Tag: Modi

India at 72

Staff ReporterEditorial, India 0
Celebrating India’s 72nd Independence Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on where India is today. There are many achievements the 1.2 Billion people of India are so proud of. Seventy two years ago, when India achieved freedom from the colonial British Rule, India’s thousands of years of growth was at a stand still. Freedom with it also brought division of the nation in the name of Religion, mistrust, war, crimes, poverty, and fear.
Today, India is the world’s largest democracy, one of its most diverse societies, and the economy with growth potential that could rival China’s. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes the $2.6 trillion economy of India is an elephant that is starting to run. Its latest report on India not only reaffirms that the country is “again one of the world’s fastest-growing economies” – accounting for about 15 percent of global growth – but also that India it could be what China previously was for the world economy.
“Real GDP growth is estimated to have bottomed out after the dual shocks of demonetization and disruptions from GST implementation. Growth was 6.7 per cent in 2017/18 and is projected to increase to 7.3 per cent in 2018/19,” said the IMF in its 2018 assessment of the Indian economy.
Seven decades after independence, the miracle of Indian democracy continues to shine like a beacon of hope for those who cherish freedom with its foundations in basic human values. The democratic consciousness of independent India is a reflection of the legacy of our struggle for independence from colonial rule.
Some three decades ago an eminent sociologist called Indian democracy “a secular miracle of the modern world and a model for other developing countries.” On the global stage, India has gained a lot of significance. Decisions are carried out taking India into consideration. Indian companies are going global and competing with other MNCs on equal grounds. Indians shine around the world, making their mark all across and in almost every field.
India is a plural society of immense diversity with different social, religious, cultural and linguistic expressions. It has almost as many ethnic groups as the entire African continent. The Indian Constitution recognizes 22 languages and India is home to over a hundred dialects. The value of currency units is written in 17 different scripts. Adherents of all major religions of the world are present in our citizen body. Religious minorities constitute 19.4 percent of our people.
However, as political and social scientists say, India, in the midst of rapid growth and advancements in almost every field, continues to remain one of the poorest and unequal, with hundreds of millions mired in deep poverty and limited by a rigid caste system that constrains social mobility. The Narendra Modi-led government’s turn to Hindu nationalism has sharpened sectarian tensions and raised questions over the rule of law, dividing the nation on the basis of religion.
We have been facing communalism and regionalism, destroying the social fabric of our tolerant Indian society. Corruption is always a perennial problem with us. Illiteracy and health issues, though being attended to, are still matters which need be dealt more efficiently.
 
India needs to be a more just and inclusive society, where people of all faiths, caste, and sections of society enjoy and experience equal opportunity to flourish, to grow, and achieve their individual dreams. A strict and just government with fair politics is needed. The political parties are not elected for their adherence to certain castes or creeds, but because they respect and serve the entire population and work towards the greater good of the nation as a whole. This can be possible only if more and more responsible people come out together, working towards strengthening the democracy and the pluralistic nature of the Indian society. More youngsters and people with broader vision for the nation need to join politics and commit to serve the nation. Then only can we proudly say that “Yes! India has developed.”

Rupee fall: Why India’s struggle for dollars will continue

Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0
The question being asked these is “why is the rupee falling against the dollar”. The answer is very simple. The demand for American dollars was more than that of the Indian rupee leading to the rupee rapidly losing value against the dollar.
This situation is likely to continue in the days to come with the demand for dollars in India being more than their supply. And this will have a huge impact on the dollar-rupee exchange rate, which almost crossed 70 rupees to a dollar in recent weeks.
Rupee-rout-on-the-Indian-currencys-slideCollapse of Indian rupee to a lifetime low of 69.10 against the U.S. dollar will not give an extra edge to domestic exporters, but provide a level-playing field in global market, FIEO said.
The US dollar has appreciated against almost all the major currencies of the world in this year so far. The Dollar Index, which measures the greenback’s strength against major currencies of the world has appreciated over 3% this year to 95.25 level, compared to 92.25 level at the beginning of this year.
Concerns of a trade-war like situation between the US and other major economies such as China and the European Union also kept sentiments weak across markets. Foreign investors have been net sellers of Indian equities and debts this year so far putting pressure on the rupee.
India being a net importer of crude oil, rising crude oil price is not good for the country. Analysts believe this will increase India’s trade gap with other countries and deplete the country’s forex reserves resulting in further weakness in rupee.
A study showed that after currency depreciation people are grappling with inflated prices of the commodities which they use in their day to day life and the change in their spending and savings trends, a falling rupee will pinch students who are planning to go abroad or are presently studying outside India.
Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) director general Ajay Sahai said that the development will not provide any additional support to exporters as currencies of other emerging economies, including China, too are depreciating. “It will provide a level playing field to our exporters. It will not provide the much needed support as India is not singled out,” he said.
India’s exports grew 20.18% to $28.86 billion in May — the highest in six months — even though trade deficit widened to a four- month high of $14.62 billion. The rupee had touched a lifetime low of 69.10 against the U.S. dollar as rising crude oil prices deepened concerns about India’s current account deficit and inflation dynamics.

Visit Asia’s Cleanest village, Mawlynnong, Meghalaya

Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0
In eastern Indian state, Meghalaya, a remote village, Mawlynnong, has made headlines around the world. In this village, tidying up is a ritual that everyone – from tiny toddlers to toothless grannies – takes very seriously. This small, 600-odd person town in the Meghalaya region is renowned as the cleanest village in India.
 
Mawlynnong was first declared the cleanest village in Asia in 2003 and the cleanest in India in 2005 by Discover India magazine. More recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged Mawlynnong as the cleanest village in Meghalaya and a model for the rest of the county in a 2015. 
 
This claim to fame stuck, and the village has become a regional legend and source of pride. Walk in, and all the typical rubbish is mysteriously, miraculously absent. So how do you get a community to become a model of cleanliness and sanitation in a country where this has long been a problem? The answer, it seems, is to start them young.
 
There’s normal daily cleaning for children and adults, then extra on Saturdays when the village leader assigns out “social work” to be completed for the good of the town. Eleven-year-old Deity Bakordor starts her day around 6:30 am. Her chore, shared with all the village kids, is the beautification of the town. Teasel brooms in hand, the children storm the streets, sweeping up dead leaves and garbage before school. The children are also responsible for emptying the rubbish bins – which are surprisingly pretty, hand-woven, cone-shaped baskets scattered throughout town – and separating organic waste from burnable trash. Leaves and other biodegradable waste are buried (and eventually used as fertilizer); everything else is driven far from the village and burned. There are also dedicated town gardeners who maintain riots of public plants and flowers that line the footpaths, making a walk here incredibly pleasant.
 
The villagers are of the Khasi people, a traditionally matrilineal society. Perhaps, with women in dominant roles in society, keeping the home and environment orderly also takes on a greater role, Adhikari and I speculated. “We are Christians from more than 100 years back, and cleaning is learned from our elders,” said housewife Sara Kharrymba. “We pass on these skills, from me to my children, from them to their children.” In other words, this isn’t habit, it’s a long-time tradition. Kharrymba’s own day begins by cleaning their entire compound, she said.

PM Modi talks trade at BRICS Summit, meets Xi on sidelines

Staff ReporterIndia, Politics 0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reaffirmed India’s commitment to multilateralism, international trade and a rules-based world order as he participated in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in South Africa.

Modi, who arrived in Johannesburg on the last leg of his Africa tour, presented the country statement of India at the BRICS leaders’ closed session.

“At the session with fellow BRICS leaders, I shared my thoughts on various global issues, the importance of technology, skill development and how effective multilateral cooperation creates a better world,” Modi tweeted. He also met Chinese President Xi Jinping, who earlier urged fellow leaders of the BRICS emerging economies to “reject protectionism outright”.

Modi along Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa posed for a group photograph on the second day of their meeting. The leaders reiterated their resolve to fight terrorism, but the names of terrorist organisations including the Pakistan-based ones were missing from the joint declaration.

The Xiamen Declaration of the last BRICS summit, which was celebrated last year as a victory for Indian diplomacy, had named Pakistan-based terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

“We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever. We urge concerted efforts to counter terrorism under the UN auspices on a firm international legal basis and express our conviction that a comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure an effective fight against terrorism,” the joint statement said. “We recall the responsibility of all States to prevent financing of terrorist networks and terrorist actions from their territories.”

In his address, PM Modi said India wants to work with the nations on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and called for sharing among them the best practices and policies in the area. The 4IR is the fourth major industrial era since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. Modi said technological innovations can help enhance service delivery and productivity levels. “High-skilled but temporary work will be the new face of employment. There will be radical changes in industrial production, design, and manufacturing,” he said.

In his address, Xi called for a concerted effort by global institutions such as the United Nations, the G7 and the World Trade Organization to fight unilateralism and protectionism. Xi also called for dialogue to settle disputes on global trade, underlining remarks he made at the opening day, urging a rejection of unilateralism in the wake of tariff threats by US President Donald Trump. Trump’s warnings have given the BRICS nations fresh impetus to enhance trade cooperation, and their leaders found a collective voice championing global trade at the summit.

Economic divergence among countries and regions was never pre-ordained

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, Finance/Economy 0

According to the late cliometrician Angus Madison and other economic historians, the great divergence between the global North and South, between developed and developing countries, began around five centuries ago, from the beginning of the European, particularly Iberian colonial conquests.

From about two centuries ago, around the time of the Industrial Revolution, divergence accelerated with uneven productivity advances. During the 20th century, national level inequalities went down in many developed countries in the period after the First World War until around the 1970s with the rise of labour, peasant and other popular mobilizations.

Inequality, not only at the national level, but also at the international level, seems to affect the pattern of aggregate demand, particularly in developing countries, which in turn influences future investment and growth prospects and patterns.

Thus, the immediate post-Second World War period saw relatively high growth during what some Anglophone economists call the ‘Golden Age’, due to a combination of Keynesian policies at the national level in developed economies, and partially successful development policies in many newly-independent countries of Asia and Africa. However, this eventually came to an end in the 1970s for a variety of reasons.

Recent trends
Since then, inequalities have begun to grow again at the national level in many countries, but international divergence has declined in more recent decades. This recent convergence is due to significantly accelerated growth in some developing countries as expansion in some developed countries slowed. Among developing countries, growth was initially largely confined to East Asia and, to a lesser extent, South Asia, bypassing much of the rest of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Africa suffered a quarter-century of stagnation from the late 1970s until the beginning of this century when commodity prices rose once again and China began investing in the continent. There was at least one lost decade in Latin America in the 1980s, and arguably, a second one for many on the continent in the following decade.

Such variation needs to be recognized. The recent convergence overall obscures very mixed phenomena of greater national-level inequalities in many economies, but also some international convergence due to more rapid growth in some major developing economies.

However, this convergence has begun to slow again, following the collapse of commodity prices since late 2014. This initially began with petroleum, but eventually affected almost all other commodities, especially mineral prices, slowing the decade of growth in Africa.

Divergence
The recent phenomena which many term globalization are often linked to international economic liberalization, but the strengthening of property rights has also been important. This has not only consolidated traditional property rights, but also extended property rights in novel ways, e.g., ostensibly to clarify supposedly ambiguous entitlements.

These have involved not only national legislation, but also free trade agreements and investment treaties at the international level, e.g., to consolidate ostensible asset-related entitlements, including so called intellectual property rights.

While few economic commentators may openly advocate increasing inequality, or blatantly espouse divergence, the consequences of many policies and positions associated with the conventional wisdom tend to increase divergence. For example, agricultural trade liberalization has undermined productive potential as only rich countries can afford subsidies, which most developing countries cannot afford.

For a long time, Africa used to be a net food exporter until the 1980s. Since then, it has become a net food importer. With trade liberalization, Africa was supposed to realize its true potential. Instead, Africa has lost much of its existing productive potential, not only in manufacturing, but also in agriculture.

To make matters worse, African farmers cannot compete with subsidized food imports from the EU and the USA. For example, as US consumers have a strong preference for chicken breasts, wings and legs from the US are not only flooding the Americas, but increasingly, Africa and Asia.

It is also important to consider the prospects for possible convergence in the long term due to the increased availability and affordability of capital. Besides recent Chinese international financing initiatives, quantitative easing, other unconventional monetary policies, recycling of petrodollars and private East Asian capital, as well as novel, and often illicit international financial flows may transform the horizon of possibilities.

Not unlike the Cold War and the aftermath of 9/11, the resurgence of European ethno-populism in reaction to growing economically and politically driven immigration into developed Western economies has reminded the world of the squalid conditions still prevailing in much of the global South, especially in Africa.

Perhaps more importantly, geography, rather than class, is increasingly viewed by many as the major determinant of income and welfare levels, with vastly different living standards associated with location rather than educational qualifications, occupation or productivity.

Thus, without the prospect of rapid convergence, not only nationally between wealth classes, but also internationally between rich and poor nations, the failure of economic globalization to deliver on its implicit promise of liberalizing cross-border human migration will haunt international relations, human rights and political liberalism for some time to come.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urges NRKs to invest in ‘Intellectual Capital’ at Fokana Convention 2018

Staff ReporterCommunity 0

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan urged Non Resident Keralites to invest in ‘Intellectual Capital’ at the 18th biennial convention of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA) held from July 5-8 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in Pennsylvania.

More than money, Kerala is in need of the community’s expertise and intellectual collaboration to foster its development, the Marxist chief minister told the 2,000 people at the convention, stating that it was nonresident Keralites who changed Kerala after land regulation. “It is the contribution of the NRKs that gives the state its stature,” Vijayan was quoted as saying in a press release. The last state chief minister to attend the convention was E.K. Nayanar, also a Marxist, who went to the gathering in Dallas 22 years ago.

This year’s convention was also attended by Opposition Leader in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala who belongs to the Congress party. Also attending was K.K. Sailaja, minister for health, Katakampalli Surendran, minister for tourism and state lawmakers Raju Abraham, Monce Joseph, Chittayam Gopakumar and V.P. Sajeendran.

Vijayan noted that although Keralites adapt to local cultures around the globe when they resettle, they keep their identity, language and culture intact. He said people celebrate their culture and language more when they live in other countries.

“Our language and our land of the forefathers give the identity to us. If you go away from the language and culture we inherited from our fathers, we lose our address. Organizations like FOKANA should work to impart the culture and language to the new generation,” the chief minister said.

He said Kerala has changed much where the government and the opposition work together for projects important for the state. He said many projects, which were considered impossible earlier, are being completed. “New projects are coming up. We believe in development that is inclusive of all. It should benefit all,” he said. Chennithala said work opportunities are drying up and the governments cannot ignore them.

Vijayan said in a market-oriented society everything becomes a commodity and people will value things if they are useful to them. In such a society people will discard anything that is not found useful — including old or invalid parents who may be viewed as a burden. “We should tell the children to be successful without forgetting values. The children who grow up without values are the ones who shot their classmates,” he said.

The chief minister also called for uniting with the rival Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americas (FOMAA), the mother organization,and asked FOKANA leaders to take the initiative on this. He said that 10 percent of the estimated four million Indians living in the U.S., are from the Malayalee community. He called for dual citizenship and for voting rights for all NRIs.

The chief minister earlier visited the Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore to discuss about possible collaboration for the Institute of Advanced Virology Center being built in Kerala. Dr. Robert Charles Gallo, institute director credited for his work in helping discover the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, in 1984, promised intellectual collaboration.

During the convention, Prabha Thomas (Philadelphia) was crowned the Ms. Malayalee Manka FOKANA 2018. Asha Agustine (Philadelphia) was the First Runner up winner. Reethu Sreekanth was the Second Runner up. Fifteen married women competed in 2018 Malayalee Manka FOKANA 2018.  That group was narrowed to 8 finalists who competed last weekend in Kerala Set Mundu Round, Talent Round, Saree Round at the 18th FOKANA National Convention 2018 held at the Valley Forge Convention Center in Pennsylvania on Friday July 6, 2018. Contestants had to be married.

The MANKA competition showcased contestant’s intelligence, talent, personality, confidence, beauty and leadership skills under the leadership of Mini Aby, Bala Kearke, Sosamma Andrews and Anitha George (MC). The performers included Aji Panicker dance group, Isabela Ajit, Biju Abraham. The judges were Malini Nair, Nimmy Das, and Khala Shai. The committee members included Anitha Panicker (Sound System), Celine Oalickal, Marykutty Michael, Mary Philip, Usha Narayan, Jessy Joshy, Usha George and Aleymma Mathew.

Spiritual leader Dada JP Vaswani dies at 99 in India

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion, India 0

Spiritual leader Jashan Pahlajrai Vaswani, popularly known as Dada JP Vaswani died at his abode in Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Pune on Thursday morning, just 21 days before his 100th birthday on August 2.

The Mission in a tweet, said, “0901hrs IST July 12 2018, on sacred Guruvaar day, our Beloved Revered Dada J.P. Vaswani passes on, from the seen to the unseen. Ever-loving, ever-giving, may he continue to bless us from the beyond.”

“Dadaji breathed his last at 9.01 a.m. today. He was 99. His body has been kept for final darshan at his ashram, Sadhu Vaswani Mission,” the spokesperson said.

Dada Vaswani was admitted to a city-based private hospital a few days ago and was discharged on Wednesday night. Known for his ardent promotion of vegetarianism and animal rights, his mortal remains will be kept at the Mission till 2pm on Friday for followers to pay their last respect.

The Mission was planning a grand celebration on Vaswani’s 100th birthday in August that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to attend. “I am saddened beyond words on the passing away of Dada JP Vaswani. He lived for society and served the poor and needy with compassion. Blessed with immense wisdom, he was passionate about educating the girl child, cleanliness and furthering peace as well as brotherhood,” Modi said in a tweet.

Born on August 2, 1918, to a Sindhi couple Pahlajrai and Krishnadevi Vaswani of Hyderabad (Sindh) in undivided India, Dada Vaswani – as he was revered by the community – was one among seven children – three sisters and four brothers.

He headed the Sadhu Vaswani Mission – founded by his uncle and spiritual Guru, the late Sadhu T.L. Vaswani in Hyderabad in 1929, which has now branched out all over the world. Following his demise in 1966, Sadhu J.P. Vaswani was anointed his successor and he carried forward the legacy of his Guru’s Mission globally.

A proponent of world peace, vegetarianism, girls’ education, compassion for the poor, among others, Sadhu Vaswani addressed the British House of Commons, Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders in Oxford, World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Millenium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the UN, and Parliament of World Religions in South Africa,.

He initiated a global peace initiative – The Moment of Calm, when people observe two-minutes of silence to forgive all, on August 2, with eminent personalities like the Dalai Lama joining it. Among various national and international honours conferred on Sadhu Vaswani were the U Thant Peace Award in 1998, jointly with Pope John Paul II.

Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Acharya Lokesh Muni ji inaugurate AAPI’s 36th annual convention in Columbus, OH

Ajay GhoshCommunity 0
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Acharya Lokesh Muni ji inaugurate AAPI’s 36th annual convention in Columbus, OHColumbus, OH: July 5th, 2018: With ribbon cutting and lighting of the traditional lamp below a beautifully decorated arch, Andrew J. Ginther, Mayor of Columbus and Acharya Lokesh Muni ji officially inaugurated the 36th annual convention of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) at the Convention Center in Columbus, OH on July 5th, 2018.
In his warm welcome address, Dr. Gautam Samadder, President of AAPI, reminded the more than 1,500 AAPI delegates from across the nation of the historic nature of the convention. “The Future is now– Its time to step up to a new era of innovation through a new age of digital healthcare that transcends biological and chemical medicine into the future. As physicians we must be equipped to tackle the next generation’s unique set of challenges and opportunities in healthcare,” Dr. Samadder said.
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Acharya Lokesh Muni ji inaugurate AAPI’s 36th annual convention in Columbus, OHIn his opening remarks, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther praised the many contributions of AAPI members in the United States and particularly in the state of OHIO. “You have excelled in your fields of medicine, and thus make significant contributions through hard work, commitment and dedication to your profession and the people you are committed to serve,” he said. While conveying his greetings and best wishes to AAPI leaders for the success of the convention, the mayor described the fast growing health sector, particularly the pharmaceutic industry in India. Mayor Andrew highlighted the fast growing and diverse city that Columbus has become and urged Indian American physicians to invest in and make Colubus city their home.
Acharya Lokesh Muni ji, in his inspiring address to the audience, highlighted importance of having a platform such as this to share knowledge. He underscored the importance of ancient Indian wisdom that is the basis for modern Medicine. While praising the contribution of the physicians to the world, he reminded them that they are participating in the work of God and what they do today will shape the future of the world.
Member of Indian Parliament, Vallabhbhai Katharia said, Physicians of Indian origin are well known around the world for their compassion, passion for patient care, medical skills, research, and leadership. “Indian-Americans constitute about one percent of the country’s population, but you account for nine percent of the American doctors and physicians, serving one out of seven patients being treated across the nation.” He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his inspiring leadership, steering the largest democracy in the world to new heights. He urged AAPI to endow an AAPI Chair in India to share the knowledge and experience of AAPI members with their counterparts in India. Dr. Veena Gandhi of the Health Foundation of Rural India shared with the audience the immense job the Foundation does in 70,000 villages across India, benefitting millions of people.
At the Business Meeting and the Fund Raising led by AAPI Charitable Foundation, Dr. Chander Kapasi helped raise money for the Foundation, while highlighting the many charitable initiatives of AAPI both in India and in the United States. Also, AAPI recognized Raja Rajadhyaksha and Dr. Sanju Bhghya for their contributions to the society and for AAPI. Earlier, Neeraj Anthani, the youngest elected official in the Ohio state Assembly felicitated AAPI and he presented a Citation to AAPI.
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Acharya Lokesh Muni ji inaugurate AAPI’s 36th annual convention in Columbus, OHA spectacular fashion show by Rohit Verma kept the audience spell-bound for an hour, while the Mystic India show took the audience to a heavenly journey, showcasing the brilliant Indian dance forms performed elegantly by talented artists.
 The day was packed with back to back seminars and CMEs and conferences, including Beauty Pageant, Children and Youth activities, Medical School Alumni meetings, and inspiring speeches and a busy market place where vendors lured AAPI members with their specialty products.
This CME program is being jointly sponsored the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and has been designed to meet the educational needs of Primary Care physicians – Internists, Family Practitioners, Pediatricians, and Specialists – Cardiology, Oncology, Endocrinology, Surgery and other specialties involved in the care of patients with Atrial Fibrillation, HIV disease, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Depression, Prostate and Hematologic malignancies and Back pain.
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Acharya Lokesh Muni ji inaugurate AAPI’s 36th annual convention in Columbus, OHCMEs provided comprehensive and current reviews and guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of various disease states to reduce morbidity and mortality and achieve cost effective quality care outcomes, enabling the attendees to gain an understanding of the causation, diagnosis and the best clinical practices for the management of the diverse group of diseases discussed during this program. AAPI members get 10 hours of CME credit hours for attending in these sessions led by world’s leading thought leaders, physicians and healthcare industry leaders.
Dr. John Johnson, Chair of the Convention Committee, praised the Local Chapter members for their hard work and dedication in meticulously planning and organizing this mega event.
Dr. John Johnson, Chair of the Convention Committee, praised the Local Chapter members for their hard work and dedication in meticulously planning and organizing this mega event.  For more information on AAPI and the 36th convention, please visit: www.aapiconvention.org

Money of Indians in Swiss banks rise 50% to over Rs 7,000 crore

Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

While the Modi government in India had promised to bring back Black Money hoarded abroad and within the country, the money parked by Indians in Swiss banks rose over 50 per cent to CHF (Swiss franc) 1.01 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) in 2017, reversing a three-year downward trend amid India’s clampdown on suspected black money stashed there.

In comparison, the total funds held by all foreign clients of Swiss banks rose about 3 per cent to CHF 1.46 trillion or about Rs 100 lakh crore in 2017, according to the official annual data released today by Swiss National Bank (SNB), the central banking authority of the Alpine nation.

The surge in Indian money held with Swiss banks comes as a surprise given India’s continuing clampdown on suspected black money, stashed abroad, including in banks of Switzerland that used to be known for their famed secrecy walls for years.

The Indian money in Swiss banks had fallen by 45 per cent in 2016, marking their biggest ever yearly plunge, to CHF 676 million (about Rs 4,500 crore) — the lowest ever since the European nation began making the data public in 1987.

According to the SNB data, the total funds held by Indians directly with Swiss banks rose to 999 million Swiss franc (Rs 6,891 crore) in 2017, while the same held through fiduciaries or wealth managers increased to CHF 16.2 million (Rs 112 crore). These figures stood at CHF 664.8 million and CHF 11 million, respectively, at the end of 2016.

As per the latest data, the Indian money in Swiss banks included CHF 464 million (Rs 3,200 crore) in the form of customer deposits, CHF 152 million (Rs 1,050 crore) through other banks and CHF 383 million (Rs 2,640 crore) as ‘other liabilities’ such as securities at the end of 2017.

The funds under all three heads have risen sharply, as against a huge plunge across all categories in the previous year, the SNB data showed.

The funds held through fiduciaries alone used to be in billions till 2007 but began falling after that amid fears of regulatory crackdown.

The total funds held by Indians with Swiss banks stood at a record high of CHF 6.5 billion (Rs 23,000 crore) at 2006-end, but came down to nearly one-tenth of that level in about a decade.

Since those record levels, this is only the third time when there has been a rise in Indians’ money in Swiss banks — in 2011 (12 per cent), 2013 (43 per cent) and now in 2017 by 50.2 per cent — the maximum increase since 56 per cent way back in 2004.

The latest data from Zurich-based SNB comes months after a new framework having been put in place for automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace.

While Switzerland has already begun sharing foreign client details on evidence of wrongdoing provided by India and some other countries, it has agreed to further expand its cooperation on India’s fight against black money with a new pact for automatic information exchange.

There were several rounds of discussions between Indian and Swiss government officials on the new framework and also for expediting the pending information requests about suspected illicit accounts of Indians in Swiss banks.

The funds, described by SNB as ‘liabilities’ of Swiss banks or ‘amounts due to’ their clients, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate to the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians there.

SNB’s official figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

Amid a decline seen in Indian money over the previous three years, there was a view that Indians who had allegedly parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global crackdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland.

Swiss banks have earlier said Indians have “few deposits” in Swiss banks compared to other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong amid stepped-up efforts to check the black money menace.

On directions of the Supreme Court, India had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe cases of alleged black money of Indians, including funds stashed abroad in places like Switzerland.

A number of strategies were deployed by the government to combat the stash-funds menace, in both overseas and domestic domain, which included enactment of a new law, amendments in the Anti-Money Laundering Act and compliance windows for people to declare their hidden assets.

The Tax department had detected suspected black money running into thousands of crores of rupees post investigations on global leaks about Indians stashing funds abroad + and has launched prosecution against hundreds of them, including those with accounts in the Geneva branch of HSBC.

The issue of black money has always been a matter of big debate in India and Switzerland has been long perceived as one of the safest havens for such funds.

Earlier in 2015, the money held by Indians in Swiss banks had fallen by nearly one-third to CHF 1,217.6 million (over Rs 8,000 crore). Prior to that, these funds fell by 10 per cent to CHF 1.8 billion in 2014, after a rise of 43 per cent in 2013 to CHF 2.03 billion.

The total assets of Swiss banks in India, however, fell by about 18 per cent in 2017 to CHF 3.2 billion in second consecutive year of decline. This does not include any tangible assets like real estate and properties. The amount owed by Indian clients to Swiss banks fell by 48 per cent in 2017 to CHF 210 million.

International Yoga Day celebrated across the globe

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Culture/Religion, Health 0

Yoga is among India’s most popular cultural exports. People across the globe have adopted the ancient practice for its physical, mental and spiritual benefits. But along the way, yoga has morphed and been adapted to suit the modern gym-going public, leading some yogis to voice concern that it has become little more than a series of stretching exercises, divorced from its roots as a meditative discipline.

June 21st, declared as the International yoga Day by the United Nations has drawn crowds in celebrations around the globe. The International Yoga Day, since its inception in 2015, has grown to be on the most popular cultural mass movements in the world. This year was no different as, from Dehradun in India – where Prime Minister Narendra Modi began proceedings with some asanas, to Kota in Rajasthan which created a new world record for turnout, to Times Square in New York City, where thousands of people swamped the area in bright green mats, the phenomenon was truly dazzling and spectacular to watch.

Some 50,000 people gathered with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 21 in the Himalayan foothills in Dehradun to salute the power of yoga. More than 35 volunteers from different foreign countries participated in the event and performed 21 yoga postures along with nearly 50,000 people who stretched their bodies in the sprawling lawn of Dehradun’s Forest Research Institute lawn surrounded by Shivalik peaks from three sides.

Yoga “is enriching millions of lives all over the world,” Modi said in a speech. He also urged Indians to take pride in their heritage. “The gems of India’s unique heritage, such as yoga, will be respected by the world at large only when we ourselves respect our culture and traditions,” he said. Modi said that yoga has the power to unite individuals, society, the country and the world at large, and has emerged as a major unifying force globally.

Modi said that the world has embraced yoga and this can be seen in the manner in which the International Day of Yoga is marked every year. “In fact, Yoga Day has become one of the biggest mass movements in the quest for good health and well-being,” he said, adding that yoga is beautiful because it is “ancient yet modern.” He noted that International Yoga Day celebrated across the world. “From Dehradun to Dublin, Jakarta to Johannesburg and Shanghai to Chicago people are celebrating yoga day all across the world. Yoga is giving new energy to global friendship, he said.

Modi also marked the day with a video conference address to the International Yoga Day Celebrations at the United Nations in New York. In December 2014, following a request from Modi, the U.N. General Assembly declared June 21 the International Day of Yoga. The proposal had a record number of cosponsors – 177 countries supported it – and was adopted faster than any other proposal in the history of the world body.

Modi was the one who initiated the International Yoga Day, imploring for it to be initiated, at his iconic speech at the United nations General Assembly in 2014. It has become his signature movement, in his first term in office.

Talking of yoga, at the UN, in 2014, Modi had invoked India’s traditions, saying, “It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.” The Prime Minister said that yoga is beautiful because it is “ancient yet modern. It is constant yet evolving. It has the best of our past and present and a ray of hope for our future. In yoga, we have the perfect solution to the problems we face, either as individuals or in our society,” he said.

A highlight of this year’s celebrations was Kota in Rajasthan establishing a world record on Thursday when around two lakh people performed yoga at one place on the occasion of the International Yoga Day. The event took place in the presence of yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia at the RAC ground.

Baba Ramdev tweeted that more than two lakh people performed yoga on the International Yoga Day. “Yog is the best way for the students to de-stress themselves. Thousands of students have joined #YogainKota, the education capital of Rajasthan,” he tweeted. Till date, Mysore shares the record where around 55,506 people performed yoga simultaneously at one place on International Yoga Day.

India’s President Ram Nath Kovind participated in the fourth International Yoga Day celebrations in Paramaribo along with his Suriname counterpart Desire Delano Bouterse, Vice President Michael Ashwin Adhin and other dignitaries. Kovind is on a visit to Suriname, which has a large number of Indian expatriates too.

Addressing the gathering, Kovind said yoga is an ancient Indian tradition, but it does not belong to India alone. “It is part of humanity’s intangible heritage. Millions across the world, in every continent and among all communities, have embraced yoga and interpreted yoga in their own way. The practice of yoga has had a beneficial impact on their bodies as well as their minds. Particularly in today’s world of stresses and lifestyle diseases, yoga can help all of us,” he said. Yoga is the ultimate expression of Indian soft power and it has “won us love and affection” among yoga practitioners in all corners of the planet, including in Suriname, he said.

India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj led celebrations to mark International Yoga Day at the European Parliament (EU) in Brussels on Thursday, highlighting the importance of yoga for the modern world. “India believes in the concept that the world is one family. We are also celebrating our shared humanity and acknowledging our shared destiny,” she told the large gathering of EU parliamentarians, EU officials and yoga lovers and enthusiasts at the European Parliament.

She said that yoga represents one of the most powerful means for uniting the world and stated that “it is extremely heart-warming to see that India’s gift to the world has been so heartily adopted by the Europe. Today more than ever the world needs yoga,” she said, referring to the stressful lives people are leading today and added that “yoga restores harmony within. As I speak today, countries around the world are celebrating the International Day of Yoga, thereby, endorsing this holistic approach towards health and wellness,” she added. Shri Shri Ravishankar led a session on yoga at the event.

Here in the US, yoga celebrations began early in the week. In Washington, DC, it was celebrated on June 16 at the iconic US Capitol West Lawn. More than 2,500 people from all walks of life participated in these celebrations with fervor and enthusiasm. India’s Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna led the International Day of Yoga in Washington D.C. Welcoming the participants, Sarna noted that yoga is widely embraced by the American people as a survey conducted in 2016 showed that there were 36.7 million Yoga practitioners in the U.S.

The participants also included officials and representatives from the State Department, Smithsonian Institutions, World Bank, academic institutions, think tanks, representatives of various embassies, local representatives of Indian news media and other key local organizations.

Many leaders from the United States issued proclamations and felicitation messages to support and commemorate the 4th International Day of Yoga and spread awareness about yoga. These included Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam, Senator Timothy M. Kaine and Congressmen Don Beyer, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Gerald E. Connolly.

A guided yoga session based on ‘Common Yoga Protocol’ created by Government of India was conducted with the help of yoga demonstrators. The yoga session concluded with Sanskrit shlokas and shantipath.

The Indian Embassy had organized curtain raiser events, in collaboration with yoga organizations and yoga studios, at the India International School, John Hopkins University, Heartfulness Institute in Richmond, Virginia, Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham MD, Chinmaya Mission and Durga Temple in Virginia, North Potomac Community Center. The embassy also acknowledges the cooperation given by ‘Friends of Yoga’ – a group of organizations which support and promote yoga in this region.

The International Day of Yoga was celebrated with enthusiasm and fervor at the historic Governor’s Island on June 16, in New York City. The event organized by the Consulate General of India, New York saw enthusiastic participation from people of all ages.

The historic setting of the event in New York City in many ways exemplified the eternal values of yoga. Governors Island wass a 72-acre island in New York Harbor, approximately 800 yards from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn  by Buttermilk Channel , approximately 400 yards. Perhaps signifying the global influence of yoga, the famous skyline of downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty formed the backdrop of the event.

US Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was the chief guest for the event, in which the Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty also participated. While complimenting the organizers, she spoke of the benefits that yoga has on contemporary lifestyles.

“Yoga, which is derived from Sanskrit, means to join or unite and symbolizes the union of body and mind” said Maloney. “It is a unique way to approach an individual’s health and well-being. Practicing yoga has been shown to decrease stress, fatigue, and alleviate chronic pains, as well as improving physical fitness. I know first-hand the benefits of practicing yoga. It is an essential part of my life, I practice it as often as I can, and it helps me to find balance and peace.”

The event featured performances from Hindu Temple, Indian Cultural Association, Mallakhambh Federation, Sam Katz (David Lynch Foundation), Art of Living Foundation, Isha Foundation, World Yoga Community and the Battery Dance Co.

The performances included demonstration of yoga mudra, salutations, common yoga protocol, yogasanas on the pole, transcendental meditation, desktop yoga, yogic music and musical performances from the Salon Di Virtuosi and a dance performance by the Battery Dance Company.

The Consulate General of India in Chicago, in collaboration with the City of Chicago and Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International rolled out the fourth edition of International Yoga Day, June 16, at Millennium Park in downtown Chicago.

A lamp-lighting ceremony and singing of the National Anthems of India and United States launched the high profile event whose objective was to create a broad-based awareness about the benefits of yoga for all sections of society.

It was one of the mega events in Chicago in which about 100 community organizations and over 1000 Indian Americans and people belonging to other nationalities participated, along with their family and friends, a press release from the Indian Consulate in Chicago said.

Sister Tina from Brahma Kumaris of Chicago demonstrated the breathing technique, and a dance item by the students of Soorya Dance School followed. There was a demonstration of ‘Common Yoga Protocol’ and the event concluded with the recitation of Shanti Mantras.

India’s Consul General in Chicago, Neeta Bhushan, speaking on the occasion, dwelt on the benefits of yoga. She also thanked the office of the Mayor of Chicago for partnering with the Consulate and for enabling the Millennium Park to be used for the event.

Some of the well-known people who participated in the event included Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois; Andrea Zopp, president & CEO, World Business Chicago and former Deputy Mayor of Chicago; Smitha Shah, chair, Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, Mickey Straub, Mayor of Burr Ridge, Hardik Bhatt, former chief information officer in the Illinois Governor’s office; Ram Villivalam, candidate for Illinois Senate from District 8; and Alderman Joe Moore.

Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman to hold 2+2 India-US talks in Washington on July 6

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India and the United States will hold the inaugural 2+2 meeting of their defense and foreign ministers in Washington on July 6, the US state department announced Thursday, ending months of uncertainty dogged by postponements and cancellations over scheduling and personnel changes.

US secretary of state Michael R Pompeo and secretary of defense James Mattis will host external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and minister of defence Nirmala Sitharaman for the first meeting. The two sides are expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

This will be the first simultaneous meeting of the Indian defence and external affairs ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj and their US counterparts James Mattis and Mike Pompeo in a format announced last August after a call between Prime Minister Narendra modi and President Donald Trump.

The dialogue is seen as a vehicle to elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries. And in the subsequent weeks, the US was focussed solely on President Trump’s meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. India has proposed July 6, as reported by Hindustan Times earlier, but had to wait for a confirmation from Washington DC, which finally came through.

The two sides will be expecting to discuss a whole range of issues in defence and external affairs such as cooperation on counter-terrorism, which is always accorded high priority by the countries, and Afghanistan, which received a significant pitch in President Trump’s new South Asia strategy.

At the July meeting, officials will “focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defense cooperation as the United States and India jointly confront global challenges”, said the state department in a statement. Officials expect to discuss, specifically, the indirect impact of US sanctions on Russia and Iran. A major Indian defence deal for the Russian S-400 air defence systems is at risk of attracting secondary sanction from the US unless an exception was made, as proposed and backed by Mattis and Pompeo.

The meeting will take place among growing defense and diplomatic ties and convergence but increasing trade differences caused by President Trump’s decision to slap a tariff of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminium imports. India has retaliated with its own tariffs on imports from the US and has also challenged Trump’s tariffs at the World Trade Organization. Trade is a separate discussion but and new and continuing issues are being thrashed out by the two countries in other forums.

Earlier this year, the ‘2+2 dialogue’ had been postponed due to uncertainty over the confirmation of Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump’s new Secretary of State. Pompeo was later confirmed as Secretary of State in April.

 “I think it is a dramatic signal suggesting that DOD (department of defense) is taking the challenges of managing the unified Indo-Pacific space seriously,” Ashley Tellis, a leading US expert on South Asia and Asia had said at the time. “It is a task well begun but far from finished,” he had added.

Ambassador Richard Verma to India joins strategic consultancy group

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Richard Verma, the first ever Indian-American U.S. ambassador to India, is joining a leading U.S.-based international investment advisory group. Paladin Capital Group is pleased to announce that Richard Verma, former U.S. Ambassador to India (2014-2017) and current Vice Chair at The Asia Group, will join Paladin’s Strategic Advisory Group (SAG). Ambassador Verma brings 25 years of experience across senior levels of business, law, diplomacy, and the military. “We are very excited to have Rich as part of Paladin’s strategic network,” said Lt. General (Ret.) Kenneth Minihan, Managing Director at Paladin. “Rich’s subject matter expertise and experience as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on critical security and intelligence policy issues will provide invaluable advice and guidance to Paladin and our portfolio companies.”

Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to India by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in December 2014, Ambassador Verma oversaw one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions in the world and championed historic progress in U.S.-India relations, with critical evolutions to bilateral cooperation in defense, trade, and clean energy. The Ambassador also oversaw an unprecedented nine meetings between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi – leading to over 100 new initiatives and more than 40 government-to-government dialogues.
Ambassador Verma was previously the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, where he led the State Department’s efforts on Capitol Hill. He worked as Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader and also spent time in the House of Representatives. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.

The Ambassador brings to bear a distinguished career in the private sector. He was a partner in a major global law firm for many years and led the South Asia practice of a Washington-based consulting firm. He is also currently a Centennial Fellow at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he supports the India Initiative, and co-chairs the Center for American Progress’ U.S.-India Task Force.

Ambassador Verma holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center (LLM), American University’s Washington College of Law (JD), and Lehigh University (BS). “I am delighted to welcome Richard Verma back to Paladin’s Strategic Advisory Group,” said Michael Steed, Managing Partner of Paladin. “Rich was integral member of the Strategic Advisory Group before being nominated and serving as Ambassador of India. He will further strengthen Paladin’s unique commitment and capability to add strategic value to its portfolio companies in accessing U.S. federal market opportunities as well as navigating the evolving security and compliance policy landscape in international markets.”

Paladin Capital Group was founded in 2001 and has offices in Washington DC, New York, London, Luxembourg, and Silicon Valley. As a multi-stage investor, Paladin focuses on best-of-breed companies with technologies, products, and services that meet the challenging global cyber security and digital infrastructure resilience needs for commercial and government customers. Paladin has over $1 billion in committed capital across multiple funds. Follow the firm on Twitter @Paladincap, visit their website at http://www.paladincapgroup.com

US Representative Tulsi Gabbard Questioned on Hindutva Relationship

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On the heels of news that U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) will chair the 2018 World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Chicago, the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI) has issued Rep. Gabbard an open letter urging her to end her relationship with groups that promote Hindu nationalism.

The WHC will be hosted by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a subsidiary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Mohan Bhagat, the current Sarsanghchalak (Supreme Leader) of the RSS, will keynote the conference. Invitations have also been extended to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is ideologically affiliated with the RSS and VHP. The organizations are collectively known as the “Sangh Parivar.”

Gabbard’s relationship with Modi extends back to his inauguration as prime minister in May 2014, when she issued a press statement announcing, “I recently spoke with Narendra Modi by phone and congratulated him and the Bharatiya Janata party for winning.” She has met with Modi on at least four occasions since, including September 2014 in New York, December 2014 in India (a trip which she made at his personal invitation), September 2015 in California, and June 2016 in Washington, D.C.

She is known for her vocal opposition to attempts by U.S. government officials to take action against allegations of human rights atrocities by Modi and other Sangh Parivar affiliates. In 2014, she condemned the U.S. State Department for its decision to deny Modi a visa based on his involvement in “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” In 2015, she denounced House Resolution 417, a bipartisan call for the annual U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue to focus on “religious freedom and related human rights.”

The text of OFMI’s open letter to Gabbard follows: While we had appreciated in the past your clear-eyed stance against military adventurism abroad viz. the Iraq War, we are puzzled by your lack of similar concern about the rising militantism in India — another nation with which you have significant involvement. No doubt you must be aware that while extremism and militarism are growing world-wide, India is not an exception. Violent fascist groups who murder Christians and other minorities have seized power.

Perhaps you remember the tragic killing of Graham Staines and his two sons? On January 23, 1999, extremist Hindu nationalists in India attacked the Christian pastor and burned him to death in his car along with his two sons (aged 6 and 10). In 2018, religious freedom watchdog group Open Doors USA ranked India as the 11th most dangerous country in the world for Christians.

Staines was murdered by members of a branch of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently rules India. These groups are collectively known as the “Sangh Parivar.” AS USCIRF (United States Commission on Religious Freedom) reported in 2003, “Violence against religious minorities has coincided with the rise in political influence of groups associated with the Sangh Parivar, a collection of Hindu extremist nationalist organizations that view non-Hindus as foreign to India.”

We are growing alarmed after witnessing your continuous and earnest relationship with leading figures of the Sangh Parivar here in the U.S. In September 2018, you will visit Chicago to share the stage with RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat at the World Hindu Congress. Mr. Bhagwat is very open that the goal of the RSS is to turn India into a Hindu nation. The RSS makes no apologies for its frequent violence against religious minorities. While the Staines family was killed in 1999, their deaths have been often replicated since then, sometimes as massacres.

In 2002, while Narendra Modi was the head of State of Gujarat, horrible pogroms took place against the Muslims. USCIRF calls the BJP “a political party associated with a group of Hindu extremist nationalist organizations that had been implicated in growing violence against religious minorities in the country and the killing of as many as 2,000 Muslims in the state of Gujarat in 2002.” The USCIRF also reported, “India’s National Human Rights Commission, an official body, found evidence of premeditation in the killings by members of Hindu extremist groups; complicity by Gujarat state government officials; and police inaction in the midst of attacks on Muslims. Christians were also victims in Gujarat, and many churches were destroyed.”

Now Mr. Modi is Prime Minister of India. You have met Mr. Modi on several occasions. Your praise for him is overflowing. In 2014, after he became prime minister, you called Modi “a leader whose example and dedication to the people he serves should be an inspiration to elected officials everywhere.” Your plans to also share the stage with Mohan Bhagwat indicate not just your tolerance but also your acceptance and appreciation for the Sangh Parivar’s activities. We are disappointed by your support for fascist organizations which victimize the most marginalized and vulnerable citizens of India, including Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Muslims, and Sikhs.

The mission of the people of Hawai’i is well stated in its motto, “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono” — “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” Can one stand for righteousness while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the fascist element of Hindu nationalists of India? We implore you to reconsider your friendship with such entities that stand against Hawaiian and American principles.

Indian Consulate, TV Asia host curtain-raiser to mark International Yoga Day 2018 in the US

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EDISON, NJ: The Consulate General of India in New York, TV Asia and the Indian American community hosted a curtain-raiser on May 29 at the TV Asia auditorium in Edison, NJ, to mark the International Day of Yoga 2018.

The event featured an interactive session with yoga exponents in the presence of Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s Consul General in New York. At the curtain-raiser, Chakravorty announced the 4th International Day of Yoga that the Indian Consulate is hosting on Governor’s Island (Picnic Point) in New York on June 16, 11 am-1 pm. Yoga events are also planned at Times Square, NY and elsewhere across the US.

The Indian Consulate has partnered with several organizations to help host the yoga events. Organizations represented at the curtain-raiser and the panel discussion included, Isha Foundation (Rajashree Kotekar); Art of Living Foundation (Aniket Gune); Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (Ganesh Ramakrishnan); Vegetarian Vision (Sonali Vyas); World Yoga Community (Guru Dilipji); Hindu Temple Society of North America (Sanjay Attada); Mallakhamb Federation of USA (Chinmaya Patankar); Indian Cultural Association of North America (Shivadasan Nair); and Sahaja Yoga (Sheetal Bhanushali).

The panel discussion was moderated by Rohit Vyas, TV Asia News Director. Dayashankar Vidyalankar, the resident yoga teacher of the Indian Consulate in NY, demonstrated quick yoga techniques for the benefit of the audience. Also in attendance was Apoorv Om, the young Indian activist, who has a hearing impairment. He has been recognized by the United Nations for his outreach for inclusion of people with disabilities.

Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s Consul General in New York, said in his remarks that notwithstanding all the euphoria it was important to establish the Indian connection of yoga, which seemed to be getting diluted as yoga gains worldwide popularity. He mentioned that the year 2018 was important for yoga as it marked the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanada’s address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893.

“Outside of India, the US is now a leading proponent of yoga,” said Chakravorty. “Hospitals, corporates and everyone else now believes in the healing power of yoga and meditation.” He added that terminally-ill patients with cancer were being recommended to increasingly practice yoga and meditation to improve their end-stage quality of life.

H R Shah, chairman and CEO of TV Asia, mentioned that nearly 37 million people in the US were practicing some form of yoga and meditation. That, he said quoting media reports, had translated into a $16 billion yoga industry in the US, that included yoga schools, retreats, merchandizing and even health shows on TV.

“All of this was not possible if it was not for the efforts of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the United Nations recognized yoga’s universal appeal and on Dec 11, 2014, proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga,” he said. Shah felt that the recognition by the UN was the turning point in yoga’s acceptance as transcending international borders.

Yoga, as the name suggests, he said, means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness, was also helping bring people and countries together. At the curtain-raiser, an audio-visual presentation gave a brief overview of yoga. The panelists also performed a symbolic curtain-raiser on stage to announce the events planned around International Day of Yoga 2018. One of the posters at the curtain-raiser aptly displayed a photo of Prime Minister Modi performing yoga with more than 35,000 people at the historic Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015.

The curtain-raiser at TV Asia was recorded on multiple-cameras, to be telecast on TV Asia for the extended benefit of the community in the US, Canada and worldwide.

More than 300 guests, including several prominent members of the Indian American community, attended the outreach event, interacting with the yoga exponents and asking them a variety of questions about yoga and meditation.

India underlines fastest growing economy status but market rout clouds outlook

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India’s growth recovery strengthened last quarter but doubts remain over whether it can sustain that pace amid surging oil prices and a rout in emerging markets. Gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year that ended in March 2018 rose 7.7 percent led by agriculture and manufacturing, according to a statement on the Ministry of Statistics website. That compares with a median estimate of 7.4 percent in a Bloomberg survey of 38 economists. While that makes it one of the fastest-expanding major economies, risks are rising because of a currency slump and faster inflation.

To add to that, India’s nearly $1.7 trillion formal banking sector is coping with $210 billion of soured or problem loans and fraud scandals have erupted at some regional banks. That’s set to curb lending and limit growth even more, and makes the central bank’s job even more complicated ahead of next week’s policy meeting.

“A sustained rise in oil prices to $100 a barrel could even lead to a re-emergence of some of the external and currency risks that existed pre-2014,” said Priyanka Kishore, head of India and South East Asia economics at Oxford Economics Ltd. “The banking sector remains in a fragile state, and such problems have the potential to derail the ongoing growth recovery.”

The economy expanded at 6.7 percent in the fiscal year through March, the slowest pace since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut its growth projection for the year ending March 2019 to 7.6 percent from 8 percent, amid concerns that the banking system’s woes are more widespread.

Moody’s Investors Servicecut India’s 2018 GDP growth outlook to 7.3 percent from 7.5 percent, citing higher oil prices and tighter financial conditions.

New risks have emerged just as the economic disruption caused by a cash ban late in 2016 and the chaotic roll-out of a national sales tax fade. India has been swept up in the maelstrom that’s hit emerging markets as rising U.S. interest rates and a stronger dollar prompt investors to pull money out of stocks and bonds. The rupee has been the hardest hit in Asia, dropping more than 5 percent against the dollar this year.

For oil-importing India, the combination of a weaker currency and surging oil prices is a threat not only for the current-account deficit, but also inflation. Consumer-price growth is already picking up — reaching 4.6 percent in April — and for a central bank that aims to keep inflation around the 4 percent midpoint of its target band, an interest-rate hike can’t be far away.

Viral Acharya, the deputy governor in charge of monetary policy, said last month he’ll vote for a withdrawal in monetary accommodation in June. There’s also limited room for a fiscal boost to support growth. India’s budget gap is one of the widest in Asia, and Modi has to walk a fine line to keep the deficit in check while trying to woo voters ahead of next year’s election.

Nevertheless, green shoots are emerging in Asia’s third-largest economy. The industrial sector is expected to pick up while services, which contributes over 50 percent to gross domestic product, is set to remain robust. Even farming, which has been a laggard, is recovering.

Modi’s four years ‘have weakened India’s tolerance’

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India Inclusive event hears that attacks against minorities have increased since the BJP came to power. Increasing intolerance against minorities and socially poor Dalit people challenges the idea of an inclusive India, say activists who gathered to mark four years of pro-Hindu government.

Some 200 people including Dalit leaders, activists, academics, media professionals and politicians attended the May 25-27 program in New Delhi to mark the anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking office on May 26, 2014.

“On any given day, reports about atrocities against religious minorities, Dalits and tribal people are in the media,” Jignesh Mevani, a Dalit leader and member of the legislative house in Gujarat state, told the event, which had the theme of building an inclusive India.

Mevani, who gained popularity during Gujarat elections by challenging Modi’s statements and claims, said attacks on Dalits had become brutal recently. He cited the May 20 lynching of a Dalit man as an example. Mukesh Vaniya, a rag picker, was tied up and thrashed to death by a factory owner and his workers in Rajkot district of Gujarat after being accused of theft.

“If we don’t unite and raise our voice, the days are not far away when the fundamentalists will enter our home and rape our mothers and sisters and can kill us … because the situation has become such that there is no rule of law,” Mevani said.

Leaders like him accuse Modi’s pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of supporting Hindu groups to accelerate attacks against minorities in their rush to turn India into a nation of upper-caste Hindu hegemony.

The program was organized by India Inclusive, which was formed on May 3 with the objective “to safeguard not only the shared heritage and collective consciousness of India but also protect the idea of an inclusive India.”

Shabnam Hashmi, an activist and Muslim leader, said the forum was working to sustain the inclusive nature of India, which for centuries had accepted divergent religions and cultures.
He said people feel insecure as an atmosphere of hatred based on religion and caste exists across the nation.

In the past four years, incidents of intolerance have increased with lynchings in the name of religion and attacks on Dalits, indigenous people and religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims, Hashmi said.

At least 10 Muslim men have been lynched and many injured by vigilante cow protection groups, many of which seemed to operate with the support of the BJP, rights group Amnesty India said in a report this year.

Persecution Relief, an ecumenical Christian forum, claims it recorded 600 incidents in 2017 of violence against Christians, including destruction of churches, threats and harassment, social boycotts, hate campaigns, abductions, murder, physical violence and attempted murder.

Activist Teesta Setalvad said the media and the poor were equally manipulated by vested interests. “The time has come where we have to come forward and save our country,” she said.

Tehmina Arora, a rights activist and Christian, said the government was looking for different ways to harass people. For instance, Christian families can be arrested for religious conversion if they hold prayer gatherings at their homes.

Despite the law and constitution allowing religious freedom, “we are bound to live according to the dictates of the divisive forces seen to enjoy the approval of the ruling government,” said Arora, a lawyer who specializes in constitutional law and human rights.

“I see this program as a positive step ahead because at least now people from all faiths are ready to talk and can come to one platform and express their grievances.”

Hashmi told ucanews.com that India Inclusive plans to organize similar events in many other cities in the coming months.

Delhi Archbishop’s prayer for secularism: Tempest in a tea-cup? Becomes controversial

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”A tempest in a tea cup!”  That was the instant reaction of some over Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto’s call for prayer for the dawn of a  truly secular government in 2019. Biased minds judge according to their leanings, even as tree can fall only to the side it is leaning.

He raised his concern about “the turbulent political atmosphere which poses a threat to the democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution and the secular fabric of our nation” What else were the unbelievable happenings that played out in Karnataka in a week ago  in vain effort to prop up a BJP government?

When party men jump up to support party line –right or wrong —  democracy is demeaned, defamed and tramped under foot like the drama enacted by Yedurappa’s tall claim to prove his majority in Karnataka. The comment of KJ Alphons the Christian face in he NDA is a brilliant  example of one crawling instead of bending to please the party’s hidden agenda.

One is instantly reminded of the great democrat and statesman Atal Bhihari Vajpai who “hang his head in shame, sorrow and disgust” when the Australian missionary and his children were burned alive in his car and who never hesitated to admonish to hold on to “Raj Dharma” to Modi whenever he acts as the leader of the nation, not of a party.

If ‘God men’ and religious leaders have to keep away from politics and hold their mouths shut where is freedom of expression in Indian democracy? Is the CM of UP a religious leader or a political pundit? Why this double talk and double dealing by today’s BJP politicians? Like honorable Vajpai, upright Indian citizens are driven to hang their heads in shame in today’s BJP dispensation.

It is in this context that Julio Ribeiro’s article in TOI deserves special mention and praise. In spite of being an aging retired IPS officer and a Padma Bhushan awardee, he is out in the battle field to uphold truth, decency and political decorum. Where  are all the stalwarts of an All India Catholic Union and other moral brigades who should be in the forefront to set an example for lovers of democracy?

Unfortunataely this is the curse of the vast majority of minority sections in the country, especially of the Christian laity who should be shouting to make their voices heard in defense of TRUTH, which is spreading the good word for the common good or evangelizing. The worst offenders in this area are the clerical class and bishops themselves who proclaim they are in complicit with wrong doing by their vociferous silence.

It is this silence that Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi has broken to set a glowing example in the religious field (praying    to God almighty) for the good of Indan secular democracy. Now the acid test would be to wait and see how many bishops will speak in support of Couto.

Possibly none will! Why? In the case of Bishop Alex Dias of Port Blair,(we pointed out in our recent editorial)  not a single Indian bishop supported his good example of giving up honorific titles and  his humble request to call him by his pet name “Alex” only.

Oh Tempora, Oh Mores! About the spirituality  and morality of Indian bishops. They are sure to prove the unforgettable prophetical statement of Frederich Nietze: “There was only one Christian alive, he died on the cross!”

But  to our luck, exemplary persons like Julio Ribeiro continue to hog the lime light as trail blazers with the courage of their convictions even at the  fag end of his life.

May his tribe increase and multiply to infect umpteen number of Christian or Catholic  associations like the Indian Catholic Union, whose names can  be found in historic records kept for safe keeping in libraries, if not in the humdrum happenings of India’s democratic or undemocratic march.  james kottoor, editor ccv.

Hindu Rashtra, which would make my country a saffron Pakistan, is profoundly anti-national

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The Archbishop of Delhi has spoken. The faithful have heard. What did they make of his message? To be careful while voting? That is the most likely interpretation. And that is what he probably wished to convey.

Christians who voted BJP in 2014 – and there were too many of them to count – have had second thoughts much earlier than May 8, when the Rev Anil Couto’s circular was distributed to all the churches in his diocese.

Archbishop Couto spoke about “the threat to the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution and the secular fabric”. He is not the only Indian to have raised such concerns. I know countless Hindus, good, solid citizens of our country, who have condemned the covert and overt attempts to demolish institutions, attacks that portend the end of our secular fabric.

BJP bigwigs, Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, have understandably taken umbrage at what Shah calls “the polarisation of voters on communal lines”. Shah himself is adept in the art of communal polarisation. To accuse a cleric like Anil Couto, an uncomplicated individual hailing from my mother’s village in Goa, amuses me not a little.

KJ Alphons, the Christian face in the NDA cabinet, wants ‘godmen’ to keep away from making political statements. But when his own party appoints a ‘godman’ as chief minister, how can its adherent stop a religious leader of a minority community from voicing concerns that are vital to that community’s very existence?

The truth is that the BJP government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as distinct from the previous BJP-led government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, doubts and questions the patriotism of the minorities! This is totally unacceptable.

I remember my own brief interaction with KS Sudershan, the predecessor of the present RSS chief. He talked incessantly of ‘80%’, by which he excluded Muslims and Christians from the mass that constitutes this country’s population!

Ever since the Modi government was installed, Muslims have been subjected to a steady onslaught that has terrorised the entire community. It will not be long before ‘they’ come for the next target in true fascist tradition.

AAPI Announces Health Partnerships with USAID in India

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The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has announced the launch of a new partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to end tuberculosis (TB) in India.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, signed last month in New Delhi and announced in Mumbai, AAPI and USAID will work together to utilize the 100,000-strong network of physicians of Indian-origin living in the United States to support health programs in India, engage AAPI’s network of private charitable clinics for TB awareness, detection and treatment, and explore opportunities for collaborations between U.S. and Indian medical schools to exchange cutting-edge health care solutions.

Home to more than one-fourth of the global TB burden, India has more TB and multidrug-resistant TB cases than any country in the world. A further one million Indian citizens, including 170,000 children, are estimated to be undiagnosed and untreated.At the Delhi End-TB Summit, inaugurated on March 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasized the need for a multi-sectoral approach including the private sector and announced a national plan to eliminate TB by 2025,five years ahead of the World Health Organization’s stated global 2030 goal.

Speaking about the USAID-AAPI collaboration, Dr. Naresh Parikh, President-Elect of AAPI, said: “Elimination of Tuberculosis has been a matter of national concern for many years now. Through our partnership with USAID, we aim to bring American technical expertise to help strengthen India’s fight against TB. Also, we intend to bring in leading subject matter experts, introduce global best practices and cutting-edge business solutions that will complement and grow existing USAID programs in India.”

XersesSidhwa, Director of Health at USAID/India, added: “We have been supporting the TB program of the Government of India for two decades now. Along with extending technical expertise, USAID has invested $140 million to strengthen the capacity of national, state, and district-level TB programs across India. With our collaboration with AAPI, we aim to strengthen the early detection and treatment of TB, with a focus on drug-resistant strains; continue our assistance to the government to plan and implement evidence-based interventions to reach a TB-Free India, and improve patient-centered TB services.”

Drawing attention towards the importance of educating and empowering womento take ownership of the health and hygiene of themselves and their families, Mrs. Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and AAPI also launched “TheW omen Empowerment” campaign that will focus on raising healthcare awareness among women in the country.

Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-Chair, AAPI GHS emphasized, “Improving the healthcare services in India through its various initiatives, AAPI envisions to share the best from leading experts from around the worldto collaborate on clinical challenges, research and development, philanthropy, policy and standards formulation, and clinical tracks that are of vital to healthcare in India.”

“Taking up the challenge and assisting with the launch and implementation of Ayushman Bharat Program, AAPI is making this the focus of its signature CEO forum”, said Anwar Feroz Siddiqi, Chief Strategy Adviser, AAPI.

India central to US policy in Pacific, Pompeo tells lawmakers

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India needs to be central to what the Trump administration does in South and Central Asia, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the lawmakers, asserting that India “ought to be” one of America’s closet partners. India is “central’ to US policy in the Pacific and the region and it “ought to be one of our closest partners”, secretary of state Mike Pompeo told lawmakers at a Senate hearing on Thursday last week.

“They ought to be one of our closest partners,” Pompeo said, in what were possibly his first remarks on India after taking over as secretary of state in late April. “We ought to be doing everything we can to make sure we achieve that.”

“For scores of reasons, India needs to be central to what we do. Specific issues — South Central Asia issues, Southeast Asia issues. They ought to be one of our closest partners and we ought to do everything we can to make sure that we achieve that,” he told the member ..

Pompeo also spoke about the upcoming 2+2 joint meeting of the defense and foreign affairs ministers of the two countries, which he said was “very, very important”. No dates have been announced yet for the meeting. Pompeo responded that, “Defense Secretary (James) Mattis and I will jointly meet with our Indian counterparts in a dialogue that the two countries have had. I don’t know that the date’s been set but we’re looking to do it. I think it’s set this summer, very important.”

Pompeo and Mattis are expected to host their Indian counterparts — External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — some time this summer for the inaugural 2+2 dialogue.

The decision about this was taken when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House on June 26 last year.
Pompeo also urged the Senate to grant waiver powers from Russia-related sanctions under the Combatting America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for countries that were intended to be hurt by it. That law sanctions “significant” transactions with designated Russian entities by third parties, and could impact India’s plans to buy Russian S-400 missile defence system.

Pompeo also sought a “waiver” from Russia-related sanctions for some countries without naming them. Defense secretary James Mattis had named India and Vietnam at a recent hearing of his own. Pompeo told the US House of Representatives on Wednesday that he supported that request. He had made the same request to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The US-India relationship enjoys bipartisan support in the US Congress.  Last week, a top US State Department official said the Trump administration supports India’s emergence as a leading global power and as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region.  “The US-India partnership is rooted in shared democratic values and a commitment to a rules-based order. We support India’s emergence as a leading global power and as a key partner in our efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability and growing prosperity,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert had said.

FIACONA is disappointed at the USCIRF

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The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) is greatly disappointed, to say the least that the USCIRF has chosen to keep India on Tier II of, the Countries of Particular Concern, instead of Tier I countries, in spite of the unprecedented violence against Christians and other religious minorities for the past three years under Prime Minister Modi and his party’s rule in India.

The following statement is issued by the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations in favor of publishing at the occasion of the Annual Report Release Event held by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, (USCIRF) on May 8, 2018, Washington, DC.

“The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) is greatly disappointed, to say the least that the USCIRF has chosen to keep India on Tier II of, the Countries of Particular Concern, instead of Tier I countries, in spite of the unprecedented violence against Christians and other religious minorities for the past three years under Prime Minister Modi and his party’s rule in India.

 The government of India, under Prime Minister Modi, has been drastically restricting the free exercise of faith by Christians. The militia run by the parent organization of Modi’s political party, The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated organizations like Hindu Munnani, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are engaged in a pitched battle at the grassroots level to harass, intimidate and punish people for merely following Christ. They are engaged in vicious and naked aggression against Christians in every corner of the country.

Since 2014, when Modi formed the national government, hate crimes, social boycotts, assaults and forced conversion of Christians to Hinduism have escalated dramatically.

 FIACONA is deeply disappointed at the level of insensitivity shown by the USCIRF, to the plight of over 100 million people who have chosen to practice Christianity in India. If the level of violence experienced by Christian populations for the past three years is not sufficient to put India in Tier I, we wonder what will.

We are deeply hurt that the Commission has betrayed the memory of the victims of senseless terror in the name of Hindu nationalism perpetrated by groups affiliated with the Modi government. Unfortunately, this report is seen as pandering to certain interest groups while going against the very idea for which the commission was created.

 FIACONA respectfully rejects the conclusion of the Commission and hopes that the new Commission to be appointed will be more sensitive to the victims who suffer under the hostile government policies of Prime Minister Modi and not be political in their decision at the expense of innocent suffering people.

Hindu influence tips India’s scales of justice BJP accused of using the judiciary for its own political purposes after a string of suspicious court acquittals.

Staff ReporterIndia, Politics 0

For the first time since the British left and India became a free country, its judicial system is being questioned, with opposition and civil society groups accusing the pro-Hindu ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the judiciary for its own political purposes.

On April 21, seven opposition parties led by Congress met Vice-President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu and handed him a notice to impeach Chief Justice Dipak Misra, accusing him of misbehavior and abuse of authority.

“We have mentioned in our notice how the chief justice is choosing to send sensitive matters to particular benches by misusing his authority as master of the roster with the likely intent to influence the outcome,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in New Delhi.

Rights activist Ravi Nair says the judiciary is facing a serious threat. “Never in the past has it been tested on its loyalty to the Indian constitution and its adherence to due process of law as it is being done now,” said the executive director of the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre.

Rights groups and opposition politicians claim the ruling BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, influences courts for favorable judgments in cases where BJP members and Hindu groups are accused.

Nair said in several cases where Hindus were accused of cow-related lynchings of Muslims “courts have failed to prosecute the killers speedily.”

Violence linked with cows, a revered animal in Hinduism, has claimed at least 25 lives since 2010, and 21 of them were Muslims, according to a recent report by IndiaSpend, a data website. Most were based on rumors of them transporting or storing beef.

Judges trigger crisis

The crisis in the judiciary intensified in January when four senior Supreme Court judges went public to accuse the chief justice of partisan conduct.

The immediate trigger for the rebellion was a case related to the death of B.H. Loya, a Mumbai-based judge who reportedly died of a heart attack in 2

Vigils continue across US denouncing the rapes in India Contributed By Indian American Muslim Council

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 Hundreds of Indian Americans came together in cities across United States for candlelight vigils and demonstrations demanding fair and speedy trials of the accused in the now infamous Kathua and Unnao rape cases. Vigils were held over the weekend in San Jose (CA), San Diego (CA), and Ft. Lauderdale (FL), with hundreds of Indian Americans showing an outpouring of support for the rape victims. The vigils were marked with chants of “Justice for Asifa”, “Justice for Unnao”, and railed the Indian government’s failure to properly investigate the cases for several months after the crimes. In the previous weeks, similar vigils where held in several other cities including Washington D.C., New York (NY), New Jersey, Baltimore (MD), Boston (MA), Seattle (WA), Raleigh (NC) and Minneapolis (MN).

Earlier this year, Asifa, an eight-year old girl was abducted in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir state, imprisoned for a week in a temple, where she was starved, drugged and gang raped repeatedly before being murdered. According to the police charge sheet of those arrested, the rape and subsequent murder was planned and executed in order to terrorize the Bakarwal Muslim community and drive them out of the area. The attempts to file a charge sheet against the accused at a local court was repeatedly blocked and followed by violent protests in their defense by extremist groups aligned with the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Two BJP ministers who attended the protests urged the crowd to obstruct the prosecution of the accused. In yet another incident from Unnao, a powerful BJP lawmaker in the Uttar Pradesh State Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, is accused of raping a teenage girl, obstructing justice, and then conspiring with his brother to kill the girl’s father after the family filed a police report.

“Words cannot do justice to the terror that the victims of these crimes have had to suffer. The preachers of Hindutva, who are feted not punished, are responsible for an epidemic of hate inspired brutal rapes and mob lynchings. Sometimes these crimes are justified on the pretext that the victims have consumed beef or slaughtered cows. Sometimes simply being a Muslim is enough to invite violence,” said Ahsan Khan, the President of Indian American Muslim Council and one of the organizers of yesterday’s candlelight vigil in San Jose (CA).

“In the four years of Prime Minister Modi’s rule, the intimidation of religious minorities and violence against them have reached levels that have not been witnessed in the history of independent India. In both Kathua and Unnao rape case, we demand speedy trials free of all political interference as well as thorough investigations into the role of extremist outfits like Hindu Ekta Manch in spreading hate and obstructing justice,” added Khan.

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

GOPIO-CT organizes Wellness and Beyond, elects new Team to lead

Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Health 0

Since 2017, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)-Connecticut Chapter took a new initiative for health and wellness of the society at large. Recently, GOPIO CT hosted the second part of the Health & Wellness Seminar Series titled “Beyond Wellness” for the benefit of its members and communities – a sequence of continuing education on healthy living.

The speakers were Dr. Jaya Daptardar, Dr. Alka S. Popli and Yashasvi Jhangiani, who spoke about understanding of and appreciation for preventive medicine, routine screening, age appropriate immunization, and lifestyle modifications as the key to healthy living and aging.  They incorporated their expertise in allopathy, homeopathy, and ayurvedic specialty in their highly informative discussion – it was gratefully appreciated! Dr. Daptadar said, “The goal of this health and wellness seminar series is to provide information of modern medicine, alternative and complementary health and wellness approaches to the community to pick up the least risky treatment menu with the most effective results.”

 GOPIO CT president Anita and Health chair Dr. Jaya want to promote health and wellness series for the CT communities and it will be held in different cities.

India Business Conference at Columbia University discuses ‘India: Unlocking the Growth Engine’

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Hundreds of business enthusiasts, including several Indian titans and entrepreneurs attended the 14th annual India Business Conference on Saturday, April 7th, at Columbia University, a day-long conference presented by the South Asian Business Association (SABA), discussing, ‘India: Unlocking the Growth Engine.’  Prominent among those attended the event at the heart of the world were, the Consul General of India in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty, Hikmet Ersek, the President, CEO and Director of Western Union; Salman Khurshid, the former Minister of External Affairs and Subramanian Swamy, the former Minister of Law, Justice and Commerce.

The India Business Conference is the premier India-focused forum that inspires thought-leadership and generates discussions around the business, social, political, and creative undercurrents that permeate Indian life. The conference brought together the nation’s most influential and insightful voices in analyzing India’s growth trajectory, discuss its economic and socio-political  components and debate strategies for businesses to grow over the next decade.

Both Khurshid and Swamy spoke about the economic growth rate of India since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. “India is a remarkable destination for investment; India is on the move; India is an emerging economy and India has a bright future lying ahead,” Khurshid said in his opening remarks, talking about how the economy of India has grown in the areas of food, health, housing and education after the election of Modi as prime minister.

“The critical problem in our country was how we can integrate the rural economy with the urban economy. How do we change the terms of trade, how do we shift the industry to agriculture,” Khurshid asked the roomful of business enthusiasts, adding “we must not forget that India still has a huge number of people who live below the poverty line, who live without hope and aspiration to become a part of this ‘New India,’ the India of Narendra Modi.”

He also touched upon the fact that people in India have a mobile phone but don’t have the capacity to pay a doctor, send their children to school or even travel five to 10 kilometers. Khurshid concluded his remarks by stating that India is in a crisis due to the many social norms that the population of the country disagrees on and so now “we have to have faith in democracy. In democracy, you have to understand that the dialogue and conversations in a democracy are very critical. You cannot have a democracy based only on numbers; a democracy has to be based on communication. The trouble in India today is that we have forgotten that communication is an integral part of democracy and we have restricted ourselves to numbers only.”

 Swamy focused his remarks on the development of India’s economy since May 26, 2014, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office, but touched upon issues like demonetization and GST. “First of all I would like to say that the BJP came to power after 33 years in full majority and it is not based only on the economic performance that we promised but we also made an appeal for the unity of nationalistic forces, which our critics define as ‘Hindutva,’ so that we can fight corruption,” Swamy said.

“It is our view, mine in particular, that past history shows that pure economic performance does not guarantee the ladder to success. In a brief period of two-and-a-half years, Morarji Desai produced one of the best economic situations particularly for the people because it controlled prices to such an extent that human ration cards became unfashionable. But he lost the election. Narsimha Rao produced a miracle of sorts; he abolished the soviet economic system and brought in a market economy. But he too lost,” Swamy added.

Swamy informed all the attendees that “during the last four-and-a-half years there has been an acceleration of growth of GDP” in India and that prior to 2014, those growth rates were decelerating.

