A platform for the voice of next generation Indian Diaspora Year 1, Volume 25 Washington DC, Monday 10 April, 2023 *New India Abroad is a Registered trademark and not affiliated with the newspaper named India Abroad marketed in the US from 1972 to 2021. In order for the US. india bilateral relationship to thrive, Dr Reddy urged Indian Americans to engage, participate, voice out and socialize with the legislative members in their districts. AIF annual affair attracts people from all walk of life to participate for a social cause. Ensuring Virginia adopts a sister city in India : Srilekha Palle Chef Raghavan Iyer no more ...Page 4 ...Page 19 Six receive prestigious Guggenheim fellowships ...Page 8 Happy Baisakhi! AIF raises $2.2 million VIKAL SAMDARIYA The American India Foundation (AIF) raised US$2.2 million at its Bay Area Gala at SF City Hall on April 7, 2023, the highest ever amount raised for its humanitarian mission in India. In 2022, AIF raised US$2.1 million during its Bay Area Gala to support its charity in India. AIF is a nonprofit organisation working to uplift the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth through interventions in education, health, and livelihood domains. “It was an absolute pleasure to honor Raj Mathai, NBC Bay Area News Anchor, and to have Vivek Ranadivé, Owner and Chairman of Sacramento Kings, as our Gala Chair,” AIF said in a statement. “We closed the night raising US $2.2 million–the highest-grossing Bay Area gala in AIF history! Image - Flickr/AIF Congratulations and thank you! We couldn’t have done it without our gala supporters and sponsors, CA Board, and the entire Global Board for their continued and generous support,” the statement added. On receiving AIF’s honor, Kerala-born Mathai tweeted “Humbled and honored to be recognized by AI Foundation.” IAFC Chairman discusses evolution of Indian American Community MADHU BALAJI Dr Krishna Reddy, founder president and chairman of the Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC), spoke to India Abroad® about the evolution of Indian American Community in the US. He said that the Indian American community is the richest and highest income earning group in the US and noted that the majority of the CEOs of companies such as Microsoft and Google are of Indian descent. “I’m very proud of Indian Americans. They are very brilliant entrepreneurs and philanthropists, who have made immense contributions to bring great name and fame for themselves,” Reddy said. Speaking on the role of the diaspora in enhancing the India-U.S. bilateral relationship, Reddy maintained that Indian Americans have to engage, participate, voice out and socialize with the legislative members in their districts in order to be identified and thereby play a significant role in strengthening the relationship between the two countries. “Unless you talk to them, question them, they wouldn’t know who we are and unless we raise our voice,we will get suppressed,” he emphasized. The first generation Indian American, who hails from Bangalore also stressed on the diaspora being aware and respecting their motherland. “The second generation Indian Americans should know where they came from and their origin. They can believe what they want but they should respect their origins,” he added. Dr. Krishna Reddy. Raj Mathai, NBC Bay Area News Anchor was honoured at the event
2 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Chair of the FedEx Strategic Management Committee, Subramaniam has more than three decade of industry experience at FedEx Bhardwaj is the first person of Indian origin to be appointed to the role. Indian Star LLC Published Weekly Copyright © 2022 Indian Star LLC Editor in Chief Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami [email protected] Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Bhambri [email protected] Editor (Hindi) Dr. Rameshwar Dayal [email protected] Registered Address Indian Star LLC, 6215 Rockhurst Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817 USA Email [email protected] Ph. 7323476511 Website www.NewIndiaAbroad.Com Disclaimers: 1. New India Abroad is a Registered trademark and not affiliated with the newspaper named India Abroad marketed in the US from 1972 to 2021. 2. Indian Star LLC assumes no liability for claims / assumptions made in advertisements and advertorials. Views expressed by the writers are their own. A publication of Raj Subramaniam receives Horatio Alger Award VIKAL SAMDARIYA I ndian-origin CEO Raj Subramaniam was conferred with the prestigious 2023 Horatio Alger Award along with twelve other distinguished business leaders at the 76th Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. on April 1, 2023. Each year, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization, honors present outstanding leaders who have displayed extraordinary perseverance in overcoming challenges with the Award. In his congratulatory message to Subramaniam, Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu tweeted, “Happy to see the journey of a young man from Thiruvananthapuram to Tennessee, which also underlines the potential of India-U.S.partnership, felicitated at the iconic event.” President and CEO of FedEx Corporation, Subramaniam serves on the board of directors of FedEx Corporation, the Procter & Gamble Company, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, FIRST, the U.S.- India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the U.S.