Tag: ModiSpeech

Washington, DC: April 23, 2016: The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC – iamc.com), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos has joined millions of Indians and people of conscience around the world, in strongly condemning the barbaric attack on a Christian pastor and his wife, in the state of Chhattisgarh in India. The incident took place last Sunday, April 17th, and reported in the media a few days thereafter.

Two attackers stormed into the church in Bastar district, set ablaze a Bible and other articles, before viciously assaulting the pastor and his pregnant wife. The couple managed to escape alive, after the men doused them in petrol in an attempt to burn them alive. News reports indicate the assailants were armed with a gun, rods and knives. Their brutal assault on Pastor Dinbandhu Sameli, his 7-month pregnant wife and daughter Roushni Vidya, represents an escalation of attacks on minorities in India since the government of Mr. Narendra Modi came to power.

Instead of filing charges of attempted murder, causing grievous injury, etc, the police have filed lesser charges  such as house trespass, dacoity, committing mischief by fire and injuring or defiling a place of worship.  Arun Pannalal, the President of Chhattisgarh’s Christian Forum stated in a quote appearing in the media, “Around 15-20 men with saffron bands on their forehead entered the church while Sunday prayer was under way at around 12 pm, and started vandalising the premises and started breaking everything,” Pannalal said and claimed that the “Bajrang Dal youth indulged in sloganeering and were raising Jai Shree Ram slogans. They started damaging chairs and fans. They did not spare women and even tore up their clothes. They also thrashed an infant,” he said

Pannalal further referred to the perpetrators of the murderous assault as members of the Bajrang Dal, a radical Hindu supremacist organization affiliated to the RSS.The RSS is the fountainhead of Hindutva and the ideological reference point for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government headed by Mr. Narendra Modi. The increasing attacks on minorities and lower castes in recent years are consistent with the extremism and intolerance Mr. Modi and his party have espoused. Mr. Modi himself has been a lifelong worker of the RSS.

“The hate and venom spewed by the RSS and its affiliates and echoed by prominent members of Mr. Modi’s administration are directly responsible for this barbaric attack on Pastor Sameli and his family, ” said Mr. Umar Malick, President of Indian American Muslim Council. “Those who felicitate Mr. Modi during his foreign jaunts, should seriously consider the implications of what they are tacitly endorsing,” added Mr. Malick.

The attack in Chhattisgarh is part of a pattern of violence and hateful rhetoric against minorities in India. There have been scores of attacks on Christians and Muslims since India gained independence. However, the violence has gained in intensity, and the discourse become more vitriolic since the political ascendancy of the Hindu nationalist movement in the late-1980s. The situation has become even more dire with Mr. Modi’s victory in the 2014 general elections on promises of economic development that have been largely unfulfilled.

Leading global human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have expressed grave concern over the worsening situation of religious minorities in India. Prime Minister Modi’s government, “failed to address increasing attacks on free expression and against religious minorities,” Human Rights Watch stated in its recent 659-page World Report.

“We demand not only that the perpetrators be held accountable, but also those who are engaging in a cover-up of the gruesome episode, and those that are enabling the sectarian hate that leads to such crimes,” Mr. Khalid Ansari, Vice-President of IAMC. Indian-American Muslim Council is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with chapters across the nation. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.iamc.com

Washington, DC:  India has denied visas to a team from the United States government responsible for monitoring religious freedom, the group said in a statement last week.

The organization, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, had planned a trip to India, scheduled to begin this week, to assess religious liberty in the country. But India has not issued visas to members of the commission, it said. Robert P. George, the group’s chairman, said that the team was “deeply disappointed” by the Indian government’s action. “As a pluralistic, nonsectarian and democratic state, and a close partner of the United States, India should have the confidence to allow our visit,” he said.

The group has traveled to China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, “among the worst offenders on religious freedom,” he said. India has had a checkered history with religious violence, and the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014 raised concerns about the potential for increased religious tensions.

Debates over the issue heated up after a Muslim man accused of eating beef near the capital was beaten to death by a mob last year. Cows are sacred for Hindus, and their slaughter is prohibited in much of the country. A preliminary investigation found that the meat retrieved from the home of the man who was beaten to death was goat.

In a report published last year, the commission said that religiously motivated violent incidents reportedly increased for three consecutive years in India, and that the struggle to provide justice to victims “perpetuates a climate of impunity.”

The Indian Embassy in Washington said in a statement that there had been no change in policy regarding such visits and that the Indian Constitution guaranteed freedom of religion for its citizens. “We do not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like Uscirf to pass its judgment and comment on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights,” it said.

Amnesty International has joined a growing chorus accusing India of supporting a climate of intolerance by cracking down on dissent through arbitrary arrests, caste-based discrimination, extrajudicial killings and attacks on freedom of expression.

The rights group said in its annual global report, released on February 24, that India’s Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to prevent hundreds of incidents of communal violence, usually involving members of the Hindu majority pitted against Muslims or other minorities. Instead, ruling party lawmakers and politicians were fueling religious tensions with provocative speeches and justifications for the violence, it said.

Amnesty’s report also highlights the government’s continued harassment of civil society groups critical of official policies over the past year, as well as government legal action aimed at controlling foreign funds for nongovernmental organizations.

“Over 3,200 people were being held in January under administrative detention on executive orders without charge or trial,” the report said, adding that state authorities used “anti-terror” laws to illegally hold activists and protesters in custody.

The report is the latest criticism to be leveled at Modi’s government after a year fraught with communal tension as members of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party try to impose their brand of hyper-nationalism.

Dozens of Indian authors, scientists, historians and film industry workers have returned national awards to protest the trend, which has seen arrests of student protesters, the murder of three atheist scholars and mob killings over rumors of cow slaughter. Among India’s majority Hindu population, cows are considered sacred.

Last week, both the New York Times and Le Monde newspapers ran editorials lambasting Modi’s government. The Times editorial board said the ongoing confrontation between Hindu nationalists and free-speech advocates “raises serious concerns about Modi’s governance and may further stall any progress in Parliament on economic reforms.”

A group of 133 university professors from around the world – including linguist Noam Chomsky, Nobel-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and economist James Galbraith – said the recent arrest of a student leader on sedition charges “is further evidence of the present government’s deeply authoritarian nature, intolerant of any dissent, setting aside India’s longstanding commitment to toleration and plurality of opinion.”

Modi and his government have remained largely unmoved by the criticism, saying little in response other than to denounce it as anti-government propaganda designed to distract from the government’s agenda. Meanwhile, Modi has insisted he is prime minister for all of India, and not just Hindus, and urged the nation to instead focus on growing the economy.

The Amnesty report also said that prisoner safety remained a serious concern, and that “over 282,000 prisoners – 68 percent of the total prison population – were pretrial detainees.” Most prisons are badly overcrowded, while torture and abuse in police or judicial custody led the country’s Supreme Court last year to demand that state governments install closed-circuit television cameras within the next two years.

The human rights organization criticized the Indian Parliament’s defeat of legislation to decriminalize same-sex relations, noting that the country was still adhering to a colonial-era law that makes homosexuality a crime punishable by up to a decade in prison.

BOSTON, MA– Raj and Nalini Sharma, who were instrumental in founding the Boston Chapter of the American India Foundation (AIF) in 2004, will receive a Special Recognition Award at AIF’s New England Gala, according to an AIF announcement.

The AIF gala will be held on Saturday, March 26th, 2016, at the Boston Park Plaza hotel in Boston.

AIF said Sharmas are trustees of AIF and Raj serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Sharma is a Managing Director and Head of The Sharma Group, a high end private advisory boutique within Merrill Lynch’s Private Banking and Investment Group. He has been recognized as one of fifteen All-Stars by Barron’s Magazine – a recognition bestowed on advisors who have made the Top 100 list for ten consecutive years. In addition, Sharma, and the Sharma Group, have been recognized as the number one advisor in Massachusetts for the past five years. In 2013, Raj was recognized in the FT 400, a list of top global advisors compiled by The Financial Times. Recently, he was profiled in The Boston Globe, according to AIF. “Nalini and Raj are active in philanthropy, civic and arts organizations on a global scale,” AIF said.