It was within the first two years after the 2014 election that the growth rates started to increase again. However, they have been decreasing since the 2016-2017 financial year and have come down to six percent a year which is not enough because India needs to have at least a 10 percent growth rate each year for the next 10 years in order to solve the problems of unemployment and inequality, he said.

Along with mentioning the fact that the rate of domestic sales has declined in the past four years because of high interest rates and the labor laws need to be changed, Swamy announced that the idea of demonetization was his when he was the chairman of strategic action under Prime Minister Modi. Swamy concluded his remarks on a hopeful note about how the youngsters of India are the future of the country and will take India to a higher level.

In a fireside chat with Ersek and Columbia University professor Stephen P. Zeldes, Ersek said that Western Union has licenses to operate in over 200 countries and with 50 million customers, they are able to transfer a total of $150 billion worldwide each year with 31 transactions taking place every second. Ersek also talked about trust and how that has been the company’s strength for all these years when transferring money to India and other countries.

“More than 50 percent of the people who receive money through Western Union are female, mainly mothers who are worried about their children’s future and thus tend to spend their money more wisely than males,” Ersek said.

Now in the growing age of digitization, many are relying on sending and receiving money on their mobile devices through the Western Union app and Ersek reassured an audience member that there is no need to worry about crypto currencies because for Western Union it depends on the environment as “it occurs in closed environments” and Western Union customers are in a more open one, especially in India.

Others who spoke at the conference included: Francisco D’Souza, the CEO of Cognizant; Anjali Bansal, the former MD of TPG Private Equity; Gaurav Dalmia, the Chairman of Dalmia Group Holdings; Sheena Iyengar, a S.T. Lee Professor of Business; Ananth Narayanan, the CEO Myntra & Jabong; Shankar Narayanan, the former MD of Carlyle Group; Ashwini Tewari, the Country Head of the U.S. Operations at State Bank of India; Meera Vasudevan, Co-founder of Tasty Bite Eatables; Arvind Panagariya, the Ex Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog; Sanjay Nath, the Co-founder & Managing Partner of Blume Ventures; Deepak Ohri, the CEO of Lebua Hotels and Resorts; Kshitij Bhati, the former Warburg Pincus; and, Musthafa PC, the CEO & Co-founder of iD Fresh Food (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Vilas Tonape teaches President George W. Bush to paint

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Vilas Tonape, an Indian American artist, was recently invited by President George W. Bush to his mansion in Dallas, Texas. After serving the people of the U.S., President Bush took up painting and started learning from Jim Woodson, one of Tonape’s former professors who referred him to the President.

After all these years of painting, Bush was ready to learn portrait painting. So Tonape received a call from Bush’s office in October of last year and the President himself asked him to come to his art studio, which is on the second floor of his Dallas mansion, and teach him portrait painting.

“When the President himself spoke to me on the phone, I literally stood up as I continued the conversation with him. It wasn’t until the conversation was over that I realized I had no reason to stand up as he (Bush) couldn’t see me,” Tonape told News India Times in a phone interview.

After going back and forth with their schedules and a mandatory background check, Tonape was finally set to go to Dallas on March 14.

“When I entered the driveway, President Bush came to receive me and took my box of paints from me even though I insisted to carry it myself. The lesson started at around 9 a.m. and (First Lady) Laura Bush offered to model for the portrait,” Tonape said.

“President Bush was a very good and attentive student. He was acting like a graduate student, asking a lot of important questions. We discussed color theory and other important aspects of painting portraits. However, what struck me the most was when he went to get a Kleenex for Mrs. Bush, I added some color to the lips of the portrait. When he returned, he happened to notice that I had done something to the lips,” he added.

Tonape described the lesson to be a fun and lively one as President Bush has a great sense of humor. During their break for lunch, President Bush told Tonape about his interest in portrait painting and mentioned that he had once painted a picture of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, adding that he had a wonderful experience in India whenever he visited.

When the lesson was over a little after 3 p.m., President Bush offered to clean Tonape’s brushes for him though again he insisted to do it himself. Tonape then told President Bush to keep painting and email him with further results of his paintings before he left for the day.

Tonape’s work has been exhibited in several cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Ontario and Bombay. He has won numerous awards in the U.S. and India, according to his website.

He received his BFA in Drawing and Painting from the Sir J.J. School of Art, University of Bombay, India, and came to the U.S. in 1994 to pursue his MFA in Painting from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tonape now chairs the department of art at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and has been annually going back to India to teach others his creativity.

Tonape considered it to be an honor to teach portrait painting to President Bush and hopes to be invited by President Barack Obama one day, after which, he joked “I would quit painting.”

He also mentioned that he would love to paint a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for which he would drop everything to fly to New Delhi, anytime. Tonape works in both figurative and non-representational modes, focusing on nature; to him painting “is music for the eyes.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott meets Narendra Modi during India visit

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi, March 28. During the meeting, Governor Abbott thanked the Prime Minister for his hospitality and spoke on the importance of continuing to grow Texas-India relations both economically and culturally. This marks the first time the Prime Minister has met with a United States Governor, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

“Texas is continuing to grow relations with India both economically & culturally. A productive meeting today in New Delhi with Prime Minister @narendramodi,” Gov. Abbott tweeted a few hours after the meeting. According to the Governor’s office, Texas is 2nd among all U.S. states for exports to India with exports valued at nearly $3.4 billion in 2017.

“I am extremely grateful to Prime Minister Modi for welcoming me to his country and for the opportunity to discuss the meaningful relationship between Texas and India,” Abbott is quoted saying in the release. “While Texas and India have long maintained an important economic relationship, this trip has also highlighted our commonly shared values of family, faith, community and hard work. These are the bonds that we will continue to build on, and I look forward to growing this partnership even more after this successful trip,” the Governor added.

The meeting which took place at the Prime Minister’s residence, lasted more than an hour. Among the topics the two leaders discussed were Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, the Indian-American community in Texas, healthcare, defense, their respective economies, and energy. The The Governor talked about how productive his trip has been and the potential it will have in creating more jobs and investment for the people of Texas.

The Governor and Prime Minister spoke on how they can continue to strengthen the strong bond between Texas and India and reaffirmed  their commitment to continuing the successful partnership, the press release said.

The Governor also met with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu the same day.  “Texas is working to establish a direct flight from Texas to India,” and the meeting was held to further that goal, the Governor’s Facebook page said. The two also discussed mutually beneficial trade.

On March 26, while in Mumbai, Gov. Abbott  closed a deal with JSW Steel to expand its operations in Baytown, Texas, that the governor’s office said, will create 500 new jobs and expand economic growth in Texas.

“The Memorandum signed by Greg Abbott and JSW USA is part of our long term strategy to enhance our U.S. footprint,” Parth Jindal of JSW Group is quoted saying in a press release. “It reiterates our commitment to stay invested and grow in the U.S. market. It also provides JSW USA an opportunity to participate in USA’s infrastructure development and job creation priorities,” Jindal added. “Access to natural gas at extremely economical prices and the abundant availability of scrap steel in Texas make conditions very conducive for manufacturing through the Electric Arc Furnace route,” Jindal said.

Earlier, on March 25, Gov. Abbott addressed the Rotary Club of Bombay, touting the Texas economy and the importance of strengthening the bond between India and Texas.

Governor Abbott also emphasized the importance of trade with India, noting that Texas is the 2nd largest exporter to India in the U.S., and the 4th largest importer of Indian goods in the U.S., a press release from his office said.

“It’s not just the exchange of goods that connects the people of India and Texas,” Abbott is quoted saying at the Rotary meeting. “The values that we share are founded on family, faith, commitment to our communities, and hard work.”

Following his address, the Governor participated in a question and answer session with members of the Rotary Club of Bombay which is one of the oldest rotaries in India founded in 1929.

Dallas News, which accompanied the Governor and his delegation to India, reported Abbott has 15 Texans in his delegation, including “some Indian American businessmen who have flown to India at their own expense to accompany him for part of his nine-day jaunt.”

The governor also visited the headquarters of the multinational Mahindra & Mahindra in south Mumbai, where he praised the company and its operations in Texas. Mahindra North America. donated  $1.5 million in cash and kind after the disastrous  Hurricane Harvey last September, according to Dallas News. “That shows us that you’re more than just a business operating in Texas. You are a genuine part of our community,” the Governor is quoted saying in the Dallas News report. He also praised Indian immigrants in Texas, describing them as “very productive, very hard-working, very committed to the ideals that … underlie both America and the American dream,” the news report  stated.

‘Crazy Wisdom’ of Buddhism Caught On in the West

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Decades before meditation and mindfulness became popular (and profitable) parts of mainstream life, lifestyle practices derived from Buddhism existed on the fringes of American society. But, as with many other things, the arrival of the counterculture in the 1960s brought once-obscure ideas into everyday use.

Buddhism& Beyond is a series of programs exploring Buddhism, its practice, and its popularity in contemporary culture, organized in conjunction with the exhibition Unknown Tibet: The Tucci Expeditions and Buddhist Painting, on view at Asia Society Museum from February 27 through May 20, 2018.

A participant in this process was Wes “Scoop” Nisker. Raised in a Jewish household, Nisker discovered Buddhism during college, when his study of European existentialist literature first brought him in contact with Asian spiritual practices. In the decades since Nisker, a long-time radio personality in the San Francisco Bay Area, has helped popularize Buddhist teachings through a series of witty, insightful books like Essential Crazy Wisdom; The Big Bang, The Buddha, and the Baby Boom; and You Are Not Your Fault.

In a recent conversation with Asia Society, Nisker discussed the origins of Buddhism’s popularity in the United States, how Buddhism and Christianity differ, and why he thinks the mainstreaming of once-obscure Buddhist practices is a good thing. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Why do you think Buddhist practices became popular in the United States?

It was definitely a cultural earthquake. It actually began with Sigmund Freud, who at the beginning of the 20th century drove the explosion of interest in people’s psychological health and understanding of the brain, and then continued when the Second World War shattered old belief systems and broke the back of Western philosophy. We had to start over again and ask basic questions, like “who are we?” “What are we here for?” “What is the universe here for?”

Then came Zen and Hindu swamis and spiritual teachers to tell us how to calm our minds and open our hearts and realize that we’re not just separate individuals like we were taught in the West, but that we were all part of something bigger. This was radical and exciting.

We Baby Boomers had an extended adolescence and had a chance to try a lot of stuff. When I worked as a radio announcer in San Francisco in the late ’60s and early ’70s, all of a sudden there was a whole New Age movement teaching us how to eat right and strip down old mores and value systems. It really was an earthquake. And now it’s mainstream. I googled “mindfulness” the other day and there were tens of millions of hits.

Do you feel vindicated that meditation and mindfulness have become so mainstream? Or are you concerned that it’s become watered down and commoditized and practiced by people who don’t understand its origins?

I say bring it on! Mindfulness is useful for calming your mind and lowering your blood pressure.

Which is great. We all want to end suffering — that’s the bottom line of Buddhist teaching. And whether you believe in the Buddha or not doesn’t matter. The Buddha himself said that if you didn’t believe him, you could explore for yourself and find your own truth.

Many of the people practicing mindfulness in the workplace or at home will perhaps miss some of the spiritual goals. The beauty of mindfulness, as it’s presented in Buddhism, is that it’s a way to understand your life and extend empathy to all because we’re sharing the same incarnation and cultural and historical moment. We’re all in this together. There’s a whole spiritual side that comes with Buddhist teaching that might be missed by someone doing mindfulness simply as an exercise of the brain.

Your distinction between Buddhism and Christianity — one is concerned with the salvation of the self, while the other argues that there is no self —  seems like it would have a lot of applicability in daily life. How has it affected situations you’ve encountered?

It basically comes down to not thinking I was the center of the world anymore. I didn’t have one identity. I was a mammal and an Earthling and a human and an American and a Jew — to say I was just one thing would not have helped me understand myself. The Buddha understood that there’s no lasting self to anything. Anything that comes together from different elements is bound to dissolve or disappear and has no lasting selfness or existence.

The whole material world is just a mass of change. So the understanding of selflessness, to me, coincides with our scientific understanding of reality.

What would you advise someone curious about Buddhism to start reading?

There are many good books about Buddhism. But I believe that the best way to understand Buddhism is to do the practice of meditation as the Buddha described it. I’d tell people to find a center in your town, which isn’t too hard these days, and start with a whole day of meditation practice with a teacher who teaches mindfulness, even if it isn’t Buddhist. This will alter and console you and help you in your life. It’s a radical practice and it’s very exciting that it’s taken hold so firmly.

Shah Rukh Khan has over 33 Million followers on Twitter

Staff ReporterEntertainment, Fashion 0

Since the launch in 2006, Twitter has increased in popularity and celebrities are extensively using the social media platform to promote their newest product.  Twitter currently has more than 330 million users and this figure is expected to grow exponentially as more features are added.

Like Instagram, the social media site has become a place where A-listers can influence fans and speak out about current affairs.

With YouTube being the eighth most followed account and Twitter the 11th, who are the top most followed people on Twitter? Katy Perry, Obama and Justin Bieber are some of the most followed people around the world.

While President Donald Trump is notorious for making political announcements on Twitter, sometimes, taking his staff and Cabinet by surprise, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan dived into a pool and went underwater after garnering over 33 million fans on Twitter.

Shah Rukh Khan, who was sporting a tuxedo paired with dark sunglasses and completed his look with gelled hair, took to Twitter, where he shared a video and captioned it: “This didn’t go as planned… But on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with my limited floatation expertise, this is the best I could do! Judge nahi karna, feel karna (don’t judge, just feel). Thanks.”

Before jumping into the pool, Khan said: “Hi guys, this is me, and I thought every time we reach a big number… I should always do something special for you, but normally I do not get the time. But today I have got the time, so I gelled my hair back, wore my coolest dark glasses and I am even wearing a bow tie.

“A full tuxedo and today I want to give the most overwhelming loving message that I’ve given you in the last decade. So listen to it carefully because this is very heartfelt.”

After he dived into the pool, popular dialogues said by the star from his over two-decade-long journey, played in the background, like “pyaar dosti hai” and “bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hai.”

Once he came out of the pool, the “Raees” star said: “I hope you heard every word I said it was right from my heart and so overwhelming that I am running out of breath and where are my glasses. Lots of love to you all.”

Once the video got over, the caption came: “Thank you 33 million.” Shah Rukh Khan is an avid user of social media platforms.

Shah Rukh Khan, 52, is one of the most-successful actors of Bollywood. He has completed over 25 years in the industry. Most of his films have been hits and some like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Veer Zara, Kal Ho Naa Ho, were incredibly successful at the box office. DDLJ, which released in 1995, is still playing at a theatre in Mumbai.

He was last seen in Jab Harry Met Sejal and is currently filming Zero, with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. In Zero, SRK plays the role of a dwarf. The film releases this December.

President Donald Trump bested Pope Francis and took the top slot among current world leaders on his favorite method of communication: Twitter. The @realDonaldTrump personal account crossed 49 million followers to overtake the nine different language accounts that the pope uses, making the president the most-followed world leader, according to measurements kept by public relations firm Burson-Marsteller.

Next on the world stage for Twitter followers was India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with 34.9 million followers for his official @narendramodi account, plus an additional 21.3 million followers who track the @PMOIndia prime minister’s office account.

 

US-India strategic ties to grow in 2018

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India’s relationship with the United States is expected to continue to grow in the New Year, analysts say. The new US security plan released last week said: “We will deepen our strategic partnership with India and support its leadership role in the Indian Ocean security and throughout the broader region.” Washington also pledged to increase quadrilateral cooperation with Japan, Australia and India. “We welcome India’s emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner. We will seek to increase quadrilateral cooperation with Japan, Australia and India.”

After US President Donald Trump gave a leadership role to India in his new “America First Security Strategy”, New Delhi voiced appreciation for Washington laying importance to the bilateral relationship.

“We appreciate the strategic importance given to India-US relationship in the new National Security Strategy released by the US,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said last week. “As two responsible democracies, India and the US share common objectives, including combating terrorism and promoting peace and security throughout the world,” Kumar said.

In November, India, the US, Japan and Australia held a quadrilateral meeting in the Philippines on the sidelines of the East Asia and Asean Summits to discuss the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

This assumes significance given China’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea and attempts to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean. Kumar said: “A close partnership between India and the US contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as to the economic progress of the two countries.”

Trump’s security strategy also stated that the US would continue to push Pakistan to speed up its counter-terrorism efforts. “We will press Pakistan to intensify its counter-terrorism efforts, since no partnership can survive a country’s support for militants and terrorists who target a partner’s own service members and officials,” it said.

The India-US relationship is going to get stronger and better under the Trump administration in a wide range of areas, including regional security issues, trade and economy, terrorism, a senior White House official has said.

Under both Republican and Democratic administrations, U.S.-India relations have improved significantly over the past 10 years. Today the two countries have a $115 billion two-way trading relationship, growing foreign direct investment, and an increasingly shared vision of the region’s strategic outlook that has bolstered bilateral defense interests.

Yet the bilateral trade relationship is modest at best. To put things in perspective, bilateral trade relationship between South Korea and U.S. is two times bigger by volume than that between India and the U.S., while Korea’s GDP is 40 percent smaller than India’s. China, with a similar population to India’s, conducts bilateral trade with the U.S. that is six times larger.

“India is a natural ally of the United States, because of the shared commitment to democracy and to counterterrorism, and because the region is so vital to the US security,” Raj Shah, the White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary, told a group of India . Shah’s comments came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held their second bilateral meeting in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

The two countries are going to have a “strong relationship and it’s going to get stronger” under this president, Shah, the highest-ranking Indian-American ever in the White House press wing, told a group of Indian reporters last week.

“India is a natural ally of the United States, because of the shared commitment to democracy and to counterterrorism, and because the region is so vital to the US security,” he said. Shah said that the US-India relationship should stand on its own leg and “not be contingent” on any other relationship.

By designating India as a major defense partner, the United States committed to continue its work toward facilitating technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners. Furthermore, the United States committed to continuing efforts to facilitate the export of goods and technologies for projects, programs, and joint ventures in support of official U.S.-India defense cooperation and India’s “Make in India” initiative.

Subsequently, the U.S. Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, which included recognition of India as a major defense partner. This act legally recognizes a unique partnership designation by the United States to India and codifies in U.S. law the spirit of the June 2016 joint statement.

Now is the time to act. The Trump administration is eager to raise the bar and willing to get past impediments, with an eye towards finding creative and historic approaches to make progress. The administration, with its recently published National Security Strategy, has clearly stated its intent to expand defense and security cooperation with India as a Major Defense Partner. India, for its part, is positioned well to continue the trajectory with the Modi government remaining on firm political footing with no significant change expected over the next few years.

For both governments, continuing to delay major cooperative decisions, holding out for a better deal, and allowing entrenched antibodies to delay further progress, will only ensure we both fall short of the possible. Meanwhile, the world and our adversaries are not resting nor delaying their investments and preparedness.

 

Efforts to rewrite Indian history worry Christians, Muslims

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Christian and Muslim leaders in India are appalled by federal government moves to “revise” the country’s history in a bid to push a pro-Hindu narrative. Reuters revealed last week that a committee appointed by the Narendra Modi government has been working for six months to prove Hindus are direct descendants of India’s first inhabitants. The reports also said that the committee is seeking to demonstrate that ancient Hindu scriptures are fact, not myth.

The aim of Modi’s pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and affiliated Hindu groups is “ultimately to shape the national identity to match their religious views, that India is a nation of and for Hindus,” reported Reuters, which broke the story on March 6.

Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma told the news agency that the committee was part of larger plans to revise India’s history. Christian and Muslim leaders say the move is a systematic attempt to sideline non-Hindus as second-class citizens in their own land.

The measure “cannot be appreciated” and especially as it comes amid accusations of the government ignoring “burning issues” of the country, said Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary-general of the Indian bishops’ conference.

“There is large-scale poverty in the country, coupled with marginalization and alienation of the farmers and village poor,” Bishop Mascarenhas told ucanews.com. “Instead of trying to rewrite history, the government should first deal with the issues troubling the common masses.”

Catholic lay leader A.C. Michael said the effort to revise or rewrite history was part of an agenda to bury Christian contributions to India’s development and to demonize Muslims as invaders who inflicted violence upon Hindus.

“They have already issued an education policy which is silent on Christian contributions to education. Although Christian missionaries brought modern education to India, the document is silent on it,” Michael said. India’s Christians make significant contributions in education and health care through their thousands of schools and medical facilities.

Michael agreed with Zafarul-Islam Khan, chairman of the Delhi Minority Commission, that the committee aims to extend the Hindu-nation agenda beyond politics. Khan said the government wants to educate young generations with a world view of Hindu hegemony. “This will further entrench the Hindu-nation narrative in the Indian polity and marginalize non-Hindus,” he asserted.

BJP’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been claiming that the ancestors of all Indians — Christians and Muslim included — were Hindu and that they must accept the common Hindu ancestry and all cultural aspects of Hinduism.

Prominent RSS member Dinanath Batra has argued that the world’s first airplane was invented in India because Indian epic Ramayana speaks of Hindu lord Ram flying in a mythical vehicle to Sri Lanka.

Some Hindu educationists have likewise been advocating the removal of Urdu and Persian worlds from school textbooks. They also want to avoid eulogizing Muslim rulers including the Mughal Empire who ruled most of northern India from 1526-1857.

Kausar Rza, a Muslim leader, said the move also aims at attracting votes. “The BJP came to power four years ago promising development and employment. No promises were fulfilled. Next year we face another election, so the BJP is raising these emotive issues for votes,” she said.

The history of Muslim rule in India started in the 12th century and continued until the 19th century with ups and downs until the British siege of Mughal Delhi in 1857. Most Muslim rulers came from what is now Afghanistan and were responsible for building some of India’s most notable structures such as New Delhi’s Red Fort, Agra’s Taj Mahal and thousands of mosques across the subcontinent. India’s population of 1.2 billion people includes 172 million Muslims and 29 million Christians.

Fifth largest diamond in history sells for $40 million

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The 910-carat Lesotho Legend was sold for $40 million in a tender in Antwerp, Gem Diamonds Ltd. said Tuesday. The company found the stone, which is about the size of two golf balls, at its Letseng mine in the African country this year.

While it’s the most Gem has yet received for a diamond, other companies have sold for more. Lucara Diamond Corp. got a record $63 million for an 813-carat stone last year and $53 million for the 1,109-carat diamond it found at the same time, which was the second-biggest in history.

And another 2 precious world biggest diamonds Niravmodi and Mehul choksi escaped out of India. The Letseng mine is famous for the size and quality of the diamonds it produces and has the highest average selling price in the world. Gem sold a 357-carat stone for $19.3 million in 2015 and in 2006 found the 603-carat Lesotho Promise.

So far this year, the company has found six diamonds bigger than 100 carats, putting it on track for its best year yet. Twitter Appoints ‘Distinguished Software Engineer’ Parag Agrawal as New Chief Technology Officer

Parag Agrawal appointed COO of Twitter

Twitter has appointed distinguished software engineer Parag Agrawal, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology at Mumbai, as its chief technology officer, according to an update at the micro-blogging site. The Indian American computer scientist takes the position most recently held by Adam Messinger, who left in late 2016, CNBC reported March 8.

The appointment of Agrawal, who completed his doctorate in computer science from Stanford University in 2011, was announced internally in October 2017. Agrawal joined Twitter in October 2011 as an ads engineer, and he most recently held the title of distinguished software engineer.

Before joining Twitter, he did research internships at AT&T, Microsoft and Yahoo. His contributions at Twitter include leading efforts to increase the relevance of tweets in Twitter users’ timelines using artificial intelligence. AI also helps Twitter in preventing abuse on the social network.

“In his capacity as CTO, he’s focused on scaling a cohesive machine learning and AI approach across our consumer and revenue product and infrastructure teams,” a Twitter spokesman told CNBC.

Twitter also announced this week that it intends to hire a director of social science in an attempt to “increase the collective health, openness and civility of public conversation” on its platform.

Jain Acharya Lokesh invites pope to inter-faith meet in India

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Jain Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni has invited Pope Francis to visit India for the International Interfaith Conference which will be held in New Delhi to which the Pope delightfully agreed. Acharya Muni had personally invited the Pontiff after he had a historic interfaith dialogue with Supreme Religious Leader His Holiness Pope Francis in Vatican City on March 7.

 “The International Interfaith Conference will be a step ahead towards world peace. I hope and wish to come to India soon and inter-religious dialogue is necessary for protection of humanity, World peace and harmony” His Holiness Pope Francis said in his address to the delegation.

In this particular meeting, the international issues which were discussed include world peace, religious harmony, environmental protection and human welfare. Acharya Lokesh said that violence and terrorism cannot solve any problem and that all conflicts should be resolved through dialogue.

“We must respect others point of view and thoughts along with our own. Environmental pollution and conceptual pollution both are harmful. Indian culture is based on unity in diversity and European culture emphasizes inter-religious harmony,” said Acharya Lokesh.

“India is a multicultural country, where people of different communities, religions, faiths and cultures live together with love and harmony. Jain philosophy is based on unity in diversity, non-violence and non possessiveness and can solve many global problems like violence, terrorism, environmental pollution and inequality,” he added.

Acharya Lokesh is hopeful that the Pope’s participation International Interfaith Conference, organized by Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti, will help spread the message of world peace and harmony, creating a global impact.

President Ramnath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders of the major world’s religions will be invited to the International Interfaith Conference. “Your Holiness, I am here to invite you for an international Inter-religious meeting, in which my organization has invited the president and prime minister of India and supreme heads of all religions of India,” said Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni in a written message to Pope Francis delivered in person in the Vatican.

Dr. Lokesh Muni continued, “I am deeply happy to inform you that in the past we have organized many international inter-religious programs that have graced many international faith and social luminaries.”

In his invitation on behalf of Jain religion Lokesh Muni continued, “This invitation is close to my heart, as I know you are champion of peace and harmony and tirelessly working for bonding and love between religions. I am hopeful that you must grace this program according to your suitability of time. We are really optimistic and I am humbled if you can say two words of nonviolence. I am really grateful, if we can meet alone and discuss a few very important issues, which could bring our religions closer.”

Lokesh Muni first garlanded the pope with cardamom during the Wednesday audience when the pope came around to greet the VVIPs. Muni said the pope’s good works spread just as the fragrance of the “elaichi mala” (cardamom garland). Then he showed the brochure of the previous international meet and invited him on behalf of the Government of India and his Jain community to come and inaugurate the next program. Muni also gave the pope a bronze plaque depicting the Jain mantras explaining stages in human life. The Acharya, versatile thinker, writer and poet, handed over a Jain plaque to the pope. Pope in his broken English, said, “I like and hope to come.”

UK to take up persecution of minorities in India

Staff ReporterCommunity, Politics 0

Britain will raise the issue of alleged persecution of Christians and Sikhs in India during the April meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London and Windsor, following demands by MPs to take it up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During a lengthy debate at the Westminster Hall of the House of Commons on ‘Freedom of religion or belief’ last week, MPs cited details of alleged persecution in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and elsewhere, and demanded that ministers discuss it when Commonwealth leaders are here for CHOGM.

A ministry of external affairs officer in India said the ministry would need to see the transcript of the debate before making any comments on the issue.

Martin Docherty-Hughes (Scottish National Party) mentioned the detention in Punjab of his constituent, Jagtar Singh Johal, allegedly without charge, and claimed that “members of the Sikh community across the UK have become gravely concerned that they, too, may be detained on the simple premise of being a member of the Sikh faith”.

Fabian Hamilton (Labour) raised the issue of alleged persecution of Christians. Hamilton, who visited Kerala recently, recalled the ancient roots of Christianity in India, “Kerala is home to the largest minority of Christians in India; many are from a Catholic background.” He mentioned reports alleging that India was now one of the most dangerous countries to practise Christianity.

Foreign Office minister for Asia, Mark Field, said “some profound points about Prime Minister Modi and about Christian and Sikh minorities in India” were made by the MPs. “We will do our best to raise some of those in an appropriate manner at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in mid-April, to ensure that Parliament’s voice is properly heard,” adding that Modi “will appreciate that diplomacy sometimes needs to be done behind closed doors, rather than with megaphones”.

Modi is scheduled to attend the CHOGM, when the United Kingdom, as the chair of the group for the next two years, is likely to task New Delhi with a greater role, particularly in the area of trade and business. A regional trade hub is likely to be set up in India.

As the largest country by population in the Commonwealth, India, which has played a key role in the group since its founding in 1949, is seen as vital to London’s plans to enhance trade revenue when the UK loses access to the European Single Market after Brexit in March 2019.

Bilateral meetings are also expected to be held between Modi and British Prime Minister Theresa May when he is in London for the CHOGM from April 16 to 20. It will be his second visit to London as prime minister after the first in November 2015.

Pearl Banquets South Asian Wedding Expo Offers Ideas to Plan a Perfect Wedding

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Chicago IL: When planning a wedding, the cultural traditions have to be handled perfectly and this requires a significant amount of effort, creativity and planning. It includes preparation, managing timelines and checklists, coordinating wedding day activities and putting them all together can be quite an overwhelming process especially when you intend for it to be a major occasion with different number of elements and thousands of minute details. There are many aspects and facets that need to be considered to accomplish a Wedding.

It includes renting a hall of appropriate size with required amenities, designing decorations centered around the theme of the wedding, coordinating flowers arrangements, Mandap decorations, table cloth, chair and napkin design/color, finding a DJ, selecting the entertainment, jewelry, clothes, selection of food menu for different wedding events, preparing the guest list, their local accommodation, organizing transportation for guests etc.

With a view to get an amicable solution and make life easier for anxious and apprehensive parents of bride and groom, 3rd South Asian Wedding Expo was organized by Pearl Banquets on Sunday, February 25, 2018, between 12-00pm to 5-00 pm at Pearl Banquets, 1490 West Lake Street, Roselle, IL. It was planned and coordinated to accommodate every aspect of planning a Wedding with various Stalls specializing in several wedding services.

It also featured about 80 plus different food items including variety of drinks and starters, and complimentary Food Testing which enabled attendees to see what dishes and drinks are available at Pearl Banquets and how they taste. There was sitting arrangements too, befitting Buffet type Dinner/Lunch with agile staff demonstrating how efficiently catering can be done. This resembled a real marriage occasion. The founder of Originally India House and now Pearl Banquets, Jagmohan Jayara has always served the community with classical and contemporary dishes of food that touches their soul and brings to life the Indian Culture.

He opened Pearl Banquets in Roselle IL over 3 years ago. There were almost 50 plus different vendors who had stalls in the exhibition hall, once again making it easy for parents, relatives and friends of the bride and groom to make their choices and selections.

Most of the attendees were invited guests who were in different stages of planning wedding of their prospective bride and groom. There were about 500 guests who flocked to this event.

Overwhelming response from the Community has encouraged Jagmohan to open 3 more eateries and banquet locations in Oakbrook, Buffalo Grove and Downtown Chicago respectively. Their newest creation is Bombay Chopstick, featuring Indo-Chinese Cuisine.

Weddings are a perfect blend of Traditions, Values and celebrations. It is simply not regarded as an event; rather it is considered as a soulful affair of merger of two souls, or on a border scale of two families. Wedding is one of the most awaited moments of our lives, therefore we expect it to be just perfect but even our best-laid plans can go wrong at times. There are ways and means to enable us to make it as perfect as possible with the help of some magazines or Expos organized by experts in this arena. When asked by Suresh Bodiwala, chair of Asian Media USA for most important advice to plan a perfect flawless hassle free wedding, Dr Modi advise was that one should seriously give consideration to hiring a wedding planner to help you with preparing plans for that very special day in your life.

Suresh Bodiwala, chairman of Asian Media USA had an opportunity to interview Sonia Patel,  makeup artists from USA Sakhi, Janki Patel, Samina Khan, and Shital Daftari to hear their perspective of the South Asian Wedding Expo.

 South Asian Wedding Expo was an amazing experience. It was a one-stop shop that brought together various wedding vendors under one roof. It was attended by brides, grooms and their families as well as many other people. It featured fashion shows and food tastings from wedding caterers. As an online Sari Rental Boutique, it was a great opportunity to network with other wedding vendors as well as reach out to brides and grooms via the South Asian Wedding Expo. Saris and Things is a fabulous online boutique, where you can rent, said by Shital Daftari

Anita’s Bollywood Beats from Buffalo Grove the adults group performed on a medley of classical and contemporary and fusion and mesmerized the audience with their graceful synchronization on songs like “Saibo” from “Shor in the City”,  “Kanha Manena” from “Shubh Mangal Savadhan”. This was performed by Anita Rotiwar herself and her students , Urvi Dalal, Lakshmi Ravi, Nital Shah and Nitya Verma. The teen group  performed on a foot tapping  remix songs of the 80s and 90s like “In ankhon ki masti” from the movie Umrao Jaan and “Chamma Chamma” which are revised to suit the taste of the new generation without changing the basic melody.This was performed by Alyssa Sachdeva, Himali Sachdeva, Akshada Dharrao, Riya Khandelwal and Diya Shah.

There are various Vendors who exhibited their products/services at the Expo such as Abc Limousine, Andaaz jewelry, Anisha Creations, Artistic, Arya Sounds, Ashu Cards, Ashutosh Sales Inc,  Bandhan Rentals, Bombay Styles, Champagn Limosine, Doll’s Salon & spa, Dream Events, Emrace Earth Oils, Escape Entertainment, Holiday Inn, JD Events, Joshua, Maharaja Farm, Plush Event Planning, Poonam creations, Premeir Design, Ramis Mandap, Sabs, St J Y, The baking Institute, The Great Recyclery, Waterford Conference Center and Yanini Design

Once again, the South Asian Wedding Expo was a grand success. Gulya Kadyrova, General Manager of Pearl Banquets & Conference Center did excellent job for vendors and public to make their visit more enjoyable and memorable. We are thrilled to see so many brides and grooms get their wedding planning off to a great start. “It was a pleasure to see so many brides and grooms accomplish so much. Now they can relax a bit and focus on building their lives together!”

Modi ‘fantastic’ but duty cuts on Harley-Davidson not enough, says Trump

Staff ReporterBusiness, Politics 0

US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “fantastic” and “beautiful” man but ratcheted up the rhetoric on bilateral trade, saying he wasn’t impressed by the recent cuts in tariff on Harley-Davidson motorbikes sold in India.

“Now, the prime minister, who I think is a fantastic man, called me the other day. He said, ‘We are lowering it (the tariff on Harley-Davidson) to 50%.’ I said, ‘Okay, but so far we’re getting nothing.’ So we get nothing, he gets 50 (percent), and they think we’re doing — like they’re doing us a favour,” Trump said at a meeting with state governors at the White House.“

“He (Modi) said it so beautifully. He’s a beautiful man. And he said, ‘I just want to inform you that we have reduced it to 75, but we have further reduced it to 50.’ And I said, ‘Huh.’ What do I say? Am I supposed to be thrilled?”

Trump was referring to a phone conversation he had had with Modi on February 8, in which they had discussed Maldives, Afghanistan and a whole range of bilateral issues, including trade. India earlier used to levy a 100% tariff on motorcycles larger than 800cc, but as of this month, the rates have dropped down to a flat 50%. But the duty on Indian motorbikes sold in the US is 0%.

According to reports, Harley-Davidson India has an annual sale of 3,700, but Trump’s claims that Indian motorcycles sell by the “thousands and thousands” in the United States has been called an exaggeration — the US is not among major importers of Indian bikes.

Trump has publicly litigated his case against tariff rates on Harley-Davidsons and his despite his glowing references to Modi, his tone has grown sharper, even as his administration presses India to lower tariff on other goods and remove non-tariff trade barriers.

“So they have a motorcycle or a motorbike that comes into our country — the number is zero. We get zero. They get 100%, brought down to 75; brought down, now, to 50. Okay,” Trump told his governors.

Trump and Modi share a good working relationship, according to officials on both sides, but the US leader is not known to pass up an opportunity to speak his mind. He also likes to quote Modi’s remarks about Afghanistan — the Indian leader, visiting the White House last June, told him that “never has a country given so much away for so little in return” as the United States had in Afghanistan.

How the ‘Crazy Wisdom’ of Buddhism Caught On in the West

Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture/Religion 0

Decades before meditation and mindfulness became popular (and profitable) parts of mainstream life, lifestyle practices derived from Buddhism existed on the fringes of American society. But, as with many other things, the arrival of the counterculture in the 1960s brought once-obscure ideas into everyday use.

Buddhism & Beyond is a series of programs exploring Buddhism, its practice, and its popularity in contemporary culture, organized in conjunction with the exhibition Unknown Tibet: The Tucci Expeditions and Buddhist Painting, on view at Asia Society Museum from February 27 through May 20, 2018.