- China Business Council. He is also a member of the U.S.-India CEO Forum. An IIT alumnus,t he CEO earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin. Raj Subramaniam at the event. Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu with FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam during the event. Image - Twiter/ Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. Image - Twitter/@SandhuTaranjitS Pradeep Bhardwaj is High Sheriff of Wiltshire BHAVANA P British Indian Pradeep Bhardwaj was appointed High Sheriff of Wiltshire, a county in the United Kingdom. He will replace the outgoing High Sheriff Ladu Lansdowne who served for the previous 12 months. The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. Commenting on his new role, Bhardwaj said: “It’s a feeling of immense gratitude and very humbling to say the least. It gives you time to reflect on the good things and be thankful you have this opportunity to bring about a positive change.” “We have a lot of communities who are doing some wonderful things and I hope I can be a bridge between the communities so they are working together rather than in isolation – and also more broadly, a bridge between the public, private and third sector.” Bhardwaj has an established career in telecoms and is a prominent member of the local Hindu community. He was instrumental in establishing Wiltshire’s first Hindu temple in Swindon and made significant efforts to find a new home for the temple after it was forced to be shut down as a result of several break-ins. “Our perseverance prevailed and through our sheer determination and doggedness we have managed to create this equally welcoming place,” he said about the incident. “People are very enthused now and it has brought a lot of new people into the fold, so we have to look at the positives.” An award-winning industry expert in the mobile industry, Bhardwaj currently works at Syniverse, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group. He has expertise in leading-edge technologies like 5G, and is credited for launching public internet for the first time in India and its first public Email service. The swearing in ceremony of Pradeep Bhardwaj Pradeep Bhardwaj the newly appointed High Sheriff of Wiltshire. Image - Twitter/@WiltsLieutenant Image - Twitter/@HCI-london
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 3 Two Indian Americans bag Young Urologists Award VIKAL SAMDARIYA Two Indian- American medical professionals were conferred with the Young Urologists of the Year Award for 2023 by American Urologist Association in recognition of their efforts and commitment to advancing the development of fellow young urologists. Dr Rena Malik and Dr Nitya Abraham were selected along with six others to receive this special honor for 2023, the Association shared in a statement. Since her fellowship, Dr Malik has been an engaged and innovative young urologist in the Mid-Atlantic Section. She served as Chair of the Section’s Resident’s Day in 2022 and has been on the MAAUA Awards Committee, according to the Association. NYU School of Medicine graduate, Dr Malik is the recipient of the William D. Steers Award of the Urology Care Foundation 2021. She started the South Asian Wellness platform to help educate the South Asian community on pertinent healthcare issues, her profile added. Program Director for the Montefiore Urology residency program, Dr Abraham is an Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, according to the association. New York University alumnus and a prolific researcher, Abraham has also served the AUA as an Oral Board Review Course faculty member and QIPS/MEP member. She is a member of the Society for Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) Young Urologists Committee and social media committee, her profile added. Imag (L to R) Dr Nitya Abraham and Dr Rena Malik Doctors were selected by their colleagues who serve on the Young Urologists Committee and endorsed by their respective Section/Society to receive this special honor for 2023. The University honors outstanding teaching, advising, mentoring, research, professional service and librarianship annually. Sheena Patel and Parini Shroff listed for Women’s Prize for Fiction UCF honors Indianorigin academicians STAFF REPORTER The University of Central Florida faculty members Manoj Chopra and Muthu Periasamy were selected for the 2023 Founders’ Day Faculty Honors that recognized their academic excellence and service. Chopra was honored for thirty years of excellent service at UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. The Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani alumnus, is a civil engineering expert, who carried out research on soil erosion and structure.He currently serves as the NCAA faculty athletic representative for all student-athletes at UCF and the associate dean for academic affairs for the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Periasamy was named under the Retired Faculty category of honor. The Chennaiborn professor currently serves at the UCF’s College of Medicine. He has received several awards including the AHA Established Investigator and Outstanding Cardiovascular Researcher Award. UCF’s annual marquee event for faculty on April 5 will showcase more than 200 faculty members for academic excellence who will be honored at the Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration at the university. STAFF REPORTER Two Indian-origin female