Raj serves as a Trustee of Emerson College and as Chair of the Board of YouthLEAD, an innovative organization encouraging respectful dialogue on difficult issues and promoting tolerance and understanding among young people. Raj is a former Chairman and current board member of The Boston Harbor Island Alliance.

Nalini is on the Board of Overseers of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She is also on the Board of YouthLEAD and MITHAS, an organization that promotes Music and Art of South Asia. Through her support of various earth and environment agencies, she is a champion of the outdoors.

The AIF’s New England gala will also honor veteran entrepreneur Jit Saxena, one of the most successful New England entrepreneur and philanthropist. The New England AIF gala chairs are Namita and Santhana Krishnan and Farida and Imtiaz Kathawalla. The New England AIF trustees include Nalini and Raj Sharma, Pratima and Venkat Srinivasan, Drs. Sunita and Brian Periera, and Vandana and Vivek Sharma.

CNBC anchor, Seema Modi will be the gala’s mistress of ceremonies. The evening begins at 6:30 PM and includes a pledge drive along with a charity art auction and scintillating music from ‘Woman of the World’.

The American India Foundation is committed to disrupting poverty, catalyzing social and economic change in India, and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. AIF’s programming seeks to achieve gender equity through developing inclusive models that focus on and empower girls and women.

Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a suggestion from Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 2.5 million of India’s poor and aims to reach 5 million by 2018-2019. With offices in New York and California, eleven chapters across the U.S., and India operations centered in New Delhi, AIF is transforming lives across 23 states of India while addressing these issues on a regional, country, and international scale. President Bill Clinton serves as Honorary Chair and former Ambassador to India Frank Wisner chairs the Advisory Council.

Harvard, MA: February 14, 2016: Ravi Shankar Prasad, India’s Communications and Information Technology Minister, has said at the annual India 2016 conference at Harvard University that one of the biggest achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government has been the transformation of the country from politics of want to politics of hope. “That is the first achievement of the Modi-government, and the second is that the country moved from politics of assurance to politics of aspirations thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

That is what I see India in today. The parliamentary elections through which we came to power, was in many ways a vindication of hope, and after 30 years one party got absolute majority,” the minister said as he gave his perspective on the theme of the student-organized conference – Vision of Emerging India on February 6, 2016.

Prasad told the audience at the sold out conference that the mobile manufacturing scene is  looking up, attracting as many as 15 new plants in the last 10 months. “Today, we are involved in some transformational initiatives to change India. Our mobile connectivity today is billion plus and India is the world’s second-fastest growing smart phone market.

The Q&A at the end of the speech was moderated by Professor Ashutosh Varshney, Sol Goldman Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs at Brown University and Director of the Brown-India Initiative. Prasad said that the first idea of India emerging today is that of good governance, and transparent and good decision making which is important.

The Conference was organized by the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government and was addressed, among others, by former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, former minister from the Congress party Government Shashi Tharoor, Ambassador Dnyneswar Mulay, Consul General of India in New York and a number of CEOS from India, and academics from Harvard, Brookings and other institutions, besides Prasad who headlined the conference along with Rao who spoke on India’s foreign policy.

Prasad visited New Jersey to address a meeting at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, on February 7^th, organized by the friends and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party in honor of the visiting minister. Addressing the gathering Prasad said that the fact that India Day is being celebrated across several universities in the U.S. shows the power of India and Indians in the U.S. “The government under Narendra Modi is working hard not only for the people of India but also for the NRI’s who have left India and settled elsewhere. Our consulates are making sure the NRI’s are supported well and we request NRI’s to actively get involved in nation building by interacting with government and by sending their feedback,” Prasad said.

Jayesh Patel, former president of OFBJP, welcomed the gathering. After the traditional lighting of the lamp and rendition of American and Indian national anthems, Prasad was introduced to the attendees as a visionary, thinker, writer and an eminent lawyer who has fought against corruption.

New York, NY: The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC – www.iamc.com), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, honored Congressman Keith Ellision (D-MN) as a “Champion of Human Rights,” at an India Republic Day celebration held in Minneapolis. Although Republic Day is on January 26th, the celebrations were held over the weekend, to enable optimal participation from the community.

Among the speakers was Ms. Robin Phillips, of Advocates for Human Rights, a prominent organization that has done commendable work in highlighting issues related to human rights and religious freedom of minorities in India.

The highlight of the event was the “Champion of Human Rights,” award given to Congressman Keith Ellison, in recognition of his work to advance human rights, both in the United States and around the world. Mike Siebenaler, Constituents Services Director in Rep. Ellison’s office, accepted the award on behalf of the Congressman.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, both leading global human rights groups, recently expressed grave concern over the situation of minorities and the clampdown on dissent in India. Prime Minister Modi’s government, “failed to address increasing attacks on free expression and against religious minorities,”  Human Rights Watch stated in its 659-page World Report. Amnesty International sought to bring international attention to the Modi government’s targeting of activists and protest groups for political ends.

“Speaking out against the violations of human rights and civil liberties of minorities in India, is an obligation of [the] entire Indian diaspora and not just the privilege of a few,” said Mr. Robin Phillips, Executive Director of Advocates for Human Rights. “AHR, whose mission is to promote civil society and to reinforce the rule of law, feels almost obligated to work with IAMC whose main goal is freedom, justice, and peace for all in India,” added Ms. Phillips.

Attendees and speakers noted the continued assault on minorities and lower castes. Delegates also expressed profound respect for Mr. Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar who was driven to commit suicide as a result of the harassment and intimidation at the University of Hyderabad, in which even Union ministers were involved. Outrage over Mr. Vemula’s treatment and subsequent death has been expressed in the form of mass protests at major universities and cities across US and around the world.

“This year’s Republic Day celebrations are marked by a grim reminder that the struggle to uphold justice and equality before the law for all people, regardless of caste and creed, is now more urgent than ever,” said Mr. Umar Malick, President of IAMC.

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

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. January 26, 2016: A group of Indian American activists rallied outside the San Francisco Indian Consulate Jan. 22 to draw attention to the plight of Rohith Vemula, the Hyderabad Central University student who committed suicide a week earlier allegedly because of caste-based discrimination.

Amidst a heavy downpour of rain, the Northern California activists rallied for more than two hours and spoke about the alleged ill-treatment of minorities in India. Similar rallies were planned for the weekend in Boston, Mass; Detroit and Ann Arbor, Mich; and Washington D.C.

“We are failing young rising stars like Rohith,” said Bhajan Singh, director of the Organization for Minorities in India, adding: “There are hundreds of Rohiths in India. We hope to bring peace to the soul of Rohith – his sacrifice did not go to waste,” said Singh.

Rohith Vemula, 26, was working on his Ph.D. at Hyderabad Central University. Last August, he and four fellow Dalit students – Dalits are the lowest caste in India’s traditional caste hierarchy – clashed with a group of students supporting the majority BJP party. After the clash, Telengana politician Bandaru Dattatreya, currently the minister of Labor and Employment in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, wrote to the Minister of Education, allegedly complaining about anti-nationalist activity occurring on campus.

Vemula and the four students were expelled from the college hostel last December and denied entry into the university’s library. The five set up a tent just outside the university campus and lived there until Vemula’s death.

Dalit activists have directly blamed Dattatreya and HCU vice chancellor P. Appa Rao for Vemula’s death. In his suicide note, Vemula wrote: “The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing.”

Vemula’s suicide has sparked outrage across India. Writers and activists proclaim the circumstances surrounding the young man’s death continue a long history of discrimination against Dalits.

Carmel Christy, a visiting scholar from Delhi University currently in residence at UC Santa Cruz, told India-West at the San Francisco rally: “There has been a longtime struggle of keeping Dalits away from the halls of higher learning. Rohith realized he did not belong to a certain segment of society and fought bravely for equality,” she said.

Christy said she had studied at the same university and proclaimed HCU to be one of the more enlightened campuses in India. “I have been part of many such protests in the past,” she said, noting that discrimination against minority students happens on campuses across India – including her own college, Delhi University – but is rarely brought to light. She stated that Appa Rao should be sacked, alleging that the vice chancellor has had a history of not dealing well with Dalit issues. “The boy is gone. But the system should be changed to make sure there is impartiality in the way all students are treated.”

