“Bharat Mata Is The Voice Of Every Indian” Rahul Gandhi

India’s Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday extended his wishes on India’s Independence Day to the people of the country and called Bharat Mata as the voice of every Indian.

Taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the Congress leader said, “Bharat Mata is the voice of every Indian! Happy Independence Day to all the countrymen.”

The Congress leader also shared his experience of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and said that he started the hundred and forty-five days walk at the edge of the sea and reached the soft snow of Kashmir.

“Last year I spent a hundred and forty-five days walking across the land I call home. I started at the edge of the sea and walked through heat, dust and rain. Through forests, towns and hills, until I reached the soft snow of my beloved Kashmir,” he said.

He also mentioned the pain he faced while continuing his yatra and the motivation that helped him in continuing the yatra.

Picture : Indica News

“Within a few days, the pain arrived. My old knee injury, one that hours of physiotherapy had banished, was back. A few days into the walk, my physio joined us, he came and gave me sage advice. The pain remained. And then I started to notice something. Every time I would think about stopping, every time I considered giving up, someone would come and gift me the energy to continue,” he said.

“The Yatra progressed. But soon the numbers of people became so large, the pain so persistent that I started to observe and listen,” he added.

Meanwhile, in view of the Independence Day celebrations, Delhi Police have beefed up security arrangements in the national capital.

Police personnel checked vehicles as security tightened up across the national capital on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations.

Various iconic buildings and monuments in India have been illuminated in the Tricolours lights ahead of Independence Day.

Old Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi Railway Station and India Gate were light-up as the city soaks in Independence Day fervour.

This year’s Independence Day will culminate the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, which were launched by the Prime Minister from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021, and will, once again, usher the country into Amrit Kaal with renewed vigour to realise PM Modi’s dream of making India a developed country by 2047.

A number of new initiatives have been taken to celebrate the 77th Independence Day. A large number of guests have been invited as compared to last year.

Rep. Ro Khanna Felicitated Near Boston

On a picturesque Sunday afternoon, the New England Indian American community gathered once again to extend a warm welcome to Congressman Ro Khanna, renowned as a member of the esteemed “samosa caucus,” representing Silicon Valley and California’s 17th district. The lunch meet and greet fundraiser, hosted by the US India Security Council’s President, Mr. Ramesh Vishwanath Kapur, along with esteemed co-hosts Thomas Arul,  Mr. Ashok Bhatt, Dr. Suvas Desai, Sanjay Gokhale, Priya Samant, Amar Sawhney, Deepika Sawhney, Pramit Maakoday, Manoj Schinde and AbhishekSingh proved to be a remarkable occasion for celebration and camaraderie.

The event took place at the Clay Oven restaurant, nestled in the historic town of Lexington, MA, and was graced by the presence of many distinguished business and community leaders, including Mr. and Mrs. Puran Dang, Mrs. Ranjani Saigal, Ms. Amrita Saigal, Mr. Gope Gidwani, Mr. Dhruba Sen, Mr. Archan Basu, Dr. Smita Joshi, Puneet Kohli, Paru Sanghvi, Vijay and Madhu Narang, Dr. Dinesh Patel, Mr and Mrs. Yash Shah Mr. Guruprasad Sowle, Krishna Srinivasa and many others.

Ramesh Kapur, in his opening address, welcomed Congressman Ro Khanna to New England, emphasizing the Congressman’s unwavering perseverance and determination that led him to triumph in his third election, eventually defeating the incumbent. Notably, Congressman Khanna played a significant role in inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month to address the joint session of the US Congress.

Picture : TheUNN

During his remarks, Congressman Khanna emphasized the importance of recognizing India’s elected leaders and acknowledged that the relationship between India and the United States is pivotal. He stressed that India’s emergence as a powerful nation, two generations removed from colonialism, requires realistic expectations in terms of alignment with US policies.

In his closing statements, Kapur shed light on the upcoming visit of Congressman Khanna and other esteemed members of Congress to India in August, signifying the continued commitment to strengthening India-US ties.

This momentous event marked not only a celebration of Congressman Ro Khanna’s achievements but also a testament to the cohesive spirit and vibrant engagement of the New England Indian community in furthering bilateral relations between India and the United States.

The Indian American Community of Massachusetts successfully raised over $25,000 at this event.

Could Ethnic Conflict In India Become An Issue Modi Cannot Ignore?

It’s been the same old thing recently for Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India: honorary pathway trips abroad, strip cuttings and political meetings at home.

However, he has largely avoided discussing the ethnic violence that has been raging for months in the northeastern state of Manipur. Mobs of the majority ethnic Meitei community have destroyed villages of the minority Kuki and other tribes, killing more than 150 people and forcing over 60,000 people to flee their homes.

The tumult has been broad to the point that huge number of public safety powers shipped off suppress the distress have attempted to reestablish quiet, with the region really parceled along ethnic lines in the thing occupants are portraying as a nationwide conflict.

However a few senior figures inside Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party have gotten more engaged with the emergency, the state leader has kept a concentrated on quietness.

The flash was a court deciding that undermined a fragile equilibrium by basically giving greater government advantages to the Meiteis. In spite of the fact that they control the switches of state power, they have had a little portion of the state’s territory.

Meitei mobs, which activists and rights groups contend are enabled by the state government, attacked tribal communities as they protested the ruling. India’s Supreme Court  has since proclaimed the lower court’s decision “totally genuinely off-base,” yet halting the violence was past the point of no return.

To drive Mr. Modi to address inquiries on the issue, India’s opposition groups depended on something exceptional last week: a motion in Parliament to vote against his government’s no-confidence.

The move, which is merely procedural and is Mr. Modi’s second such vote in his nearly decade in power, There is no chance that voters will remove his government.

Yet, it has featured how India’s most impressive forerunner in many years has reshaped the country’s parliamentary majority rule government. With an outright greater part in the governing body permitting him to obstruct and crash banter; a tyrannical national media that largely follows his lead and conceals difficult topics; Mr. Modi wields power increasingly unchecked by India’s political system’s previous guardrails and an overwhelmed judiciary.

Also, experts say what is happening in Manipur epitomizes India’s more extensive weaknesses even in the midst of the country’s ascent as a monetary and strategic power. Misusing homegrown separation points in the immensely assorted country opens room that foes at its boundary could take advantage of.

It also puts India’s military at risk. The division that is primarily in charge of providing security along China’s extensive border, where the two sides have been at odds for more than two years, sent troops to Manipur.

The opposition leader Gaurav Gogoi, who initiated the vote of no confidence, referred to it as an effort “to force” Mr. Modi, who rarely attends sessions or debates, to discuss Manipur.

Mr. Gogoi, deputy leader of the Indian National Congress party in the lower place of Parliament, said that the ethnic gatherings engaged with the savagery were spread across a few states and that “gradually expanding influences” were conceivable. In a region that has a history of violent insurgencies, he added, mobs had robbed police weapons depots, leaving approximately 5,000 weapons unaccounted for.

“The way that there are these weapons which are at large — monstrous number of refined weapons — is an extremely tremendous gamble to our public safety,” Mr. Gogoi said in a meeting.

Mr. Modi’s quietness, experts said, reflects how vital his image is for the estimations of his administering party, known as the B.J.P., around the following year’s overall decisions. He has been able to save state and local elections where the B.J.P. was having trouble because he is personally more popular with voters than the party he leads. Party pioneers need to try not to connect him in the public brain with Manipur.

Amit Shah, Mr. Modi’s  home minister, visited Manipur last month and told Parliament last week that he was able to have a conversation in the interest of the public authority. In addition, he and other officials informed the local media that Mr. Modi had been frequently briefed on the government’s efforts to restore order through security operations, legal action, and meetings between Meiti and Kuki groups.

Insurgencies based on tribal and ethnic grievances have plagued India’s northeast region ever since it became a republic seven decades ago. Many have resulted in fragile cease-fires, creating a delicate equilibrium between tribes competing for resources and land from New Delhi as well as a share of illicit trade along the border. Connections through the northeast, which have been prioritized by successive national governments, have the potential to expand trade with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Southeast Asia as a whole.

The winding in Manipur “brings into question something beyond India’s homegrown story, more than India’s network story,” Avinash Paliwal, a researcher at SOAS College of London and the writer of a forthcoming book on India’s northeast ” You are making old wounds worse.

The Meiteis are to a great extent Hindu and the Kukis generally Christian, yet the savagery has been more along ethnic lines than strict.

Strains had stewed for quite a long time as Biren Singh, the Meitei chief minister of the B.J.P., adopted an inexorably biased strategy to the ancestral networks, especially the Kuki and the Kuki-Zo, portraying them as outcasts usurping land. In the ongoing emergency, he has portrayed the contention as between the state and what he named “psychological oppressors,” alluding to Kuki gatherings.

In any case, the Indian Armed force’s head of safeguard staff said the “circumstance in Manipur doesn’t have anything to do with counterinsurgency and is essentially a conflict between two nationalities.”

Mr. Singh has stayed in his occupation in spite of far and wide requires his renunciation, some from his own party. Ancestral administrators from the B.J.P. have basically denounced Mr. Singh of complicity in the viciousness..

Rather than holding Mr. Singh responsible, examiners said, the public authority has attempted to put a top on Manipur, hindering web access in the state.

As of late Mr. Modi talked diagonally about Manipur when a viral video on Twitter dodged the web closure. It showed a Meitei crowd strutting ancestral ladies stripped and attacking them. His remark zeroed in on the “disgrace” of the episode prior to lumping it with maltreatments against ladies and savagery during nearby surveys in resistance run states.

His administration moved to pressure Twitter into bringing the video down, and authorities told the neighborhood news media that the one who had recorded it had been captured.

The government has really divided Manipur — keeping Mr. Singh as boss clergyman to care for the Meitei regions, while the areas of Kukis and different clans are run from New Delhi, with the military attempting to keep a support zone, experts and occupants said.

“This ought to be a contextual investigation on how not to deal with the rule of law circumstances, not to mention ones of ethnic partitions,” said Vikram Singh, a previous senior police official.

Among those compelled to escape was Ngaliam, a Kuki lady in her 60s. At the point when she and her sibling got away from their town, her 38-year-old child, Thangkhochon, remained behind. The family claims that a mob with police assistance carried out the attack that resulted in his death. It was impossible to verify that assertion.

Ngailam, who utilizes just a single name, is presently at a help camp in the Churachandpur region. Via telephone, she said she was confused for how to sort her life back out.

Volunteer medical caretakers depicted her as melancholy and said she discusses how she feels remorseful for abandoning her child.

Lunminthang Kipgen, one of the nurses, stated in a telephone interview, “She wakes up crying in the middle of the night and saying, ‘My son is looking at me and blaming me for being alive.'”

India Plans World’s Largest Museum In Delhi

In New Delhi, the world’s largest museum will soon open. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a speech at the opening of the convention center at Pragati Maidan. He talked about the idea for the museum called “Yuge Yugeen Bharat,” which will show India’s rich and varied history.

Talking at the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) perplexing, the State leader said, “Soon, there will be the world’s greatest historical center in the Public Capital. Imagine something amazing, think beyond practical boundaries and act enormous.”

Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum

The Sanskrit name “Yuge Yugeen Bharat” means “never-ending India” in English. It catches the everlasting person of the nation’s set of experiences.

The public historical center will be worked out of the ongoing North Block and South Block structures, as per Times Now. The notable blocks were built by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Cook during the 1930s and have long filled in as the center of Indian administration.

The Prime Minister’s Office, the External Affairs Ministry, and the Defence Ministry are situated in the South Block, while the  Finance Ministry and the Home Ministry are located in the North Block.

The public authority made arrangements to transform the North and South Blocks into exhibition halls in 2021.

One-stop objective for India’s rich culture and history

The exhibition hall would have 950 rooms spread over a cellar, ground floor, and two additional accounts, covering 1.17 lakh square meters of room. The design will house various “khands,” or divisions, that follow the improvement of 5000+ year of Indian civilisation.

Its design emphasizes not only the splendor of Indian history’s various epochs but also the country’s vibrant cultures, animals, and plants.

Picture : Kumparan

As indicated by Swarajya Magazine, the exhibition hall will archive the scholarly and creative achievements of ancient India, the Indus Valley Civilisation, the Vedic period, and India’s top colleges like Takshashila and Nalanda. The Maurya, Gupta, Pandya, Pallav, Chola, Kushans, Kashmir, and Rashtrakut administrations who kept up with exchanging associations with countries like Rome and Greece, will likewise be featured. Huge realms like the Rashtrakutas, Gurjara-Pratiharas, and Palas will likewise get a decent lot of support during the time spent making a country. The bravery of the Rajputs, the Mughal era, the Sultanate, the British Empire, and India’s struggle for independence.

The engineering entryways will open to show the unmistakable metallurgical custom of the country’s verifiable social classes, for example, the extraction of zinc in Zawar, Rajasthan, the magazine said in a report. A whole floor will be dedicated to the old Sindhi-Saraswati civilisation, with a fixation on areas like Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and Lothal.

A section will likewise be committed to the changed fauna and plants of the country, which have contributed fundamentally to shaping the way of life of the locale and are subsequently still worshipped vigorously now. The collectorate will also have the nation’s sacred peethas and temples to preserve the holy heritage.

The fifth part of the historical center will be committed to the fights that the progressives battled to win all through the very long term English occupation to liberate their country from unfamiliar abuse. The Sannyasi insurrection in Bengal in 1770, in which Sadhus rebelled against the oppressive government, and the Indian Revolt in 1857, in which some Indians attempted to overthrow the East India Company completely, are two instances of this.

The last segment will then stress the battle for social liberties, logical turns of events, and other huge realities like the thought behind the ongoing Indian constitution. Individuals like CV Raman, HJ Bhabha, and JC Bose will go about as good examples for our nation’s rising gifts.

The gallery will likewise feature India’s commitments to math, science, and innovation. Stressing the commitments of Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr BR Ambedkar, and Mahatma Gandhi, the top state leader said that historical centers will currently interestingly perceive ancestral autonomy warriors.

“The redevelopment of Mahaparinirvana Sthal of Dr BR Ambedkar into a National Memorial at 5, Alipore Street in Delhi (is in progress)… alongside the improvement of Panch Teerth connected with his life, in Mhow where he was conceived, in London where he resided, in Nagpur where he took commencement, and the Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai where his Samadhi exists today,” he expressed, as per Hindustan Times.

The Indian chief went on by saying that the galleries will likewise give a connoisseur experience, reporting many years of Indian history connected with Ayurveda and millets, which are as of now turning into a worldwide pattern. He argued that museums should actively support the preservation of resources for future generations. It is encouraging to observe that younger generations are drawn to these museums, which are becoming destinations and potential places of employment.

For anyone inquisitive about the set of experiences and culture of the country, the exhibition hall will act as a one-stop objective.

240 recovered objects

PM Modi also emphasized during his speech at Pragati Maidan that the destruction of libraries and manuscripts during hundreds of years of slavery resulted in the loss of a significant portion of the territory’s heritage. He underscored that the misfortune impacted India as well as the worldwide social inheritance in general. He likewise censured India’s post-autonomy government for neglecting to do whatever it takes to reestablish and safeguard the nation’s for some time failed to remember social legacy.

“We must be grounded previously yet work for what’s to come. We need to respect our inheritance, as we work to make a superior and more promising time to come,” he said.

The  Prime Minister communicated his fulfillment that different countries had begun returning bits of Indian history, which mirrored India’s rising global standing. In the past nine years, he claims, more than 240 ancient artifacts have been discovered and returned to India.

He likewise featured a significant decrease in social relic carrying from India during this period and encouraged craftsmanship devotees and historical center experts overall to improve joint effort in this space, focusing on the significance of guaranteeing that no work of art got unscrupulously tracks down a spot in any gallery. The Prime Minister concluded by promising to create a new legacy while preserving India’s past.

World’s ongoing biggest gallery

With north of 73,000 square meters of display region, the Louver in Paris, France, is presently the biggest historical center.

It is home to the absolute most notable bits of craftsmanship in the whole world, like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.

The exhibition hall, which is situated in the focal point of Paris, is coordinated into eight divisions, each showing craftsmanship from an alternate time span. These offices incorporate Traditional Ancient pieces, Archaic and Renaissance Craftsmanship, Current and Contemporary Workmanship, Ornamental Expressions, Prints and Drawings, Islamic Workmanship, and Egyptian Artifacts. The Louvre has attracted art enthusiasts from all over the world for centuries.

Rise of Indian Americans

The rapid rise of Indian Americans from politics to administration, entrepreneurship to technology, medicine to hospitality, science to academia has put the global spotlight like never before on the high-achieving four million-plus strong diaspora.

The community happens to be the most educated with the highest median income in the US, with an average household earning of $123,700 — making them the top earners in the US among other Asians in the country.

As the profile of the Indian American community — now the second-largest immigrant group in the US — has grown, so too has its economic, political, and social influence, according to a recent Carnegie Endowment study.

In 2010, only 18 per cent of Americans saw India as “very important” to the United States, according to The Chicago Council survey.

Now, India is perceived by Americans as their seventh favourite nation in the world, with 70 per cent of people viewing India favourably in 2023, says a Gallup survey.

Picture : TheUNN

Much of how America views India today can be attributed to the success of this community, which according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has played a significant role in the all-round development of the nation they live in and also strengthened the India-US relationship.

The fifth largest economy of the world, India today is seen in the US as a strong bilateral partner sharing common democratic values with broad-based and multi-sectoral cooperation in sectors like trade and investment, defence and security, education, science and technology, cyber security, etc.

American businesses heavily rely on highly-skilled workers from India to fill the gaps in IT and engineering sectors via the H-1B visa programme. These visa holders create prospects for US citizens, by enabling companies to invest in domestic operations instead of sending jobs abroad.

As US Ambassador Eric Garcetti recently said: “India is a place where dreams become reality every day. Our counties have so much in common. Indian dreams and American dreams are two sides of the same coin.”

Addressing the 2019 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, then Foreign Minister late Sushma Swaraj had noted that while the Indian diaspora started migrating centuries ago, it was the migration of the educated, highly-skilled and dynamic young Indians that brought laurels to India.

The dominance of Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Parag Agarwal in the IT sector has strengthened the image of India in the US as a technology powerhouse and a source of quality human resources.

With US Vice President Kamala Harris sitting atop the political ladder, the US House of Representatives has five Indian Americans — Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar.

There are close to 60 Indian-American CEOs in Fortune 500. Even though Indians are just 1 per cent of the American population, they are more than 10 per cent of the Fortune 500 CEOs with the likes of Laxman Narasimhan (Starbucks) and Raj Subramaniam (FedEx).

The US now has 20,000 Indian-American professors and at least a third of companies in the Silicon Valley that come for funding, and have an Indian American co-founder, according to Indiaspora founder M.R. Rangaswami.

According to foreign policy experts, it is the success of this community, which has dramatically changed the US perception of Indians and India, with its ability to spread Indian soft power, lobby for India’s national interests, and contribute economically to their mother country’s rise.

As part of “soft diplomacy”, Indian-Americans played a pivotal role in the fructification of the historic Indo-US nuclear deal in 2005.

The community also urged the political establishment — right from the Oval Office down to statehouses — to send aid worth at least half-a-billion dollars to India during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

India Introduces Ayush Visa For Foreign Nationals Seeking Treatment

The introduction of the Ayush visa is in line with government’s aim to promote India as a medical tourism destination in the world

The Ministry of Home Affairs officially announced a new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals seeking treatment under Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (Ayush) or Indian systems of medicine. The new visa category was announced by the Prime Minister at the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in April 2022.

According to a government statement, the introduction of the Ayush visa is part of the “Heal in India” initiative, which is aimed at promoting the country as a medical value travel destination. The Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Health and family welfare are working together to develop a one-stop “Heal in India” portal to promote the country as a medical tourism destination of the world.​

Picture : InsuranceDekho

Commenting on its significance, Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “The creation of a new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals seeking treatment under Indian systems of medicine is a significant step. It will boost the medical value of travel in India. This initiative will strengthen our endeavour to accomplish PM Modi’s vision for making Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon. I also want to compliment Amit Shah, Union Home Minister for his efforts in creating a special Ayush Visa category.”

A new chapter 11A – Ayush Visa has been incorporated after Chapter 11 – medical visa of the manual, which deals with treatment under the Indian systems of medicine accordingly necessary amendments have been made in various chapters of the Visa Manual, 2019, the release said.

The Ayush ministry has been working on many fronts to promote the Ayush system of treatment nationally and globally. Recently, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and the Ministry of Tourism, was signed to work together for the promotion of medical value travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

‘War No Longer An Option,” Pakistan PM Wants Talks With India

Pakistan and India cannot be “normal neighbours” if they do not communicate, said Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country is ready to hold “peaceful and meaningful discussions” with India to address all serious and outstanding issues. The PM made the comments at the inaugural session of the Pakistan Minerals Summit in Islamabad on August 1, 2023.

Sharif expressed that communication was key if Pakistan and India were to be “normal neighbours”. His comments come a little over a month since India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said India couldn’t have normal relations with Pakistan until they shun the policy of cross-border terrorism.

“We are prepared to talk with everyone, even with our neighbour, provided the neighbour is serious to talk serious matters on the table because war is no more an option,” the Prime Minister said, in a discernible reference to India, as per media reports.

Bilateral relations between India-Pakistan have remained strained since August 5, 2019, when the Narendra Modi government bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. Sharif said relations would not become normal until the “abnormalities” are removed and “serious issues are understood.”

T​he Pakistani leader also spoke about the history of war between India and Pakistan saying it impacted the overall well-being of both countries and the people. India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, with the latter having a larger arsenal. While the countries have not engaged in nuclear warfare with each other yet, experts have predicted that the ongoing tensions could reach a point where things are escalated beyond the use of conventional weapons.

India has declared a No First Use policy meaning it will never use nuclear weapons first if a conflict arises. While Pakistan has not declared the same, in his recent address, “War is no longer an option,” Sharif said stressing that “Pakistan is a nuclear power, not for aggression but for our defence purposes.”​

Hello!… Manipur Is Still Burning! Is There Anyone In Charge?          

It has been almost three months since the State of Manipur in India has been in flames. The latest news reports speak about 140 or more people killed, 50,000 or more people made destitute and homeless, many hiding in forests, 317 churches burned, and 6137 homes set ablaze. It is indeed a colossal human tragedy that is unfolding before our eyes, and the power centers in the State or at the Center seem to be cavalier in their approach to a resolution.

The Godi media in India is spinning the story as an age-old rivalry between two ethnic groups, and many pundits have dismissed it as some tribal infighting that occurs relatively often. However, there is little doubt that since the 3rd of May, the Kuki-Zomi tribals have been at the receiving end of this horrible attack, which has all the designs of a well-orchestrated and planned campaign of ethnic cleansing. Kuki-Zomi forms about 16% of the population of Manipur, and the Meiteis, predominantly Hindus, make up about 53% of the State.

There is a raging debate over whether this ongoing crisis has any religious undertones! There is no doubt that it all started with an effort by the State Government to empower the Hindu majority at the expense of the Scheduled Tribes (mostly Christians) as regards their land rights. A writ petition filed in the High Court by members of the Meitei Tribe Union towards that goal appeared to have produced a ruling in favor of Meities, triggering the current mayhem. These anti-tribal policies are increasingly put in place in various states by the BJP government. Fr. Stan Swamy is a victim of those disastrous initiatives supporting crony capitalists that have hurt the indigenous and tribal people across India.

The attacks appeared to have been pre-meditated and well-planned. In the valley, the reports indicate the precision pinpointing of minority houses that were selected and burnt. The Hindu militants, who mostly belong to Arambai Tenngol and Meitei Leepun, appeared to have the tacit support of the Police and the law enforcement authorities. As per sources, it has now been revealed that over 4000 weapons, including sophisticated ones, have been looted from different locations in Manipur since the unrest began. These arms appeared to have played a critical role in exacerbating the violence. Using mortars against fleeing Kukis-zomi refugees to the forest to escape death and destruction may point to a higher-level conspiracy in aiding and abetting these militant groups.

It is also a known fact that there are Christians among the Meities. According to Dominic Lumon, the Archbishop of Imphal,  249 churches belonging to the Meitei Christians had been destroyed within 36 hours since the start of the violence. He said, “The wonder is, amid the fight between the Kukis and the Meiteis, why did the Meitei mob burn down and destroy 249 churches in the Meitei heartland? How is it that there was almost a natural attack on the church in the Meitei localities itself, and how did the mob know where the churches were located if not previously planned”. He attributed these attacks to the revival of Sanamahism, and the emergence of groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitie Leepun.

Therefore, the theory that has been promoted by vested interests that there is hardly any religious angle to the whole unrest is quite suspect. BJP has long been critical of Northeastern states and blamed foreigners, especially missionaries, for their separatist tendencies. Although people in those states are apprehensive about the Hindutva agenda, they have given in to supporting the party because it allows proximity to state power and, more importantly, to central funds. After the BJP took control of the central government in 2014, political leaders in these states gradually switched loyalties to the BJP. Now, they are beginning to pay a heavy price for their wanton disregard for making crucial decisions.

While looking back at recent BJP history, the initial grabbing of power in Manipur and the subsequent unrest and violence come directly from the BJP playbook. According to Human Rights Watch, a majority of the reported incidents of violence against Christians in 1998 occurred in the western State of Gujarat, the same year that the BJP came to power in the State. The year began with an unprecedented hate campaign by Hindutva groups and culminated with ten days of nonstop violence against Christian tribals and the destruction of churches and Christian institutions in the southeastern districts at the year’s end. Human Rights Watch investigated these attacks in Dangs district in southeastern Gujarat. The events were preceded by escalating violence throughout the State in which many police and state officials were implicated. Biren Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur, seems to be following the same model. Before the current crisis, his government bulldozed three churches in the name of an anti-encroachment drive, though some have existed since the early 70s in Imphal’s’ East district Tribal colony.

Despite widespread destruction and human loss of lives, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept a vow of silence until now while making several important state visits to various capitals around the world, including the United States. His primary constitutional duty is to protect the lives and property of every citizen of India, regardless of caste, religion, or region. Yet, this leader of a great nation, whose aim is to make India the Vishwaguru and would readily tweet if a cricketer is involved in an accident, found it convenient to close his eyes to a State ablaze under his premiership. On his foreign visits, he often asks foreign leaders, especially in Christian-majority countries, to protect Hindu shrines and safeguard their sanctity. Yet, he is pretty undaunted about the destruction of 300 or more Christian Churches under his watch. His External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who has specialized in propaganda, could always rationalize his thoughts in the name of traditions and culture, and even as he has redefined human rights, one that would fit the people of his stripes abroad and the other for the marginalized communities in his homeland.

For astute political observers, Manipur is coming apart at its seams, and so does the rest of India. The politics of polarization championed by the Modi administration is taking its toll on human lives and personal properties. However, more than anything else, transforming trajectories are not only causing the alienation of its people and the dismantlement of its institutions but also destroying the moral underpinnings of a great country. The party that prides itself on nationalism has given the impetus to the extremist elements to tear the nation apart for the selfish pursuit of power regardless of its consequences. Who is anti-national now: is that someone who drives the country towards disintegration with odious policies using religion as a tool with disastrous results or who honestly criticizes the downward spiral of a nation under the current governance? This question remains to be answered!

India’s PM Narendra Modi To Face No-Confidence Vote In Parliament

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is facing a no-confidence vote in parliament due to a deadlock with the opposition concerning violence in Manipur, a state in northeastern India.

On Wednesday, a member of the opposition Congress party introduced a no-confidence motion, aimed at pressuring Mr. Modi to address the issue of ethnic clashes that erupted in Manipur between the Meitei group, the majority population, and the tribal Kuki minority in May. The violence has led to the deaths of at least 130 people and displacement of tens of thousands.

Despite the no-confidence motion, Mr. Modi’s government is unlikely to lose the vote, given that his party and its allies hold a clear majority in parliament. However, the move is expected to compel the Prime Minister to address the concerns related to Manipur in the parliamentary session.

Picture : AP News

The situation in Manipur escalated last week when a video surfaced showing two women being paraded naked by a mob, triggering global outrage and condemnation. In response to the incident and mounting pressure, Mr. Modi finally broke his silence on the matter, expressing his shame over the incident and vowing to hold the attackers accountable.

Federal home minister Amit Shah had also indicated the government’s willingness to discuss the violence in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. However, he accused the opposition of obstructing the discussions on the matter.

This marks the second time that Mr. Modi’s government has faced a no-confidence motion since coming into power in 2014. In 2018, a similar motion was brought forward, centered on the issue of granting a special category status to the state of Andhra Pradesh. That motion was ultimately defeated after a 12-hour debate.

To initiate a no-confidence motion, it must be presented in the Lok Sabha and requires the support of at least 50 lawmakers. Once accepted, the speaker will schedule a debate and vote within 10 days. If the government fails to prove its majority, it would be compelled to resign.

In the present case, two motions were moved on Wednesday—one from the Congress party and the other from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. The speaker, Om Birla, has stated that he will finalize the date for the debate and vote after consulting with leaders from all political parties.

“We are well aware that the numbers are not in our favour,” Manoj K Jha, an opposition MP, said on Wednesday. “But it is not about the numbers, the PM will have to speak in parliament following a no-confidence motion.”

The opposition was “forced to move the no-confidence motion as it was the last weapon”, Congress leader Manickam Tagore said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is facing a no-confidence vote in parliament over the handling of the violence in Manipur. Although the government is expected to retain its majority and survive the vote, the no-confidence motion serves as a means to pressure Mr. Modi to address the concerns surrounding the ethnic clashes in the state.

The situation has attracted international attention, particularly due to a shocking incident involving the public humiliation of two women. The government has expressed its willingness to discuss the issue in parliament, but it has accused the opposition of hindering the process. This is the second time Mr. Modi’s government has faced a no-confidence motion, highlighting the political tensions and challenges the government has encountered during its tenure. The final date for the no-confidence vote will be determined after consultation with leaders from various political parties.

Rahul Gandhi Reinstated As Member Of India’s Parliament

India’s top court on Friday remained Rahul Gandhi’s defamation conviction, offering a pivotal respite for the beset previous seat of the country’s fundamental resistance who was precluded as a legislator following a preliminary he kept up with was politically spurred.

The  Supreme Court request prepares for Parliament to restore Gandhi’s lawmaker status and let his case be settled on merits in preliminary, permitting him to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 election.

Gandhi’s legal advisor, KC Kaushik, affirmed the decision to the Press Trust of India, one of India’s biggest news organizations, and said parliament ought to reestablish his lawmaker’s status “however quick as it might have been renounced.”

Gandhi, the former Indian National Congress leader, was viewed as at fault for criticism and allowed a two-year prison sentence in March, connecting with a discourse he made during a political race in 2019.

Gandhi’s Congress party criticized the conviction, blaming Modi for involving the courts as a method for removing him from parliament and quietness his faultfinders.

From that point forward, the resistance chief has been in and out of courts, battling for a suspension of his sentence that would permit him to be restored as a legislator.

Picture : PBS

Under Indian law, an individual from parliament can be excluded for political decision offenses including “advancing hatred between two gatherings,” pay off, unnecessary impact, or personation – the demonstration of casting a ballot while acting like another citizen.

In the event that a legislator is indicted for some other offense and condemned to a time of two years or more, they can likewise be excluded.

Addressing the Press Trust of India after the decision, Gandhi’s lawyer, K.C. Kaushik, said parliament ought to reestablish his administrator’s status “however quick as it might have been renounced.”

Gandhi was viewed as at legitimate fault for criticism by a court in western territory of Gujarat, for a discourse he made in 2019, in which he alluded to cheats as having a similar family name as Modi. Gujarat is the state Modi used to run prior to becoming prime minister.

The ensuing exclusion took steps to fix one of a handful of the resistance figures that had the sort of name acknowledgment to challenge Modi.

Gandhi strolled 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) across India last year to meet citizens and resuscitate interest in the Congress – a once strong party that has as of late battled to win votes.

In the main huge measure of elector opinion since that trial, the Congress unseated the BJP in pivotal state races in southwest Karnataka state.

Last month, the Congress and a few other  opposition parties held hands to frame a coalition, known as INDIA, in a bid to unseat Modi in the following year’s political decision.

Nonetheless, while the BJP can put money on the fame of Modi, the INDIA partnership has not yet advanced a pioneer to challenge him one year from now. Gandhi is one of only a handful of exceptional resistance figures considered to have the sort of star power and name acknowledgment to remain against Modi in an overall political decision.

He is the child of previous Indian  Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. His grandma Indira Gandhi was India’s most memorable female pioneer, and his incredible granddad, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the nation’s founding Prime Minister.

His grandma was killed while in office, and his dad was killed by a bomb impact while he was battling in the southern territory of Tamil Nadu.

Indian Americans Hold Prayer Vigil at United Nations in Support of People in Manipur

Hundreds of Indian Americans from across the United States gathered in front of the United Nations at a prayer vigil on Saturday, August 5th, 2023 organized in solidarity with the suffering people in the Northeastern state of Manipur in India.

Violence and destruction of life, property and religious institutions has plunged the Indian state of Manipur into what many have dubbed a state of civil war as the two largest groups, the majority Meitei and minority Kuki, battle over land and influence.

The hilly north-east Indian state sits east of Bangladesh and borders Myanmar. It is home to an estimated 3.3 million people. More than half are Meiteis, while around 43% are Kukis and Nagas, the predominant minority tribes.

At least 130 people have been killed and 400 wounded in violence that began in May. More than 60,000 have been forced from their homes as the army, paramilitary forces and police struggle to quell violence.

The state and the federal government’s lack of adequate measures to contain the ongoing violence and the silence by the leader of the nation, Shri Narendra Modi have come under sharp criticism by the media, political establishment, civic groups, the Supreme Court of India,  and peace loving Indians as well as the global community.

Led by the Indian American community in the Tri-state area, the prayer vigil in front of the United Nations, praying for the perpetrators to come to their senses and for the authorities to reign in the continuing attacks on the tribal people, mostly Christians, was attended by more than 700 people.

Carrying placards, condemning the violence, praying for peace and urging the government to effectively intervene to stop the deadly violence, participants at the rally expressed solidarity with all the grieving people of Manipur. Prayers by the Clergy reflected the deep pain felt across the Indian American Community in the U.S. for the great calamity that has impacted the people of Manipur with immense loss of human lives and destruction of homes and churches.

The Prayer rally was initiated by a handful of concerned citizens that was instrumental in bringing together the Indian American community in several buses form the New York tri-state region. As per the organizers, “People from all denominations and regions in cooperation with FIACONA (Federation of Indian American Christians of North America) united for the cause of the Manipuri Christians who have taken the brunt of the suffering in the last 90 days.

President of FIACONA, Dr. Koshy George stated the purpose of the vigil at the beginning. “This is not a protest rally. We aim not to examine why the riots happened, who is responsible, or politics. We are here today to pray for the rule of law in Manipur, and obviously, there are limits as to what we can do to help. However, Prayer does not have any limitation.” He further clarified that “We aim not to condemn or oppose anyone politically.”

Dr. Anna George, a lead organiser of this event, pointed out that “when our brothers are in pain, it hurts us too. It is a reflection of this that so many people gathered here on the day off, putting aside all other programs,” she said. “People are being killed and become refugees. Women are sexually molested, gang-raped, and marched naked. People are without food, water, or shelter. Their anguish and pain are beyond our imagination,” she added.

“We have lived in India in harmony with various religious sects for years. But what has happened now? A genocide or massacre is taking place right before our eyes. One hundred forty-five people died. Sixty thousand people were left homeless. Over three hundred churches were destroyed, and One hundred seventy villages were burnt. It is continuing. Undoubtedly,  Christians are being targeted. These are massive human rights violations,” she said.

“We cannot be silent when we see the tears and lamentation of our brothers and sisters. So far, neither the State Government nor the Central Government has intervened adequately. It must end. This vigil also demands that the American media and government speak for us on this issue. It is a shame that this country is silent on women being abused and run naked,” Dr. George added.

In a remarkable speech, American activist and journalist Peter Friedrich pointed out that Manipur is a repeat of what was done in Odisha’s Kandhamal. “The police and the government need to do more. The central government is not moving. The U.S. government, on the other hand, pretends to have seen nothing. America is strengthening trade ties with Delhi while Christians are bleeding in Manipur. He also criticized the reticent American churches. As free people, we have a duty to fight for freedom. We are one in Christ. Let us unite and pray for Manipur from our knees. Let us act against the forces trying to suffocate the Christian people,” he said.

New York State Senator Kevin Thomas attended in solidarity with the victims. The only elected legislator to attend, Mr. Thomas clarified that “justice and peace should prevail and that the lives of all human beings are equal. There is no difference between Hindu, Christian, Sikh or Jain.” He called to work for a world where people live as one.

Bishop Johncy Itty of the Episcopal Church said,” the wonderful thing about humanity is that we reveal ourselves in times of distress and how we come together in times of anxiety and frustrations because we care about justice, freedom, and peace. He urged the gathering to be resolute in fighting for justice and praying for those who are persecuted”.

Pastor Robinson Frank, a Catholic priest of the American Church, said that the governments should wake up and work to develop the legal system in Manipur. He said that the persecution of Christians in India also saddens us.

Wumang, a woman from Manipur, while sharing the experiences of violence in her homestate pointed out that their houses were burnt down in Imphal. They have a family of 28 members. They escaped by seeking shelter in an army camp. Later, they were transferred to Delhi. They are now living in rented houses. Mark Mang from Manipur described how his relatives were killed. His cousins, who were protecting the village, were shot dead by security forces.

FOMAA president Jacob Thomas said that India is a country with a secular constitution. He demanded that the government should act according to the Constitution. FOKANA leader Leela Maret appreciated those who took the initiative to hold such a prayer vigil. She said, “The sorrow of Manipur is our sorrow too, and there should be justice and peace.

Pastor Jacob George gave the opening prayer. Evangeline Jacob sand the American National Anthem, and Fr. Francis Nambiaparambil sang the Indian National Anthem. Pastor Babu Thomas, Dr. Sam Samuel, Pastor Itty Abraham, Rev. Dr. Taylor, Rev. Jess M. George, Rev. Dr. Hemalatha Parmar, Pastor Percy McEwan, Rev. Jatinder Gill, were prominent among those who had participated in speeches, prayers, and scripture readings. Mr. Mathew George expressed vote of thanks.

Special buses were arranged from various places. Organizers also submitted a petition to the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights asking to protect human rights in Manipur, considering today’s gross violations. The petition pointed out that the United Nations has an obligation to intervene to protect human rights, life, and property in this situation.

The organizing committee was led by Anna George, Koshy George, George Abraham, Raju Abraham, Mathew George, Jimmy Christian, Mary Philip, Paul Panakal, Leela Maret, Pastor Jatinder Gill, Shaju Sam, V. J. Macwan, and several other community leaders from across the US.

Chandrika Tandon To Release New Album

Indian American businesswoman and philanthropist Chandrika Tandon is all set to release her fifth album, titled Ammu’s Treasures, in September. According to a press statement, Chandrika’s new recording described as “a hug for the world,” was inspired by her grandchildren.

The 3-volume collection of 35 familiar songs and 20 soothing chants features a distinguished lineup of musicians including Béla Fleck, Kenny Werner, Eugene Friesen, Romero Lubambo, Rakesh Chaurasia, Purbayan Chatterjee, and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. “This album, which began as a simple gift from a loving grandmother to her grandchildren, has become an expression of intergenerational love and wisdom for everyone,” a release said.

Tandon has released four albums, including the Grammy-nominated Soul Call (2009) and Shivoham – The Quest (2018), an oratorio that premiered in a sold-out concert at the Kennedy Center. Her performances have reached iconic venues including Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian, Olympiastadion (Berlin), NYC’s Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, and the World Culture Festival (New Delhi).

The Grammy-nominated musician is recognized for her donation of US$100 million to New York University (NYU), where the School of Engineering now bears her name. She chairs the board of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and is a trustee of the University, NYU Langone Health; and also a board member of the NYU Stern School of Business.

Tandon is a Harold Acton Fellow at NYU and a Sterling Fellow at Yale University, where she serves on the President’s Council on International Activities. She was one of the eminent personalities whom Indian Prime Minister Modi met at the United Nations during his visit to the US last month.

The New York-based businesswoman came to the United States at the age of 24, earning her bachelor’s degree from Madras Christian College, Chennai, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

As A Christian, Suddenly I Am A Stranger In My Own Country

Is it coincidence or a well-thought-out plan that the systematic targeting of a small and peaceful community should begin only after the BJP government of Narendra Modi came to power

There was a time, not very long ago — one year short of 30, to be precise — when only a Christian was chosen to go to Punjab to fight what then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi termed “the nation’s battle” against separatists. I had accepted a “demotion” from secretary in the Union home ministry to DGP of the state of Punjab at the personal request of the prime minister.

Then Home Secretary, Ram Pradhan, and my dear friend, B.G. Deshmukh, then chief secretary to the government of Maharashtra, were flabbergasted. “Why did you accept this assignment?” they asked. The same question was put to me over the phone by then President Zail Singh. But Arjun Singh, the cabinet minister who personally escorted me by special aircraft from Delhi to Chandigarh, remarked that when my appointment was announced the next morning, the Hindus of Punjab would breathe more freely and rejoice. I presume Hindus would include RSS cadres who had been pinned into a corner by the separatists.

When 25 RSS men on parade were shot dead in cold blood one morning, then Punjab Governor S.S. Ray and I rushed to the spot to console the stricken families. The governor visited 12 homes, I visited the rest. The governor’s experience was different from mine. He was heckled and abused. I was welcomed.

Today, in my 86th year, I feel threatened, not wanted, reduced to a stranger in my own country.  The same category of citizens who had put their trust in me to rescue them from a force they could not comprehend have now come out of the woodwork to condemn me for practising a religion that is different from theirs. I am not an Indian anymore, at least in the eyes of the proponents of the Hindu Rashtra.

Is it coincidence or a well-thought-out plan that the systematic targeting of a small and peaceful community should begin only after the BJP government of Narendra Modi came to power last May? “Ghar wapsi”, the declaration of Christmas as “Good Governance Day”, the attack on Christian churches and schools in Delhi, all added to a sense of siege that now afflicts these peaceful people.

Christians have consistently punched above their weight — not as much as the tiny Parsi community, but just as noticeably. Education, in particular, has been their forte. Many schools, colleges, related establishments that teach skills for jobs have been set up and run by Christians. They are much in demand. Even diehard Hindus have sought admission in such centres of learning and benefited from the commitment and sincerity of Christian teachers. Incidentally, no one seems to have been converted to Christianity, though many, many have imbibed Christian values and turned “pseudo-secularist”.

Hospitals, nursing homes, hospices for dying cancer patients needing palliative care — many of these are run by Christian religious orders or Christian laymen devoted to the service of humanity. Should they desist from doing such humanitarian work for fear of being so admired and loved that a stray beneficiary converts of his or her own accord? Should only Hindus be permitted to do work that could sway the sentiments of stricken people in need of human love and care?

The Indian army was headed by a Christian general, the navy more than once, and same with the air force. The country’s defence forces have countless men and women in uniform who are Christians. How can they be declared non-Indians by Parivar hotheads out to create a pure Hindu Rashtra?

It is tragic that these extremists have been emboldened beyond permissible limits by an atmosphere of hate and distrust. The Christian population, a mere 2 per cent of the total populace, has been subjected to a series of well-directed body blows. If these extremists later turn their attention to Muslims, which seems to be their goal, they will invite consequences that this writer dreads to imagine.