A participant in this process was Wes “Scoop” Nisker. Raised in a Jewish household, Nisker discovered Buddhism during college, when his study of European existentialist literature first brought him in contact with Asian spiritual practices. In the decades since Nisker, a long-time radio personality in the San Francisco Bay Area, has helped popularize Buddhist teachings through a series of witty, insightful books like Essential Crazy Wisdom; The Big Bang, The Buddha, and the Baby Boom; and You Are Not Your Fault.

In a recent conversation with Asia Society, Nisker discussed the origins of Buddhism’s popularity in the United States, how Buddhism and Christianity differ, and why he thinks the mainstreaming of once-obscure Buddhist practices is a good thing. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Why do you think Buddhist practices became popular in the United States?

It was definitely a cultural earthquake. It actually began with Sigmund Freud, who at the beginning of the 20th century drove the explosion of interest in people’s psychological health and understanding of the brain, and then continued when the Second World War shattered old belief systems and broke the back of Western philosophy. We had to start over again and ask basic questions, like “who are we?” “What are we here for?” “What is the universe here for?”

Then came Zen and Hindu swamis and spiritual teachers to tell us how to calm our minds and open our hearts and realize that we’re not just separate individuals like we were taught in the West, but that we were all part of something bigger. This was radical and exciting.

We Baby Boomers had an extended adolescence and had a chance to try a lot of stuff. When I worked as a radio announcer in San Francisco in the late ’60s and early ’70s, all of a sudden there was a whole New Age movement teaching us how to eat right and strip down old mores and value systems. It really was an earthquake. And now it’s mainstream. I googled “mindfulness” the other day and there were tens of millions of hits.

Do you feel vindicated that meditation and mindfulness have become so mainstream? Or are you concerned that it’s become watered down and commoditized and practiced by people who don’t understand its origins?

I say bring it on! Mindfulness is useful for calming your mind and lowering your blood pressure.

Which is great. We all want to end suffering — that’s the bottom line of Buddhist teaching. And whether you believe in the Buddha or not doesn’t matter. The Buddha himself said that if you didn’t believe him, you could explore for yourself and find your own truth.

Many of the people practicing mindfulness in the workplace or at home will perhaps miss some of the spiritual goals. The beauty of mindfulness, as it’s presented in Buddhism, is that it’s a way to understand your life and extend empathy to all because we’re sharing the same incarnation and cultural and historical moment. We’re all in this together. There’s a whole spiritual side that comes with Buddhist teaching that might be missed by someone doing mindfulness simply as an exercise of the brain.

Your distinction between Buddhism and Christianity — one is concerned with the salvation of the self, while the other argues that there is no self —  seems like it would have a lot of applicability in daily life. How has it affected situations you’ve encountered?

It basically comes down to not thinking I was the center of the world anymore. I didn’t have one identity. I was a mammal and an Earthling and a human and an American and a Jew — to say I was just one thing would not have helped me understand myself. The Buddha understood that there’s no lasting self to anything. Anything that comes together from different elements is bound to dissolve or disappear and has no lasting selfness or existence.

The whole material world is just a mass of change. So the understanding of selflessness, to me, coincides with our scientific understanding of reality.

What would you advise someone curious about Buddhism to start reading?

There are many good books about Buddhism. But I believe that the best way to understand Buddhism is to do the practice of meditation as the Buddha described it. I’d tell people to find a center in your town, which isn’t too hard these days, and start with a whole day of meditation practice with a teacher who teaches mindfulness, even if it isn’t Buddhist. This will alter and console you and help you in your life. It’s a radical practice and it’s very exciting that it’s taken hold so firmly.

Nirav Modi, India’s jeweler to Hollywood stars, accused of massive bank fraud

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Nirav Modi’s name is a stamp of corporate India’s growing global prestige. On Hollywood red carpets, his diamonds have sparkled on the necklines and dangled from the earlobes of actors and models like Kate Winslet, Dakota Johnson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Back in India, billboards above the traffic jams of New Delhi bear the image of Priyanka Chopra, a Bollywood star and former Miss World who is fast becoming a household name in the United States, also draped in Modi’s jewels.

Actress Priyanka Chopra, the global brand ambassador for Nirav Modi, is seeking legal opinion to terminate her contract now that the jeweler has been accused of committing a major banking fraud, her spokesperson said on Feb. 15.

Officials at the nation’s federal investigative agency announced it was looking for Modi as law enforcement officials fanned out to raid his jewelry stores and other businesses in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials told reporters the agency had on Feb. 4 issued a lookout circular in the country for Modi, who they say had left four weeks earlier.

Modi has not yet responded to the allegations and could not be reached for comment. His flagship company, Firestar Diamond, has said it had no involvement in the case. The setback in Modi’s climb to fame and fortune was abrupt, even by the rough-and-tumble standards of one of the world’s fastest growing major economies.

Amid revelations that Nirav Modi was the prime accused in a Rs 11,515 crore fraud involving the Punjab National Bank, there was speculation that Chopra would sue the brand for non-payment of dues.

“There are speculative reports that Priyanka Chopra has sued Nirav Modi. This is not true. However, she is currently seeking legal opinion with respect to terminating her contract with the brand in light of allegations of financial fraud against Nirav Modi,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Nirav Modi’s name is a stamp of corporate India’s growing global prestige. On Hollywood red carpets, his diamonds have sparkled on the necklines and dangled from the earlobes of actors and models like Kate Winslet, Dakota Johnson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The news was a shock for the circles in which Modi moved. As recently as last month, he was at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Indian media carried a group photograph with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the foreground and Nirav Modi, who is no relation, grinning between rows of Indian business leaders behind him.

“Top industrialists invited him home to display his collections,” said a Mumbai investment banker at a U.S.-based firm who has worked directly with Modi’s company. “There was a personal touch in everything he sold. Nirav Modi is a brand.”

Firestar Group, the parent company Modi controls as a majority shareholder, saw its revenue grow over three years from 103 billion rupees (about $1.6 billion at current rates) to some 147 billion rupees ($2.3 billion) by the 2016-17 fiscal year, according to figures previously provided by the company.

In 2010, Modi launched an eponymous jewellery business branded NIRAV MODI, in capitals, with the tagline “Haut Diamantaire”. New boutiques in Las Vegas and Hawaii have since been added to a stable that stretches from New York to London to Beijing.

He became a man whose diamond necklaces were sold, with his name attached, by Sotheby’s: “pure feminine elegance,” says a Hong Kong auction catalogue note of one 85.33 carat diamond necklace.

The auction house posted an online slideshow of jewellery-on-stars at the 2017 Oscars and highlighted supermodel Karlie Kloss having “a major Nirav Modi moment with her diamond ‘Mughal’ choker.”

DFW SAFF wows North Texas audiences with 4 days of ground-breaking programming

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The 4th annual Dallas/Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival (DFW SAFF) entertained, engaged and enthralled more than one thousand North Texans who attended sold-out screenings of 19 shorts, documentaries and feature films over the four-day period (February 8 to 11 at Highland Park Village Theatre and AMC Village on the Parkway in Addison). Addison Mayor Joe Chow attended the festival and addressed the cinephiles who packed the opening night screening.

Filmmakers and actors who attended the festival included:

Priyanka Bose (DEVI)

Suchitra Pillai (DANCE LIKE A MAN & THE VALLEY)

Alyy Khan (THE VALLEY)

Arshad Khan (ABU)

Faraz Ansari (SISAK)

Saila Kariat (THE VALLEY)

Nishil Sheth (BHASMASUR)

Siddartha Jatla (LOVE AND SHUKLA)

Sandeep Modi (CHUMBAK)

Naren Kumar (CHUMBAK)

Saurabh Bhave (CHUMBAK)

Shawn Parikh (KHOL)

Sangeeta Agrawal (FIVE O’CLOCK SHADOW)

Sridhar Mirajkar (FIVE O’CLOCK SHADOW)

Ash Chandler (Singer/Songwriter, Comedian & Actor)

Victor Cruz (Actor & Producer)

Zoe Arora (Singer/Songwriter)

With one world premiere, six international premieres, two U.S. premieres, nine Texas premieres and one Dallas premiere, festival director and founder Jitin Hingorani says, “We received a lot of positive feedback about our programming this year, as the issues raised in our films ranged from father/son relationships to child slavery and sex education in India to teenage depression in the U.S. to the plight of South Asians living in Europe. At the end of the day, our audiences keep coming back because of the strong content we showcase, and we are already preparing to incorporate audience and jury awards in the 5th iteration of our festival.”

JINGO Media, a Dallas and New York-based PR and events management company, created DFW SAFF four years ago, and in 2017, the festival was recognized by Texas Governor Greg Abbott as one of the “Most Innovative Small Businesses” in the state of Texas.  Wells Fargo has been the main sponsor of the festival since its inception. “At Wells Fargo, diversity and inclusion are a business imperative that lets us take advantage of the creativity and innovation that comes from multiple perspectives. It helps us understand our customers more fully, see business opportunities in new ways and succeed in serving the needs of all customers,” said Region Bank President for Greater Dallas, Scott Wallace. “For this reason, we value and promote diversity in every aspect of our business and at every level of our organization. It is only fitting for us to be supporting and celebrating the South Asian culture of Dallas-Fort Worth, while embracing the amazing contributions and legacy of the South Asian artistic community through this incredible festival.”

Other major sponsors included: Skypass Travel Group, Hotstar, Mercedes Benz of Plano, Town of Addison, Parish Episcopal School, UTD – Naveen Jindal School of Management, World Affairs Council, EarthxFilm, Margaret and Trammell Crow Collection of Asian Art & Dallas Film Commission.

INOC, USA expresses concern over misinformation campaign to denigrate the legacy & contributions of Nehru-Gandhi family

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Indian Overseas Congress (IOC, USA) expresses grave concern over the tone and content of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the Parliament denigrating the legacy of Nehru and attacking the Nehru-Gandhi family that includes the two who have even sacrificed their lives in serving the nation. “It is unfortunate that the leader of the ruling party was engaged in a tirade against history instead of dealing with the current economic downturn caused by the errant policy implementations of this administration,” said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA.
“Ever since Narendra Modi came to the office of Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru became his favorite punching bag with a deliberate effort and calculated campaign to tarnish his legacy and diminish his accomplishments. It is very consistent with a pattern of behavior from his ruling party to rewrite history and misinform the public to further its political ends” Mr. Abraham added.
IOC, USA understands the frustration of Mr. Modi after having promised to create 10 million jobs a month and improve the lives of those rural folks,  not only that he failed on both of those scores, but the country has also been witnessing a depressed job market in the IT sector and increased farmer suicides.
Modi’s speech in Parliament where he conveniently twisted history when he said that had Sardar Patel been the first PM, all Kashmir would have been ours.  All available facts of history disprove Modi’s theory in this regard, and he may probably need a history lesson to refresh his memory.  Rajmohan Gandhi in his biography “Patel: A Life (Page 407-8,438)” talks about Patel’s thinking of an ideal bargain: if Jinna let India have Junagadh and Hyderabad, Patel would not object to Kashmir acceding to Pakistan.
Moreover, it is not only the Separatists in Muslim League that drove India to the tragedy of partition but also Hindutva zealots who demanded a Hindu State to replace a secular India. RSS rejected the whole concept of a composite nation and made it easy for the British Colonialists to drive the final nail of their divide and rule strategy on an emerging free country.
Instead of addressing serious problems at hand, Modi’s whole exercise in the Parliament has been an attempt to smear the opposition and divert attention away from his failure to keep his promises to the voters that he made in 2014.  IOC requests the Prime Minister to respond to the questions raised by the President of the Congress party and the nation is eagerly waiting!

‘Modicare’ For Half Billion People

Ajay GhoshCommunity, Health, India, Politics 0
India has launched one of the world’s largest health insurance programs that expects to cover 100 million families or an estimated 500 million people, at an annual estimated cost of some $1.7 billion.
India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the ambitious plan on Feb. 1 as part of the 2018-2019 Budget, saying in parliament, that “This will be the world’s largest government-funded health-care program.”
It also includes the setting up of wellness centers around the country on an unprecedented scale. While the U.S. is moving away from Obamacare, the program dubbed ‘Modicare ‘by Indian media, will be covering more than one and a half times the size of the U.S. population, akin to the U.S. Medicaid program which provides coverage for the poor, but focused on catastrophic illnesses.
The government plan will cover close to 500,000 Rupees, or roughly little less than $8,000 in expenses for serious illnesses requiring hospitalization. The government is budgeting $188 million for wellness centers to expand accessibility at local levels, especially for the poor who otherwise have to travel long distances to avail of modern healthcare.
Revenues raised from a 1 percent health access — an add-on to income taxes — is expected to go partway in financing the new deal, with national insurance companies as well as states chipping in to share the cost. The government hopes that as enrollment grows, the program will begin to pay for itself.
The need for universal health care is necessary in India, says Indian-American physician and Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, founder of the Parikh Foundation for India’s Global Development. “It is a great initiative which will, according to the government, cover 40 percent of the needy population (in India),” said Parikh, who is also the joint secretary of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO), as well as past-president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI). He called it an “long overdue” measure, that would help people access state-of-the-art health services. While the life expectancy in India has risen to 68.3, and infant mortality has dropped from 83 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 34 per 1000 live births in 2016 according to government statistics, and maternal mortality rates have declined, India still has to go a long way improving the health of its citizens.
The program “will be a game changer”, Prathap Reddy, chairman of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., and founder president and emeritus advisor of GAPIO, is quoted saying in a Reuters report Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of NITI Aayog, (National Institute for Transforming India) the premier government think tank, told Bloomberg News, “If we roll this out enough within this calendar year it will be an absolute game changer,” adding, “It’s a new India that we are giving birth to.” Kumar also said funding of nearly $2 billion a year to meet the expense of health insurance for the poor, would not be hard to meet as more people enrolled in the service.
But Kumar did sound a note of caution, speculating whether state governments would work in concert with the center to make the plan a reality.
Doctors look at the ultrasound scan of a patient at Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, January 19, 2015. Reuters/Adnan Abidi. In 2014, according to the World Health Organization, India spent some 4.5 percent of its GDP on health for a population of 1.3 billion. Meanwhile, data compiled by NITIAayog, shows significant drops in infant mortality in almost every state between 2002 and 2016. However, while India has made significant advances in its health system in the last few decades, the WHO notes that India accounts for 21% of the world’s global burden of disease; the greatest burden of maternal, newborn and child deaths in the world, Key challenges the WHO identifies in India’s health situation include the need to expedite progress in child health, under nutrition and gender equity problems; High burden of disease (BoD), even though important progress has been achieved with some diseases; and dealing with the emergence of maladies like cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, cancer and mental illnesses, as well as tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, water-borne diseases and sexually transmitted diseases.
NITI Aayog data also reveals the need for more healthcare centers in line with the plan outlined by the government. In 2005, there were 146,026 health “Sub-centers” around the country, rising to 153,655 in 2016; The number of Primary Health Centers rose from a mere 23,236 in 2005 to just 25,308 in 2015; And Community Health Centers rose from just 3,346 around the country in 2005,to 5,396 in 2015, inadequate by a long margin for the population of the country, and it is hoped the $188 million allocated for building Wellness Centers will meet part of the dire health infrastructure needs.
India has a patchwork of health insurance programmes — a network of private health insurance companies that provide private sector employees and individuals, government programs for its employees, Employees State Insurance that covers some workers in the organised sector and programs of some state governments, but the new program put the country on a path to universal coverage by insuring the poor across the country who have no other access to health insurance.
Anup Karan, associate professor at the Public Health Foundation of India, speaking to News India Times via Skype, said India has tried government health insurance in various forms since the middle of the last decade, and noted that there are both concerns as well as positives about the latest initiative. While the history of state-level and national health service efforts is checkered, the new initiative will have to take into account that 60 percent of health issues in India are treated in outpatient care, according to Karan’s findings, and the new insurance program covers only hospitalization.
Karan noted the “huge success” of the 2007 “pioneering” effort by Andhra Pradesh’s state funded wellness plan, Rajiv Arogyasri; the 2008 Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana which saw very low enrollment ratios and huge operational issues; and the 2010 launch of state-level health insurance by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra covering only tertiary and surgical conditions, with mixed results, where Tamil Nadu experienced “very great success.”
“The new scheme announced February 1, is an enhanced version of the National Health Protection Scheme launched in 2016, in terms of coverage and funding,” says Karan. He worries that because poor people use mainly outpatient care, the new program’s hospitalization coverage may not help them as much; in addition, he worries that when the poor did access the new plan, healthcare providers may tend to “overprescribe and overtreat” the poor who may not be adequately informed about the details of the coverage.
“But at least there is a scheme and maybe gradually these points will be considered as it matures and outpatient healthcare will get covered,” Karan said. He hopes to see results by the second or third year of implementation.
Vinay Aggarwal, former president of the Indian Medical Association, gave a positive reading to The Washington Post, saying, “Before this, hardly 5 percent of Indians were covered by health insurance. If you take into account private health care, it’s hardly 10 percent. Now we’re addressing 45 percent.”
Parikh said, “On behalf of AAPI and GAPIO, I want to congratulate the Prime Minister on this initiative and hope it will be successful and eventually lead to universal healthcare,” an objective Jaitley says is achievable if the new initiative goes according to plan.

Manisha Singh Sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State

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Nearly three months after her confirmation by the Senate, Manisha Singh was sworn in as assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs. The Jan. 20 swearing-in was conducted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Singh said in her first tweet after the swearing-in that it was “my honor and privilege to be sworn in by Secretary Tillerson,” and pledged “We will promote American growth and secure our future.”

Administration sources told India Abroad that immediately after her Senate confirmation last November, Singh “hit the ground running” and “has been actively leading the bureau.” They recalled that she was involved “in a major way” in putting together the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad that same month. The summit was jointly hosted by India and the U.S.

According to the sources, Singh–the first Indian-American nominated to a senior State Department position by President Donald Trump– was also part of the interagency team, which included White House officials who had prepared the briefs for first daughter Ivanka Trump. Ivanka Trump had led the U.S. delegation to the summit and inaugurated it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Uttar Pradesh-born Singh, 45, who moved to the U.S. with her parents when she was a child, is the first woman appointed to this position. Her role makes her the State Department’s point person for economic diplomacy and the highest ranking Indian-American in Foggy Bottom. State Department spokeswoman

Heather Nauert said at a daily briefing that “she comes to the department with a wealth of experience that will benefit our economic and business efforts abroad.”

“We are pleased to have her back again at the State Department as she will now lead our efforts to promote prosperity for Americans at home and abroad,” she added, a nod to Singh’s earlier incarnation in the department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, where she served as the deputy assistant secretary in the Bush administration. Singh replaces Obama administration appointee Charles Rivkin, who resigned on Jan. 20, 2017 following Trump’s swearing-in.

She has also served as a senior congressional staffer, working as chief counsel and senior policy adviser to Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), himself a former assistant secretary of state for economic affairs. Before working for Sullivan, Singh had a stint on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and prior to that served as deputy chief adviser to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), who was chairman of the powerful committee.

During both of her administration and congressional stints, she handled a wide and diverse trade and economic portfolio, handling international trade agreements and treaties and being part of and on occasion, leading missions in Paris, Rome, Vienna and Geneva.

She graduated from American University’s Washington College of Law, from where she received an LLM in International Legal Studies with a special emphasis on foreign trade. She received a JD from the University of Florida College of Law. While pursuing her LLM degree, Singh did an internship at the U.S. International Trade Commissions General Counsel Office and immediately following the completion of her yearlong internship, landed a job as judicial clerk in the Second District Court of Appeal in Florida. Her bachelor’s degree is from the University of Miami.

According to the White House, her public service career was punctuated by several private sector stints at multinational law firms and also at an investment bank and was also resident counsel at an investment bank.

Singh, who speaks fluent Hindi, is licensed to practice law in Florida, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. She is a member of the South Asian Bar Association and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Jaishankar, the architect of PM Modi’s foreign policy, retires as foreign secretary

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S Jaishankar, the architect of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, retires today after a three-year term as foreign secretary.

Appointed by PM Modi on January 28, 2015, Jaishankar is India’s longest serving foreign secretary in four decades.

While he is one of five officials of secretary rank, Jaishankar stands a cut above the rest due to his diplomatic acumen and Modi’s faith in him as a foreign affairs advisor.

During his tenure, India’s foreign policy was a counterpoint of Modi’s aggressive courting of the West and the East and Jaishankar’s nuanced diplomatic savvy.

Though a man with many laurels to his name, Jaishankar will be remembered for negotiating India’s civil nuclear agreement with the United States. The deal took more than three years to come to fruition, but it was finally signed in October 2008 and signaled a watershed in US-India relations.

During Modi’s visit to the US in September 2014, Jaishankar stage-managed the Prime Minister’s grand Madison Square Garden event, which was attended by over 18,000 people. The visit also set the stage for then US President Barack Obama’s visit to India as the chief guest on Republic Day.

As foreign secretary, Jaishankar helped negotiate a peaceful resolution to the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam under the guiding principle that differences should not become disputes between the neighbours.

He paved the way for Modi’s visit to Israel in July 2017, the first by an Indian prime minister, and was instrumental in brokering a strategic partnership between the two countries.

The final feather in his cap is the signing of a revised agreement with Seychelles for development of military infrastructure on Assomption island, which further consolitdates India’s influence in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s growing naval presence in the region.

If external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is the face of Indian foreign policy under PM Modi, then S Jaishankar is the driving force behind it. The distinguished diplomat has an experience of almost 40 years in the foreign service. He was India’s ambassador to China from 2007 to 2009, acted as high commissioner to Singapore, and served as ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2001 to 2004.

Jaishankar was India’s longest-serving ambassador to China, with a four-and-a-half year term. As envoy to Beijing, he was involved in improving economic, trade and cultural relations between China and India, and in managing the China-Indian border dispute.

In September 2013, Jaishankar was appointed as the Indian ambassador to the United States. He took charge on December 23, 2013 when ties between New Delhi and Washington were at a low point, owing to the Devyani Khobragade incident, and he was hands-on in negotiating the Indian diplomat’s departure from the US.

Born in New Delhi, Jaishankar did his schooling from Air Force Central School, and is a graduate of St Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi. He has an MA in Political Science and an M Phil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he specialized in nuclear diplomacy.

Indians Are Worse Off Under Modi; Gallup Poll

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India’s Prime Minister Modi should spend less time abroad telling foreigners how well India is doing and more time at home asking people how they feel about his administration, the popular Forbes magazine wrote.

While quoting a research by Gallup, Forbes wrote, Indians think they are worse off than they were three years ago. The study found a big decline in the percentage of Indians who rate their lives positively enough to rate it as “thriving” since Modi assumed office.

“The survey findings provide a different picture from that which one gets when looking at India’s financial markets. In fact, they have been soaring, up close to 50% in the last two years,” Forbes wrote. Nonetheless, only 3% of Indians consider themselves thriving in 2017 compared to 14% in 2014.

“India’s largely rural population initially led the decline in life evaluations, with thriving dropping from 14% to 7% between 2014 and 2015, and edging even lower to 4% and 3% in the years after that,” according to Gallup. “Declines among urban Indians have been much more gradual, although they are down in the past year, dropping from 11% to 4%.”

These findings may come as a surprise to some. Modi has maintained a stable political and macroeconomic environment, reformed the tax system, and fought corruption with demonetization. These policies have helped India’s economy outperform most emerging markets in per capita GDP growth, and improved the country’s business environment, as inflation has dropped.

That’s how India became the world’s fourth-fastest-growing economy in the world in 2017, according to the World Bank’s latest edition of Global Economic Prospects.

Meanwhile, international agencies have lifted India up in a number of global rankings. Like World Bank’s 2017 ranking of “ease of doing business,” where India climbed from the 130th position last year to the 100th position this year.

Still, Modi’s policies have yet to touch the masses. Living Wage Family in India remains almost flat in the 17300-17400 INR/Month range over his tenure. Meanwhile, wages paid to low-skilled labor decreased to 10300 INR/Month in 2017 from 13300 INR/Month in 2014.

Forbes also pointed to persistence of corruption, the rise of nonperforming loans in state-owned banks, high taxation, poor public health, and chronic income inequality which continues to be on the rise. “All these could explain the misalignment between the high hopes of the Indian people for their economy and what they are personally experiencing,” Forbes wrote.

“The people had high expectations, and those expectations have not been satisfied. GDP growth is still above 5 percent, but it has slowed down sharply from past rates of 8 and 9 percent,” says Udayan Roy, an Economics Professor at LIU POST.

“And even the above-5 percent GDP growth is not creating jobs fast enough,” he continues. “There’s this phenomenon of ‘jobless growth.’ India is demographically quite a young nation. And the young people are entering the labor force at too fast a rate compared to job creation. So, these young people are getting frustrated.”

After all, as the Gallup survey concludes, “when people see their lives headed in the wrong direction, they want change.” That should be of great concern to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Team under Gunjan Rastogi assumes charge of India Association of Long Island

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The newly elected Executive Council team under the leadership of Gunjan Rastogi assumed charge of India Association Of Long Island on January 9th. Dr. Neeta Jain, District Leader, District 25, swore in the new officeholders in the presence of a large number of guests, including past presidents of IALI, dignitaries, community leaders, and other IALI members and invited guests.

The new team includes the following members: President – Gunjan Rastogi; Vice President – Lalit Aery; Secretary – Shashi Malik; Treasurer – Hargovind Gupta; Members at Large: Kuljeet Ahluwalia, Rajeev Chaudhary, Ekta Singh Dass, Sushil Khanna, Surin Manaktala, Balaji Nagaraj, Sujata Seth and Mohinder Singh; Event Advisor – Jyoti Gupta; Finance Chair – Vimal Goyal; Cultural Chair – Amita Karwal; Co-chair – Dr. Ujwala Shah; Membership Chair – Pradeep Tandon; Women’s Forum Chair – Veena Lamba; Co-chair – Lalita Mansukhani and Shalini Pawa; Committee Members: Ravi Kanta Verma, Rachna Shahdadpuri and Rizwana; Sangeet Forum Chair – Anjana Kashyap; Co-chair – Saroj Aery; Senior Forum Nassau County – Vijay Goswamy; Co-Chair – Surinder Kade; Senior Forum Suffolk County – Kanta Dutta; Co-Chair – Neena Sawe; Meditation Chair – Narinder Kapoor; Co-chair – Sujata Seth; Outreach Program: Mukesh Modi; Co-Chair – Dr. Jag Kalra; Child Enrichment Chair – Neeru Bhambri
Committee Member – Hargovind Gupta; Public Relations – Ratna Bhalla; Communication Chair – Rajeev Chaudhary; Kids Forum Chair – Ekta Singh Dass; Hospitality Chair – Sushil Khanna; Sports Chair – Surin Manaktala; and, Media Chair – Indu Shyam Gajwani.

In her inaugural address, the new president shared with the members of her vision for the organization in the coming year including continuing current popular programs and launching the Child Enrichment Program which helps children with science projects and their homework, and enhancing Sports Forum with indoor activities. She also dwelt on using social media to contact every potential member to strengthen IALI’s network, and partner with non-profit organizations.

India’s Supreme Court in crisis!

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‘No Your Honour’! An earnest plea to save India’s faltering democracy!

By   George Abraham

Many newspapers in India on Saturday, the January 13th carried the story of disarray in the Supreme court of India with a beaming headline ‘No, Your honor!’.  India has indeed witnessed an extraordinary news conference by four members of the Collegium revealing the skew in the allocation of work and lack of transparency by Dipak Misra, the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

It has been reported that this is the first time in history that four senior judges – Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan B. Lokur brought the inner workings of this revered institution to the forefront of the public debate.  The most notable aspect of this development is that these four judges have asserted that they have done this to preserve democracy for India.

According to Justice Chelameswar, the second senior most judge, “we tried to persuade the CJI to take steps but failed. Unless the Institution of Supreme Court is preserved, democracy won’t survive in this country”. He also added that they were left with no choice and did not want people to accuse those 20 years later that they did not take care of the Institution.

To the keen observers of the recent political dynamics in the country, this development may not come as a huge surprise. The traditions and protocols that preserved the independence of the Supreme Court have been under siege lately like many other Institutions in the country. For those who are concerned about the very concept of equal justice under law, the Supreme Court in India is found to be their last refuge. If that Institution is also interfered with or politicized, India would join the ranks of banana republics and would effectively cease to be a constitutional democracy.

The recent turn of events was triggered by the actions of the Chief Justice who started allocating cases of far-reaching consequences without transparency, indicating selective assignment of cases to preferred judges. One of those cases involved the murder of CBI judge B H Loya who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh Murder trial in which BJP President Amit Shah was accused. He appeared to have mysteriously died in 2014. CJI on Friday allotted a petition seeking independent inquiry into the death to Justice Arun Mishra who is 10th in seniority.

Then there was the medical admission scam involving sitting and retired High Court judges. They permitted private medical colleges to admit students to MBBS despite Supreme Court bar. Justice Chelameswar set up a bench to hear it, but CJI sent that to another bench saying he alone has the right to draw up the roster. There was also a procedural fight over the norms to appoint HC and SC judges, and CJI sidelined the five-member constitutional bench from such a critical decision making by selecting a small three-judge bench headed by himself.

Many of these actions by CJI have created dissension in the ranks that may point to not only selective justice for the powerful and well-connected, but are instances when the very lives of justices are placed on line. Although some may question the rationale for an open news conference, these four judges are known for their impeccable integrity and impartial judgments. It is also apparent that the Supreme Court is currently lacking any mechanism to evaluate the inner workings of the court or streamline the process to resolve deficiencies resulting from wrong decision making.

Although the Modi Government at first declared that the crisis in the Judiciary is an internal problem for their own to resolve, on the following day, the media got the glimpse of Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra at the residence of the Chief Justice Misra. However, the report also stated that the gates were not opened. At this point, one can only speculate the role the Government has played muddying the water that could pose a higher risk to the integrity and the independence of the Judiciary.

It has been quite evident from the recent pronouncements by various BJP/RSS leaders that they are quite unhappy with the current constitution that identifies itself as secular. The Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde speaking at the meeting of Yuva Parishad said: “I will be happy if someone identifies as Muslim, Christian, Brahmin, Lingayat or Hindu, but trouble will arise if they say they are secular”. Although he later offered a reluctant apology for strategic reasons, he may have been speaking from the mindset of those who are in power today.  They are very well aware of the reality that not only they would require 2/3 majority to change the constitution but also a friendly Supreme Court in case of a judicial review.

There are growing indications that the Modi government which came to power under the guise of a development agenda is busy laying the foundation for a transformed India based on Hindutva ideology. To accomplish their long-cherished goal of total transformation, they either have to change the Institutions that stand in their way or entirely wreck it.

Supreme Court is not the only the Institution that is under siege in today’s India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ill-advised demonetization program shed light on the stress and strain that the Reserve Bank of India was placed under along with its Governor Urjit Patel. At one point, tensions have boiled over between India’s central bank and the government over the monetary policy as the country was facing its weakest growth after its much-heralded demonetization policy.  Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has often pointed out about the danger to the Banking System due to its constant modification of policies and procedures.

Another Institution that has come under considerable scrutiny is the Election Commission of India. The so-called delay to hold the election in Gujarat on time appeared to have given a lot of flexibility to BJP to suit its political ends. The ongoing complaints about the EVM machines, though not substantiated, have cast a pall over the integrity of the voting system and the legitimacy of the election itself.

There are those who fear that the freedom of expression itself is in danger as many in the top leadership of the BJP seem to de-emphasize its importance. Arun Jaitley, the Union minister, is on record saying that freedom of expression should be subordinate to upholding the sovereignty of the nation. There is little doubt that threats to freedom of speech have intensified as right-wing student unions associated with BJP started attacking student assemblies on campuses and supporting the government’s effort to criminalize normal political activity as seditious. The independent media has taken a share of hits as well as in the case of NDTV which was raided in an investigation over bank fraud charges by CBI.

If democracy has to survive the public has to gain a better understanding of the importance of an independent judiciary, impartial prosecutors and unbiased law enforce enforcement system that can ensure the rule of law and effective protection of fundamental rights and freedoms for every citizen regardless of color, caste, creed or religious affiliations.

Undoubtedly, Jawaharlal Nehru with the help of other eminent leaders of the independence movement built many of these 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. For BJP, many of these independent institutions remain as stumbling blocks in pushing their agenda through. Only time will tell the fate of many of those revered institutions which form the edifice upon which India stands. In the meantime, I pay homage to those four Jurists whose courage and commitment to preserve our venerable institutions may have given us a ray of hope and probably, few reasons to cheer!

(Writer is the vice-chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)

FIA Celebrates Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Indian Consulate

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Record cold temperatures failed to keep away attendees to the Federation of India Associations NY, NJ & CT (FIA) celebration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, held here at the Consulate General of India, on Sunday, January 7.

Occurring since 2003 to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s homecoming to India from South Africa during World War I, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is held annually “to strengthen the engagement of overseas Indian community with the government, reconnect with their roots and celebrate their achievements and  contributions to the development of India.”

PBD povides a platform on which the overseas Indian community can engage, for mutual benefit, with the government and people of the land of their ancestors, the PBD website says.

Jennifer Rajkumar, the Drector of Immigration Affairs & Special Counsel for the New York Department of State, while addressing the gathering at the Consulate General of India, urged ed more Indian-Americans to engage in politics. Stressing the importance of emerging as an influential political voice, Rajkumar reminded the audience, “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”

Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) president Srujal Parikh kicked off the celebration with a welcome address, followed by lamp lighting. Consul for Community Affairs K. Devadasan Nair spoke on behalf of Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty who was unable to attend after inclement weather cancelled his flight.

Giving a brief history of the PBD, Nair highlighted important aspects of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda like encouraging youth involvement and changing the “brain drain to brain gain.”

Dance entertainment highlighted the PBD, starting with students from Rimli Roy’s Surati for Performing Arts under the direction of Vidhya Dinesh, who performed Ganesh Vandana. Company dancer Imani Gaston also performed Shiva Tandav, a traditional Odissi classical dance piece.

Indian Govt. eases norms to allow foreign investment up to 49% in Air India

Staff ReporterBusiness, India 0

The civil aviation ministry of the Indian Government has said it would invite expressions of interest in buying Air India Ltd after the budget. The government has relaxed FDI norms in various sectors such as single brand retail and allowed foreign airlines to invest up to 49% in Air India through approval route ahead of its proposed privatization.

In a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government, however, clarified that substantial ownership and effective control of Air India shall continue to be vested in Indian nationals. “Foreign investments in Air India including that of foreign airlines shall not exceed 49% either directly or indirectly,” the government said in a statement. Existing rules allow foreign airlines to own as much as 49% in an Indian airline, with the exception of Air India.

According to media reports, the Cabinet also approved 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in single-brand retail through automatic route. It also tweaked the local sourcing norm by allowing such entities to meet the mandatory 30% local sourcing norm incrementally within a period of five years of opening their first store in India.

The civil aviation ministry reported last wek that it would invite expressions of interest in buying Air India Ltd after the budget — indicating the government’s resolve to push the process even as a large section of the political class and stakeholders are opposed to it.

A parliamentary panel has asked the government not sell to Air India and recommended that the airline’s accumulated debt be written off and that it “function like a public sector undertaking with less government control.”

The transport panel of Parliament cited a report by the government auditor, the comptroller and auditor general (C&AG) that noted that Air India has been able to cut 10% of its variable cost between 2012 and 2016. It also argued that the airline pays Rs 4,000 crore as interest on an accumulated loss of Rs 40,000 crore.

The House panel, which asked the government to give five more years to the ailing airline for a turnaround, argued that it earns 60% of its revenue in foreign currency and that this money could end up going to foreign airlines of Air India is privatised. It also expressed concern about the possible job loss for 3.34 lakh people including 50,000 directly.

The panel also pointed out that three of the airline’s five subsidiaries (AI Express, the ground handling wing and the engineering branch) are making profits, and questioned the rationale for their divestment.

‘Padmavati’ Cleared with No Cuts, But Suggestions For Modifications, Title Change

Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to give a U/A certificate subject to no cuts, but five “modifications” – including a title change – to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial film “Padmavati.” The decision has not been welcomed by the Karni Sena, a Mewar royal and some members of the film fraternity.

There were reports doing the rounds that the board had suggested 26 cuts to the film, but in a statement, CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi clarified that they have only advised five modifications, including the title change, but “no cuts”.

The board has also suggested modifications in disclaimers, pertinently adding one regarding not glorifying the practice of sati and also relevant changes in the song ‘Ghoomar’ to befit the character portrayed, he said.

Uncertainty has been looming large over the movie’s release since a few months, but on Dec. 30, the CBFC – following an examining committee meeting — said it has decided to give a U/A certificate to the movie subject to modifications.