Benjamin Kaila, one of the organizers of the rally, told India-West the new Narendra Modi administration has brought on a fresh wave of caste-based ideology, but noted that discrimination against Dalits has been a long-standing issue prior to the rise of Modi. Kaila, a Dalit, said he faced discrimination as he was growing up, but didn’t recognize it until he read the works of B.R. Ambedkar, who crusaded for equality for Dalits and women. “I realized what was happening around me in the name of caste,” said Kaila.

“Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation – USA” (known as ‘Ekal-USA’) had record setting fund-raising in 2015. It raised over $6 million in USA alone and it has satellite Organizations in 10 different countries. Moreover, Ekal has just received a generous donation of $500,000 from Mrs. Prabha Jhunjhunwala, daughter of Shri Madanlal Agarwala, who started Ekal Movement in late 1988 in India. Considering the way it has kick started this New Year, and it is poised to establish a new record for 2016. “My father is my inspiration. He was a very compassionate soul and strongly believed that the Ekal movement would transform India. Were he alive, he surely would have been delighted to see strong Global support reaching into 53,000 villages,” says Prabhaji. “When Prabha decided to make a donation in the name of her father, I couldn’t be happier” says Vinod Jhunjhunwala, her husband and President of Ekal-USA. He further elaborated that,” the seed-money will help us build an endowment that will ensure strong financial footing for Ekal USA”.

Ekal raises funds through series of concerts all over USA and through direct appeals to generous philanthropists. Braham Aggarwal, Avadesh Agarwal, Himanshu Shah, Mohan Wancho have been some of the most generous and valuable benefactors of Ekal. According to Dilip Kothekar, Chairman of Ekal’s Event Committee, two famous musical groups from ‘Bollywood’ would be performing in series of 60-65 concerts all across USA, starting from February 26’ 2016.

For past 27 years, ‘Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF)’, has been rigorously involved in total transformation of villages, giving sustainability to its people and empowering them. For basic donation of just $365, Ekal has been providing functional literacy and health care training for the whole year to an ‘Ekal-school’, consisting of 35-40 children. For one-time generous donation of $5,000, one can sponsor a whole village for its perpetual development.

To make women-folks self-reliant in villages, multiple cottage-industries have been introduced by training them in tailoring, food-processing, weaving etc. “EVF” is a duly registered as tax-exempt, charitable organization, not only in USA, but also, in several other countries, making it globally the largest grassroots village-development movement undertaken by Indians and NRIs. As of this moment, it is operating all over India, including in Jammu & Kashmir region benefiting over 1.50 million children (half of whom are girls).

“Health Foundation for Rural India (HFRI)”, under the leadership of Dr. Veena Gandhi is committed to eradicate Anemia also in Ekal villages. New water conservation techniques, and use of solar-power for domestic use etc. have been adopted in several villages. In addition, an innovative ‘Ekal-on-Wheels’ digital pilot-project has been launched in some states to make villages computer-literate..

According to Bajrang Bagra, CEO of Ekal-India, this year, Ekal took a giant leap forward in 2015 by establishing 10 village development centers, each catering to the needs of 100 villages, thereby directly impacting at least one million people, and exposing 10 million villagers to innovative techniques. Villagers are trained in multiple cropping, Vermicomposting, based on local conditions.

Pradeep Goyal, Chairman of Ekal-India recently confirmed that retraining villagers for agro-farm based products has given them income ranging from Rs.50,000 to Rs.8 Lakhs. Because of Ekal’s extensive rural network, many Organizations that were engaged on their own in divine rural projects have now forged alliance with Ekal. Dr. Subhash Chandra, CEO of ZEE-TV Network, has recently joined as the ‘Chairman of Ekal-Global’ and plans to take this ‘Literacy’ movement’ to the upper zenith of worldwide conscientious global organizations. According to Subhash Gupta, recent Chairman of Board of Advisers, Ekal derives its strength from its 300,000 global volunteers. As PM Modi said, “When you invest in village, you are investing in India’s future; let’s develop one village, one school at-a-time.

Chicago IL: Top 20 organizations from all over Chicago, including Desi Junction Radio, FIA, Jeen Varghese, and Chicago for Chennai Group, organized a phenomenal Chennai Flood Disaster Fundraiser on December 20th, 2015, between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM at the Waterford Banquet Hall in Elmhurst, IL. Over 800 persons, belonging to different regions and religions, attended the event to show their support and solidarity to the people of Chennai.

Jassi Parmar, CEO of Desi Junction Radio said that bringing all the communities of India together under one roof for a noble cause was not only a historical  initiative, no one has ever done before, but also gave a great sense of achievement to the organizers. He added that fifty plus volunteers, vendors, performers, sponsors, and donors contributed in a big way to the stupendous success of the event.

Jeen Varghese, Community Leader said that Chennai and surrounding areas in the State of Tamil Nadu have been devastated by the torrential rains and massive flooding.   “Damage has been enormous – 250 lives lost, 2 million people displaced, $ 3 Billion impact on the economy, and $ 15 Billion in infrastructure damages”, she added and made a fervent appeal to people to contribute to the relief operations.

Within no time, a whopping $ 45,000 was raised at the event, which will be donated to Association for India’s Development in order to enable it to take up relief-oriented initiatives in Chennai. The donors were not confined to India alone; a significant number of non-Indians too contributed to the cause. Following were the top 10 donors: Senthil Kumar Soundarapandian, Shobashalini Chokkalingam, Nirup Krishnamurthy, Shyam Krishnamurthy, Balaji Padmanabhan, Durai Ramachandran, Sri Rajini Sabarathy, Anand Srinivasan, and Suganya Prathap.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Eminent Community Leader, based in Illinois, said that the floods in Chennai have touched a chord among the Indian Diaspora in the U.S. “The Indian-Americans, even though thousands of miles away from India, are comrades-in-arms, and are ever ready to reach out to their fellow-Indians, whenever required”, he added.

Krishnamoorthi underlined the need for achieving the long-term solution to the problem of recurrent floods in different parts of India by following the environmental norms of construction and a more efficient urban planning with stringent implementation. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Smart City Mission is an opportunity to revisit the potential impact of haphazard development that is happening in the urban centers in India”, he added.

“What we did today was only a humble beginning; we are committed to engage in the long-term process of rebuilding of the communities once the relief agencies address their immediate priorities”, said Ravi Rawat from Bombay Chopsticks and  Perl Banquet, with a sense of enthusiasm. “We have taken a pledge that our efforts will not end until the affected people back home get a new beginning”, he added.

“The print, electronic, and social media in Chicago, which gave sufficient attention to the Chennai floods, became the agent of mobilization and resulted in a huge crowed at the event today,” Chandrakant Modi, President of Asian Media USA pointed out. “Social Media is flooded with heart touching comments about the Chennai’s plight in general and the Fund Raising Event for it in particular”, he added.

Neetu Chandra, the highly sought-after Global actress from India, who graced the event as Guest of Honor, without any cost to it, at the invitation of Desi Junction, said that natural calamities like floods are the litmus test for the communities to show to the world that they can come together in times of great crises and can help each other.

“The acts of bravery demonstrated by Chennaites to rescue people caught in the floods by forming chains and multifarious instances of love, kindness, and resilience have become a source of inspiration to people, across the globe, in grappling with the natural calamities”, Neetu Chandra said. “On account of the innumerable tales of humanity that emerged from rain-battered Chennai, Chennaites have occupied a special place in my heart”, she added.

The instantaneous offer of Neetu Chandra to dance with everyone who donates $ 500 was not only a pleasant surprise for the audience but also turned out to be an instant hit. And many of them grabbed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without even batting an eyelid. This was followed by a dance riot on the stage by Neetu Chandra and her hardcore fans, a stream of donations, and, naturally, a big smile on faces of the organizers.

Jassi Parmar, Ravi Rawat, Neil Khot from FIA, Surender Mathur, Neela Patel, and Jeen Varghese jointly presented an Award to Neetu Chandra in recognition of her contribution to the Indian films.