authors are among sixteen other writers named on the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023 longlist, announced in March, 2023 by the Women’s Prize Trust, the charity that runs the awards. The winner will be announced on June 14, 2023. British writer of Indian descent, Sheena Patel was named for her debut novel, ‘I’m a Fan’, which is a story of an unnamed narrator’s involvement in a seemingly unequal romantic relationship. “With a clear and unforgiving eye, Sheena Patel makes startling connections between power struggles at the heart of human relationships to those in the wider world, offering a devastating critique of social media, access and patriarchal systems,” the Trust said about the book. A London resident, Patel is a writer and assistant director for film and TV who was born and raised in North West London, according to her profile. In 2022, she was chosen as one of the Observer’s Top 10 best debut novelists. Indian American author Parini Shroff’s debut novel ‘The Bandit Queens’ was selected for the award. Set in India, the story revolves around a young woman who finds false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands. Shroff graduated from Loyola Law School and holds an MFA from the University of Texas, Austin. An attorney by profession, her work has appeared in journals such as Southern Humanities Review, Salamander and MacGuffin among others. (L to R) Parini Shroff and Sheena Patel. (L to R)Dr. Manoj Chopra and Dr. Muthu Periasamy
4 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Hailing from a small town in Andhra Pradesh, Srilekha Palle immigrated to the US and started her public life from as a volunteer at a local temple. She discusses her upbringing, role of the diaspora, and priorities in her current role as a member of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB). [email protected] Ensuring Virginia adopts a sister city in India : Srilekha Palle VIKAL SAMDARIYA Never one to stay in a comfort zone, IndianAmerican community and healthcare leader Srilekha Palle’s says that her life has been a roller coaster ride during the past few years. The Boston University alumnus was recently appointed to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB) by Governor Glenn Youngkin. Hailing from a village in Andhra Pradesh, India, Palle immigrated to the US to realise her American dream. In an engaging conversation with New India Abroad®, the doctor shares her inspiring story of how she went from being a young girl in Andhra to a prominent figure in the Indian American community in the United States. Excerpts : Share briefly about your journey from a healthcare professional to a community political leader of the GOP. My journey with public service started from a Durga temple in the neighbourhood, where I served as a volunteer and went on to become president. During that time tenure, due to my professional background, I was asked to be the Vice Chair of the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA) to promote public health within the South Asian community. That may be one of the turning points in my life where I began to understand that we ought to have a multifaceted role that involves leadership, advocacy, and strategic planning to raise awareness about any issue in the United States. With that realization in mind, I played multiple executive roles in cultural, religious, business, and political arenas, where I had the opportunity to meet elected officials from both parties and understand the intricacies of the platforms of both sides of the aisles and enriched my understanding on policy and politics on diverse subjects. With keen interest to serve community, I chose to run for office and didn’t succeed in 2018, and I hope to run again in the future. Whether I win or not, I will continue to serve my community, striving to impact and build a better future for everyone positively. What will be your main priorities as a member of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB)? The Virginia Asian Advisory Board is a formal liaison between the administration and the diverse and rapidly growing Asian American Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) communities in the Commonwealth. As per mandate, I will advise Governor Youngkinon issues of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) interest so that his administration can best serve the AAPI constituents of Virginia. I will also advise the Governor on ways to improve economic and cultural links between the Commonwealth and Asian nations, focusing on the areas of commerce and trade, art and education, and general government, as well as issues affecting the AAPI community in the Commonwealth. My personal goal is to, at a certain point, talk to Governor Youngkin about adopting a sister city in India and building trade relationships with India. Being an Indian – American, how do you view the Indian Diaspora’s contribution to your town and the country at large? The Indian community has already significantly contributed to the American economy, philanthropic discourse, charities, politics, and state government and significantly in technological development and innovations. Remarkably, many Indian Americans have founded successful startups and technology companies, created jobs, and driving innovations. The Indian community has contributed to the cultural diversity of the region by introducing food, music, dance, and traditions. Indian festivals such