I was somewhat relieved when our prime minister finally spoke up at a Christian function in Delhi a few days ago. But the outburst of Mohan Bhagwat against Mother Teresa, an acknowledged saint — acknowledged by all communities and peoples — has put me back on the hit list. Even more so because BJP leaders, like Meenakshi Lekhi, chose to justify their chief’s remarks.

What should I do? What can I do to restore my confidence? I was born in this country. So were my ancestors, some 5,000 or more years ago. If my DNA is tested, it will not differ markedly from Bhagwat’s. It will certainly be the same as the country’s defence minister’s as our ancestors arrived in Goa with the sage Parshuram at the same time. Perhaps we share a common ancestor somewhere down the line. It is an accident of history that my forefathers converted and his did not. I do not and never shall know the circumstances that made it so.

What does reassure me in these twilight years, though, is that there are those of the predominant Hindu faith who still remember my small contribution to the welfare of the country of our birth. During a recent trip to Rajgurunagar in the Khed taluka of Pune district to visit schools that my NGO, The Bombay Mothers and Children Welfare Society, had adopted, I stopped at Lonavla for idli and tea. A group of middle-aged Maharashtrians sitting on the next table recognised me and stopped to greet and talk. A Brahmin couple returning from Kuwait (as I later learnt) also came up to inquire if I was who I was and then took a photograph with me.

It warmed the cockles of my heart that ordinary Hindus, not known to me, still thought well of me and would like to be friends 25 years after my retirement, when I could not directly serve them. It makes me hope that ordinary Hindu men and women will not be swayed by an ideology that seeks to spread distrust and hate with consequences that must be avoided at all cost. (Courtesy: The Indian Express)

(The writer, a retired IPS officer, was Mumbai Police Commissioner, DGP Gujarat and DGP Punjab, and is a former Indian Ambassador to Romania)

Violence and State Inaction in Manipur Condemned Across the World

The ongoing ethnic/religious violence in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur and the lack of adequate response from the state have been condemned by people and organizations around the world.

The violence erupted on May 3 after the Kuki-Zomi community protested against the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The majority Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

Reports of tribal Kuki attacks on ethnic Meiteis circulated immediately after the protest, which in turn plunged the Imphal Valley which accommodates 90% of Manipur’s population into an outburst of violence against Kuki tribal Christians. At the same time, ethnic Meitei settlements in the Kuki-dominated hills surrounding the valley also were the targets of violence.

While the official death count now totaling around 150, with the overwhelming majority of the victims being Kuki Christians, human rights observers estimate the figure to be underestimated.

Nearly 60,000 people, most of them Kuki Christians, now have fled their homes to the Kuki-dominated hills and to other states to escape the arson attacks, and more than 300 churches have been burned and destroyed.

According to multiple media reports, a clear anti-Christian political agenda is in play in the strife, with the Hindu nationalist BJP state government condoning the targeted violence by Meitei groups.

The unprecedented attacks on Christian targets in Manipur have galvanized Christians across the country to participate in the street protests, including at the parish level in the southern Christian heartland of Kerala, where Hindu nationalists led by Modi have been trying to woo Christians to support the BJP by assuring them of “security.”

The situation in Manipur has also provoked international concerns. On July 13, the European Union parliament passed a resolution urging India to “take all necessary measures and make the utmost effort to promptly halt the ongoing ethnic and religious violence, to protect all religious minorities, such as Manipur’s Christian community, and to pre-empt any further escalation.”

The US is “shocked and horrified” by the video of an extreme attack on two women in Manipur and supports the Indian Government’s efforts to seek justice for them, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department. a senior Biden administration official said.

The video showing two women being paraded naked and molested by a group of men on May 4 in Kangpokpi district surfaced on July 19, attracting condemnation countrywide.

“We were shocked and horrified by the video of this extreme attack on two women in Manipur. We convey our profound sympathies to the survivors of this act of gender-based violence and support the Indian Government’s efforts to seek justice for them,” Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, told reporters at his daily news conference on Tuesday, July 25th.

Picture : Prokerala

The Executive Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association of India has expressed its deep concern and condemnation regarding the several incidents of violence in Manipur, including the recent incidents involving women being paraded naked by a group of armed men. “Such incidents in Manipur, which have been taking place, since have not only brought suffering among the people of Manipur, but also have led to the loss of several lives,” a statement issued by the SC Bar Association led by its President Dr. Adish C. Agarwala, Sr., stated. “The Executive Committee expresses its deep concern over the incidents which have tarnished the humanitarian ethics to its core. We categorically condemn the gender-based violence and humiliation as it has far-reaching consequences on the victims’ physical and psychological well-being.”

It is noteworthy to state that from its very inception, the Supreme Court Bar Association has been in the vanguard of the movement for upholding, maintaining and consolidation of the constitutional values of democracy, the rule of law and the independence of the Judiciary. In its meeting dated 4th May 1951, the Executive Committee of the Bar Association consisting of legal luminaries like M. C. Setalvad, C. K. Daphtary and K. M. Munshi spoke of their deep concern against the first amendment of the Indian Constitution.

The prestigious and top Bar Association in the nation also condemned “the inaction of the state police in bringing the culprits to book for a long period of two months and the inability to generally tackle the debilitating violence in the state of Manipur. We call upon the state government and the central government to immediately take action to punish the perpetrators and prevent other acts of violence in the state, which are still continuing,” the statement signed by Rohit Pandey, Honorary Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Indian Americans and allies have held protests in the US states of California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts throughout the past weekend to condemn the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, which has left hundreds of people dead and thousands displaced. The protests were in part a response to a horrific video last week, showing two young tribal women being paraded naked while being molested by a group of men in the violence-hit state.

Other protest rallies and prayer vigils have been planned across several states including infront of the United Nations, condemning the government’s inaction and in solidarity with the suffering Manipuri people.

Pieter Friedrich, a well-known freelance journalist, has been on hunger strike since July 25 with a call on Representative Ro Khanna to speak about the Manipur issue in US Congress.  ‘One thing I know about Ro is that he’s passionate about human rights. It’s close to his heart and he has always been swift to speak about it, even on international issues, except when it comes to India. I want to stand in solidarity with Ro’s grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalankar, who struggled for the freedom of India. I hope that Ro chooses to follow his grandfather’s example by taking this one very small, easy step of speaking on the House floor against the anti-Christian violence which is still happening in Manipur,’ Friedrich told the media. “What is happening in Manipur is far more awful than my experience of not eating. I hope and pray Khanna speaks out,” he said.  Two other people have also joined the fast in solidarity as of the 25th, he said.

“The Prime Minister’s reaction has come too late. He should have spoken out when the bloodshed started but just kept quiet all through,” Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal, who heads the Catholic Church in the strife-torn state, told the media. “Fear is pervasive even now [after 79 days] and peace remains a dream for us. Everyone is living in fear as violence keeps erupting in the [Imphal] Valley and its peripheries frequently,” added Archbishop Lumon, who heads the 100,000-member local Catholic Church in the tiny state in northeast India, which has a total population of less than four million people.

Vivek Ramaswamy Leans Into His Hindu Faith to Court Christian Voters

This spring, Bristol Smith, a manager at a McDonald’s in Maryville, Tennessee, came across the name Vivek Ramaswamy shortly after the entrepreneur Mr. Ramaswamy announced that he was running for president. Mr. Smith was drawn in. He liked Mr. Ramaswamy’s plan to send the military to the southern border to fight drug cartels and the way he “stands up against the wokeness.” He regarded Mr. Ramaswamy’s insight as a money manager worth countless dollars.

Then, at that point, Mr. Smith, 25, looked for Mr. Ramaswamy’s confidence. Mr. Smith is an evangelical Christian who recently established a modest church at his parents’ house.

He recalled, “I looked up his religion and saw he is Hindu.” I planned to decide in favor of him until that surfaced.” Mr. Smith believes that the nation needs to be “put back under God,” and he doesn’t want to risk it with a non-Christian.

By then, he said, “I got back on President Trump’s train.”

Mr. Ramaswamy, 37, is a practicing Hindu who was brought up in India by immigrants. Some conservative Christian voters, who make up a significant portion of the Republican primary electorate and are accustomed to evaluating candidates not only based on their policy proposals but also on their biographies and personal beliefs, including religious faith, face a dilemma as a result of this.

A candidate’s faith is a sign of a candidate’s values, lifestyle, loyalties, and priorities as a leader for many conservative voters. It’s the classic Sunday morning question about which candidate you’d like to have a beer with most: Who is a good fit for your church?

“It’s another obstacle individuals need to cross to go to him,” Weave Vander Plaats, a powerful fervent forerunner in Iowa, said of Mr. Ramaswamy.

Mr. Vander Plaats as of late had Mr. Ramaswamy’s family over for Sunday dinner at his home, where the feast opened with a request and the perusing of an entry from the Good book. He said that Mr. Ramaswamy’s message aligned with the priorities of many evangelical voters and that he left impressed. He referred to Mr. Ramaswamy’s list of ten fundamental “truths,” the first of which is as follows: God really exists. The subsequent: There are men and women.”)

“I believe he’s truly interfacing with the crowds in Iowa,” said Mr. Vander Plaats, who has not embraced an up-and-comer. ” He is open to more in-depth inquiries. In the most recent national polls, Mr. Ramaswamy receives less than 5% of the vote.

Mr. Ramaswamy has taken the direct approach of addressing the issue and arguing that he shares more similarities with observant Christians than they might think.

“I’m not Christian. In June, he addressed Mr. Vander Plaats in front of a small audience at the Family Leader’s headquarters. “I was not raised in a Christian household.” However, we truly do have the very Christian qualities that this country was established on.”

In a meeting in late June, in the wake of leaving a gathering with a couple dozen ministers in New Hampshire, Mr. Ramaswamy said his confidence instructed him that Jesus was “a child of God, totally.” ( That “a” will be a sharp qualification from the focal Christian conviction that Jesus is the child of God. Many Hindus believe in a plethora of deities, and some even consider Jesus to be a single teacher or god.) Hinduism is a fluid and expansive religion.

Mr. Ramaswamy pointed out that even though he is not a Christian, he openly discusses why belief in God is important, why increasing secularism in the United States is bad for the country, and values like marriage fidelity, duty, religious liberty, and self-sacrifice.

Regarding the theological differences between Hinduism and Christianity, he stated, “I don’t have a quick pitch to say, ‘No, no, that doesn’t matter.'” It’s that I see precisely why that would make a difference to you.”

Mr. Ramaswamy cites Thomas Aquinas and makes references to Bible stories at campaign stops, including the crucifixion of Jesus. He frequently discusses his time spent attending a Cincinnati “Christian school” (Catholic St. Xavier High School). Also, he differentiates “religions like our own,” which have gone the distance, with the contending perspectives of “wokeism, climatism, transgenderism, orientation belief system, Covidism,” as he put it to a group of people in New Hampshire.

The campaign of Mr. Ramaswamy has distributed videos of him responding to a New Hampshire man who asked about his “spiritual beliefs” at a town hall and of a pastor in Iowa comparing him to King David from the Bible. A woman blessed Mr. Ramaswamy in the name of Jesus Christ by placing her hand on his chest in Iowa.

“So be it,” Mr. Ramaswamy said as she closed her request.

Mr. Ramaswamy will be able to win over evangelical primary voters in the crowded Republican field in part because of outside forces. Rather than seeking a “pastor-in-chief,” many conservative voters now say they are looking for someone who shares their political and cultural goals and will fight on their behalf.

“The culture has changed, but theology is important. America has changed,” said David Brody, the boss political expert for the Christian Telecom Organization, who has talked with Mr. Ramaswamy. Mr. Brody stated that the fight against “cultural Marxism” and reversing the course of “a country gone haywire” are currently the most important goals.

He compared evangelical priorities in the Iowa caucuses the following year to those in 2008 and 2012, when conservative Christian candidates Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee won.

Mr. Brody stated, “I don’t buy it at all the lazy narrative that he’s Hindu so he can’t appeal to evangelicals.”

As political divides have widened, theological boundaries have become increasingly muddled. Few temples split nowadays over old discussions like the specific timing of the final days or the job of through and through freedom in salvation. About portion of American Protestants presently say they like to go to a congregation with individuals who share their political perspectives, as per surveying from Lifeway Exploration.

Mr. Ramaswamy’s accentuation on his faith in one God has a long history for Hindus in the US, particularly those addressing white Christian crowds, said Michael Altman, a teacher of strict examinations at the College of Alabama.

Master Vivekananda, who addressed Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893, went to considerable lengths to portray his confidence as monotheistic, rather than the generalizations of its devotees as “pagan” polytheists. Although the religion has a number of deities, they are typically subordinate to a single supreme “reality.” Its theology, according to many scholars and Hindus, is too complicated to be classified as either entirely monotheistic or entirely polytheistic.

“The polytheism obstacle is the principal thing that must be tended to” for the majority American Christian crowds, Mr. Altman said. He believes that Mr. Ramaswamy’s argument against “wokeism” is a way to dispel myths that Hinduism is synonymous with yoga, hippies, and vegetarianism.

According to evangelical observers, former President Donald J. Trump paved the way for Republican candidates who weren’t necessarily the kind of people voters would expect to sit next to on Sunday mornings at church. Numerous fervent citizens embraced the rough, threefold wedded gambling club financier not on the grounds that he was one of them but since they accepted he would battle in the public square for their benefit.

Most Indian Americans, including Hindus, are leftists. However, a segment of the population that places a high value on family, marriage, and education presents a chance for conservatives. Mr. Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House while serving as president, and the Republican National Committee introduced a brand-new Republican Hindu and Indian American Coalition in April. When he appeared with President Trump in Houston in 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew a crowd of 50,000 people, making him a well-known figure to a growing group of right-wing Indian Americans. Mr. Ramaswamy talked last year at a celebration coordinated by the conservative U.S. bunch HinduPACT, which is lined up with Mr. Modi’s style of patriotism.

Nikki Haley, one more Indian American competitor in the 2024 essential, has also underlined her experience as the girl of foreigners. However, Ms. Haley converted to Christianity and now attends a large Methodist church in South Carolina, despite the fact that she was raised Sikh. Bobby Jindal, a Republican from Louisiana who ran for president in 2016, was born and raised Hindu, but he has said that he is an “evangelical Catholic.”

Mr. Ramaswamy goes to a similar sanctuary in Dayton, Ohio, that he did as a youngster that his folks actually do.

In 2015, he had his wedding in New York City officiated by one of the priests from the temple. His wife, Dr. Apoorva Ramaswamy, stated that he, his wife, and their two young sons attend the temple on holidays and for special occasions, including the younger son’s first birthday in early July.

Dr. Ramaswamy, who has spoken out about the family’s faith on the campaign trail, stated that serious and nominal adherents to the same faith share more similarities than committed believers from different traditions.

Dr. Ramaswamy stated, “The fact that we are believers, that we have that sense of humility, that we raise our children with true respect, fear, and love of God — that is so much more unifying than the name of the God to whom people pray.”

The inquiry for her significant other’s mission is whether enough Christian citizens will concur.

Ken Bosse, the pastor of New Life Church in Raymond, New Hampshire, said that he is “an extreme follower of Jesus Christ” and that, all things considered, he would rather have a Christian in the White House. But because “we have had some professing Christians in that position who didn’t follow biblical principles,” he would be open to the right candidate who is not a Christian.

Mr. Bosse welcomed Mr. Ramaswamy to convey a concise discourse at his congregation on a Sunday morning in April. He enjoyed the competitor’s accentuation on recovering a positive American personality, he expressed, and on his story as an independent tycoon who is the offspring of workers. Right now, in any case, Mr. Bosse is inclining in the direction of supporting Mr. Trump. (Courtesy: The New York Times)

United Opposition Call Themselves INDIA

While politicians in the U.S. fuss and fret over whether there should be a third political party, India is preparing for a grand electoral fight between two alliances, one consisting of 26 parties and the other 38.

One month after the commencement of discussions on forming a united front against the BJP, the multi-party coalition has christened itself as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA. This nomenclature, decided upon during the Opposition conclave, reflects a noteworthy and politically significant collaboration between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.

Additionally, the coalition announced that its next meeting will be held in Mumbai, tentatively scheduled for the latter half of August, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) acting as the host. Despite being a relatively recent entrant to the anti-BJP sphere, the Shiv Sena has faced considerable pressure from the BJP in Maharashtra. The Mumbai gathering may witness the Opposition parties’ first joint rally, as well as a decision regarding the appointment of an alliance convenor.

The Bengaluru meeting brought together representatives from 26 parties, a substantial increase from the 16 parties that convened in Patna on June 23. One of the significant outcomes of this meeting was the establishment of an 11-member coordination committee, comprising major parties, as well as a ‘secretariat’ in Delhi. The secretariat’s primary roles will involve campaign management and coordination of various sub-committees, each tasked with addressing specific issues.

The suggestion to name the alliance INDIA initially came from senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Before finalizing the name, Rahul sought the approval of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee through K C Venugopal, the Congress general secretary (Organisation). Mamata readily agreed to the name but proposed that the letter ‘N’ should represent “new” instead of “national.” Subsequently, there was informal deliberation on whether the letter ‘D’ should stand for democratic or developmental. After a late-night discussion, it was decided that Mamata would propose the name at the meeting.

During the meeting, some leaders, including Nitish Kumar, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, and G Devarajan, expressed reservations about naming the alliance INDIA. However, Rahul Gandhi fervently supported the name, arguing that it would enable the Opposition to create an “INDIA vs. NDA” narrative, implying that Narendra Modi and the BJP were “against INDIA,” while all those opposing the BJP were “INDIA.” Alternative names like People’s Alliance for India and Progressive People’s Alliance were suggested, with Mehbooba Mufti proposing ‘Bharat Jodo Alliance’ in reference to Rahul’s successful Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The alliance’s coordination between Mamata Banerjee and the Congress did not sit well with the Left parties. Mamata was reportedly upset with Yechury’s remarks that “secular parties,” including the Left and Congress, would take on both the BJP and the TMC in Bengal. Amidst these discussions, the central theme emerged that the battle was not merely between political factions, but for the soul of the country, an idea encapsulated by the alliance’s name, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

It was emphasized that the battle for INDIA was against the NDA and its ideology, which seeks to stifle and subjugate the voice of the nation. Rahul Gandhi underscored that the parties would strategize and prepare an action plan in Mumbai to take their fight to the people.

She added: “All the focus, all the publicity, all the campaigning, all the programmes will be under the banner of INDIA. If anybody can challenge this, catch us if you can.”

Rahul said the battle is no longer between two political formations or Opposition and the BJP, but for the voice of the country which is being “silenced and crushed”. “The battle is for the idea of India. That is why we came up with this name… the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. That means INDIA. The battle is between the NDA and INDIA, their ideology and INDIA. And you know who wins when somebody stands against India.”

As of now, the composition of the coordination committee and sub-committees has not been revealed. However, these panels will play crucial roles in drafting a common program and communication points for the 2024 general elections, as well as devising a joint program comprising rallies, conventions, and agitations to rally support for the alliance’s objectives.

Ironically, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will have ruled for ten years by the 2024 parliamentary elections, that is going to depend on the alliance with 38 parties. This notwithstanding the fact that Modi has been known to say that he alone is formidable enough for the entire opposition, the implication being that he does not need the support of other parties.

However, the reality of 26 opposition parties cobbled into an alliance by the Indian National Congress Party appears to have made the prime minister sit up and take notice. The opposition alliance came together in Bengaluru under the somewhat labored acronym INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The acronym may have the feel of an unimaginative political hack’s slapdash creation, as a challenge to Modi and his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) it seems to pack considerable punch.

In a measure of that potential threat the BJP also quickly called a meeting of its own 38-party alliance in New Delhi even while some of its constituents mock the acronym INDIA.

That 64 political parties will slug it out for the votes of electorate of 600 million plus people in 2024 may seem extraordinary to an American watcher but it is quite routine in India, where according to its Election Commission there are 6 national parties, 54 state parties, and 2,597 unrecognized parties.

Although within INDIA there are parties that are antagonistic to one another, this coming together was explained by Congress Party president Mallikarjun Kharge saying, “We are setting aside our political differences to save democracy.” At a news conference to announce the alliance various leaders gave versions of how they believe the BJP and Modi were stifling opposition voices and violating the letter and spirit of the country’s constitution.

INDIA faces an uphill battle taking on the NDA with the BJP controlling more than 300 seats in the 543-member parliament. Despite mounting attacks on him by the opposition Modi remains highly popular. His party acolytes frequently boast that the next election is as good as won by them and there may not be any prospect for the opposition even in 2029.

However, there is serious belief that if INDIA manages to field one-on-one candidates against the NDA rivals across the country, they could defeat them considering there is a great deal of disquiet across the country over several existential issues such as rampaging inflation and high unemployment along with a certain amount of communal toxicity whipped up through social media.

Despite its latest defeat in the Karnataka state elections, the BJP rules in 15 out of 28 states and eight federally administered territories either on its own or with coalitions. It has deep coffers with a reported cash reserves of 19.17 billion rupees or over $233 million, which by the U.S. standards is rather minuscule but makes it the country’s richest party.

The acronym INDIA is politically fraught. BJP leaders are known to make a distinction between India and Bharat, preferring the latter to the former, on the grounds that Bharat is the historical entity rooted into hearts and minds of its people unlike India which is a western construct used by the political elites. There are already barbs doing the rounds of social media on that distinction. On the opposition’s side, they are already raising questions such as “Can the BJP take on INDIA?”

It is still early days to determine whether INDIA will shake up NDA but if the BJP’s response is any indication, they want to take no chances. There is every indication that 2024 will be an intensely fought elections where India’s core cultural and political identity will be a top issue at the front and center apart from the many existential crises.

They decided to form an 11-member coordination committee, when they meet next in Mumbai, to formulate the opposition’s strategy to stop the Modi juggernaut from securing third consecutive Lok Sabha victory in 2024.

A resolution

The front released a declaration of a “Samuhik Sankalp” — joint resolution — for implementation of the caste census among other programmes, and mentioning Manipur violence, role of governors and LGs, and demonetisation.

PM candidate and Gandhis

While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said his party is not interested in having a PM candidate, Sonia Gandhi’s name was suggested as the chairperson of INDIA, with Bihar CM as its convener. Rahul said, “The idea of India is under attack today. The idea of an inclusive India is being attacked by the ideology of the BJP.”

India Bans Rice Shipments to Curb Price Rises

India has banned the product of non-basmati white rice trying to avert approaching homegrown cost spikes. Rice prices have increased by more than 11% over the past year as a result of the country’s crops being damaged by heavy rains.

Non-basmati white grain presently represents about a fourth of India’s rice trades, the Service of Shopper Undertakings said as it declared the strategy change. Specialists cautioned the move could push up worldwide food costs.

Emma Wall, head of investment analysis and research at Hargreaves Lansdown, stated, “It’s fair to say this will have quite an impact on global food prices.”

Following Russia’s withdrawal this week from a deal guaranteeing the safe passage of Ukrainian grain, including wheat, food supplies are already under pressure.

India is the largest rice exporter in the world, shipping more than 40% of all rice shipped worldwide. Non-basmati rice is chiefly traded to nations in Asia and Africa.

Last year, the Indian government forced a 20% commodity duty to attempt to beat unfamiliar deals down. It has additionally restricted wheat and sugar shipments. Be that as it may, trading can be more worthwhile for Indian ranchers than selling locally.

The public authority said that ranchers would in any case have the option to send out different sorts of rice, including long-grain basmati, guaranteeing they “get the advantage of gainful costs in the global market”.

The state will likewise consider solicitations to permit shipments to different nations in view of food security needs, the Directorate General of Unfamiliar Exchange said. The invasion of Ukraine the previous year led to an increase in global food prices.

While those tensions have since facilitated at a global level, in India, terrible weather conditions has harmed crops in numerous northern states, provoking the expense of numerous things – including tomatoes and onions – to pointedly rise.

Vegetable costs hopped 12% from May to June, adding to the increasing cost for many everyday items. Expansion rose to 4.8% last month, which was surprisingly high because of the climbing food costs.

The increasing cost for most everyday items has placed political tension on the public authority in India, in front of public races one year from now. The nation will likewise see state-level races before long.

Expert in Indian agriculture policy Devinder Sharma stated that the government was attempting to foresee a production shortfall, with rice-growing regions in the south also vulnerable to dry rain when the El Nino weather pattern arrives later this year. “The government is taking a very, very precautionary kind of approach,” he said.

357 Churches in India Set On Fire With the Support of the Authorities

(ZENIT News) The Thursday, 20th July the monsoon session of India’s parliament was disrupted by politicians demanding an emergency debate on a video footage of two women being led naked by a mob in Manipur – before they were gang raped, according to reports.

The event occurred on 4th May, the day after the uprisings which spiraled into violence against the Christian-majority Kuki and Naga ethnic groups broke out, but the footage only surfaced on the web (Wednesday, 19th July).

Although reports have not confirmed that the women were Christian, they belong to the Kuki ethnic group. Last week, senior BJP politician R Vanramchhuanga resigned over his party’s failure to condemn violence against Christians.

In his resignation letter, dated 13th July, Vanramchhuanga wrote that even though 357 churches and other buildings belonging to Christian organizations had been destroyed by Meitei militants in Manipur that BJP leaders from local and national governments had not spoken out against the targeting of Christians.

Christians belonging to the Meitei ethnic group were also targeted during the attacks. The vicious persecution in India’s Manipur state – where hundreds of churches have been destroyed – has entered a new stage as a video showing women being paraded naked went viral.

Vanramchhuanga, the former BJP vice president in Mizoram which neighbors Manipur, expressed the view that there was political support for the violence against religious and ethnic minority groups.

He wrote: “I do believe that massive demolition of Christian Churches in Manipur was supported by the state and central authorities”.

Earlier India’s PM Narendra Modi responded to parliamentarians’ outrage over the footage of the two women by condemning the incident. He said: “I assure the nation, no guilty will be spared. The law will take its course with all its might. What happened with the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven.”

According to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum: “The gang rape of the women happened after the village was burnt down and two men – one middle-aged and another a teenager – were beaten to death by the mob.” The incidents occurred in B Phainom village in Kangpokpi District.

Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy Passes Away at 79

Denoting the conclusion of an important time period in the Congress as well as legislative issues in Kerala, Oommen Chandy, 79, died right off the bat Tuesday morning after a long fight with disease. In an impression of the notoriety of quite possibly of Kerala’s most cherished political pioneer, sympathy messages poured in from across partisan divisions, including from State head Narendra Modi.

A critical part of this fame was Chandy’s openness, being that uncommon pioneer who didn’t fabricate hindrances around him and trusted in being among individuals. He likewise decided to stay in state legislative issues notwithstanding close connections with the Congress public authority practically all through his profession in legislative issues.

The end came at an emergency clinic in Bengaluru. Chandy’s body would be traveled to Thiruvananthapuram, and kept in state at his home, trailed by the Secretariat and Congress office, for individuals to offer their appreciation. On Wednesday, the body will be taken to Kottayam by street, and the burial service will happen Thursday early afternoon at Chandy’s local spot Puthuppally.

The LDF government in Kerala has proclaimed a two-day grieving, and allowed a one-day public occasion for all workplaces on Tuesday.

A drawn out swarm puller for the Congress, Chandy was the Kerala CM from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016, the Head of the Resistance from 2006 to 2011, and filled in as a priest in legislatures drove by K Karunakaran and A K Antony, taking care of the arrangement of Work, Money and Home.

An MLA from the Puthuppally seat for quite a long time, winning it whenever back in 1970, Chandy’s dynamic political profession first was entwined intimately with the tale of the Congress in Kerala.

He entered politics through the Kerala Students’ Union, the Congress’ student wing, and rose to become its president from 1967 to 1969. He was born in October 1943 and graduated from law school. In 1970, he turned into the leader of the State Youth Congress, and worked side by side with senior pioneers Karunakaran and Antony, aside from Vayalar Ravi, to fabricate a mass base for the party in Kerala.

Chandy’s ascent was breathtaking and by 1977, he was a Work Pastor under a Karunakaran-drove Congress government. In the contention ridden Kerala Congress however, Chandy was viewed as a feature of the Antony camp, named the A Gathering. On the opposite side was the I Gathering drove by Karunakaran.

In 1994, when the ISRO spy case shook Congress governmental issues in Kerala, Chandy, as the convener of the Congress-drove Joined Popularity based Front (UDF), drove conferences with partners, which finished in unseating of then CM Karunakaran.

Chandy emerged from Antony’s shadow in 2004 when he moved his political base to Delhi. Chandy also helped Congress maintain its support among the Christian community in Central Kerala thanks to his warm rapport with leaders of the community. Shockingly, that was never the reason for any strain in the Congress relations with its principal partner, the Indian Association Muslim Association, with Chandy in charge.

In 2011, when Chandy accepted office for his second and last term as CM, the hole between the UDF and LDF was only two MLAs. Despite the fact that his administration was shaken by pulls and tensions from partners, and embarrassments going from bar pay off to sunlight based, Chandy’s adaptability and logical legislative issues assisted the Congress with finishing the term.

After Karunakaran, he was, as a matter of fact, the main Congress CM in Kerala to have an entire five years in office. During this second term as CM, Chandy sent off a mass contact program under which he would go to general society to hear their complaints and guarantee alleviation. The program was commended as a novel vote based explore, with the CM meeting huge number of individuals straightforwardly. The program was honored with the United Nations Global Award for Public Service in 2013.

During Chandy’s tenure, crucial state infrastructure projects like the Kochi Metro, Vizhinjam international seaport, Kannur international airport, Vallarpadam container transhipment project, Smart City IT project, and others were completed. The idea of a rapid rail passageway, presently being supported by the Pinarayi Vijayan-drove Left government, was likewise first mooted by the Chandy system.

However, this term of Chandy was overshadowed by the solar scam, which resulted in the arrests of three of his close aides for connections to the woman behind the fraud. Chandy kept up with that his “public life has forever been very easy to read before individuals. I have done nothing against my still, small voice”.

Last year, the CBI gave a perfect chit to Chandy, finding the body of evidence against him manufactured. During his term in power or later, Chandy appeared to be the most joyful among individuals. Legend had it that the CM was only a call away for any state inhabitant, at any hour, and that he was similarly open to party pioneers as grassroot-level specialists.

Consistently, he would be tracked down in his body electorate Puthuppally, where individuals would drop in at his Karott Vallakalil house, and he would go to Sunday Liturgy at St George’s Conventional Church.

He gave his house in Thiruvananthapuram the name “Puthuppally” because he cared so much about his district. His family consists of Chandy’s wife Mariyamma, daughters Achu and Mariyam, and son Chandy Oommen, a leader of the Youth Congress. As Chandy’s last rites closed at the burial ground at the town church, tens of thousands showed up to say goodbye to the pioneer they warmly called “Kunjunju.”

India, US Resolve All 6 Trade Disputes During PM Modi’s State Visit

“The United States and India are pleased to notify the DSB (dispute settlement body), in accordance with Article 3.6 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, that the parties have reached a mutually agreed solution to the matter raised in this dispute,” according to a communication of the WTO dated July 17.

The dispute panel has been urged by the two nations to limit its report to a brief description of the case and information that the two nations have reached a solution.

The exchange question which was settled relates to a protest documented by the US in 2019 against India.

India had forced extra traditions obligations on 28 US items including chickpeas, lentils and apples in reprisal to the US expanding obligations on specific steel and aluminum items.

Against this goal, India would eliminate extra obligations on eight US items, including chickpeas, lentils and apples, which were forced in 2019 because of America’s action to increment taxes on specific steel and aluminum items, government sources said.

Six World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes were settled during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit to the United States, and these retaliatory tariffs on certain US products were lifted.

In 2018, the US forced an import obligation of 25% on steel items and 10 percent on specific aluminum items on grounds of public safety. In reprisal, India in June 2019 forced traditions obligations on 28 American items.

India Denies Visas To U.S. Panel On Religious Freedom

India has turned down a travel request for members of a U.S. government panel seeking to review its religious freedom, saying such foreign agencies had no standing to assess the constitutional rights of citizens.

Since taking power in 2014, the Indian government has faced criticism for attacks on Muslims and the panel has called for the world’s biggest democracy to be designated a “country of particular concern”, along with China, Iran, Russia and Syria.

The call by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was made in an April report urging sanctions against officials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government after it excluded minority Muslims from a new citizenship law.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the government firmly repudiated the surveys of the commission, which had little knowledge of the rights of Indian citizens, describing it as biased and prejudiced.

“We have also denied visas to USCIRF teams that have sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom,” he told a lawmaker from Modi’s ruling group in a June 1 letter.

The step was taken because the government saw no grounds for a foreign entity such as the USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights, he added.

Reuters has reviewed a copy of the letter to Nishikant Dubey, an MP who had raised the issue of the panel’s report in parliament.

USCIRF spokeswoman Danielle Saroyan Ashbahian said its team wanted to travel to India for constructive dialogue with the government.

“As a pluralistic, non-sectarian, and democratic state, and a close partner of the United States, India should have the confidence to allow our visit, which would give it the opportunity to convey its views directly to USCIRF in a constructive dialogue,” she said in an email.

The commission is a bipartisan U.S. government advisory body that monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress. However, these are not binding.

Comedian Rajiv Satyal Set to Tape Hollywood Special

(Los Angeles, CA) International veteran comedian Rajiv Satyal is recording his long-anticipated full-length standup special.  It’s taking place at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood on Thursday, July 27.

Satyal’s 2-min video, I AM INDIAN, has been viewed over 100 million times across online platforms.  The video was used to introduce Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shanghai and in Dubai.  Satyal emceed Modi’s 2015 speech in San Jose in front of 17,000 people.

The Burbank-based comedian has been busy hosting his online talk show, What Do You Bring to the Table?  Between that and his red carpet interviews, he has chatted 1:1 with Deepak Chopra, Malala Yousafzai, Marisa Tomei, Paul Reiser, Hasan Minhaj, Lilly Singh, Kumail Nanjiani, Matt Walsh, and Danny Pudi.

In 2009, Satyal was the first person to perform an hour of standup comedy anywhere in India.  He has now performed in 11 states across India.  Satyal is the only person ever to perform standup comedy on all seven continents.

In fact, Satyal has interviewed more high-profile South Asian American celebrities than anyone and has done a lot of work in the South Asian community, hosting many charity events for Pratham, the Hindu American Foundation, and 23 events for Akshaya Patra.

For a year, he has brought the community together with his monthly Entertainment Meet-Ups that assemble creatives and businesspeople in the Industry.

Satyal’s team is confident in their plan to submit this 75-min set to streamers NetflixAmazon, and Max.  After all, in May, Satyal filmed a special for Dry Bar Comedy, one of the hottest outlets in standup.

Because Satyal has worked in offices, in cubicles, on factory floors, on TV sets, and on stages, he possesses a deep understanding of everything from current events to history to social justice issues to leadership to romantic relationships.  It’s like he’s got a permanent 5-TB hard drive wired to his head.

Satyal tapped his vast network and enlisted 35 of his closest friends (including Russell Peters, Maz Jobrani, et al) to help him assemble a 90-sec promo video.

Two of LA’s hottest DJs will spin before and after Satyal’s set to keep the event moving.  Satyal elaborated, “Post-pandy… OK, in non-Zoomer language:  after the pandemic, it seems like the right time.  Dress up:  you might end up on camera.  It’s gonna be a party.  It’s about relieving and reliving.

This allows parents responsible for kids at home to relieve their babysitters and allows non-parents to relive their college years by raging on a Thursday.  Well, irresponsible parents, too. Like me.  What I bring to the table is that, once you walk out of the room — hopefully at the end of the show and not in the middle — you feel like you really got to know me.”

Still a few tickets left.  Get yours now before they run out.

  • Rajiv Satyal will perform “Let Me Be Clear” at The Bourbon Room.
  • Location:  Near Hollywood and Vine.  6356 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028.  
  • One night only:  Thursday, July 27, 2023.  
  • Doors at 7:00 PM, Showtime at 8:00 PM.  DJ at 10:00 PM.  
  • Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.  
  • Venue is 21+.  
  • All info/tickets:  com.
  • All assets are here on Dropbox.
  • Additional info and pics at com/bio

India’s Opposition Parties Unite For 2024 National Elections to Counter BJP

The 26 opposition parties in India, which met in Bengaluru over two days, have resolved to bring out an “alternative political, social and economic agenda” to counter the BJP, even as seat-sharing arrangements to take on the ruling party on the ground remained a challenging hurdle.

The parties, including national and regional parties have been splintered at the national level, account for less than half the 301 seats the BJP has in the 542-member lower house of parliament. They have, however, sought to sink their differences to challenge BJP after Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, was convicted in a defamation case and disqualified from parliament in March.

While the multi-party front gave itself a name – INDIA, or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance – proposed by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar asked how a political alliance could be named INDIA. Caught by surprise, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and G Devarajan were not immediately convinced either.

Meanwhile, as all eyes were on the Opposition and NDA meetings in Bengaluru and Delhi, parties like BSP, BJD, JD(S), Akali Dal, BRS, YSRCP, INLD, AIMIM and AIUDF stayed away from either due to the politics at play in their states, their equations with specific parties, or their desire to come across as neutral.

Their campaign to unite all parties opposed to the ruling BJP got a shot in the arm in May when Congress trounced BJP in a key state election, exceeding expectations and gaining fresh momentum ahead of more state elections due this year and national elections in April-May 2024.

Although Modi remains popular and is widely expected to win a third term without much difficulty, opposition leaders say a joint campaign and straight, one-on-one constituency contests against BJP could turn the tables.

“Everyone has agreed that we will all work together in the interest of the country,” Nitish Kumar, chief minister of the eastern state of Bihar, of which Patna is the capital, told reporters.

“There is agreement to go together, there has been agreement to fight the elections together,” said Kumar, who hosted the meeting, adding that a second meeting would be held next month to seal Friday’s discussions.

Gandhi said the fight against BJP was an “ideological battle” and opposition parties were united in it.

“There certainly will be some differences among us but we have decided we will work together, work with flexibility,” Gandhi said.

India’s opposition parties have formed alliances to challenge governments – led by both Congress and BJP – in the past and win elections but have a mixed record of sticking together and running governments smoothly.

The Congress party has asserted that the Opposition unity would be “a game changer” for the Indian political scenario. This comes as the BJP conducted a grand show of strength of its alliance with party president J P Nadda asserting that 38 constituents of the ruling NDA attended the meeting.

Why is Modi Silent on Manipur?Manipur Issue Creates Pandemonium in Parliament

The Monsoon Session of Parliament has been facing continuous disruptions over Manipur violence since it began on July 20th. The violent killings, rape, and destruction of properties continued to rock Parliament as monsoon session proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been paralyzed.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Narendra Modi has said, it was ready for a debate in both Houses with a response from the home minister, but the Opposition parties remained adamant on their demand for a statement by prime minister Modi, which will be followed by a debate without any time restriction. They sought a statement by the Prime Minister on the Manipur violence “inside the House and not outside.”

The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned each day of the Monsoon session amid protests by Opposition parties who are demanding discussion on Manipur violence and a recent horror video that came out on social media platforms. In Manipur, the viral video showed two women, stripped naked, held and groped by a mob of men, and dragged to a field.

Chilling details

As the Manipur police launched a massive manhunt to nab all the culprits, an FIR filed in the sexual assault case on June 21 detailed how an armed mob, nearly a thousand strong, had attacked a village in Kangpokpi district and allegedly torched, looted houses, killed and raped wantonly before abducting the two tribal women.

Amid growing protests against the sexual assault of the two women in Manipur, the four arrested men were remanded in 11-day police custody while the house of another suspect was set on fire by angry locals in the second such incident in connection with the case.

The incident in a village in Kangpokpi district that was captured in the 26-second video took place on May 4, a day after ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state.  The footage surfaced only last week and became viral after the internet ban was lifted. The government has asked Twitter and other social media platforms to take down the video of the incident since the matter is being probed.

‘Dismiss Biren govt’

The Congress party demanded that President Droupadi Murmu exercise her powers to dismiss the N Biren Singh government in the state.

Nationwide outrage

Eminent personalities in Manipur described the incident as “barbaric, shameful and against the human race” and demanded “strictest” punishment for the culprits.

Different tribal organizations in Jharkhand organized a protest march in capital Ranchi against the violence and alleged torture of women in Manipur.

In Assam, the Congress party organized an earthen lamp lighting program at its state headquarters, in Guwahati as a show of support for the two survivors in Manipur.

In Churachandpur, braving heavy downpour, thousands of tribals raised their demand for a separate administration and stringent punishment for the perpetrators involved in the crime.

Meanwhile, an organization of former militants has asked Meiteis from Manipur to leave Mizoram for their “own safety” citing “anger among Mizo youths” over the horrific video.

PM breaks silence finally, after months of violence

“Today, when I am standing by this temple of democracy my heart is full of pain and anger,” PM Modi said in his first public comments on July 19th about the Manipur violence, which has led to the killings of hundreds and the destruction of tens of thousands of homes and the displacement of millions in the past several months.

“I want to assure the countrymen that no guilty will be spared. Law will act with its full might and firmness… What has happened to these daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” he told reporters ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament last week.

Hitting out at the government, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the PM had broken his silence on Manipur, but it was “too little too late.”

A warning

A bench headed by CJI Chandrachud took cognizance of the video and warned that the apex court would take action if “nothing is happening on the ground”. A man who was allegedly part of the mob and was seen dragging one of them in the video was among four persons arrested last week.

The Congress Party has said that the Modi government was rattled by the Opposition unity under ‘INDIA’ as its members are ‘marjivdas’ (living martyrs) and it was the reason why BJP is showing signs of frustration. It said that northeast is an integral part of India and any unrest there will have implications on the national security of the country.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New delhi, Congress Lok Sabha MP and party spokesperson Manish Tewari said: “Northeast is one of the most integral part of India and if something happens over there then it will have far reaching consequences on the country and have direct implications on national security.”

Hitting out at the government over the Manipur violence that has been going on since May 3, the Congress leader said that the condition in the northeastern state is very bad and the Prime Minister himself before the commencement of Monsoon Session of Parliament admitted that the incidents that had happened in Manipur makes us to feel ashamed. Tiwari asked,  “Why cannot he come to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and speak there?”

Unveiling Yoga’s Transformative Power in a Post-Pandemic World

Like few other ancient practices, yoga has shaped the world’s consciousness. Over a quarter of adults in the United States say they can’t function because they are so stressed. As indicated by the World Wellbeing Association, normal mental issues, for example, uneasiness and melancholy expense the world economy US$ 1 trillion yearly. This International Yoga Day, as we mark the second year since a major pandemic, it is high time that we delve deeper into the benefits of yoga for our post-pandemic world, which is dealing with significant shifts in work, wellness, and personal lives.

This Yoga Day is special because Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in New York to celebrate it at the UN Headquarters this year, where he proposed the idea of a dedicated yoga day in 2014.

While Yoga has become well known with an expected 300 million specialists around the world, 34 million in US alone, the famous origination of yoga is many times restricted to ‘asanas’, the actual stances that structure only one of the eight appendages of yoga as per Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Although the asanas can provide a workout comparable to that of a gym session, comparing yoga to a gym routine would be like comparing a single wave to the ocean.

Pranayama, or breath mindfulness, is another basic appendage that remains closely connected with asanas is in many cases disregarded in Western practices. Breathing methods can pivot crippling medical problems and as per Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscience teacher in Stanford College, changing how you inhale can end pressure in its tracks. He referred to a specific form of pranayama as a “psychological sigh,” which involves taking a shorter inhalation followed by a longer exhalation.