“There are no cuts suggested in this film by CBFC, only five modifications,” CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi told IANS via email, refuting reports that 26 cuts were ordered in the movie.

“Padmavati,” backed by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, is directed by Bhansali and features Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles. The film, which was to release on Dec. 1, has been embroiled in controversy over alleged distortion of facts regarding Rajput history, with Rajput outfits and some backed by the BJP, actively protesting its release.

CBFC has demanded modifications in the song “Ghoomar” to “befit” the character of Rajput queen Padmavati being portrayed by Padukone, and changes in the “incorrect/misleading reference to historical places.”

The decision was taken after an examining committee meeting was held on Dec. 28 in the presence of Joshi, along with a special panel comprising Arvind Singh from Udaipur, historian Chandramani Singh and Professor K.K. Singh of Jaipur University. As per CBFC, the film was approached with a “balanced view keeping in mind both the filmmakers and the society.”

Despite the go-ahead, Karni Sena, an organization of the Rajput community, which has been protesting the movie’s release on Saturday again urged a complete ban on “Padmavati” alleging “distortion of historical facts.” The CBFC’s suggestions were also slammed by a Mewar royal, who expressed his disappointment in a letter to Joshi.

Popular Bollywood celebrities like Anubhav Sinha, Renuka Shahane and Apurva Asrani, among others also slammed CBFC’s decision on Twitter, where some people edited Deepika’s photograph with her co-star Ranveer Singh, referring to the new title, “Padmavat.”

Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia was “disgusted” by CBFC’s decision. “Disgusted by the open and blatant use of political muscle to screw filmmakers during elections. Now that Gujarat and Himachal are won, ‘Padmavati’ has got its U/A, it will be praised. Rajputs’ heroism will be talked about by the same people who slammed it. Thank God we have not made a film called Gandhi! Can you imagine what title CBFC would suggest,” he tweeted.

Narendra Modi to be first PM to attend World Economic Forum in 20 years

Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

Indians are likely to dominate the WEF which will be held in Davos next year. More than 100 Indian CEO along with the hot shots of Indian business diaspora are likely to show up for the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian PM in 20 years to visit the World Economic Forum in Davos next year. It was in 1997 when the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had attended the event. The annual meeting in Davos is a five-day long event which will begin on January 22, 2018. When Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he had attended the regional summit of the World Economic Forum in China in 2007.

Indians are likely to dominate the WEF which will be held in Davos next year. More than 100 Indian CEOs along with the hot shots of Indian business diaspora, like Mukesh Ambani, Chanda Kochhar and Uday Kotak is expected to show up. Bollywood biggies are also expected to be present at the forum. Actor Shah Rukh Khan and film director Karan Johar are to name a few. As far as the list of Indian ministers is concerned, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley along with Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are some of the big names that are likely to attend the annual event.

If the Prime Minister decides to go, he will address a plenary session on January 23 which will be attended by the world’s business elite. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek are also expected to be present. Other big names from India and abroad include former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajanand IMF chief Christine Lagarde.

Davos is a small town located in Swiss Alps, within the canton of Graubünden. Davos is a popular ski resort that has a conference center which hosts the annual World Economic Forum.

The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva.

The agenda for the meeting in 2018 is said to explore the root causes of, and pragmatic solutions for, the manifold political, economic and social fractures facing global society today. WEF’s Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said, “Creating a shared future in a fractured world requires addressing issues on the global agenda in a holistic, interconnected and future-oriented way”.

Indian social entrepreneur and activist Chetna Sinha will also be a part of the forum. She will be among the seven all-women co-chairs for the event. This happens to be the first time in five-decade when WEF’s Davos Annual Meeting would have all women co-chairs.

Bitcoin, the new mantra to make quick money

Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

Bitcoin, the red hot digital currency continues to hit new highs week after week — and it’s now got the weight of the world’s biggest exchange operator behind it. Financial market giant CME Group (CME) launched bitcoin futures trading on Sunday evening in the U.S., a week after a similar move by its smaller rival Cboe Global Markets (CBOE).

The involvement of top financial institutions in the bitcoin market underscores its growing mainstream acceptance even as government officials, business leaders and economists continue to warn people against investing in it.

The CME launch “adds considerable legitimacy” to bitcoin trading, said Shane Chanel, an adviser at Australian investment services firm ASR Wealth Advisers. Bitcoin’s price (XBT) hit a record high earlier Sunday before the futures trading started on CME. It climbed to within a few hundred dollars of the $20,000 mark before slipping back. By early Monday, it was trading around $19,000.

Investors were betting it will go higher. The January futures price on CME was about $19,500 last week, down from an earlier high of $20,650. Futures are contracts that let investors buy or sell something at a specific price in the future. But unlike traditional commodities such as oil or agricultural products, bitcoins aren’t physical assets. And unlike traditional currencies, there isn’t a central bank that backs bitcoin. The virtual coins are created on computers using complex algorithms and recorded in a digital ledger.

Bitcoin has had an incredible year. Its price has skyrocketed more than 1,700% since the start of January, partly on the expectation that more and more mainstream investors will begin trading it.

That’s prompted some high-profile figures in finance and economics to sound the alarm, cautioning that the currency’s boom is simply a huge, speculative bubble. But their warnings contrast with moves like those of CME and and Cboe to start bitcoin futures trading.

CME is home to about three times as much trading per day than Cboe. With CME’s futures contracts, investors have to trade bitcoin in blocks of five, versus just one at a time with Cboe.

The two also price their bitcoin contracts in different ways. Cboe bases its price on one exchange, Gemini, whereas CME takes an average from multiple exchanges. SR’s Chanel said that the launch of futures on CME should eventually help iron out some of the wild gyrations in the price of bitcoin.

And more big names in finance are also planning to get involved. New York’s Nasdaq is expected to launch its own bitcoin futures trading sometime next year. “If this market continues charging forward, (more) exchanges will be forced to act in the fear of missing out,” Chanel said.

Christmas Musings….

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

By George Abraham

I was merely happy to be invited to the ‘Holiday Party’ organized by the South Asian Community in Queens. However, I have learned that the main purpose of the gathering was to honor the newly appointed Consul General Sandeep Chakraborthy of India and introduce him to various elected officials from Queens, New York. The program ran in typical Indian style, with as many of the community leaders jockeying for VIP seats and later on putting up a brave struggle to position themselves for a celebrity photo for their next Facebook post.

These politicos in New York City appear to show very little respect for the South Asian Community. To them, we are an ATM they could push a button on and get their so-called campaign contributions. They seem to be quite confident as well that we are ‘simple-minded’ and would go away happily after an embrace and a Selfie shoot for the next edition in an Indian weekly newspaper.

I wonder why the South Asian Community, probably the largest concentration anywhere in the U.S. has so far failed to get a footing in the mainstream politics in New York City! Indians who live even in the old Confederacy seem to have more success than their peers who live in the most liberal city in the U.S.

I had long wanted to vent this boiling frustration within me to somebody when Professor Saluja, the emcee for the evening, informed me that I would have an opportunity to say few words at the function felicitating the Chief Guest before all those public officials from the Queens. However, it never came to pass, and they simply had too many speakers who paid the bill, they said!

However, I had an opportunity to speak to Ms. Letitia James, the Public Advocate for the New York City Council. I tried to make my case and requested her to help appropriate one city council seat, probably District 23, for an Asian Indian if not a South Asian. She tried to convince me that we have to come together and fight the election. My response to her was that we are quite observant of the political dynamics here and unless the Democratic Party officially put their weight behind a South Asian, it will be a futile effort. We have indeed learned how the ‘single-party system’ dominated by the Democratic party in New York is lately reduced into machine politics and unless you are in it, ‘you ain’t going anywhere’!

As I sat there listening to speaker after speaker greeting the audience, not a single one uttered the word “Merry Christmas”. A number of them were eager to say “Happy Hannukah’ that was mostly addressed to the visiting Jewish public officials. Anyway, we could come to the conclusion by now that ‘Merry Christmas’ has become a toxic greeting phrase in New York as our Diaspora is pretty much adapted to the PC culture of the Northeast.  As a Christian who was sitting there, probably one of the few in the audience, my mind wandered back to the younger days of growing up in Kerala, India where we all greeted each other with ‘Merry Christmas’ for the simple reason for the season.

Upon my return home that evening, Gujarat poll results started coming in. Congress had indeed outperformed all the expectations and appeared to have thoroughly thrashed the much-heralded exit poll results. However, people of Gujarat still handed BJP another term despite becoming miserable and more impoverished through their demonetization policies as well as the messy GST implementation. The verdict sends a clear message to the world that hate and bigotry trumps over economic troubles and personal misery!

Opening up the Internet browser the following day, I am once again reminded that this is not a season of peace and goodwill toward men as right-wing fringe groups have threatened to disrupt Christmas and New Year celebrations in some Uttar Pradesh towns. A series of warnings have come from these groups just days after an alleged attack on priests in a Madhya Pradesh town. In Aligarh, a group called the Hindu Jagran Manch has warned schools against celebrating Christmas, saying they could do so “at their own risk”.

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that December 25, Christmas Day, would be observed as Good Governance day. India has 2000 years of history of Christianity that was long before even England had embraced the religion. Why then this alienation of a religious group in India that has contributed much to the educational and social development of the nation! Nevertheless, it is quite impressive to note that as the first generation Indians to the US, we are already lobbying to make Diwali a holiday in New York City!

By this time you may have heard about the decimation of ISIS and its Caliphate in Syria and Iraq. Recently, Iraqi forces with overwhelming support from U.S. Airforce have retaken the city of Mosul. ISIS has pushed Iraq’s religious minorities to the edge of extinction. However, the sad story of one Christian family brings the ugly face of religious discrimination home to us all.

The story is told as follows:  A family of four lived in a small village about sixteen miles outside of Mosul. Shortly after the Islamic State took over, the father, a construction worker, took his wife of twenty-eight years to Mosul to continue her breast cancer treatments. But at the hospital, a guard refused to allow the man’s wife to enter because they were Christians. He told her that to continue receiving medical care, she would have to convert to Islam. She refused and the couple was forced to return to their village. Ten days later she died with her husband and sons at her bedside.

New York city, that sits thousands of miles away and Oceans apart, is once again on the edge during this Christmas season as ISIS propaganda machine shows chilling  picture of Santa Claus next to a box of dynamite in Times Square! As we are on the threshold of a new year, the human effort to bring peace, security and harmony among disparate groups appear to be as elusive as ever! Will the year 2018 bring us a ray of hope? We can only pray!

(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations)

Church leaders meet PM, seek Rs 3,500-cr package The Church said over 6,030 fishermen were directly affected by the cyclone

Staff ReporterIndia 0

The Latin Church has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a Rs 3,500 crore Central package for Ochki relief measures. A Church delegation led by Archbishop Soosa Pakiam met the Prime Minister on Dec 19 evening and petitioned for central assistance.

The Church said over 6,030 fishermen were directly affected by the cyclone. “Among them 70 fishermen in Kerala are dead and 108 men in Kanyakumari district are reported dead. Several are still missing.

The 39 coastal villages in Kerala and the sea coast of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu are heavily eroding due to the unscientific constructions in the sea which resulted in loss of several houses in the past and during the cyclone,” the petition said. The delegation raised a number of demands, including forming a Central ministry to coordinate and effectively manage coastal and fisheries affairs in the country.

Other demands include – declaring Ochki cyclone and other sea disasters as natural calamities, introducing auto piloting systemised crafts for search operation and establish joint operation units in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, satellite-based tracking system in fishing boats in collaboration with ISRO and starting a Wireless Personal Communication (WPC) office in Thiruvananthapuram.

They said central assistance would be needed for sustainable compensation fund for the deceased, the missing families and permanently disabled families (300 crore), Satellite Tracking System and VHF Radio Sets (80 crore), Marine Ambulances (70 crore), compensation for lost vessels and replacement of small vessels (800 crore), integrated housing with basic amenities (1,250 crore), coastal protection measures (750 crore) and disaster preparedness and rescue operations (250 crore).Appreciating the rescue and relief measures carried out by the Central Government, the Church sought imminent action on the special package.

Modi spoke to over a dozen fisherwomen, fish workers’ representatives and Church leaders. He assured them that all fishermen who have been stranded in the sea will be brought back before Christmas.

The Prime Minister said the Navy and Coast Guard vessels would continue to step up surveillance to rescue the remaining fishermen. Also, efforts would continue to recover the bodies of those who have died in the cyclone.

Source: New Indian Express

Association of South Asian Real-estate Professional gala to discusses proposed tax reforms from Trump administration

Staff ReporterBusiness 0

Chicago IL: Association of South Asian Real Estate Professionals (ASARP) held its second annual gathering at this festive time of the year, on December 15th at The Meadows Club, 2950 Golf Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL from 5.30 to 9.30 p.m.

ASARP is a registered non-for profit reputable association to provide the leadership to South Asian community required in order to achieve the cherished objectives of property ownership in United States and India. Main purpose of the program was to provide a forum for interaction among South Asian Real Estate Professionals and the communities that they represent, with some degree of entertainment and education.

The event was attended by capacity crowd consisting of active members, MS. Neeta Bhushan (Consul General of India in Chicago), Erica Harold (running for State Attorney General in Illinois), Tim Schneider (Chairman of State’s Republican Party). Dr Sapan Shah (Nominated on republican ticker for US Congress for 10th District),

Mr. Nimesh Jani-Nimesh Jani (member of Schaumburg Township Board), Pam Krieter (Pam Krieter CEOs of the Real Estate profession), Nancy Suvarnamani (Past President of Chicago Association of Realtors and FIABCI International, founder member of AREAA), Thomas Krettler (Director of National Association), Donna Wilson (Director of Global and Commercial Business) and Brian Bernardino (Political coordinator for Chicago Association of Realtors and member of Federal Taxation Committee of NAR).

The principal purpose of gathering was to discuss new proposed tax reforms and its ramifications by reputed Legal and industrial professionals for their guideline, input, panel discussion, QA sessions and provide networking.

After lamp lighting ceremony, Mr. Pradeep B. Shukla gave starting speech “As we all acknowledge the US tax systems were revised in 1986. After sporadic modifying legislations and lapsed time, it needed massive overhaul and re-organization. Some of these regulations are regressive US corporate taxes which are one of the highest in the world, tempting US corporate giants to park the funds outside the country amounting to be in trillions of dollars along with revision of high Death tax of 45% at federal level with additional incidence of about 15 to 18% at the state level”.

“With this revision in mind, Trump administration introduced “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017”. Principal goals are simplicity and tax reduction while keeping mind the principle of neutrality. The bill passed in both houses with minor variations. Now in a proposed reconciled bill, there are some significant provisions that will affect real estate industry like capping property tax deduction to $10,000, restricting mortgage interest deduction to new loans of $500,000 as against current limit of $1 million, reducing marginal tax rates at all the levels of income, 100% write off of some business assets and significant reduction of corporate tax, etc. While there is overall tax deduction, what concerns our community as realtors, is dilution of Home Ownership Deductions. The stand taken by the National Association of Realtors is that homeowners must be treated fairly, must reverse decline in first-time home buyers as the home ownership level is 50 years low in 2016”.

Thereafter, Mr Shukla invited expert Panelists on stage to discuss their views in all these matter. The Panel Moderator was Al Haroon Hussain, Attorney. The other distinguished Panelists included Paul Chawala, Attorney, Director Brian Bernandoni, Realtor and member of Federal Taxation Committee at NAR and Tom Krettler- Realtor and also Director at NAR.

These panelists addressed the tax reforms congenial to the interest of the real estate community and how would these reforms affect the growth of GDP in USA in coming years.

QA session followed. Subsequently in his concluding remark Mr. Pradeep B. Shukla advised that Taxpayers should consider paying their 2017 state and local income taxes in 2017. This will allow the deductions to be preserved and applied against 2017 income. Since the application of the Alternative Minimum Tax might mitigate these benefits, please discuss your specific situation and any other questions you might have with your accountant.

President of ASARP Mr. Pradeep B. Shukla, in  highlight of his remarks, pointed out that some of the important tasks undertaken at ASARP are educating our South Asian local real estate professionals on how to serve best interests in our community, all while keeping in mind the highest degree of professional standards. He also requested members providing effective outreach to these communities including guidance on EB 5 and other programs available to foreign investors. In addition he also requested to provide effective liaison to our communities and professionals He urged educating American real estate professionals dealing with specific needs of our community, and finally acting as an effective political arm for ASARP members.

Rahul Gandhi elected President of India’s grand-old Congress Party

Ajay GhoshIndia, Politics 0

Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of the Congress Party was elected unopposed as president of the Indian National Congress here on Monday, December 11th, 2017. Gandhi’s appointment was confirmed on Monday, days after he filed his nomination papers for the post. There were no other contenders. He will officially take over as the President of the oldest Indian national Party on December 16th.

Briefing reporters, the party’s central election authority chief Mullappally Ramachandran said Gandhi will formally take over on December 16. “Since the withdrawal of date/time is over and as there is only one candidate (Rahul), as per Article XVII (d) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I hereby declare Shri Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress,” Ramachandran said.

At the party headquarters, 24 Akbar Road, slogans such as “Agla pradhan mantri kaisa ho, Rahul Gandhi jaisa ho,”(Who would be our next PM, Rahul Gandhi!) and crackers rent the air as Mr. Ramachandran made the announcement. Supporters gathered in huge numbers waving Congress flags.

He is the 16th president of the Congress since Independence and sixth from the Nehru-Gandhi clan to take over the party reins. Mr. Gandhi has been vice-president of the party since 2013.

Among other senior politicians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated him. “I congratulate Rahulji on his election as Congress President my best wishes for a fruitful tenure,” he tweeted.

The Congress, the country’s largest opposition party, which has ruled India for most periods since Indian gained independence from the British Raj in 1947,  won less than 20% of the popular vote in the seismic 2014 general elections which catapulted Narendra Modi’s BJP to power. It secured just 44 – or 8% – of the 543 parliamentary seats in its worst performance ever.

Since then, the Congress has lost elections in half-a-dozen states, and is now in power in only two big states – Karnataka and Punjab – and three other smaller ones. Its prospects in two imminent state elections – Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh – look mixed.

Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad said even before taking over, Gandhi had rattled the BJP. “After three decades, we have a Congress president in the mid-40s. Of course his father took over at a younger age. In the last four-years, Rahul Gandhi has worked hard and we can see the results today. He is leading the Congress campaign alone in Gujarat and the BJP is countering him with their 80 Cabinet Ministers, 12-15 Chief Ministers, and State Ministers,” Azad said.

The incumbent president Sonia Gandhi is expected to hold a designated role as an overall guide and mentor of party. According to sources, a new post of a party patron may be constituted to accommodate her. There is no clarity yet on whether she will resign from the post of parliamentary party chief or not.

The new Congress president has to live up to the expectations of his colleagues who hope that he would arrest the slide in the party’s electoral fortunes. “In 2014, we were in a weak spot. We have been on a path of recovery since then. Despite a measly 44 MPs, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi we have forced the government to roll back anti-poor measures in GST and the Land Acquisition Bill,” Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said.

Monday’s announcement has to be ratified by the Congress plenary session. The plenary will also elect the new Congress Working Committee. People across the Indian continent hope that Gandhi, 47, will change the fortunes of his enfeebled party.

He entered public life 13 years ago, when he stood and won in his family seat of Amethi. Since then, the fifth-generation scion has been seen as a reluctant politician, aloof and disinterested in the hurly burly of politics.

Gandhi’s elevation to the party’s second most senior leader – after his mother Sonia Gandhi – in 2013 didn’t improve things. He tried to reform his party by holding primaries, revitalize its flagging youth wing and running it like a corporate office. But the results have been less than impressive, and the party’s slide has continued.

After his initial reluctance and poor show at election rallies, Gandhi, the son of late Rajiv Gandhi and grand son of late Indira Gandhi, has come around and has begun establishing himself as a mass leader in his own name.

Gandhi went on a well-received tour of the US, meeting students, think-tank experts, government leaders, and journalists and took questions from them. He was self deprecating about his limitations – he told students at University of California, Berkeley that Mr Modi was a “better communicator” than him.

His social media campaign has finally begun packing a punch. Mr Gandhi is now being seen as more open and refreshingly amusing – he tweeted a health update about his mother’s illness and a video featuring his dog, which caused a sensation.

With Rahul Ganshi assuming office, the highest decision-making body of the party is expected to see a few changes. Gandhi is likely to bring in some new faces. The plenary session may be held in mid-January either in Delhi or Karnataka.

Gandhi’s burst of enthusiasm appears to have energised the party’s rank and file somewhat, but he will need a lot more political nous and strategy if he’s to start winning elections.

He will need to articulate a compelling economic vision to young Indians who are tired of confusing reformist platitudes. He will have to find and encourage charismatic and clean local leaders, forge winning alliances with regional parties, and make sure his party runs better governments in the states it rules.

Mona Patel and Samir Lakhani among “CNN Hero of the Year”

Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Two Indian Americans, Mona Patel and Samir Lakhani, have been selected among 10, to be honored at the “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” on Sunday, Dec. 17. In 1990, Patel was struck by a drunken driver at the age of 17 when she was walking to class at Cal Poly University and “flew up about 12 feet” when she was pinned between the “car and a metal railing” which “smashed my leg and my foot,” she told CNN.

Weeks later, when Patel got out of the ICU, she underwent her first amputation. It was the start of seven years’ worth of surgeries in attempts to salvage the rest of her leg. She however went on to earn a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, and became a social worker.

Today, Patel’s nonprofit, the San Antonio Amputee Foundation, aims to help amputees rebuild their lives. The group offers peer support, education and recreation opportunities, as well as financial assistance for basic home and car modifications and prosthetic limbs.

She also leads health and fitness programs and sponsors amputees to participate in tennis tournaments and endurance climbs. In 2015, led by Patel, a group of amputees climbed to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Patel had to undergo her first amputation when she got out of the ICU weeks later, which was just the start of “seven years’ worth of surgeries in attempts to salvage the rest of her leg.” Since then she has earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, and became a social worker, though she has come a long way as she has continued to struggle physically with her disability.

In 2014, while then a college student, Samir Lakhani was volunteering in a Cambodian village and saw “a mother bathing her newborn in a basin filled with laundry powder and water” which he will never forget.

He then realized that his hotel was throwing away barely-used bars of soap after their customers left and thought if he recycled them and gave it to people who were actually in need of them then it would save the soap and give it a second life.

So while attending the University of Pittsburgh, Lakhani started the Eco-Soap Bank which is a nonprofit that recycles discarded bars of soap from hotels in Cambodia and distributes it to people in need. Today, the organization has four recycling centers across the country, providing jobs to 35 local women.

The used bars are sanitized and remolded into new bars or melted down into liquid soap and so far, more than 650,000 people have benefited from the group’s soap and hygiene education.

“What I love most is that we are killing three birds with one stone. We are keeping waste out of landfills, employing locals and spreading soap all over the country,” Lakhani told CNN This will be the 11th year that CNN honors 10 people who work to improve the world through their emotional stories. People can vote for “CNN Hero of the Year” online and the winner will receive $100,000 for their cause.

Indian American STEM Academy to launch in India

Staff ReporterEducation, Science & Technology 0

An Indian American STEM Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, will be opening a “Center of Excellence” in Delhi in January that will introduce the STEM program to middle and secondary school students along with training and certifying teachers.

According to a PTI report, the STEM program, which educates students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, will be launched in selected schools across India from January 1 and will be available for students enrolled in grades four through 10.

“The Academy’s mission is to ignite the innovative trait in young Indian students and create a new generation of youngsters who will think out of the box,” Amitabh Sharma, a co-founder of the Academy, told PTI.

Sharma added that the initiative goes along with former U.S. president Barack Obama’s drive to ‘Educate to Innovate’ as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visions of ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India’ and ‘New India.’

The program is targeted to students enrolled in schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE), State School Boards and International Baccalaureate.

“It is an interdisciplinary way of teaching math and science, integrated with day-to-day engineering and technology,” Sharma added.

Sharma has an MBA, a law degree and a doctorate in marketing and has had experience in the oil and gas, information technology and education fields.

Being the founder of the American India Foundation’s Atlanta Leadership Council, Sharma told PTI that “STEM based learning in India has been limited due to apparent lack of structure and the STEM Academy of USA has developed a unique implementation strategy for India.”

“The world has acknowledged the strength and significance of practical project based learning. Perhaps it is time to move away from traditional rote learning to out-of-the-box creativity oriented learning that nurtures well rounded leaders. Indian youngsters then will well be on the path to becoming capable world citizens and catapulting India to its inventive best,” Sharma added. MPower Global STEM Education will be outreaching and implementing the program to the Indian schools.

Obama during visit to India told Modi privately that country shouldn’t be divided on religious lines

Staff ReporterIndia 0
Former US President Barack Obama during his first visit to India after leaving office as the President of US, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week and discussed ways to further strengthen the US-India relationship.
While addressing the youth in India at a Town Hall Meeting, Obama was reminded of his speech at Siri Fort auditorium on January 27, 2015 — the last day of his last visit to India as US President — in which he sounded caution “against any efforts to divide ourselves along sectarian lines” and pointedly asked if the message was directed at the Modi-led BJP government.
He said the message was meant for “all of us” and “the same thing” was told “in private to Prime Minister Modi. If you see a politician doing things that are questionable one of things as citizens you can ask yourself is am I encouraging or supporting or giving licence to the values? If communities across India are saying we are not going to fall prey to division then that will strengthen the hands of those politicians who feel the same way.”
Asked how Modi responded to his message on religious tolerance particularly in the wake of Western media highlighting incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection and love jihad cases, Obama dodged a direct reply saying his goal was not to disclose his private conversations with other leaders.
But, he said, Modi’s impulses recognize the need for unity in India “to advance to the great nation status that India possesses and will continue and amplify in the years to come”. He said he had shared the concern in public in the United States of America, in Europe “because people feel worried and insecure about all the changes some of which are economic but some of which are cultural and social”.
“There are demographic changes taking place. Migration. People start looking different. There is a collision of cultures. People see much more vividly the differences between people.”Earlier in the day, Obama addressed the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. His Obama Foundation also organized a town hall meeting with young Indian leaders.
As a debate rages over growing intolerance in the country, former U.S. President Barack Obama disclosed that he had privately told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India must not split on sectarian lines and that it must cherish the fact that Muslims here identify themselves as Indians.
“Particularly in a country like India where you have such an enormous Muslim population that is successful, integrated and thinks of itself as Indian and that is unfortunately always not the case in some other countries where a religious minority nevertheless feels a part of. I think that is something that should be cherished, nurtured and cultivated.
“And I think that all farsighted Indian leadership recognizes that but it is important to continue and reinforce that,” he said speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. In an interactive session punctuated with humor and loud applause from the audience that included Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Obama said all humans inherently try to make distinctions to make themselves feel more important than others.
And these distinctions, he said, “are sometimes based on races, on religion, on class and always based on gender”. He said a counter narrative had always been taking place at all times in the world but has become louder now.
“It  sometimes happens in Europe, in America and sometimes you see it in India where those old tribal impulses re-assert themselves.” He said some elected leaders try to push back against those impulses and some try to exploit them. Obama also spoke of how he admired Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh alike for their “political courage”.
Asked about his relationship with Prime Minister Modi, Obama paused a bit and said: “I like him and I think he is that he has a vision for the country that he is implementing and is in many ways modernizing the bureaucracy.”
He heaped praise on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has come under attack from the ruling BJP, saying he was a great support in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. “But I really was also great friends with Singh, and when you look at the work and the steps that Singh took to open up and modernize the economy and launch what I think was really the foundations for the modern Indian economy. That is also important.
“Here is the bottom line. Because India is a democracy, it has politics. And that is a healthy thing. As a non-Indian and as US President my job was to work with whichever party was in power. Keep in mind that Singh was primary interlocutor with me when we were saving the country from a global financial meltdown. “But, Prime Minister Modi was the primary partner in unlocking the Paris Accord. Neither of those things was easy and both required some political courage back here in India.”
The event was organized by the Obama Foundation, created in 2014 to continue the popular president’s work after he left office. The Foundation is headquartered on Chicago’s South Side, where Obama worked as a community organizer before beginning his political career.
“As one of the most culturally, religiously, linguistically, and ethnically diverse nations on earth, India’s democracy shows us the collective strength of engagement within and across communities,” noted the Obama Foundation in a press release announcing the town-hall meeting in New Delhi.
“Most of India’s one billion people are under 35 years old, an engaged and passionate generation that includes Members of Parliament, village Sarpanchs, scientists, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders who are finding innovative ways to create positive change across India — change that benefits the world.”

India’s 1st Madame Tussauds opens in Delhi

Staff ReporterIndia 0
India’s first Madame Tussauds wax museum opened its doors here on Nov. 30 with 50 life-like figures spanning across history, sports, music, films, and politics, for the public at the iconic Regal building in central Delhi.
“This is truly an exhilarating and emotional feeling to finally see Madame Tussauds in Delhi. Guests will be encouraged to interact, perform and even reflect with our figures in unique and immersive settings within the attraction,” Anshul Jain, General Manager, and Director, Merlin Entertainment Pvt Ltd, said here.
Madame Tussauds has been a successful tourist attraction in places like London, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Hong Kong. Its maiden facility here has wax statues of Indian personalities like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cinematic icon Amitabh Bachchan and Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, along with many Hollywood celebrities.
The Delhi facility is the 23rd edition of Madame Tussauds. Some other personalities here include Katrina Kaif, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Salman Khan, Will Smith, David Beckham, Kim Kardashian Justin Bieber, Beyonce Knowles, Asha Bhosle, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Sharma, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Ranbir Kapoor. It will be open for all seven days with tickets priced at Rs 960 for adults and Rs 760 for children.

Modi remains popular: PEW Research

Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Indians’ approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and their satisfaction with both their country’s direction and the state of its economy have grown in recent years. Three years into Modi’s five-year tenure, the honeymoon period for his administration may be over but the public’s love affair with current conditions in India is even more intense.

Nearly nine-in-ten Indians hold a favorable opinion of Modi, comparable to their view of him in 2015, after a year in office. Roughly seven-in-ten say they have a very favorable view of the prime minister, again similar to public views in 2015.

These are among the main findings of a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 2,464 respondents in India from Feb. 21 to March 10, 2017.

Modi’s overwhelming popularity extends across India. At least nine-in-ten Indians in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and in the western states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh hold a favorable view of the prime minister. The same is true for more than eight-in-ten in the eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and the northern states of Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Since 2015, Modi’s popularity is relatively unchanged in the north, has risen in the west and the south and is down slightly in the east. Modi remains by far the most popular national figure in Indian politics tested in the survey. His favorable rating is 31 percentage points higher than that of Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, and is 30 points more than that for Rahul Gandhi, who led the Congress ticket in the last Lok Sabha election.

The public’s positive assessment of Modi is buoyed by growing contentment with the Indian economy: More than eight-in-ten say economic conditions are good, up 19 percentage points since immediately before the 2014 election. And the share of adults who say the economy is very good (30%) has tripled in the past three years.

Overall, seven-in-ten Indians are now satisfied with the way things are going in the country. This positive assessment of India’s direction has nearly doubled since 2014. Support for Prime Minister Modi is a partisan affair. Backers of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) express stronger support for the prime minister than do backers of the rival Indian National Congress party (INC), as might be expected. The 2017 partisan gap in favorable approval of Modi is 32 percentage points, larger than the 20-point divide in 2015 but relatively unchanged from 2016.

The Indian public, happy with its prime minister, believes the national government is doing the right thing for the country. More than eight-in-ten (85%) voice trust in the national government, including 39% who express a lot of trust. BJP supporters (90%) are more trusting of the government than Congress backers (76%).

The public is also quite satisfied (79%) with the way their democracy is currently working. This includes 33% who are very satisfied. Again, this is a partisan issue. BJP supporters (84%) are significantly more satisfied with Indian democracy than are Congress backers (65%).

Many Indians do not express an opinion about international affairs. One-third or more of those surveyed express no opinion about other countries or Prime Minister Modi’s handling of relations with prominent players on the world stage.

About half of Indian adults hold a favorable view of the United States, down 21 percentage points since 2015. Only 40% express confidence in President Donald Trump to do the right thing regarding world affairs, down 34 points from their faith in his predecessor, Barack Obama, in 2015. Both declines began in the last year of the Obama administration and continued in 2017. The falloff in support for the U.S. has been greatest among Congress party supporters. The decline in confidence in the U.S. president has been roughly comparable among both BJP and Congress adherents. At the same time, Indian assessment of Americans (56%) remains positive and largely unchanged since the last time this question was asked.

Technology pioneer Vanu Bose dies at 52

Staff ReporterProfiles 0

Vanu Bose, the Indian American who re-imagined cellular networks and extended service to people living in remote areas of the world, died at the age of 52 on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Concord, Massachusetts, from a pulmonary embolism that he had suffered in a hospital emergency room.

Born into one of Greater Boston’s most prominent technology families, Vanu Bose became an entrepreneur in his own right, founding a company that uses cellular base stations to help provide wireless infrastructure globally, including in sparsely populated areas from Vermont to Rwanda.

“Nobody’s been able to find a way to make rural developing-market coverage economically viable,” he told MIT Technology Review for a profile published three weeks ago.

Dr. Bose was 52 when he died Saturday of a pulmonary embolism, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced. His death comes four years after his father, Bose Corp. founder Amar G. Bose, died at 83.

Bose was the son of Amar Bose, the founder of the Bose Corporation, known for its high-quality audio systems and speakers, but instead of following through with the family business, Bose founded his own company, Vanu Inc.

The company has been able to develop durable cellular sites that could run on solar power by focusing on the radio components of wireless networks, which is used in many rural areas around the world.

Having already taken this technology to Africa, Bose’s latest venture took place in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria by donating more than three dozen cellular base stations, where it was used to help residents locate their family members. “It’s been so motivating for our employees, because everyone watches the news and says, I wish I could do something to help, suddenly we have a way to help,” Bose told the Boston Globe, nearly a month before he died.

“He always wanted to address the needs of people who did not have a voice, either politically or economically,” Andrew Beard, the chief operating officer of Vanu Inc., told the New York Times.

While he was an undergraduate at M.I.T, Bose told an M.I.T. publication, that he was always interested in wireless technology and even assisted his father in writing a paper about modifications to FM radio broadcasting.

Community Connect, a small base station developed by the company, weighing about 20 pounds, is designed to withstand grueling conditions, including temperatures of up to 132 degrees Fahrenheit, and runs on solar power rather than diesel fuel, making it better for both the economy and the environment.

This specific technology allows residents living in rural areas, to make calls or send a text message to friends and family living in nearby towns, as well as have them gain access to medical information, digital banking services and solar lighting systems. He is survived by his wife, Judy Bose, along with his daughter Kamala, 8, his mother formerly known as Prema Sarathy and his sister Maya Bose.

Indian-American Republican Committee in New York holds annual gala

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

The 2016 presidential race saw the birth of a powerful Republican Indian-American voting bloc, reversing a long history of Democratic loyalty.

The 2010 Census pegged the U.S. Asian Indian population at over 2.8 million, a ten-year growth of 69 percent that makes this one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the nation.

Indian Americans are known to be Democratic leaning. However, a powerful section of the community has supported Trump in the last general elections. The Indian American Republican Committee wing of New York State Republican Party held it’s annual gala on November 16, in White Plains, New York.

Several high-ranking New York state Republican party leaders were present at the event Westchester County, N.Y. Indian-American Republicans gathered along with people from other states. Edward F. Cox, chairman, New York state GOP, was the chief guest. He lauded the Indian-American community for its ideals of hard work, family values, and commitment to education, which he said, are akin to the values of the Republican Party.

New York City Finance Chairman Chele Chivacci Farley appreciated members of the Indian-American community’s commitment to GOP and their support to President Trump who is building special relationship with India and Prime Minister Modi.

New York state Senator Dr. Terrance P. Murphy, presented a proclamation from the N.Y. Senate, honoring Dr. Sampat Shivangi of Mississippi, as 2017 Person of the Year award for his contributions to the GOP. Shivangi has attended the last 4 Republican Party conventions, served as advisor to the U.S. Health & Human Services Department in the President George W. Bush Administration, and as chairman of Mississippi State Board of Mental Health, apart from other recognitions. Also honored were attorney Anand Ahuja, Prof D. Amar, and Chicago businessman Shalab Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition. Ven Parameshwaran, IARC vice chair, welcomed the gathering and introduced the guests. Thomas Koshy, the chair of IARC presided.

Challenges Facing Academia — Restoring Understanding and Harmony

Staff ReporterEducation 0

Dr. Ravi P Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service

20 Nov 2017 – After schooling, students have to decide what stream or subjects they should pursue in higher education. There are broadly four streams of studies for College students in many countries including India: Liberal Arts comprising Languages—English, Hindi and world languages such as German, French, Russian etc., Philosophy, Psychology etc.