“Neetu Chandra is blessed with a golden heart; her presence at today’s event, despite her multifarious professional appointments, proves this beyond any doubt”, said Raj Sharma, Promoter for Neetu Chandra. “She will be happy to associate herself to similar events in future, aimed at the amelioration of the lot of poorer sections of society”, he added.

A high-voltage entertainment program that followed the fundraising process was the biggest highlight of the event. The singers presented a large numbers of hit tracks from Bollywood and uplifted the mood of the audience. The dancers not only showcased their ability to perform different genres of dances but also conveyed a gamut of emotions.

The artists belonging to Yeh Cheez Group, Desi Junction, and Comedy Junction and a large number of professionals, including Rinki Talati, Nisha Saraswat, Rashik, Megha Mathur, Maegha Saraf, Sawpna Balakrishnan, Sharanya Gururajan, Chandrakala Vijay, Ravi Shankar Subramanyan, Noman Khan, Nisima Patel, Suman Sharma, Ruby Saraf, etc. participated in the entertainment program and captured the hearts of the audience.

The event commenced with one minute silence to pay tribute to those who perished in Chennai disaster, which was followed by “Vande Mataram” sung by Sharanya, Ravi Subramaniam, Chandini Duvvuri, and Suman, and “Ganesh Vandana”, performed by Megha Saraf. The event concluded by singing of the National Anthems of India.

The event was professionally managed by Jassi Parmar, Jeen Varghese, Ravi Rawat, Ravi Subramaniam, Senthil Kumar, Murugesh Kasilingam, Sharmila Varadarajan, Neil Khot, Shyamala, Nirup Krishnamurthy, Sri Lala, Pritesh Gandhi, Surender Mathur, Ranga Rajan, Vandana Walia, Chandini Duvvuri, and 50 plus volunteers from various organizations.

A large number of Chicago-based eminent organizations, including Desi Junction Worldwide Radio, Jeen Varghese, Happiness Junction, India House, Waterford Banquet and Conference Centre, The Art of Living, Sai Saffron Chat House, TV Asia, TANA, Arya Sounds, Wintrust Commercial Banking, GLO, Massage and Spa, Asian Media, Mysore Woodland, Deccan and Spice, etc. sponsored the event.

Ten restaurants, namely, India House, Indian Harvest, Vishnu Vilas, Cuisine of India, Sai Saffron, Curry Bowl/Mysore Woodland, Dakshin, Hyderabad Biryani, Deccan and Spice, and Vishnu villas, generously sponsored sumptuous dinner for all the attendees, which was relished by one and all.

Dr Chandrakant Modi spoke about the services provided by Asian Cremation USA (ACU), a not-for-profit organization, for the dignified funeral/cremation.  He added that the details are available at its website: www.asiancremationusa.org On this occasion, on behalf of ACU, an Award for Outstanding Service to the Community was presented to David Pimm, President and Funeral Director of Bohemian National Cemetery, located in Chicago. Jassi Parmar  conducted proceedings of the event with a professional touch.

Minister of Defense of India Manohar Parrikar made an official visit to the United States at the invitation of US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter from December 7-10, 2015 that included visits to multiple U.S. facilities including U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), the Pentagon, and a visit with Secretary Carter to observe flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).

Defense Minister Parrikar participated as a guest of honor in a Pearl Harbor commemorative ceremony at PACOM. He also met with Admiral Harry Harris, the PACOM Commander and visited various facilities in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the Pentagon, Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter held their third meeting. They discussed the India-US defense relationship and broader India-US strategic partnership, and focused on ways to maintain the strong momentum of security and defense engagement, including means to further move the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) forward. Secretary Carter and Minister Parrikar expressed satisfaction with DTTI progress to date. They committed to identifying additional projects for possible co-development and co-production of high technology items that meet the transformational intent of DTTI.

Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter commended positive discussions at the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC), especially in the area of Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE), and look forward to continued progress to be achieved at the second meeting of the JWGACTC in February 2016 in India. They further expressed satisfaction that the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group (JETJWG), which met this week in Bengaluru, had concluded its Terms of Reference and had productive discussion on cooperation in this area.

Secretary Carter informed Minister Parrikar that in light of the strengthening relationship between the United States and India, the DoD has updated its policy on gas turbine engine technology transfer to India.  As a result of this policy update, the Secretary is confident that the United States will be able to expand cooperation in production and design of jet engine components. Secretary Carter and Minister Parrikar look forward to U.S. companies working with their Indian counterparts to submit transfer requests that will benefit from this updated policy.

Minister Parrikar informed Secretary Carter about the Make-in-India initiative, under which several reforms have been taken in the Indian defense sector. Secretary Carter welcomed Indian initiatives in this regard and hoped that this would pave the way for even greater participation of US companies in the defense sector.

Secretary Carter welcomed India’s participation in the Rim-of-the-Pacific (RIMPAC) multilateral naval exercise in 2016 as well as participation by the Indian Air Force in the multilateral Red Flag exercise in April-May 2016, and expressed support for greater Air-to-Air interaction in the future. Minister Parrikar welcomed announcement of US participation in the International Fleet Review of the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam in February 2016.

Secretary Carter and Minister Parrikar expressed satisfaction at the level of maritime cooperation between the two navies and resolved to further expand the same in coming years. They announced their intention to soon complete a memorandum of understanding between their navies on “white shipping” information sharing. They also welcomed the renewal of the Fuel Exchange Agreement.

Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter commended the progress achieved last month at the Defense Policy Group (DPG), including the re-establishment of a working group on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) cooperation under the Military Cooperation Group and focused discussions on defense capability development.

They also discussed a wide range of regional security issues, including the threat posed by ISIL and entities such as Al-Qa’ida and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Tayibba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, the Haqqani Network, and other regional terror groups. They discussed ways to implement the defense-related aspects of Prime Minister Modi and President Obama’s Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.

The official visit underlined the strategic importance of the defense relationship and the personal priority that the Minister and Secretary place on the bilateral partnership. During his visit, Minister Parrikar also met with senior National Security Council officials and members of Congress.

Chicago IL: “Pakistan stands at the crossroads of the world where the cultures of the Central Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia meet and become one. For centuries, the ‘silk route’, through Pakistan, was the main route for trade in silk, spices, and other commodities and exchanges in ideas, skills, and religious beliefs, across Europe and Asia, thereby making it an important country in the international sphere”, said Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Consul General of Pakistan at a gathering of International Baccalaureate Students and Faculty Members, organized by Morgan Park High School of Chicago.

Tirmizi, while giving a presentation on “Economy, Social Systems, and Culture of Pakistan”, said that Pakistan’s economy is all set to embark on a higher growth trajectory due to implementation of stabilization policies and marked improvement in macroeconomic indicators. He said: “Our government is fully committed to economic growth of the country and we have already achieved the set goals of economic boost and will achieve desired economic progress in coming years too by following the vigilant economic policies”.

Tirmizi said that the prudent policies of the Government have resulted in a number of beneficial outcomes, including increasing foreign reserves, positive business sentiments, growth in the real GDP, reduced inflation rate, creation of new employment opportunities, larger inflow of foreign direct investment, etc., and added that these positive parameters indicate that the economy of Pakistan is moving into right directions.

“Recently, several international monetary organizations have widely appreciated the current macroeconomic stability and the overall economic conditions of Pakistan”, he added with a sense of pride.

Tirmizi said that Pakistan has positioned itself for global leadership in the realm of education, taking into consideration the present-day fiercely-competitive world of education and work. Towards this, he added, Pakistan has been according a sharper focus on different essential aspects of higher education, especially its diversification, high-end quality, and accessibility to the best and brightest students from all strata. “On account of these initiatives, thousands of students from Pakistan are successfully serving, across the globe, including in the USA as leading Physicians, Engineers, IT professionals, Professors, etc.”, he added.

Tirmizi said that the women in Pakistan will not be allowed to lag behind in the campaign for empowering youth to take a lion’s share of educational and career opportunities not only in Pakistan but also in different developed countries. He applauded developmental programs of Government and proactive efforts of NGOs, Human Rights Organization, and media aimed at giving a big boost to women’s education. “It is gratifying to note that women are registering a decent share not only at different levels of education but also in numerous sectors of employment”, he added.