Whether as basic as a mental murmur or as perplexing as the ‘Wim Hof Technique’, which assisted its namesake with enduring outrageous cold and procure a few notices in the Guinness Book, are characteristically attached to our profound and actual prosperity. Yoga stands out because of the harmony between Asana and Pranayama, which gives us a mindful synchronicity that goes far beyond the mat.

Yama and Niyama, the initial two appendages, lay the moral and moral foundation for a yogic way of life. They create a mutually respectful agreement with the outside world, which results in mental clarity, emotional equilibrium, and spiritual awakening. Strangely, the pandemic has pushed us towards these standards. We have reduced our ecological footprint by working from home and commuting less, which is in line with “Ahimsa,” or nonviolence toward our planet. The thoughtfulness time, then again, mirrors ‘Svadhyaya’ or self-study. For sure, the pandemic has pushed us to ponder our lives, rethinking our connections, and reevaluating our work-life reconciliation.

The fifth appendage, Pratyahara, urges us to separate from the computerized over-burden and reconnect with ourselves. Initial five appendages structure the Bahiranga (outer) yoga, which, when dominated, can assist us with taking advantage of inert human potential.

The last three appendages — Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi — address Antaranga yoga, the inner part of yoga that takes advantage of the force of the brain. Here, we track down the underlying foundations of care — an idea now far reaching in the West. Care Based Pressure Decrease (MBSR) procedures, broadly perceived for their adequacy in managing pressure and injury, can be followed back to the standards tracked down in these appendages of yoga.

So, what does this all mean for the world after the pandemic? The comprehensive form of yoga provides a path as we shift our focus to health, well-being, and meaningful living. This isn’t just about adaptability or stress help, yet an excursion of self-change that starts with self-restraint, prompting internal harmony, poise, and euphoria.

Dharana and Dhyana can get us in contact with our inward presence, true serenity and inward joy and those manifest remotely as us having ‘chief presence’, which is progressively pursued in our work places. Yoga’s standards of concentration and discipline have even been applied effectively by Indian young people in bringing home the Scripps Spelling Honey bee titles a large number of years because of training that they get from North South Establishment.

Presently, envision the potential if we somehow happened to expand the utilization of these standards to more extensive life difficulties and open doors. An increase in productivity, creativity, and focus as well as a decrease in stress levels and a greater comprehension and acceptance of oneself and others could result from an expanded yoga practice.

As we celebrate Global Yoga Day this year, it merits thinking about how yoga, in its complete structure, has such a huge amount to propose in rethinking our reality. Its range stretches out past the Indian diaspora, who, with their developing presence across worldwide influential positions, have a one of a kind chance to share this all encompassing comprehension of yoga.

The principles and practices of yoga can help leaders establish businesses and communities that are harmonious and sustainable as the focus of leadership shifts from profit as the single bottom line to a triple bottom line that incorporates social and environmental considerations.

Moreover, it’s interesting to take note of the amount of this old insight lines up with the goals of contemporary developments. For instance, the developing accentuation on psychological wellness tracks down a friend in the yoga sutras. The Yama and Niyama tenets are in line with the focus on sustainable living. Careful practices, when thought about other option, are currently at the very front of standard wellbeing discussions. Yoga’s timeless relevance is demonstrated and its role in shaping our collective future is demonstrated in this synergy.

Yoga provides us with a framework for transformation—an opportunity to redefine our relationship with ourselves, others, and the world as a whole—as we navigate the complexities of our post-pandemic reality. Every small step on the yoga path can result in significant inner shifts, whether through mastering a challenging pose or simply observing our breath.

The force of yoga lies not simply in that frame of mind to assist us with contacting our toes yet in aiding us reach inside and contact our actual selves. To draw in with yoga at this level means to set out on an excursion of persistent learning and development, one that can prepare us to explore existence with versatility, elegance, and serenity.

As we keep on investigating the profundities of yoga, we should make sure to praise its extravagance and variety. Whether you’re rehearsing Ashtanga yoga in a New York studio, pondering by the Ganges, or performing Pranayama in your family room, you’re adding to a worldwide embroidery of change.

Thus, on this Worldwide Yoga Day, we should imagine a future where the comprehension of yoga rises above past the asanas. How about we endeavor to embrace its more profound insight in our regular routines. All things considered, a definitive objective of yoga, as portrayed in the Yoga Sutras, is to in any case the vacillations of the brain. In the midst of the variances of our impacting world, that feeling of quietness may very well be the securing force we want.

Why Chandrayaan-3 Needs Over 40 Days To Reach The Moon When NASA’s Apollo 11 Took Only Four

In a little over 15 minutes after launch, the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module, carrying the lander, was put into an elliptical orbit around the Earth by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) heaviest rocket — the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-III.

Over the next two weeks, ISRO will conduct between five to six orbit raising maneuvers using the onboard propulsion system.

With every burn of the onboard propulsion system, the module will keep spiralling outwards in increasingly elongated ellipses.

The speed of the propulsion module will steadily increase until it reaches the escape velocity necessary to break free from Earth’s gravity, enabling it to enter a Lunar Transfer Trajectory (LTT) and set a course towards the moon.

Translunar injection, which is when Chandrayaan-3 will leave Earth orbit for the Moon, will take place on 1 August. The landing is projected to take place sometime around 23 August, over three weeks later.

Over 40 days after the launch and several orbital manoeuvres later, the lander will reach the surface of the moon and deploy the rover.

Although the travel duration may seem reasonable given the distance between the Earth and the Moon, it is important to note that previous missions have completed this journey in a shorter timeframe.

China’s Chang’e 2, launched in 2010, also took just four days covering the distance between the Earth and the Moon, and so did its follow up mission to the lunar surface, Chang’e 3.

The Soviet Union’s Luna-1, the first unmanned mission to reach close to the Moon, took just 36 hours to make the journey.

Even Apollo-11’s command module, Columbia, carrying three astronauts, reached the Moon in just a little over four days.

Why, then, is Chandrayaan-3 taking weeks to reach the cratered sphere?

The simple answer is because ISRO does not have a rocket powerful enough to put Chandrayaan-3 on a direct path to the Moon.

In the case of Apollo missions, including Apollo 11, a direct trajectory called Translunar Injection (TLI) was used. The Saturn V launch vehicle propelled the Apollo spacecraft into Earth orbit first.

From there, a powerful engine burn was executed to send the spacecraft on a trajectory directly towards the Moon. The spacecraft was directed to the LTT through a single six-minute-long burn of the Saturn rocket’s third stage, akin to a slingshot effect.

This direct path allowed the Apollo missions to reach the Moon relatively quickly, within a few days.

As explained earlier, the mission will use a series of Earth orbits and engine burns to gradually increase the spacecraft’s speed and position it for a lunar insertion.

The spacecraft will first enter an initial Earth orbit and then perform engine burns at specific times to transfer to a trajectory that intersects with the Moon’s orbit. Finally, another engine burn will be conducted to insert the spacecraft into lunar orbit.

Mission profile for Chandrayaan-3.

This multi-step approach used by the ISRO for the Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions requires more time but allows for the use of a relatively less powerful launch vehicles.

While the GSLV Mk-III is a capable launch vehicle, it does not have the same power and payload capacity as the Saturn V used in the Apollo missions. As a result, a more gradual trajectory was chosen to optimize the mission within the constraints of the launch vehicle.

More Manoeuvres And Some Clever Use Of Gravity

ISRO will use Earth and Moon’s gravity to workaround the constraints.

While orbiting the Earth in an elliptical orbit, the module will be at its highest speed when it passes through the point in that orbit closest to the planet. This point is called the perigee.

Exactly opposite to this point in the orbit is the apogee, where the module will be the furthest from the Earth and at its slowest speed. The speed varies across different points in the orbit due to the variation in the Earth’s gravitational pull.

The closer the module is to the Earth, the more the gravitational pull, and the greater the speed. Each time the module reaches the perigee, or the point of highest speed, the onboard engine fires, increasing its speed even more, pushing it into a higher, more elongated orbit as a result.

With every burn of the onboard propulsion system, the module will keep spiralling outwards in increasingly elongated ellipses.

Eventually, as the module continues its journey, it reaches the escape velocity necessary to break free from Earth’s gravity. At this point, the module’s orbit will elongate, allowing it to set a course towards the moon.

The entry of the Chandrayaan-3 module into the LTT is carefully timed to align with the moon’s position in its own orbit. This strategic timing ensures that the module reaches proximity to the moon’s orbit precisely when the moon is located in that region.

Once the module reaches this point, a precise manoeuvre is executed using the onboard propulsion system. This manoeuvre, known as lunar orbit insertion, is designed to reduce the module’s velocity.

The gravitational field of the moon can then pull the module into a stable lunar orbit. This successful lunar insertion completes the crucial phase of placing the spacecraft in orbit around the moon.

Having escaped Earth’s gravity and entered lunar orbit, the module will start revolving around the moon in an elliptical orbit.

A series of manoeuvres will be used to progressively lower the altitude of the module and place it in a 100 km circular orbit around the moon. It is at this point that the propulsion module will separate from the lander, which will continue its journey towards the lunar surface.

If all proceeds as planned, sometime around 23 August, Chandrayaan-3 will accomplish a groundbreaking feat as the first mission ever to successfully soft-land in the vicinity of the lunar south pole.

India has sent off its third Moon mission, expecting to be quick to land close to its little-investigated south pole.

In the event that effective, India will be just the fourth country to accomplish a delicate arriving on the Moon, after the US, the previous Soviet Association and China.

Great many individuals watched the send off from the watcher’s exhibition and pundits portrayed seeing the rocket “taking off overhead” as “lofty”. The scientists and the crowds gave the lift off a round of applause and cheers.

The BBC’s Arunoday Mukharji, who was at the send off site, said there were thunders of “Bharat Mata ki jai [Victory to mother India]” from each edge of the corridor.

In his initial remarks following the successful launch, Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) chief Sreedhara Panicker Somanath stated, “Chandrayaan-3 has begun its journey towards the Moon.” Our send off vehicle has placed the Chandrayaan on the exact circle around the Earth.” That’s what isro tweeted “the wellbeing of the shuttle is typical”.

Chandrayaan-3, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “scripted a new chapter in India’s space odyssey.”

“It soars high, raising every Indian’s hopes and dreams. This pivotal accomplishment is a demonstration of our researchers’ tenacious devotion. I salute their inventiveness and spirit!” he composed on Twitter.

The third in India’s program of lunar investigation, Chandrayaan-3 is supposed to expand on the progress of its prior Moon missions.

Mylswamy Annadurai, Chandrayaan-1’s project director, described it as “the first and most detailed search for water on the lunar surface and established the Moon has an atmosphere during daytime,” 13 years after the country’s first Moon mission in 2008.

Chandrayaan-2 – which likewise contained an orbiter, a lander and a wanderer – was sent off in July 2019 however it was just to some extent fruitful. Its orbiter proceeds to circle and concentrate on the Moon even today, however the lander-wanderer neglected to make a delicate landing and crashed during score. It was a result of “a latest possible moment misfire in the stopping mechanism”, made sense of Mr Annadurai.

According to Mr. Somanath, they have carried out simulations and carefully examined the data from the most recent crash to address the issues.

Chandrayaan-3, which costs $75 million and weighs 3,900 kilograms; He added that the £58 million project has the “same goals” as its predecessor, which are to ensure a soft landing on the Moon’s surface.

The 26-kilogram rover known as Pragyaan, which is the Sanskrit word for wisdom, is carried by the lander, which is named Vikram after the founder of Isro. The lander weighs approximately 1,500 kg.

After Friday’s takeoff, the art will take around 15 to 20 days to enter the Moon’s circle. After that, over the course of the following few weeks, the scientists will begin reducing the rocket’s speed in order to get it to a point where Vikram can make a soft landing.

The six-wheeled rover will then eject and roam the rocks and craters on the Moon’s surface, collecting crucial data and images that will be sent back to Earth for analysis if everything goes according to plan.

“The wanderer is conveying five instruments which will zero in on learning about the actual attributes of the outer layer of the Moon, the environment near the surface and the structural movement to concentrate on what happens beneath the surface. I’m trusting we’ll find a novel, new thing,” Mr Somanath told Mirror Now.

The south pole of the Moon is still generally neglected – the surface region that remaining parts in shadow there is a lot bigger than that of the Moon’s north pole, and that implies there is plausible of water in regions that are for all time shadowed. Chandrayaan-1 was quick to find water on the Moon in 2008, close to the south pole.

“We have more logical interest in this spot in light of the fact that the tropical locale, which is ok for landing, has proactively been reached and a ton of information is accessible for that,” Mr Somanath said.

“If we have any desire to make a critical logical disclosure, we need to go to another area like the south pole, yet it has higher dangers of landing.”

Mr Somanath adds information from Chandrayaan-2 accident has been “gathered and broke down” and it has helped fix every one of the blunders in the most recent mission.

“The orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 has been providing a lot of very high-resolution images of the spot where we want to land. That data has been thoroughly studied so that we know how many boulders and craters are there and we have widened the domain of landing for better chances.”

The arrival, Mr Annadurai said, would need to be “totally exact” to harmonize with the beginning of a lunar day (a day on the Moon rises to 14 days on The planet) in light of the fact that the batteries of the lander and the wanderer would require daylight to have the option to charge and work.

According to the Moon mission, Mr Annadurai, was concocted in the mid 2000s as a thrilling undertaking to draw in ability during a period of the IT blast in India, as most innovation graduates needed to join the product business.

“The outcome of Chandrayaan-1 aided on that count. India’s space program has become a source of pride, and working for Isro is now regarded as extremely prestigious.

Be that as it may, the bigger objective of India’s space program, Mr Annadurai says, “incorporates science and innovation and the fate of mankind”.

There is a growing interest in the Moon from around the world, not just India. Additionally, according to scientists, the Moon, which is frequently referred to as a gateway to deep space, still has a lot to learn.

“To foster the Moon as a station, an entryway to profound space, then we really want to do a lot more investigations to see what kind of environment would we have the option to work there with the locally-accessible material and how might we convey supplies to our kin there,” Mr Annadurai says.

“Hence, the ultimate objective of India’s probes is that one day, when the Moon will become an extended continent of Earth, separated by 360,000 kilometers, we will not be a passive spectator but will have active, protected life in that continent, and we must continue to work toward that.” Furthermore, an effective Chandrayaan-3 will be a huge move toward that heading.

Narendra Modi Receives France’s Highest Honor, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest civilian and military honor in France. The prestigious award was presented to Modi by President Emmanuel Macron during a private dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris. This marked the final engagement on the first day of Modi’s two-day visit to France.

Modi’s reception of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour is a historic moment as he becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to receive this distinction. The honor has previously been bestowed upon notable global leaders and eminent personalities, including Nelson Mandela, Angela Merkel, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali. This recognition further solidifies the strong partnership and camaraderie between India and France.

The dinner at the Élysée Palace was a significant occasion where President Macron and his wife warmly hosted Prime Minister Modi. The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, described the award as a “warm gesture embodying the spirit of India-France partnership.” Bagchi’s statement emphasizes the significance of this honor in strengthening the bond between the two nations.

Prime Minister Modi’s recognition by France adds to the list of prestigious awards and honors he has received from various countries. In June, Egypt bestowed upon him the Order of the Nile, highlighting his contributions to international diplomacy. Additionally, Bhutan awarded him the Order of the Druk Gyalpo in 2021, the United States honored him with the Legion of Merit in 2020, and Russia presented him with the Order of St. Andrew in 2019. Moreover, the United Arab Emirates conferred the Order of Zayed in 2019, and Saudi Arabia granted him the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2016.

Modi’s international recognition through these honors reflects his significant contributions and influence on the global stage. These awards not only acknowledge his diplomatic efforts but also demonstrate the respect and admiration he has garnered from various countries. As India’s Prime Minister, his leadership and commitment to strengthening bilateral relations have played a pivotal role in forging alliances and partnerships worldwide.

In conclusion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s receipt of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour from France signifies a momentous occasion in India-France relations. The honor, conferred during a private dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, serves as a testament to the strong partnership between the two nations. Modi’s recognition as the first Indian Prime Minister to receive this prestigious distinction highlights his significant contributions to international diplomacy. Furthermore, his collection of awards and honors from various countries further solidifies his stature as a respected global leader.

Indian Students Pursuing Masters In France To Get 5-Year Work Visa

Indian students pursuing a Master’s degree in France will now be given a five-year long-term post-study visa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced.

Modi, who is on an official visit to France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, made the announcement during his address to the Indian community at LA Seine Musicale in Paris on Thursday.

“The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying in France would be given a two-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing Masters in France will be given a long-term post-study visa of five years,” he  said.

During his address, the Prime Minister also highlighted the contribution of the Indian community in France, who form a strong foundation of the India-France partnership.

Approximately 65,000 immigrants from India currently reside in France.

Around 2.7 million students enroll for French higher education, 14 per cent of whom are foreign students, according to a French embassy data.

France is especially popular for its management programmes with over 70 per cent of Indian students enrolled in them.

According to the latest official data collected post-Covid, there were around 6,000 Indian students in France in the 2021-2022 academic year.

France plans to invite 20,000 Indian students in the country by the year 2025, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said last year.

While calling the plan “very ambitious”, Colonna said: “We want 20,000 Indian students in France by 2025. We’re starting from something close to 5,000. It is very ambitious but, between India and France, the sky’s the limit.” (IANS)

Abu Dhabi To Get First IIT Campus

One of the three memorandums signed between India and UAE includes the establishment of the first Indian Institute of Technology Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) campus in Abu Dhabi was signed on July 15. The agreement between the Ministry of Education, India, and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), was signed in the presence of the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mubarak Hamad Al Mheiri, ADEK under secretary, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, and Professor Rangan Banerjee, director of IIT Delhi.

Expressing his delight at the signing of the MoU, Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan stated that the establishment of the IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi represents a new chapter in the internationalization of India’s education. He emphasized that the campus will be an example of ‌‌‌‌‌new India’s innovation and expertise, and India-UAE friendship.

Modis said, “This marks a significant stride in our educational internationalisation and is testament to India’s innovation prowess. Education is the bond that unites us, it’s the spark that ignites innovation. Together, we will leverage this power for mutual prosperity and global betterment.”

“France An Important Partner In Make In India”

Modi welcomed the bilateral agreements finalized in defense, digital technology visas, and other sectors during his trip. France is an important partner in Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Prime Minister Modi said on July 14 in a joint press briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Indian leader who was on a state visit to France thanked Macron for his cooperation and hospitality during the visit.

Sharing the outcomes of his visit, Modi said that both countries have agreed on the importance of enhancing cooperation in diverse fields such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and digital technology. He welcomed the agreement signed between Indian Oil and France’s Total for export of LNG and the agreement to launch India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France.

Hailing France as a natural partner in India’s developmental journey, the PM said, “We are celebrating 25 years of our strategic partnership. We are making a roadmap for the next 25 years on the basis of the strong foundation of the previous 25 years.”

In his address, President Macron mentioned the agreement on visa regulations. “We will work on our visa policies so that more students from India can study in France,” he said adding “By 2030, we want to send 30,000 French students to India.” PM Modi reiterated that all conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. “India and France have a special responsibility to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said and highlighted that both countries are working together for peace and believe that stringent measures should be taken to counter cross-border terrorism.

Further, the PM highlighted the strong people-to-people ties that bind India and France. He welcomed the decision to set up a new Indian consulate in Marseille and France joining as a partner for the upcoming National Museum in New Delhi. Concluding his address, Modi extended his best wishes to the President for the 2024 Paris Olympics and invited him to attend the G20 summit in India.

While in Paris, PM Modi met with Leena Nair, the global CEO of fashion brand Chanel, Thomas Pesquet, a French aerospace engineer, pilot, European Space Agency astronaut and actor and Charlotte Chopin, renowned French yoga teacher.  He invited Nair and Pesquet to explore investment opportunities and collaboration potential in India in the area of their expertise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the strong “people-to-people connect” between India and France during his hour-long speech to the Indian diaspora at the La Seine Musicale in Paris on July 13. “Wherever we go, we create a “mini-India”,” the Prime Minister said thanking the community for the warm welcome that made him feel like he is in India.

Sharing the importance of his visit Modi said that the world is moving towards a new world order. “Be it climate change, supply chains, counter-terrorism or counter-radicalism, the world is looking to India,” he maintained.

During his speech, the Indian leader made significant announcements, including the extension of India’s Unified Payment System (UPI) to France. “In the coming days, UPI will begin from the Eiffel Tower, which means Indian tourists will now be able to pay in rupees,” he said.

The move will simplify financial transactions for Indian travelers in France, eliminating the need to carry foreign currency or forex cards. France joins the UAE, Nepal, and Bhutan as countries that have already adopted India’s UPI.

The Prime Minister further announced that Indian students pursuing master’s degrees in France. will be granted a five-year post-study work visa, an increase from the previous two-year visa. “The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying here would be given a two-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing a Master’s degree will be given a long-term study visa of five years,” he said amid loud applause.

In a move to strengthen diplomatic ties and facilitate services for the Indian community, Modi announced the opening of a new consulate in Marseille, France. Addressing concerns regarding the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, he informed the audience that the issues in Reunion Island have been resolved, and OCI cards are now being issued there. Similar efforts will be made in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

In his speech, the Prime Minister also urged the Indian community residing abroad to invest in India, which is rapidly progressing toward becoming a developed nation. He stated, “Today, every rating agency is saying that India is a bright spot. You invest in India now. This is the opportune time. Those who invest early will reap benefits.” He also invited the diaspora to visit India.

During his state visit to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of  Honour, the country’s highest award by President Emmanuel Macron. With this honour, PM Modi becomes the first Indian state head to receive the highest French honour in military or civilian orders.

“It is with great humility that I accept the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor. This is an honour for the 140 crore people of India. I thank President @EmmanuelMacron, the French Government and people for this gesture. It shows their deep affection towards India and resolve for furthering friendship with our nation,” Modi tweeted on receiving the honor.

President Macron said, “India and France are celebrating 25 years of strategic partnership made of trust and friendship, which are only getting stronger with time. “

The award ceremony took place at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where President Macron welcomed Modi and hosted a dinner in his honor, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. In the past, this highest honour has been received by few prominent leaders from across the world including former South African President Nelson Mandela and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel among others.

UN Chief Calls Delhi G20 Summit An Opportunity To Reform Global Financial System

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced the international financial system as a relic of the colonial past and said that the G20 Summit in India offers an opportunity to start moving on reforming it.

The debt crisis faced by 40 per cent of the developing is because of the “inequality built into our outdated global financial system, which reflects the colonial power dynamics of the era when it was created”, Guterres said on Wednesday.

He referred to the recent international initiatives on dealing with the crisis and said, “The upcoming G20 Summit is an opportunity to take these ideas forward”.

The summit in September in New Delhi the G20, which is made up of industrialised and major emerging economies will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Setting the tone ahead of the summit at a meeting of the G20 finance ministers earlier this year, Modi called urgent action to reform the international financial institutions asserting that trust in them was eroding.

Picture : Mint

Even though India itself is not facing a debt crisis, it has taken up the cause of countries affected by it during its leadership of the G20 and was reported to be preparing a proposal in the context of the group to help the countries facing the worst debt crisis by taking drastic actions, including lenders taking “haircuts” or forgiving substantial portions of the loans.

The main international financial institutions were created in the aftermath of World War II.

Guterres, who was speaking at the release of the report on the international debt problem by the UN Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG), said, “Half our world is sinking into a development disaster, fuelled by a crushing debt crisis”.

The markets may not be feeling the impact of the crisis “because most of these unsustainable debts are concentrated in poor countries [and] they are not judged to pose a systemic risk to the global financial system,” he said.

But that is a “mirage” and even if markets aren’t, the 3.3 billion people are, Guterres said.

Explaining how the debt burden affects the development programmes of countries, the GCRG showed that the burden of interest payments for India was 1.2 times what the country spent on education and 5.2 times what it spent on health.

Highlighting the inequalities in the global financial system, the GCRG report said that developing countries have to pay much higher interest rates compared to developed countries.

Rebecca Grynspan, the coordinator of the GCRG, said that credit rating agencies made the problems worse for developing countries that receive lower ratings, which translate to higher interest rates.

Without reference to the fundamental indicators of the economies, credit rating agencies are “punishing” developing countries, said Grynspan, who is also the secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Asked about what can be done by the G20 to help deal with the crisis, she suggested increasing the capitalisation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

She noted that the size of the WB’s capital was now one-fifth of what it was in 1960 in relation to the size of the global GDP.

Asked about the need for debts for development and the risk of their non-productive use, Grynspan said that to make up for their lack of capital, countries have to incur debts for the investments they need.

“When the debt is well used to expand the productive capacity of the countries the infrastructure and the basic needs of its people”, she said, and it “has a very high return”.

“The problem is, when you have done that, and suddenly that [interest rate] has become much more expensive and so you are no longer in a sustainable path because you have to dedicate a lot of your revenues inside the country or the revenues from export to pay your debt”, she said.

But “if it is ill-used, you can be in trouble”, she said adding that it was not the case for most countries and they “are in trouble because of systemic shocks, not because of the of the country’s individual decisions”.

“The Covid pandemic, climate change and the cost of living crisis have put a very heavy burden on the sustainability of the debt of the developing countries”, she said.

The conditions for the loans also matter and the private sector is reluctant to finance loans for development that require long periods, according to her.

“And that’s why we are insisting that the development banks have to be recapitalised and they have to use the resources to scale up the support for developing countries”, she added.

Democrats Push for Passage of Equality Act to Protect LGBTQ+ Community

The Equality Act, which provides legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community, was reintroduced last week Wednesday, according to Democrats in the House and Senate.

During a news conference on Capitol Hill, Democrats joined LGBTQ+ leaders to say that the laws currently in place make that community vulnerable to discrimination in employment and many other areas.

Senate Greater part Pioneer Hurl Schumer, R-N.Y., and House Minority Pioneer Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., vowed to make a solid effort to get the Correspondence Act passed notwithstanding resistance from conservatives.

The Equity Act would revise the Social equality Demonstration of 1964 to broaden securities for instruction, lodging, and work for the LGBTQ+ people group by growing insurances to incorporate sexual direction and orientation character.

As evidence that the Equality Act has a path forward, they cited the Respect for Marriage Act, which enshrined the protection of gay marriage and passed last year with bipartisan support.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., stated, “Progress must not be mistaken for victory.” who once again introduced the bill in the Senate. “[ We should fight] until all Americans have the opportunity of fairness.”

According to Jeffries, the Equality Act has not been modified since it failed to gain traction a year ago. However, the rash of state laws that target the transgender community has contributed to the creation of some momentum in the effort to take action to safeguard the LGBTQ+ community.

“Until we get it over the finish line, the Equality Act is and will continue to be one of our top priorities,” Jeffries stated. Choosing hopefulness over hatred is the purpose of the Equality Act, which seeks to combat discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

Common liberties Mission said 525 bills have been presented by states that have designated the local area and have harmed freedoms. At the news conference, HRC President Kelly Robinson stated that gay, lesbian, and transgender people are subject to different laws than the rest of the country.

According to conservatives, the law would probably violate religious liberties and rights. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said that the bill will be difficult for any GOP member to sign in 2021 because it does not provide enough protections for those with deeply held religious beliefs.

India’s Growing Role in America’s China Strategy Fueled by Mistrust of Beijing

India’s position in America’s China strategy is growing as a result of mistrust of Beijing. In the meantime, the relationship between the United States and India has become fueled by cooperation on technological and geoeconomic issues.

For India’s part, public outrage has been sparked by China’s salami-slicing strategies to seize territory along the long Himalayan border between the two countries. New Delhi’s natural partner to counter China’s military advantages is the United States.

India has the potential to be a useful partner for the United States in the fight against China’s efforts to drive Washington out of the Indo-Pacific region and in restoring strategic equilibrium there.

As a result, pragmatism is in charge. Technological cooperation has benefited greatly from the easing of inhibitions between the United States and India that existed during the Cold War. Washington and Delhi have begun to collaborate on a comprehensive partnership that includes semiconductors, supply chains, defense coproduction, and digital public goods.

Given the growing landscape of geoeconomic rivalry between major powers, such cooperation is essential. China and Russia have intensified their geoeconomic ties ever since the Ukraine conflict began. New Delhi naturally feels constrained by the fusion of Eurasian energies to its north, given its historical reliance on Russian defense technologies and border issues with China.

India and the United States see each other as important players in their respective geopolitical and economic strategies.

Washington is establishing a new economic system based on cutting-edge technologies with countries like India and others who share its values. In the coming years, technology appears to be going to be the driving force behind relations between the United States and India. This will lead to enormous economic opportunities, increased national security for both countries, and the formation of a new geoeconomic global order.

The “new Washington consensus” was outlined by Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, in April.

Restructuring supply chains through “friend-shoring” and “de-risking,” creating economic frameworks to avoid dependence on individual nations, and forming advanced technology coalitions are all essential components of this initiative.

“The Biden administration’s international economic vision is centered on a deeper partnership between the U.S. and India,” Sullivan stated to an Indian newspaper last month.

In May 2022, the U.S. and Indian efforts in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, space, telecommunications, biotechnology, defense, and semiconductors were announced as part of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.

During Top state leader Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last month, he joined an “India-U.S. Greetings Tech Handshake” occasion to encourage associations between the startup biological systems of the two nations. The importance of the relationship to young entrepreneurs is demonstrated by the fact that Zerodha’s co-founder, Nikhil Kamath, was invited to the prestigious White House state dinner for Modi.

Another area in which the partnership is reaching its peak is semiconductors. India is seen as a crucial counterweight as the United States blocks the flow of technology that China needs to support advanced chipmaking.

While Modi was in Washington, U.S. chipmaker Micron Innovation reported that it would contribute $825 million to construct a semiconductor gathering and test plant in Gujarat, the top state leader’s home state. By the year 2020, the brand-new facility should be operational. Applied Materials, another key American chip tech organization, said it would set up a designing place in Bengaluru zeroed in on growing new advances for semiconductor fabricating hardware.

India was also welcomed into the Minerals Security Partnership, a crucial minerals coalition that included Australia, Japan, South Korea, and seven Western allies to support supply line diversification and security. In order to facilitate private investment and public financing, the purpose of this group is to share information on crucial opportunities in the mineral sector.

Several Indian businesses made investments in support of Washington’s efforts to increase domestic production of green technologies while Modi was in Washington. Epsilon Carbon will invest $650 million in a battery component factory in the United States for electric vehicles. VSK Energy said it would put up to $1.5 billion in sunlight based charger producing in Colorado and other U.S. areas. The Ohio foundry of JSW Steel will be upgraded for $145 million to support the production of offshore wind energy platforms.

Strangely, Modi likewise endorsed on to the Artemis Accords, a U.S.- drove astropolitical alliance to advance space participation. India attempted to reconcile the Artemis Accords with the China and Russia-led International Lunar Research Station effort for some time.

A lot of technical talent is required for the rapid advancement of advanced technology. Anecdotal evidence indicates that Silicon Valley is largely supported by Indian-born tech professionals and executives. India is a treasure trove of such talent. Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden have subsequently been coaxing the Indian American people group to get a sense of ownership with coordinating the tech areas of California and Bengaluru.

India and the United States are becoming increasingly entwined on a geopolitical and economic level. By building tough innovative establishments, the two nations can each propel their plans for Indo-Pacific security.

US To Return 150 Antiquities To India

India’s Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, briefing reporters Sunday on the third G20 Culture Working Group meeting in Hampi, said this is the first lot of antiquities that the Met has willingly agreed to return to India.

These will be among the 150 antiquities that will return to India from the US in 3-6 months, he said, adding that besides the 15 objects returned by the Met, the others are those confiscated by US authorities and kept in the office of the New York Attorney General. “We are making efforts to have our team go there, verify them and bring them back,” Mohan said.

According to an investigation in March by The Indian Express, in association with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the UK-based Finance Uncovered, a treasure trove at the Met was traced to antique dealer Subhash Kapoor who is serving a prison term in Tamil Nadu for smuggling antiquities.

On March 30, the Met issued a statement saying it would “transfer 15 sculptures for return to the government of India, after having learned that the works were illegally removed from India”. It said “all of the works were sold at one point by Subhash Kapoor, a dealer currently serving a prison sentence in India.”

Of the 15 items listed in the search warrant, 10 were flagged in The Indian Express report. Significant among these are the Celestial Dancer, a 1st century BCE Yakshi terracotta from West Bengal; a bronze sculpture of God Revanta Returning from the Hunt (10th century CE); and a 15th century Parikara (Backplate).

The other works that are set to return to India include antiquities in different mediums such as marble, terracotta and sandstone, span a period of 1,600 years, from the 1st century BC to the 15th century AD, and hold significant historical and market value, officials said.

Restitution of cultural heritage is among the main themes of the cultural track under India’s G20 Presidency. The 1970 UNESCO Convention enjoins upon all the signatories to voluntarily return all the artefacts that have either been taken there due to colonial plunder or post-colonial misappropriation through smuggling, theft or other such means, Mohan said.

“The 1970 convention has been discussed extensively among all the countries and there are some countries who are not signatories so far. We are trying to develop a broad consensus that at least all the G20 countries become signatories to the convention. India would be a big gainer from this process,” he said.

Picture : Indian Express

India is pursuing agreements pertaining to the return of antiquities through both bilateral and multilateral routes. According to the Cultural Property Agreement signed between India and the US, which found mention in the joint statement after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit last month, “the US will do all that is within its power to intercept smuggled goods at the border and return them expeditiously”.

“With the US having accepted this kind of a framework, we are hopeful that the other countries will also look at something similar, if not identical,” Mohan said, adding that presently, India is pursuing bilaterally for such agreements with the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Australia.

As many as 50 delegates are attending the third CWG meeting, including those from member countries, guest nations and multilateral organisations. Progress has been made towards bridging opinions during deliberations and arriving at a consensus, Mohan said.

India Denies Visas To U.S. Panel On Religious Freedom

India has turned down a travel request for members of a U.S. government panel seeking to review its religious freedom, saying such foreign agencies had no standing to assess the constitutional rights of citizens.

Since taking power in 2014, the Indian government has faced criticism for attacks on Muslims and the panel has called for the world’s biggest democracy to be designated a “country of particular concern”, along with China, Iran, Russia and Syria.

The call by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was made in an April report urging sanctions against officials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government after it excluded minority Muslims from a new citizenship law.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the government firmly repudiated the surveys of the commission, which had little knowledge of the rights of Indian citizens, describing it as biased and prejudiced.

“We have also denied visas to USCIRF teams that have sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom,” he told a lawmaker from Modi’s ruling group in a June 1 letter.

The step was taken because the government saw no grounds for a foreign entity such as the USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights, he added.

Reuters has reviewed a copy of the letter to Nishikant Dubey, an MP who had raised the issue of the panel’s report in parliament.

USCIRF spokeswoman Danielle Saroyan Ashbahian said its team wanted to travel to India for constructive dialogue with the government.

“As a pluralistic, non-sectarian, and democratic state, and a close partner of the United States, India should have the confidence to allow our visit, which would give it the opportunity to convey its views directly to USCIRF in a constructive dialogue,” she said in an email.

The commission is a bipartisan U.S. government advisory body that monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress. However, these are not binding.

Vivek Ramaswamy Leans Into His Hindu Faith to Court Christian Voters

This spring, Bristol Smith, a manager at a McDonald’s in Maryville, Tennessee, came across the name Vivek Ramaswamy shortly after the entrepreneur Mr. Ramaswamy announced that he was running for president. Mr. Smith was drawn in. He liked Mr. Ramaswamy’s plan to send the military to the southern border to fight drug cartels and the way he “stands up against the wokeness.” He regarded Mr. Ramaswamy’s insight as a money manager worth countless dollars.

Then, at that point, Mr. Smith, 25, looked for Mr. Ramaswamy’s confidence. Mr. Smith is an evangelical Christian who recently established a modest church at his parents’ house.

He recalled, “I looked up his religion and saw he is Hindu.” I planned to decide in favor of him until that surfaced.” Mr. Smith believes that the nation needs to be “put back under God,” and he doesn’t want to risk it with a non-Christian.

By then, he said, “I got back on President Trump’s train.”

Mr. Ramaswamy, 37, is a practicing Hindu who was brought up in India by immigrants. Some conservative Christian voters, who make up a significant portion of the Republican primary electorate and are accustomed to evaluating candidates not only based on their policy proposals but also on their biographies and personal beliefs, including religious faith, face a dilemma as a result of this.

A candidate’s faith is a sign of a candidate’s values, lifestyle, loyalties, and priorities as a leader for many conservative voters. It’s the classic Sunday morning question about which candidate you’d like to have a beer with most: Who is a good fit for your church?

“It’s another obstacle individuals need to cross to go to him,” Weave Vander Plaats, a powerful fervent forerunner in Iowa, said of Mr. Ramaswamy.

Mr. Vander Plaats as of late had Mr. Ramaswamy’s family over for Sunday dinner at his home, where the feast opened with a request and the perusing of an entry from the Good book. He said that Mr. Ramaswamy’s message aligned with the priorities of many evangelical voters and that he left impressed. He referred to Mr. Ramaswamy’s list of ten fundamental “truths,” the first of which is as follows: God really exists. The subsequent: There are men and women.”)

“I believe he’s truly interfacing with the crowds in Iowa,” said Mr. Vander Plaats, who has not embraced an up-and-comer. ” He is open to more in-depth inquiries. In the most recent national polls, Mr. Ramaswamy receives less than 5% of the vote.

Mr. Ramaswamy has taken the direct approach of addressing the issue and arguing that he shares more similarities with observant Christians than they might think.

“I’m not Christian. In June, he addressed Mr. Vander Plaats in front of a small audience at the Family Leader’s headquarters. “I was not raised in a Christian household.” However, we truly do have the very Christian qualities that this country was established on.”

In a meeting in late June, in the wake of leaving a gathering with a couple dozen ministers in New Hampshire, Mr. Ramaswamy said his confidence instructed him that Jesus was “a child of God, totally.” ( That “a” will be a sharp qualification from the focal Christian conviction that Jesus is the child of God. Many Hindus believe in a plethora of deities, and some even consider Jesus to be a single teacher or god.) Hinduism is a fluid and expansive religion.

Mr. Ramaswamy pointed out that even though he is not a Christian, he openly discusses why belief in God is important, why increasing secularism in the United States is bad for the country, and values like marriage fidelity, duty, religious liberty, and self-sacrifice.

Regarding the theological differences between Hinduism and Christianity, he stated, “I don’t have a quick pitch to say, ‘No, no, that doesn’t matter.'” It’s that I see precisely why that would make a difference to you.”

Mr. Ramaswamy cites Thomas Aquinas and makes references to Bible stories at campaign stops, including the crucifixion of Jesus. He frequently discusses his time spent attending a Cincinnati “Christian school” (Catholic St. Xavier High School). Also, he differentiates “religions like our own,” which have gone the distance, with the contending perspectives of “wokeism, climatism, transgenderism, orientation belief system, Covidism,” as he put it to a group of people in New Hampshire.

The campaign of Mr. Ramaswamy has distributed videos of him responding to a New Hampshire man who asked about his “spiritual beliefs” at a town hall and of a pastor in Iowa comparing him to King David from the Bible. A woman blessed Mr. Ramaswamy in the name of Jesus Christ by placing her hand on his chest in Iowa.

“So be it,” Mr. Ramaswamy said as she closed her request.

Mr. Ramaswamy will be able to win over evangelical primary voters in the crowded Republican field in part because of outside forces. Rather than seeking a “pastor-in-chief,” many conservative voters now say they are looking for someone who shares their political and cultural goals and will fight on their behalf.

“The culture has changed, but theology is important. America has changed,” said David Brody, the boss political expert for the Christian Telecom Organization, who has talked with Mr. Ramaswamy. Mr. Brody stated that the fight against “cultural Marxism” and reversing the course of “a country gone haywire” are currently the most important goals.

He compared evangelical priorities in the Iowa caucuses the following year to those in 2008 and 2012, when conservative Christian candidates Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee won.

Mr. Brody stated, “I don’t buy it at all the lazy narrative that he’s Hindu so he can’t appeal to evangelicals.”

As political divides have widened, theological boundaries have become increasingly muddled. Few temples split nowadays over old discussions like the specific timing of the final days or the job of through and through freedom in salvation. About portion of American Protestants presently say they like to go to a congregation with individuals who share their political perspectives, as per surveying from Lifeway Exploration.

Mr. Ramaswamy’s accentuation on his faith in one God has a long history for Hindus in the US, particularly those addressing white Christian crowds, said Michael Altman, a teacher of strict examinations at the College of Alabama.

Master Vivekananda, who addressed Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893, went to considerable lengths to portray his confidence as monotheistic, rather than the generalizations of its devotees as “pagan” polytheists. Although the religion has a number of deities, they are typically subordinate to a single supreme “reality.” Its theology, according to many scholars and Hindus, is too complicated to be classified as either entirely monotheistic or entirely polytheistic.

“The polytheism obstacle is the principal thing that must be tended to” for the majority American Christian crowds, Mr. Altman said. He believes that Mr. Ramaswamy’s argument against “wokeism” is a way to dispel myths that Hinduism is synonymous with yoga, hippies, and vegetarianism.

According to evangelical observers, former President Donald J. Trump paved the way for Republican candidates who weren’t necessarily the kind of people voters would expect to sit next to on Sunday mornings at church. Numerous fervent citizens embraced the rough, threefold wedded gambling club financier not on the grounds that he was one of them but since they accepted he would battle in the public square for their benefit.

Most Indian Americans, including Hindus, are leftists. However, a segment of the population that places a high value on family, marriage, and education presents a chance for conservatives. Mr. Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House while serving as president, and the Republican National Committee introduced a brand-new Republican Hindu and Indian American Coalition in April. When he appeared with President Trump in Houston in 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew a crowd of 50,000 people, making him a well-known figure to a growing group of right-wing Indian Americans. Mr. Ramaswamy talked last year at a celebration coordinated by the conservative U.S. bunch HinduPACT, which is lined up with Mr. Modi’s style of patriotism.

Nikki Haley, one more Indian American competitor in the 2024 essential, has also underlined her experience as the girl of foreigners. However, Ms. Haley converted to Christianity and now attends a large Methodist church in South Carolina, despite the fact that she was raised Sikh. Bobby Jindal, a Republican from Louisiana who ran for president in 2016, was born and raised Hindu, but he has said that he is an “evangelical Catholic.”

Mr. Ramaswamy goes to a similar sanctuary in Dayton, Ohio, that he did as a youngster that his folks actually do.

In 2015, he had his wedding in New York City officiated by one of the priests from the temple. His wife, Dr. Apoorva Ramaswamy, stated that he, his wife, and their two young sons attend the temple on holidays and for special occasions, including the younger son’s first birthday in early July.

Dr. Ramaswamy, who has spoken out about the family’s faith on the campaign trail, stated that serious and nominal adherents to the same faith share more similarities than committed believers from different traditions.

Dr. Ramaswamy stated, “The fact that we are believers, that we have that sense of humility, that we raise our children with true respect, fear, and love of God — that is so much more unifying than the name of the God to whom people pray.”

The inquiry for her significant other’s mission is whether enough Christian citizens will concur.

Ken Bosse, the pastor of New Life Church in Raymond, New Hampshire, said that he is “an extreme follower of Jesus Christ” and that, all things considered, he would rather have a Christian in the White House. But because “we have had some professing Christians in that position who didn’t follow biblical principles,” he would be open to the right candidate who is not a Christian.