as Diwali and Holi are now celebrated in many cities across America. Through the effort of myself, Mr. Gupta, one of the prominent Indian American leaders, Fairfax County School now recognizes Diwali as an official school holiday, and that is the case in multiple counties across America. Share your journey from India to the U.S. and your memories of India. What do you like the most about India? Despite growing up in a small town Bethemcherla, Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, my mom and Uncle instilled an intense pride in education, and I learned what hard work means from my dad and what integrity means from my brother. I carry the family values that my parents imparted to me today. I remain connected to my Indian roots and contributing as a volunteer to provide healthcare and social services in rural parts of India. I went to boarding school in Nandyal after that, where I learned the concept of “procrastination is the thief of time” from one of the warden that supervised us, and an administrator and his wife who treated me as a family and his and my uncle who was then the medical officer of the school together what selfless service to the community means. Those humble human beings remain my role models to this day. Of course, you learn a lot from your dear friends at all stages of your life on how to be resilient, flexible, adaptable, and selfreliant. India has undoubtedly taught me a lot, and I owe a lot to my motherland. Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB) representative, Dr. Srilekha Palle. Indian American Chef on Trotter Project Board STAFF REPORTER I ndian American chef Maneet Chauhan was elected as a board member of The Trotter Project, a national nonprofit founded by members of Charlie Trotter’s family, Charlie Trotter’s restaurant alumni and friends, and Homaro Cantu’s Moto restaurant alumni in 2014. Renowned American chef and restaurateur late Charlie Trotter started the popular Chicagobased restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s in 1987 with his father, Bob Trotter, as his partner. His rich culinary legacy is still admired and followed by many in the food industry. Reacting to her election, founder and president of the Nashville -based Morph Hospitality Group, Chauhan recalled, “When I started as a young chef in Chicago, Charlie Trotter was the one person who was very kind and encouraging. The legacy he has left for the food world is so widespread and everlasting, and it’s an honor to be a part of The Trotter Project board of directors because it allows me to contribute and carry on his mission.”Winner of Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions II and recipient of a couple of culinary awards, Chauhan has authored two cookbooks and is also the co-founder of Hop Springs, home to the state’s largest craft brewery and a fun-filled 84-acre beer park located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She was inducted into the board along with the managing director of Brooks Wine, Janie Brooks Heuck. On new appointments to the Board, co-founder and CEO of Trotter Project Derrek Miller commented, “Maneet and Janie’s knowledge of the restaurant industry coupled with their passion for the Trotter Project and their successful fundraising efforts will be invaluable assets as we look to expand our programming.” Image - Trotter Project Chef Maneet Chauhan.
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 5 DR. ARCHANA ARUL What began as a fun filled, day of adventure for hundreds of tourist in East Sikkim, turned out to be nightmare, when an Avalanche hit 15th Mile, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, connecting Gangtok with Nathula Pass on 4th April, 2023. The fateful event has claimed seven lives so far – four men, two women, a six year old and has left several injured and trapped in layers of snow. While natural disasters such as this, are totally unpredictable, the time and place of the incident happens to be an enigma to many. “Changu / Tsongu Lake - Nathula is not an avalanche prone region. This region has been open to tourists for years and never before has something like this happened in 13th mile, which is substantially at a low altitude. Our first priority is saving as many lives as possible” said Sikkim Police Special DGP Akshay Sachdeva. The route from Gangtok, East Sikkim that connects Nathula Pass is an international border between India and China and a much sought after tourist destination. Thousands of people have frequented this place during different seasons for varying reasons-- it is spiritual for those who believe in the Mt .Kailash Mansarovar trail that furthers beyond Nathula to Mt. Kailash in China, an adventurous trek for bikers, and an exotic picnic spot for families and friends to enjoy snow during its season. Permit Pass Sonam Tenzing Bhutia, Inspector General for Check post maintains “Passes are issued for only 13th mile, but tourists are forcefully going to 15th mile. The incident happened in 15th mile.” Access to this route is strictly managed and one needs to secure a pass to venture ahead. A pass issued by the tourism department upon verifying national identity of a person, would be cross checked at the check post by BRO and Army officials. And generally, when the weather is not feasible, “passes are denied”. Passes are sometime issued with restrictions advising tourists not to go beyond the access point. Close to 500 vehicles passes had been issued that tragic Tuesday, permitting them access till 13th Mile, however some determined tourists had sought a way around the legal permit to venture ahead to 15th Mile. According to an eyewitness, few minutes before the avalanche hit, they were found playing in snow, taking pictures and climbing hills like a normal tourist would do any other day. And out of the blue, an avalanche snowballed onto them around 11.10 am gliding the stranded people into deeper valleys. Rescue Mission Rescue operations were in full swing comprising of officials from Indian Army, Border Roads Organisation, State Disaster Management Authority, Sikkim Police, Sikkim Tourism Department and local travel and drivers association. 