Mathematics and Science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology etc. Commerce and Economics comprising these subjects in addition to Business Economics or Management. Social sciences consisting of Political Science, History, Sociology, Geography

The classification is not fixed – there may be variation in some of these areas but generally science and Mathematics also comprise engineering subjects, Statistics, Computer Science; related fields in Biology include bio-physics and environmental biology among others.

Again, Mathematics is generally excluded for students of liberal arts as also from social science subjects. The rationale is that first these subjects do not really require its knowledge except a very perfunctory one and secondly if students started devoting time to study of Mathematics, they would not be able to devote concentrated time to the main subjects of their study. Some people also argue that study of these liberal arts subjects require skills that are not compatible with Mathematics skills and the reverse is also true.

These arguments or rationale have some validity but as educational knowledge and academic competencies spread, one has to come out of the box thinking and make appropriate changes.

Take the example of economics – while its knowledge requires that students study formal courses in micro, macroeconomics, international trade relations and so on, the contemporary situation is that everybody is affected by the economic policies of the government — issues of wages or salary, price rise (inflation), taxes and interest rates and so on. In other words, willingly or otherwise, we must have a basic knowledge of the subject so that we may be able to adjust to the prevailing economic situation and live comfortably in our wages or salary or earnings failing which we could go into debt or be unable to meet our basic requirements. Of course, this basic knowledge also demands a minimal idea of mathematics in order to understand the concept of savings or of inflation, and so on.

Thus, basic knowledge of mathematics – beyond counting and percentages is also required by College or University students in order to better appreciate the situation that we see around us. To take another example, in today’s world, elections are a regular feature of our lives. We would like to know what various parties are promising in their manifestos and how their vote share is increasing or decreasing in the elections. Many graphical and quantitative techniques – pie charts, bar diagrams and similar devices are being increasingly used by commentators in newspapers or television programs to inform the public about the chances of victory of any political party or of the various candidates in the elections – local, state or national that occur frequently. Again a general idea of quantitative techniques and a broad understanding of numbers and percentages and graphics helps to understand the electoral scene better.

On a lighter side, a senior professor of Political Science whom I know, always gets confused between the numbers million or billion and the corresponding numbers used in India – lakh (one hundred thousand) one crore (ten million) etc. When one explains the relationship between these numbers he begins to understand but after a few days is again confused about the relationship. To continue in the lighter vein, familiarity with numbers and basic mathematics also helps in the solution of the Sudoku puzzles.

Similarly, other subjects – sociology or even history are increasingly utilizing quantitative techniques for explaining the situation at hand. For example, the outstanding French sociologist Emile Durkheim took the help of tables and charts to explain the problems of suicides being committed by people belonging to different religions and different regions – urban or rural in Europe. Texts apart, these charts and figures have helped students as well as lay persons to understand the concepts related to suicides that Emile was trying to discuss and explain. Again, the subject of geography, especially agricultural, also has to take recourse to simple mathematical concepts for better understanding of the issues involved.

Environmental pollution that includes pollution of air, rivers or seas and soil has become a very serious issue that is resulting in global warming, climate change as well as in adverse effects on the health of people especially children. In many countries of Asia especially India and China, the air quality today is extremely poor leading to aggravating asthma and lung problems as well as in advancing the risk of cancer and other diseases. Many species of plants birds or animals are also facing extinction as a result of these factors. Social media informs us that this (pollution) is due to excess CO — Carbon Monoxide in the air and particulate matter of certain thickness (PM 2.5 or PM 10). Understanding these statements – about gases or numbers in mm or microns again necessitates a certain amount of knowledge of Chemistry and mathematics respectively.

Simple ideas of Science and Technology (S and T) have also penetrated our lives although these subjects are abstract and technical. We are flooded with technical devices in our lives – home appliances, cars or bikes or smart phones based on advanced technologies resulting in our unconsciously acquiring some ideas of these subjects. Then there is the question of atomic energy and atomic bombs that are talked of in our newspapers and social media. Any person who is mildly curious tries to understand why atomic bombs are dangerous – acquiring in the process an idea of minerals such as uranium and plutonium and radioactivity. Pakistan, India and China in Asia all have atomic or nuclear bombs that this makes the region particularly dangerous and unstable politically. Whether we are students of science or of politics, the issue of nuclear weapons and how to curb their proliferation have become crucial.

Thus a clear cut demarcation of various subjects and the topics to be studied is no longer desirable or possible in today’s educational scene. An idea of mathematics, simple economics, science or S and T etc. helps us to better face the challenges we encounter in everyday life.

The foregoing situation is interesting as well as poses academic challenges as to how to modify or adjust the curricula and syllabi of different subjects in order to give a more grounded and balanced idea of the changes in local situations in diverse fields occurring in the contemporary world. These challenges are new but similar problems have occurred earlier also that scholars and academics have successfully overcome. An idea of our earlier efforts at adapting our academic curricula to the changing social scenario will help us to meet the new challenges we are facing academically. This may require a study of mathematics or science for liberal arts students or basic economics or S and T  for students of other disciplines in order to  promote better understanding and harmony and more fruitful lives.

Modi’s ‘Gujarat Model’ of development: a reality check’

Staff ReporterPolitics 0

By George Abraham

Narendra Modi rode the wave of ‘Gujarat Model of development’ in 2014 to catapult himself to the most powerful office in India. The social media campaign, most probably waged with the help of Madison Avenue agencies, that heralded the State’s economic performance nothing short of spectacular and credited its success to the visionary leadership of Narendra Modi started years earlier.

Is the ‘Gujarat Model’ of development a myth or reality? As the Gujarat state elections scheduled for December are only a few days away, it is an imperative that  the voters are better informed and the cloud of doubts that is hanging over the claims and counterclaims be removed.

Mr. Maitreesh Ghatak, a professor at London School of Economics, characterized as such: ‘Gujarat is a proverbial case of darkness under the lamps”. According to an article written in Scroll.in, “Over the years, the high growth figures have covered up a dark underbelly of poverty, inequality and poor performance on human development indicators” said Mr. Ghatak.

To Gujarat’s credit, the World Bank has listed it as the top state on the ease of doing business. In the early 90’s, during the Congress rule, Gujarat has been at the forefront regarding both level and growth rate of income as well as infrastructure development.

However, an analysis of social data reveals the true underbelly of Gujarat, which is far behind other States in Human Development Index. If states are ranked in terms of people below poverty line, Gujarat is  No.13 and has made it quite obvious that the prosperity from the high growth rate is not trickling down fast enough to make any substantial difference.

Looking at other social indicators such as Infant mortality rate and life expectancy, Gujarat ranks 17th and 10th respectively. In terms of sex-ratio, Gujarat is at 21st and in literacy, it ranks at 7th. Overall, if states are compared on the Human Development Index, Gujarat only stands at number 10. If one examines the entire period in which Modi was the CM of Gujarat, these numbers more or less remained the same.

On the other hand, a study conducted by Bangalore-based NGO Public Affairs Center rates the three south Indian States Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as the best-governed states in India. The ranking was done by the Public Affairs Index computed on ten equal parameters including human development, law and order and basic infrastructure.

In a story on the State of States awards reported by India Today, Kerala grabbed the number 1 position as the best state topping three categories such as Law and Order, Health and Environment. It topped all States in categories for Literacy, Life Expectancy, Infant Mortality and Sex-ratio. Tamil Nadu was reported to be the most improved state in eight of the ten categories and developed into an innovation-based economy with a strong performance in Manufacturing and Services.

Even when it came to economic growth, states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana increased their growth performance by a bigger margin than Gujarat. Modi may have a higher rate of economic growth than the national average, however, he may not stake any claim to the fame as it has also been true during the pre-Modi era. Why then there are no Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu models of development?

If the high economic growth and development does not translate into the better living conditions for its ordinary citizens by creating more jobs, increasing their wages, improving educational opportunities for the poor and the disadvantaged or providing better healthcare to its citizens and in general succeeding in poverty reduction as a goal; what is there to boast about? It might have been at best simple ‘crony capitalism’ favoring a group of powerful people with capital-intensive industries that did not generate necessary jobs for the masses.

When it comes to infrastructure development, one needs to take a look at the borrowing the Government has been engaged in the Modi-era. When Narendra Modi stepped into the State’s Chief Ministership in October 2001, Gujarat debt stood at roughly around 53,000 crore rupees. When he left his post to become the Prime Minister, the public debt of the state was 165,000 crores. These figures once again question the much acclaimed ‘Gujarat Model’ of development especially considering all the ongoing social upheavals in the state particularly among the Dalits and the Patidars.

In today’s Gujarat, 49% of the Children are malnourished, and 6 million Gujarati youth including 80 percent of the Engineering graduates are unable to find suitable jobs, and the unemployment rate stood at around 6.8% which is above the national average. As a matter of fact, conditions in Gujarat have only deteriorated for the workers in rural and urban areas. The major increases in the agricultural income that was accounted in the growth story in the previous years appeared to have leveled off. Meanwhile, small and medium-size industries suffered heavily under the disastrous demonetization policies and half-baked implementation of the GST. The state also has seen the closure of more than 60,000 small scale industries in 10 years and a massive mounting of debt.

Although much of the nation and the majority of the Diaspora have bought into the ‘Gujarat Model’ story in 2014, there was plenty of early skepticism, including from this very author (http://www.pravasi.com/varthaFull.php?newsId=65667). However, the opposition parties including Congress were unable to capitalize on the available information from Gujarat government’s own Department of Economics and Statistics.

According to Alpesh Thakor, leader of ‘Ekta Munch’ in Gujarat who has once announced plans to boycott the vibrant Gujarat Summit at Gandhinagar, “ Vibrant Gujarat was always media hype and a flawed model of Gujarat was highlighted as the development model”.

The ‘Gujarat Model’ of development was a mythical and fictitious tale that is not in sync with the reality. It was primarily the result of the large incentives given to big corporate houses in terms of land, water, and other resources with little regard to environmental concerns or even adverse fiscal consequences that almost left the state treasury almost empty to spend on uplifting of masses from basic poverty and inequality.

(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer at the United Nations and Executive Director of the Indo-US Democracy Foundation)

Association of Indian Pharmacists in America celebrates  Annual Banquet and Business Expo

Staff ReporterHealth 0

Asian Media USA ©

Chicago IL: Harish Bhatt, President of the Association of Indian Pharmacists, Board of Trustees and Volunteers of America (AIPHA), organized an exciting Annual Banquet and Business Expo on Sunday, November 11, 2017 at the Meadows Club, 2950 W Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL to commemorate annual business network opportunities, Diwali and the holiday season with members and their families. The program was a sold out event attended by many dignitaries.

The evening started with a social hour featuring some tasty appetizers and premium drinks. Masters of Ceremonies for the occasion, Mr. Tushar Mehta, kicked off the program by welcoming everyone to the gala.

To encourage NRI entrepreneurs to set up new manufacturing plants in India, Consul General Mr. Debandhu Bhati explained that “Annual growth of the industry by an average of 15% per year to reach twenty billion to fifty five billion dollar industry from the span of 2020 to 2030, producing world class pharmaceuticals products dwarfs with average of 5% growth of other non-pharmaceutical industries. This phenomenal growth will contribute towards significant contributor to Prime-minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Made by India’ goal. Now, due to availability of 100% approval of FDA for production of medical devices in India”

Rupesh Manek, AIPHA Executive Director and NIPA board member, encouraged all pharmacists in Illinois get involved and become members of National Indian Pharmacist Pharmacist Association (NIPA). He congratulated AIPHA for exemplary work in organizing such a breathtaking social evening . Elaborating the mission of NIPA, he indicated that NIPA is dedicated to the construction of networking opportunities and the promotion of our cultural heritage for pharmacists of Indian origins in the United States of America by ways of interaction through a common forum. The national Indian association is committed to supporting AlPHA in all of their struggles. He congratulated Harish Bhatt and team for this wonderfully planned evening, and the entire pharmacist community practicing in Illinois under some of the hardest times that have been experienced. He informed attendees that NIPA membership now spans over 19 states in the continental United States of America, and looks forward to its presence in all states of the country, as well as increased involvement from Illinois members.

Harish Bhatt, Lifelong President of the Association of Indian Pharmacists took the stage. Welcoming everyone, he elaborated past achievements of AIPHA along with future challenges and goals requiring co-operation of each and every members.

Top shelf cash bar& delicious gourmet dinner was prepared and served by the Chefs and staff of the Meadows Club. The program concluded with some great memories of an evening which was educational, fun and entertainment by Babra and party. Sponsors: Amneal, Dick Drugs, HD Smith, McKesson, Cardinal Health Smith Drugs, DAA, Micro Merchant, TCGRX, IPC, Langerman. Executive Board: President: Harish Bhatt Vice President Ambalal Patel Secretary Mahendra Patel Joint Secretary Manu Patel Treasure Tushar Mehta Joint Treasure Snehal Bhavsar Executive Director Rupesh Manak.

The AIPHA Annual Banquet and Business Expo offers a platform in which members can network amongst themselves, as well as giving them an opportunity to meet and greet with the decision makers that influence change. The Association of Indian Pharmacists of America is an organization dedicated to increasing cultural awareness and promoting diversity through various pharmaceutical services, promotional, and social events.

Hindu groups raise conversion controversy ahead of pope’s Asia visit

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Pope Francis wanted to visit India but switched to Myanmar after Hindu nationalists stalled an expected official invitation.

Leaders of right-wing Hindu groups are reigniting the controversial issue of Christian missionaries converting Hindus, ahead of Pope Francis’ historic Asian visit that will see him travel to Myanmar instead of India.

They have feigned ignorance about the pontiff being blocked from a planned India visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The “Vishwa Hindu Parishad” (VHP, Council of Hindus) and other right-wing groups such as the Bajrang Dal, a hard-line Hindu group opposed to Christian missionary work, have been demanding a moratorium on the church’s conversion activities. They also opposed Pope John Paul II’s visit to New Delhi in November 1999.

Pope Francis “will have to clarify how conversion of people from other religions is justified,” said Bajrang Dal activist Angad Prasad from Assam state in northeastern India.

VHP sources told ucanews.com they would have a few questions for the pope, in an obvious reference to the conversion issue that Hindu groups have been steadfastly opposing.

Church leadership “lost hope” for a 2017 papal visit to India when Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, who will now be celebrating Mass with Pope Francis in Yangon on Nov 29, indirectly told media that until June this year New Delhi had issued no invitation to the pope — a necessary condition for a head of state visit under international diplomatic protocol.

“We are already in June. Even if they suddenly say, ‘come’ … (it) will take several months for the dioceses to prepare the people,” the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences was quoted in the media as saying.

The leader of the Asian bishops then hinted a change of place saying: “We have to find a good spot where we can give the Holy Father his due importance and respect.”

Neither the government nor the Vatican has issued any statement explaining why India was dropped, but it is widely understood that Modi’s pro-Hindu government did not issue the required invitation.

Pope Francis told media a year ago that he was “almost sure” of visiting Bangladesh and India in 2017 but in August the Vatican made the surprise announcement of a Nov. 27-Dec. 2 papal trip to Bangladesh and Myanmar.

“I am not sure whether he (Pope Francis) was ready to come or was keen enough,” said Pravin Togadia, international president of the VHP. I also do not know why he is not coming … so I would not like to comment on the matter,” Togadia told ucanews.com.

Modi has had a number of diplomatic engagements in the past fortnight meeting global leaders including the US President Donald Trump and the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Manila. At home, Modi has also been meeting several visiting dignitaries including French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

December is also election month in Gujarat, a crucial western Indian state for Modi’s ruling pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party and where Modi was chief minister before launching his successful foray into national politics. Observers say Modi and the BJP avoided a November papal visit as it could endanger the party’s election prospects.

Tillerson Meets Modi, Swaraj; discusses H1 visa, terrorism, trade, technology, Indo-Pacific

Staff ReporterFinance/Economy, India, Travel, U.S. 0

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on his first visit to India as a cabinet member, discussed expanding and solidifying U.S.-India security and strategic cooperation in various regions of the world, including North Korea, as well as in trade, economic development, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with Tillerson, praised Washington for the upward trajectory of bilateral relations between the two democracies and shared the resolve “on taking further steps in the direction of accelerating and strengthening the content, pace and scope of the bilateral engagement,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement reported by Indo Asian News Service.

While in New Delhi, Tillerson continued exhorting Pakistan for harboring terrorist groups within its borders. “There are too many terrorist organizations that find a safe place in Pakistan from which to conduct their operations and attacks against other countries,” Tillerson said at a joint press conference with Swaraj, according to the video available on the MEA website. These terrorist groups threatened Pakistan’s own stability, he added, reiterating what he had said in a major foreign policy speech before embarking on his tour to several countries including India and Pakistan.

India jumps to 100th spot on World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business list

Staff ReporterBusiness 0

India jumped into 100th place on the World Bank’s ranking of countries by Ease of Doing Business for the first time in its report for 2018, up about 30 places, driven by reforms in access to credit, power supplies and protection of minority investors.

The report, based on data from the capital New Delhi and the financial hub of Mumbai, ranked India among the top 10 “improvers” globally, having done better in eight out of 10 business indicators.

“Today’s result is a very clear signal from India to the rest of the world that not only has the country been ready and open for business, as it has been for many decades, it is now competing as the preferred place to do business globally,” Annette Dixon, World Bank’s vice president for South Asia, told reporters in New Delhi.

“Starting a business is now faster,” Dixon said, adding that India had strengthened access to credit system and made it easier to secure to procure construction permits.

However, the agency noted that India lags in areas such as “starting a business”, “enforcing contracts” and “dealing with construction permits.”

The report excluded the impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s shock withdrawal of high-value banknotes last year and the implementation of a nationwide multi-rate goods and services tax (GST), steps that affected businesses and dragged the economy to a three-year-low in the April-June quarter.

“In the case of GST, we know that this is a very complicated reform,” Dixon said, adding that the agency would observe the GST for the next two or three years to see its full implementation.

This month Modi eased tax rules for small and medium-sized companies in a bid to address growing criticism of his stewardship of Asia’s third-largest economy.

The World Bank report, covering the period from June 2 last year to June 1 this year, ranked India top among the South Asian nations.

“This year’s remarkable results are the culmination of efforts that have taken place over the past three years, so you can extrapolate forward and see that steps that are taken this year may take 2-3 years to show up in the results,” Dixon said.

India looking forward to visit by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson

Staff ReporterIndia, Politics, Travel, U.S. 0

India says it is looking forward to a visit by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson to New Delhi next week to further strengthen a partnership based on a shared commitment to a rule-based international order. External affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar welcomed a recent statement by Tillerson calling for an expansion of strategic ties.

“We appreciate his positive evaluation of the relationship and share his optimism about its future directions,” Kumar said. In an address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank on October 18th, Tillerson has said the world needs the U.S. and India to have a strong partnership as he pointedly criticized China, which he accused of challenging international norms needed for global stability.

He said the United States and India shared goals of security, free navigation, free trade and an international rules-based order which is increasingly under strain.

Tillerson’s remarks come as a boost to India at a time when its ties with China have suffered a setback following a recent border standoff. Declaring, “We share a vision of the future,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has unveiled a centennial roadmap marking a “profound transformation” in United States-India cooperation “in defense of a rules-based order” with New Delhi “fully embracing its potential as a leading player in the international security arena.”

The Secretary pointed to what he considered a “more profound transformation that’s taking place, one that will have far-reaching implications for the next 100 years: The United States and India are increasingly global partners with growing strategic convergence.”

“Our nations are two bookends of stability – on either side of the globe – standing for greater security and prosperity for our citizens and people around the world,” he said. “President (Donald) Trump and Prime Minister  (Narendra) Modi are committed, more than any other leaders before them, to building an ambitious partnership that benefits not only our two great democracies, but other sovereign nations working toward greater peace and stability,” he said.

The speech gave form and substance to the administration’s policy towards India and not just South Asia, but the broader Indo-Pacific region stretching from the vulnerable western flank of the U.S. It touched on a wide range of areas of cooperation ranging from military and defense to  economics and trade, and from promotion of democracy to freedom of navigation.

“Tillerson’s speech was one of the most thoughtful and forward leaning speeches from this administration,” asserted Jeff M. Smith, research fellow on South Asia at The Heritage Foundation. The core of the cooperation between the U.S. and India and New Delhi’s enhanced role that Tillerson outlined lies in the Indo-Pacific region where the “world’s center of gravity is shifting” — an area where the Washington and its allies confront China, which he said “subverts the sovereignty of neighboring countries and disadvantages the U.S. and our friends.”

In effect, President Donald Trump’s point-man for foreign policy, just dramatically ratcheted up U.S. support for India’s role in the Indo-Pacific region vis-a-vis Beijing, delivering a clear message of preference for the democracy just as the Chinese Communist Party Congress was getting underway in Beijing, and days before Trump’ was scheduled to visit China.

India, Tillerson said in no uncertain terms, weighed heavier on the scale of strategic security and economic cooperation in Asia. “We’ll never have the same relationship with China, a nondemocratic society, that we have with India,” asserted Tillerson during questions and answers after a speech. Tillerson outlined the game-plan for an Indo-Pacific region where Washington was already engaged with India and Japan, and hopes to rope in Australia to make a quartet countering China’s aggressive stance in the South China Sea.

“We need to collaborate with India to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is increasingly a place of peace, stability, and growing prosperity – so that it does not become a region of disorder, conflict, and predatory economics,” clearly pointing at China.

“The emerging Delhi-Washington strategic partnership stands upon a shared commitment upholding the rule of law, freedom of navigation, universal values, and free trade,” he said, asserting further that, “Our nations are two bookends of stability – on either side of the globe – standing for greater security and prosperity for our citizens and people around the world.” Experts see this as the clearest statement of U.S. objectives vis-a-vis Asia and India, coming from this or previous administrations.

India leading emerging nations in race for universal energy access

Staff ReporterBusiness, Environment, Finance/Economy 0

India is on course to achieving universal access to electricity and clean cooking facilities by the early 2020s, a decade ahead of other developing countries, the International Energy Agency has said, indicating global recognition for the Narendra Modi government’s energy programme.

“Developing countries in Asia are making significant progress. Many countries in the region are well on track to reach universal energy access by 2030, while India is on course to reach that goal by the early 2020s,” the International Energy Agency has said in its latest report, ‘Energy Access Outlook: from Poverty to Prosperity’.

“Just look at India, which has provided electricity access to half a billion people since 2000. The government’s tremendous efforts over the last several years have put it on track to achieving one of the biggest success stories ever in electrification,” an IEA statement on Wednesday quoted its executive director Fatih Birol as saying.

According to Birol, the process of providing access to clean and affordable energy is being accelerated by the “convergence of political will and cost reductions”. Globally, this has brought universal energy access by 2030 within reach.

“The cost-effective strategy for providing universal access to electricity and clean-cooking facilities in developing countries is compatible with meeting global climate goals and prevents millions of premature deaths each year. It would also benefit women the most, as it would free up billions of hours currently lost to gathering fuelwood,” says the report.

In the Indian context, the report’s positive results towards universal energy access are a reflection of the bristling pace set by the Modi government to electrify all villages and rural households through the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana and providing free connections to poor households through the Subhagya scheme announced recently, besides bringing clean cooking fuel to poor homes through the Ujjwala scheme.

These schemes, clearly targeted at improving the lives of India’s poor, are at the core of the Modi government’s development plank. Together, they also form a key element of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political outreach plan by lighting up homes and rid poor women from the scourge of smoky ‘chulhas’

So far 14,670 villages, or 80% of the unelectrified villages, have been electrified in the two years since the electrification drive was launched. Only 2,791 inhabited villages, marking 15% of the target, remain to be electrified. With the rapid progress in village electrification, the government earlier this month announced the Saubhagya scheme envisaging free connections to poor households. The Ujjwala scheme too has reached over 3 crore poor homes since it was launched in May 2016 against a target of 5 crore homes set for 2019.

Dushahra Festival celebrated in Hempstead, NY

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Indo-American Festivals of Long Island in New York celebrated its 3rd Annual Grand Dushahra Festival at Lido Beach, in Hempstead, NY on October 15, culminating with a spectacular burning of a 40-foot Ravan effigy. Lido Beach came alive on Sunday with a crowd of more than 4,000 people who had traveled long distances to witness the celebration of the Dushahra festival in Long Island.

This year, the festival was inaugurated by Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino and Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmed, Chairperson( IAF-Tristate) Chanchal Gupta, Chairperson-NY Dr. Ravindra Goyal, President Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Vice President Avtar Sharma, Raj Mittal along with community leaders like Dr. Raj Bhayani, Kamlesh Mehta, Surinder Kathuria, Bina Sabapathy, Dharmatma Saran, Miss India Worldwide 2017 Madhu Valli, Kanak Golia, Manu Sharma, Ranga from New York Life, and the Bollywood singer Archit. he festival had something for everyone to enjoy- a colorful cultural program organized by Indu Gajwani with beautiful dances, classical and Bollywood music by Archit, and Falguni Shah. Children had an opportunity to showcase their immense talent through singing, dancing and various cultural activities. Food vendors sold crowd favorites from chat, pau bhaji, Bhel Puri samosas and the usual street-fair favorites.

This was followed by Ram Leela, a dramatic musical rendering of the Hindu epic Ramayana, which was brought to life by Varsha Naik and her team, almost 50 performers of the Navrang Dance Academy. The crowd watched with rapt attention as the artists wearing beautifully designed period costumes enacted the different events in Lord Rama’s life, culminating in the defeat of the mighty King Ravan of Lanka, followed by burning of a model Lanka and a 40ft effigy of the Demon King.

“Dushahra” is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin, to celebrate the victory of Lord Rama over the Demon King Ravan. The festival was a fun-filled day of celebration with a variety of vendors selling Indian food, clothing, toys, home décor items and much more.

The Dushahra festival was originally started in 1999 by the founder and chairman Mangal Gupta in New Jersey and has since grown exponentially to become the Annual Grand Dushahra Festival, but not without the overwhelming support of the committee members, Dr. Ravindra Goyal, Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Shyam and Indu Gajwani, Kamal Daga, Atul Sharma, Neelima Goyal, Damyanti Goyal, Suman Sharma, Mukesh Modi, Jagdish Awasthi, Kamal Daga, Vinod Goyal, Sushil Goyal, who have been working continuously for several months to make this event possible.

Varun Dhawan to Feature at Madame Tussauds

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Actor Varun Dhawan is the latest Bollywood celebrity who will have his wax statue featured at the Hong Kong branch of Madame Tussauds. The 30-year-old actor is the youngest Indian to have made to the list and said getting his wax idol is one of the coolest things he has done.

He took to Instagram to make the announcement. “#MADAMETUSSAUDS coming soon. This is probably one of the coolest things that I have done. Getting my own statue is something I didn’t expect this early on in life.

“Thank you Madame Tussauds for making me the youngest Indian to make it to your elite list. #dontstopbelieiving,” the “Badrinath Ki Dulhania” star wrote, alongside a picture which shows him giving his measurements for the statue.

The official Twitter account of the wax museum posted an update saying, “Bollywood superstar @Varun_dvn is having his world-first figure in @TussaudsHK. He will unveil his figure in Hong Kong in early 2018 too!”

Next year, Varun Dhawan will join other stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan in the Bollywood Superstar Collection. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong also features wax figures of world leaders such as PM Narendra Modi, Mahatma Gandhi, among others.

Gurdaspur election: a repudiation of Modi’s disastrous economic policies.

Staff ReporterPolitics 0

George Abraham

The newly elected Member of Parliament Sunil Jhakar characterized his Gurdaspur constituency win with the following statement. “I had said it from the very first day that this election will be a mandate on the policies of union government led by Modi. People have vented their anger against demonetization and GST by making me an MP with a huge margin of votes. I had asked people to vote for me and against BJP’s economic and communal agenda. People have responded to my call, and it has sent a clear message to union government on behalf of the whole country that people are fed up with its policies, and it is time for change,”

Gurdaspur election victory may be a turning point in history for the Congress Party which has been reeling from its inability to expose the failures of the Modi Government efficiently and to change the mindset of the electorate that is still clinging on to the promise of Modi’s ‘Ache Din.’ The Modi PR machine which has helped to catapult BJP to power in Delhi by riding on the bandwagon of a fraudulent ‘Gujarat Model of development’ platform still hasn’t lost its full steam. Nevertheless, Gurdaspur election victory by a recorded margin by the Congress party is pointing probably to the severe first crack of the theory that Modi will be unbeatable in the upcoming Parliamentary election, in 2019.

Most of the reputed Economists including some of the senior stalwarts of the BJP such as the former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and the former minister of communications Arun Shourie expressed grave concern that the economy is fast slipping into deep recession, with no hope of recovery in the foreseeable future. It is believed that all fundamental parameters are declining along with GDP that has fallen for six quarters in a row. The demonetization alone may have shaved off 2 points from GDP growth just as Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister has predicted. Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine characterized the demonetization process as the “massive theft of people’s property – a shocking move for a democratically elected government”. The negative consequences from the demonetization are still being felt across the spectrum jeopardizing the livelihood of poor farmers and ordinary citizens alike.

Another one of Modi’s grand promises was to create millions of job for the youth. He not only has failed to create those promised jobs but has presided over an economy that started shedding jobs especially in the technology sector. Various protectionist measures across the world including that of President Trump’s new ‘Buy American, Hire American’ executive order followed by several countries including Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore introducing their own legislation aimed at curbing the inflow of foreign labor where Indian Engineers make a sizable chunk of those immigrants to those countries. This new global dynamics rooted in the nationalistic sentiment has further precipitated these jobless growth phenomena in India while automation and new technologies using artificial intelligence (AI) continued to reduce job opportunities across the board. The Modi government is behaving as if it has no clue as to how to confront this crisis to placate the youth who put their faith in the BJP government to improve their destiny.

The sharp fall in the international crude oil prices has been a boon for the Modi government as it has refused to pass on the benefit to the consumer. To a great extent, the government is profiteering at people’s cost while driving up inflation and putting additional pressure on small businesses,

Finally, the messy implementation of the GST appears to have done grave damage to the economy, especially on the small entrepreneurs and traders. Many of these businesses are shutting down resulting in more job losses.

According to Anand Sharma, the deputy leader of the Congress parliamentary party and former minister of Commerce and Industry, “Prime Minister Modi and the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley remain in denial and clueless on addressing the crisis of their own making. They are guilty of monumental mismanagement of Indian economy”.

Therefore, Gurdaspur election victory is not a shocking development to those astute political observers but rather a window of opportunity for the Congress party to seize the initiative and capitalize on Modi’s failures to rescue the people of India from the disastrous economic policies pursued by this administration.

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

Friends of MP: NY/NJ host 3rd annual picnic

Staff ReporterCommunity 0

Friends of MP : NY/NJ, the nodal group for NRIs hailing from Madhya Pradesh and residing in New York tristate held its 3rd annual Picnic cum get together on Sunday 17th September at Princeton Country Club Picnic Area of Mercer Parks in NJ. The ‘House- Full’ event had around 300 participants of all age groups-including families and couples – originating from all small and big towns in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and in the tri state area.

In many firsts, this organizing team planned the morning breakfast slated as ‘Indore Kaa Sarafa’ (an area in Indore famous for its food delicacies). The very elaborate fare included traditional Indori dishes like Pohe with Indori Sev, Kachori, Saboodana Khichdi, and Indore’ s unique spicy food delicacy Garadu . This was laced with Chilled Jaljeera . The afternoon Lunch included Dal, Batee, Choorma served in special Thali. To set the ambience, the picnic area was plastered with banners show casing about MP’ unique features.

The food in authentic Indore taste was very much appreciated. To go with the sumptuous food, there were elaborate games, fun activities, Photo Booth with MP memorabilia, Snow Cones and Candy Floss (again in Indore style) and much more for the Couples, Ladies and Kids attending. Alongside, Cricket and Volleyball was played with lot of interest. Like in previous years, the name tags for all Attendees were made out in Hindi.

The picnic offered great opportunity for people from different cities/ towns of Madhya Pradesh to seek others from their origins. Many people got a chance to reconnect with friends after 10-15 years. The organizing team had been working on this event for over 6 months. It attracted such huge interest that many people were on wait list due to capacity constraints of the Picnic area. In the afternoon, Surprise best wishes messages for Friends of MP and this Picnic from the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP National Gen Secretary Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya (from Indore) and Principal Secretary to MP CM, Shri SK Mishra were played out . https://youtu.be/0ADoLGQSR2c Message from Chief Minister of CM, Shri ShivRaj Singh Chouhan https://youtu.be/cTqdR9WS-G8 Message from BJP National Gen Secretary, Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya https://youtu.be/0VWpAaIq-Ng Message from Principal Secy to CM MP,

Shri SK Mishra As the date coincided with Birthday of Shri Narendra Modi, the gathering conveyed its greetings for India’s Prime Minister. The Indian Consulate in New York also conveyed its best wishes for the Picnic. While most of the attendees in the Picnic were from MP, Community leaders from other Indian sociocultural organisations also attended. The organizing team of this Picnic is made up of volunteers hailing from MP and residing in NY Tristate. Key members of the team include the families of Jitendra Muchhhal, Rajesh Mittal, Sandeep Jain, Raj Bansal, Pankaj Gupta, Rajiv Goyal, Anupam Sarwaikar, Rakesh Bhargava, Dr Rajesh Kakani, Nipun Joshi, Anjani Mittal, Avinash Jhawar, Navneet Trivedi

 “Is the World Integrating or Disintegrating?”

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“Is the world integrating or disintegrating,” was addressed by Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva.  The venue was the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board High-level dialogue: Is the world integrating or disintegrating? Geneva, September 12, 2017.

“The increasing economic inter-dependency among nations captured by the ‘globalization’ rubric has been driven by a combination of technology, policy, business behavior, and public attitudes,” according to the Archbishop.  He went on to say: “The present degree of global and regional challenges requires strong cooperation and solidarity among States, regions and international organisations, as no actor alone can positively cope with issues such as economic crisis, inequalities, future of work, climate change, social exclusion and migration.”

Statement by H.E. Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva UNCTAD Trade and Development Board High-level dialogue: Is the world integrating or disintegrating? Geneva, September 12, 2017.

“Mr. President, The Delegation of the Holy See welcomes the opportunity of this High-level dialogue and the note prepared by the UNCTAD Secretariat which focuses on “the possibility of a new normal in global trade relations, provides an overview of regional trade agreements (RTAs) in developing countries and addresses the role of regionalism in economic development”.

The increasing economic inter-dependency among nations captured by the ‘globalization’ rubric has been driven by a combination of technology, policy, business behavior, and public attitudes. While all of these factors help to explain economic growth generally, they have contributed especially to global integration through trade, finance and migration. The present degree of global and regional challenges requires strong cooperation and solidarity among States, regions and international organisations, as no actor alone can positively cope with issues such as economic crisis, inequalities, future of work, climate change, social exclusion and migration.

Regional integration has long been a tool in trade promotion; increased trade flows and evolving commercial links within Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) have been forged between regions in the last two decades. In developing countries, trade agreements help determine national trade policy and potentially amplify the impact of trade on development. RTAs have the potential to promote higher standards in terms of labour, environment, transparency and other progressive reforms and non-economic policy objectives. RTAs have become the instrument of choice to increase trade. Since 1995, 445 regional trade agreements covering goods and/or services have been reported to the World Trade Organization1 and to date “all WTO members […] have an RTA in force”2. In the last decade, a new approach to RTAs has seen their evolution into mega-regionals and multiparty agreements. Furthermore, a growing number of bilateral, regional and interregional trade agreements incorporate provisions that address social and developmental concerns, such as labor policy considerations, sustainable development and environmental protection. All of these considerations must be based on the dignity of the human person. Following this premise both individual actors and multilateral institutions can work together with the goal of reaching the common good.

Mr. President,

The Nairobi Maafikiano highlights the importance of regional integration in promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development through, inter alia, strengthening regional economic cooperation among developing and developed countries. Regional integration can be an important catalyst to reducing trade barriers, implementing policy reforms, decreasing trade costs and increasing developing country participation in regional and global value chains”. Nonetheless, it should not be forgotten that modern business and free trade, “even if they have reduced poverty for a great number of people, often have led to a widespread social exclusion.”3

Trade is unbalanced and unjust when it complements the landscape of social exclusion and inequality – when it transgresses anyone’s dignity anywhere in the world; when it neglects the common good of the whole of humanity; when it worsens the distribution of income; when it fails to create sustainable employment; when, worse, it takes advantage of human trafficking and modern slavery; and when in effect it bars the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable from participating in economic life. Such a trading system cannot be justified when it protects or even enhances the ability of large corporations to cut corners, avoid paying taxes and discard workers rather than supporting the ability of the poor and marginalized to earn a decent living and live in dignity. It cannot be defended when it runs roughshod over basic human rights, refusing to hear the cries of the poor who toil long hours for scandalously low pay in unsafe working conditions. It cannot be defended when it treats the natural environment as yet another resource to be plundered, rather than a precious gift to be stewarded prudently and wisely, including with self-restraint.