Mr. Bosse welcomed Mr. Ramaswamy to convey a concise discourse at his congregation on a Sunday morning in April. He enjoyed the competitor’s accentuation on recovering a positive American personality, he expressed, and on his story as an independent tycoon who is the offspring of workers. Right now, in any case, Mr. Bosse is inclining in the direction of supporting Mr. Trump. (Courtesy: The New York Times)

China and US Are Talking. That’s a Good Start

During her visit to China, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen expressed the hope that the United States and China could rekindle a relationship that had been in decline for a number of years and had recently veered off course due to significant points of tension, such as the conflict in Ukraine, a Chinese spy balloon that flew over U.S. territory and was shot down by the American military, and the escalating exchange of trade restrictions between the two countries.

Ms. Yellen stated at a news conference on Sunday that she believed the United States and China were on a steadier footing despite their “significant disagreements” after meeting for ten hours over two days in Beijing. “We accept that the world is large enough for both of our nations to flourish,” Ms. Yellen said.

Ms. Yellen said that the two sides would try to talk to each other more often at the highest levels. She said that better communication would stop mistrust from growing in a relationship that she called “one of the most consequential of our time.” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken made a similar excursion a few weeks earlier. Also, not long from now, John Kerry, the exceptional official emissary for environmental change, will visit China to restart a worldwide temperature alteration talks.

However, a significant decrease in economic tension may not be possible. On Sunday, when Ms. Yellen returned to Washington, she did not make any announcements about any breakthroughs or agreements to close the ever-widening rifts that exist between the two countries. Additionally, Ms. Yellen made it abundantly clear that the Biden administration has serious concerns regarding a number of China’s commercial practices, including the country’s treatment of foreign businesses and policies that the United States regards as attempts at economic coercion.

On her outing, the first by a U.S. Depository secretary in four years, Ms. Yellen met with four of the most remarkable Chinese pioneers engaged with financial policymaking under President Xi Jinping, who is toward the beginning of his third term in office: China’s No. 1 leader, Premier Li Qiang two official Ms. Yellen’s partner, Bad habit Chief He Lifeng; Liu Kun, the minister of finance; what’s more, the recently introduced party head of Individuals’ Bank of China, Skillet Gongsheng.

Xinhua, China’s official news agency, published a report on Ms. Yellen’s visit a few hours before her news conference. The report praised the talks as productive while also reiterating China’s key points of contention. The report communicated China’s proceeded with issues with the Biden organization’s accentuation on saving American public safety through exchange limitations.

According to Xinhua, “China believes that generalizing national security is not conducive to normal trade and economic exchanges.” The Chinese side communicated worry about U.S. sanctions and prohibitive measures against China.”

The U.S.- China relationship is immensely noteworthy. Together, their economies, the two largest in the world, account for 40% of global output and remain important partners in many ways. They sell and purchase basic items from one another, finance each other’s organizations, and make applications and motion pictures for crowds in the two nations.

Chinese authorities raised their own interests with Ms. Yellen. The secretary of the Treasury claimed that they discussed the still-in-place tariffs that the Trump administration imposed on Chinese imports. While Ms. Yellen has reprimanded duties as ineffectual, she proposed that the organization wouldn’t arrive at any conclusion about the tolls until a continuous inside audit of them was closed, emphasizing the place of the organization since President Biden got down to business.

She additionally recognized Chinese worries about approaching U.S. limitations on interest in China and said that she attempted to make sense of that such measures would be barely focused on at specific areas and wouldn’t be planned to comprehensively affect China’s economy. Experts and officials in China are also concerned that the administration’s efforts to restrict China’s access to certain technologies may impede the growth of high-potential industries like quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Ms. Yellen stated on Sunday’s episode of CBS’s “Face the Nation” that “I explained that President Biden is examining potential controls on outbound investment in certain very narrow high technology areas.” She added that such restrictions “should not be something that will have a significant impact on the investment climate between our two countries.”

Since 2015, China has imposed additional, more stringent restrictions on foreign investment. The country has been encouraging Chinese households and businesses to invest abroad in strategic value sectors like aircraft production, heavy manufacturing, and cybersecurity rather than in overseas real estate speculation.

Wu Xinbo, the senior member of global examinations at Fudan College in Shanghai, forewarned that Ms. Yellen’s outing wouldn’t bring about a meaningful improvement in relations except if it was joined by changes in the Biden organization’s strategies toward China.

“Up to this point, we haven’t seen any sign that Biden will reexamine his financial approach toward China,” he said. Some analysts saw the desire for more dialogue as a significant development, with both nations finally discussing their disagreements after months of silence.

He Weiwen, a previous authority at China’s Service of Trade who is presently a senior individual at the Middle for China and Globalization in Beijing, invited Ms. Yellen’s remark that both China and the US could flourish. ” Because of the profound differences that exist between China and the United States, regular, open exchanges are not only beneficial but of crucial importance, he stated.

The Treasury Department, which has historically valued China as a significant investor in American bonds and as a potential market for American financial services, has a long history of working more closely with Chinese economic policymakers. The Business Division and the Workplace of the US Exchange Agent, with their more noteworthy accentuation on encouraging business and modern independence, have would in general have more peevish associations with their Chinese partners.

This was especially true during the time that Trump was in charge. Before he took over as vice premier four months ago, Liu He was in charge of international economic policy. He made numerous attempts to compromise with Steven Mnuchin, who was the Treasury Secretary under former President Donald J. Trump. In any case, Mr. Mnuchin couldn’t convince Mr. Trump, who wound up monumental levies on a large number of Chinese commodities as reprisal for what he said were unreasonable strategic policies.

Numerous U.S. organizations with binds to China, alongside Chinese authorities, had expected more amicable relations under Mr. Biden. Instead, since the spy balloon incident in February, tensions between the United States and China have only intensified over the past two years.

While Ms. Yellen’s visit was viewed as a positive step, numerous specialists in both China and the US forewarned against anticipating that a ton should change.

According to Mark Sobel, a former longtime Treasury official, “Yellen’s trip will likely turn down the temperature on the economic relationship for a bit and remind the U.S. and China that they share some commercial interests, even if they are waning, and they need to talk through thick and thin — perhaps business conditions will improve at the margins.”

Yet, given public safety worries in the two nations, a discernment in China that the U.S. looks to contain its financial progression and hawkish political language on the two sides, he said, “Yellen’s outing will scarcely adjust the basic dynamic and direction of the monetary relationship.”

Regardless of the conflicts between the U.S. what’s more, China, Ms. Yellen was welcomed energetically during her most memorable visit to Beijing as Depository secretary.

He mentioned that a rainbow had appeared overhead upon her arrival during a meeting with China’s second-highest official, Premier Li Qiang, and suggested that it was a sign of hope that ties between the two countries could be repaired.

After Ms. Yellen was spotted feasting at an eatery that serves food from the territory of Yunnan, Chinese state media expounded on her noteworthy utilization of chopsticks and revealed that appointments at the café were up after she was seen eating mushroom dishes via virtual entertainment.

Ms. Yellen also had lunch with a group of Chinese women who are economists and business owners and met with Chinese experts on climate finance. She recommended that there are numerous regions where the US and China can track down understanding.

Ms. Yellen stated at the lunch that “our people share many things in common — far more than our differences.”

US Ambassador Garcetti Announces Significant Reduction in Wait Times for Tourist Visa Interviews in India

The wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in the United States has been reduced by over 50%, United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said last week. He further emphasized that the goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas and highlighted the improved speed of visa processing in India.

United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, revealed that the wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in the United States has been reduced by over 50%. Speaking at IIT Delhi, Garcetti highlighted the goal of processing at least one million visas in 2023, expressing confidence that they are already more than halfway towards reaching that target. He emphasized the efforts to streamline the visa process, including reducing the need for in-person interviews and opening new consulates, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Indian professionals can renew their work visas without traveling abroad.

Addressing the audience at IIT Delhi, Garcetti said, “We’re already doing this. We’re currently processing more visas, faster, than the US Mission in India ever has before. We have set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we’re already more than halfway towards reaching that goal.” “Our investments have brought real results, and we’ve seen wait times for first-time tourist visa interviews fall by more than 50 per cent,” he added.

Garcetti stressed the importance of expanding visa operations and increasing staff to remove barriers for qualified travelers experiencing the United States

“We’ll find innovative solutions to streamline the visa process, such as reducing the need for in-person interviews, which allows consular teams around the world to assist in processing visas for the growing number of Indian travellers,” the envoy said.

India and US are doing every bit of effort to make the visa process smooth and in that process, recently, during his interaction with the Indian community in the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Indian professionals can renew their work visas without travelling abroad.

“America’s new consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It has now been decided that the H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself,” PM Modi said while addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC.

India is going to open a new consulate in Seattle this year. Apart from this, Indian Consulates will be opened in 2 more cities in America. “Together we are not just forming policies and agreements, we are shaping lives, dreams and destinies,” said PM Modi.

Shekhar Kapur, Mary Kom And Others Recognised At UK-India Awards

Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom, has been honored with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual U.K.-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.

Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom, has been honoured with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual U.K.-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.

The 40-year-old former Rajya Sabha member spoke of her 20-year journey of hard work and devoting her life to boxing as she accepted the award from Indian High Commissioner to the U.K. Vikram Doraiswami at a gala ceremony on June 29 night.

Picture : TheUNN

“I have been fighting for 20 years, putting in so much effort, hard work in my life, in boxing, it means a lot[…] making sacrifice for my country, for my family. I really thank from the bottom of my heart for this recognition,” she said.

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, behind Oscar-nominated ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’ received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the field of cinema across both nations at the awards, organised by IGF (India Global Forum) as part of U.K.-India Week.

The Nehru Centre in London, the cultural wing of the Indian High Commission, won the U.K.-India Award for Significant Contribution to U.K.-India relations.

“This is one of the most exciting times to be an Indian in the last many centuries, and India’s growing economy has made many others, including many Westerners, think differently about India. But India’s culture will actually make many others, including many Westerners, think differently period. And it’s our privilege at the Nehru Centre to contribute to the growth and to the popularisation of Indian culture in the West,” said author Amish Tripathi, Director of the Nehru Centre.

The awards, now in their fifth year, recognise outstanding contributions of leaders in business, professional services, government, culture and social impact, highlighting their remarkable achievements in strengthening bilateral ties.

“These awards are not just about recognising achievements of some outstanding contributors to the U.K.-India corridor, but also about celebrating the power of collaboration and the limitless potential that lies within our partnership,” said IGF founder and chairman Manoj Ladwa.

Spanning across several categories, the U.K.-India Award for Business Promotion Organisation of the Year was conferred upon the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) U.K.

Among the other awards were Market Entrant of the Year for startup investment platform CrowdInvest, Consultancy of the Year for SannamS4, Legal Practice of the Year for Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Financial Services Organisation of the Year for ICICI Bank U.K. PLC. While Mphasis bagged the Technology Company of the Year, Action Aid U.K. was named as the Social Impact Project of the Year.

The awards were selected from a shortlist by a jury of industry experts and marked the penultimate event of the six-day U.K.-India Week, which included a special reception hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street during which he committed to working towards a “truly ambitious” FTA (Free Trade Agreements) with India.

“It’s not just U.K.-India Week, but a whole Indian summer[…] over the next few weeks the eyes of the world will be on India. There’s the G20 in New Delhi, I can’t wait to be there,” Mr.Sunak said, indicating plans for a visit for the world leader’s summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September.

White House Condemns Harassment Of WSJ Journalist For Asking Modi A Question

The harassment of Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Siddiqui who questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his joint presser with US President Joe Biden last week on religious rights and free speech, is “unacceptable”, the White House said.

At a press briefing,  White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked about the “intense online” harassment the reporter was facing following her questions at the joint conference on June 22.

To this, he replied: “We’re aware of the reports of that harassment.  It’s unacceptable.  And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances.  That’s just — that’s completely unacceptable.  And it’s antithetical to the very principles of democracy were on display last week during the state visit.”

At the White House on June 22, after Modi and Biden had read out their prepared statements, the President said: “I’m told there are two questioners: Sabrina (Siddiqui) from The Wall Street Journal and (Rakesh) Kumar from the (Press) Trust of India”.

Siddiqui asked him about criticisms from some in Biden’s party about the treatment of religious minorities and “crackdown on dissent”.

“It is in America’s DNA and, I believe, in India’s DNA that the whole world — the whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, in maintaining our democracies.  It makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across — around the world,” Biden said.

He said that they had a “good discussion about democratic values”, and added, “we’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other”.

Siddiqui then asked, Modi of “what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?”

Speaking in Hindi, Modi repeated Biden’s remarks about the DNA of democracy in both countries.

He said: “Our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, of democracy and that is in the form of our constitution.

“We have always proved that democracy can deliver.  And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender (and) here’s absolutely no space for discrimination.”

As a result of the question, the reporter faced widespread criticism online.

In response, Siddiqui posted a picture of her wearing a jersey of the Indian cricket team and another one with her father watching a match and cheering for the team.

“Since some have chosen to make a point of my personal background, it feels only right to provide a fuller picture. Sometimes identities are more complex than they seem,” she said in the Twitter post.

US-India Partnership To Turn Dreams Into Reality: Garcetti

Ambassador Eric Garcetti lauds Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, emphasizes its potential to strengthen India-US ties and turn dreams into reality

United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti spoke about the importance of Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States in furthering India-US ties, which he believes have the power to turn dreams into reality.

Speaking at the “Peace, Prosperity, Planet, People : A New Chapter In U.S.-India Relations” event co-organized by the Asia Society Policy Institute and IIT Delhi, Garcetti used the phrase “Sapne sakar karna” (Making dreams into reality). He emphasized the need to work together for peace, prosperity, and the planet with a focus on bolstering bilateral security, promoting freedom, and people-to-people exchanges.

Sharing his experience of the PM’s US visit, the Ambassador said it as a momentous occasion during which he witnessed a profound celebration of the “defining partnership of this century” between the two great democracies.

“I saw history being made and our future framed,” Garcetti said welcoming the slew of joint initiatives announced across various fields which he believed could “change the world.” He highlighted IIT Delhi scholar, Anchal Sharma’s presentation alongside PM Modi and First Lady Jill Biden at the National Science Foundation (NSF), as one of his favorite moments from the visit.

The Ambassador acknowledged the shared dreams and visions of the Indian and American people, emphasizing the desire to leave a positive impact on the world. He highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between the US and India, stating that the Indian diaspora in the US plays a crucial role in fostering friendship and understanding between the two countries. He mentioned several statistics that reflect the close connection between the nations, including the significant number of Indian students studying in the US, the two-way trade volume, and the presence of Indian professionals in key sectors of the US economy.

Garcetti also shed light on the significance of visa policies in the US-India relationship. With over 200,000 Indians studying in the United States, he added, “We set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we’re already more than halfway towards reaching that goal.”

Having completed his studies in India, the Ambassador expressed, “I may not be Indian, but India is a big part of me and has helped shape who I am today.” He went on to share his goal as an Ambassador was to present many more people with similar life-changing experience that he had while in India.

He concluded by stating India and USA are two sides of the same coin, and that he hopes to realize his dream of the countries partnering and bringing transformative changes to challenges together.

Australia Extends Post-Study Work Rights, Work-Hour Cap For Indian Students

Education/Immigration

Starting July 1, 2023, the working hours for international students per fortnight will go up from 40 to 48 hours.

Indian graduates from Australian tertiary institutions will have the opportunity to apply for an eight-year work visa starting July 1, 2023. Additionally, the work-hour limit of 40 hours per fortnight for all international students will go up to 48 hours.  This was done to address workforce shortages, as well as to ensure that student visa holders have enough time to dedicate toward studies while gaining work experience and supporting themselves financially.

The new visa rules are an outcome of a bilateral agreement signed between India and Australia in May 2023. Indian PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese signed a migration deal, which included a new pilot program called the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES). The program was devised to benefit university graduates and early-career professionals, precisely 3,000 of them, to live in Australia for two years without requiring visa sponsorship.

Speaking of eligibility, candidates seeking to apply for the MATES visa must be under the age of 31. They must be pass-outs from recognized Indian universities with specialized degrees in the areas of engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Agricultural Technology, Renewable Energy, etc. Details regarding fees and visa processing time for MATES are yet to be announced.

Student Loan Forgiveness Program Deemed Not Legal By Conservative SOTUS Justices

The Biden administration’s student loan debt handout program cannot proceed, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday, June 3oth, 2023.

The court decided, with a vote of 6-3, that the secretary of education cannot cancel more than $430 billion in student loan debt under federal law.

“The Secretary’s arrangement dropped generally $430 billion of government understudy loan adjusts, totally deleting the obligations of 20 million borrowers and bringing down the middle sum owed by the other 23 million from $29,400 to $13,600,” Boss Equity John Roberts composed for the larger part. ” Six States sued, contending that the Legends Act doesn’t approve the advance dropping arrangement. We concur.”

President Biden firmly couldn’t help contradicting the court’s choice and will make a declaration Friday at 3:30 p.m. enumerating new activities to safeguard understudy loan borrowers, the White House said.

In a statement, Biden stated, “I will stop at nothing to find other ways to deliver relief to hard-working middle-class families.”

According to a source at the White House, Biden intends to blame Republicans for failing to provide student loan borrowers with the relief he promised.

Biden’s understudy loan drive, which had been waiting forthcoming case, involved the central government giving up to $10,000 in the red help — and up to $20,000 for Pell Award beneficiaries — for individuals who make under $125,000 every year. It was anticipated that the program would cost the government more than $400 billion.

Biden made the phenomenal push for obligation cancelation in August 2022, and his organization acknowledged about 16 million applications before conservatives protested and the program was required to be postponed.

Republicans argued that Biden did not have the authority to forgive student loans on his own. Gauges from the Legislative Financial plan Office said Biden’s arrangement would cost citizens generally $400 billion. Conservatives were offended at the aggregate, contending the absolution would be out of line to the people who either paid their direction through school, reimbursed their credits or never went to school in any case.

Two distinct legal challenges were presented to the justices. The court ruled that two private borrowers who wanted to challenge the loan forgiveness plan lacked standing to sue in one case, Department of Education v. Brown.

Biden v. Nebraska, in which six states sued to challenge the loan forgiveness program, is the second and more significant case. Because the program would open a state-established nonprofit government corporation called MOHELA, which would face an estimated $44 million in annual fees, the court determined that Missouri at least had standing to sue.

The HEROES Act, according to Biden’s administration, gave the secretary of education authority to “waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to the student financial assistance programs… as the secretary deems necessary in connection with a war or other military national emergency.” The law was used to enact the plan.

That argument was rejected by the majority of the court. The position to ‘change’ rules and guidelines permits the Secretary to make unassuming changes and increases to existing guidelines,” Roberts expressed, “not change them.”

Roberts proceeded to say the Branch of Training’s “changes” to the law “made a novel and in a general sense different credit pardoning program” than what Congress expected in the Legends Act. This program successfully conceded advance absolution “to virtually every borrower in the country,” Roberts said.

The chief justice wrote, “The Secretary’s comprehensive debt cancelation plan cannot fairly be called a waiver because it not only nullifies existing provisions, but also significantly augments and expands them.” It can’t be just a change because it’s “effectively the introduction of a whole new regime.” It also can’t be a combination of the two because when the Secretary wants to add to existing law, the fact that he’s “waived” some provisions doesn’t give him a free pass to avoid the limitations of the power to “modify.”

“That language cannot authorize the kind of extensive rewriting of the statute that has been done here, regardless of how broad the meaning of “waive or modify” may be.”

The three liberal justices on the court disagreed. 43 million Americans will no longer be eligible for loan forgiveness as a result of the majority’s decision, which overrules the collective judgment of the Legislative and Executive branches. “With respect, I respectfully disapprove of that decision,” wrote Justice Elena Kagan.

In the event of a ruling in the administration’s favor, Biden’s Education Department had already begun investigating alternate methods for providing handouts.

Conservatives disclosed their own arrangement to address understudy loans and high school costs in June, presenting a progression of five bills. The arrangement from Senate conservatives upholds programs pointed toward ensuring understudies grasp the genuine expense of school and furthermore stop credits for programs that don’t bring about compensations that are sufficiently high to legitimize those advances.

“This would forestall a portion of the most horrendously terrible instances of understudies being taken advantage of for benefit. It would drive schools to cut down cost and to vie for understudies. What an idea,” said Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville, said of the bill. ” Additionally, it would prevent students from becoming entangled in debt they will never be able to repay.”

How Modi and Biden Turbocharged India-US Ties

US President Joe Biden hails the partnership with India as one of the “most consequential in the world” following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s grand state visit to Washington. Exploring the potential of this visit in strengthening ties between the two nations, experts highlight the transformative nature of the relationship. According to Michael Kugelman of The Wilson Center, the India-US summit indicates a broad and deep connection that has developed in a relatively short period. He states, “It underscores just how broad and deep it has become in a relatively short time.”

One significant driving factor behind the deepening relationship is the US’s aim to establish India as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. While the promise of India-US ties had previously been limited due to India’s liability law and a fading commitment during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure, the enthusiasm to embrace the US has surged under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. Seema Sirohi, author of “Friends With Benefits: The India-US Story,” explains, “With Mr Modi, there has been a lot more enthusiasm about embracing the US. Mr Biden has also given an overall broad directive to make it work.”

The US has demonstrated its commitment to the relationship by actively pursuing substantial outcomes during Prime Minister Modi’s visit. Areas of focus include defense-industrial cooperation and technology transfer. Noteworthy collaborations include General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited partnering to manufacture advanced fighter jet engines in India. This move represents a significant transfer of US jet engine technology, emphasizing Washington’s willingness to not only sell arms but also share military technology.

Additionally, India plans to purchase $3 billion worth of MQ-9B Predator drones from General Atomics, which will establish a facility in India for assembly. This aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. While Russia remains India’s largest arms supplier, the US aims to become the primary provider in the coming years. The objective, as highlighted by Michael Kugelman, is to “strengthen India’s military capacity to counter China.”

Recognizing the importance of technology and the future, India seeks to establish itself as a semiconductor hub. Micron Technology, a US memory chip giant, plans to invest up to $825 million in building a semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, which will generate numerous job opportunities. Furthermore, Lam Research, a US semiconductor equipment maker, will train 60,000 Indian engineers to accelerate semiconductor education and workforce development. Applied Materials, the largest semiconductor manufacturing equipment supplier, will invest $400 million to establish an engineering center in India.

Seema Sirohi sums up the current focus of the India-US relationship, stating, “It is all about the future now. Both sides are talking about cutting-edge technologies and how to seed and shape the future.” While the relationship between India and the US has experienced fluctuations over the years, the recent visit signifies a more substantial and forward-looking connection.

India’s approach to geopolitics and its position in the global order has shaped its foreign policy, rooted in the strategy of nonalignment established by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. India has always sought to maintain its independence and avoid being perceived as subservient to any global superpower. Prime Minister Modi continues to uphold the ideals of “strategic altruism” in Indian foreign policy, despite leading a more economically and geopolitically influential India. He has developed close relationships with former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and now with President Biden, while preserving India’s “strategic autonomy.”

While the Biden administration may have desired a stronger stance from India on Russia and China, Prime Minister Modi’s approach did not compromise India’s strategic autonomy. Although he refrained from mentioning Russia, he reiterated the importance of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. He also emphasized the significance of a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific without directly mentioning China. This delicate balance allowed Mr. Modi to push the boundaries of strategic autonomy without undermining the success of his visit.

The defense collaboration between India and the US has strengthened, with increased cooperation, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and the utilization of each other’s facilities for refueling and maintenance purposes. This progress, without formalizing a full-fledged alliance, demonstrates Mr. Modi’s ability to test the limits of strategic autonomy. Michael Kugelman acknowledges his achievement, stating, “In the sense that he is getting about as close as you can to a major power without signing on to a full-fledged alliance.”

While trade disputes and tariffs have been contentious issues between India and the US in recent years, the two nations announced the resolution of six separate trade disputes, including tariff-related disputes, during the visit. The US is currently India’s top trading partner, and analysts see tremendous untapped potential for further growth, given India’s expanding middle class and its aspiration to become a manufacturing hub and an alternative to China in the global supply chain. Resolving trade disputes will undoubtedly provide a significant boost to India-US trade ties and help unlock their full potential.

Despite concerns raised by critics in Washington regarding democratic backsliding under Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), there is a bipartisan agreement to deepen and broaden the relationship between India and the US. While some progressives in the Democratic Party express concerns about the treatment of minorities in India, the broader consensus recognizes the importance of strengthening the relationship, especially considering the growing influence of China. Seema Sirohi asserts that the India-US strategic partnership has indeed reached the next level, characterized by mutual need and mutual benefit.

In conclusion, India’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi reflects a delicate balance between preserving strategic autonomy, fostering strong ties with the US, and positioning India as a significant global player. The successful state visit solidified the partnership between India and the US, with a focus on defense collaboration, the resolution of trade disputes, and the recognition of shared interests and benefits.

Modi and Business Leaders Forge Alliance for Technological Advancement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his optimism for a prosperous future as he met with business leaders from India and the United States at the White House, highlighting the collaboration between Indian talent and American technological advancement. During the India-U.S. Hi-Tech Handshake Event, PM Modi emphasized the promising outcomes of the meeting, stating, “This morning (meeting) is only among a few friends but has brought with it the guarantee of a bright future,” with President Joe Biden acknowledging his remarks.

PM Modi seized the opportunity to align President Biden’s vision and capabilities with India’s aspirations and possibilities, expressing gratitude for the U.S. leader’s presence at the meeting. Describing the development as “honhaar, shandaar, dhardaar” in Hindi, he emphasized its potential to pave the way for a new future. The timing of the meeting is crucial as both countries aim to deepen their ties in the high-tech sector.

Reiterating the significance of the collaboration between Indian talent and U.S. technological advancement, Prime Minister Modi stressed the diverse representation of business leaders from various sectors, ranging from agriculture to space. Notable participants included Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google; Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Lisa Su, CEO of AMD; and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, among others. The Indian business delegation comprised prominent figures such as Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries; Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group; Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha and True Beacon; and Vrinda Kapoor, co-founder of 3rdiTech.

President Biden emphasized that their partnership would contribute to a free, secure, and prosperous future for future generations. He stated, “Our cooperation matters, not just for our people but quite frankly to the whole world, as our partnership is about more than the next breakthrough or the next deal as big as they may be.” The President underscored the importance of collaboration in addressing climate change, exploring the universe, alleviating poverty, preventing pandemics, and providing real opportunities for citizens.

PM Modi’s four-day state visit to the U.S. has been hailed as historic and groundbreaking by Indian officials, marking a significant breakthrough in India’s pursuit of critical cooperation in cutting-edge technologies, including technology transfer and joint research. The meeting between the Indian and U.S. business leaders sets the stage for potential collaborations that could drive innovation, economic growth, and societal progress for both nations.

Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with business honchos from India and the United States signifies the fusion of Indian talent and American technological advancements, leading to a promising future. The engagement between the two countries’ leaders and business representatives paves the way for collaborative efforts in various sectors, addressing global challenges and exploring new opportunities for growth and development.

Modi Visit Fuels Concerns Biden Putting Human Rights On Back Burner

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit is fueling concerns from activist groups that the Biden administration is putting human rights on the back burner.

During the visit, President Biden held back from public criticism of Modi’s handling of human rights and democratic values — issues that led a handful of progressive lawmakers to boycott his speech to a joint address to Congress.

The president, instead, rolled out the red carpet for Modi with a celebratory welcome and hug, a 21-gun salute and a state dinner with notable White House guests, a charm offensive underscoring India’s economic and foreign policy importance to the United States.

Biden had previously come under criticism last July for a fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to Jeddah that advocates argue effectively ignored the Saudi government’s human rights abuses.

White House officials contend that tough conversations with allies behind closed doors — including Modi — are more productive than grandstanding and scolding in public.

“The prime minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values. … We’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other,” Biden said during a press conference alongside Modi at the White House on Thursday.

But critics say that puts little pressure on governments and leaders like Modi to actually deliver on reforms.

The Indian leader in particular is criticized for failing to counter anti-Muslim hate and is cracking down on civil liberties and press freedoms — issues that strike at the core of respect for democratic governments.

“I would argue that the administration needs to be more explicit about backsliding allies, practically recommitting themselves to fundamental freedoms and the respect for human rights as the basis for an evolving global order,” said Tess McEnery, who previously served as Biden’s director for democracy and human rights at the National Security Council.

During his campaign, Biden put human rights at the center of his foreign policy messaging and identified strengthening democracy — at home and abroad — as key to pushing back against autocratic governments such as Russia and China.

Yet in pushing back on Russia and China, the U.S. also needs allies. And that has complicated efforts with human rights.

The White House sees India as an indispensable partner in its strategy with China; its population of 1.4 billion people is the only market that can compete with Beijing’s.

India represents a needed partner in the administration’s efforts to diversify supply chains away from China for critical materials such as semiconductors and rare earth minerals that are the building blocks of those technologies.

Modi recognized the power that India holds during his address to Congress on Thursday. “When defense and aerospace in India grow, industries in the states of Washington, Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania thrive. … When Indians fly more, a single order for aircrafts creates more than a million jobs in 44 states in America,” he said. “When an American phone maker invests in India, it creates an entire ecosystem of jobs and opportunities in both countries.”

The most robust applause from Congress came when Modi said the U.S. was one of India’s “most important defense partners” — an important statement given American efforts to turn New Delhi away from its reliance on on Russia’s defense industry and have it serve a bulwark against China’s growing military.

Being hospitable to Modi also has its domestic political benefits.

The U.S. is home to a more than an Indian-American community of more than 4.5 million people — a key voting bloc that the president hopes to hold onto ahead of what is likely to be a fraught 2024 presidential election.

“I think that President Biden is eager not to cede any of the, kind of, Indian-American community vote to the Republican Party,” said Daniel Markey, senior adviser on South Asia at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

Republicans and Democrats in Congress are largely united in supporting a robust U.S. and Indian partnership. A bipartisan and bicameral grouping introduced legislation Thursday to fast-track weapons sales to India in recognition of Modi’s visit.

And while more than 70 House and Senate lawmakers raised concerns over Modi’s human rights record in a letter to Biden ahead of the visit, only a little more than a handful of progressive Democratic lawmakers boycotted the prime minister’s speech.

“We are told that we must now turn a blind eye to the repression because of foreign policy concerns, even though human rights are supposed to be at the center of our foreign policy,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said during a policy briefing she hosted with human rights advocates after Modi’s address, which she boycotted.

Among the most pressing criticisms against Modi’s rule is the criminal conviction against Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who was sentenced to two years in prison for negatively using Modi’s surname during a political rally in 2019.

Advocates have also warned about freedom of speech and press freedoms in India in the wake of a tax raid on the offices of the BBC in India in March, and cases of journalists being jailed.

Freedom House, a nongovernmental organization that tracks democratic freedoms globally, rated India as “partly free” in its Freedom in the World report for 2023. The group claimed Modi’s government and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party “has presided over discriminatory policies and a rise in persecution affecting the Muslim population.”

“The constitution guarantees civil liberties including freedom of expression and freedom of religion, but harassment of journalists, nongovernmental organizations, and other government critics has increased significantly under Modi,” the group wrote.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, argued that a balance can be met between calling out human rights concerns while also supporting the U.S.-Indian relationship.

“It’s because we value our friendship with the Indian people that we also have to speak the truth about human rights abuses in India that are ongoing, well-documented by credible observers and deeply troubling,” he said at the policy briefing hosted by Omar.

“We don’t raise these issues to discredit India,” he continued. “We raise them because we know from our own experience that if human rights problems are not confronted and resolved, they will fester and deepen and undermine a country’s promise.”

Markey, of the USIP, said the Biden administration prepared for blowback over the decision to keep criticisms against Modi in private, but added that its excessive references to sharing appreciation for democratic governance did itself no favors.

“I think they went even farther than maybe they needed to do, for Indian consumption,” he said.  “They leaned into the shared-democracy issue, rather than pulling back from it,” Markey added. “They gave a lot of ammunition to those who would suggest that this is just pure hypocrisy at this point, rather than kind of edging around it.”

McEnery, who is now the executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, said the Biden administration needs to elevate defending democracy and human rights to an “interest” more than a value.

That would mean doing trade and economic deals centered on good governance principles, she said, or reforming arms and security relationships based on human rights.

“I saw this firsthand a lot, where many good, hard-working people inside every arm of the U.S. government, including the National Security Council, tried to make the case for democracy and human rights as a vital national security interest,” she said. “And I would see that shot down time and again by others throughout the government.”

Charisma or Happenstance?

PM Modi’s much-touted visit to the US, and his address to both houses, marks another watershed moment in the increasing alliance between the US and India, now the largest democracy and a country with the highest census figures.

Several authors have sung the customary paeans on the strength of emerging India. However, there is a not-so-silent murmur about doubts about ideological alignment between India and the West. Equally important are the suspicions that India harbors against the US.

Use and Throw

The West, and especially the US, has adopted a “Use and Throw” policy in shaping and reshaping its political partners on the global stage. Unlike the West, the East, especially India, is less focused on a transactional relationship and more on the substance of an alliance. India is wary of being staged like a stooge and decapitated later when the interests effervesce. Supporting Pakistan (and indirectly the terror outfits) has truly not gone well in the annals of recent Indian memory bylanes.

What does India look for in an alliance partner?

With a resurgence of Indian identity, Indian pride, and Indian legacy, India is looking for independence in its interaction with its partners. Despite being a partner, India does not want to play second fiddle or be overwhelmed with the pressure of alliance in building or maintaining its identity and Asmita (Hindi word with roots in Sanskrit). India’sIndia’s Independent identity and Asmita are key to forging relations with India.

Indian Aspirations and Threats

India can successfully counter the bullying of China. However, other than the border disputes, India has to care for its voracious appetite for essential needs and concurrently face the vagaries of the confluence of challenges emanating from the resources crunch, creating opportunities and innovating itself from strategies to operations across multiple dimensions (governance, regulations, and operating model), and sectors, (agriculture, industry, commerce). It hasn’t lost sight of gaining self-reliance in several sectors. Its quest for ”Make in India.”

PM Modi’s Visit

Not sure if that is a watershed moment, but one thing is for sure, it has nothing to do with Modi’s charisma. There are several charismatic global leaders, and several have not been accorded the type of welcome offered to PM Modi.

Fragmenting Global Order and Restituting Supremacy

Modi arrives at a crucial juncture in international politics. China and Russia are overtly (no more covertly) opposing Western hegemony. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel are fast-changing alliances. A bipolar global order is fast reassembling into a multipolar order. Technological advances are fast challenging the existing order. More so, the pandemic, the Chinese hegemony, and belligerence have prompted an urgent reshaping of the global supply chain and creating multiple manufacturing hubs.

PM Modi’s visit has to be viewed against these complex global dynamics. It’s a coincidence and not charisma. India fits the bill as an alliance partner for the West, and its indomitable leader, the US. India is aware that it is a junior partner in the alliance, but Modi’s astute leadership will articulate its needs, aspirations, and Asmita. If the US can understand the psyche of contemporary India, the partnership will rise high like an Eagle. However, the West and the US will have to invest in removing the suspicion and building confidence for an enduring partnership with India.

Times have changed, and in a flat and multipolar world, the US, too, needs to introspect, retrospect, and reflect. Adopting an ideological change is pertinent and time-sensitive. Will it?

Modi’s State Visit To US: Warm Welcome and Key Agreements Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Lawmakers expressed a warm reception as Prime Minister Modi addressed the House Chamber, with applause and a standing ovation. The Washington Post highlighted the grandeur of the state dinner held at the White House, featuring a photograph of Prime Minister Modi alongside President Biden and the Bidens. However, the accompanying article pointed out that the event lacked genuine enthusiasm.

The New York Times featured a front-page photograph of Prime Minister Modi greeting US lawmakers with a traditional ‘Namaste’ during his address to the US Congress. The caption noted that Modi deliberately avoided mentioning the names of Russia and China. Inside the newspaper, there was extensive coverage of the visit, including a photograph of President Biden placing his hand on Modi’s shoulder as they observed the ceremonial guard of honor, with the Washington Monument in the background. The report highlighted the joint initiatives in various fields, such as telecommunications, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, which symbolized the deepening ties between the two nations.

The Financial Times captured a photograph of both leaders standing for the national anthems on the South Lawn of the White House. The caption emphasized the commitment to a “defining” relationship between the world’s two largest democracies. The report on the second page elaborated on the technology and defense agreements signed during the visit, which included the purchase of US spy drones. The FT report also highlighted the US’s strategic intent to strengthen its alliance with India and engage allies and partners in countering China.

In a separate article titled “US, India announce agreements on technology, defense,” it was reported that both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi announced significant agreements. Among them was a joint venture to manufacture GE fighter jet engines in India and efforts to secure supply chains for crucial technologies like microchips. The article emphasized the importance of these agreements in enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Overall, the media coverage reflected the ceremonial aspects of the state visit, with grand gestures and elaborate dinners. The agreements signed between the US and India in areas like defense, technology, and space cooperation demonstrated the intention to strengthen ties and foster a strategic partnership.

Narendra Modi and Joe Biden Foster Cooperation and Strengthen US-India Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden held a series of high-level meetings with American and Indian technology CEOs during Modi’s four-day visit to the United States. The leaders convened at the White House and later attended a luncheon at the State Department hosted by Vice-President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. As part of his visit, Modi also addressed business leaders at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, emphasizing his “Make in India” initiative.

The meetings between Biden, Modi, and the CEOs aimed to strengthen cooperation on various fronts, including artificial intelligence, semiconductor production, and space exploration. Both leaders emphasized the significance of the “Innovation Handshake” initiative, which seeks to address regulatory challenges hindering collaboration between the two countries and foster job growth in emerging technologies.

During the discussions, President Biden expressed his optimism about the future of technological advancements, stating, “We’re going to see more technological change … in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years.” Modi echoed this sentiment and highlighted the importance of merging talent and technology for a brighter future. He stated, “The coming together of talent and technology guarantees a brighter future.”

Modi had the opportunity to interact with prominent figures in the technology and business world, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, Reliance Industries chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani, and Zerodha & True Beacon co-founder Nikhil Kamath. Modi commended President Biden for recognizing India’s potential and expressed confidence in the future of the bilateral relationship.

At the luncheon hosted by Vice-President Harris and Secretary Blinken, Modi acknowledged the strengthened trust between India and the United States in the field of emerging technologies. He expressed his gratitude to the American leadership for the warm welcome he received during his visit. Modi also took the opportunity to appreciate Vice-President Harris and her family’s connection to India, recounting the story of her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, who maintained her ties with India despite being thousands of miles away.

In response, Vice-President Harris expressed her appreciation for Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to strengthening US-India ties. She acknowledged the significant contributions of Indian Americans across various sectors in the United States, remarking on their extraordinary impact. Harris also shared her personal connection to India, mentioning her mother’s roots in Chennai and her own deep ties to the country.

Secretary of State Blinken highlighted the indispensable partnership between the United States and India, emphasizing their mutual influence on each other’s cultures. He cited examples such as the popularity of Indian-American comedian Mindy Kaling’s work and the enthusiasm for Indian musician Diljit Dosanjh’s performances at events like Coachella.

In conclusion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States culminated in productive discussions and engagements with American and Indian technology leaders. The meetings underscored the commitment of both countries to deepen cooperation in critical areas of innovation and technology. The exchanges between the leaders and CEOs have laid the groundwork for future collaborations, fostering a stronger relationship between India and the United States in the ever-evolving digital age.

Indian Prime Minister’s Visit to Washington Signals New Era in US-India Relations

The recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington has ushered in a new era in the relationship between the United States and India. During his visit, Modi successfully advanced a seemingly strong bond between the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracies, emphasizing cooperation on various fronts such as investment and trade. However, despite the fruitful discussions, Modi stopped short of explicitly endorsing a formal alliance or taking a stance on pressing global issues like the conflict between Ukraine and Russia or the longstanding border disputes between India and China.

This outcome is likely to result in a complex and ambivalent relationship, characterized by ongoing discussions and negotiations on trade, investment, and diplomatic and military priorities. While there may be occasional challenges and disagreements, Modi’s visit to Washington was undoubtedly a highlight that sets the tone for the near future. President Biden encapsulated the positive atmosphere during a state dinner at the White House, raising a toast to “Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers.” In response, Modi lauded the India-America relationship, stating, “You are soft-spoken, but when it comes to action, you are very strong.”

Despite the cordial exchanges, Modi carefully maintained India’s historic position of neutrality in the power dynamics of Asia. While highlighting the close ties between India and the United States across various domains, he tactfully indicated that India would not abandon its reliance on Russia for defense equipment, including fighter planes. In his address to a joint session of Congress, Modi emphasized, “Today India and the U.S. are working together in space and the seas, in science and semiconductors,” underscoring the vast potential for cooperation. Throughout his three-day visit, tangible agreements were reached between Indians and Americans, spanning areas such as jet engines and supply chains.

President Biden, mindful of India’s relationship with Russia, focused on the overall potential of the India-American partnership, emphasizing their collective efforts in unlocking a shared future. Following their one-on-one conversation at the White House, Biden expressed optimism, stating, “Together we’re unlocking the shared future.” Both leaders, while celebrating the progress made, carefully navigated the complexities of global alliances and India’s strategic considerations, signaling that the path ahead for US-India relations will continue to be nuanced and multifaceted.

Biden emphasized the growing defense partnership and economic ties between India and America, stating, “We are growing our defense partnership with more exercises, and trade between our countries has doubled over the past decade.” Additionally, Indian firms were announced to be making significant investments totaling over $2 billion.

Addressing the sensitive issue of human rights, both Biden and Modi approached it with subtlety, taking into account the criticisms raised against Modi’s past. Biden acknowledged the value of universal human rights, highlighting that Indian-Americans of various faiths and backgrounds were pursuing the American dream.

Modi, while discussing the importance of negotiations and diplomacy for peace, aimed to reassure skeptics about India’s commitment to democracy and equal treatment of its citizens, irrespective of religious, cultural, or linguistic differences. He firmly stated, “Democracy is in our DNA, democracy is in our spirit, democracy runs in our veins. Democracy can deliver. There is no space for discrimination.”

Despite accusations of intimidation, political repression, and censorship of opposition parties and journalists during Modi’s tenure, he passionately defended Indian democracy in his speech to Congress. However, several members, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, boycotted his speech, criticizing Modi’s human rights record.

Modi, while emphasizing the shared values between India and the United States, described India as the “mother of democracy” and highlighted the country’s diversity. He focused on projecting himself as a unifying figure leading India towards a peaceful path in a turbulent world, calling for dialogue and diplomacy to prevent bloodshed and suffering.

Notably absent from Modi’s remarks were explicit mentions of India’s caste differences, poverty, economic disparities, or the ongoing border clashes with China in the Himalayas. While he acknowledged “dark clouds of confrontation” hanging over the Indo-Pacific, he emphasized the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from strategic leveraging of power and the need to combat terrorism.

Modi’s speeches aimed to present a unified vision based on the bond between India and America as imperfect democracies, evoking emotional responses and applause in Congress and the White House. He expressed optimism, stating, “We come from different histories, but we are united by a common vision. Democracy will shine brighter, and the world will be a better place.”

Biden emphasized the strengthening defense partnership and economic ties, saying, “We are growing our defense partnership with more exercises, and trade between our countries has doubled over the past decade.”

Modi defended Indian democracy, stating, “Democracy is in our DNA, democracy is in our spirit, democracy runs in our veins. Democracy can deliver. There is no space for discrimination.”

Modi highlighted the shared values between India and the United States, declaring, “We come from different histories, but we are united by a common vision. Democracy will shine brighter, and the world will be a better place.”

U.S -India Ties Represent The ‘Defining Partnership Of This Century: Modi During Address To US Congress

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome as he delivered a speech to Congress on Thursday, June 22, 203 celebrating the growing ties and shared ambitions of the world’s two largest democracies.