20 victims were rushed to STNM - the only state hospital in Gangtok, were seven succumbed to injuries and others were treated, when the CM, P.S. Golay visited them on Tuesday night. In his address he announced that ‘All possible help will be given to the avalanche victims’ and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. Even when the rescue operation was on, another minor snow slide occurred around 5.35pm pausing the search process which resumed the following morning. The officials declared that they have brought back close to 350 stranded tourists back to Gangtok post the traumatic episode. Medical Inadequacy The victims were rushed to a military medical facility nearby, and were then transported to STNM hospital in Gangtok for treatment. The government doctors were on their toes to attend the call of duty, however a major question that lurks in the minds of many - Does Sikkim have adequate medical facility to treat multiple casualties such as this? A State whose primary resource is depended on tourism, hosting thousands of tourists all around the year, let us not forget the recent G-20 Summit that was hosted here recently, has one State government hospital and another private teaching hospital. Medical facility in the state is still sadly not up to mark in Sikkim says a senior resident who did not wish to disclose his name. “It is good for basic diagnosis but for special treatments, patients are often taken to Siliguri, West Bengal, New Delhi or even Chennai, Incidents such as these, should alert the authorities to invest in adequate medical facility in a region, which is flooded with tourists round the year.” he added. Eco Alert There is much more to the snowcapped mountains and scenic beauty that the travel catalogues entice people with. Coupled with ‘high risk’ behaviour of certain people who want to freeze the moment on Instagram and other social media sites not realising that venturing into a restricted zone, could actually make them stare at death, like the Sikkim Avalanche. Avalanches, flash floods and landslides are pretty common in Indian Himalayan region. Especially during summer and monsoon times, the melting snow with heavy showers make it difficult for the locals and tourists alike to ascend the hills, washing away roads, rolling down of rocks blocking the path and so on. A scientific study in the US proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, had predicted that the Indian Himalayan region is prone to avalanches due to global warming and climate change. The Uttarakhand Avalanche 2022, killed 23 mountaineers, a decade before that an Himalayan Tsunami wiped close to 6000 people off the hills. Incidents such as these brings us to the fundamental question - are we tilling and drilling the mountains in the name of development ? Is the alarming rate of footfalls causing more damage to the mountain regions? Dr. Archana Arul is an Associate Professor of English at SRM University, Sikkim with a passionate interest in Nature, Arts and the Environment. Views expressed are personal Search and rescue operations at Gangtok, Sikkim. Nightmare at Nathula Avalanches, flash floods and landslides are pretty common in Indian Himalayan region. Especially during summer and monsoon times.
6 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 There are specific spices such as fenugreek, food like jaggery, and herbs like Ashoka that support women during menstruation. The University issued a statement rejecting the accusations and stating that the student’s body operates in a fair and democratic manner and has zero tolerance towards harassment and bullying. Student accuses London varsity of discrimination MADHU BALAJI I ndian-origin student Karan Kataria pursuing his law degree at the London School of Economics (LSE) has accused the institution of discrimination on the basis of religion and anti-India rhetoric. He claimed he was disqualified from the LSE Students’ Union (LSESU) elections on baseless allegations without being given a chance to represent his case. The 22-year-old Haryana native who was running for post of General Secretary in the Student’s Union, said in a post on social media, “Unfortunately, some individuals could not bear to see an IndianHindu lead the LSESU and resorted to vilifying my character and very identity in what was clearly in line with the alarming cancel culture which is uprooting our social communities.” Hailing from a middle-class agricultural family, Kataria shared that he is a first-generation university-level graduate in his family and wanted to contribute to student welfare by being a Union member. “But my dreams were shattered when a deliberately orchestrated smear campaign was launched against me solely because of my Indian and Hindu