Tirmizi said that Pakistan has the distinction of electing the first Muslim woman Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, first woman Speaker of National Assembly, Fahmida Mirza, besides over twenty five female Ambassadors and combat pilots. He cited Malala Yousafzai and Samina Baig Mirza as representatives of the women of modern Pakistani.

Tirmizi stated that Pakistan has all types of tourism opportunities, be they archaeological, religious, adventure or of the conventional type. “Pakistan is home to beautiful beaches and a vast array of mountains. It has many distinctive animals and birds. It has places, which are like earthly paradise, such as the Neelam Valley, Swat, Hunza, the unique Kalash valley, the Murree hills, the Shandur Pass and many others”, he added and invited tourism-lovers from different parts of world, including the students of Chicago Public School system, to visit Pakistan and explore its multifaceted and exciting tourism potential.

“Currently, Pakistani society is in transition where tradition and modernity coexist. In this phase of change, Pakistanis have not abandoned their traditional traits of great hospitality, warmth, and friendliness and they continue retain their deep sense of dignity”, concluded Tirmizi.

The scholarly presentation by Tirmizi was followed by a highly spirited and informative one-on-one discussion about a number of key issues relating to Pakistan, including its economic scenario, education system, culture and heritage, tourism potential, etc.  Tirmizi underscored the need for further diversifying and enriching the existing mechanism of student- and faculty-exchange between educational institutions of Pakistan and the US.  He invited the authorities of the Chicago Public School system to establish a vibrant mechanism of student- and faculty-exchange with leading educational institutions in Pakistan.

Indian American actress  Mindy Kaling’s book of personal essays, “Why Not Me,” and Indian American actor and comedian Aziz Ansari’s debut book, “Modern Romance,” have been voted among the Best Books of 2015 by the readers of Goodreads, the free Web site where readers share their reviews and recommendations on a plethora of books, ranging from fiction to horror to graphic novels and poetry.

Readers cast more than 3 million votes for their favorites in 20 categories for the annual awards, including fiction, science fiction, poetry, cookbooks and children’s picture books, according to a report in CNN.com.

With 19,895 votes, Ansari’s “Modern Romance” won the Best Book award in the Nonfiction category, while Kaling’s “Why Not Me,” which earned 32,224 votes, was chosen as the Best Humor Book.

Kaling announced her win on Twitter Dec. 1 with a photo showing her holding a heart-shaped thank you note and a post stating: “Thanks readers for voting #whynotme as @goodreads Best Humor book of 2015!”

“The Mindy Project” star previously authored the New York Times bestseller, “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” In “Why Not Me,” Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification, or most importantly, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

“Modern Romance,” co-authored by Ansari and New York University sociology professor Eric Klinenberg, explores the changes that have taken place in dating since the Internet really took a hold, a topic that Ansari has been examining for years in his standup acts.

At a standing room crowd only gathering at the Liberty Palace in Richmond Hill, New York, hundreds of Congress loyalists cheered and distributed sweets to congratulate Captain Amarinder Singh as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief on his appointment by the AICC President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi.

In a resolution introduced on the floor, the meeting expressed its gratitude to Sonia ji for this bold decision at a critical time for the party in the state and congratulated Captain Amarinder Singh and wished him all the success in the future. Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of INOC, USA, in his speech, touched upon the  state of affairs in Punjab with the mismanagement and corruption under the Badal government combined with the divisive politics of its ally BJP that is harming the interest of the common people.

He cited the media reports saying that ‘Punjab continues to be on edge, and the outlook remains grim. The increasing grip of the Badal family over issues concerning Sikhs, both political and religious, coupled with incidents of sacrilege of the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, and multiple sets of problems faced by farmers, are reinforcing the impression of a State administration at a loss for initiatives to regain equilibrium. The State is already in the grip of drug abuse, falling agricultural output and farm debts. It has faced a farmers’ agitation for over two months now. The resentment in the cotton and rice belt reached such proportions that officials were scared to venture into the villages. In addition, dissidents are threatened to a point where the freedom of expression is at risk’.

The meeting also celebrated the Constitution of India that provided stability and prosperity to the nation and saluted its architects Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and B.R. Ambedkar. Meeting also expressed concerns about the growing intolerance in India and requested the Modi Government to uphold the constitution and respect the legacy of great leaders that paved the way for a democratic and secular nation. George Abraham, Chairman, in his speech, paid special tribute to Nehru for his great contribution in building strong institutions that have served the country well in the last six decades.

Mr. Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General in his speech alluded to the Bihar election results and congratulated the State for its victory and pointed out that the Indian voter has already begun to draw his/her conclusions of the recent 18-month performance/experience with the Modi Government. ‘Captain Amarinder Singh’s appointment has rejuvenated the hopes and interests of Congress supporters and reinforced their determination to correct the mistakes of the past’ he further added.

Mr. T.J. Gill, President of Punjab Chapter exhorted the participants to be more active in supporting good governance in the State and promised to do his very best in conveying the NRI sentiment to the Captain and the new leadership in that regard.

Mr. Karamjit Dhaliwal, Vice-President Spoke about the need for the Congress cadre in Punjab to come together in unity as it will be facing the election in the near future.

Among those who addressed the audience included Bawa Rajender Singh Lally,  Babu Joginder Singh Miani, Mr. Satish Sharma, Mr. Sarmukh Singh, Mr. Sarbjit Singh Advocate, Mr. Rajesh Allahdad, Mr. Jaswinder Singh Bittoo, Mr. Jagjit Singh, Manmohan Singh Miani and Mr. Gurmit Singh.   Mr. Jasvir Singh Nawanshahr expressed vote of thanks.

Nearly 1,000 people filled the main ballroom here at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to kick off the 9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, a two-day event held in Southern California November 14-15 to strengthen Indian Americans’ ties to India.

The theme for the convention was, “Indian Diaspora: Defining a New Paradigm in India-U.S. Relationship,” to the series of business meetings, conferences, cultural programs, and panels.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs coordinated the two-day event with the Consulate General in San Francisco to bring the diaspora together and boost U.S.-India relations.

Indian Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh said hosting the 9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Los Angeles was fitting in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to California and the contributions NRIs and Indian Americans make in the United States and India.

“California and people here have played a very important role in India’s struggle for independence and the Gadar Movement. This state is also home to a very significant path of the Indian origin population in this country,” Singh said. “If you look at today’s world where innovation and digital technology play a significant role, then Indian companies based here and Indian origin tech entrepreneurs in California are in cutting edge technology development in the United States and in the world. In this framework it is significant we meet here in [California] to observe the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.”

Rep. Janice Hahn pointed out that Los Angeles County is home to a half million people from India or of Indian descent. “What you have done with your community, your values, your interests in giving back has been such an important part of the fabric of Los Angeles, of California, and, really, the entire United States,” Hahn said. “You contribute so much to who we are and we as a country are so much better off.” Indian Americans and NRIs are taking on larger roles as policy makers, Rep. Judy Chu acknowledged.

“The Indian American community is growing, and now it’s the third largest ethnic group here in the United States. It’s made great contributions to the governance of the United States,” Chu said, acknowledging Ami Bera’s recent election to the House of Representatives and Dr. Vivek Murthy’s appointment as the country’s Surgeon General. Chu also acknowledged the efforts of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association to direct NRIs to small business investment and growth nationwide.

India and the United States continue to strengthen diplomatic ties and work together as allies, according to Rep. Brad Sherman. “The United States and India have a close relationship to fight terrorism and work on military matters,” Sherman said. “I don’t have to tell you how in the last 10 or 20 years our two countries have become much closer on diplomatic and military matters.”

Vijay Kumar Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, explained the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is an ideal venue to connect with NRIs and generate ideas for sustained growth to bring back home to India. “Indian Americans in Los Angeles are a community who has done very well and is very proud of itself. Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a very valuable component of our outreach,” Singh said. “The India of today is moving forward. India is changing its infrastructure, the way it does business.”