Modi made the rare address to a joint meeting of Congress on the same day President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted him for a state dinner, an honor reserved for the closest allies of the U.S.

Picture : TheUNN

“Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century,” Modi told lawmakers, drawing applause in the House chamber. “I can relate to the battles of passion, persuasion and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I am delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between the world’s two great democracies: India and the United States. I agree with President Biden that this is a defining partnership of this century,” he said. “Because it serves a larger purpose. Democracy, demography and destiny give us that purpose.”

While Modi has faced criticism from some U.S. lawmakers and advocates over human rights and his country’s reluctance to break with Russia in its war in Ukraine, the Biden administration and leaders of both major parties are unified in their belief that India is a vital ally for Washington’s top foreign policy goal — containing the rise of China — and a partner on defense, technology and energy.

Modi — who has dealt with violent clashes with China on the border it shares with India — visited at a time of rising U.S.-China tensions. “The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific,” he told Congress. “The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

Picture : TheUNN

“Now, the United States has become one of our most important defense partners,” he said to a standing ovation from lawmakers. Modi alluded to the “millions” of Americans of Indian origin, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who sat on the dais with him alongside House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Others in attendance were Indian American members of Congress such as the Progressive Caucus chair, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a Biden surrogate; and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the ranking member of the House’s select committee on China.

Before the speech, Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, the co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, introduced a bill to add India to the list of favored nations for U.S. arm sales under the Arms Export Control Act, alongside NATO members and Australia, Japan, Israel, New Zealand and South Korea.

“In the face of rising global authoritarianism, it is more important than ever for our countries — as the world’s two largest democracies — to respect and reaffirm the shared values that are the foundation of both of our countries, and to bolster democracy, universal human rights, tolerance and pluralism, and equal opportunity for all citizens,” Warner said in a statement.

Part of their goal is to cultivate closer U.S.-India ties that would help New Delhi break its dependence on Moscow for military equipment. The senators hope to add it to the annual defense authorization bill.

“We need to continue to encourage India to align itself with the democracies in the world and not the autocracies,” Cornyn said. “And obviously, history is a big influence here, because since — what, 1947? — the United States has been more aligned with Pakistan, and India was then forced in the arms of Russia. And obviously, they’re very dependent, still, on Russian weapons.”

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and ranking member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, called on Biden to “prioritize the elimination of India’s significant barriers to U.S. trade and investment on the Indian subcontinent.”

The invitation for Modi to speak on Capitol Hill was signed by the top Democrat and the top Republican in both the House and the Senate, who mounted a show of bipartisanship to praise “the enduring friendship between the United States and India.”

Modi told the Congress members who gave multiple standing ovations: “Today, we stand at a new dawn in our relationship that will not only shape the destiny of our two nations, but also that of the world.”

Modi Arrives In New York For A State Visit To USA

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York on Tuesday, 20 June 2023 as part of the first leg of his three-day State visit to the United States. Modi’s visit will include an Oval Office meeting with Biden, an invitation to address a joint session of Congress, and a formal state dinner at the White House.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to New York includes celebration of International Yoga Day at the UN headquarters and interaction with thought leaders as well the Indian diaspora. Modi will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations headquarter lawns. It will be the first time when the yoga day’s main event will be held abroad, nine years after India had proposed to mark it as an annual commemoration.

“Landed in New York City. Looking forward to the programmes here including interaction with thought leaders and the Yoga Day programme tomorrow, 21st June,” Mr. Modi tweeted.

Mr. Modi was received in New York by India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Taranjit Singh Sandhu and India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj.

Modi will meet first with Elon Musk. The meeting between the two since the billionaire took over reins of the social media platform and introduced sweeping changes. Modi will also meet top thought leaders including American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, senior World Bank official Paul Romer, Lebanese-American essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb, investor Ray Dalio, and American singer Falu Shah.

After New York, PM Modi will head straight to the capital Washington DC to meet President Biden and First Lady. On Day 2, PM Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome by President Biden at the White House. More than a thousand people including members of the diaspora are expected to attend the event. The prime minister will hold a high level dialogue with the US President. Biden is the third president which Modi will meet in the US, the others being Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

According to reports, both India and United States are expected to take forward movement on crucial defence deals. It includes those for manufacturing GE Aviation’s F414 engine and for acquiring 31 MQ-9 weaponised drones.

After the bilateral meet, Modi will address the joint session of the US Congress, the second time since 2016. Former British prime minister Winston Churchill and South African president Nelson Mandela are some of the world leaders to be accorded this honour twice.

In the evening, Biden and the First Lady will host a state dinner in honour of PM Modi that evening. Several guests including members of Congress, diplomats and celebrities are expected to attend the dinner.

Day after meeting Biden, PM Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US vice-president Kamala Harris and secretary of state Antony Blinken. He is also scheduled to have interactions with CEOs, professionals and other stakeholders.

The prime minister will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC. The event will be for two hours from 7pm to 9pm (local time) on June 23.Award-winning international singer Mary Millben will perform for Modi and other guests.

Previously, Modi has visited the US a total of five times since taking oath as the prime minister in 2014. However, this particular visit has been termed as a milestone in ties between the two countries that would deepen and diversify their partnership as this will be his first with the full diplomatic status of an official State visit.

During this visit, India and the US are expected to expand cooperation in the defence industry and high technology sectors, with India getting access to critical American technologies that Washington rarely shares with non-allies.

Why India And The U.S. Are Closer Than Ever?

Défense deals and tech ties underpin Modi’s visit to Washington.

“My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States,” then-Sen. Joe Biden said on a visit to New Delhi in 2006. They may not be quite there yet, but Biden is doing everything to ensure they end up much closer—especially economically and militarily—after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits next week.

Washington is rolling out the red carpet for Modi, hosting him for a state dinner, the Biden administration’s third such visit after welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol within the past year. Modi will also address a joint session of Congress, his second time doing so as Indian prime minister.

It’s not just pomp and symbolism, however. The United States wants to bring India deeper into its manufacturing and defense orbit, with the added benefit of helping wean New Delhi’s military off Russia and U.S. supply chains off China. Although both sides have been tight-lipped on planned announcements, a number of expected agreements on semiconductor chips and fighter jet engines have been in the works for months, bolstered by visits to New Delhi by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the weeks leading up to Modi’s trip. This week, the two sides reportedly sealed a deal for India to buy more than two dozen American drones.

“While I will not spill the beans, I can tell you that the ceremonial and substantive parts of the visit will fully complement each other and will be unparalleled,” Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to Washington, said at a recent event.

The India-U.S. relationship hasn’t always been smooth sailing, and potential frictions remain, but the two countries have increasingly zeroed in on an arena where they can achieve symbiosis. “If you ask me what I would bet on the most, what is that one force multiplier for this relationship, it is tech,” Sandhu said. “It is the master key to unlock the real potential in the relationship.”

Officials from both sides have spent months laying the groundwork—and acronyms. An initiative on critical and emerging technology (iCET), launched in late January by Sullivan and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, commits to cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space exploration, semiconductors, and defense technology. There has been more movement on the last two in particular: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal inked a bilateral semiconductor supply chain partnership in New Delhi in March, while Austin’s visit to New Delhi earlier this month yielded INDUS-X, or the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem, described by the Pentagon as a “new initiative to advance cutting-edge technology cooperation” between the two militaries.

The most significant developments are likely to take place on the defense front, particularly if recent discussions on jointly producing jet engines, long-range artillery, and military vehicles come to fruition next week, product of a yearslong rapprochement on sharing defense technology with India. “This is not just manufacturing in India, this is genuine tech transfer,” said Rudra Chaudhuri, director of New Delhi-based think tank Carnegie India. “That’s a big deal.”

In some ways, it is an opportunity for a marriage of convenience. About half of India’s military equipment is Russian-made, and although New Delhi has spent years trying to diversify that supply, Russia’s protracted war in Ukraine has increased the urgency of finding new bedfellows. Washington sees an opening.

“The one relationship which the U.S. has traditionally been wary of in closer defense ties with India has been the India-Russia partnership,” said Aparna Pande, director of the India Initiative at the Hudson Institute. “This is one chance where if India can be weaned away because of a lack of supply parts, problematic equipment, or Russia getting closer to China, [you can] maybe convince India to purchase more from the United States and U.S. partners and allies.”

China is another major source of mutual concern pushing Washington and New Delhi closer together. India’s relationship with China deteriorated earlier and far more dramatically, with military clashes on their shared border leading to an Indian purge of Chinese technology (including, notably, a TikTok ban) nearly three years ago. Chinese naval expansion into the Indian Ocean has also spooked India and reinforced the importance of the so-called Quad group of countries. The United States and its allies, meanwhile, are urgently trying to reorient and “friendshore” global tech supply chains to reduce dependence on China, which has spent years establishing itself as the world’s factory floor.

India presents a ready replacement in many ways, much of it stemming from its new status as the world’s most populous country. That means a large (and youthful) labor force, millions of whom are skilled engineers, and relatively low manufacturing costs that the Modi government is further bolstering with tax incentives under its signature “Make in India” program. Like China, India’s sheer size also presents a huge potential domestic market for U.S. companies, an advantage over other alternatives such as Vietnam and Mexico. If for decades dollars and cents determined the landscape of global technology production, geopolitics have become supreme.

“There’s a sense of Balkanization taking place” in the global tech supply chain, said Mukesh Aghi, CEO of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a Washington-based business advocacy group. “Geopolitical stress points are driving the tech agenda.”

There are still hurdles that need to be overcome, including India’s history of protectionism and red tape that has burned U.S. companies in the past and made it difficult to create the kind of manufacturing infrastructure required to rival what China has built. One large semiconductor push, a $19 billion joint venture between Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, has reportedly already been stymied by a denial of government incentives.

And while companies will ultimately have to vote with their checkbooks, Biden and Modi are sending nothing but boosterish signals.

“Remember the old saying that trade follows the flag—I think the two governments are waving the flag very mightily to show which direction industry and business ought to be going,” said Atul Keshap, a former diplomat who heads the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council. “The two governments tried for a long time to figure out what government-to-government interaction would look like, and now I think they’re realizing the value of letting the private sector collaborate,” he added.

But one casualty of the Modi visit and his newfound status will likely be U.S. willingness to call out concerns about the health of India’s democracy, at least publicly. The Biden administration has been increasingly reluctant to call out Modi’s crackdowns on free speech and violence against minorities, and experts say the strategic imperatives are too great to afford antagonizing a vital partnership.

“There is a desire to emphasize the strategic and the national security imperative over the domestic imperative,” Pande said. “In the current context, India is important, and so what the U.S. is preferring to do is convey a lot of what it wants to say in private and not in public.”

(Rishi Iyengar is a reporter at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @Iyengarish)

US-India Partnership Strengthened by Geopolitical Concerns and Tech Collaboration

In 2006, then-Senator Joe Biden expressed his hope that by 2020, India and the United States would become “the two closest nations in the world.” Although this dream has not yet been fully realized, Biden is taking significant steps to strengthen the bond between the two countries, particularly in economic and military spheres, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for a visit next week.

The US capital is set to welcome Modi with a state dinner, marking the third such event hosted by the Biden administration following the visits of French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol within the last year. In addition, Modi is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress for the second time during his tenure as India’s prime minister.

More than just symbolic gestures, the US aims to further integrate India into its manufacturing and defense sectors, while simultaneously reducing India’s reliance on Russian military resources and US supply chain dependence on China. Though official announcements have yet to be made, several agreements concerning semiconductor chips and fighter jet engines have been anticipated for some time, supported by recent visits from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to New Delhi. This week, reports emerged of a deal for India to purchase over two dozen American drones.

Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to Washington, spoke of the upcoming visit, stating that “the ceremonial and substantive parts of the visit will fully complement each other and will be unparalleled.” While the India-US relationship has experienced its share of challenges, both nations are increasingly focusing on technology as a key area for collaboration. Sandhu emphasized that tech serves as “the master key to unlock the real potential in the relationship.”

In preparation for this partnership, officials from both countries have been working on various initiatives, including iCET (initiative on critical and emerging technology), which was launched in January by Sullivan and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval. This initiative promotes cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space exploration, semiconductors, and defense technology. Notably, progress has been made with regard to semiconductors and defense technology, including a bilateral semiconductor supply chain partnership signed by US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in March, as well as the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) announced during Austin’s visit to New Delhi earlier this month.

Significant advancements are anticipated in the defense sector, particularly if recent talks on joint production of jet engines, long-range artillery, and military vehicles come to fruition during Modi’s visit. Rudra Chaudhuri, director of New Delhi-based think tank Carnegie India, noted that this collaboration represents “genuine tech transfer,” making it “a big deal.”

In some respects, this partnership presents an opportunity for a strategic alliance. With approximately half of India’s military equipment originating from Russia, New Delhi has been seeking to diversify its supply sources for years. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has intensified this need, providing Washington with an opening to further develop defense ties with India. Aparna Pande, director of the India Initiative at the Hudson Institute, explained that “this is one chance where if India can be weaned away because of a lack of supply parts, problematic equipment, or Russia getting closer to China, [you can] maybe convince India to purchase more from the United States and U.S. partners and allies.”

The growing mutual concern over China’s influence has brought Washington and New Delhi closer together. India’s relationship with China soured earlier and more dramatically due to border conflicts and a subsequent purge of Chinese technology, including the infamous TikTok ban. Furthermore, China’s naval expansion into the Indian Ocean has alarmed India and emphasized the importance of the Quad group of countries.

As the world’s most populous country, India presents an attractive alternative to China for global tech supply chains. With a large and young labor force, skilled engineers, and relatively low manufacturing costs, India is well-positioned to replace China in many aspects. The “Make in India” program, championed by Prime Minister Modi, offers tax incentives to further boost the country’s manufacturing capabilities. While economic factors once dictated the landscape of global technology production, geopolitics now play a crucial role.

Mukesh Aghi, CEO of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, highlights the shift: “There’s a sense of Balkanization taking place” in global tech supply chains, adding that “geopolitical stress points are driving the tech agenda.” However, challenges remain, such as India’s history of protectionism and bureaucratic red tape, which have hindered the development of manufacturing infrastructure required to compete with China.

Despite these obstacles, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi continue to foster a positive atmosphere for collaboration. Atul Keshap, head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council, notes, “The two governments tried for a long time to figure out what government-to-government interaction would look like, and now I think they’re realizing the value of letting the private sector collaborate.”

Nonetheless, this newfound partnership may come at the expense of addressing concerns about the state of democracy in India. The Biden administration has been increasingly hesitant to publicly criticize Modi’s restrictions on free speech and violence against minorities. Aparna Pande, director of the India Initiative at the Hudson Institute, explains, “There is a desire to emphasize the strategic and the national security imperative over the domestic imperative.” In the current context, she says, “India is important, and so what the U.S. is preferring to do is convey a lot of what it wants to say in private and not in public.”

India Hosts G20 Tourism Meeting in Kashmir

India has defended its decision to host a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, despite criticism from human rights groups and expected boycotts from some countries. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is scheduled to host a tourism meeting for G20 members, which the Indian government has marketed as an opportunity to showcase the region’s culture. It is the first international event of this scale to be held in the disputed, Muslim-majority region since India revoked its special status and split the former state into two federal territories in 2019.

China has said that it will not attend the meeting, citing its opposition to “holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory “, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. Ladakh, which was previously part of the state, was separated and turned into another standalone territory. Ladakh is a disputed region along the Line of Actual Control, a de-facto border between India and China. Both countries claim parts of it.

Tensions along the de factor border have been simmering for more than 60 years and have spilled over into war before. In 1962 a month-long conflict ended in a Chinese victory and India losing thousands of square miles of territory. Other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, were also expected to boycott the event.

Kashmir is one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints. Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, the mountainous region has been the epicenter of more than 70 years of an often-violent territorial struggle between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. A de facto border called the Line of Control divides it between New Delhi and Islamabad.

In April, Pakistan criticized India’s decision to hold the tourism meeting in Kashmir, calling it an “irresponsible” move. Last week, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes, said the Indian government was “seeking to normalize what some have described as a military operation by instrumentalizing a G20 meeting” in a region where fears of human rights violations and violence are rife.

India has been keen to position itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations since it assumed the G20 presidency. India, the world’s largest democracy with a population of more than 1.4 billion, has been pushing its international credentials, portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a key player in the global order.

India’s tourism secretary, Arvind Singh, said the G20 meeting will not only “showcase (Kashmir’s) potential for tourism” but also “signal globally the restoration of stability and normalcy in the region.” India said the move to revoke Kashmir’s semi-autonomy was to ensure that the nation’s laws were equal for all citizens and to increase economic development in the region. India also alleged that separatist and terrorist groups were aided and abetted by Pakistan, and the move was to put an end to that.

However, rights groups and Pakistan claim that the Indian government’s unilateral move has resulted in human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly. The region has been under a military lockdown since August 2019, with mobile internet services shut down for most of that period.

In a statement on Twitter, India’s permanent mission to Geneva rejected de Varennes’s criticism, calling the allegations “baseless and unwarranted.” Earlier this month, India said the G20 meeting in Srinagar “aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region.”

The Indian government’s decision to hold a major international event in Kashmir has raised concerns, especially as the region remains under military lockdown, with a significant military presence. Some countries are boycotting the event, citing the disputed nature of the region. Despite criticism, India maintains that the move is aimed at promoting tourism and economic growth in the region while also signalling the restoration of stability and normalcy. The world will be watching, waiting to see if India can successfully promote tourism and economic development while dealing with the challenges presented by the conflict in the region.

UNDER MODI GOVT, India beats the world in medical infrastructure

Medical colleges grew by 78% in India compared to 9% in the US and 0% in Canada since 2014, while the MBBS seats increased by 105% in India, outpacing growth in the US and Canada. AIIMS grew by 186%. Is this time for ‘One India, One Healthcare?’

With the term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi entering its 9th year, the effect of his government’s healthcare policies has been scrutinized, particularly analyzing its response to the pandemic that swept the globe. Covid exposed many weaknesses in healthcare systems worldwide, from manufacturing critical vaccines to a shortage of medical personnel, facilities, and equipment. India uncovered several areas that needed attention, but also plenty to celebrate. Although India has only been independent for 75 years, it has managed to build a significant infrastructure meant to care for its citizens, which quickly adapted to meet the demand for manufacturing and production in the face of the worldwide health crisis. During the nine years of the Modi government, several changes have been made in the healthcare sector that made this possible. Here are some of the highlights:

Ayushman Bharat: One of the significant healthcare initiatives of the Modi government is the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which aims to provide health coverage to over 500 million people from economically weaker sections of society. The scheme provides cashless health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization and prescriptions after a hospital stay for up to a year. As a result, India has made significant strides in providing coverage of what could otherwise be catastrophic healthcare costs. But now the focus needs to shift towards covering annual physical exams and prescription drugs for chronic disease management like diabetes and heart disease to prevent those hospitalizations while maximizing the health of Indians, regardless of income status.

Digital Health Mission: The government launched the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) in August 2020, which aims to create a digital health ecosystem that will provide universal health coverage, including access to health records and other healthcare services for all citizens. Millions have transitioned to telehealth consultations during Covid-19, allowing them to receive care without extensive travel costs while minimizing the spread of illness.

Infrastructure Development: The government has invested significantly in improving healthcare infrastructure, including building new medical colleges, upgrading existing healthcare facilities, and expanding the number of hospital beds. Many of these programs have succeeded, mainly as India established 302 new medical colleges in the past nine years, outpacing countries worldwide. Today, India can boast an over 78% growth in its number of medical schools, opening the doors for more doctors and medical personnel to be trained, thus addressing an ever-increasing need for these professionals globally. While more medical professionals are needed, India is increasing the educational opportunities available. The next stage in its development is maintaining the highest standards within each new medical school as it comes online. In addition, a recommendation will be to mandate NABH accreditation for all medical colleges and hospitals, including government hospitals.

Covid-19 Response: The government took several steps to combat the pandemic, including setting up Covid-19 hospitals and increasing the number of testing facilities. They also increased the production of vaccines and could vaccinate nearly their entire population, which was a target few other countries achieved.

Despite these initiatives, several challenges still need to be addressed in the healthcare sector. Here are just a few suggestions to continue to build upon the progress that has already been made:

ONE INDIA, ONE HEALTHCARE

Healthcare delivery in India is decentralized and varies from state to state as it’s currently a state subject. Various factors like low levels of education, lack of environmental sanitation and safe drinking water, under-nutrition, poor housing conditions, tobacco consumption, poverty, unemployment, unhealthy lifestyle, etc., impact health.

The allocation of funds to the health sector inter-alia depends on the government’s overall resource availability, competing sectoral priorities, and the system’s absorptive capacity. With the advancement in technology and telemedicine and labour migration leading to interstate commerce, one could argue it is time for a constitutional amendment to guarantee access to primary healthcare to every citizen as a fundamental right and change healthcare to a Central subject. The Covid-19 pandemic also showed us that state borders are irrelevant regarding disease prevention and healthcare delivery. It’s time for “One India, One Healthcare.”

PUBLIC HEALTHCARE CIVIL SERVANTS

Government hospitals are managed by doctors promoted based on their seniority rather than their training in hospital management, while professional hospital managers manage private hospitals. Managing a public health system for the largest population in the world takes work, even for the best doctor with decades of experience in patient care.

Indian civil services select and train senior bureaucrats who lead the Indian government. India currently has several IAS and IFS officers with MBBS training. I propose that the Government of India create an Indian Health Service (IHS) branch. India will need 742 “IHS” officers, one per district, who are ranked equal to the IAS officers to coordinate the public health system of the district. By creating a civil service branch to manage healthcare centres and increasing medical and nursing colleges to one per district, a large workforce could be made available to staff these facilities adequately.

Work in rural areas could also be mandated, allowing communities and villages to receive quality care. For instance, part of a doctor’s training could include a year or more of service in a rural village working in a primary care centre. Other options include incentives to reduce educational costs in exchange for time served in a primary healthcare center.

FOCUS ON PRIMARY AND PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE

While the Ayushman Bharat scheme focuses on secondary and tertiary healthcare, more future emphasis should be given to preventing fraud using the DRG payment system and covering primary healthcare, including chronic disease management and community health. With all its progress, India still struggles with the rapidly growing burden of chronic diseases and the demands on its healthcare system. Chronic conditions like diabetes only worsen, resulting in complications and hospitalizations without proper and consistent treatment.

How can these issues be addressed? First, by mandating wellness exams yearly and prioritizing primary and preventive care for all citizens. Identifying and managing chronic diseases early is more effective and less costly than managing and treating their complications. Like countries around the globe, India faces geographic variations in the quality of healthcare services and providers, reflecting the need for consistent processes and standards throughout the country.

Second, in determining the best path forward, the process of delivering healthcare services needs to be improved by differences in the funding and availability of healthcare options within each state. To move to a universal healthcare system, India needs to be willing to step away from the current state model that does not evenly address the needs of all Indian citizens. Instead, we must embrace a “One India, One Healthcare” for all citizens. Private-public partnerships in primary healthcare delivery should be encouraged.

With a long history of rising to the challenge, India can continue to lead the world in tackling healthcare issues for all, particularly by elevating the value of primary care, annual physical exams, and continued investment in environmental policies that can positively impact all Indians. With the largest population in the world, India could lead the world in providing quality healthcare to all its citizens.

The biggest democracy in the world needs urgent investment in the health of all its citizens and reform the public healthcare system while maintaining the current rate of infrastructure growth.

Prof (Dr.) Joseph M. Chalil is an Adjunct Professor & Chair of the Complex Health Systems advisory board at Nova Southeastern University’s School of Business, the Chief Medical Officer at Novo Integrated Sciences, Inc, and the Chief Strategy Officer of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). He recently published a best-seller book, “Beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare.”

Modi, Joe Biden To Discuss Ways To Combat Terrorism

Cementing bilateral ties, stabilization of Afghanistan, counterterrorism, Indo-Pacific and climate change are expected to be on the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes on a three-day visit to the US this week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, during their bilateral meeting on September 24 in Washington, are expected to discuss ways to stem radicalization and combat terrorism, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. Modi and Biden are also expected to discuss ways to bolster defence and trade ties between the two countries, he added. “PM Modi and President Biden expected to discuss ways to stem radicalisation and combat terrorism. They are also expected to discuss ways to bolster defence and trade ties. Regional developments are also expected to figure in bilateral meeting,” Shringla said.

Modi_Joe_BidenHe added, “Modi and Biden will review the robust and multifaceted ties between the India and the US. They will also deliberate on ways to further enrich India-US global partnership.” As per a tentative schedule, PM Modi’s visit will take place between September 22-27. During his trip, the Prime Minister is expected to visit both Washington and New York.

PM Modi, Joe Biden to discuss ways to fight ‘common enemy terrorism’, says senior US official here in DC, adding that they would discuss ways to working together to fight a common enemy of terrorism. During a briefing, the official said: “This will be the first face-to-face meeting [of President Biden] with Prime Minister Modi on Friday, and it will be an opportunity to really step up from the perspective of our global partnership with India, working together to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific and our two countries were both essential in the global fight against COVID-19. And by taking conservative action to deal with the climate crisis. “

Biden will host Modi for their first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House on September 24. Later on the same day, Modi is expected to participate in the first in-person Quad — India, US, Australia, and Japan — leaders’ summit in Washington on September 24 being hosted by US President Joe Biden at the White House. Apart from addressing the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, the two sides will also be working on an ambitious agenda concerning the Indo-Pacific region.

A statement by White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that “President Biden is looking forward to welcoming to the White House Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan.” Modi will later address the General Debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25 in New York. This will be Modi’s first visit to the United States since President Joe Biden assumed charge early this year. The two have met virtually on at least three occasions – the Quad summit in March, the climate change summit in April, and the G-7 summit in June this year.

Modi was supposed to travel to the UK for the G-7 summit where he could have met Biden, but had to cancel the trip due to the second Covid-19 wave across India. Centre says it will resume vaccine export, ahead of Modi’s US visit India will resume the export of Covid-19 vaccines in October to fulfil the country’s commitment to the WHO-supported COVAX programme, union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday. “The surplus supply of vaccines will be used to fulfil our commitment towards the world for the collective fight against Covid-19,” he said.

Meanwhile, India expects a supply of 300 million doses of the Covid vaccines in October from different makers, the minister added. Separately, news agency Reuters report that India could receive 43.5 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine next month. India had stopped vaccine exports in April amidst the devastating second wave, allowing it to accelerate the vaccination of its population but derailing the COVAX program that supplies vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. COVAX depends on the Serum Institute of India-made AstraZeneca doses to meet its goals.

The decision to resume exports comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, where he will address the UN General Assembly as well as sit with fellow leaders of the Quad group. Vaccine distribution is to be on the agenda at both the UN meet and Quad summit. PM is to address the UN on September 25. At the Quad summit, the leaders will review the “vaccine initiative” announced in March, the ministry of external affairs had said. Reports say, a plan to distribute vaccine doses to Indo-Pacific nations, largely by leveraging India’s production capabilities, is on the agenda.

Following the Quad virtual summit, the US said it will provide financial support to help Hyderabad-based Biological E to produce a billion doses of the Covid vaccine by the end of 2022. Modi’s visit to the US is his first visit abroad in six months—the prime minister had visited Bangladesh in March for the 50th anniversary celebrations of Bangladesh’s emergence as a separate country. Modi was supposed to visit Europe in May but the trip was called off after India was hit by a particularly brutal second wave of covid-19 infections.

The US statement said that the “Biden-Harris Administration has made elevating the Quad a priority, as seen through the first-ever Quad Leaders-level engagement in March, which was virtual, and now this Summit, which will be in-person. Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”

Protesting Indian Farmers Call For 2nd Strike In A Week By SHONAL GANGULY (AP News)

Tens of thousands of protesting Indian farmers called for a national farmers’ strike on Monday, the second in a week, to press for the quashing of three new laws on agricultural reform that they say will drive down crop prices and devastate their earnings.

The farmers are camping along at least five major highways on the outskirts of New Delhi and have said they won’t leave until the government rolls back what they call the “black laws.” They have blockaded highways leading to the capital for three weeks, and several rounds of talks with the government have failed to produce any breakthroughs.

Scores of farmer leaders also conducted a token hunger strike on Monday at the protest sites. Heavy contingents of police in riot gear patrolled the areas where the farmers have been camping.

Protest leaders have rejected the government’s offer to amend some contentious provisions of the new farm laws, which deregulate crop pricing, and have stuck to their demand for total repeal.

At Singhu, a protest site on the outskirts of New Delhi, hundreds of farmers blocked all entry and exit routes and chanted anti-government slogans. Some of them carried banners reading “No farmers, no food.”

About two dozen leaders held a daylong hunger strike at the site, while a huge communal kitchen served food for the other protesters.

“It’s the government’s responsibility to provide social benefits (to people.) And if they don’t give those, then people will have to come together” to protest, said Harvinder Kaur, a government employee who came from her home in Punjab state to help at the kitchen.

Another protester, Rajdeep Singh, a 20-year-old student who helps his farming family back home in Punjab, said the protest would continue until their demands are met.

“Now it’s their (government’s) ego and the question of our pride,” he said.

Farmer leaders have threatened to intensify their actions and have threatened to block trains in the coming days if the government doesn’t abolish the laws.

The farmers filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Friday seeking the quashing of the laws, which were passed in September. The petition was filed by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, or Indian Farmers’ Union, and its leader, Bhanu Pratap Singh, who argued that the laws were arbitrary because the government enacted them without proper consultations with stakeholders.

The farmers fear the government will stop buying grain at minimum guaranteed prices and corporations will then push prices down. The government says it is willing to pledge that guaranteed prices will continue.

With nearly 60% of the Indian population depending on agriculture for their livelihoods, the growing farmer rebellion has rattled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration and its allies.

Modi’s government insists the reforms will benefit farmers. It says they will allow farmers to market their produce and boost production through private investment.

Farmers have been protesting the laws for nearly two months in Punjab and Haryana states. The situation escalated three weeks ago when tens of thousands marched to New Delhi, where they clashed with police.

Amidst Pandemic, Poverty, Indian PM Lays Foundation For New Parliament Building

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building which will be equipped with all modern audio visual communication facilities and data network systems — making it a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Modi also performed ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ for the construction of the four-storied new Parliament building, one of the most magnificent buildings in the country, would be built in an area of 64,500 square meter at an estimated cost of Rs. 971 crore.

While laying the foundation stone for the new Parliament Building for India, Modi said the new Parliament building, for which the ground-breaking ceremony was held, would channel and reflect the aspirations of 21st century India.

Each Member of Parliament would also be provided with a 40 square metre office space in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan, construction for which is slated to be completed by 2024. The new Parliament building has been designed by HCP Design and Management Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad and the construction would be carried out by Tata Projects Ltd, keeping the needs and requirements for the next 100 years in mind.

Critics say the 200 billion rupees ($2.7bn) that the Hindu-nationalist government is reportedly spending on the vast project could be better directed to fighting COVID-19 and repairing the pandemic-battered economy. The project has also run into legal trouble with several petitions in India’s top court questioning its validity on the grounds of land and environmental rules. The Supreme Court on Monday expressed unhappiness over the government’s rush to inaugurate the project before it had considered the pleas.

The ceremony was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Union Minister Hardeep Puri and Pralhad Joshi along with senior members of the Union Cabinet, diplomats, and Members of Parliament. The ceremony included an all-faith prayer as well, while priests from the Sringeri Math, Karnataka, did the rituals.

“The new building will be the amalgamation of the new and the ancient, and reflects also the spirit of fostering change in oneself adapting to changing circumstances,” said Modi. “Our Constitution was framed and given to us in the current parliament building and it is the repository of much of our democratic legacy but it is important to be realistic as well. Over the last 100 years, several modifications have been made to the current building to the point where even the building requires rest. Which is why the decision was taken to construct a new Parliament building”.

The Prime Minister spoke of some of the new features added to the new building, including a space where people from constituencies could meet their MPs on visiting the building, something lacking in the current building.

The building will have a seating capacity for 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 members during Joint Sessions. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha Chamber would have a seating capacity for 384 members.

India’s glorious heritage too will find a place in the building. Artisans and sculptors from all over the country would contribute to and showcase India’s cultural diversity in the building.

Modi called upon MPs to keep the spirit of optimism alive around democracy by being always accountable to people and the Constitution. He spoke of the spirit of conversation and dialogue, quoting the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Devji: “as long as the world exists, conversations must continue”, noting that it was the spirit of democracy, a comment significant with regard to the stalled negotiations between his own government and agitating farmers groups over three farmer-specific laws passed by Parliament in the last session. While there could be disagreements, there cannot be space for disconnect, he pointed out.

While pointing out that many nations felt Indian democracy would not last, the country had proven naysayers wrong, especially because of the ancient roots of democracy in India as elaborated in the concept of the 12th century Anubhava Mantapam set up by Basaveshwara; a 10th century stone inscription in a village near Chennai, describing a panchayat mahasabha and its elaborate rules, including the need for members to disclose their income; and the ancient republics of the Lichchavis and Shakyas.

“As a nation we must pledge to keep the spirit of democracy and public service alive,” he observed. “The day isn’t far when the world acknowledges that India is the mother of democracy,” he added.

Due for completion in 2022, when India marks 75 years of independence from Britain, the much larger new parliament will replace an old building that the government says is showing signs of “distress”. Designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens in the early 20th century, the current Parliament building is the commanding centerpiece of the British Raj, with the adjoining grand Rajpath boulevard, the president’s residence, government offices, the national museum and the India Gate war memorial.

Despite efforts to eradicate Ram’s existence, he lives in our hearts: Modi

Ram Lalla and ‘Vikas’ were brought together in a fine interpretation of Lord Ram in the speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, August 5th after the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ ceremony in Ayodhya.

“Ram is for everyone, Ram is within everyone,” he said, while addressing the seers after the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Beginning his speech with “Jai Siya Ram” chants, Modi went on to link Lord Ram with modern times and said, “Lord Ram has shown us the path of realisation and research.” He referred to the epitome of morals & dharma “Maryada Purushottam Ram” to stress on the observation of similar “maryada” (limits) in today’s life. The Prime Minister exhorted citizens to follow a similar “maryada” in times of the Covid-19 pandemic by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. “Ram speaks, thinks, according to time, place and circumstances. Ram teaches us to grow with time. Ram is in favor of change, Ram is in favor of modernity,” said the Prime Minister.

He said that a grand temple will now be built for the Ram Lalla deity who had been living under a temporary tent for many years. “Every heart is illuminated; it is an emotional moment for the entire country… A long wait ends today,” said the Prime Minister. The event sets the ball rolling for the construction of a grand Ram Temple, a key electoral promise of the ruling party.

However, the message the Prime Minister tried to drive home was larger. “This day is proof of the truth of the resolve of crores of devotees. This day is a unique gift of a just, fair India to truth, non-violence, faith and sacrifice,” he said.

He said Ram is present in different cultures, in different areas. “Thousands of years ago, in the Ramayana of Valmiki, Lord Ram was guiding ancient India, in the Middle Ages, Ram was pushing India through Tulsi, Kabir and Nanak, the same Ram was present in Bapu’s hymns as a force of non-violence and satyagraha during the freedom struggle,” said the Prime Minister, while sending out a powerful message.

It was a speech, however, not without a subtle dig. He said, “Ram is carved in our mind, mixed with us. You see the amazing power of Lord Ram — buildings were destroyed, every attempt was made to eradicate his existence. But he still remains in our mind.”

But, at the end, the Prime Minister sent a larger message that Lord Ram stands for modernity, development and fairness and those are the aspects all Indians should aspire for, in the name of the deity, he suggested.

Playback legend Lata Mangeshkar has lauded the historic Bhumi Pujan performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the proposed Ram temple site in Ayodhya on Wednesday. The veteran singer posted a note on her verified Twitter account to express her joy.

“The dreams of several kings, several generations and the devotees of Lord Ram from across the world, which they have been nurturing over the ages, is being fulfilled today. After years of Vanvaas, Lord Shri Ram’s temple is being rebuilt in Ayodhya today, the foundation stone is being laid,” Mangeshkar tweeted Hindi.

“A huge credit goes to honourable Lal Krishna Advani ji who performed Rath Yatra across the country to raise awareness among people about this. Credit also goes to honourable Balasaheb Thackeray ji. Today, a lot of arrangements have been made for the foundation stone, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and several other respected personalities will be present,” she added.

“Maybe lakhs of devotees of Lord Ram will not be able to be physically present over there due to the corona pandemic, but they will be praying and submitting their hearts at Lord Ram’s feet. I am happy that honourable Narendrabhai will be performing the ceremony with his own hands. Today I and my family are very happy. Our every breath and every heartbeat is chanting Jai Shri Ram,” Mangeshkar concluded.

OPT Suspension Would Force Highly-Educated Graduates to Leave the U.S.

International graduates in the US Optional Practical Training (OPT) program may have to deal with OPT suspension soon. This comes as the US government considers further immigration restrictions to manage the devastating impact of COVID-19.

The OPT is a student visa extension which allows eligible international graduates to work in the US for up to 12 months after completing their studies. STEM majors get an additional 24 months. OPT is one of the only options available to graduating international students to stay and work in the United States and suspending OPT would mean that most international students who get a degree from a U.S. college or university would be forced to leave the country after graduating.

News reports suggest the Administration will soon take steps to suspend OPT, the Optional Practical Training program for international students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities, along with restrictions to other legal immigration channels. This would be a significant mistake that will hurt our economy long term while providing no substantial impact on job or wage growth in the short term.

[Suspending OPT] would be a significant mistake that will hurt our economy long term while providing no substantial impact on job or wage growth in the short term. Research shows that each foreign-born STEM graduate who stays and works in the U.S. creates 2.62 jobs for native-born Americans. Suspending OPT would mean that most international students who get a degree from a U.S. college or university would be forced to leave the country after graduating.

First, the US government took the first step by suspending entry of immigrants deemed risky to the US. Then, it released an executive order directing agencies to “address this economic emergency by rescinding, modifying, waiving, or providing exemptions from regulations and other requirements that may inhibit economic recovery”.

If the Administration immediately ends OPT and stops issuing renewals and extensions, many international graduates, including those graduating this year with pending OPT applications, might no longer qualify for their immigration status and could be forced to leave before having an opportunity to fully contribute to the U.S.

OPT allows international students who are studying at or have graduated from universities and colleges in the U.S. to maintain their student status and be authorized to work for an American employer in their field of study. Approximately 200,000 international students are living in and contributing to the United States thanks to OPT today.

Providing options to stay and work in the country after graduation is critical for retaining U.S. educated graduates, and for attracting future students, as well. Over the last few years, the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to limit legal immigration have contributed to alarming drops in international student enrollment rates, costing the U.S. economy more than $11 billion. Meanwhile, countries like Canada have rolled out more options for international students, and have seen enrollment rates grow as a result.

Because international students typically pay full tuition, their enrollment helps subsidize costs for domestic students and expands teaching and research capacity. However, recent drops in enrollment have cost some universities millions of dollars in lost revenue, and experts are already predicting a 25% drop in international enrollment next year because of COVID-19. Ending OPT could dramatically accelerate these losses.

International students are also economic contributors, providing $41 billion to the national economy and supporting 458,290 jobs. Research shows that each foreign-born STEM graduate who stays and works in the U.S. creates 2.62 jobs for native-born Americans, and that OPT in particular is associated with increased innovation and higher earnings for residents, with no discernible negative impact on employment.

If graduates are forced to leave, America’s investment in their education will directly benefit our competitors and leave a massive gap in our skilled workforce. With no prospect of employment after graduation, many students would stop coming to study in the first place, sacrificing one of America’s greatest competitive advantages and abandoning our role as the global leader in education and innovation.

International graduates on OPT make critical contributions to America’s national security and economy; that’s why more than 324 employers in trade, industry, and higher education associations wrote to the President, urging him to keep OPT in place.

Recently 21 Republican Members of Congress wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf ahead of an announcement, urging the Administration to keep OPT intact. The letter explains:

“We urge the administration to publicly clarify that OPT will remain fully intact so we send the right messages abroad about the U.S. as an attractive destination for international students. As countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, China and Australia bolster immigration policies to attract and retain international students, the last thing our nation should do in this area is make ourselves less competitive by weakening OPT. The program is essential to the many international students who desire not just to study in the U.S. but also have a post completion training experience.”

FIA to Host Virtual Yoga Event to Observe International Day of Yoga

The Federation of Indian Associations of NY-NJ-CT (FIA-Tri-state) is calling yoga enthusiasts as well as novices of all age groups to attend their virtual celebration to commemorate the 6th annual International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2020. The event is held in association with the Consulate General of India in New York.

The virtual yoga event will begin at 9:00 a.m., with an address from FIA President Anil Bansal and Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty.

The event will include four simultaneous yoga segments, taught by renowned yoga teachers. The sessions include Kids Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Intermediate Yoga and Pranayama and other styles of yoga. Each segment will have its own zoom id, which will be shared at the time of the event. Each segment will have its own instructor as well.

To register for the event, please email: info@fianynjct.org

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on June 21, 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action … a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

The resolution notes: “The importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health.” In this regard, the World Health Organization has also urged its member states to help their citizens reduce physical inactivity, which is among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide, and a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.

A Border Clash Between The World’s Biggest Nations. What Could Go Wrong?

By Adam Taylor (Courtesy The Washington Post)

China’s ongoing border clash with India may seem remote, but it has global impact. Reports say thousands of troops moved into the disputed area 14,000 feet up in the Himalayas after skirmishes broke out on May 5 near Pangong Lake in Ladakh and then on May 9 in North Sikkim, leaving more than 100 soldiers injured.

Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, assessing exactly what is happening in this dispute between the two most populated countries on Earth is difficult. Much of the border region is closed to the press, so reporters have to rely on statements and leaks.

Many accounts suggest that aggressive Chinese patrols in the area known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were to blame – or, in what may not necessarily be a contradiction, that Indian construction in the region had been interpreted as an aggressive challenge to Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure project.

Ultimately, India and China’s border problems are not new – it’s the circumstances surrounding them that have changed. Both Beijing and Delhi are led by governments in the thrall of nationalistic ambition. The pandemic has further pushed many nations into pro- or anti-China positions, camps that were already forming amid a global trade war that has lasted years.

The United States, locked in its own squabble with China, has voiced terse support for India’s position and offered to mediate. Hu Xijin, the outspoken editor of China’s party paper the Global Times, seized on the conflicting messages, mocking President Trump and arguing that the United States “seems to be the beneficiary of China-India border tension.”

India and China’s relationship is based on their status as two giant, wary neighbors. They share a 2,167-mile-long border. Together, their populations are around 2.7 billion, more than a third of the world. Both have achieved rapid economic development in recent decades and increased their territorial ambitions. Both have nuclear weapons.

India was among the first democracies to recognize the People’s Republic of China in 1950, but border disputes between the two increased as Beijing took control of Tibet. In 1962, they fought a month-long war on the Himalayan border, with China inflicting serious casualties on India before withdrawing to the LAC.

There were skirmishes over the border for years. In 1988, after one incident in the Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi traveled to Beijing to meet his counterpart Deng Xiaoping. The two nations, both undergoing a wave of economic development just as the Soviet Union began to collapse, put aside their differences out of pragmatism.

Now, that pragmatism is being tested. China, whose economic development has dwarfed India’s, has a gross domestic product of roughly $14 trillion, compared to India’s less than $2.7 trillion. “While India has risen as an economy and a global power in the past three decades, its relative strength to China has in fact greatly declined,” Sumit Ganguly and Manjeet S. Pardesi wrote in Foreign Policy.