Regional Trade Agreements can help developing countries to gradually adjust to the increased degree of free trade competition. However, we must recall, as Pope Paul VI affirmed, that “free trade can be called just only when it conforms to the demands of social justice.”4 In this sense, we have to identify the inequalities of the economic system and start fixing them. RTAs should be seen and used as powerful tools of solidarity and subsidiarity, but not as a substitute of the wider multilateral framework. Member States can enhance the facilitating role that cooperation within and among RTAs can have in areas where policy coordination and coherence is most needed to increase synergies between trade and the Sustainable Development Goals, such as “reducing trade policy uncertainty; avoiding the extremes of trade protectionism at regional and multilateral levels; promoting the structural transformation of low-income and/or commodity-dependent developing countries; devising regulatory measures and standards, for example in the areas of health, the environment and competition policy, that enhance and do not undermine the trade flows of developing countries; and formulating policy measures to achieve inclusive trade, for example for small and medium-sized enterprises, women and youth”5.

RTAs and multilateralism must be centered on the integral development of all human beings. Economic policies must respect the dignity of every person and negotiations must promote the common good. If not, the roots of the last, devastating crisis will not be cut. If the current problems are not addressed, the economic situation will ultimately worsen the global political landscape, fueling fears and tensions worldwide.

In conclusion, Mr. President,

UNCTAD can play a fundamental role in shaping a new spirit in global trade relations. What the world needs now, more than ever, is a new culture of fair multilateral relations based on cooperation and international solidarity. This should be the permanent role of UNCTAD, to be an opportunity and a place for a renewed and effective dialogue on development. Multilateralism, if promoting a human-centred approach to the economy, and RTAs, if aimed at improving the common good, can promote a just trade and will strongly help the human family build a better world and fairer societies. Thank you, Mr. President.”

Rs. 200 Notes Launched in India

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The bright yellow coloured Rs. 200 notes been launched a day after the finance minister gave go-ahead to the Reserve Bank of India or RBI to issue the new currency bill. The Indian central bank, while announcing the move on Thursday last week, said that the Rs. 200 notes will act as a “missing link” and make it easier for people to transact in lower denomination currency, thereby bringing greater efficiency into the system.

“The Reserve Bank of India will issue on August 25, 2017 Rs. 200 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (new) Series, bearing signature of Urjit R Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India from select RBI offices, and some banks,” RBI said in a press releaseAs per the new policy on theme-based currency notes, the Rs. 200 bill bears motif of Sanchi Stupa to depict India’s cultural heritage.

This is the fourth new note to be announced since November, when the Narendra Modi government announced a ban on Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes to choke tax evaders. Following the demonetization of Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes last November, the central bank had introduced Rs. 2,000 notes and new Rs. 500 notes. The phasing out of the high-value notes led to severe cash shortage in the economy and put pressure on low value notes.

India has currency denominations of Rs. 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 2,000. As such, in the lower end of the denomination series, Rs. 200 has been the missing link. The RBI had recently introduced Rs. 50 note with a new look and additional security features. “To achieve the optimal system of currency that would minimise the number of denominations while increasing the probability of proffering exact change, especially at the lower end of denominations, there is a logical need to introduce the missing denomination of Rs. 200, which will make the present currency system more efficient,” RBI said.

Among prominent features, the Rs. 200 banknote will carry portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre and the denominational numeral “200” with rupee symbol in colour changing ink – green to blue – on the bottom right on the obverse (front) side of the note, RBI said.

For visually impaired, the front side of the note will have intaglio or raised printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, raised identification mark ‘H’ with micro-text Rs. 200, four angular bleed lines with two circles in between the lines both on the right and left sides.

The reverse side of the note will carry a Swachh Bharat logo with slogan and the Sanchi Stupa motif, RBI said. The new note will be in a dimension of 66mmX146mm.

RBI said the introduction of a new currency denomination and design is done keeping in consideration various factors like ease of transactions for the common man, replacement of soiled banknotes, inflation and the need for combating counterfeiting.

Indians get right to privacy impeding Modi’s graft fight

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India’s top court has ruled citizens have a fundamental right to privacy, a potential setback to the government’s plan of using its vast biometric identification program in everything from mobile connections to income-tax filings, Bloomberg News stated.

In an unanimous verdict nine judges of the Supreme Court ruled that privacy was a part of the fundamental right to life and liberty guaranteed under the country’s constitution.

“Right to privacy is an intrinsic part of right to life,” Chief Justice J.S. Khehar said while reading out the verdict.

The ruling by a rare nine-judge bench came after a referral from a smaller panel hearing a challenge to India’s biometric identity program, Aadhaar, which has signed up more than one billion Indians. It also will impact the workings of a host of global corporations in India such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google search engine, Facebook’s social network and its WhatsApp messaging platform as well as technology companies like Apple and Uber, which deal with the data of individual users on a day-to-day basis.

Aadhaar, which means “foundation” in Hindi, is a 12-digit number provided to citizens after collecting their biometric information — finger prints and an iris scan — along with demographic details and a mobile phone number. It was originally designed to stop the pilfering by middlemen of government subsidies for the poor, by underpinning a citizen’s I.D. with biometric data, and to save money as the government doles out social security benefits.

The Aadhaar program has gradually become a key component of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to make India a cashless society. Modi’s government has attempted to make Aadhaar compulsory for a number of government services ranging from school meals for students to paying taxes, raising concerns about privacy and data theft.

“Aadhaar’s architecture will now have to be tested on the touchstone of privacy being a fundamental right,” said lawyer Sajan Poovayya, who represents lawmaker and entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar, one of the petitioners. “If Aadhaar has to pass the muster, its architecture should not impinge or erode this fundamental right to privacy.”

In India, anything considered a “fundamental right” has constitutional protection and can’t be taken away, except for rare exceptions such as national security. Law officers of the federal government had argued in court that privacy was not a fundamental right and an individual’s right to their body isn’t absolute.

Sensing the government’s eagerness to incorporate biometric data in citizens’ daily lives, private companies have been enthusiastically adopting Aadhaar, using it to authenticate job seekers, blood donors and loan applicants. Samsung offers devices with Aadhaar-compliant iris scanners embedded, while Microsoft integrated the biometrics into its Skype video-chatting service so users can authenticate themselves using the government database.

Some of the arguments against Aadhaar have focused on the government’s decision to make enrollment compulsory to receive welfare benefits. Another concern raised was that data could be used to track a person’s movements and transactions. Petitioners cited several instances of numbers and personal details being leaked or sold online.

The legal validity of mandatory use of the Aadhaar program will now be scrutinized by a smaller bench in light of the verdict last week.“Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy is a fundamental right, the court can examine whether Aadhaar violates this fundamental right,” said Rahul Matthan, a privacy lawyer and partner at law firm Trilegal.

Consulate General of India, Chicago Celebrates 71st Independence Day with Gaiety and Fervour

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 “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s innovative schemes and initiatives have made India the most favourite destination for investments by global players. His visit to the United States has opened newer vistas of mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.”- Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General
 
Asian Media USA ©
Chicago IL: Consulate General of India, Chicago celebrated the 71st Independence Day of India on Tuesday August 15, 2017 with great enthusiasm and traditional zeal. The Flag hoisting ceremony was held at Richard J. Daley Centre with an overwhelming participation of the Indian-American Community and Friends of India under the umbrella of the Consulate General of India, Chicago. The atmosphere at the venue was charged with feelings of patriotism and pride.
 
The celebration kick started with Consul General, Ms. Neeta Bhushan, hoisting the National Flag which was followed by singing of the National Anthem of India. Consul General read out the Address of the Hon’ble President of India. A cultural program was organized in which students of the Kalashree Dance Academy, Mythilli Dance Academy, Kalapriya Dance Academy, and Fun Creative Kids presented colourful Indian dances. The programme depicted different dance forms in India. The lively audience thoroughly enjoyed the dance and musical program and appreciated the hard work put in by the artistes, especially small children.
 
The National Day Reception was hosted at the beautiful iconic building of Chicago Cultural Centre. Prominent local dignitaries, Members of Diplomatic Corps, and Indian-American community participated in the event and friends of India. Several Congressmen and Mayors, including Mr Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman from 8th District of State of Illinois, Mayor of Skokie, Mr. George Van Dusen, Mayor of Burr of Ridge, Mr. Mickey Straub, and Mayor of Carmel [State of Indiana], Mr. James Brainard were among the prominent attendees. Representatives from the office of Governor of Illinois Bruce Rauner, Governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton, office of Senator of Illinois Tammy Duckworth, office of the Attorney General Ms. Lisa Madigan, office of Congressman Bobby Rush, office of Hon’ble Mayor of City of Chicago Rahm Emanuel, and many Consuls General also attended the event. The National Day Reception started with National anthems of India and the US, followed by address by Consul General, Ms. Neeta Bhushan.
 
In her address, Ms. Neeta Bhushan welcomed the guests and mentioned that the celebration represents an important milestone in the historic city of Chicago, well known all over the world for its multi-culturalism as well as diversity, which in many ways is reminiscent of India. She stated that she was honoured to see so many dignitaries including Mayors, Congressmen and Consuls General as well as many members of Indian-Americans, business community, and friends of India participating in the event. She thanked the dignitaries and guests who travelled from various States and far off cities to join this Celebration. 
 
She stated that India has been marching forward from strength to strength in the last seven decades. “India is not just the largest democracy in the world today but a very mature democracy where people from different communities, ethnicity, religious, and castes live together in harmony”, she stated with a sense of pride. Continuing her address, she said: “India is a country of 1.25 billion people with a large segment under the age of 35. India has one of the largest pools of professional and skilled personnel. At present, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a growth rate of over 7% as predicted by the IMF and other credit rating agencies”. She further stated that over the last few decades or so, India has gone through a series of transformations which are so unique not just because of the numbers but because of its implications and ramifications for doing business and interacting with the rest of the world.  Consul General mentioned that India has recently been ranked No. 1 among 110 countries making it the world’s top most investment destinations. “In terms of scientific achievement, the Indian Space Research Organization has recently launched over 104 satellites in a single flight of the PSLV.  In terms of humanitarian missions, India carried out one of the largest evacuations of its kind in Yemen, bringing home not just Indians but people from over 26 nationalities”, she stated.
 
She mentioned that India has emerged as a software solution provider for rest of the world and also become a manufacturing hub in the region. She mentioned that Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, has launched a number of initiatives such as Skill India, Digital India, Make in India, Clean India etc. She also mentioned that PM’s visit to the US has further strengthened the partnership between the two countries.
 
On this occasion, Proclamations and Messages received from dignitaries were also read out which included messages from the Governor Bruce Rauner, State of Illinois, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, City of Chicago, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, State of Illinois, and Congressman Bobby Rush.   Congressman Raja Krishnamurthy read the Proclamation himself.
 
The ceremony was followed by a cultural program. Students from Team Ghunguru & Soorya Dance School presented colourful Indian dances.
 
The function concluded with a grand banquet attended by a full house of over 350 people in which sumptuous Indian delicacies were served.

TCS sees opportunities in Manufacturing, Life Sciences

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India’s top IT services company Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) is moving to capitalize on growth opportunities in areas such as life sciences and manufacturing, Chief Executive Rajesh Gopinathan said last week.

According to a report by Reuters, with IT spending in the core banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) segment subdued in the United States – the largest market for India’s more than $150 billion software services sector – companies are looking at different sectors and a wider range of service offerings to drive revenue growth.

Gopinathan said in an interview with Reuters that technology was playing a growing role in not just the manufacturing process, but also in products, allowing companies such as TCS to target non-traditional sectors more than they did in the past.

“When we look at manufacturing, the extent of smart features that go into not just the manufacturing process, but the product itself are steadily increasing,” he said.

From smart refrigerators to connected cars, technology now plays a far bigger role in products, with the proliferation of the Internet of Things and embedded tracking devices helping companies manage logistics and inventory.

TCS posted slightly weaker-than-expected quarterly results late on Thursday, but it reported over 10 percent year-over-year revenue growth from clients in the manufacturing, life sciences and energy sectors.

The three combined currently account for less than 20 percent of TCS’s revenue and the BFSI segment accounts for a third.

Gopinathan also said that while TCS would have traditionally focused on servicing the sales and administration functions of such clients, it was now working with those companies even on the final products they market.

“We have a situation where we are under-penetrated in such sectors. On top of that the addressable space in these sectors is rapidly expanding,” said Gopinathan. “That’s a growth driver and an unfolding opportunity.”

Gopinathan said the mood among BFSI clients had turned optimistic with the prospect of a further interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the potential easing of regulatory requirements. “Sentiment is definitely positive,” he said, adding that movement on interest rates and regulations could help trigger increased IT spending by BFSI clients.

Interest rate hikes can improve banks’ margins, while U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is looking to ease regulations that were imposed on banks after the global financial crises.

The Mumbai-based company sees scope to expand in the BFSI market by adding smaller clients, such as regional banks. The Indian market also offers a big opportunity for TCS as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Digital India initiative could boost tech spending in Asia’s third-largest economy, Gopinathan said.

Sales in India, which accounts for 7 percent of TCS revenues, rose by around 13 percent year-on year in the quarter to June, coming in a close second to mainland Europe. “I think as growth rates pick up back in India, we should see a pickup (in spending).”

Stardust promotes girl child campaign with Global Indian Icon Awards in New York City

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With the launching of a campaign to support girl child, Stardust magazine, an icon of India’s entertainment, music, and fashion news, held its inaugural Global Indian Icon Awards at the New York Plaza Hotel, on July 13th, to celebrate some global Indian achievers.

While offering its support to the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save Girl Child, Educate Girl Child) – a social campaign that aims to generate awareness and improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls, the premier entertainment magazine, launched in 1971, brought together global icons who, in turn, pledged to eradicate female feticide and promote women empowerment, in India.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao was launched by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on January 22, 2015, and aims to eradicate female feticide in India. Stardust Stardust honored the global Indian icons with a special magazine dedicated to their success stories and unveiled the issue with the awardees adorning the front cover.

Stardust Icons included, Poonam Khubani; Ali Velshi; Dr. Hetal Gor; Sant Singh Chatwal; Indra Nooyi; Meera Gandhi; Sanjukta Dutta; Meety Bagga; Asma Gulzar; Dr. Kamini Rao; S V Anchan; Jani Vishwanath Jaggtiani; Avin Agarwal; Sanjay Joshi; Ujjwala Raut; Lawrence Paul; Shaik Faazil; Deepak Chopra; Vikas Khanna; Sanjana Jon. Stardust Super Icons were Raj Nayak; Anuj Gandhi; Sonu Sood; Gulshan Grover; Neetu Chandra; Divya Khosla Kumar.

The event witnessed two fabulous fashion shows, displaying the collections of Asma Gulzar, founder of Aida Couture – The Fashion Hub; and Sanjana Jon. Lulia Vantur was the show stopper for Jon’s show. Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra also gave a dapper performance to a medley of Bollywood’s actress Rekha’s songs.

Mika Singh made a surprise guest appearance and rocked the stage with his Punjabi swag. Some other celebrities seen at the event, included former Goldman Sachs Board member Rajat Gupta, entrepreneur Sant Singh Chatwal, new age guru and author Deepak Chopra, chef Vikas Khanna, actors Gulshan Grover and Sonu Sood, and India’s top model Ujjwala Raut, who divides her time between Mumbai and New York City. The awards show concluded with a note of blessing by Swami Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Swaraswatiji.

FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum 2017 fcusses On “India And United States: Partners In Progress”

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FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum was held on July 14th, 2017 at the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue as part of the IIFA Weekend and Awards in New York. Supported by Consulate General of India- New York, Asia Society and US-India Business Council (USIBC), the Business Forum was an initiative which began in 2005 and has grown into a global platform which has in threw past hosted international leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Tony Blair of UK, President Mahindra Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka and a number of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

A stronger partnership in dealing with counter-terrorism will give an impetus to India-US relations, US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has said. “The number of military-to-military engagement and exercises between US and India exceeds any other partner in the region and it is only continuing to grow,” the Hawaiian Democrat said at a Ficci-IIFA Global Business Forum here on Friday.

Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to the Congress, was in conversation with the Indian envoy to the US, Navtej Sarna, at the event.

They discussed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US last month to meet President Donald Trump and how opportunities must be explored to further strengthen ties between the two countries. Stressing the need to boost counter-terrorism, Gabbard said: “There is a recognition of the benefit to continuing to strengthen the partnership and engagement, to ensure the countries are stable and that we deal with unconventional counter-terror threats together… Because then we will be stronger.”

Sarna pointed out at the ongoing Malabar joint naval exercise, which is aimed at enhancing interoperability between the navies of India, US and Japan. “Aircraft carriers from India and US are exercising together with submarines. This year, India has been designated as a major defence partner by the US… We need to fight this together, and we appreciate the personal reactions we got on the recent attack on pilgrims in India,” he added.

Gabbard also said there’s still a lot of excitement in Washington around Modi’s visit. “For those of us on the India-US Caucus and those who have been working on India-US partnership for years, everyone is saying it that these are the most exciting times for friendship between both the countries.

She mentioned that economic partnerships were flourishing and so too were relationships in technology, education, culture and the Arts. “Having the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) celebrations here is appropriate given how much interest not just the Indian-American audience has, but the Americans as a whole have in films coming from India. This is increasing the understanding and affinity between the people of the two countries,” she said.

Sarna appreciated how the support for India-US engagement is “bipartisan and across the political spectrum”. He even said that during Modi’s visit to meet Trump, they “hit it off in terms of understanding, engaging each other and listening to each other’s concerns”.

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor talked about the Globalization of Indian Cinema and Media, as part of the FICCI-IIFA Business Forum, at the Asia Society. After praising the diversity of New York, Kapoor said that with digitization, the world is becoming a smaller place. “Just sitting at home, in Mumbai, you can reach out to the world,” he said, also emphasizing how important digitization has become for Indian cinema and its media as everything can be uploaded and sent immediately.

In a fireside chat with Viacom 18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats, Kapoor explained his journey of working on the sets of the show 24 when he was here. “I was here for six months and I shot for 24 over here so I had a very day-to-day experience over here where I met from the writers, to the directors, to the actors, to the prop managers; from the top to the bottom, how they worked,” he said.

FICCI- IIFA Global Business Forum, the annual one-day event has been a major highlight of the IIFA Weekend And Awards, solidifying the business ties between India and its significant trade and investment partners. This year, the Global Business Forum 2017 will focus on the theme “India and United States: Partners in Progress”, with discussions on India- US commercial relations, with panel sessions focusing on key aspects of the relationship:  The future of India-US Economic Partnership, Defense and Security, Manufacturing, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Media & Entertainment.

US-India Business Council members vote to split from U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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A top American business advocacy group representing US companies having footprint in India has decided to part ways with the all-powerful US Chambers of Commerce, accusing it of undue interference in its work, a media report has said.

In an unprecedented move, the high-profile Board of the US India Business Council(USIBC) unanimously voted 29-0 to separate from the US Chambers of Commerce, which is the world’s largest chambers of commerce, The Washington Post reported.

The board of the U.S. India Business Council- whose membership includes the chief executives of Pepsi and MasterCard – has voted unanimously to break off from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, saying that “recent actions taken by the Chamber have left us with no alternative but to take this vote to formally separate.”

The vote by 29 USIBC board members was the culmination of a running battle with U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Thomas J. Donohue that dates back to 2010 and which came to a boil during the recent visit to Washington by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The dispute provides a rare look at tensions among business leaders at high levels.

The board members who voted to split off from the Chamber include heavyweights such as Pepsi chief executive Indra Nooyi, Cisco executive chairman and former CEO John Chambers, former defense secretary William Cohen, MasterCard chief executive Ajay Banga and Warburg Pincus co-chief executive Charles “Chip” Kaye.

Donohue wrote a letter to USIBC board members on July 1 before the vote saying that the U.S.-India group “cannot ‘separate’ from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce without our concurrence.” The Chamber founded the group, and in his letter Donohue described the USIBC as a “program” with “no autonomous existence outside of the U.S. Chamber.”

Donohue said the same in a public letter to USIBC members July 11, saying that “the USIBC has no separate existence and its board has no legal authority.” He said the Chamber would continue to operate the program and “will not consent to the demands of a group of disaffected individuals.”

The fight between the USIBC, which has about 350 members, and the Chamber was largely about turf and independence. A member of the USIBC board said that Donohue was unhappy that the USIBC invited Vice President Pence to a meeting because Donohue wanted to invite Pence to a different event.

A person close to the USIBC board said that Donohue also wanted to oust certain members of the U.S.-India Business Council board and install others, moves that would be unprecedented in the history of the council.

In the run-up to Modi’s June trip to Washington, the Chamber also pressured top USIBC officials, including USIBC president Mukesh Aghi, according to a July 3 email to board members from the group’s executive committee. Since the Modi visit and board vote, the Chamber has dismissed Aghi and another USIBC senior official, USIBC officials said. Aghi said in a letter that the Chamber dismissed him because he would not agree to report to the Chamber instead of to the U.S.-India group.

Chamber spokesman Blair Holmes said that “our view is he walked away from the Chamber, and therefore he resigned.” The Chamber also abruptly fired another veteran senior official at the USIBC after he declined to report directly to the Chamber, a USIBC board member said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce established the USIBC in 1976, at the request of then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who wanted to promote better business ties between India and the United States. Today it is one of the biggest of 15 bilateral business groups under the Chamber umbrella whose staff members work out of the Chamber’s office. Each of the groups has its own board.

Tensions first surfaced when Terry McGraw of the McGraw-Hill Companies was chairman of the USIBC. “Donohue chafed at the council’s independence. McGraw chafed at being told what to do on policy,” said a member of the board who asked for anonymity to protect his business relationships.

In February 2011, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding that gave the USIBC autonomy on policy matters and strategic planning, with a governing committee that included three members of the USIBC’s executive committee and the chief operating officer of the Chamber. The two sides pledged to avoid conflicts.

The memorandum also spelled out financial details, saying that the Chamber would open an account in its name but for the benefit of the USIBC with restricted funds. The USIBC was to receive all the funds except those given to the Chamber to cover administrative costs. The account currently has millions of dollars that each side claims as its own, the board member said.

Donohue said in his July 1 letter said “all of the assets of the USIBC program are in fact the legal assets of the U.S. Chamber.” He called a meeting of the USIBC board for July 14. It is not clear who, if anyone, would attend. Instead, the USIBC executive committee wrote to Donohue on July 7 after its vote, urging him to pick a date during the week of July 17 “so that we can work out an amicable way to resolve this.”

Indian American Night 2017 celebrated on Long Island

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By Indu Jaiswal
LONG ISLAND, NY : Eisenhower Park was gleaming with decorations and colors from India. Indian music was heard all over the park,  commencing the Indian American Night presented by Indian American Forum on Sunday  June 25, 2017 ,  at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, Parking Field 6 & 6A.
The program started with Yoga sessions conducted by Ranju Narang and Group, a, certified and experienced Yoga instructor in Long Island. Health awareness services were organized by Nassau County Department of Health and Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan of AAPIQLI.This program is part of the 2017 summer concert series sponsored by Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.
Indian American Night is a showcase of Classical Indian Music and folk dances from all regions of India. Nassau County Executive Edward P Mangano was represented by Nassau County Clerk
Maureen O’ Connell. Nassau County Clerk welcomed every one and presented the honorees with Citations from Nassau County.  Each Year members from Indian America Community are recognized for their outstanding services and contributions. Also present were several other dignitaries and elected officials.
Honorees for the evening included, Gita Setia. a trained vocalist. Gita has performed at Indian Consulate, fundraising of Hope Global Project, AIA, LIA and several other programs. She has released two albums composed by her. Currently she is affiliated with ITV Gold a host of a show and music programs.
Dr. Rakesh Dua, President of AAPI QLI, largest chapter of National AAPI is actively involved in organizing Health
Fairs and Charitable work. Dr Dua is also a passionate Singer and well known for his community services.
Bina Sabapathy, President of India Association of Long Island, Currently employed with Nassau County Department of Social Services, helping people to find employment. Bina is actively involved with Indian America Forum, AWB
Food Bank, India Day Parade South Asian Political Action Committee and several other groups.
Bina Adjani, President of the Rotary Club of Jericho Sunrise, Bina is a true humanitarian, involved in charitable activities and providing help to the needy. Her mantra is has always been Helping People should be to find out what’s actually valuable to someone. Make an effort to ask them where they need help and keep in mind when you see an opportunity to help.
Dr. Inderpal Chhabra is the Medical Director of NSLU Care Health Insurance Plan and also Director of Physician CDI Education, NSLIJ Health System. Dr Chhabra is well known for his philanthropic and volunteer services New York and also in all the Gurudwaras…
Dr. Rajendra Modi is a well-known ophthalmologist in Queens for the past 35 years… He is active in many social and charitable organizations. He goes to India for free eye camps for poor people since past 30 years. Dr Modi is a Board Member of SANKARA NERTALAYA. And works with SANKAE EYE FOUNDATION Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson of Indian American Forum welcomed every one and thanked all the sponsors and supporters for their participation. A Cultural program, organized by Jaya Bahadkar, was emceed by Dr Bhavani Srinivasan, Several music and dance performances lent color and charm to the celebrations. Students of Sadhna Pranji, Jyotika Patel, and several other schools   took part. And presented vocal and dance performances.
Mast Group from YICG Group presented patriotic Medley enjoyed by all. Special thanks to Jyoti Gupta, Sheetal Talati, Mohinder Singh Taneja, Indu Gajwani, Nilima Madan Vijay Goswamy and several Volunteers and Sponsors who helped. Program was well attended by leaders of several organizations.

Third International Yoga Day attracts thousands in Chicago

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Chicago IL: Consulate General of India in Chicago, in collaboration with the City of Naperville, rolled out the third edition of International Yoga Day, on June 24th, 2017 at Naperville Yard, Naperville, IL. The high-profile event was inaugurated by lighting of the lamp and singing of the National Anthems of Republic of India and United States of America. The purpose of the event was to create a broad-based awareness about the benefits of yoga for all sections of society, irrespective of their age group, and also to introduce the ancient mind-body practice to a generation of technology-loving kids and to reintroduce it to an older generation of high-strung adults. Video messages of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Mrs Sushma Swaraj, and Ayush Health Minister Shri Shripad were played during the official opening ceremony.

City of Naperville issued a Proclamation and declared June 24th 2017 as International Yoga Day in the City of Naperville. It was one of the mega events in Chicago in which about 100 community organizations and over 3000 Indian Americans and people belonging to other nationalities participated, along with their family and friends.

The event started at 10 am with Yoga demonstration by volunteers from the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. After this, the event shifted to its main official opening ceremony which included lighting of the lamp which was followed by demonstration of common asanas (postures), breathing techniques and shanti mantra.  There were breakout sessions of chair yoga for people who have mobility challenges, kids’ yoga, women’s yoga, and age-based yoga for different generational groups.

Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India in Chicago extended warm welcome and greetings to everyone present on the occasion. In her remarks, she said; “June 21st was declared as day of International Yoga Day through UN resolution supported by a whopping 177 countries, a unique record in its own right”. She also mentioned that Yoga helps people in maintaining balance among their thoughts, emotions, and feelings, and thereby improving their effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.

Mayor of Naperville Hon. Steve Chirico said that the contemporary world of work brings in its wake a highly stressful life for people.  “Yoga is a great way to destress and relax, especially for those who are having tough jobs and juggle a lot of things”, said Mr. Steve Chirico and added that in the present-day busy life, everyone should take care of his health and well-being.

Congressman Peter Roskam and Gaur Gopal Das, and other eminent motivational speaker, also spoke on the occasion and underscored the multifarious health benefits of yoga. Other eminent persons who participated in the inaugural ceremony and other related events included Mayor of Oakbrook Hon. Gopal Lalmalani, Swami Vishwangji, William Sands, Dean of the College of Maharishi Vedic Science, etc.

Lectures on Yoga, Nutrition, and Weight Loss were delivered by Abhijit Joshi, Anu Malhotra, Kusum Patel, Hiral Vyas, Dr. Harpreet Singh, Prasad Palacharla, and experts representing such well-known organizations as Isha Foundation, Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple, Sewa International, Brahma Kumaris, Kriya Vedanta Gurukulam, Heartfulness, Science of Spirituality, Sahaja Yoga Meditation, etc.

Cultural Programs, Games, Family, and Kids’ Activities were presented by Prachi, Alokita Dhar, Sabrina, Maddy Singh, and artists representing such eminent organizations as   Desi Junction, Soorya Dance School, SR International, Jhankaar Dance Group, SNM & UPA Teams, etc.

“The yoga event, featuring about 60 food booths, music, dance, and cultural entertainment made the day a pleasant, enriching, and memorable experience of our lifetime”, opined many a participant unanimously. Jassi Parmar, Sanjeev Singh, and Mohan Rawat, who were the Emcees, conducted the program in a professional fashion and added great value to the event.

Christians, Sikhs protest Modi at the White House

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Protestors waved flags and chanted as India Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump. “We’re here today basically to raise awareness of the human rights violations that are happening with India,” Jatinder Grewal, director of Sikhs for Justice told CBN News.

Over the past few years under Modi’s rule, conditions for Sikhs, Christians and other religious minorities have grown difficult. “When Modi came into power in 2014 he promised the Christians and other minorities that he would allow freedom of religion, he lied,” declared Pastor Rob Rotola, who also protested outside the White House.

“The only people that have favored status in India is not all people; it’s the Hindu nationalist,” he said. “It’s the far extremist party that tends to violence. And as these groups have ramped up the violence, the police state and the government looks the other way, and is allowing it to happen.”

“I am here to speak for the Indian church,” said Bishop John Lutembeka, a missionary in India, “the Indians who are being persecuted by Prime Minister Modi, by a group of radical Hindus.”

“Christians have been killed, women have been raped and Hindu is taking more part in India and it wants to turn India into a Hindu nation and this is what has brought us here to protest,” he continued, “to show that world that even the conversation that President Trump will have with Prime Minister Modi should put into consideration that tolerance of different religious. Let not one Hindu religion be over other religions and begin to persecute them.”

White House officials have said the president likes to deal with delicate matters like human rights and religious liberty violations in private when speaking to world leaders. However, it’s unclear if the president raised any concerns during his meetings with Modi.

Modi arrived on the south side of the White House, the protestors were on the north side so it’s also unclear if he ever saw them. The president said the U.S. and India “agree on most things” and joked that “by the end of the day we’ll agree on everything. I have a feeling”. He said India has agreed to partner with the U.S. in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism. India is also purchasing $365 million worth of military transport aircraft with another $2 billion sale of U.S. made unarmed drones to be finalized soon.

Speedy entry into US for Indian travelers as India signs Global Entry Program

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Low-risk Indian travelers to the US from now on would experience speedy entry into the country after landing, with India making a formal entry into an American initiative.

President Donald Trump welcomed India’s entry into the International Expedited Traveler Initiative (Global Entry Program), saying it would facilitate closer business and educational ties between the citizens of India and the US. The India-US joint statement, issued after talks between Trump and Modi, said the US president applauded the entrepreneurship and innovation of Indians and Indian-Americans that have directly benefited both nations. The citizens of Switzerland and the United Kingdom are also part of the programme, which India has now joined.

Global Entry is a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) programme which allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in the United States. On landing at select airports, the programme members enter the United States through automatic kiosks, instead of queueing up to clear the immigration by meeting an immigration officer. Read: What is Global Entry Programme? Click here

At these airports, the members proceed to the Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or US permanent resident card, place their fingerprints on the scanner for fingerprint verification and complete a customs declaration. The kiosk then issues the traveller a transaction receipt and directs him or her to the baggage claim and the exit.

Travellers must be pre-approved for the Global Entry programme. All applicants undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrolment, the CBP website says. It says that while Global Entry’s goal is to speed up travellers through the process, members may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States.

The select US airports that offer the facility include all major ones, including New York, Newark, Washington, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Las Vegas, Miami and Seattle. Besides those in the US, the airports at Dublin in Ireland, Vancouver and Toronto in Canada and Abu Dhabi are also on the list.

These airports have been chosen as an air traveller can clear US immigration at these airports, virtually making their onward flight from there to an American city a domestic one.

Vice President Pence at USIBC Leadership Summit calls to eradicate terrorism

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Celebrating its 42nd year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce U.S.-India Business Council’s (USIBC) Annual Leadership Summit on June 27 featured Vice President of the United States Mike Pence and other high  ranking government and private sector leaders to address USIBC members and guests.

Vice President Mike Pence spoke about increased economic and security ties between the U.S. and India during his keynote address at the U.S.-India Business Council’s 42nd Annual Leadership Summit June 27 in Washington, DC.

The summit was held the day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Most significantly, Pence pledged that the U.S. would back India for permanent membership on the reformed United Nations Security Council.

The Leadership Summit focused on the important role of the private sector in advancing the ties between the two countries, the future of the U.S.-India economic relationship, as well as strengthening and deepening the U.S.- India defense partnership. “The partnership between the U.S. and India has never been more important,” said John Chambers, USIBC chairman and executive chairman of Cisco.

“Both governments are deeply committed to creating greater economic opportunity for their citizens. The USIBC does just that by advancing bilateral cooperation between the two nations. I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve had so far in driving economic growth, job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship in both nations, and we look forward to shaping the future of both countries by doubling down on our efforts in the years to come.”

The summit welcomed addresses from the Ambassador of India to the United States Navtej Sarna and Congressman Pete Sessions, chairman of the House Committee on Rules. USIBC presented its prestigious annual “Global Leadership Awards” to Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company, and Adi Godrej, chairman of the Godrej Group. Both were honored for creating inclusive business environments, integrating India in the global supply chain and advancing core values such as manufacturing, innovation and scale in tough market conditions.

Pence focused on increasing opportunities in the sectors of aviation and energy. He gave a shout-out to Spice-Jet airlines, which, in January, placed a $22 billion order for 100 airplanes with Boeing. Earlier in June, SpiceJet expanded its order for an additional 20 airplanes. The deal will create 130,000 jobs for American workers, said Pence. “Thank you to SpiceJet for believing in American workers,” he said, to applause from the packed crowd. “The American people elected a builder to serve as their leader and before we’re done, President Trump is going to rebuild America,” said the vice president. “American energy can help power India’s future,” stated the vice president.

President Trump lauds SpiceJet’s deal and says it will create thousands of American jobs

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U.S. President Donald Trump said June 27 a recent order for 100 new Boeing aircraft placed by Indian airline SpiceJet will create thousands of American jobs. SpiceJet announced the $22 billion order with the U.S. aircraft maker in January. The order is expected to create 132,000 high-skilled jobs in America.

“I was pleased to learn about an Indian airlines’ recent order of 100 new American planes, one of the largest orders of its kind, which will support thousands and thousands of American jobs,” Trump said alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House Rose Garden.

During their maiden meeting, Modi and Trump discussed a range of issues. Trump’s remarks come at a time when there are concerns in certain quarters that jobs are moving out of the U.S.

SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said the planes will be manufactured in the U.S “As per the U.S. Department of Commerce, it creates 132,000 high-skilled, high-paid American jobs within the U.S.,” Singh said in a statement.

“We have placed a large order for the Boeing 737 MAX, in fact, the biggest ever placed by an Indian airline with Boeing. The new planes start to join the fleet in the middle of 2018 and with that our operating cost will further go down,” he noted.

The no-frills airline, which was on the verge of going belly up more than two years ago, has remained profitable for nine straight quarters. “We have paid back most of the liabilities. Today, there are no government dues, there is zero bank debt. We have cleaned the slate as far as the past is concerned,” Singh said.

Along with the January order, the airline last week inked an initial pact for 40 Boeing 737 MAX planes. This includes conversion of 20 737 MAX 8 airplanes from the carrier’s existing order of 737 MAX 10s.

Noting that funding arrangements for the plane orders are “coming very quickly,” the SpiceJet chief said the airline has already funded a significant number of those aircraft through a sale and leaseback mechanism.

“And we have several offers. We really see no great challenge to funding these planes. Going further, we will take a call, depending on what is cheaper for us at that point in time,” he said.

“Our objective is that whatever we go in for should reduce the cost of financing. Fortunately, we are in a pretty conducive financial environment, where interest rates are low across the world,” he added.