Panel discussions primarily focused on how NRIs can facilitate technology, youth, and business opportunities in India. Some questions raised during the panel discussions included how the diaspora should be defined, which groups (immigrants versus foreign-born Indians) should be engaged for support, and how the NRI engagement level can be increased via elections and national campaigns such as Clean Ganga.

Ambassador Singh focused on training youth living in India for jobs of the future. A Forbes report, citing the World Bank, stated earlier this year India’s working age population (age 15 to 64) is expected to increase by 125 million by 2025. The same report found 50 percent of India’s population is age 24 or younger and 12 percent of college graduates around the world will call India home.

India’s court system, local activist Inder Singh who also helped organize the event, said during another panel, is inefficient and NRIs struggle with property transfers in the motherland.

“There are several issues NRIs continue to face and they are unresolved. The justice system in India is very slow,” he said.

A business meet was held ahead of the Saturday evening gala. The Overseas Indian Facilitation Center (a joint venture involving MOIA, the Indian government and Confederation of Indian Industry) hosted an Indian Diaspora Business Meet to discuss digital markets, renewable energy, and social impact investment. The business meet aimed to foster NRI collaboration, engagement and investment in India.

The event kicked off with the attendees honoring the victims of the horrific Paris attacks with a minute’s silence. The Indian government Nov. 14 announced a new internship program for Indian Americans youths in India even as Anil K. Agarwal, Secretary in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, said the Indian diaspora is making a very important contribution to the India-U.S. relationship.

Noting that somewhere deep in the heart of the Indian Americans there is desire to make India a country of opportunities as is this country, he said, “We in Ministry ou task to provide you with a platform to fulfill this desire of yours.” At the event, Kali P. Chaudhuri, chairman and founder of the KPC Group of Companies, was presented with the NRI of the Year Award. Los Angeles is only the second U.S. city to host the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, after New York.

Previous venues for RPBD events were London, Sydney, Toronto, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius and The Hague. The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) of the Confederation of Indian Industry also organised an Indian Diaspora Business Meet on the sidelines of the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Officials from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand and Kerala also participated in the business meet.

Currently, India is going through dual, parallel identities on global level. On one level, India is emerging as a super economic power with unprecedented development and progress, fueled by 7% GNP growth for several years. Its economy, according to prominent Economists, is immune to current global economic downturn. When the whole world is rapidly aging (few exceptions), huge majority of Indian population is below the age of 40 – a great asset for any country to treasure. It also has the largest pool of consumer middle-class and an exceptional talent-pool of technocrats, scientists & Doctors in the world. Against this impressive backdrop, there exists another India with thousands of smaller rural areas where basic amenities, that we all take for granted, have yet to enter into daily spheres of life. In those areas, illiteracy, poverty and diseases are still the facts of everyday life, in absence of adequate support system. In short, on one hand when India is being showered with all sorts of accolades for the progress, there is a big chunk of humanity which has yet to catch up with it. Mindful of this paradox, it is no wonder that our newly elected Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, has visited 26 countries in last one year alone, inviting global investors to ‘make (things) in India’, by spreading a red-carpet, especially in rural regions.

When he emphasized that, “if we want to develop India, we need to start with villages”, in his very first speech to the ‘Indian Parliament’, it was as if he was referring to Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation’s (‘EVF’) core mission. For past 27 years, ‘Ekal’, (as “EVF” is popularly known) has been supporting Literacy, Health care, and integral Development in rural & tribal areas throughout India, giving sustainability to its people through empowerment. Noting the vicious cycle of poverty and illiteracy in India, it was Swami Vivekananda who had emphasized that, “if the poor child cannot go to Education, then let the Education go to the poor child”. With this as the guiding light, ‘Ekal’ has been taking education to the door-steps of the remote villages from its inception. For just $365 (dollar-a-day), it provides basic literacy skills and health care training, to a group of 35-40 young children for the entire year (termed as ‘One Ekal School’) and one can sponsor as many ‘Ekal Schools’ as one desires. Donors are given detail information about the schools they have been assigned which they could track on-line. Ekal is extremely low-cost in its operation because of its dedicated thousands of volunteers and this has kept the  overhead-cost of the organization in ‘single digit’. Ekal, not only encourages Donors to visit the schools they have sponsored, but can also facilitate the sponsorship of the whole village for its integral development. One-time generous donation of $5,000 can set one village for life. In USA, the funding for this divine cause is realized through a series of concerts, all over USA (from February to June) and by appealing directly to generous Donors like you. To make women-folks self-reliant in these places, multiple cottage-industry have also been introduced. Free Health-camps, by “Health Foundation (HFRI)” play a very important role in their lives. This holistic approach has curtailed social ills, conflicts, human exploitation, and migration to urban areas.

Besides USA and India, where “EVF” is a duly registered as tax-exempt, charitable organization, it also has chapters in several other countries, namely, Canada, South Africa, U.K., Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand with support groups in Muscat & Dubai. “EVF” is now the largest grassroots education-movement undertaken by Indians and NRIs. As of this moment, there are approx. 54,000 ‘Ekal Schools’ in operation all over India, including in Jammu-Kashmir that benefit over 1.50 million children (half of whom are girls). ‘Ekal’, not only, supports these rural masses irrespective of their caste, creed and religion, but also, been honored with several prestigious awards for its transparency of operation and impeccable administration.

As ‘Ekal’ rapidly expands, infusion of innovative ideas with a nod to adoptable modern technology and techniques is a necessity. “EVF’, therefore, has periodically convened interactive seminars on “Power of Education” at various metro-centers to exchange ideas from the bright and the brightest of the Academic fields (Harvard, MIT, Princeton … etc.) and resource-Industries. With their feedbacks, indigenous organic fertilizer, new water conservation techniques, use of solar-power for basic domestic necessities etc have now been adopted in several villages. Considering extensive grass-root network of Ekal, many humanitarian organizations working in backward areas of India have recently forged alliance with it. At ‘Karanjo’ in Jharkhand state, Ekal, with funding from ‘Tarsadia Foundation’ has established a ‘Village Development Center’, fully equipped with Wi-Fi and low-cost computers. According to Bajarang Bagraji, former M.D. of ‘National Aluminum Company’ and now CEO of Ekal –India movement, “we have 10 village Development Centers, each providing training and tools to 100 villages and thus directly impacting one Million people. If indirect impact is to be considered, then we have reached out to 10 Millions people”.  As an innovative pilot-project, mobile WI-FI equipped computer-coaching vans have been introduced in some of the states. Ekal is very proud to announce that Dr. SubhashChandra, CEO of ZEE-TV Network, has agreed to be the Chairman of “Ekal-Global” and plans to take this movement to the zenith of global organizations. As long as there is heartfelt WILL to reach out to others, there are many ways an individual can get involved in this ‘humanitarian mission’ to accomplish so much with so little, as spelled out earlier. Please, kindly invest in India’s future, one village-at-a-time. For more information and helping out this cause, please visit www.ekalvidya.org

With donations of $4.5 million by Indian-Americans and an additional grant of $1.5 million from the office of its president, the School of Humanities at the University of California, Irvine last week announced the setting up of three new endowed chairs, one each in Sikh, Jain and Modern India Studies.

The school said Oct. 19 that the chairs will be named the Dhan Kaur Sahota Presidential Chair in Sikh Studies, Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies, and Swami Vivekananda-Dharma Civilization Foundation Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies. The setting up of the chairs is aimed at expanding UCI’s scholarship in South Asian religions and culture.

Georges Van Den Abbeele, dean of the School of Humanities, said that the exercise will help students to be global citizens with more awareness about cultures and religious traditions.

“By integrating Jain, Sikh and modern Indian studies into our curriculum – and specifically into our renowned religious studies program – we’re creating a panoramic study of India’s rich cultural, historical and religious traditions and enabling our students to be global citizens with empathy and respect for the different ways we all see and interact with the world,” Den Abbeele said in a press statement.

Drs. Harvinder and Asha Sahota established the Dhan Kaur Sahota Presidential Chair in Sikh Studies named in honor of Dr. Harvinder’s late mother. The chair holder will be a scholar with in-depth knowledge of, and research interests in Sikh religion and culture, including the history of the Sikh religion from its origins in 1469 to the current worldwide Diaspora of the Sikh population. Additionally, he or she will have an understanding of the ethics and philosophy of Sikhism as well as familiarity with Punjabi – the language of the Sikh scriptures.