China’s close relationship with Pakistan, an unequal partner in the Belt and Road project, and lingering disagreement over Tibet have soured relations with India further. The tension between the two nations spilled over in 2017 in the Doklam area of the Himalayas after Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese military from building a road into territory claimed by Bhutan, an ally of India.

Over two months, the two powers flooded the area with military personnel. The threats, especially those from China, were apoplectic. “India will suffer worse losses than 1962 if it incites border clash,” the Global Times wrote.

The Doklam dispute ultimately fizzled out. Both sides withdrew troops in late August of that year and issued vague remarks about a resolution. Exactly what was decided behind the scenes was unclear, though reports that China had halted construction of the motorway suggested that Beijing had backed down.

Some Indian analysts have suggested that the current situation will end similarly, pointing to a number of conciliatory messages from Chinese officials. “We should never let differences overshadow our relations. We should resolve differences through communication,” China’s ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, said Wednesday.

But another inconclusive end to a standoff will fail to address the root of the problem. The Indian government has claimed that the Chinese military crossed into Indian territory 1,025 times between 2016 and 2018 (the Chinese government has not released comparable figures).

India and China are both in the throes of aggressive nationalist movements, each displaying their own brand of “wolf warrior” foreign policy. Under President Xi Jinping, China has moved from subtle pushes to strong shoves to bring the city of Hong Kong under Beijing’s sovereignty, while also applying pressure in the South China Sea and against Taiwan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered his second term in power bent on changing many norms of Indian policy. The long-disputed territory of Kashmir has been under lockdown for months, while last year India and Pakistan were drawn into their most serious military escalation in decades. Reuters reported this week that Modi’s plans to build 66 key roads by the Chinese border, including one to a new air base, had probably drawn Beijing’s anger.

In the past, this might have remained a bilateral dispute. But now, anything that involves China seems to involve the United States too. The Hindustan Times reported Wednesday that Trump’s offer to mediate was “part of [a] growing anti-China juggernaut.” Under such a juggernaut, ambiguity may not exist.

Authentic Mutter Paneer Recipe

This is a North Indian all-time-favourite curry recipe using paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and mutter (green peas) in a spiced tangy tomato gravy. Unlike many North Indian recipes of paneer, like paneer makhani (butter masala), shahi paneer,.etc., this recipe is lighter without the addition of milk or cream. It’s a must try recipe that’s quick and easy.
How I developed this recipe-
Authentic Mutter Paneer RecipePaneer is my sister’s favourite and whenever I ask her what she would like me to cook for her on Fridays(when my whole family eats only vegetarian food), she prefers mostly either paneer or mushrooms. As butter paneer is a famous dish in India and because my family is not a big fan of its creamy rich and sweet gravy, one day, I tried this modified recipe of mutter paneer with basic indian pantry ingredients and it became a great hit in my family.
What’s special about this recipe-
Authentic Mutter Paneer Recipe. Protein rich- Even though this is not a non-vegetarian dish, the combination of both paneer & green peas in this recipe adds the goodness of protein ,calcium , folate and many vitamins.
. Mildly spiced- Unlike many Indian curry dishes, this curry isn’t overly spiced or hot, but flavourful and tangy with a punch of cumin ,tangy tomatoes and fresh coriander.
What you’ll need-
. 250 g Paneer- cut into cubes
. Half cup green peas
. Vegetable oil- 2 tablespoon
. Ghee- 1 tablespoon
. 3 Red medium tomatoes ,chopped
. 1 Big red onion ,finely chopped
. 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
. Half teaspoon cumin seeds
. Half teaspoon coriander seeds (lightly crushed)
. 1 Inch grated ginger
. 4 Garlic cloves
. 2 green chillies, chopped
. Half teaspoon red chilli powder
. Half teaspoon turmeric powder
. Half teaspoon garam masala
. A pinch of sugar
. Salt to taste
How to make-
. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and sauté garlic, green chillies ,half of the onion and tomatoes with few pinches of salt to taste.
. Cool it and blend into a fine purée.
. Heat ghee and shallow fry all sides of paneer cubes- carefully without breaking -until golden brown and charred a bit. Transfer to a dish.
. In the same pan heat rest of the oil and splutter cumin seeds. To this, add coriander seeds, rest of the chopped onion ,ginger and sauté well adding a pinch of salt.
. Now add the spice powder and sauté until the raw spell is gone.
. Stir in the puréed mix and cover and cook for 2 min.
. Stir in a pinch of sugar and half cup of water, when the curry starts boiling, adjust salt to taste and add paneer ,peas and sprinkle half of coriander. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
. Transfer into a bowl and sprinkle with rest of the chopped coriander. Serve hot.
Notes, tips & suggestions-
  • Do not over stir your curry after adding paneer, as you don’t want your paneer cubes to break and look like a mess.
  • Paneer cooks quite fast and so be careful to keep the flame from low-medium while browning the paneer cubes.
  • This is a humble curry that goes well with parathas ,phulkas and even a warm bowl of basmati rice.
  • If you want your curry to look more appetising and fancy, your could top it with a swirl of a tablespoon of fresh cream and a dollop of butter.

Emirates Will Resume Flights to the U.S. This Month

Though most of us don’t know when we’ll travel again, Emirates is ready to put its planes back in the air. Today, the Dubai-based airline announced that it will resume passenger flights to nine destinations this month, including one city in the U.S.
As of May 21, Emirates flights will operate from Dubai to Chicago, London, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Toronto, Sydney, Frankfurt, and Melbourne, making it among the first airlines to resume long-haul services to the U.S. “We are pleased to resume scheduled passenger services to these destinations, providing more options for customers to travel from the UAE to these cities,” Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ chief operating officer said in a statement. As several of the destinations currently have travel bans and other entry restrictions in place, the airlines says it will only accept passengers who meet the criteria for entering their destination country.
For those concerned about safety on planes during the ongoing pandemic, the airline says they’ve made the necessary accommodations. “We have implemented additional measures at the airport in coordination with the relevant authorities in respect to social distancing and sanitization,” Al Redha said in the statement. “The safety and well-being of our employees, customers and communities, remain our top priority.”
Last month, the airline became the first in the world to begin using blood tests to screen passengers before they board Emirates flights; they have also announced that Emirates’ cabin crews, boarding agents, and ground staff who interact with travelers will be wearing personal protective equipment, including safety visors and disposable gowns. In-flight service has been modified to minimize contact, printed reading materials removed, and all cabin baggage must be checked. Planes are also being disinfected between every flight.
Since April, Emirates has primarily been operating repatriation flights for United Arab Emirates’ residents, after a two-week suspension of operations in late March per UAE government orders. In addition to the just announced passenger flights, Emirates will continue to fly repatriation routes prior to May 21, including those from Dubai to Tokyo Narita; Dubai to Conakry, Guinea; and Dubai to Dakar, Senegal.
Earlier this month, Qatar Airways announced that it was beginning to gradually resume service as well, and is planning to fly to 52 destinations by the end of this month. This includes two U.S. cities, Dallas and Chicago, according to a press representative for the airline. Turkish Airlines—which had stopped all international flights—is also increasing flight service gradually, Reuters reports. They plan to fly to 19 countries this month, and work up to 99 in September.
Though most of us don’t know when we’ll travel again, Emirates is ready to put its planes back in the air. Today, the Dubai-based airline announced that it will resume passenger flights to nine destinations this month, including one city in the U.S.
As of May 21, Emirates flights will operate from Dubai to Chicago, London, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Toronto, Sydney, Frankfurt, and Melbourne, making it among the first airlines to resume long-haul services to the U.S. “We are pleased to resume scheduled passenger services to these destinations, providing more options for customers to travel from the UAE to these cities,” Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ chief operating officer said in a statement. As several of the destinations currently have travel bans and other entry restrictions in place, the airlines says it will only accept passengers who meet the criteria for entering their destination country.
For those concerned about safety on planes during the ongoing pandemic, the airline says they’ve made the necessary accommodations. “We have implemented additional measures at the airport in coordination with the relevant authorities in respect to social distancing and sanitization,” Al Redha said in the statement. “The safety and well-being of our employees, customers and communities, remain our top priority.”
Last month, the airline became the first in the world to begin using blood tests to screen passengers before they board Emirates flights; they have also announced that Emirates’ cabin crews, boarding agents, and ground staff who interact with travelers will be wearing personal protective equipment, including safety visors and disposable gowns. In-flight service has been modified to minimize contact, printed reading materials removed, and all cabin baggage must be checked. Planes are also being disinfected between every flight.
Since April, Emirates has primarily been operating repatriation flights for United Arab Emirates’ residents, after a two-week suspension of operations in late March per UAE government orders. In addition to the just announced passenger flights, Emirates will continue to fly repatriation routes prior to May 21, including those from Dubai to Tokyo Narita; Dubai to Conakry, Guinea; and Dubai to Dakar, Senegal.
Earlier this month, Qatar Airways announced that it was beginning to gradually resume service as well, and is planning to fly to 52 destinations by the end of this month. This includes two U.S. cities, Dallas and Chicago, according to a press representative for the airline. Turkish Airlines—which had stopped all international flights—is also increasing flight service gradually, Reuters reports. They plan to fly to 19 countries this month, and work up to 99 in September.

CHINA’S HIDDEN AGENDA: WINNING OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIA

Globally, we are running the risk of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, uncontrolled.

President Trump during a recent coronavirus task force briefing said, “If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences.” This strong and vehement announcement is viewed by the international defense experts as “the threat by the US President against China is not just an emotional expression, repercussions may follow.”

Meanwhile Karma News web channel has warned in detail that the world is going to turn topsy-turvy due to the once-in-a-century Covid-19 pandemic which has engulfed the whole human race. As per their narrative in the social media, the US and Allies may wage a shadow  economic war against China.

According to Fox News, China lied from the very beginning of this virus, covering up the origins and severity. They manipulated the WHO to spread misinformation about the human-to-human transmissions. Hence Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky is proceeding to pass a resolution to establish a  bipartisan select committee to probe China’s conduct and hold it accountable.

Once the Coronavirus is contained, China can expect the reward for their malicious acts if proven. Experts from world over validate this warning. European countries are also questioning China for a clear-cut answer on how the virus started spreading from Wuhan. Australia is also demanding an answer blaming China for the deaths in their country due to COVID-19. Only Russia is keeping quiet.

It seems, if needed, superpowers will dare to stand shoulder to shoulder with an unprecedented level of cooperation to teach a lesson to China, their common enemy for erasing so many human lives from the earth already. Meanwhile, many nations angrily rejected China’s preliminary explanation that the coronavirus might have originated and spread through bats. US had its initial investigations exposing the fact that there are no such varieties of bats in or around Wuhan province. Recently, a report from China confirmed that a lady working in Wuhan Institute of Virology got infected and then infected her boyfriend. So the strong suspicion is that the world is dealing with a man-made virus. If true that this evil virus escaped from their lab, China has created a monster which may bite back, leading to the fall of the Great Wall!

Nobel Prize winner Japan’s professor of physiology Dr. Tasuku Honjo created a sensation when he claimed that coronavirus is not natural. Only an artificial virus can spread to different countries with cold or hot climate simultaneously.

Even if not true that the virus escaped from their lab, China won’t be spared, as they failed to disclose the attack of a deadly virus early enough, or not alarming the world about its dangerous transmissibility. Instead, their evil minds seem to have conspired to export it worldwide through infected patients. Hence, it appears intentional and China may face heavy bouts and punches, as tweeted by the US President; while the global death toll has crossed 240,000.

European countries like U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain are sharpening their arsenals. US has umpteen reasons to declare an open war with China. Australia wants China to answer for each Covid fatality in their country. They affirm that the anti-democratic policies of the Iron Curtain Communist dictatorship caused this havoc, which would not have originated from a socialist democratic system.

China still says they are in the investigating process, and the world is keenly awaiting their report. America, on the other hand, is expediting the investigation, and the report will instigate a drastic action against China.

The war if initiated against China will of a different kind never seen before, and act quicker than the epidemic itself. China will be opposed by all affected nations rallying behind the super powers. China will then be unable to export even a single pin or paper clip to any foreign country, clipping China’s wings as a superpower.

Gulf countries may stop exporting crude oil and gas to China. Chinese people will then find life horrible due to oil scarcity. Its almost 80% of economy will collapse. Chinese passport holders will be shunned everywhere.

The biological war that China seems to have waged will be retaliated by the world in the form of economic warfare. Maybe the recent exports of gloves and masks from China will be their last piece of international trade.  The imposed restrictions and prohibitions the world over may shrink China to a mere skeleton of its present self. That is what the world wishes to see in the post-Corona war. We may see a new world without China. But for now this is only a projection.

Now let us look at what the changed world means for India. The immediate impact will be noticed in attempts by companies of relocating most of their manufacturing units from China to India, where the labor cost is also cheap. Countries and corporates will turn to Indian sources and resources to produce all things as per their requirements, for which they will push enough economic assistance to India with immediate effect. Yes, this is where India has the golden opportunity to emerge as the new superforce.

Only Pakistan and China will be jealous of the fast growth of Indian economy in the near future  while the rest of the world entrusts their utmost faith in India. Ours is a clean history of never inducing any war against any country, nor will we cheat anyone for selfish reasons.

Will India rise to the occasion in a new world without China? For that to happen it has to demonstrate high quality fidelity in their contracts and delivering better products than China did so far? The Indian government and industrial houses need to better focus their resources to take the challenge – that is an imperative necessity to make India export oriented.

Though we have cheap labor, high intelligence and infrastructure, we have fallen short in exports in many instances. Indian exports of agricultural products like black pepper, cardamom and other spices have gone down due to adulterated supplies. Even in USA, we have heard instances poor quality garments and damaged zippers on signature products, and rusty containers imported from India.

Indian government has earlier launched the very ambitious scheme of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and ministries concerned have to initiate speedy steps to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and red-tape delays for which the country has been notorious but on the amend. Now that India is going to be the center of attraction, and if we need to emerge as the most favored nation in the world, we need to be  trustworthy and high quality-conscious in every aspect of the international trade orders we are likely to get soon from many big economies.

Once exports are boosted, India’s domestic economic downturn will be mitigated instantly. The federal government and its departments concerned should gear up to motivate organizations to produce high quality products to export and earn precious foreign exchange. We need to modify the framework of export incentives in the form of duty exemptions and remission schemes to serve the interests of exporters as well as the commitments India is going to undertake. Time is coming close to see the world filled with ‘guaranteed Made in India products’.

We may need lot of imports too. The Duty Exemption Scheme helps exporters import duty-free inputs required for manufacturing export products.

Of late media is abuzz with the encouraging news that many leading mobile phone manufacturers and automobile companies have already commenced discussions with Indian officials.

The Indian government should get ready to reap the fruits of the opportunity knocking at our door that unexpectedly the world may entrust in us on the other side of the Covid pandemic. We can ‘Make India Great’ – Welcome to incredible India!

Dr Mathew Joys is Las Vegas based Kerala origin Journalist and Columnist in various media and a published author. He is currently Executive Editor of Jaihind Vartha, Associate Editor of Expressherald and MalayaliFM and Vice Chairman of Indo American Press Club

The Future of India-U.S. Relations: Trump Versus Biden

As the coronavirus pandemic dominates global news in the United States, progress toward the next presidential election scheduled to be held on Nov. 3 moves slowly forward. President Donald Trump had no real opposition in the Republican party and is running for re-election. And it has now become apparent that former Vice President Joe Biden will be his opponent as the Democratic candidate for president.

What would a Trump victory bode for the future of U.S.-India relations? What would a Biden victory bode? Let me answer each of those questions in turn.

Given the love fests of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, Texas, in which Trump participated in September of 2019, and Trump’s ‘Namaste Trump’ event hosted by Modi in India in February of this year, it might be assumed that the future for U.S.-India relations is a splendid one. This would be an incorrect assumption.

Both of these events were more symbolic than substantive. Trump’s participation in them undoubtedly helped to persuade some – perhaps many – Indian American Modi supporters who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 to cast their ballots for Trump in 2020. Trump’s campaign team took steps to ensure this by holding an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in which a group of prominent Indian Americans announced their plans to work for his re-election and to mobilize Indian Americans on his behalf.

To understand the future potential of India’s relations with the U.S. with Trump as president, however, it is necessary to look beyond these political moves and to examine the present state of those relations and Trump’s personal style.

In a word, the best way to characterize the current relations between the U.S. and India is “functional.” The relationship was relatively good for the first two years of Trump’s presidency. In fact, near the end of 2018, Alice Wells, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, was quoted in the media as saying: “This has been a landmark year for U.S.-India ties as we build out stronger relationships across the board.”

Then, in 2019, the relations went off the track in the first half of the year after the U.S. and India got into a tit-for-tat tariff war after the U.S. terminated India’s Generalized System of Preferences which allowed India to send certain goods to the U.S. duty-free. There have been continuing efforts to structure a “modest” trade deal since then. It was thought there might be some type of deal done in September of 2019 while Modi was in the U.S. by year’s end, and then during Trump’s India visit. But, as of today, there is still no deal.

This inability to get any meaningful trade agreement in place speaks volumes about India’s potential future relations with India with Trump as president. So, too does Trump’s style.

Trump’s campaign slogans this time around are “Keep America Great” and “Promises Made, Promises Kept.” Trump is not a policy wonk and most of his effort will go toward “America First.” This involves making the U.S. more isolated by withdrawing from international agreements, restructuring trade agreements, emphasizing building walls to stop immigrants at the border, using tariffs to block trade with countries who are taking away American jobs, and confronting businesses who are allegedly stealing American trade secrets.

This perspective suggests what India can expect for its relations with the U.S. if it has to deal with Trump for a second term as president. The relations will stay functional at best. As I have said before, that’s because the words partnership, cooperation and collaboration are not in Trump’s vocabulary. Nationalism, isolationism and protectionism are.

Joe Biden stands in stark contrast to President Trump both professionally and personally. Biden is a strategic thinker and doer with a solid eight-year track record of leadership experience as vice-president in forging alliances that have made a difference around the world and he has also been a long-standing friend of India.

He was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a leading advocate for the Congressional passage of the Indo-US civic nuclear deal in 2005.

At a dinner convened 10 years later in 2015 by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Vice President Biden discussed the tremendous joint progress that had been made by the two countries in the past and declared, “We are on the cusp of a sea change decade.”

Early in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president in July of 2019, in laying out his foreign policy vision, Biden stated that the U.S. had to reach out to India and other Asian partners to strengthen ties with them. The items on Biden’s foreign policy agenda for strengthening which are of importance for India include climate change, nuclear proliferation and cyberwarfare.

During his vice presidency, Biden worked side by side with President Barack Obama to do things that would contribute to achieving Obama’s vision stated in 2010 of India and America being “indispensable partners in meeting the challenges of our time.” In 2020, those challenges are even greater than they were a decade ago.

That is why it is so essential that India and the U.S. develop a strategic relationship that enables them to become those indispensable partners. That can happen if Biden assumes the presidency on January 20, 2021. It cannot happen if Donald Trump remains as president for a second term.

The results of this upcoming election in the U.S. matter greatly for the future of the United States. They matter greatly for the future of India-U.S. relations as well. Time and the American electorate will tell what that future will be.

(Frank F. Islam is an Indian American entrepreneur, civic and thought leader based in Washington, DC. The views expressed here are personal.)

Easy No- Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Eggless)

This cheesecake is the easiest but the yummiest cheesecake recipe ever when it comes to no-bake cheesecakes. I really want  all the beginners reading this to stop using ready-mixes for quick cheesecakes as it’s a shame to call those as ‘cheesecakes’ as it does not even use cheese. Those packets are full of highly processed and modified dairy solids along with emulsifiers, anti caking agents, preservatives….etc. Uh! That’s a long list of unwanted stuff that’d ruin your body, I know. But that’s the truth.
So please try this recipe once and you’ll never go back to instant cheesecake mixes.
Why is this recipe special?
Easy No- Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Eggless). Common ingredients- Made from  ingredients easily found in your kitchen pantry or refrigerator.
. Easy method- This recipe does not involve water bath or other such techniques that puts you into worrying thinking about how the final product is, presentable or not.
. Great texture- Right amount of gelling/setting agent is used in the right way, combined with right proportions of dairy goodness to ensure correct texture and creaminess.
. Tangy- This recipe does not leave that guilty heavy feeling in your mouth or tummy as it’s topped with strawberries with an added zesty flavour from citrusy oranges and squeeze of fresh lemon in the cake itself.
. Cinnamon- A little amount of cinnamon is used in the crust mix , which not only adds flavours to this yummy cheesecake, but also is known to help keep your blood sugar levels under control to a extend.
How did I develop this recipe?
 
Easy No- Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Eggless)Everyone in my family are cheesecake lovers. And not all cheesecakes are rated good enough by their palates which have tasted and tried a lot of different cheesecakes from most of the places they’ve gone to.
So even though I was expecting a lot of criticism from them during my trials, I never gave up with my ultimate goal of making them rating my cheesecake good enough for a no-bake one. And to my surprise my dad who has a sweet tooth and great palate when it comes to point out the flaws with best criticisms, rated my cheesecake beyond my expectations appreciating its right amount of sweetness, use of citrus, perfect crust, creamy light texture and the used of a tinge of right spices in the crust.
What you’ll need-
 
For the crust-
1. 250g crumbled digestive biscuits (I used Mc vities whole-wheat digestive biscuits)
2. 100g melted butter
3. One pinch salt
4. 1/2 tsp milk powder
5. 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
6. 1/4 tbsp castor sugar
7. 1 tsp cocoa powder
Easy No- Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Eggless)For the cheesecake layer-
8. Condensed milk – 1/2 tin
9. Philadelphia cream cheese- 200 gram
10. Whipping cream -100ml
11. Sugar – 2 tbsp
12. Vanilla extract- 1/4 tsp
13. Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
14. Milk powder- 1/2 tbsp
15. Milk- 3 tbsps
16. Gelatin-3/4 tbsp , dissolved in 50-60 ml hot water.
For the strawberry topping-
17. 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
18. 1/2 cup sugar
19. 1 tsp tbsp lime juice
20. 1-2 tbsps orange juice (fresh)–optional-i used
21. 1/4 tsp finely grated orange peel –optional- I used coz I like dat zesty flavour it give to the berry layer.
Easy No- Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Eggless)How to prepare-
-Grease a 9*5 (or med sized) springform cake dish with a little butter.
-Mix 1 to 7 untill well combined (wet sand texture) .Layer the bottom of the dish with this , pressing down with it hands.
-Combine 8,9,11,14 and 15 in a mixing bowl and blend well using an electric beater.
-In another bowl (cold) powder chilled whipping cream and whip it till it stiffens enough to form peaks.
-Double boil the gelatin water mix till gelatin is completely dissolved.
-Stir it well into the cream cheese mix along with the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
-Fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix untill well combined.
-Pour this on top of the biscuit layer and refrigerate(DON’T FREEZE) for 2 hrs.
-Mean while, prepare the strawberry layer.
-Caramelise 18 and add in strawberries.
-Cook it till it reaches a lil’ sticky consistency (not watery). Add in 19, 20, 21 and mix well. LET IT COOL COMPLETELY.
-Take out the cheesecake from the refrigerator and top it with the strawberry mix.
-Clinwrap the top of the spring form pan and Refrigerate for another 4 hrs (or overnight) before opening the springform to cut it cheesecake into slices for serving.
Notes, Tips & serving suggestions-
. You can serve it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream on top or berries along side as you wish.
. Time for the cake to set may vary with differences in refrigerator temperatures.
. Flavours used in this recipe are according to mine and my family’s preferences. You can always try to incorporate your favourite flavours like using blueberries instead of strawberries,etc.

“Pageantry is a way to express my true feelings, redefining beauty as a way to giving back to the community,” Says Sidhya Ganesh, Miss Teen India 2020

“Pageantry is a way to express my true feelings and make a widespread impact on this world, redefining beauty as a way to giving back to the community,” says Sidhya Ganesh, a 14-year-old resident of the state of Washington, who won the coveted Miss Teen India USA Title during a glittering ceremony last month in Houston, TX, beating dozens of contestants from across the country.

After winning the titles Miss Teen India Washington and Miss Teen India USA, Sidhya has made appearances at several cultural events and received many youth inspiration awards. She has also organized many toy and blanket drives and has had interviews with news channels. Recently she also had a meeting with her mayor about working towards breaking mental health stigma in her community.

From dance, acting, academics, sports, singing to Beauty Pageant, Sidhya believes in exploring all aspects of her 360 degree growth and personal development. For her, pageant participation is a way to give back to the community and understand that beauty is skin deep.

“Pageantry is a way to express my true feelings, redefining beauty as a way to giving back to the community,” Says Sidhya Ganesh, Miss Teen India 2020Sidhya had earlier won the Washington State pageant and represented her state at the USA National pageant. Sidhya is a three–time international champion for “Future Problem Solving”, and is the president for this program at her school.  A multilingual she can speak English, Tamil, Hindi and Spanish.

Sidhya Ganesh is a passionate dancer, singer and actress. Her love for both her cultural roots and the modern Bollywood culture has led her to learning Bharatanatyam, Bollywood and Contemporary Art along with Carnatic and Western singing. She has won the Zee TV solo Dance reality show ‘Dance USA Dance’ Season One judged by Master Saroj Khan along with being the state champion for Naved Jaffrey’s show ‘Naach Meri Jaan’.

The budding leader describes herself as a proud Indian American, working hard to support both her countries, the US, and India. Sidhya works to empower underprivileged children back home in India through performing arts-based fundraisers here in America. Additionally, she has led a team to fundraise, coordinate and build a school in Cambodia.

“Being an Indian American, it makes me very happy to see the connections between both my countries growing, and it was a huge matter of pride for me to see President Trump meet PM Modi in India, to strengthen bonds between the two countries, through upcoming trade deals to foster development,” young Ganesh said in an interview.

“Pageantry is a way to express my true feelings, redefining beauty as a way to giving back to the community,” Says Sidhya Ganesh, Miss Teen India 2020The budding leader says, her “favorite young Indian female politician is Priyanka Chaturvedi, and I would love to meet her. Party politics aside, I like her because I find similarities between both of us, whether it is confidence, brevity, or poise and public speaking skills. I also feel that she is brave and stands up for what she believes in and has achieved a lot in the fields of politics and community service, despite being fairly young. I would love to support the NGOs she is running in Mumbai, through my community service.”

Describing self as “a proud Indian American, working hard to support both my countries. I leverage my rich Indian values of family, and giving back to support children in need in America” Ganesh wants to “work to empower underprivileged children back home in India through performing arts-based fundraisers here in America. I am an ambassador for both my countries and am proud of both of their achievements and hope to help them both thrive.”

Holding America’s National title, she will be representing USA at the Miss Teen India Worldwide pageant to be held in Lalit, Mumbai in October 2020. Organized by the World Wide Pageants, pioneers in organizing Indian pageants and fashion shows in the USA and other parts of the world, Dharmatma Saran, the founder and Chairman of the Pageant says, “Miss India Worldwide has been acclaimed as the most glamorous Indian function in the world. And, of course, the Miss India Worldwide is the only international Indian pageant.”

Punch 111 for Mark Kalish as state representative of 16th House District, IL

Chicago IL: Meet & Greet, Mark Kalish as state representative of 16th House District, Illinois was on Friday – February 21, 2020 at 3775 W Arthur Ave, Lincolnwood, IL. Event was organized by Bhavesh Patel from Sahil and Nick Patel from LA TAN.  Bhavesh and Nick is pioneer in USA for organizing big shows of Bollywood star in Chicagoland area. Ray Nanato; Political Consultant, many leaders from many different fields such as medical, sports entertainment, political, teaching spiritual leaders and prominent community leader were present at Meet & Greet.

Yehiel “Mark” Kalish is a Democratic member of the Illinois General Assembly, presiding over the 16th House district which includes parts of Skokie, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood, and Chicago’s 50th Ward. He has an extensive background in non-profit work and government advocacy.

His work in the Illinois legislature includes voting for and passing bills that deal with mental health parity, the rising cost of health care premiums and prescription drugs with the inclusion of pre-existing conditions, the Equal Pay Act, as well as common-sense gun laws likes the Fix the FOID Act. Kalish is one of ten Democrats to serve on the House Firearms Public Awareness Task Force.

Now law, Kalish also chief sponsored and fought hard for a bill that ensures the protection of victims of sexual assault.

As a resident of the 50th Ward, Kalish experienced firsthand its lack of representation in the statehouse and has been working hard to make changes in that regard to ensure that all parts of his district are represented equally.

Kalish knows that Democrats are far Better Together than divided. Despite nuanced differences, Kalish understands that progress can only be achieved when we promote inclusivity while welcoming a difference of opinions within the party.

Representative Kalish is willing to put petty politics aside and is emphatic about keeping the Democratic Party united in order to keep legislative majorities throughout the country.

We urge all Voters to Punch 111 for Mark Kalish as state representative of 16th House District, IL on March 17, 2020 Election

 Indian Christians face at least 10 attacks in the last 3 days, nine over the weekend

Even as India prepared to welcome the American President Donald J Trump, who on his two day visit to India reportedly plans to discuss, among other things, the issue of religious freedom in India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India registered nine incidents of hate crime and violence on Indian Christians over the weekend.

Between 21 to 23 February 2020, the RLC recorded nine incidents targeting Christians and their congregations including disruption of worship services, intimidation from police machinery, mob violence, etc. Such incidents around weekends and especially on Sunday have become a regular phenomenon for Christians in many parts of our country.

One incident was also reported from Chhattisgarh on Thursday evening taking the total number of incidents to ten in the last 3 days. The Commission condemns such dastardly acts that encroach upon the rights of the Christian minority to practice and profess its faith.

Not surprisingly, majority of the incidents took place in Uttar Pradesh which recently has been a hot bed as far as targeting of minorities is concerned. The state ruled by Yogi Adityanath, who is also a serving Abbot of a Math (Temple) in Gorakhpur, recorded 5 incidents out of the 10. Tamil Nadu followed with two incidents while one incident each was reported from Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

How Modi keeps the American Christian leadership at bay while befriending Trump

On the surface, President Trump appears committed fully to the idea of Religious Freedom. He has been very vocal about the issue on many forums that include the United Nations. To his credit, he has appointed Mr. Sam Brownback, a conservative Catholic, to the position at the State Department as the Ambassador of Religious freedom. Evangelical leaders in the U.S. are some of the most ardent supporters of this President anywhere because of his clear commitment to the cause.  To the delight of his Evangelical base, he has not only spoken against the ‘Johnson Amendment’ that prohibits Clergy from commenting on politics from the pulpit but also issued an Executive order that lessens its enforcement power and limits its bureaucratic oversight.

However, a different picture emerges if one delves deeply into the inner workings of this President concerning this very issue. As someone who has participated in the Religious Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., I witnessed the selective application of this issue firsthand that suits his political purposes. There were many speakers from countries like China and Iran who detailed the suppression of religious freedom in those countries and the persecution of the faithful by the authorities. However, India rather conspicuously was missing any representation at the conference.

The weaponization of religion by the current Administration – so they can preserve their power -has reached a fever pitch in India, where minorities are being lynched for their dietary habits and churches are being torched by the Hindutva radicals. When questioned about this absence, an official of the State Department could only respond by saying that India was invited but declined to participate. It is hard to believe that speakers from authoritarian regimes of China and Iran somehow found their way to the conference, but Indian representatives willing to speak on the matter could not be found! Upon questioning, Mr. Brownback feigned his ignorance in this regard and said someone from India should have been present. However, according to several sources, White House appears to have given special instructions to the State Department not to bring the current BJP government’s shabby record on religious freedom to the table.

Now that President Trump is on the way to India to meet with Prime Minister Modi, whom he considers his strategic partner, it is important to examine how the wellbeing of the minority Christians in India, as well as the interests of American Christian leadership, may have been undermined by this Administration for either political expediency or plain business interests.

Firstly, let us take the case of ‘Compassion International,’ a Christian Charitable organization in the U.S. that has done incredible work around the World, including India, by clothing, feeding, and educating impoverished children by allowing their upward mobility. The Modi Government has decided to throw out the organization while knowing fully well that they are jeopardizing the futures of 145000 poor children only because the organization is considered ‘Christian.’ If the country is so opposed to foreign funding, why then the Hindu organizations like ‘Eka Vidyalaya,’ a Sangh Parivar affiliated outfit in the U.S. continue to collect funds from all Americans including Christians?

To add insult to injury, Mr. S. Jaishankar, the diplomat, turned politician who is the current Minister of External Affairs, is said to have invited the lead attorney for the organization and gave him a tongue-lashing at his office lambasting the organization and accusing its leadership of engaging in proselytizing. The organization had vehemently denied these charges often raised by anti-minority zealots who could care less about the lives of the lower caste and poor folks around them. Moreover, it is genuinely disappointing to see a diplomat who had such a rich multi-cultural global experience, including being Ambassador to the United States, to behave with such arrogance and lack of empathy.

Another arena where American Christian leadership is unfairly treated by India is in the issuance of visas to those who aspire to visit their fellow Christians to attend a conference or a convention. In a shocking display of bad faith, only a few months ago, nine leaders from the New York Council of Christian churches headed by Rev. Peter Cook, who traveled to India with valid visas were denied entry at the Chennai airport. And after subjugating them to a grueling 12-hour questioning, they were deported back to the United States. ‘The team was there to meet some people and learn,’ said Mr. Cook, who is also the Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches.  They were even denied the basic courtesy of making a phone call to their would-be hosts. According to one of the team members, an immigration official went as far as to pronounce, ‘we don’t want Christians to come here’!

Visas are indeed considered a privilege, not a right; however, protocol and courtesy call for reciprocity. Hindu religious leaders from India appear to have unlimited access to visit or serve their fellow faithful in this country. The number of religious visas issued to Hindu temples and other religious institutions by the U.S. stand at an all-time high. However, an American Christian leader does not even have an option to apply for a visa on such a ground. If one dares to take a tourist visa and attend any of the church meetings, he/she risks not only being deported but will be banned from an entry back to India for their lifetime.

It is not only the American Christian leadership that is put under the grind but also Indians who have immigrated to this country and acquired U.S. Citizenship. Many of them took the opportunity to avail themselves of the Overseas Citizenship (OCI) card, believing that it would give them privileges on par with Indian citizens except for voting or owning agricultural lands. However, as Dr. Christo Philip from Houston found out, one of his frequent trips to India turned out to be a nightmare. He was stopped at the airport and deported back to Spain, where the flight originated, ending up in prison for a day and losing his OCI status. He was falsely accused of evangelizing though, as a medical doctor, his primary interest was to serve the needy people over their health concerns at some of the remotest parts of India. Although the Delhi high court has finally restored his OCI status, the Judge involved may have paid a higher price and said to have been reassigned since then.

The current OCI application contains obvious conditions preventing ‘Missionary work’ and ‘Journalism’ and combined with the provision in the newly passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) empowering the bureaucracy to cancel OCI card for any ‘violation of the law’ has sent shivers down the spine in the Indian Christian leadership in America. Mere participation of religious activity while visiting India could now be construed as a violation of the OCI agreement, and there are plenty folks in the RSS cadre and in the bureaucracy who are more than willing to collude in making such a participation a violation of the law that may also be beyond any judicial review. The provision of ‘journalism’ may shield the Government from any form of criticism from OCI cardholders who may want to pen their experiences in any of the media outlets.

Let me also quote from a letter recently sent by a multi-faith group to President Trump highlighting the plight of an American Pastor named Bryan Nerren that shows Religious persecution is not restricted to Indian citizens only. “In October 2019, police arrested U.S. pastor Bryan Nerren in Bagdogra airport in India. The police arrested him on the grounds of failing to declare funds, this followed after the officers in New Delhi interrogated him, asking him if he was Christian and if the money was for Christians or Hindus, they cleared him at the airport in New Delhi only to have him arrested in Bagdogra. The pastor was compliant and said he would fill out the customs form but was instead arrested. Authorities confiscated the pastor’s funds and passport, and while he has now been released, he is still waiting to receive his passport. Senator Alexander and Senator Blackburn are working on his case. The boldness of the authorities’ arrest and discrimination of a U.S. national because of his faith – shows that actors of religious persecution in India, afforded government impunity, further embolden state and non-state extremists to continue their discriminatory and abusive actions towards non-Hindus”.

The ill-treatment of the Christian leadership by the officials is not just limited to American Christians but includes leaders from other countries as well. Considering that India, which has 30 million of its citizens living abroad and more at home are looking for opportunities around the World, what the Modi government has done to a Spanish Nun who lived in India for five decades and serving the poor is deeply shameful. Sister Enedina, 86 years old, a member of the Daughters of Charity, was denied the renewal of her visa and was told by the Government that she had ten days to leave the country.  She flew August 20 from New Delhi to Spain. It should also be noted that the Modi administration has so far not extended an invitation to Pope Francis, who is eager for such a visit, despite appeals from various Christian and secular quarters.

In many of the incidents highlighted above, so far, Trump Administration appears to have taken a wait and see attitude in dealing with the Modi Administration. In light of President’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly that it is necessary to “increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities”, the world is waiting to see whether he will raise the issue privately with Modi during the state visit, make a public statement in support of constitutional rights similar to Obama, or remain silent. Then we will have a much clearer idea whether religious freedom is merely a political football or a sincere goal of the Trump Administration.

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

Popularity of Trump on rise in India but some of his policies not-so-welcome: Pew survey

The popularity of US President Donald Trump in India is on the rise but some of his policies and trade attitudes do not garner the same warm reception(Bloomberg)

The popularity of US President Donald Trump in India is on the rise but some of his policies and trade attitudes do not garner the same warm reception, a latest Pew Research survey said on Thursday ahead of his maiden presidential trip to the country.

President Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He would be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.

Based on face-to-face interviews, 2019 Global Attitudes Survey of 2,476 respondents conducted from June 24-October 2, 2019 in India, Pew said that the majority of Indians have confidence in Trump to do the right thing when it comes to the world affairs.

“And while Trump himself receives positive marks from the Indian populace, Indian public opinion toward some of his specific policies and trade attitudes in general do not garner the same warm reception,” Pew Research said in a survey report released on Thursday.

According to the report, Trump’s image in India has gained favour since his candidacy in 2016, jumping from 14 per cent confidence to 56 per cent over three years. Much of this movement is accompanied by more people now offering an opinion about the US president, it added.

“These latest numbers resemble those of Trump’s predecessor: Before Barack Obama left office, 58 per cent of Indians had confidence in him in world affairs, while nine per cent had no confidence and 33 per cent did not offer an opinion,” Pew said.

Those who associate more with the BJP are more likely than supporters of the Indian National Congress opposition party to voice confidence in Trump, it said.

However, when asked about their views of Trump’s policy on increasing tariffs or fees on imported goods from other countries, about half of Indians (48 per cent) say they disapprove. A quarter approve, and roughly another quarter do not offer an opinion.

Those who most identify with the BJP are just as likely as the Congress supporters to disapprove of this measure and less likely to provide an answer, Pew said.

The Pew Research Center is a non-partisan American think-tank based in Washington. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the US and the world.

Satya Nadella To Visit India As Trump Arrives For Summit With Modi

With Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella all set to visit India next week — around the same time US President Donald Trump is making his first official visit to this part of the world — the software giant is looking forward to further consolidate its position in the country.
At a time when the Indian government is focused on digital transformation across sectors and modernise its IT infrastructure, Microsoft may take Nadella’s visit as an opportunity to showcase how it can help government achieve its goals across Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), smart cities, industrial automation and robotics etc.
“Government engagement is a major focus for Microsoft top management in India for the past two decades, and all the more now with expanding digital plans and also rising nationalist resistance to global digital and tech companies,” leading tech policy and media consultant Prasanto K. Roy told IANS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on several occasions stressed on the importance of leveraging emerging technologies like AI and ML to solve India’s critical problems.
The National Crime Records Bureau of the Ministry of Home Affairs, for example, is inviting bids from tech companies to build hardware and software infrastructure that can help the country fight crime with automated facial recognition system.
“It goes without saying that India is an important, and I must add, crucial market for global technology companies, including Microsoft,” Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).
“Microsoft’s biggest R&D centre outside of the US is based in India, and it has made recent moves to further tap into the engineering talent pool available in India through its new R&D hub. This, in turn, will enable Microsoft to maintain its technology leadership,” Ram said.
Microsoft launched its India operations in 1990 and for the past 30 years the company has played a major role in digital transformation of the country. On Monday, it announced the launch of its third India Development Centre (IDC) in Noida, after opening two such premier engineering and innovation hubs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“I foresee a further impetus to Microsoft’s digital transformation efforts in India with its cloud and emerging tech stack offerings, including AI,” Ram said. While Microsoft is yet to reveal Nadella’s forthcoming itinerary, the Hyderabad-born Microsoft CEO is expected to have key engagements in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
The company is organizing ‘Future Decoded Summits’ in Mumbai and Bengaluru, respectively. At the summits, Nadella will share his vision for the future of technology and how Indian organizations can lead in an era of digital transformation.
The events would also see addresses by industry stalwarts and Microsoft executives, including Jean Philippe Courtois, EVP and President, Global Sales-Marketing and Operations. Whether we will see Trump and Nadella sharing the space together is still under the wraps. (IANS)

AAP scores landslide victory in Delhi polls

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scored a landslide victory in Delhi assembly elections for the second time in a row as it swept aside both BJP, which was again restricted to a single digit, and Congress which could not win a single seat.

AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member assembly, five seats short of its 2015 tally when it had won 67 seats. The BJP won eight seats, five more than its tally in the previous election. The Congress, which had failed to win a seat in the last election also, saw a dip in its vote percentage.

AAP’s victory came in the backdrop of a campaign marked by shrillness and dashed BJP’s hopes to form government in the capital. The victory, which has raised political stature of Kejriwal, saw BJP raking up Citizenship Amendment Act and the protest at Shaheen Bagh against the legislation which has been continuing for the past over 50 days.

“The Delhi election gives a sense of optimism to scores of people in India who are concerned about the growing threat BJP poses to India’s democracy and its venerable constitution,” said Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of IOC, USA.

The victory also shows that when there is a clear alternative to BJP, India’s voter may choose wisely, and the people have ultimately determined development over communal politics based on hyper-nationalism. Although Modi gained power in 2014 promising development, the party has lately sunk more into playing divisive politics, pitting one religion against the other to retain control. Delhi elections also witnessed some of the most vitriolic and divisive statements coming from prominent BJP leaders who banked on Hindu consolidation as a path towards victory.

 ‘IOC, USA, would like to see more accountability from those who are engaged in vituperative politics that are harming India’s pluralism and its secular fabric’, the statement added.

S.P. Kothari, 3 NRIs get Padma Shri; Padma Bhushan Goes to Jagdish Sheth

S.P. Kothari, the Gordon Y. Billard Professor of Management and former deputy dean at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, will receive India’s prestigious Padma Shri award for 2020.  Last year, Prof. Kothari was appointed chief economist and director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Along with Prof. Kothari, three other Americans will receive this award: Prasanta Kumar Pattanaik, emeritus professor at the Department of Economics at the University of California; Robert Thurman, Buddhist author and academic who has written, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism; and Romesh Tekchand Wadhwani, chairman and CEO of Symphony Technology Group.

Jagdish Sheth, the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta Business School of Emory University, will receive Padm Bhushan award.

Sheth, the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Business at Emory University Goizueta Business School, is among 16 awardees to receive India’s third highest civilian award. Last year in January, Sheth presented the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to reports in Indian media, several Twitter users drew a link between Sheth’s Padma Bhushan, to him conferring the leadership award on Modi.