India’s domestic aviation sector has been growing by double-digits for more than two years and many airlines, including SpiceJet, have ambitious expansion plans. “There is enough for more; even if the market grows around 12-15 percent, there is a requirement of 60 aircraft every year. There is space for all,” Singh said.

Sanjana Jon to promote her ‘kanya boon hathya’ movement at Icon Awards

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Fashion designer and activist Sanjana Jon will be promoting her stance on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Beti Badhao, Beti Padao” initiative at the Stardust Icon Awards which are being held at the Plaza Hotel on July 13.
Jon wants to eradicate the dowry system in India and not only save the girl child but celebrate her. “My whole concept is the get the young men to say that ‘I will not take dowry’ and the young women to say that ‘I will not accept a man who asks for dowry,’” said Jon.
Jon is taking the help of Meera Gandhi, who is the CEO and founder of the Giving Back Foundation and has been working for nearly a decade to promote women empowerment and is very happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making an intiative to do so.
Jon is also taking the help of Swami Chinanand Saraswati Ji and Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati in this movement. “It’s not just a matter of saving her, it’s a matter of recognizing her; the incredible gifts, the Shakti that she has as a child, as a young girl, as a woman, as a mother, as a sister, as a daughter, as a mentor, as an embodiment of the divine feminine” said Bhagwati Saraswati.
“In the Indian spiritual tradition that Shakti, that feminine energy is the most crucial part of anything that happens on earth,” she added. Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati is the President of the Divine Shakti Foundation which runs free schools and has women empowerment programs enabling young girls the freedom they deserve.
Sanjana Jon started her career working with her brother Anand Jon in New York and they created a jewelry line together which was highly appreciated by Iman and late David Bowie, Barbara Hershey supporting AMFAR. Then they worked on the mens collection which was highlighted by Bruce Springsteen, Backstreet Boys The Artist formerly known as Prince, Collective Soul, Matchbox 20 to name a few.
Her acclaimed debut was at Cannes for the Film Festival supported by Prince Albert of Monaco, Princess Sorayya, Princess Sara Al Saud, Princess Olivia de Borbon and more this led to the New York Fashion week debut and Vancouver fashion week where she won International Rising Star award. fashion with heart has been propagated by her where every show or event supports a charity or cause and Sanjana Jon has been a socially motivated person since her school and college days with her brother Anand Jon used to provide food and clothing to the underprivileged kids and read for the blind students.
She organized protests against racism in Bombay and Delhi and put together a show for Save the Girl Child against female infanticide with 16 celebrity siblings including Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Sushmita Sen, Riya and Raima Sen, Sajid and Wajid Khan. Recently, she organized a Sanjana Jon Creative Tihar show and project in Tihar with inmates- for the inmates, by the inmates and of the inmates and tried to create a constructive creative training program to make the inmates a more resourceful progressive part of the community.
Through Kanya Broon Hatya, Sanjana is seeking to highlight and propagate the Celebration of the Girl Child and also in support of Global Human Rights through Par Anand Charitable Trust . Winner of innumerable awards including Karamveer Puraskar, Paramveer Award, Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award, two Rajiv Gandhi Excellence awards, Intl Humanitarian Awards, Paramshree Universal Humanity Award to name a few.

Dream of developed India will be fulfilled: Modi tells NRIs in DC

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The Indian Prime Minister in his major address to the Indian Diaspora in the nation’s capital, promised of a developed India in their lifetime. Soon after arriving in Washington, DC, while addressing the Indian American community, Modi said their success was due to the supportive environment the U.S. provides and added that his government is working to create the same environment back in India. “Your heart always asks when would our country become like this… I assure you that this will happen in your lifetime,” Modi said.

Modi also said that Indians in America have advanced progress in both India and the U.S. and said the success and action of the Indian diaspora echoes throughout the world. “You are the same people but your success story has a simple reason, it’s because you got supportive environment here,” he said.

The prime minister added that “125 crore equally talented Indians are there back in India, they are now getting supportive environment and soon we will develop India soon. The biggest change in India today is that every Indian wants to do and is already doing something with resolution to change and develop the nation,” he said.

“Today, 125 crore people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have resolved to do something for their country. With such a resolve, the country is developing in a pace never seen before.”

Saying that corruption was the reason “the previous governments were changed in India,” Modi said his government has emerged corruption-free in the last three years. “Governments were changed because of corruption. The common people hated this… There has been not a single blot on our government in the past three years. And governance is being modified so that honesty becomes an in-build process,” Modi said. “Technology is helping with that,” he added.

“Increased usage of technology brings transparency in systems. When I think of a developed India, I think of a healthy India, particularly the good health of the women and children of our nation,” he added. “Transparent policies create an environment of trust among the people. The youth of India understands technology and the importance of technology very well. Through technology driven governance we are creating an ‘Adhunik Bharat,'” the prime minister further said.

“With proper policies and governance, aspirations of people of India can become achievements. We are already seeing the results of this,” said Modi. “Innovation, technology and talent are crucial in this age,” he added.

The prime minister also said the warmth the Indian community offered was unforgettable. “All my family members are settled in America… The happiness we get after meeting the family is what I am feeling right now,” Modi said. “If you want to give back to India, this is the best time to do so. Keep the bridge with India. Your younger generations must continue the strong bond with India,” he said.

PM said that “no one in the world questioned India’s surgical strikes+ ” on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir except “of course the target of the strikes”. The PM kept up the momentum and quickly followed the surgical strikes comment by referring to the recent case of Uzma Ahmed+ , an Indian national who was misled into going to Pakistan to marry a man who was already married.

“She went with dreams in her head, but her life was ruined there. She is a Muslim. She thought if I go to Pakistan, my life will be made. But it turned out to be quite the opposite. Somehow she made contact with the Indian embassy so she could get out,” the PM added.

“MEA is one ministry of the government which has demonstrated through the use of social media, for the first time, that it cares for poorest of Indians,” Modi said. “India’s MEA has touched new heights from the point of view of humanity. As many as 80,000 Indians in distress have been rescued from different parts of world in 3 years,” he said, The PM, in his address to the almost 600 people gathered to hear him speak, talked about the achievements of his government in the past three years.

He said his government “has not seen a single taint” in the years it has been in power. “The reasons governments have been defeated in India are things like corruption and cheating. People of India do not like corruption. I can say humbly today that there has not been a single taint on us during our three years of performance,” Modi said.

Terrorism major theme in Modi’s meet with Mattis, Tillerson

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The global fight against terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan figured prominently when U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here ahead of his summit-level meeting with President Donald Trump June 26.

“There was strong focus on terrorism and cooperation in counter-terrorism in the meeting with Tillerson,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said while briefing the media here.

“Given the challenges the two countries have faced, the discussions in the meeting touched upon how the two countries have cooperated in countering terrorism and where in the broad direction they can develop it further,” Baglay said.

He said that the entire world was looking at India-U.S. ties and this partnership had been described as a “defining partnership.”

The situation in the Indo-Pacific and Asia-Pacific regions was also discussed by Modi and Tillerson. According to Baglay, Modi said that the fulcrum of India’s foreign policy was to have good relations with all countries, especially with the neighbors.

Speaking of the prime minister’s desire of walking side by side with the U.S., the spokesperson said that Modi discussed the counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan in the meeting with Mattis.

In the meeting, it was mentioned that the U.S. and India believed in respect for international laws, a rule-based order and freedom of navigation and uninterrupted communication.

On being asked about the U.S. State Department’s notification June 26 that declared Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist, Baglay said that this was merely a courtesy meeting and not a detailed one where such issues could be discussed.

Defense and counter-terrorism issues are likely to be among the major topics to be discussed during the Modi-Trump meeting. The prime minister was scheduled to meet President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House. The leaders will address the media from the Rose Garden.

On June 25, in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, Modi said that defense was a mutually beneficial sphere of the Indo-U.S. partnership.  “We are already working together to address the existing and emerging strategic and security challenges that affect both our nations – in Afghanistan, West Asia, the large maritime space of the Indo-Pacific, the new and unanticipated threats in cyberspace,” he said in the article.

Trump and Modi Have Opportunity to Take the Bilateral Relationship to New Heights

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Anubhav Gupta, Assistant Director, Asia Society Policy Institute

The visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi couldn’t come at a more opportune time. President Trump badly needs both an opportunity to bolster his presidency and a clear achievement to add to his win column. In India, Trump has a natural partner, and in Modi, he has a leader he can truly work with.

Modi recently completed a very successful trip to Europe, visiting Spain, France, Germany, and Russia. His visit garnered positive press as he showcased an India that was open for business, ready to take on greater global responsibilities, and embrace its European partners. Trump and Modi have an opportunity to craft a similarly lauded and productive visit.

Trump and Modi will use this first visit to build trust and get to know one another. They can begin on the right foot by communicating their desire to advance the relationship to new heights. Modi, who has steadily moved India closer to the United States in his three years in office, is well positioned to take the relationship further after consolidating political power in India through big victories in recent state elections in India. He is strongly situated to win re-election in 2019, and therefore, shape India’s path over the coming years. The United States should take advantage of his good standing.

The visit’s success will depend on whether the Trump Administration has been able to focus enough of its attention on Indiato decide whether and how it will seek an upgrade in the relationship. It will also depend on whether the White House can reassure India about some of its major concerns.

Modi is sure to bring up South Asian stability, in particular U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Administration’s recent decision to let the Defense Department determine troop levels in Afghanistan could result in a short term influx of U.S. troops there, which India might welcome. However, India will look for reassurance that the Administration is committed for the longer term in Afghanistan and has a true interest in and strategy for maintaining stability. Modi will also push the Administration for a more stern U.S. policy toward Pakistan, which continues to support militancy in Afghanistan and India. Support on these two fronts would reassure India greatly.

The two leaders should ensure that legitimate disagreements on certain issues, including worker visas and intellectual property rights, do not hold the relationship back. There is strong bi-partisan support in the U.S. Congress for a closer partnership with India. India’s fast growing and increasingly more open economy are huge opportunities for the United States. Additionally, India can serve as a vital partner for the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. For all of these reasons, pursuing stronger ties with India would be a clear win for the Trump Administration.

Some areas of cooperation are clear. The countries should continue building on their defense relationship and should seek ways to enhance counterterrorism cooperation, especially as this is a major focus for the Trump Administration. On the strategic front, the United States should encourage India to enhance its engagement in the Asia-Pacific. Trump can help facilitate this by telling Modi that the U.S. will finally support India’s membership for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Finally, the two leaders can commit to strengthening economic ties by agreeing to a genuine dialogue on enhancing trade or negotiating a bilateral investment treaty.

‘The whole world is looking at India,’ Modi tells leading world business leaders

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“The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone (have been carried out) by the Government of India for ease of business and minimum government, (with) maximum governance,” PM Modi said at the round-table to the chief executives of world’s top business leaders in Washington, DC.

PM Modi presented India as a “win-win” opportunity to the business tycoons. “The growth of India presents a win-win partnership for India and the US both. US companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that,” the PM explained.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was meeting with the who’s who of American business – including Google’s Sundar Pichai, Apple’s Tim Cook and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos – at a round-table gathering in Washington DC on Sunday, June 25th.

As the Indian Embassy in Washington DC tweeted, it was “A Stellar Starcast” that had gathered to meet the workaholic PM, despite it being a Sunday morning in the US. As many as 21 high-profile chief executives of US corporations were in attendance at the round-table with Modi at the Hotel Willard Intercontinental in Washington.

The PM, in his inimitable style, also had a suggestion for US business schools. “The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST (Goods and Services Tax Bill) could be a subject of studies in US business schools,” he said, talking about the historic bill that will do away with the system of cascading taxes that has for long been seen as a drag on business and for consumers. In reference to this, he emphasised the importance attached by his government to “efficiency, transparency, growth and benefit for all”.

Narendra Modi’s leadership is an impediment to US-India relations and a drain on India’s standing in the world

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By Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations

Washington DC, June 25, 2017. India achieved tremendous progress from 2004 to 2014 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s leadership. Successive US Administrations were competing each other to honor the Indian Prime Minister recognizing India’s place in the world. There was a rare unified voice of support from both political parties in the US.

The relationship Prime Minister Manmohan Singh government was able to build with the United States and other governments were unprecedented. Prime Minister Singh’s leadership brought the world leaders to consider India as a deserving member of the UN Security Council and a responsible nuclear power.

But, ever since, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in New Delhi making Mr. Narendra Modi as its Prime Minster, decisions of his government and the free-hand offered to vigilante groups to do whatever they want, from intimidation and harassment to looting and lynching religious minorities has caused tremendous damage to the image and reputation of India on international stage. It has sullied the image of India and affected India’s standing in the world, to the extent of hitting a pause button in bilateral relations between India and many industrialized nations including the US.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological group and the power behind Mr. Modi’s BJP party, wants to create a Hindu nation State – more like a Hindu version of Pakistan. RSS continues to attack Christian church goers in one part of the country or the other, almost on a daily basis. The state governments run by BJP are actively targeting and shutting down churches and church run organizations.

Compassion International, a US based Christian charity helping 165,000 poor children in India was shut down by Modi government in 2017 on false charges with no regard for their own laws.

Recently, the appointment of a hardline Hindu monk to be the Chief Minister of India’s largest state, Utter Pradesh, sent a chilling message to the world about the direction in which Prime Minister Modi wants to take India in the future. Modi’s election has made every country to tread cautiously towards India. But because India is a large economy, the world is forced to deal with her in spite of Mr. Modi and not because of him.

In 2014, President Obama refused to honor Prime Minister Modi with a State Banquet at the White House in spite of enormous pressure brought on him when the later visited the US on a UN Visa. A disappointed Prime Minister refused to eat lunch with President Obama claiming he was fasting.

Modi thought his rehab would be complete if only he could trick the President of the United States to invite him personally to the White House. So he invited Obama to be the Chief Guest at India’s Republic day Parade in January 2015, hoping the visiting head of state, as a norm, would reciprocate the courtesy by extending a personal invitation to him. Unfortunately it was not to be.

President Obama gave a heartfelt speech on why the vision of BJP/RSS is detrimental to the future of India and left for Washington without extending an invitation to Mr. Modi. A shell shocked BJP and RSS did not know how to react for two full days.

Had there been another Prime Minister instead of Modi, the White House which hosted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a lavish State Banquet in his honor would have gone over and above to help improve US-India relationship. But instead what we saw was a halfhearted invitation to the Prime Minister of India (and not to Mr. Modi personally) in the last days of Obama Administration, to get him to sign few bilateral agreements in Washington.

Disappointed Modi’s supporters made a tactical shift soon after by supporting Trump Campaign by misrepresenting themselves hiding their real motive in rehabilitating Mr. Modi’s image. Since then there has been plenty of talk about improving Mr. Modi’s relations with President Trump. But the fact is, from the Presidents of tiny nations like El Salvador and Panama to Presidents of Egypt and Philippines were invited to the White House, not to mention the Chinese Premier, long before the Trump Administration asked Mr. Modi to come.

Contrary to media hype seasoned observers would say, it is not the sign of improving relationships but an invitation out of necessity based on the argument that India and US must work together regardless of who happens to run the government in India.

Had there been anyone else as the Prime Minister instead of Modi, India would not have lost its standing in the world. They could have benefited from the trajectory Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had set for India. Even Arun Jaitley or Rajnath Singh from Modi’s own Hindu party could have done a better job of saving India’s prestige in the international stage.

Kenneth Juster nominated to be US ambassador to India

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Kenneth I Juster, a top aide of US President Donald Trump, is set to be America’s new ambassador to India, the White House said last week. The 62-year-old Juster, who is the Deputy Assistant for International Economic Affairs, and Deputy Director of his National Economic Council, would replace Indian American Richard Verma — who stepped down from the post Jan. 21, at the behest of the White House, which dismissed several Obama appointees — if nominated and confirmed by the Senate.

After five months without a U.S. number one in India, Donald Trump has finally chosen the next ambassador to the subcontinent. Kenneth Juster, who serves as a top deputy at the National Economic Council in Trump’s White House, will likely exert a steadying influence on U.S.-India relations if his nomination goes forward as expected.

Juster is a long-time India hand – he chaired the U.S.-India High Technology Cooperation Group and helped spearhead a major new bilateral initiative under the George W. Bush administration – and with his extensive diplomatic experience, he differs from some of Trump’s other ambassadorial picks such as Terry Branstad, the former Iowa governor, or Callista Gingrich, his envoy to the Vatican.

“He’s considered an experienced hand with a good relationship in the White House and other agencies that will make him an effective ambassador,” said Ronak D. Desai, a U.S.-India relations expert at Harvard University and fellow at New America.

If Juster is tapped for the post, he’ll have to navigate some significant political minefields, in large part thanks to his former boss in the Oval Office. One key sticking point is climate change. Trump angered the entire world when he pulled out of the Paris climate agreement, and went out of his way to jab India in the process.

Some blame the attacks on Indian-Americans on the racially-charged climate Trump churned up on the campaign trail – and he’s been silent on the attacks ever since despite growing concerns among Indians and Indian-Americans.

“Given the very real fears of Indian-Americans and the crucial role of the Indian diaspora in U.S.-India relations, Modi can’t afford not to bring up this matter,” wrote the Wilson Center’s Michael Kugelman.

“Ken Juster’s move to Indian Ambassador is because he is extremely qualified for the position,” White House deputy spokesperson Lindsay Walters reportedly told the media about the news which was first reported by The Washington Post. The Post reported that Juster was still undergoing the vetting process.

“Ken has a strong and positive relationship with everyone in the White House, including the president,” Walters said. The move has been welcomed by widely respected Ashley Tellis, the top India expert in the U.S.

“Ken knows India well and actually was deeply involved in successful bilateral negotiations between the two countries. The Indians will welcome him enthusiastically. He is a known quantity,” Tellis told The Washington Post.

Third International Yoga Day celebrated across the world

Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

From Peru’s historic citadel of Machu Picchu to the UN’s sprawling lawns in New York, yoga mats were spread out at iconic landmarks across the world as yoga practitioners June 21 performed ‘asanas’ to mark the third International Yoga Day.

Top UN diplomats, officials, envoys, yoga practitioners and people from all walks of life attended a grand event organized by India’s Permanent Mission to the UN to mark the day at the world body’s headquarters in New York.

Hundreds of specially designed yoga mats were spread across the UN’s sprawling north lawns, facing the imposing UN General Assembly hall and the UN Secretariat building, as people from all walks of life descended on the UN headquarters to participate in the ‘Yoga Session with Yoga Masters’.

Chants, hymns, prayers and the sound of “Om” reverberated across the UN as leading yoga practitioners led the gathering through sessions of yoga and meditation to celebrate the traditional wellness regime that originated in India.

The UN also issued special stamps commemorating the Yoga Day. The UN postal agency, UN Postal Administration, issues the new special event sheet to commemorate the day that has been marked annually since 2015.

Delivering the secretary general’s message on Yoga Day, a top UN official has said that yoga can make an important contribution in achieving a healthy life and promoting well-being for all at a time when the world is striving to achieve sustainable development goals.

At the iconic and historic citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru, one of the modern ‘Seven Wonders of the World’, yoga practitioners stretched themselves in various asanas to mark the day.

Both Machu Picchu and yoga are recognized by UNESCO as a common heritage of the world.

In China, a record number of people participated in yoga events held in several cities across the country.

In Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium, hundreds of people participated in the IDY event with parliamentary speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury opening the celebrations amid enthusiasm.

The program began with the screening of a video message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nepal also joined the world to mark the day as Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba underlined the need for imparting the ancient knowledge of yoga to students at school-level.

In Pakistan, the Indian High Commission celebrated the Yoga Day on June 18.

The United Nations General Assembly had made a declaration in December 2014 that every June 21 would be observed as International Day of Yoga, a move that India lobbied hard for.

Earlier, in New York, special yoga sessions organized by the Indian Consulate to commemorate the Yoga Day were attended by many people, both from the Indian American community as well as other communities in New York.

Consul General Riva Ganguly Das led the Yoga Day celebrations on the consulate premises June 19 and participated in the yoga and Art of Living sessions.

Das said Yoga Day has grown in popularity in the three years since the day was first marked in 2015. “With the focus on one particular day, it helps promote the message,” she said, adding that many people who might not otherwise try yoga have participated in Yoga Day events.

“People realize the benefits of yoga, and India’s name is intrinsically associated with the day,” she said.

In honor of International Yoga Day, the U.N. has projected images of yoga postures on its headquarters. This is the second year in a row that the U.N. has illuminated its building with images of yoga.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations celebrated the day at the United Nations on June 20 followed by a panel discussion on June 21.

The Indian Mission organized a panel discussion at the United Nations involving religious, NGO and yoga organization representatives who presented various aspects and systems of yoga to the audience.

The Institute of International Social Development, an international NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations, headquartered in India and having branches in Paris, Geneva and New York, presented the practice of Kriya Yoga as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda of ‘An Autobiography’ of a Yogi’ fame.

Shomik Chaudhuri, UN Representative of the Institute in New York, spoke about the organization and its activities that relate to yoga and spirituality, and Sharon Hamilton-Getz, Additional UN Representative of the Institute, spoke about spirituality and yoga.

The UN began the International Day of Yoga celebrations with the release of stamps, a water puja and meditations for peace in the world’s most diverse gathering of nationalities, religions and races.

More than 1,000 people, including permanent representatives of several nations, diplomats, UN staff and yoga enthusiasts attended the outdoor “Yoga Session with Yoga Masters” session June 20 at the UN headquarters on the eve of the Third IDY.

A unique element in this year’s event projecting India’s soft power was the water puja ceremony led by Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Sadhvi Bhagwati Sarawastiji of the Paramarta Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh.

As water was symbolically poured over a globe, participants raised their hands heavenwards praying for clean water for all and for reclaiming the sanctity of water, the sustainer of life and the link of humanity.

That meshed in with the UN push for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals to better the life of people. Speakers stressed yoga’s place in helping reach them.

UN headquarters in New York lit up for International Yoga Day

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The United Nations headquarters in New York was lit up with the word ‘Yoga’ in commemoration of the third International Day of Yoga. Renowned actor Anupam Kher switched the illumination lights. Veteran Indian actor Anupam Kher said it was a great honor for him to illuminate the UN building here in preparation for International Day of Yoga June 21. Kher took to Twitter to thank Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN.

“Great honor to illuminate the United Nations building, New York in preparation of International Day of Yoga. Thank you Akbaruddin sir,” he tweeted. The 61-year-old actor later shared a string of photographs in front of the building along with Akbaruddin. “Here are more pictures of ‘Illumination of United Nations Heaquarters’ in New York. It was great to meet honourable Syed Akbaruddin and other members,” he captioned the images.

“Yoga lights up @UN…Here’s a sneak peek of the iconic UN Headquarters building being lit up like never before for International Day of Yoga,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted. Kher also tweeted,

It is the second year in a row that the UN headquarters have been specially illuminated on the occasion of International Yoga Day. Several events have been planned by India’s Permanent Mission to the UN as well as the Indian Consulate here to mark the day.

On June 21, the mission will organize ‘Conversation on Yoga for Health’ at the UN in association with Department of Public Information and World Health Organization.

The Consulate planned its flagship Yoga event ‘Recharge at Battery Park’ in the city during which several Yoga sessions are being conducted by leading practitioners.

The Permanent Mission of India will organize a ‘Yoga Session with Yoga Masters’ at the world body’s headquarters on June 20 that will be led by Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan shram, India and Swami Sivadasananda of Sivananda Yoga Retreat, Austria.

Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary general Maria Luiza Ribeiro and President of the General Assembly Ambassador Peter Thomson are special guests on the occasion.

Meanwhile, as per a PTI report, hundreds of yoga enthusiasts gathered June 18 at the historic National Mall in Washington, D.C. ahead of the third International Yoga Day to mark the event. Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Navtej Sarna said it was a moving sight to see people turning up in large numbers at the heart of the U.S. capital for the event.

“What has happened in the last three years is quite phenomenal, that this movement of pushing forward and achieving recognition of the 21st of June as the International Day of Yoga, started by Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, has brought this ancient discipline, philosophy, and practice from India into the hearts and lives of people in every corner of the globe,” he said at the event.

Sarna said the international event is neither a political movement, nor an economic movement. “This is something which is only for the benefit of all humanity at both an individual level and a macro level, because ultimately all societies in all countries are made up of human beings,” he said.

“If we have each human being who has a balanced view on life, who has achieved a kind of equilibrium inside and outside, I think ultimately will go and affect how nations govern and are governed and how they relate to each other,” Sarna said.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, in a citation, sent his best wishes for “a joyous observance” of the third International Yoga Day organized by the Indian Embassy here in association with the Friends of Yoga.

Virginia Governor Chris Van Hollen also sent his citation on the occasion in recognition of “the spiritual value that yoga and meditation offer, and with appreciation and gratitude for the organising committee’s outstanding efforts to encourage, peace, harmony and consciousness.”

Extending warm greetings to all who are gathered on the occasion, Senator Mark Warner, in his message, said the event provides an opportunity to celebrate one of the many important traditions of the Indian culture, yoga.

“The appeal of this ancient, holistic tradition crosses cultural boundaries and increases international understanding and friendship. I hope all of the attendees enjoy taking part in today’s activities,” said Warner, a Ranking Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus.

Warner said he remains very optimistic about Indo-U.S. relationship, and continues to believe that they can make great strides together. “As two of the world’s largest democracies, and with the incredible Indian American population that contributes so much to our culture, commerce and community in this country, it is critical for us to continue to deepen and broaden the existing framework of partnership and friendship.

Vegetarian Vision celebrates 25th anniversary celebrations

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Vegetarian Vision founded in 1992 by H.K. and Malti Shah is organizing its 25th year International convention, a two day event on September 9th and 10th in the heart of Manhattan at Penn Pavilion Convention Center opposite Madison Square Garden, 401 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 1001.

Chairman H.K. Shah and President, Chandra Mehta along with the entire team started the preparations a year ago to execute various activities planned for this mega event including a dozen world renowned speakers on ” Healthy Life / Healthy Planet ” plant based diet’s effect on health and planet by world renowned physicians, nutritionists, environmentalists, animal protectionists, vegetarian and vegan dignitaries.

Various food demonstrations and recipes will be displayed by celebrity chefs throughout the two day event. All ethnic mouthwatering food items will be available at various stalls and booths. About 100 exhibitor booths have been planned. World famous yoga gurus have been invited to speak and  demonstrate.

For many, this will be a fun filling  weekend enjoying the fashions shows, comedy, Mr. and Mrs. Vegetarian Pageant, Bollywood/Hollywood entertainment. Various dignitaries have been invited from all over the world. There will an appreciation Gala dinner on Saturday evening.

Vegetarian vision organizes multiple events every year. World renowned speakers are invited to discuss benefits of plant based diets on human health and the planet. Turkey free thanksgiving, vegetarian pageants, cruises are organized involving the community on a larger scale. . The organization also strives to work with hospitals, airlines, schools, restaurants to introduce vegetarian food / add more options. Yoga, meditation, stress management are also significant part of organization’s activities.

Past Presidents Kenny Desai, Animesh Goenka, Naveeen Shah, AIA president Sunil Modi, Vinod Shah, Flora Parikh have been working tirelessly. Nitin Vyas has been working side by side with H. K. Shah and Chandra Mehta on daily basis. Over 25,000 attendees are expected to participate in this event.  Registration, Sponsorship, exhibitors and detail activities could be found on the website www.vegetarianvision.org

Why Trump Should Woo India

Staff ReporterIndia, U.S. 0

Last week, President Trump kicked off his first trip abroad with visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories, signifying the importance that he places on the Middle East. This engagement followed a summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom Trump emphasized his admiration for, in April. Also that month, Vice President Mike Pence visited the Asia-Pacific region in a tour intended to reassure countries like South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Australia that the U.S. still stood beside them.

But one critical nation has been missing from the Trump administration’s Asian charm offensive: India. Since the president’s inauguration in January, no U.S. cabinet-level official has touched down in Delhi to start the process of guiding the crucial U.S.-India relationship.

The Asia Society Policy Institute has published a paper examining the Trump administration’s opportunities in India. Fortuitously, this period of neglect is about to end: In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly scheduled to visit the United States. President Trump should use the occasion to signal to India that his administration is eager to make a major push in strengthening U.S.-India ties.

Bolstering ties with India would be advantageous for several reasons. First, as a fellow democracy and an emerging global power and economy, India represents significant opportunities for the United States. Next, India can be a critical partner in both the fight against terrorism and in navigating the complex geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region. Lastly, in Prime Minister Modi, President Trump has a counterpart prepared to make compromises to take the relationship to the next level.

As an ascendant power within Asia and around the world, India is positioned to be a critical long-term partner for the United States. Today, it is the world’s fastest growing major economy with a rapidly expanding market and labor force that will be a critical engine of global growth. India is also a nuclear power, has the world’s third-largest military, is boosting its naval capabilities, and has become the biggest purchaser of international arms.

Indian leaders have extended their sights beyond South Asia to play a greater role in global development and governance. Delhi has developed friendly ties with critical countries around the world and increased its engagement with multilateral forums and groupings, partnering in initiatives likes the BRICS New Development Bank. Once a big recipient of foreign aid, India has become a donor nation, a welcome sight for a U.S. administration seeking greater burden-sharing by others.

Second, India is a natural partner for the United States in two of its core security challenges — countering terrorism and managing a peaceful Asia-Pacific region.

In Saudi Arabia, President Trump called for “a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism.” Long a victim of terrorism itself, India has extensive experience in fighting radicalization. India has cracked down on terrorism but, except for in Kashmir, has done so without alienating its Muslim population (the second-largest in the world) and while maintaining friendly ties with countries across the Muslim world. U.S.-India counter-terrorism cooperation has been a critical component of the bilateral relationship and both countries are working to help Afghanistan in this area. If President Trump is looking for countries to join his “coalition,” he could benefit from looking to and learning from India.

India is an equally appealing partner in the Asia-Pacific, where it can play a positive role in managing stability, enhancing prosperity, and serving as a successful model for democratic development. India has started to echo Washington’s concerns about maritime disputes in the South China Sea and the need to sustain a rules-based regional order. Delhi’s growing engagement with the region’s institutions is also a welcome development. By supporting India’s inclusion in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the United States can fill out India’s East Asia institutional resume, which already includes ASEAN, the East Asia Summit, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Even as India has stood up to China, it has managed a collaborative relationship with Beijing in certain areas, showing how a peaceful relationship can be sustained despite lingering mistrust and a border dispute. Above all, by signing a Logistics Exchange Memorandum in 2016, which the U.S. long sought, India signaled its intention to enhance military cooperation with the U.S. in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Finally, Delhi is also eager to strengthen bilateral ties. As one of the few countries spared Trump’s criticism during the presidential campaign, India remains cautiously optimistic about working with the Trump Administration — a trait not shared wholeheartedly by some U.S. partners in Asia. Though Delhi is concerned about President Trump’s immigration policies and American companies remain skeptical of India’s position on trade and intellectual property rights, areas of mutual interest dwarf areas of potential disagreement.

In Modi, Trump has a reliable partner who has already tilted India closer to the United States than any previous Indian leader. Modi, who shares Trump’s pro-business and nationalist inclinations, enjoys robust political standing after recent victories in state elections and is positioned to win a second term in 2019. This is fortunate because his vision for India aligns well with U.S. interests. Modi’s economic reforms have eased restrictions on foreign investment and made way for a national market through a Goods and Services Tax. And his Act East policy aligns well with U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific.

The timing is right for the Trump administration to elevate the relationship with India and forward U.S.-India ties. The challenge will be dedicating the requisite diplomatic time and attention in the midst of the challenges confronting the administration. If Modi visits the United States in June, it will be the perfect opportunity to send a signal that the United States is committed.

GOPIO Africa business conference held

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GOPIO, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (www.gopio.net), together with the Gopio Chapter of Durban South Africa held a very successful and enlightening business conference for 2 and half days where attendees from many countries gathered to network, exchange ideas and come with suggestions to help South Africa progress to greater heights through Cooperation, Guidance and Entrepreneurship.

Ishwar Ramlutchman, Convention Convener and International Coordinator along with his team of volunteers did a wonderful job of planning, hosting and welcome of the delegates visiting from many countries. He had a lineup of the Royalty and top Government officials who attended the various events and mingled with the guests.

May 19th. Durban – For the GOPIO visitors from other countries, the convention started right at the airport. A delegation dressed in traditional Indian clothes received us with folded hands saying Namaskar. Pictures were taken in front of the Gopio banners announcing the Gopio convention and creating quite a stir among the onlookers. This was an excellent advertisement besides the television, radio and print ads, which had been running in Durban for weeks ahead of the summit.

Later the same afternoon, Dr. Shashank Vikram, the Consul General of India in Durban, invited the whole international delegation and prominent community members for high tea at the Indian Consulate and met with each one individually and welcomed us to South Africa.

As if that was not welcome enough a reception was held for all GOPIO members and local Indian dignitaries and business people to meet with the GOPIO visitors and local members at the hotel.

Among the many welcome addresses the ones that hit the spot were by Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, member of Parliament for Minority Front in Durban, South Africa. She brought forward the point that Indian Diaspora needs to be recognized and appreciated for the success they have achieved in foreign countries. And that GOPIO is a wonderful platform for PIOs/ NRIs for such acknowledgement and appreciation.

Dr. Udit Raj, Member of Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) who was visiting from New Delhi, emphasized that today India is a land of opportunity under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He also extended the invitation to all Indians living abroad to come to India and his doors will be open to help them

Dr. Thomas Abraham, chairman GOPIO from the US made a power point presentation tracing the journey of GOPIO since its inception 28 years ago mobilizing the community as an activism group looking at the human rights violations to a group which is involved in all aspects of community development and contribution to India and other countries. GOPIO has now launched GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce (GICC) where the GOIPO members can successfully network and utilize their membership to meet with other likeminded business people and entrepreneurs from all over the world.

GOPIO Executive Vice President Noel Lal quoted Prime Minister Modi extolling diaspora Indians to commit and contribute to the countries they live in. Ishwar Ramlutchman Africa International coordinator and convener for the GOPIO Business summit finished off with a very emotional vote of thanks, specially to those who have traveled from far of countries to visit his South Africa. He thanked his team for their tireless work of last few months to put the convention together. He finished off with very important message,” Let us all take something from this convention”.

Many discussion panels were held covering the entire gamut of topics for helping Africa Grow through entrepreneurship and helping in the growth of Industries like Hotel and Tourism, Small Scale Industries, Micro Credit Financing to name a few.

Some of the local dignitaries who attended and spoke were Acting High Commissioner of India Dr. S. Janakiraman, Consul General of India Dr. Shashank Vikram, Deputy Mayor of Durban Fawzia Peer, and Ravi Pillay, MEC for Rural Development and Public Works.

In the afternoon, the business summit was honored by the presence of His Majesty the King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuZulu and his wife. The King was pleased to be attending the summit and to be among Indians in particular. In his speech, he emphasized that ALL RELIGIONS should live together in harmony. South Africa, he said that today his people are called, “The Rainbow Nation”. His majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini and her Highness, Prince MG Buthelezi MP, A.V, Mohammed of Jumma Masjid Trust and Deputy High commissioner of India Dr. S. Janakiraman and south African Member of parliament Aumsen Singh.

The Gala dinner was a display of warmth, love and hospitality of the South African Indians. It seems the clock may have stopped for them, 3-4 generations ago when their ancestors landed in Durban as indentured labor on a ship. Today the success and their achievement is noteworthy and something to be proud of.

From lightening the traditional lamp to welcome speeches to fabulous array of dishes on the buffet table was a sight to be seen. Highlight was the plaques of recognition to professional and business achievers, the host committee team and the people who needed to be recognized for their service to the community and the growth of Indian heritage in general. The King was presented with the Life Time Achievement Award.

His majesty the King Goodwill Zwelithini himself stood on the dais and presented each and everyone with the plaque of recognition with a smile and handshake. He was seen having quite a chat with some of the dignitaries and visitors. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

In his speech, he again reiterated his comments, “It is a great pleasure to have been invited to express my message of support to such a great celebration of unity among people of Indian origin that is kept intact by the leadership and members of the Gopio organization of the people of the Indian origin. We are aware that inculcating a culture of unity is difficult enough in a classroom or a community but when unity such as the one achieved by the Indian community on a global scale as pioneered by GOPIO has to be celebrated, Ubuntu dictates that I express my support.”

The highlight of the conference was a Visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s Phoenix Settlement, hosted by Mrs. Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi. The delegates got to see and read information they have heard about from the history books.

Original pictures and depiction of Mahatma Gandhi’s life has been recorded chronologically with very nice photographs and inscriptions on the walls. The delegation was served wonderful vegetarian lunch and a plaque of appreciation was given to Mrs. Ela Gandhi by GOPIO team.

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