biden said “the US was pursuing a strategy of rebalancing to the Asia Pacific region” and “America’s deepening friendship with India is an indispensable part of our Asia rebalance strategy.”

“US-India partnership has reached a new level” under President Barack Obama, he said last week in keynote speech on the future of the US-India partnership to mark the tenth anniversary of the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. The nuclear deal “removed the single largest irritant in the relationship between the two greatest democracies,” he said on the conclusion of a conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

“Together we transformed the bilateral relationship into a global partnership based on shared values, interests, responsibilities,” he said. “All of these will go to shape the next century if we stay the course. India’s Act East and US Rebalance in Asia is good news for the region as well as good news for the partnership,” he said.

The joint strategic vision for the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region that Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued in January “serves as a beacon,” Biden said. “And every day we are working to try to make this vision a reality,” he said recalling that Obama had during his January visit to India had “declared that the US can be India’s best partner.”

“That’s our goal,” he said. “Change is taking place,” Biden said. “It’s a historic moment in the world, let’s seize it. We have a chance to bend history just a little bit,” he said. “This is one of those moments when our common interests are going to continue to converge and our countries have the potential to reach new heights.”

Earlier, addressing the Conference, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal recalled that “Ten years ago, access to nuclear, space, and other forms of high technology were among the most contentious issues between India and the United States.”

“Today those issues are part of the foundation on which we’re building a lasting partnership,” she said.

“In defence, the US is now India’s largest supplier, and we are launching new co-development and co-production projects that will expand our ties and advance Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India initiative,” she noted.

“Clearly, our relationship with the US has transformed rapidly in the last ten years to become a full-spectrum relationship, covering virtually all fields of human endeavour,” said the Indian ambassador Arun Singh.

Indian ambassador Arun Singh
Indian ambassador Arun Singh

“It is now embedded in the larger vision of a global strategic partnership,” he said asserting “that no relationship between India and another country can today match the range, depth, quality and intensity of the India-US partnership. Going forward, I see the US continuing to play a role in India’s transformation, and see India and the US joining hands to make the world a better place for our two nations and the rest of the world,” Singh said.

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