Drs. Meera and Jasvant Modi and their children – Dr. Rushabh and Shruti Modi and family – established Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies. The chair holder will be a scholar with wide-ranging knowledge of, and research interests in, Jain ethics, philosophy, religion, history and culture, including the fundamental principles of Jainism – nonviolence, non-possessiveness and a pluralistic perspective – and familiarity with Indian languages such as Sanskrit and Prakrit.

The chair is named in honor of Bhagvan Parshvanath, the 23rd savior of Jainism, with “Shri” being a Sanskrit title of veneration signifying to “holy.” The Swami Vivekananda-DCF Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies that seeks to promote philanthropy to further the systematic study of Indian religious traditions established the Swami Vivekananda-DCF Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies. The Dharma Civilization Foundation is a California-based nonprofit.

The endowed chair is inspired by and named after Vivekananda (1863-1902), a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and an institution builder, philosopher, orator, teacher, poet in modern India.

“The establishment of three endowed chairs in South Asian religious studies within the School of Humanities is a prime example of how UCI is a vibrant intellectual and cultural center with strong ties to its community,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman.

“We are grateful to the leaders and community groups who came together to cement the School of Humanities’ foundation in South Asian studies and look forward to the educational and cultural impact on our students that the scholarship from these chairs will produce,” Gillman said.

Earlier this year, Dr. Ushakant Thakkar, chairman of the DCF, and his wife, Irma, contributed $1.5 million to establish the Thakkar Family-Dharma Civilization Foundation Presidential Chair in Vedic and Indic Civilization Studies. Thakkar has worked with senior UCI religious studies faculty – Keith Nelson, professor emeritus of history; Jack Miles, Distinguished Professor of English and religious studies; and Gerald Larson, professor emeritus of religious studies – and the officers of DCF to enhance the study of Indian religions in American universities. Additionally, he recently served as general editor of The Norton Anthology of World Religions, a landmark work integrating the six major, living, world religions, with the first volume centering on Hinduism, Buddhism and Daoism. “The year 2015 will be remembered as annus mirabilis – a year of wonders – in the history of religious studies at UCI,” Jack Miles, Distinguished Professor of English and religious studies, said.

“Thanks to the vision and great generosity of these leaders in the Indian-American Diaspora, Orange County – a community of 3.2 million that well represents world religions in microcosm – will now become a major center for the study of the religions of India. I look forward with great optimism to the teaching, learning, research and cultural enrichment that these gifts will make possible.”

After a kick-off meeting last week, another meeting was organized at Woodlands Restaurant Oct. 17 to work out the details for the upcoming Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas program, to be held Nov. 14-15 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel here. The theme for RPBD-Los Angeles will be “The Indian Diaspora: Defining a New Paradigm in India-U.S. Relationship,” capturing the ethos of the ongoing relationship between India and the U.S. and the important role being played by the diaspora in this regard. Previous venues for the RPBDs have included London, Sydney, Toronto, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius, The Hague and New York.

Various committees were formed along with a coordination committee for overall management of the sub committees. The coordination committee will include Inder Singh (chairman), Ashok Madan, Dilip Butani, Navin Gupta, Kewal Kanda, Vasu Pawar, Abdulgani Shaikh and Subba Gopavarapu. The various sub-committees formed include: venue selection, vendor coordination, website, PA system, helping speakers, event planner, media release, brochure, cultural, catering, welcome, community outreach, social media, security, decoration and venue staff coordination.

As finalized by the Government of India, the inaugural session starts on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. with External Affairs Sushma Swaraj chairing the event. There will be a cultural program followed by refreshments and cocktails. On the following day, Nov. 15, there will be three plenary sessions starting from 10:00 a.m. till lunch, with the following topics: Increasing Engagement with Indian Diaspora; Role of Culture and Youth in Maintaining Links to India; and Government of India Schemes on Clean Ganga, Smart Cities, Skill Development, Infrastructure Development, Waste Management, and Swachh Bharat, Solar and other renewable energies; Digital India, etc.

The afternoon session will have four parallel sessions: 1) Innovation and Entrepreneurship; 2) Education (including Community Colleges system, ties between educational institutions, etc.); Skills & Vocational Training; 3) Manufacturing and Make in India; Bilateral Business Opportunities in various fields including commodities, services, IT / BT, Infrastructure; and 4) Use of Soft Power and engagements through culture. A cultural program from 6-7 p.m., and a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs will round out the day.

Registration for the seminar can be done at the official website at www.RPBDLA.org. For more information, call Inder Singh: 818-406-0296, Ashok Madan: 562-498-0202, Dilip Butani: 562-569-6722, Kewal Kanda: 562-897-6976, Navin Gupta: 909-718-9478, Vasu Pawar: 909-389-8262, Abdulgani Sheikh: 714-209-6022 and Subba Gopavarapu: 949-400-1853.
The objective of the Convention is to provide a platform for the Indian community in the USA to contribute to the relationship between the two countries, USA and India and explore ways to give back to the mother country. The members of the Indian community will have opportunity to convey their concerns and aspirations to the Government of India. The RPBD in Los Angeles is for the Indian American community and anyone who is interested in becoming involved in India’s growing relationship with the US.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) has been celebrated in India on January 9th since 2003 to mark the contributions of the overseas Indian community in the development of India, Further details are available at http://www.rpbdla.org. Participants can register online at http://www.rpbdla.org/registration

In recent years, as tensions between Hindus and Muslims have mounted, India’s government has been accused of instigating or condoning numerous acts of violence against Muslims. Popular thought in India holds that the origin of this conflict goes back centuries to medieval times, when Muslims expanded into the Indian subcontinent.

According to Audrey Truschke, a Mellon postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Religious Studies, however, much of the current religious conflict in India has been fueled by ideological assumptions about that period rather than an accurate rendering of the subcontinent’s history.

In her new book, Culture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court (Columbia University Press, forthcoming), Truschke says that the heyday of Muslim rule in India from the 16th to 18th centuries was, in fact, one of “tremendous cross-cultural respect and fertilization,” not religious or cultural conflict.

In her study of Sanskrit and Persian accounts of life under the powerful Islamic dominion known as the Mughal Empire, she provides the first detailed account of India’s religious intellectuals during this period.

Her research paints a far different picture than common perceptions, which assume that the Muslim presence has always been hostile to Indian languages, religions and culture. A leading scholar of South Asian cultural and intellectual history, Truschke argues that this more divisive interpretation actually developed during the colonial period from 1757 to 1947.

“The British benefited from pitting Hindus and Muslims against one another and portrayed themselves as neutral saviors who could keep ancient religious conflicts at bay,” she says. “While colonialism ended in the 1940s, the modern Hindu right has found tremendous political value in continuing to proclaim and create endemic Hindu-Muslim conflict.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has been criticized for being anti-Muslim. Modi was chief minister of Gujarat state, where in 2002 Hindu mobs killed more than 1,000 Muslims; he was widely blamed for failing to stem the violence. As a result, the United States denied Modi a visa for more than a decade until 2014 when it became clear that Modi would be India’s next prime minister.

Truschke argues that the ideology underpinning such violence – one that Modi himself openly embraces – erroneously “erases Mughal history and writes religious conflict into Indian history where there was none, thereby fueling and justifying modern religious intolerance.”

Her work shows that the Muslim impulse in India was not aimed at dominating Indian culture or Hinduism. She hopes her findings “will provide a solid historiographical basis for intervention in modern, political rewritings of the Indian past.”

Truschke, one of the few living scholars with competence in both Sanskrit and Persian, is the first scholar to study texts from both languages in exploring the courtly life of the Mughals. The Mughals ruled a great swath of the Indian subcontinent from the early 16th to the mid-18th centuries, building great monuments like the Taj Mahal.

Over several months in Pakistan and 10 months in India, Truschke traveled to more than two dozen archives in search of manuscripts. She was able to analyze the Mughal elite’s diverse interactions with Sanskrit intellectuals in a way not previously done.