identity, “ he wrote. Kataria further revealed that Indian students were targeted on polling day. However, the LSESU brushed it aside when they raised concerns about being bullied for their national and Hindu religious identities, he mentioned.”The silent treatment of the students’ complaints about such unacceptable behaviour also justifies the accusation of Hinduphobia against the LSESU.” The LSESU issued a statement that the body operates in a fair and democratic manner and has zero tolerance towards harassment and bullying. “Unfortunately, this year the election rules have been breached by a candidate, resulting in LSESU taking the difficult decision to disqualify him from this year’s Leadership Race for the position of General Secretary,” it added. “We are confident that all decisions were followed according to due process and best practice. However, given the impact this experience has had on some of the candidates involved, we will be conducting an external review this time around and will endeavor to update the community accordingly,” it further said. Karan Kataria (Image: Twitter/@karanatLSE) Indian-American Forum organises webinar on Women’s health SUPRIYA SINGH I ndian-American Forum along with Reenbow Media organised a special webinar on Women’s Health and Nutrition based on Ayurveda last week. Indu Jaiswal, chairperson of Indian American Forum, and Dr Renee Mehrra, president of Reenbow Media, celebrated Women’s history month and National nutrition month at the webinar attended by members of the Indian American Forum and doctors. In her address, the CEO of AyurveDatri Women Wellness Solutions and doctor of Ayurveda in Ohio and a women’s health specialist said, care during puberty in Ayurveda aims at enhancing the growth and development of the reproductive system in specific and the person as a whole. There are specific spices such as fenugreek, food like jaggery, and herbs like Ashoka that support women during menstruation. Ayurveda recognizes the need for rest, repair and rejuvenation during postpartum and offers Sutika Paricharya which supports the mother’s physical and emotional needs through spices and herbs like ginger powder, Dashmool and Saubhagya shunt pak, she said, along with herbs and spices like Madhuyashti, Ashwagandha and Guduci are rejuvenating to support women during menopause, to be taken on a doctor’s advice. Garry N Sun Grewal and his wife Sunita, one of the leading ayurvedic product suppliers in North America, said that their products were tested by accredited labs for the highest quality. The herbs that they chose for woman’s health included amla, ashwagandha, brahmi, and Shatavari and the main products Stri-Kalp, Brahma Rasayana for menopause balance, and female potency. The couple began their Ayurveda journey in 1999 when they moved to Reno from Dubai. The next Webinar on holistic medicine will be on April 30, the organisers said in a statement. Dr Renee Mehrra, President or Reenbow Media Image- Reenbow Media
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 7
8 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Guggenheim fellows have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer, and other noteworthy honors. Six receive prestigious Guggenheim fellowships SUNITA SOHRABJI S ix Indian Americans were among the 171 recipients of the 2023 Guggenheim fellowship, a prestigious honor awarded to mid-career professionals who have demonstrated “exceptional capacity” in their scholarly or artistic careers. The fellows were chosen from 48 disciplines in academics and the arts. “Like Emerson, I believe that fullness in life comes from following our calling,” said Edward Hirsch, President of the Guggenheim Foundation, in an April 5 statement announcing the new crop of fellows. “The new class of Fellows has followed their calling to enhance all of our lives, to provide greater human knowledge and deeper understanding. We’re lucky to look to them to bring us into the future,” said Hirsch, a 1985 fellow in poetry. Fellows receive grants of $30- 45,000 to spend in whatever manner they wish for their field of work. Since 1925, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has granted nearly $400 million in fellowships to over 18,000 individuals. More than 125 Nobel laureates, winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Fields Medal, Turing Award, Bancroft Prize, and National Book Awards have received Guggenheim fellowships. Indian Americans Anima Anandkumar of Caltech and Venkatesan Guruswami of UC Berkeley dominated the computer science field, receiving two of the three fellowships allotted in that category. Leela Prasad of Duke University received the sole fellowship awarded in the category of South and Southeast Asian Studies. Prineha Narang of UCLA took one of three fellowships awarded in Physics, while Projit Bihari Mukharji at t he University of Pennsylvania received a fellowship in the History of Science, Technology, and Economics division. Dr. Abraham Verghese of Stanford University — whose latest novel “The Covenant of Water” will be released May 2 by independent publisher Grove Atlantic — received one of nine fellowships awarded in the General Nonfiction category. Wendy Belzberg and Strauss Zelnick, chairman of the board of the CBS Corporation, have underwritten Verghese’s fellowship in honor of the writer Stacy Schiff, a 1996 Guggenheim Fellow and Foundation Trustee. Verghese, a physician, is the author of two memoirs — “My