  1. P. Kothari

Padma Shri recipient, Kothari, is the Gordon Y. Billard Professor of Management and former deputy dean at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Last year, he was appointed chief economist and director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Pattanaik is emeritus professor at the Department of Economics at the University of California, a research associate for the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative, and a fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association.

Wadhwani is the chairman and CEO of Symphony Technology Group, which brings in $2.5 billion in annual revenues. According to Forbes, he combined nine of his companies that were AI-focused into a new group called SymphonyAI in 2017. Last year, Wadhwani ranked at number 261 of the Forbes list of 400 richest Americans and at number 667 in Forbes list billionaires.

Robert Thurman, a Buddhist author and academic who has written, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism, was named for the Padma Shri award as well. Thurman, father of actress Uma Thurman, is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, president of the Tibet House U.S., and president of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies.

A total of 14 foreigners, majority of them of the Indian origin, including Mauritian politician Anerood Jugnauth, have been named for the Padma Awards on the eve of 71st Republic Day for 2020.

Jugnauth has been named for Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, in the field of public affairs. Jugnauth, who served as the President and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, was a central figure in the Mauritian politics in the 1980s and 1990s.

Twelve foreigners have been named for Padma Shri. It included late Indra Dassanayake, a well-known Hindi literary personality who taught Hindi at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Dassanayake strived for emergence of Hindi as a world language.

Another awardee is Barry Strachan Gardiner, British Labour Party leader who has served as Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade since 2016.

Another notable foreign personality in the list is late Tetsu Nakamura for his social work in Afghanistan. A Japanese physician and honorary Afghan, Nakamura headed the Peace Japan Medical Services (PMS). Devoted to the Kunar river canal projects in eastern Afghanistan, he was credited for transforming the desert of Gamberi, on the outskirts of Jalalabad, into a lush forest and wheat farmlands. He also helped build two hospitals and two mosques.

The awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March or April every year.

The Padma Awards are given in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri — in various fields of activities like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service.

Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.

India losing friends over citizenship law – Key allies like Bangladesh and Afghanistan are upset, while trade partners like the US are expressing concern

In February, New Delhi is hoping to host US president Donald Trump on his first visit to India after assuming office four years ago. His visit will come at a time when India finds itself isolated globally like never before, as protests over its controversial religion-based citizenship law continue to grow.

For years US President Donald Trump has turned down invitations from India, always seen as a major hallmark of the bilateral relationship. While former president Barack Obama came to India in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term, his comments on religious intolerance in India cooled the relationship. Modi had been put on a visa ban for nearly 15 years by the US, for his alleged role in the communal riots in his home state of Gujarat in 2002. However, after the ban was lifted when Modi won the general elections in 2014, he has made several trips to the US to forge closer ties, first with Obama and then his successor Trump.

But while the US president’s trip is still being planned, Indian diplomats are fighting a rearguard action in South Asia as two close allies, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have expressed their displeasure at India’s new citizenship law.

Just a few months ago India was reveling in its comprehensive diplomatic victory after abrogating Article 370 in August 2019, a special constitutional provision that gave the lone Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir a special status. While Pakistan, China, Turkey and Malaysia emerged as trenchant critics of the move, India remained unscathed, with most of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council siding with New Delhi.

But the move to amend its citizenship law in December and fast-track applications for naturalization by non-Muslim citizens from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan has now created an unprecedented wave against India.

A few weeks ago a former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan received a message from a top Afghan minister seeking his opinion about the law. “Why does it discriminate against Muslims? This will not go down well with the Afghan people,” the person said. “I did not know how to react. There is tremendous affection among the Afghans for India. This move has pushed India into a corner and isolated those in Afghanistan who support us,” the former Indian envoy said.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai categorically stated that the classification was wrong, in an interview to the newspaper The Hindu. “We don’t have persecuted minorities in Afghanistan… the whole country is persecuted. We have been in war and conflict for a long time. All religions in Afghanistan – Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs – which are our three main religions, have suffered,” he said.

Ever since US forces landed in Afghanistan after the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, India had renewed its diplomatic and security relationship with the Afghans. A long-term supporter of slain Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Masoud, New Delhi began a close relationship based on intelligence and economic cooperation.

“We carried out a number of operations with the Afghans through the decade to counter Pakistan’s support of terrorism. This was cemented during the years that Amrullah Saleh headed Afghan intelligence,” a senior Indian security official said. “That relationship has been the bedrock of many of our counter-terrorism policies. Those are now under stress since the Afghans are worried how this citizenship law will pan out,” the official said.

To its east, Bangladesh has proved to be one of India’s staunchest allies in South Asia. Much of that has stemmed from India’s unstinting support for its current prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. Through the years the Hasina government eliminated all the bases inside Bangladesh that were being used by Indian insurgents. She also started a rendition program where all those suspected of carrying or supporting terror strikes in India were quietly sent back across the border. Indian intelligence worked closely with their Bangladeshi counterparts to not only secure Hasina’s regime against any possible coup but also to identify people who worked with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to target Indian interests.

Gold prices surge to a record high

Gold was one of the few investments heading higher Monday as worries about the coronavirus outbreak led to a steep market slide. Gold is now up more than 20% in the past year, and trading near $1,600 an ounce, its highest level since 2013. Other precious metals, such as silver and platinum, have rallied too. Meanwhile, the Dow was down nearly 350 points in midday trading.

Some experts wonder if gold could top $2,000 in the not-too-distant future. Gold last hit an all-time high of just above $1,900 in 2011 in the midst of the European debt crisis.

Gold and gold miners often do well during times when investors are afraid.

Case in point: miner Newmont (NEM) was one of the few stocks in the S&P 500 that was trading higher Monday. In fact, gold stocks have been a good investment for some time. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) is up nearly 40% in the past year.

The CNN Business Fear & Greed Index, which looks at seven measures of market sentiment, has plunged in the past week and is now not far from showing levels of fear. The index was in Extreme Greed territory just a week ago.

“There are a lot of things that could go wrong for the stock market and the economic impact of a China slowdown from the coronavirus could be felt globally,” said David Beahm, president and CEO of Blanchard & Company.

But gold had been doing well even before most people had ever heard of the coronavirus. Why?

Three interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve last year helped to weaken the US dollar. That’s made gold more attractive than the greenback and other paper currencies, especially since rates are negative in parts of Europe and Japan.

Gold isn’t the only commodity that has benefited from worries about a slumping dollar and low interest rates. Silver, platinum and palladium prices have all soared as well in the past year.

This rally makes perfect sense given that interest rates are so low and the dollar is weakening. So how much exposure should a long-term investor have to precious metals in a retirement portfolio?

“A 5% to 10% allocation in gold and gold stocks makes sense,” says Ralph Aldis, a portfolio manager with US Global Investors. “This is the nascent start of a gold rally.”

Aldis said gold should continue to climb — and not just because average investors are growing nervous and seeking it out as a safe haven. Even big global central banks are starting to hoard gold as if they were Scrooge McDuck.

]According to figures from the World Gold Council, central bank gold purchases rose 12% in the first three quarters of 2019 from the same period in 2018. Central banks added 547.5 metric tons of gold on a net basis.

Investors are nervous about a litany of factors beyond coronavirus fears, Aldis said. Loose monetary policy around the world is creating an unhealthy environment for stocks — especially since corporate profits steadily dropped last year.

“The Fed and other central banks have been pouring money into the market. With money flow driving stocks instead of earnings, that makes people more jittery,” Aldis said.

Blanchard’s Beahm added that worries about more tension in the Middle East haven’t gone away either.

He noted that the broader stock market could become increasingly volatile this year due to jitters about the 2020 presidential election. Beahm argues that investors should have between 10% and 15% of their portfolio in metals.

“This year will be another one of double digit percentage growth for gold. It could hit new all-time highs and top $2,000 — if not this year then sometime soon on the horizon,” Beahm said.

depend on federal assistance.

The Supreme Court issued an order Monday, Jan 27th allowing the Trump administration to begin enforcing new limits on immigrants who are considered likely to become overly dependent on government benefit programs.

The court voted 5-4. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan said they would have left a lower court ruling in place that blocked enforcement while a legal challenge works its way through the courts.

The Department of Homeland Security announced in August that it would expand the definition of “public charge,” to be applied to people whose immigration to the United States could be denied because of a concern that they would primarily depend on the government for their income.

In the past, that was largely based on an assessment that an immigrant would be dependent upon cash benefits. But the Trump administration proposed to broaden the definition to include noncash benefits, such as Medicaid, supplemental nutrition and federal housing assistance.

Anyone who would be likely to require that broader range of help for more than 12 months in any three-year period would be swept into the expanded definition.

But in response to a lawsuit filed by New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New York City and immigrant aid groups, a federal judge in New York imposed a nationwide injunction, blocking the government from enforcing the broader rule. Congress never meant to consider the kind of time limit the government proposed, the judge said, and the test has always been whether an immigrant would become primarily dependent on cash benefits.

The government has long had authority to block immigrants who were likely to become public charges, but the term has never been formally defined. The DHS proposed to fill that void, adding noncash benefits and such factors as age, financial resources, employment history, education and health.

The acting deputy secretary of the DHS, Ken Cuccinelli, said the proposed rules would reinforce “the ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, ensuring that immigrants are able to support themselves and become successful here in America.”

Two federal appeals courts — the 9th Circuit in the West and the 4th Circuit in the Mid-Atlantic — declined to block the new rule. They noted that the law allows designating someone as inadmissible if “in the opinion of” the secretary of Homeland Security, that person would be “likely at any time to become a public charge,” which the courts said gives the government broad authority.

The Trump administration urged the Supreme Court to lift the nationwide injunction imposed by the New York trial judge, given that two appeals courts have come to the opposite conclusion. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas said Monday that district court judges have been issuing nationwide injunctions much more often.

They called on their colleagues to review the practice, which they said has spread “chaos for the litigants, the government, the courts, and all those affected by these conflicting decisions.”

But the challengers of the public charge rule urged the justices to keep the stay in place.

They said lifting it now, while the legal battle is still being waged, “would inject confusion and uncertainty” to the immigration system and could deter millions of noncitizens from applying for public benefits.

Jeff Bezos on Visit to India, Pays Respects To “Someone Who Truly Changed World”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos visited the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi after he landed in India on Tuesday. He posted a video where he is seen in a white kurta and an orange half-jacket, carrying a colourful wreath of flowers on the lawns of the memorial at Raj Ghat near central Delhi.

After placing the flowers, he folds his hands to pray before walking away. “Just landed in India and spent a beautiful afternoon paying my respects to someone who truly changed the world. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi,” Mr Bezos tweeted. He also posted the video along with the same message on Instagram.

The e-tailer giant’s chief executive’s visit to India comes at a time when the country’s anti-trust body Competition Commission of India said it is looking into alleged unfair practices by Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart.

Jeff Bezos promised a new billion-dollar investment in India, just two days after authorities launched an anti-trust investigation into the e-commerce giant. A three-day visit by Bezos, whose worth has been estimated at more than $110 billion, sparked protests in New Delhi and other cities by traders who accuse Amazon and its main U.S.-owned rival Flipkart of killing off India’s army of street traders.

Bezos, who has spent heavily to make his company an e-commerce titan in the world’s second most-populous nation, sought to head off critics by promising one billion dollars to digitize small and medium-sized Indian businesses.

“We will use our global footprint to export $10 billion worth of ‘Make in India’ products across the world by 2025,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign to boost national production. Bezos highlighted India’s growing importance, saying “the 21st century will be the Indian century” and that the US-India alliance will be the most important.

Amazon and Flipkart — founded in India but taken over by Walmart in 2018 for $16 billion — face increasing scrutiny and resentment despite their popularity among customers.

Bezos’ India visit comes at a time when the e-commerce player is facing an anti-trust investigation on multiple counts, including deep discounts and exclusive tie-up with preferred sellers, in India. It had faced similar investigations in the EU and the US.

Amazon has committed $5.5 billion in India investments, while Walmart in 2018 pumped in $16 billion to buy a majority stake in Flipkart, its biggest deal.

A complaint by the Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, whose members include thousands of traders dealing in smartphones and related accessories, have accused the e-tailers of anti-competitive practices like preferential listing, exclusive tie-ups and private labels. The traders have said they will hold a massive protest during Mr Bezos’ visit to India.

Media reports said Bezos has sought a meeting with Modi, but neither the government nor Amazon would confirm if talks would be held. Agarwal highlighted special deals with mobile phone makers under which they are sold online, often at discount, before they reach high street shops.

He said 55,000 of the 100,000 small traders who have gone out of business in the past six months — when Amazon and Flipkart have fought a merciless price cutting war — were mobile phone sellers. About 50 traders held a rally in Delhi chanting “Jeff Bezos — Go Back!”

Hardline Hindus protest huge Indian Jesus statue

By Agence France-Presse

 Hundreds of Hindu activists affiliated to India’s ruling party rallied on Monday to protest a planned Jesus statue that will rival Rio de Janeiro’s Christ The Redeemer for size.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long been accused of intolerance towards other religions and of wanting to remould officially secular India as a Hindu nation, which it denies.

The protests in the southern state of Karnataka were led by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s hardline parent organisation, and others clutching saffron flags as around 1,000 police stood by.

“We want to stop (the statue), since it goes against the spirit of communal harmony and encourages religious conversions which is rampantly carried out by Christian missionaries,” Prabhakar Bhat, a top RSS functionary told Indian media.

Construction of the white granite statue 114 feet (34.7 meters) high —slightly shorter than the Rio monolith although the base will be bigger — stopped soon after it started last month after objections.

Many Hindus believe the hill where the statue is set to stand in the Christian-dominated village of Harobele is the abode of a Hindu deity, although no temple exists there.

The BJP-run state government accused the previous administration of the main opposition Congress party of illegally allotting the plot of land.

Less than one percent of Karnataka’s 65 million people are Christian, compared to around two percent in Hindu-majority India as a whole.

The state witnessed a wave of attacks on Christians and churches by Hindu radicals in 2008 over allegations of seeking to convert Hindus, including with cash.

Last year six members of a Hindu group were arrested for attacking a group of Christian pilgrims in the state.

The state government has been routinely accused of discrimination. It banned a festival to commemorate a Muslim king who fought the British East India Company.

India has witnessed a surge in crimes against its religious minorities and shrinking of religious freedoms since Modi swept to power in 2014.

Last year the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom said that religious freedom was on a “downward trend”, with a “campaign of violence, intimidation, and harassment against non-Hindu and lower-caste Hindu minorities”.

The government rejected the report.

Over the past month India has been rocked by protests against a new law making it easier for persecuted religious minorities to obtain citizenship, but not if they are Muslim.

Combined with a mooted national register of citizens, it has stoked fears that India’s 200 million Muslims will be marginalized.

Students Across India Join Protests Against ‘Hindu Rashtra’

Along with numerous premier Universities across India, Delhi University’s premier college, St Stephens, joined the nationwide stir in university campuses against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register.

According to a post, students and faculty members in large numbers came together on Monday to discuss and plan “long term resistance” to the CAA, NRC and NPR. “Of utmost importance is to realize that the approval of these provisions aren’t isolated actions but steps towards the Sangh’s vision of a Hindu Rashtra,” the post said denouncing in words what is usually said by Opposition parties.

“The abrogation of Article 370 in August and the internet suspension in Kashmir is not to be forgotten either; Kashmiris continue to face innumerable human rights violations and suspension of civil rights,” it added.

“Further, we must keep in mind the condition of the working class of the country who continue to suffer the consequences of a negligent government that doesn’t care about fixing rampant unemployment and poverty,” St Stephens’ students and faculty said, criticizing the economic policies of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

“Government is committed to distracting the populace from the economic crisis it has created and is now abjectly failing to deal with; the students and professors of St Stephens will not stand by and tolerate the marginalisation of the people’s real needs and interests,” the post said, blaming the Modi government for trying to distract from the economic woes facing the country.

“The unleashing of unabashed terror in universities like JNU, Jamia and AMU and the passing of divisive legislation like CAA seeks to destroy the secular character of India and the right to dissent that is intrinsic to any genuine democracy. The exercise of this right is an intrinsic aspect of university campuses. We wholeheartedly the necessity of dissent on campuses and refuse to allow its dilution in the face of fascist violence running riot in the country today,” the post said affirming the right to dissent in campuses and slamming “fascist tendencies”

U.S. Indian Groups Call for Sanctions on Home Minister of India Over New Anti-Muslim Citizenship Law, Human Rights Abuses

A coalition of Indian-American and American civil society, civil and human rights organizations today held a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., calling for U.S. sanctions on Home Minister of India in response to that country adopting the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) – a law that discriminates against India’s religious minorities and could categorize India’s 200 million Muslims and others as non-citizens as illegal aliens.

Organizations participating in the news conference included:

Indian American Muslim Council

International Society for Peace and Justice

Islamic Circle of North America Council for Social Justice

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Council on Minority Rights in India

Emgage

Justice For All

Baltimore County Muslim Council

During the news conference, coalition members urged President Trump, the Department of State and members of Congress to reject the human rights violations and the discriminatory laws being passed in India and take the following actions:

Formally request the Indian government to revoke the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), as it violates India’s international obligations to prevent deprivation of citizenship based on race, religion, color, descent, national or ethnic origin as found in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other human rights treaties.

Sanction India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Yogi Adityanath, in light of their blatant violations of human rights, as per the recommendations of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The commission previously stated should the CAA pass, the US government “should consider sanctions against the home minister and other principal leadership.”

Summon the Indian Ambassador and Foreign Minister of India to meet with President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo to address the human rights violations taking place in India and remind them of their nation’s international obligations.

Carry out a U.S. State Department inquiry and report into accounts of law enforcement-led violence against anti-CAA protesters and the more than 20 confirmed deaths of protesters. The U.S. should demand that India comply with the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

 The coalition also called on India to:

  • Release all student protesters arrested for opposing CAA in UP, Delhi and other states.
  • Release protesters who were not involved in any unlawful acts
  • Arrest and remove from duty and prosecute police officers guilty of human rights violations against anti-CAA protesters
  • Remove Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from office for his direct involvement in the police brutalities directed against the protesters.

BACKGROUND:

On December 10, the government of India passed the CAA, which legalized the granting of citizenship based on religion and specifically excluded Muslims from obtaining citizenship. India also is planning to implement a pan-India citizen verification process known as the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The combination of CAA and NRC would give the Indian Government legal grounds to declare Indian Muslims as non-citizens.

 Since enactment of CCA, dozens of Indian protesters have been killed by police firing into crowds of unarmed anti-CAA protesters, and hundreds of others were injured. In Uttar Pradesh, state police under the administration of Modi’s extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have violently attacked students at the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University. The Indian government has also banned protests and cut internet in parts of the nation’s capital Delhi and throughout the states of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Bharat Bachao rally in front of the Indian Consulate in New York

“When India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, ran for the top job five years ago, he promised development but what he has delivered us is a mismanaged economy” Stated Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA who was addressing the crowd which has gathered in front of the Indian Consulate in New York on December 14th to protest Narendra Modi Government’s economic policies as part of joint protest called by the All India Congress Committee. “Under the Modi Government, the unemployment has reached a 45 year high with increasing suicides among the farmers and rising inflation, it is apparent that Modi’s governance has brought the country to economic stagnation and to the brink of paralysis” Mr. Gilzian added.
Bharat Bachao rally in front of the Indian Consulate in New YorkAbout 150 people mostly belonging to IOC, USA gathered in front of the Consulate for this protest rally and shouted slogans like ‘Modi Hatao, Bharat Bachao” and displayed slogans like “farmers are dying, and Modi is flying”, “Save secularism and Save India”,and  “save democracy”.
Mr. George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the IOC, USA, spoke about the deteriorating economic conditions where Modi’s crony capitalistic policies have contributed to the highest level of Non-performing Assets (Bad debt) thereby putting the banks and its depositors at risk. “Modi government is busy diverting attention away from the real issues that affect the people but rather engaged in promoting a divisive and polarizing agenda to create a majority vote bank to retain power,” Abraham added.
Mr. Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General lamented the sharp decline of the Indian economy and said: “factories are slowing down and with GDP in a free fall to 4.5% at this point, the employment situation for the young people looks rather dim, and Modi is not only damaging the economy but also its democracy”.
Mr. Rajender DichpallyBharat Bachao rally in front of the Indian Consulate in New York, General Secretary, decried Government’s apathy in addressing youth unemployment in India. “With over 8% unemployment and rising, Modi has broken his promise to the young people of crating 2 Crores jobs a year,” Dichpally added.
Mr. Gurmit Gill Mulapur, President of the Punjab Chapter spoke about the declining prices of Real Estate in India and added that the second generation Indians are increasingly afraid to travel to India because of the security concerns.
The leaders who spoke at the rally included Phuman Singh, Sr. Vice-President,Rajesh Alladad, vice-President,Pradeep Samala, Vice-President, John Joseph, Vice-President, Sawaran Singh, Treasurer, Satish Sharma – Chairman Punjab Chapter Chairman, Leela Maret, President, Kerala Chapter, Rajeswara Reddy – President, Telengana Chapter, Dr. Jayesh Patel – President, Gujarat Chapter, Sandeep Kumar – President, Delhi, Chapter, Devendra Vora, President, Maharashtra Chapter, Pavan Daris – President,  Andhra Chapter, Gurmit Buttar – Vice-President, Kris Arora, Senior leader, Vijay Nadella, Pappy Badesha,  Manoj Shinde, Chairman, IOC-IT Wing, Vinay Vikas- Vice-President, IOC-Massachusetts Chapter and Dhananjay Nawadner of IOC, Mass.

IMF paints grim picture of India’s economy

Declining consumption, investment and falling tax revenue combined with other factors put the brakes on the economy

The International Monetary Fund has expressed concern about India’s economic downturn and called for “urgent steps” to return the country to growth.

In its annual review, the IMF observed that declining consumption and investment, as well as falling tax revenue, had combined with other factors to put the brakes on one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Ranil Salgado of the IMF Asia and Pacific Department has said that after lifting millions out of poverty, “India is now in the midst of a significant economic slowdown” and urgent policy action was needed to help the country return to high growth.

However, he felt the slowdown was mostly cyclical and not structural and felt a recovery would not be quick. But he refused to call it a crisis.

The IMF wants India to continue with sound macroeconomic management and hopes the new government with its strong mandate will reinvigorate the reform agenda to boost inclusive and sustainable growth.

Last week IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said the fund was set to significantly downgrade its growth estimates for the Indian economy in the World Economic Outlook, which will be released next month.

Salgado also concurred with this view. In October, the IMF slashed its forecast for 2019 by nearly a full point to 6.1%, while cutting the outlook for 2020 to 7%.

Salgado said India’s central bank had “room to cut the policy rate further, especially if the economic slowdown continues.” The Reserve Bank of India has this year cut the key lending rate five times to a nine-year low.

However, at its last meeting earlier this month the central bank defied expectations by keeping policy unchanged.
The RBI slashed its annual growth forecast to 5% from 6.1%, as consumer demand and manufacturing activity contracts. India’s economy grew at its slowest pace in more than six years in the July-September period, down to 4.5% from 7% a year ago, according to government data.

Salgado called for restoring the health of the financial sector to “enhance its ability to provide credit to the economy.”

Salgado felt the current slowdown was due to the abrupt reduction in credit expansion for shadow bankers and the associated broad-based tightening of credit conditions appears to be an important factor.

Moreover, weak income growth, especially in rural areas, has hit private consumption. He also felt that poor implementation of structural reforms, such as the nationwide goods and services tax, may also have played a role.

The IMF official, however, expressed satisfaction over the fact that reserves have risen to record levels and the current account deficit has narrowed. He felt the issue was primarily how to address the growth slowdown.
In the short term, he said, the most critical thing was carrying out reforms in the financial sector.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, who teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School in the US, stated in an academic paper that the Indian economy was going through a “great slowdown.”

Subramanian said the Indian economy was now experiencing a “second wave” of the Twin Balance Sheet crisis, which was behind the slowdown. He described the crisis as debts accumulated by private corporates becoming the non-performing assets of banks According to Subramanian, the first wave of this crisis happened when bank loans extended to steel, power and infrastructure sector companies during the investment boom of 2004-11 turned bad. The second crisis largely occurred after the demonetization of high-value currency notes. It involved the shadow banking sector and real estate firms.

Former central bank governor Raghuram Rajan said he was concerned about the state of India’s economy and urged the government to decentralize power, focus on rural poverty alleviation and stimulate private spending.
Rajan said India was in the midst of a “growth recession” with signs of a deep malaise in the economy.

Artificial Intelligence And Fake News

A lot has changed since technology took over the world. Back then, not everyone had access to these sophisticated gadgets because they are far too expensive and only the rich can afford it. But with the mass production of these things, even the masses can now afford to buy one without spending a fortune.

We have access to news, information, ideas, opinions and virtual presentation of everything that happens around the world in our finger tips. The present generation has access to these probably more than most of the past generations put together.

The challenge is to differentiate between truth from falsehood. All that we see and hear and experience not necessarily reflect the truth or the reality.

During the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, we were treated to headlines such as “Hillary Clinton sold weapons to ISIS” and “Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump for President”. Both were completely untrue.

But they were just two examples of a tsunami of attention-grabbing, false stories that flooded social media and the internet. Many such headlines were simply trying to drive traffic to websites for the purpose of earning advertising dollars. Others though, seemed part of a concerted attempt to sway public opinion in favor of one presidential candidate or the other.
Social Media was filled with the so-called “fake news”. A study conducted by news website BuzzFeed revealed that fake news travelled faster and further during the US election campaign.

The 20 top-performing false election stories generated 8,711,000 shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook, whereas the 20 best-performing election stories from 19 reputable news websites generated 7,367,000 shares, reactions and comments.

The 2020 election season is upon us, with historical importance for the United States and the world. People are concerned that the 2016 election cycle related fake news strategy used by people to favor Trump and discredit Hillary Clinton should not be repeated and all steps need to be taken to prevent fake news reaching the public.

Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. are discovering the harsh reality that disinformation and hate speech are even more challenging in emerging markets than in places like the U.S. or Europe.
India with as many as 900 million voters in the recently concluded election that culminated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition returned to an unprecedented victory, the Social Media giants, Facebook Inc. to Google, had made huge efforts with Facebook hiring contractors to verify content in 10 of the country’s 23 official languages.

There are more technological advances in creating and circulating fake news today than ever before. Recently, I came across a report by BBC, “Dangerous AI offers to write fake news.”
The writer suggested that Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has been found to be able to “generates realistic stories, poems and articles has been updated, with some claiming it is now almost as good as a human writer.”

In February this year, OpenAI catapulted itself into the public eye when it produced a language model so good at generating fake news that the organization decided not to release it.

Recently, they released an advanced version of it. The model, called GPT-2, was trained on a dataset of eight million web pages, and is able to adapt to the style and content of the initial text given to it. “It can finish a Shakespeare poem as well as write articles and epithets,” the report stated.

A BBC report, based on research and tests done by BBC staff and technocrats found that a Text Generator, built by research firm OpenAI, has developed a new, powerful version of the system – that could be used to create fake news or abusive spam on social media.
Tristan Greene, an author, commented about AI, “I’m terrified of GPT-2 because it represents the kind of technology that evil humans are going to use to manipulate the population – and in my opinion that makes it more dangerous than any gun.”
President Donald Trump has been warning about “fake news” throughout his entire political career putting a dark cloud over the journalism professional.

A new program called “deepfaking,” a product of AI and machine learning advancements that allows high-tech computers to produce completely false yet remarkably realistic videos depicting events that never happened or people saying things they never said.

Deepfake technology is allowing organizations that produce fake news to augment their “reporting” with seemingly legitimate videos, blurring the line between reality and fiction like never before — and placing the reputation of journalists and the media at greater risk.
It is alarming that machines are now equipped with the “intelligence” to create fake news, and write like humans, adapting to human style and content, appealing to the sections of audience they want to target.

The quest for artificial intelligence (AI) began over 70 years ago, with the idea that computers would one day be able to think like us. Ambitious predictions attracted generous funding, but after a few decades there was little to show for it. But, in the last 25 years, new approaches to AI, coupled with advances in technology, mean that we may now be on the brink of realizing those pioneers’ dreams.

Artificial intelligence is able to transform the relationship between people and technology, charging our creativity and skills. The future of AI promises a new era of disruption and productivity, where human ingenuity is enhanced by speed and precision.
When this happens, the journalism industry is going to face a massive consumer trust issue, according to Zhao. He fears it will be hard for top-tier media outlets to distinguish a real video from a doctored one, let alone news consumers who haphazardly stumble across the video on Twitter.

While Artificial Intelligence has advanced much, with the noble purpose of making life easier for human beings, it has thrown massive challenges for all of us and for the need to carefully distinguish reality from fake news; from truth to falsehood.

Human behavior and our responses to the newsfeed has changed along with the rise of the Internet and social media. People are always on their smartphones or gadgets checking on their social media accounts that they often mistake virtual reality for real life. While it has helped us connect instantly with people living thousands of miles away, it has contributed to people losing real “touch” with people in their lives.

Moreover, people usually only show the good side of their lives to the public but in reality, life is not a bed of roses. There are difficulties and challenges that come our way but we often bottle it up, to give others the perception that our life is perfect. In that way, social media affects human behavior negatively.

The key here is to use it in moderation knowing how many people often lose themselves when using it. Even too much of a good thing can still be bad for you.

New Study Reveals Prevalence of Diabetes is 23% Among South Asians in U.S.

AAPI and AACIO to collaborate on diabetes and cardiovascular disease education
 
(Chicago, IL: December 23rd, 2019)  Important research regarding South Asian cardiometabolic disease was published in JAMA on December 20, 2019 by Cheng YJ, Kanaya AM, Araneta MRG, et al entitled “Prevalence of Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity in the United States, 2011-2016.”(1) The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) together with the American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin (AACIO) jointly acknowledge that the data generated by these authors has far-reaching implications for the South Asian community with respect to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In the above study, diabetes prevalence (diagnosed and undiagnosed) was found to be 12.1% for non-Hispanic whites and 23.3% for South Asians. “The 23% reflects a critical need for aggressive action towards better prevention and management of diabetes along with the accompanying cardiovascular risk” stated Dr. Kamini Trivedi, a family physician, lipidologist, and honorary Board Member of AACIO. 
In addition, Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School stated, “These valuable data demonstrate the incredibly high, vastly underappreciated burden of diabetes among South Asians. Particularly distressing is how many South Asians have diabetes without even knowing it. This phenomenon is surely fueling the cardiovascular epidemic among South Asians.”  Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., spending over $500 billion on cardiovascular disease each year.(2, 3)
AAPI and AACIO are medical societies together comprised of several tens of thousands of physicians of Indian origin in the U.S. who provide care to patients of all ethnicities and diverse backgrounds.  Physicians who are engaged with these two medical societies are particularly passionate about diabetes given that diabetes and premature cardiovascular disease so often impact their extended family and friends.
AAPI and AACIO immediately held a joint meeting the same day that the study results were unveiled, reflecting the urgency.  Dr. Brahma Sharma, a prominent cardiologist affiliated with VA University of Pittsburgh and serving as the Chair of the AAPI Ad Hoc Committee on South Asian Cardiovascular Disease, led the meeting in which Dr. Trivedi and Dr. Bhatt participated alongside the current President of AAPI, Dr. Suresh Reddy, a neuroradiologist.  Dr. Navin Nanda, MD, DSc (Hon), Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an internationally renowned cardiologist, Dr. Hanumant K. Reddy, current President of AACIO, and Dr. Vishal Gupta, President-Elect of AACIO, have offered their leadership on behalf of AACIO in conjunction with AAPI’s leadership towards addressing these challenges. Dr Nanda, who is past President and incorporator of AAPI as well as the Founding President of AACIO pointed out that the results of the study are similar to those conducted by Dr. Naresh Parikh and him in the Atlanta area in 2004 which also showed, for the first time, a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus in South Asians living in the USA, 18.3% overall with 22.5% in men and 13.6% in women.(4)
The JAMA paper along with CDC’s press release (5) on this paper were discussed at the joint AACIO-AAPI leadership meeting. AAPI and AACIO conducted preliminary brainstorming on strategy and will now work with increased collaboration to educate both physicians and the U.S. South Asian community.  Education about lifestyle modification, including culturally appropriate nutrition and physical activity, along with guideline recommended medical therapy will be the foundation of educational efforts. 
Dr. Suresh Reddy on behalf of AAPI stated, “We have the talent, skills, strength, and the commitment.  Let’s put them to work and help our community.”  Dr. Sharma expressed that the authors of this JAMA study deserve high praise.  The joint efforts of AAPI and AACIO will require a coming together of various stakeholders who are leading valuable efforts on South Asian diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  AAPI and AACIO would like to amplify their various efforts and welcome collaboration.  Physicians as well as other interested stakeholders who are interested in joining and shaping the collaborations with AAPI and AACIO should contact Vijaya Kodali at Vkodali@aapiusa.org.
References
  1. Cheng YJ, Kanaya AM, Araneta MRG, et al. Prevalence of Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity in the United States, 2011-2016. JAMA. 2019;322(24):2389–2398. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.19365.
  2. American Heart Association. 2018. Disease and Stroke Statistics-2018 Update.
  3. American Heart Association. 2017. Cardiovascular Disease: A Costly Burden for America Projections Through 2035.
  4. Venkataraman R, Nanda NC, Baweja G , et al. Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and Related Conditions in Asian Indians Living in the United States. Am J Cardiol 2004;94:977–980.
  5. CDC press release:  CDC Releases First National Estimates on Diabetes within Hispanic and Asian Populations in the US – Demographic breakdown identifies specific groups at higher risk of diabetes.  https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/p1220-diabetes-estimate.html.

Artificial Intelligence Can Write Fake News

Most people seem to agree that “fake news” is a big problem online, but what’s the best way to deal with it? Is technology too blunt an instrument to discern truth from lies, satire from propaganda? Are human beings better at flagging up false stories?

During the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, we were treated to headlines such as “Hillary Clinton sold weapons to Isis” and “Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump for President”. Both were completely untrue.

But they were just two examples of a tsunami of attention-grabbing, false stories that flooded social media and the internet. We were awash with so-called “fake news”. Many such headlines were simply trying to drive traffic to websites for the purpose of earning advertising dollars. Others though, seemed part of a concerted attempt to sway public opinion in favor of one presidential candidate or the other.

But a study conducted by news website BuzzFeed revealed that fake news travelled faster and further during the US election campaign. The 20 top-performing false election stories generated 8,711,000 shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook, whereas the 20 best-performing election stories from 19 reputable news websites generated 7,367,000 shares, reactions and comments.

With the new election season upon us, with historical importance for the United States and the world, people are concerned that the 2016 election cycle related fake news strategy used by people to favor Trump and discredit Hillary Clinton should not be repeated and all steps need to be taken to prevent fake news reaching the public.

Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. are discovering the harsh reality that disinformation and hate speech are even more challenging in emerging markets than in places like the U.S. or Europe.

India with as many as 900 million voters in the recently concluded election that culminated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition returned to an unprecedented victory, the Social Media giants, Facebook Inc. to Google, had made huge efforts with Facebook hiring contractors to verify content in 10 of the country’s 23 official languages.

Today, there are more technological advances in creating and circulating fake news today than ever before. Recently, I came across a report by BBC, “Dangerous AI offers to write fake news.” The writer suggested that Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has been found to be able to “generates realistic stories, poems and articles has been updated, with some claiming it is now almost as good as a human writer.”

In February this year, OpenAI catapulted itself into the public eye when it produced a language model so good at generating fake news that the organization decided not to release it. Last month, they released an advanced version of it. The model, called GPT-2, was trained on a dataset of eight million web pages, and is able to adapt to the style and content of the initial text given to it. “It can finish a Shakespeare poem as well as write articles and epithets,” the report stated.

A BBC report, based on research and tests done by BBC staff and technocrats found that a Text Generator, built by research firm OpenAI, has developed a new, powerful version of the system – that could be used to create fake news or abusive spam on social media.

Tristan Greene, an author, commented about AI, “I’m terrified of GPT-2 because it represents the kind of technology that evil humans are going to use to manipulate the population – and in my opinion that makes it more dangerous than any gun.”

President Donald Trump has been warning about “fake news” throughout his entire political career putting a dark cloud over the journalism professional. A new program called “deepfaking,” a product of AI and machine learning advancements that allows high-tech computers to produce completely false yet remarkably realistic videos depicting events that never happened or people saying things they never said.

Deepfake technology is allowing organizations that produce fake news to augment their “reporting” with seemingly legitimate videos, blurring the line between reality and fiction like never before — and placing the reputation of journalists and the media at greater risk.

It is alarming that machines are now equipped with the “intelligence” to create fake news, and write like humans, adapting to human style and content, appealing to the sections of audience they want to target.

The quest for artificial intelligence (AI) began over 70 years ago, with the idea that computers would one day be able to think like us. Ambitious predictions attracted generous funding, but after a few decades there was little to show for it. But, in the last 25 years, new approaches to AI, coupled with advances in technology, mean that we may now be on the brink of realizing those pioneers’ dreams.

The AI has its origin during The World War Two, when scientists from many disciplines, including the emerging fields of neuroscience and computing were searching for answers to the many issues they had faced over 70 years ago. As per reports, mathematician Alan Turing and neurologist Grey Walter from England were two of the bright minds who tackled the challenges of intelligent machines. They traded ideas in an influential dining society called the Ratio Club. Walter built some of the first ever robots. Turing went on to invent the so-called Turing Test, which set the bar for an intelligent machine: a computer that could fool someone into thinking they were talking to another person.

The term ‘artificial intelligence’ was coined for a summer conference at Dartmouth University, organized by a young computer scientist, John McCarthy. AI is a constellation of technologies—from machine learning to natural language processing—that allows machines to sense, comprehend, act and learn.

Supporters of top-down AI still had their champions: supercomputers like Deep Blue, which in 1997 took on world chess champion Garry Kasparov. The IBM-built machine was, on paper, far superior to Kasparov – capable of evaluating up to 200 million positions a second. But could it think strategically? The answer was a resounding yes. The supercomputer won the contest, dubbed ‘the brain’s last stand’, with such flair that Kasparov believed a human being had to be behind the controls. Some hailed this as the moment that AI came of age. But for others, this simply showed brute force at work on a highly specialized problem with clear rules.

In November 2008, a small feature appeared on the new Apple iPhone – a Google app with speech recognition. It seemed simple. But this heralded a major breakthrough. Despite speech recognition being one of AI’s key goals, decades of investment had never lifted it above 80% accuracy. Google pioneered a new approach: thousands of powerful computers, running parallel neural networks, learning to spot patterns in the vast volumes of data streaming in from Google’s many users. At first it was still fairly inaccurate but, after years of learning and improvements, Google now claims it is 92% accurate.

In 2011, IBM’s Watson took on the human brain on US quiz show Jeopardy. This was a far greater challenge for the machine than chess. Watson had to answer riddles and complex questions. Its makers used a myriad of AI techniques, including neural networks, and trained the machine for more than three years to recognise patterns in questions and answers. Watson trounced its opposition – the two best performers of all time on the show. The victory went viral and was hailed as a triumph for AI.

Sixty-four years after Turing published his idea of a test that would prove machine intelligence, a chatbot called Eugene Goostman finally passed. But very few AI experts saw this a watershed moment. Eugene Goostman was seen as ‘taught for the test’, using tricks to fool the judges. It was other developments in 2014 that really showed how far AI had come in 70 years. From Google’s billion dollar investment in driverless cars, to Skype’s launch of real-time voice translation, intelligent machines were now becoming an everyday reality that would change all of our lives.

Companies recognize AI’s strategic importance and its impact on their business, yet many are stalled in making it a key enabler for their strategy. Artificial intelligence is able to transform the relationship between people and technology, charging our creativity and skills. The future of AI promises a new era of disruption and productivity, where human ingenuity is enhanced by speed and precision.

When this happens, the journalism industry is going to face a massive consumer trust issue, according to Zhao. He fears it will be hard for top-tier media outlets to distinguish a real video from a doctored one, let alone news consumers who haphazardly stumble across the video on Twitter.

While Artificial Intelligence has advanced much, with the noble purpose of making life easier for human beings, it has thrown massive challenges for all of us and for the need to carefully distinguish reality from fake news; from truth to falsehood.

New York-based author Atish Taseer’s OCI Card Revoked for Criticizing Modi

New York-based author and journalist Aatish Taseer’s Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card has been revoked as he had “concealed” the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin, the Indian government said last week. An OCI card allows a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work in India for an indefinite duration of time.

However, the author has said in a reply that his estranged father was a British passport holder and that his parents had never been legally wed. His mother, columnist and writer Tavleen Singh, is his sole legal guardian, he said.

Aatish is a well-known critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ahead of the 2019 General Elections, he had written a scathing article in Time magazine, critiquing the failures of the Modi government. The article was titled ‘India’s Divider In Chief’ and had explored the question of whether the world’s largest democracy could endure another five years of a Modi government.

Aatish Taseer is the son of senior journalist Tavleen Singh, an Indian, and late Salman Taseer, a Pakistani businessman and politician. Salman Taseer was assassinated in the year 2011 while he was serving as the Governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province.

“Mr. Aatish Ali Taseer, while submitting his PIO application, concealed the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin,” the Union Home Ministry spokesperson tweeted.

“Mr. Taseer was given the opportunity to submit his reply/objections regarding his PIO/OCI cards, but he failed to dispute the notice,” the spokesperson said in another tweet.

“Thus, Aatish Ali Taseer becomes ineligible to hold an OCI card as per the Citizenship Act, 1955. He has clearly not complied with very basic requirements and hidden information,” it added.

Aatish tweeted that he had been given just 24 hours to reply, as opposed to the usual 21 days. Attaching a screenshot of the acknowledgement he received, the journalist also showed that he had, in fact, replied to the government, raising objections to the move. “This is untrue. Here is the Consul General’s acknowledgment of my reply. I was given not the full 21 days, but rather 24 hours to reply. I’ve heard nothing from the ministry since.” (sic) he wrote.

Committee to Protect journalists criticized the government of India. “Targeting a journalist’s immigration status after the publication of a critical article shows that the @BJP4India is intolerant of criticism and freedom of the press.”

Shashi Throor, a journalist and a Member of the Congress Party said, “It is painful to see an official spokesperson of our government making a false claim that is so easily disproved. It is even more painful that in our democracy such things happen: https://theprint.in/india/govt-considers-revoking-aatish-taseers-oci-card-after-time-article-slammed-modi/316911/ … Is our Govt so weak that it feels threatened by a journalist?”

Four honored at Indian Diaspora Health Summit in New Jersey

The third Indian Diaspora Health Summit was held on October 12, 2019, at TV Asia Auditorium in Edison, NJ. The meet was organized by GOPIO International Health Council, The Consulate General of India in New York, and TV Asia, with support from Indian Health Camp of NJ, Princeton Lions Club and Central Jersey Business Organization.

Deputy Consul General of India in New York Shatrughna Sinha attended the event as a Chief Guest along with CEO and Chairman of TV Asia Padma Shri Dr. H.R. Shah, Piscataway Township Councilman Kapil Shah, health professionals and community leaders from various organizations.

The summit included comprehensive discussions on medical, dental, mental health, alternative medicine, life-style modifications and wellness and yoga sessions from various renowned experts from the Tristate area.

The GOPIO Health Council recognized and awarded four leaders in their respective fields for their contribution as well as for promoting health awareness among the Indian Diaspora in the community.