She has accessed, for example, six histories that follow Jain monks at the Mughal court as they accompanied Mughal kings on expeditions, engaged in philosophical and religious debates, and lived under the empire’s rule. These works collectively run to several thousand pages, and none have been translated into English.

Truschke found that high-level contact between learned Muslims and Hindus was marked by collaborative encounters across linguistic and religious lines. She said her research overturns the assumption that the Mughals were hostile to traditional Indian literature or knowledge systems. In fact, her findings reveal how Mughals supported and engaged with Indian thinkers and ideas.

Early modern-era Muslims were in fact “deeply interested in traditional Indian learning, which is largely housed in Sanskrit,” says Truschke, who is teaching religion courses at Stanford through 2016 in association with her fellowship.

Truschke’s book focuses on histories and poetry detailing interactions among Mughal elites and intellectuals of the Brahmin (Hindu) and Jain religious groups, particularly during the height of Mughal power from 1560 through 1650.

As Truschke discovered, the Mughal courts in fact sought to engage with Indian culture. They created Persian translations of Sanskrit works, especially those they perceived as histories, such as the two great Sanskrit epics.

For their part, upper-caste Hindus known as Brahmins and members of the Jain tradition – one of India’s most ancient religions – became influential members of the Mughal court, composed Sanskrit works for Mughal readers and wrote about their imperial experiences.

“The Mughals held onto power in part through force, just like any other empire,” Truschke acknowledges, “but you have to be careful about attributing that aggression to religious motivations.” The empire her research uncovers was not intent on turning India into an Islamic state.

“The Mughal elite poured immense energy into drawing Sanskrit thinkers to their courts, adopting and adapting Sanskrit-based practices, translating dozens of Sanskrit texts into Persian and composing Persian accounts of Indian philosophy.”

Such study of Hindu histories, philosophies and religious stories helped the Persian-speaking imperialists forge a new hybrid political identity, she asserts.

Truschke is working on her next book, a study of Sanskrit histories of Islamic dynasties in India more broadly.

Indian history, especially during Islamic rule, she says, is very much alive and debated today. Moreover, a deliberate misreading of this past “undergirds the actions of the modern Indian nation-state,” she asserts.

And at a time of conflict between the Indian state and its Muslim population, Truschke says, “It’s invaluable to have a more informed understanding of that history and the deep mutual interest of early modern Hindus and Muslims in one another’s traditions.”

Chicago IL: The Consulate General of India in Chicago celebrated the 146th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, at its premises on Friday 2nd October, 2015. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General said that Mahatma Gandhi was trans-national in the range of his influences and in the reach of his thoughts and that there is hardly any country in the world where his ideals are not inspiring people. “This is evidenced by the installation of his statues in the US, Germany, Australia, and in many other countries”, he added.

Sayeed stated that for his ideas of Compassion, Non-violence, Supreme Humanism, Satyagraha(holding onto truth), Swadeshi (preference to domestic products), Universal Brotherhood, Upliftment of All, and, above all, his unparalleled role in India’s freedom movement, he is often named not only among the most important persons of the century but also that of the Millennium.

“The Gandhian ideals will remain more relevant in future than they have been in the past. His philosophy will be greatly instrumental in making this world a happier place to live for coming generations”, stated Sayeed. He invited attention of the audience to Mahatma Gandhi’s own words: “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty”.

“We live in the fond hope of a better world. No one better exemplified this than Mahatma Gandhi himself, and on the auspicious occasion, dedicated to celebrate his life, let us take time to reflect and move ahead seeking this reality”, urged Sayeed.

He added that Prime Minister Narender Modi’s deep commitment to Gandhian ideals, reflected in an array of his initiatives, including “Clean India”, “Make in India”, etc., will further accelerate India’s growth trajectory and empower it to emerge as one of the front-ranking countries of the world.  OP Meena, Consul at the Consulate General, welcomed the guests and conducted the proceedings of the program.

Meena said that Gandhian philosophy of non-violence, peace, and communal harmony has become a source of inspiration in the contemporary world which is characterized by terrorism, conflict, and apartheid. “The wisdom of his philosophy, which is in a perpetual state of reinvention, will continue to be a beacon of light for the younger generations in India and across the globe”, he added. Dr. Ghousia Sultana, an eminent Indian-American of Hyderabad origin, paid rich poetic tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

The celebrations included Power Point Presentation on Mahatma Gandhi by Dr. Sri Ram Sonti, Peace Harmony Musical Concert by Saraswathi Rangnathan and Dhananjay Kunte, and Screening of Documentaries on Mahatma Gandhi by Arun Har Prasad. The visuals of the photos of Mahatma Gandhi, drawn by Arvindbhai, were also displayed in the hall.

The solemn occasion was attended by a large number of distinguished Indian-Americans, from different walks of life, along with their families and friends.

A key supporter of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi has roped in former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich to back a new effort to bring Indian Americans, a traditional Democratic political base, into the Republican Party.

Gingrich will be the honorary chairman of the “Republican Hindu Coalition” funded with an initial $2 million from Chicago businessman Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, of electronics firm AVG Advanced Technologies, according to a media report.

Fashioned after the influential Republican Jewish Coalition, Kumar’s outfit could give the Republican Party a new inroad to first-generation immigrants that traditionally vote Democratic, Gingrich told the Washington Examiner.

“What Shalli is doing is really making us move towards bringing together people from all over the country, giving them a chance to get involved in politics and, in the process, really beginning to give us an opportunity to have a much different Republican Party that’s much broader based,” Gingrich was quoted as saying.

Kumar said he was prompted to form the political group by concerns that United States President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders are undermining the economic recovery with regulations, and dropping the ball overseas.

The RHC, which will officially start this fall, will back candidates that will focus on cutting U.S. debt, supporting a strong national security policy against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State.

It also advocates reducing aid to India’s foes like Pakistan, and expanding trade with India.

For example, Kumar said he wants to convince U.S. companies to shift manufacturing operations from China to India.

Kumar and Gingrich have a plan to attract 400 founding members to the Republican Hindu Coalition to raise money for Republican candidates and groups, while also convincing Indian Americans to switch to the Republican Party.

Gingrich said Kumar’s group should help activate Indian Americans not involved in politics.

“A lot of first-generation folks feel more comfortable and feel more engaged and more involved if they network with fellow people from their background,” he told the Examiner.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed was honored with “Pride of Dharma Award” at Global Dharma Conference in Edison (New Jersey, USA) on September 11 evening. The “Pride of Dharma Award” citation said: “In appreciation of the significant contributions made towards the protection, preservation and propagation of Dharma”. This Award “recognizes the outstanding contributions of those Hindus who have made a major impact on Hindu society”.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, has taken-up interfaith, religion, Roma (Gypsies) and other causes all over the world. He has read opening prayers in United States Senate and US House of Representatives in Washington DC, various State Senates and State Assemblies/Houses-of-Representatives, various County Commissions and City Councils all over USA. Bestowed with “World Interfaith Leader Award”, many cities in USA have named October 25 as “Rajan Zed Day”. Others who received this Award at the Conference were Dr. Mahesh Mehta and Rajiv Malhotra.

Opening ceremony on September 11 of this three-day Conference, attended by a few hundred people, included Bharatnatyam performance by Arsha Kala Bharati founder Pavithra Srinivasan; addresses by Swami Tattwamayananda of Vedanta Society of Northern California, Dr. Mahesh Mehta, Infinity Foundation founder Rajiv Malhotra, American Institute of Vedic Studies founder Vamadeva Shastri, Sreepeetham founder Swami Paripoornananda; Shiv Pachakshara Stotra by Sparsh Shah; and Garba and Bhangra folk dances and musical performance.

Over 50 eminent spiritual, business, science, social, arts and political leaders/experts are participating in this Conference whose tagline is “Reconnect-Rejuvenate-Realize”, an initiative of Hindu Students Council, which has chapters in over 50 university campuses in North America and which was launched in 1990.

Conference Executive Committee included: Nikunj Trivedi, Ravindra Jaishankar, Shaivi Sukhadia, Sohini Sircar, Harshit Agarwal, Parth Parihar and Darshna Modi.