Own Country,” and “The Tennis Partner” — and the bestselling novel, “Cutting for Stone.” With the Guggenheim Fellowship, Verghese plans to write a non-fiction book tentatively titled “The Body: An Intimate Biography.” The aim of the book is to “synthesize my adventures and insights after over four decades of exploring the body,” says Verghese in a statement released by Stanford. While the details are likely to change as his writing process proceeds, Verghese maintains a common objective, explaining, “My ultimate goal with any book is, as always, fairly simple: a good story well told.” Prasad is a Professor of Religious Studies, and Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies at Duke University. Her primary interests are the anthropology of ethics, with a focus on South Asia, gender, narrative, colonialism & decoloniality, prison pedagogy & Gandhi, and religion & modernity. Her work is at the intersections of religious studies, anthropology, history and literature. Anandkumar is the Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the California Institute of Technology. Her research interests are in the areas of large-scale machine learning, non-convex optimization and highdimensional statistics. In particular, she has been spearheading the development and analysis of tensor algorithms for machine learning. “Tensor decomposition methods are embarrassingly parallel and scalable to enormous datasets. They are guaranteed to converge to the global optimum and yield consistent estimates for many probabilistic models such as topic models, community models, and hidden Markov models,” says Anandkumar, explaining her work. Guruswami, a Chancellor’s Professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, will use the fellowship to continue his research into understanding and devising the most resource-efficient approaches to solving computational problems, and mapping the boundary between their tractable and intractable variants. “I’m really delighted and grateful to be chosen for this Fellowship, and honored to join its distinguished roster of past recipients,” said Guruswami, a theoretical computer scientist. Narang is UCLA’s Howard Reiss Chair in Physical Sciences. Her research aims to better understand the dynamics of nonequilibrium states in nature – an essential tool to understanding how complex physical events unfold. “We are an interdisciplinary group at UCLA at the vibrant intersection of computational science, phenomena away from equilibrium, and control of dynamical correlations in materials and molecules, connecting between the different branches of the physical sciences,” says Narang, describing the work of her lab. “Topics in our group unify and push new directions in ab initio materials theory and transport methods, ultrafast and nonequilibrium dynamics, computational condensed matter physics, and topological materials science.” Mukharji is interested in issues of marginality and marginalization both within and through science, focusing on people who are disempowered. His twin ambition is “to write histories of science that are anti-colonial without being nationalist or identitarian.” He is the author of “Nationalizing the Body” about South Asian doctors and medical subordinates employed in the lower echelons of the colonial medical establishment in British India. Mukharji also wrote “Doctoring Traditions,” about how Ayurveda was modernized under colonialism. He is also the author of “Brown Skins, White Coats,” about race science in India from 1920-1966. His current project, “psychic socialism,” explores Cold War era scientific projects in India to tap into the psychic powers of individuals to build a new science. (L-R) Dr. Leela Prasad of Duke University, Dr. Abraham Verghese of Stanford University, (top row) Dr. Anima Anandkumar of the California Institute of Technology, Dr. Venkatesan Guruswami of UC Berkeley, Dr. Prineha Narang, UCLA and Projit Bihari Mukharji of UPenn
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 9 Jameel serves on the Board of Directors for ZAM’s Hope Community Resource Center in Chicago and helped to raise funds that go to aiding individuals affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Mohammed Jameel elected to Illinois Village Board VIKAL SAMDARIYA I ndian American Dr Mohammed Jameel was elected as trustee of the Long Grove Village Board in an election that concluded on April 5, 2023. Long Grove is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Elected for a four-year term, Jameel is the first Indian -American to serve on the Board. Reacting to the historic win, he wrote in a social media post, “I am humbled to have been elected to serve our community as a Trustee. When I started this endeavor a few years ago, I committed to be a voice for the people and to represent Long Grove in a manner worthy of the trust required of a public servant. I look forward to my term and thank you for all your support.” Jameel received the Pride of India Award at the India @75 GSA event held at Sheraton Hotel Lisle Illinois in 2022 for his services as chairman of American Democratic Forum, a US-based organization that is instrumental in raising policy issues with US politicians, according to a release. An alumnus of the Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, he completed his residency at Louisiana State University and currently works at North Shore Health Network as an urgent care physician tending to patients diagnosed with Covid-19. According to his website, Jameel moved from Baltimore to Long Grove with his family to contribute to public welfare. He is an active volunteer at charity organizations and beleives strongly in giving back to the communities . Newly elected member to the Long Grove Village Board, Dr Mohammed Jameel. Image - Facebook/ Dr Mohammed Jameel