The awardees were Rahul Shukla, CEO, S.S. White Technologies & Shukla Medical – For achievement and contributions in manufacturing latest medical equipment; Hitesh Bhatt, Bhatt Foundation Inc. – achievement and contributions  in health care technology; Padma Shri H.R. Shah, Chairman & CEO, TV Asia – for promoting health awareness among the Indian Diaspora and Sabinsa Corporation – for achievement and contributions in health supplements.

GOPIO Health Council Chair Dr. Tushar Patel said at the meet that access to care, especially preventive health care, is the biggest challenge for South Asian community. Early detection and timely intervention for diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders and many types of cancer brings overall positive outcome and reduce long term complications and help in healthier living.

Sinha mentioned in his speech that “we have vulnerabilities in terms of our genetic makeup and our earliest problems were access to healthcare and insurance for healthcare but now the number of doctors in India are reducing, so we have created more medical schools to fix this.” He briefed the gathering about various initiatives taken by the Government of India in the health sector. He also spoke about opportunities for investments in India’s health sector.

The health summit concluded with 45 minutes of yoga, meditation and breathing exercise session from Dr. Aparna Chawla of Art of Living Foundation.

The entire health summit lasted more than seven hours with various experts from medical, dental, mental health and alternative care specialists in attendance for the second consecutive year.

Nassau County Celebrates Diwali

On Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019 in the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building, Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs, along with the Indian American Forum, hosted a celebration for the Diwali – the Indian Festival of Lights.

Together with over 100 constituents, the office and event’s sponsoring organizations enjoyed a bright evening celebrating with the beautiful cultural dances and instrumentals. The event was put together through the hard work of a host committee consisting of Jyoti Gupta, Pinky Jaggi, Beena Kothari, Mukesh Modi, Jasbir Jay Singh, Lalit Aery, Beena Sabapathy, Indu Jaiswal, Jaya Bahadkar, Sunita Manjrekar, Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan, Roopam Maini, Anju Sharma.

With sponsoring organizations including IAF, LILC, GOPIO, IDP USA, IALI, Vegetarian Vision, and the AAAC, the event was a resounding success for the community. County officials such as County Executive Laura Curran, Asian American Affairs Director Farrah Mozawalla, and Human Rights Commissioner Bobby Kalotee came to show their support of the diversity in Nassau by participating in a traditional lamp lighting ceremony and giving inspiring words.

The event also took the opportunity to honor some esteemed individuals for their contributions to the Indian American community. The honorees were Peter Bheddah, Vikas Dhall, Anu Gulati, Harshal Kadakia, Nilima Madan, and Rajeevi Madankumar. The performances that followed all shone uniquely and showcased the breathtaking culture of Indian Americans. Through this celebration, all the attendees had the chance to reflect on beauty of how bright Nassau shines when standing together.

India’s Global Hunger Index ranking reveals colossal failure of Modi government, says Rahul

After India was ranked a lowly 102nd out of 117 countries in this year’s Global Hunger Index (GHI), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Narendra Modi-led Centre saying the country’s position reveals a “colossal failure” in the policy of the central government.

“India’s #GlobalHungerIndex ranking, falling steadily since 2014, has now crashed to 102/117. This ranking reveals a colossal failure in Govt policy and blows the lid off the PM’s hollow “sabka vikas” claim, parroted by Modia,” he said in a tweet.

With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is categorised as “serious”, according to the GHI report.

Even other countries in the SAARC region, like Nepal (73rd), Sri Lanka (66th), Bangladesh (88th), Myanmar (69th) and Pakistan (94th) have fared better than India, although the nations also fall in the ‘serious’ category.

Only Afghanistan (108th) has been ranked below India in the report.

India’s child wasting rate is extremely high at 20.8 per cent — the highest wasting rate of any country. The country’s child stunting rate, 37.9 per cent, is also categorised as very high in terms of its public health significance, according to the GHI report.

Just 9.6 per cent of all children in the country aged between 6 and 23 months are fed a “minimum acceptable diet”, said the report.

The GHI calculates the levels of global hunger and undernutrition. The four parameters for measuring the index are — undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting (weight for age) and child mortality. (ANI)

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

Trailblazing ‘Hindu Mandir Executive Conference’ in N.J.

“Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA)” sponsored historic 14th annual ‘Hindu Mandir Executive Conference (HMEC)’ in New Jersey concluded with resounding success on Sept.22 at ‘Fairbridge Inn & Suites’ in East Hanover, N.J. This annual fair takes place in different regions of N. America, (includes Caribbean Islands), for the benefit of Hindu temples and religious organizations. The primary objective of this eminent gathering is to collectively enhance their relevance to the Hindu society-at-large and to the rising second generation. In this pioneering effort, VHPA’s role is limited to that of a facilitator or a catalytic-supporter. According to Vipul Patel, the Convener, the theme of this year’s HMEC was – “Sustaining Temples and Institutions by Building security and Strength through community Outreach and Seva programs”. This year, several dozen Temples and Organizations participated in 3-day affair that had 35 speakers and approx. 200 delegates.

The main coordinator of the entire conference was Bhakti Mehta-Modi who kept the tightly paced sessions adequately focused on their subjects from the beginning. The conference began on Friday, September 20 evening with Swami Pratyagbodhanandaji, along with other seers, blessing the event with Sanskrit shlokas and lighting the auspicious lamp. This first session was devoted to safety initiatives and emergency precautions in case of Medical crisis, Fire, Vandalism or an active shooter prowling on the premises. This was expertly handled by representatives of ‘Homeland Security’, Chief Officers of local firefighting unit and emergency management unit. Mark Curcio (Emergency Mgmt.) recommended that all places of worship should have a ‘crisis management team’, adequately installed surveillance gadgets, properly established rapport with local concerned authorities, and periodic safe evacuation drills under their supervision. Most of the temples it seemed lacked this preparedness. Sohini Sarcar’s (Hindu Student Council – ‘HSC’) weeks of interactions with these ‘security professionals’ was not only evident but also was overwhelmingly appreciated by them. Chaplain Shawn Lee’s (‘US Army Chaplaincy’) assertion on how difficult it is to recruit qualified Hindu Chaplains for Army’s spiritual wing came as a surprise to most of the people. This is something the Hindu diaspora needs to delve on in the interest of Hindu soldiers in US Army.

Saturday, September 21 morning session focused on prevention, protection and sustenance. It dealt with adopting a public-relation road map for the surrounding community by educating children about Hindu culture in temple-based classroom, bringing our festivals on public platform to remove any misgivings rather than just internalizing their importance and adopting ‘Seva’ projects. As part of community outreach by temples and institutions, Neha Srivastava suggested that they become catchment centers for society’s ills and address issues like loneliness, caregiving, poverty, domestic violence resulting out of marital discord etc. Given an opportunity of 2 hrs. /wk. time and space, she offered to establish such pilot programs in temples that are willing to give a try. To sustain the cultural values among the college youths, Nikunj Trivedi of ‘HSC’ gave insight into what they had accomplished in past 29 years. In spite of inadequate support system 150,000 students have been nurtured by them at 60+ college campuses.

“HMEC” is not only a vehicle for the executives of temples and religious organizations for their own networking, but also, to collectively overcome various hurdles faced by them by addressing commonality among them or by drafting reference charter-booklets. Abhaya Asthana, President of ‘VHPA’, along with his associate Sanjay Mehta (Gen Secretary, VHPA) expanded on this approach with Sant Gupta, Tejal Shah, Vinod Gupta explaining the subtext of it. It is remarkable to note that through HMEC initiative ‘Hindu Mandir Priest Conference (HMPC)’, ‘Hindu Women Network (HWN)’, ‘Hindu American Vanaprasthi Network (HAVAN) have been established. Moreover, this has resulted in publication of informative books like ‘Hindu Prayer Book’ and a book on ‘Antimsanskar’ (last rites). Abhayaji, also talked on Hindu’s biggest global event – “World Hindu Congress” – that took place last year in Chicago, USA where 3,000 delegates from 65 countries participated. Keeping up with the theme of the conference Swami Pratyagbodhananji, released a new book titled ‘Hindu Temple Security Guidelines’ that details the steps that need to be taken by the members of HMEC for the safety of their institutions and gatherings.

Saturday afternoon was devoted to ‘Media’ as a strategic tool of influence to connect with the larger audience and especially with our second generation. On the outset, Ajay Shah who is vigilant about anti-Hindu defamation attempts, expressed displeasure about the way Hindus are portrayed in the Media by well-financed hate-groups. He advised that more concerted efforts on the part of Hindus are necessary to counter this onslaught. Continuing on 2017 Media-workshop, Fred Stella emphasized that HMEC cadre needs to be Media-savvy (print, audio-visual, Social-media etc.) as the technology is here to stay. He disclosed that, as the raw data was being compiled, a handbook, as a guide, to interact with the Media in positive manner was on its way. Bhakti Mehta-Modi, Parth Parihar and Yogi Jayanathaji touched on modern modes of communications prevalent among younger generation. As an off-shoot of previous HMECs, quite a few ‘guidance books’ are being prepared.  Among them, some relate to youth issues, namely, love-hate relation with their own identity, silent suffering when ostracized, freewill marriage, social stigmas atypical to Hindus in alien culture, depression etc. In late afternoon there was a special youth session to tackle their existential problems.

The highlight of Sunday, September 22 was the deliberations on wide-spread ‘religious conversions’ in Caribbean Islands and in India. Pt. Ram Harodwar revealed that lot of religious zealots, worldwide, are raising huge amounts of money to entice Hindus to change their religion. In Guyana, it was alleged that there is 25% drop in Hindu population since their arrival. The panel, consisting of Ram Sahadeo, Dwarka Persaud, Ram Harodwar and Fred Stella blamed the situation on governmental agencies, Hindu’s callous indifference and religious extremists preying on the disadvantaged. The possible solutions? Education, Financial aid, Reconversion, and Temples as help-centers for the people in need – and not just acting as the citadel of rituals. Everyone agrees that spirituality in all its forms is not the only contribution of Hindus to U.S. To encapsulate and celebrate all their contributions & achievements a unique symposium – ‘THREADS Conference 2019’ – is being hosted in Boston, MA on November 1-3 < https://www.threads2019.org >. Jai Bansal, who is one of the conveners of this gathering revealed that, “the purpose is to share the story of Hindu-Americans, appreciate what the America has done to embrace them and increasingly engage them to shape a collective future”.

For the benefit of participating institutions, Sanjay Mehta summarized the action items that the members had agreed on. The gathering resolved to (1) to create ‘Hindu Seva and outreach portal’, after database collection is complete (2) publish visitor’s guide for various Temples spread across the landscape (3) establish ‘HMEC Library’ to catalogue progressive ideas, suggestion and practical projects. Before the historic conference came to an end, Bhakti Mehta-Modi made a constructive suggestion that ~ it would serve everyone’s interests if the ‘Seniors’ give more time and thought to what the youths have to say in executing any task. She further elaborated that the definition of respect for seniors has different resonance to the youths born in USA and they also expect Seniors to take them seriously and not brush them aside. The gathering appreciated VHPA’s comprehensive efforts to bring various institutions together for collective brainstorming on issues that affect them most.

A hero to the world, Gandhi is increasingly controversial in India

India is marking the 150th birthday of Mohandas Gandhi, the man known as the father of the nation, and across the country there are exhibits, commemorations, marches, prisoner releases and even a 1,000-foot-long greeting card.

But the celebrations this week mask a deeper unease. A century and a half after the birth of the revered leader of India’s independence struggle, Gandhi and his legacy are getting an update — and much of it is not positive.

Even as admiration for Gandhi remains widespread, aspects of his life and philosophy are increasingly a source of controversy. Scholars have highlighted the racist language he used as a young man living in South Africa as well as his defense of India’s caste system.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the political spectrum, India’s right-leaning Hindu nationalist ideologues have long had an ambivalent relationship with Gandhi. Some view his dedication to nonviolence as a form of weakness, or think he betrayed the cause of Hindus with his support for religious pluralism. Earlier this year, one politician from the ruling party even described the man who assassinated Gandhi as a “patriot.”

In many parts of the world, “Gandhi is seen broadly as a nice, decent, open-minded, reasonable guy who advocated nonviolence, justice, peace and so on,” said Ramachandra Guha, a historian and author of a two-volume biography of Gandhi. But in India, “his ideas and legacy have been deeply contested.”

Gandhi is often given the title “Mahatma,” or “great soul,” and many in India refer to him simply as “Bapu,” a word for father. He inspired leaders such as Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote that Gandhi served as a “continual reminder” that “it is possible to resist evil and yet not resort to violence.” But in his long life in the public eye — his collected works comprise nearly 100 volumes — Gandhi delved not only into politics, but also economics, religion, sexuality, sanitation and even diet.

One recent critique centers on Gandhi’s two decades in South Africa as a younger man. During that time, he repeatedly referred to black South Africans using a racial slur and described them as inferior to Indians, views that prompted a university in Ghana to remove a statue of Gandhi late last year.

A growing number of writers and scholars have also criticized Gandhi for his views on India’s caste system, saying he was a conservative who believed in preserving hereditary roles for different caste groups in Indian society rather than eradicating them.

Gandhi denounced the practice of treating certain people as “untouchable” or somehow polluting. Yet he also believed in having a “harmonious social order,” said Anand Teltumbde, one of India’s preeminent scholars on caste and the author of a recent manuscript on Gandhi. “The caste system provided that order,” Teltumbde said.

Other scholars say that Gandhi advocated a gradual reform of the system because he did not want to alienate the upper castes, which were crucial to the independence struggle.

On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Gandhi at an event in Gujarat, the home state of both men. Gandhi was an advocate for better sanitation, and Modi is using his 150th birthday to celebrate the government’s “Clean India” campaign, which has constructed millions of toilets nationwide. Because of the program, India’s rural areas have essentially eradicated the practice of defecating outside, Modi said, although experts cast doubt on that claim.

Modi also praised Gandhi in an opinion piece published in the New York Times, saluting him for giving “courage to millions globally” and for envisioning “a world where every citizen has dignity and prosperity.” Modi challenged “thinkers, entrepreneurs and tech leaders” to find innovative ways to spread Gandhi’s ideas.

Modi’s emphasis on honoring Gandhi in association with the cleanliness campaign strikes some of those who knew him as a strategic choice. Although Gandhi did advocate improved sanitation, they say, it was not his central message. Those connected to the current Indian regime are using a fragment of Gandhi to destroy the core of Gandhi,” said his grandson Rajmohan Gandhi, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “The core of Gandhi is equality and especially minority rights.”

Modi “exalts Gandhi as a prophet of cleanliness and recycling,” added Guha, Gandhi’s biographer. “He never talks about what Gandhi lived and died for, which was Hindu-Muslim harmony.”

Gandhi was assassinated in January 1948 by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. Godse was a former member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu nationalist organization that is the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. (Modi spent much of his life as a full-time RSS worker.)

In May, Pragya Thakur, days before she was elected to India’s Parliament for the BJP, hailed Gandhi’s assassin Godse as a “patriot.” Modi said Thakur’s remarks were “condemnable” and she apologized, but the party ultimately took no action against her.

Some rue the fact that Gandhi is becoming irrelevant in today’s India. He has been reduced “to a ritualistic presence in our collective life,” Apoorvanand, a professor at Delhi University who goes by only one name, wrote this month. “He has been made a lifestyle guru, a feel-good presence — something he never was.” To embrace Gandhi would mean reviving “a politics of dissent . . . which sometimes requires going against one’s own people.”

When Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi, his grandson Rajmohan was 12. Now Rajmohan is 84, older than Gandhi was when he died. Rajmohan said he took heart from a recent video of an Indian high school student reciting a poem praising Gandhi that went viral.

“There is a stubborn core of people who have understood him and know that Gandhi represents the better angels of the Indian nature,” said Rajmohan. Gandhi is “not finished in India — no, sir.”

Gandhi Alone is the ‘Father of India’

The ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston was an eye catcher for more reasons than one. While Modi was saying ‘All is Well’ in India, thousands of protestors outside were showing the real mirror to state of affairs in India. At the same time Donald Trump, US president, while on one hand due to face the process of impeachment, on the other he was trying to promote his electoral prospects in the next US elections.

As is his wont he does flatter visiting dignitaries, for achieving goals of his diplomacy. He went on to praise Modi to the sky; as a great leader; saying, “I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension; fighting and he (Modi) brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the ‘father of India’.”

Right within US there are many views about Modi. The last time the similar debate cropped up was just before Indian General Elections of 2019. On the eve of the elections US premier magazine Time came out with a cover story “Modi: the Divider in Chief’. Of course in another article in the same issue of the magazine he was presented as the one who is central to the process of economic reforms in India. What we see here in India and what the lead article of Time magazine presented was on the dot, the divisive role of Modi.

The observation here has been that Modi’s coming to power has strengthened the divisive forces, the forces who want Hindu nation. It is precisely these forces who have gone on rampage to unleash their agenda around Cow-Beef, the communal divisions have been deepened and identity issues have come to the fore like never before.

The minorities are being alienated and dalits-Adivasis are being marginalized. Even language wise talk has been floated to make Hindi as national language. The identity issues, which create emotive atmosphere and divide the people are to the fore. While Trump is talking in one tone, the earlier hopeful in previous Presidential elections in America, Bernie Sanders in a tweet hinted that Trump is emboldening the authoritarian leaders like Modi, the leaders who are presiding over religious persecution, repression and brutality against minorities.

Till few years ago Modi himself spoke very divisive language. Now this job has been passed down to his associates. Yogi Adityanath’s anti Muslim utterances abound. Anantkrishna Hegde like many of his ilk have been openly been talking of Hindu nation. To add to the list Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, the accused in Malegaon blast, out on bail, has been praising Gandhi’s killer Godse among other things. Lately the way Article 370 has been abrogated the alienation of people of Kashmir is going up.

In a way Time magazine’s cover story did capture the state of things prevalent here. Trump is no scholar of history, ignorant of the fact as to why India regards Mahatma Gandhi as the ‘father of the nation’.

Trump’s considerations are driven by his political contingency of gradually shifting America’s closeness to India. The reason for US favoring Pakistan in yesteryears was the compulsion of cold war era. Later it kept siding with Pakistan as US designs of controlling oil wealth of West Asia were its prime motive and Pakistan was made a part of American designs in West Asia.

Now with emergence of China as a major power, and China being close to Pakistan, US gradually want to become close to India. These may be some of the factors due to which Trump is making such utterances. But that’s not about all. US is also keeping its Pakistan relationship on some scale and very shrewdly Trump did say that Modi had made aggressive remarks in Houston rally. He seems to be buttering his bread from both the sides at present.

Many a reaction to Trump’s formulations showed his hollowness. Gandhi’s grandson Tushar, tweeted that whether Trump will like to replace George Washington as one of the founding fathers of America?

What Trump has stated has pained those for whom Gandhi is the ‘father of the nation’. Any way the followers of Modi ideology do not regard Gandhi as the father of the nation. Their argument is that India the Hindu nation; is there from times immemorial and so how can Gandhi be its father. Gandhi being father of the nation also relates to the concept of nationalism.

All those who were part of ‘India as a nation in the making’ see Gandhi as the central uniting figure. During freedom movement in the anti colonial movement, it was Gandhi who played the role of uniting the country which was scattered along the lines of religion, region, caste and language. The communalists like the followers of Muslim League saw Gandhi as a Hindu leader and Hindu communalists saw Gandhi as the appeaser of Muslims.

Through the very profound and complex process, India emerged as a Nation with the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Surely the likes of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar, Nehru and Patel played great role in making of the modern India. The process had multiple components, anti colonialism being the core where the likes of Bhagat Singh inspired the idea and Gandhi led the greatest ever mass movement, the movement directed against British Empire.

It is due to this that Subhashchandra Bose on July 6 1944, in broadcast from Singapore Radio, sought blessings of Gandhi, addressing him as Father of Nation. Sarojini Naidu on April 6, 1947, on the eve of Independence, addressed Gandhi as Rashtrapita (Father of the Nation). So where do we go from here, the Hindu nationalist followers are going euphoric about what Trump said and all those whole identify with India’s struggle for Independence and uphold democratic values are in anguish due to this statement from US President. Trump’s superficial observation is neither sound in history of India nor knowing of what is happening in India, it’s a mere diplomatic ploy to please the visiting leader.

Gandhi Memorial Trust in collaboration with Village of Skokie and Consulate General of Chicago Celebrates 150th Birthday Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

Chicago IL: The Gandhi Memorial Trust in collaboration with Village of Skokie and consulate general of India, organized the remembrance at larger than life, bronze statue of Mahatma, located at the Heritage Public Park in Skokie, Illinois. Between 10 to 12 PM. Confronting fall type Chicago’s cold windy and rainy day, almost 155 Gandhi admirers and followers attended the occasion, Event began by offerings of flower and reciting his favorite song “Vaishnav vajan…., by Bollywood singer Poonam Bhatia.

October 2, 2019 was the 150th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born in Porbandar, India; He led perhaps the biggest mass movement in the world. The hallmark of this movement was non-violence. It is in recognition of his contributions that the United Nations has declared October 2 as the International Day of Non-violence.

Village of Skokie Mayor, Village Trustees; Indian Consulate General honorable Mr. Sudhakar Dalela with consulate team; Mrs. Santosh Kumar and staff of Universal Metro Asian Services (UMAS), and almost 155 supporters graced the occasion

Opening speech by founder and Chairman Dr. Chandrakant M. Modi, highlighted narration of establishment of Mahatma’s statue 15 years ago. He acknowledged pivotal supportive role played by the Mayor and village Trustees   and entire team. Dr. Modi concluded “If Gandhi’s teaching is followed today, no one have to die to go to haven”, that place will be existent right now on our planet.

The Mayor of Skokie Honorable Mr. George Van Dusen started his speech by that Gandhi’s strength came from his spirituality, his honesty and simplicity and, of course, his absolute conviction. “a Quote on Gandhi, by Albert Einstein had who said, “Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.” He further remarked Gandhi’s strength came from his spirituality, his honesty and simplicity and, of course, his absolute conviction. The village of Skokie of appreciates the steadfast services of the Gandhi Memorial representatives to bring here through the sculpture and taking active role in spreading his universal eternal message of truth, tolerance and non-violence. He further added that since inception of the statue, every year, in honor of this universal man Gandhi, the village has proclaims October 2nd as peace day.

Honorable Mr. Sudhakar Dalela, Counsel General of India, shared Gandhi’s role in achieving monumental task of attaining the goal of independence of India by non-violence movement. Gandhi’s words, actions and methods won over the masses and as a result, several joined him as he led momentous the “Dandi Salt March” in 1930. In 1942, he launched the Quit India Movement.

Honerable Daleja also shared the messages from President and prime minister of India on this occasion and congratulated the Gandhi Memorial community to continue spreading the message of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mrs. Santosh Kumar, Chairperson of Universal Metro Asian Services (UMAS), Chicago, thanked everyone for coming out in large numbers to celebrate Gandhiji’s birthday and vowed to keep up serving the community in the best manner.

Special award was Given to the Mr. Adil Syed, one of grandson of freedom fighter Mr. Khan Abdul Gafar Khan also called Sarhad ke Gandhi as he was native of border of pre-independence India and Afghanistan.

Mr. Satish Chander closed the event with a vote of thanks. He specially thanked extra ordinary perennial support from entire Village of Skokie officials including mayor, board of trustee village manager Mr. Lockerby, Ms. Cathy Stevens and staff of forestry dept, Security department including chef of Police Mr. AnthonyScarpelli, Indian consulate Mr. Sudhakar Daleja and whole consulate staff, Mr. Santoshkumar, Mrs. Jasbir Kour and UMAS staff for catering snacks and hot brew. The event like this would not have been possible without volunteer supports; Harish Kolasani, Dayal Patel, Muktesh Shah for help with transport and distribution of Snacks and juices, Mrs. Bharati Shah, Dina and Amee Modi, Mina Patel, Sudha Guruji, Mira Chander, DJ Mr. Safi, Shobhana Patel from Asian Media USA capture this historical event in video.

Snacks and beverages at the conclusion of the event were provided courtesy of Raja food owned by Swetal Patel and Family.  Hot tea was served by courtesy of Mrs. Jasbir Kaur and her team of volunteers from MFAS.

U.S. lawmakers take a step against India on Kashmir – Senate panel adds appeal to end the “humanitarian crisis” in Kashmir in its report.

In what could become the first step towards legislative action by American lawmakers against India on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has added an appeal to end what it calls a “humanitarian crisis” in Kashmir in its report ahead of the annual Foreign Appropriations Act for 2020.

The amendment was proposed by Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited Delhi this week as a part of a congressional delegation that discussed the Kashmir situation as well as India-U.S. bilateral relations, trade ties and defence purchases with key officials.

According to the report, which was submitted to the Senate by Lindsey Graham, senior Senator and key Republican leader known for his close ties to President Donald Trump, the committee on Appropriations “notes with concern the current humanitarian crisis in Kashmir and calls on the Government of India to: fully restore telecommunications and Internet services; lift its lockdown and curfew; and release individuals detained pursuant to the Government’s revocation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution.”

What makes the report as well as the tough language on Kashmir more startling is that the document was submitted on September 26, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was still in the US, and came just a few days after his joint address at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston with Mr. Trump, as well as their bilateral meeting in New York.

“This amendment, which was accepted unanimously by the bipartisan committee, is a strong expression of concern by the Senate about the situation in Kashmir and sends the signal that we are closely monitoring the human rights situation there, and would like to see the Government of India take those concerns seriously,” Mr. Van Hollen told The Hindu here, adding that he had “hoped to share his concerns privately” with Prime Minister Modi, but had not been able to meet him.

Van Hollen had met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Washington last week and Senator Bob Menendez, also a part of the delegation, met with Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal this week in Delhi. Both Senators have made public statements in the last two months on the Kashmir situation.

While it is unclear whether their concerns over Kashmir elicited any responses from the government, The Hindu has learnt that Senator Van Hollen was rebuffed when requested permission to visit Srinagar in an effort to assess the situation on the ground.

When asked, MEA officials said the Ministry of Home Affairs handled such requests. No diplomat or foreign journalist has yet been given clearance to visit Kashmir since the government’s decision on Article 370 on August 5.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit in Delhi on Friday, Mr. Jaishankar said many key decision-makers in the US had been “misinformed by their media” and that he had spent considerable efforts in the past few weeks to clear misconceptions on the government’s decision to drop the “temporary” Article 370.

At U.N. Climate Summit, Few Commitments and U.S. Silence

The United Nations Climate Action Summit on Monday, September 24th  was meant to highlight concrete promises by presidents, prime ministers and corporate executives to wean the global economy from fossil fuels to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

But despite the protests in the streets, China on Monday made no new promises to take stronger climate action. The United States, having vowed to pull out of the Paris Agreement, the pact among nations to jointly fight climate change, said nothing at all. A host of countries made only incremental promises.

The contrast between the slow pace of action and the urgency of the problem was underscored by the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, who excoriated world leaders for their “business as usual” approach. “The eyes of all future generations are upon you,” she said, her voice quavering with rage. “If you choose to fail us, I say we will never forgive you.”

There were some concrete measures. By the end of the day, 65 countries had announced efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, several asset fund managers said they would aim to get to a net-zero portfolio of investments by the same year, and dozens of businesses said they would aim to abide by the Paris Agreement targets.

The summit comes at a time when the latest science shows that the world is getting hotter faster and the dangers of global warming are increasingly clear, with more intense hurricanes, longer droughts and heat records being broken. It was an opportunity to show that the world’s most powerful countries could step up. Advocates and diplomats who have been following climate talks for years said they were disappointed.

Andrew Steer, head of the World Resources Institute and a former World Bank official, said most of the major economies fell “woefully short” of expectations. “Their lack of ambition stands in sharp contrast with the growing demand for action around the world,” he said.

The United States did not request a speaking slot at the summit, but President Trump unexpectedly dropped into the General Assembly hall with Vice President Mike Pence in the late morning. Michael R. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who is now a United Nations special envoy for climate, welcomed Mr. Trump’s presence and addressed the president directly by saying, “Hopefully our discussions here will be useful for you when you formulate climate policy.”

That was followed by laughter and applause. It signaled a sharp contrast from just a few years ago, when the United States was credited with pushing other countries, including China, to take climate change seriously. The United States has said it intends to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord. It is not on track to meet its voluntary pledges under the agreement in any case. And the Trump administration has rolled back a host of environmental regulations that were meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions from automobile tailpipescoal plants and oil and gas wells.

As for China, it did not signal its readiness to issue stronger, swifter targets to transition away from fossil fuels, as many had hoped. Wang Yi, a special representative for President Xi Jinping, noted that his country was keeping the promises it made under the 2015 Paris Agreement and that “certain countries” — a clear reference to the United States — were not.  “China will faithfully fulfill its obligations,” Mr. Wang said.

China’s decision to not signal higher ambition reflects, in part, concerns about its own slowing economy against the backdrop of conflicts with the United States on trade. It also reflected Beijing’s reluctance to take stronger climate action in the absence of similar moves from richer countries. The European Union has not signaled its intention to cut emissions faster either, and the United States is nowhere on track to meet its original commitments under the Paris accord.

President Emmanuel Macron of France also had a message on trade for the United States, telling the assembly, “I don’t want to see new trade negotiations with countries who are running counter to the Paris Agreement.”

The statement could create a new stumbling block in talks between the United States and the European Union for a free-trade agreement. Those negotiations are already complicated by deep differences over agricultural policy and threats by Mr. Trump to impose tariffs on automobile parts from Europe if the talks fail to make progress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said his country would increase its share of renewable energy by 2022, without making any promises to reduce its dependence on coal. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany promoted a new plan worth $60 billion over 10 years to speed a transition to clean power.

Russia announced that it would ratify the Paris Agreement, but nothing more about how to cut emissions from its sprawling state-owned petroleum industry.

The summit unfolded against the backdrop of new data that showed the quickening pace of warming.  The world is getting hotter faster, the World Meteorological Organization concluded in its latest report Sunday, with the five-year period between 2014 and 2019 the warmest on record. Emissions of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming when it is pumped into the atmosphere, are at record highs. The seas are rising rapidly. The average global temperature is 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than what it was in the mid-19th century, and at the current pace, average global temperatures will be 3 degrees Celsius higher by the end of this century.

“I will not be there, but my granddaughters will, and your grandchildren, too,” Mr. Guterres said in his opening remarks. “I refuse to be an accomplice in the destruction of their one and only home.”

Mr. Guterres’s most direct call went to those countries that use money from their taxpayers to subsidize fossil fuel projects that, as he put it, “boost hurricanes, spread tropical diseases and heighten conflict.”

Narendra Modi Given Global Goalkeeper Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Global Goalkeeper Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Swachh Bharat mission on September 24th. The PM said the honor bestowed on him was for the millions of Indians who participated in the mission.

He said receiving the award on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th anniversary is especially significant for him, for it shows people’s power – of the determination of 1.3 billion people to achieve any goal.

Three Nobel prize laureates – Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian activist, Mairead Maguire, a peace activist from Northern Ireland who was honoured in 1976, and Yemini journalist Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman – wrote an open letter urging the foundation to change its decision to give the award to Modi.

“We were deeply disturbed to discover that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be giving an award to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi later this month,” they wrote. “Under prime minister Modi’s leadership, India has descended into dangerous and deadly chaos that has consistently undermined human rights, democracy. This is particularly troubling to us as the stated mission of your foundation is to preserve life and fight inequity.”

Modi said that when he first talked about the Clean India campaign five years ago, there were “different reactions”, but “if you are committed to your goal then these are of no importance. What is important is the united efforts to make India clean and the development of a mindset in 1.3 billion Indians, and every single effort that people make for this effort. I therefore dedicate this award to those who made cleanliness the highest priority in their daily lives,” he said.

He said though the Swachh Bharat mission was begun by his government, the people took charge of it. “I think of the woman who sold her sheep to build a toilet, of the retired man who donated his pension for a toilet, or the lady who sold her mangalsutra to build a toilet. Such a campaign has been unheard of in recent times,” the PM said.

When he took over in 2014, less than 40 per cent homes had toilets in the country, and now it is close to 100 percent. He said the success of the Clean India mission has benefited women the most, as in rural areas women had to wait for it to get dark to venture to the fields to relieve themselves. “For mothers and sisters, not having a toilet at home is the biggest difficulty, it also goes against their self-respect,” the PM said.

He said lack of toilets in schools would force girls to give up their studies and sit at home. He said the Clean India Mission has also helped save thousands of lives, and cited a WHO report that said building toilets in homes helped save 300,000 lives. He cited a UNICEF study that said that every family with a toilet will be able to save Rs 50,000 a year, while a Bill and Melinda Gates report said that increase in sanitation has improved the BMI of women.

“I recall that Mahatma Gandhi said he believes that cleanliness is more important that independence. I am very happy that the dream of Mahatma Gandhi of cleanliness is going to become a reality.”

He said the main objective of the UN is to make peoples’ lives better and the Clean India Campaign plays an important role in achieving the UN goal. He said that the construction of so many toilets had also generated employment opportunities for poor people in rural areas.

“Our government has tried to change governance to cooperative federalism in the way different states have taken part in the campaign, through creating awareness, constructing toilets, through training. The states were given full assistance to fulfil the resolution,” he said.

Modi said that states now compete among themselves to rank higher in a cleanliness survey competitions. Modi said that India is ready to share its experiences with other countries.

“India is very close to achieving its goals, we are working at a fast pace. Through Fit India movement for preventive healthcare, and we have made 2025 the target to make India Tuberculosis free. We are making fast progress in the National Nutrition Mission, and will be able to overcome malnutrition. The Jal Jeevan Mission has been launched to provide regular supply of clean water to every home. We have also decided to stop single use plastic by 2022,” said Modi.

“I have complete faith in 1.3 billion Indians,” he said. He was conferred the award by Bill Gates at an event on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Modi keynote speaker at Bloomberg Global Business Forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at the 3rd Bloomberg Global Business Forum, which will feature several top global political and business leaders, on September 25 during his visit to New York.
After his address, Modi will participate in a conversation with entrepreneur and climate change activist Michael Bloomberg.
The forum on the theme “Restoring Global Stability” will focus on “aligning governments and businesses on combating the greatest current threat to global prosperity — the rise of economic and environmental instability,” according to the organizers.
“Meeting big challenges requires governments and businesses to work together, especially at a time when tensions and temperatures are both rising around the world,” said Bloomberg, who is the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action, and WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases.
Listed as participants in the forum are titans from the business and political world, including former US President Bill Clinton; Christine Lagarde, incoming President of the European Central Bank and former head of the International Monetary Fund; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden; Bank of England Governor Mark Carney; and CEOs Bob Iger of Walt Disney, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, Michael Corbet of Citibank, Tidjane Thiam of Credit Suisse and Dara Khosrowshahi of Uber.
Mahindra Group is one of the partners of the forum. Bloomberg, a former Mayor of New York, is also the founder of Bloomberg financial information company and a philanthropic foundation. Former British Prime Minister Theresa May was the keynote speaker at last year’s forum.

Gates Foundation criticized over award to Indian PM Modi

A petition with nearly 100,000 signatures calls on Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to rescind its decision. A decision by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to honor Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his campaign to improve sanitation in India has come under fire from activists and members of the civil society.

The award comes in recognition of the Hindu nationalist leader’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India Mission) program under which millions of toilets have been built across India, where open defecation is a major problem.

petition circulated by a group of South Asian American academics, lawyers and activists has called on the Gates Foundation, known to be philanthropic, to rescind its decision, citing human rights violations committed under the Modi rule.

“While we understand the award was given for [Modi’s sanitation initiative], it nevertheless seems inconsistent to give a humanitarian award to a man whose nickname is the ‘Butcher of Gujarat’,” the statement said.

Modi has been accused of inciting and condoning the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which more than a thousand Muslims were killed during his time as chief minister of the western state. However, Indian courts have cleared him of complicity in modern India’s worst anti-Muslim violence.

As a result of the Gujarat violence, the US government – under its International Religious Freedom Act – denied Modi a visa in 2005. The ban remained in place until 2014, the year he was elected as India’s prime minister.

The petition, which at the time of publication had garnered more than 95,000 signatures, said the award “could not have come at a more awkward time”, pointing to the current crackdown in Indian-administered Kashmir and a citizenship exercise that has excluded nearly two million people in the northeastern state of Assam.

Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has been accused by the critics of pursuing exclusionary policies against the minorities in India as part of its far-right agenda.

Last month, India stripped Kashmir of its special status and imposed a crippling security lockdown in the Muslim-majority region, which has entered its second month. “In Kashmir, more than 800,000 Indian armed forces have kept eight million Kashmiris detained in their own homes without phones or internet services for the last month,” the petition said.

“Since the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] came to power in 2014, the use of organised mobs and militias have undermined the rule of law so frequently that the Indian Supreme Court warned that these ‘horrendous acts of moboracy cannot be permitted to inundate the law of the land’.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, the Gates Foundation stood by its decision to honour Modi “for the progress India is making in improving sanitation” as part of its drive in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Sanitation is a key factor in improving the health and wellbeing of millions of people, especially women and children,” the foundation said. “Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do,” the statement continued, adding that the mission can serve as a model for other countries struggling with poor sanitation.

Yet critics have slammed the foundation’s rationale, arguing that hygiene and cleanliness cannot compensate for rights abuses. “Modi’s sanitation campaign has no doubt benefitted people, but how can access to a clean toilet outweigh the violence and persecution they may face in the rest of their lives?” an opinion editorial in The Washington Post asked. “If the Gates Foundation really wants to amplify sanitation efforts in India, it should give the award to community workers instead of a far-right nationalist.”

Protests Planned Against Modi Visit to USA

Several groups of Indian Americans have planned to stage protest rallies during India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled to visit the U.S. this month, who is scheduled to address the Indian community at NRG Stadium in Houston on 09/22/19 and the United Nations in NY on 09/28/19.

Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has pointed out that Modi’s government has been orchestrating a pogrom of hate, violence, and religious persecution against Christians, Muslims and Dalits in India. The Modi regime is also rapidly amending existing laws to expand its powers in an unprecedented fashion, from designating individuals as terrorists without trial, to doing all it can to weaken India’s federal system. Most recently, the Modi government resorted to unconstitutional and undemocratic means in order to change the constitutionally mandated special status of Jammu and Kashmir, split it into two, and brought both under the central government’s direct control.

It did this by sending tens of thousands of additional military personnel to the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, placing Kashmiri political leaders under house arrest, blocking all phone and internet connectivity, and imposing a complete lockdown. It has curbed free reporting by journalists and human rights’ activists, while its forces continue to brutalize the population.

“We call upon all people of conscience in the US to join us in protesting Modi’s visit and exposing the retrograde, near-fascist politics of Modi’s government,” the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), in a statement here, while urging all those who care about justice and human rights in India, in the United States, and in the world at large to express their condemnation of cruelties against Minorities in India.

.Modi, his party the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and their affiliates – including the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal – have a long history of indulging in politics of violence and hate. They are adherents of an ideology called Hindutva, distinct from Hinduism, that openly extols Hitler and Aryan supremacist views. This virulent ideology’s stated objective is to make India a homeland of Hindus and those who profess other faiths can live in the country only at the sufferance of Hindus. Modi and BJP pursue the Hindutva ideology of pushing attrition, bigotry, and religious persecution of minorities as state policy.

In 2002, as Chief Minister, Modi oversaw riots that targeted Muslims in Gujarat – over two thousand people were killed; thousands more were forced to leave their homes and businesses, and Muslim women were raped. Since Modi came to power in 2014, India, a pluralistic and multi-ethnic democracy, has seen a sharp escalation in religious violence, lynchings, and denial of fundamental rights. Violent mobs, mostly inspired by the atmosphere of hate perpetrated by the BJP, now attack and lynch Muslims, Christians, and Dalits on a daily basis with complete impunity. Criminals in all these cases have not been punished thanks to the complicity of the ruling party and its machinery.

The U.S. Department of State, USCIRF, U.N. Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others, have noted that Mr. Modi’s Hindu extremist BJP party encourages sectarian violence, and the BJP’s federal and state governments provide impunity to perpetrators, pushing bigotry and religious persecution as part of state policy, the organiers of the protests rally pointed out.

Long Island Celebrates India’s Independence Day With Parade

Under the banner of India Day Parade USA and the slogan “Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan” Indians, Indian-Americans, and South Asians, in Hicksville, N.Y. celebrated India’s 73rd Independence Day Aug. 4.
The 7th Annual Parade was organized by IDP USA and started from Patel Brothers on Broadway and ended with festivities at E Barclays Street.
They had celebrity Grand Marshalls, the Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao, Naveen Shah of Navika Capital, businessman Chintu Patel. Also present were elected officials including Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi; Nassau and Suffolk County State Senators Kevin Thomas and Anna Kaplan; Nassau County Executive Laura Curran; Supervisor of North Hempstead Judy Bosworth; Supervisor of Oyster Bay Joseph Saladino; Supervisor of Hempstead Laura Gillen; State Assembly Members Laura Schaefer and Rose Marie Walker; Farrah Mozawalla of the Nassau County Minority Affairs office; Suffolk County Human Rights Commissioner and 3 times Past President of IDP Beena Kothari; and Nassau Human Rights Commissioner Zahid Syed. Other notable attendees included the President of the parade Jasbir (Jay) Singh, Kamlesh C Mehta, and several community leaders as well as invited guest Arti Patel, co-CEO of Vass Pipe & Steel Co; Sunil Jain, Chanchal Shah.
Advisors for the parade Indu Jaiswal, Sir Peter Beddah, Beena Kothari, Mukesh Modi and other Committee members Mohinder Taneja, Bina Sabapathy, Shashi Malik, Gautam Sanghvi to name a few, inaugurated the parade at Patel Brothers. Satbir Bedi was the emcee for the day. Breakfast was hosted by Patel Brothers and HAB Bank before the flag off.
“The South Asian Community has become an integral part and changed the face of Long island and made Hicksville a prominent, ever developing multicultural home for all Indians sharing pride, passion, presence and social bond as patriotic American Indians,” said a press release from organizers.
Many in the crowd held India’s Flag tricolor umbrellas sponsored by Mohinder Singh Miglani of Aero World. Many organizations from Long Island marched in groups and the tricolor decorated festive floats sponsored by local organizations. Flowers were showered by a helicopter on the whole parade presenting a spectacle for the local residents and visitors.
At the festival grounds, cultural dances by children and students of local dance schools were performed at the beginning and other celebrities were invited to perform on stage after the parade reached E Barclays Street.

Bollywood singer Deepak Kumar of Satellite India and Punjabi stage artist and singer Pooja, had the crowd cheering, taking videos and pictures. A fashion show by Nishi Behl sponsored by Bhavna Sharma of Sarashiva, was held accompanied by upbeat music and beautiful clothes and glamorous ladies.
Naveen Shah of Navika Capital presented a BMW SUV as the super prize of the raffle which had several other prizes including two 50” LG smart TVs. The raffle made sure the crowd kept going back to the three IDP raffle booths. All prizes were drawn on stage and the BMW was won by an especially abled individual.
The recipients of part of the proceeds from the parade were ‘Akshay Patra’ and ‘CRY’, “two organizations that have led by example and changed the lives of thousands with their selfless mission for providing school lunch to poor children and for restoring children’s rights,” the press release said.
The organization IDP USA was started in 2012 and founded by Bobby Kumar Kalotee, Kamlesh Mehta and prominent community leaders. IDP USA 2019 was supported by a 108-member team, countless volunteers, and numerous business sponsors.
The 7th Annual India Day Parade was held in Hicksville, N.Y. Aug. 4, 2019. The slogan of the Parade was “Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan” to recognize the contributions of India’s troops and farmers. Many important public officials and community leaders showed up to register their support for India’s memorable 73rd Independence Day celebrations organized by IDP-USA.
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