10 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Vahdam launches authentic Indian spices SUPRIYA SINGH I ndian wellness brand and leader in organic premium teas retailer VAHDAM® India has launched s pices exclusively in the United States. To celebrate the launch, the company has appointed world-renowned Michelin star Chef, restaurateur, and host of MasterChef India, Vikas Khanna as a brand ambassador for VAHDAM® Spices. Commenting on the product, Khanna said, “The farmers in India take pride in the spices they grow, which elevates VAHDAM® India’s spices and their taste above what’s currently available on the market. VAHDAM® India’s Spices can help anyone take their cooking up a notch and it will bring more flavor into all of our lives.” According to the company, the single origin spices are sourced from Indian regions and states, packaged at state-of-the-art facility in India and shipped directly to consumers. The brand has expanded its partnership with farmers and cooperatives to bring high quality and authentic Indian spices to the consumers. “We have spent the last two years building a supply chain of India’s finest organic spice farms with our partners. We made a conscious decision to bring sustainable, clean, and fresh spices to consumers around the world for all their cooking, wellness, and beauty needs,” said Bala Sarda, CEO & Founder of VAHDAM® India. Images -Vahdam India Facebook The brand has expanded its partnership with farmers and cooperatives to bring high quality and authentic Indian spices to the U.S. consumers.
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 11 In her nearly 30-year career at Emerson, Ramnath has held several key marketing, sales and operations leadership roles Barron honours established and emerging leaders in financial services, the corporate world, nonprofit organizations, and government in its fourth annual list. 5 Indian Americans among 100 most influential women in Finance MADHU BALAJI F ive Indian-origin women have been featured in the list of Barron’s ‘100 most influential women in US Finance’ for achieving positions of prominence in the financial services industry and helping to shape its future. They include Anu Aiyengar (Global head of mergers and acquisitions at JP Morgan); Rupal J Bhansali (chief investment officer and portfolio manager at Airtel Investments - Global Equities division); Sonal Desai (chief investment officer at Franklin Templeton investments company); Meena Flynn (co-head at Global Private Wealth Management division at Goldman Sach) and Savita Subramanian (head of US Equity, Bank of America). Aiyengar created history when she took over as the global head of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) at J P Morgan in January, becoming the only woman to lead that franchise at a major Wall Street bank. She “has long credited her love of number crunching, legal contracts, and building client relationships for bringing her to the mergersand-acquisitions sphere,” a press statement said. 55-year-old Bhansali, 55, of Airtel Investments’ global equity strategies, is a member of the board of directors of 100 Women in Finance. She believes that managing money is what she was born to do, and is passionate about encouraging women to work in finance. “It’s about empowering women at every stage of their career,” she said. Desai, 58, was the first woman chief investment officer in Franklin Templeton. Appointed in 2018 she currently oversees US$137 billion worth of assets. She joined the firm in 2009 after working for the International Monetary Fund, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and Thames River Capital. Goldman Sachs’ Fylnn, 45, formerly worked at JP Morgan Chase (1999). According to the press release, her career in finance began soon after a sports injury. She moved to Goldman Sachs and went on to become a partner in 2014. She recently attended a marquee event in California for a program called In the Lead, which caters to ultra-high-net-worth women. “We are seeing more ultrahigh-net-worth female clients at the table, managing the family’s wealth, being part of the decision making and making money,” Flynn was quoted as saying. Subramanian, 50, is the head of US equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America, also featured in the list. “The list honours established and emerging leaders in financial services, the corporate world, nonprofit organizations, and government,” Barron’s said in its fourth annual list. Barron’s is a sister publication of the Wall Street Journal, published by Dow Jones and Company. College of Indian-origin women who featured in the Barron’s 100 most influential women in US Finance list. Emerson names Vidya Ramnath as chief marketing officer Indian American dropped from Forbes Billionaires 2023 List BHAVANA P Global technology and software multinational Emerson appointed India-born, Vidya Ramnath, as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, effective June 1, 2023. Currently the head of Emerson’s Middle East and Africa division, she will report to Lal Karsanbhai, president and CEO of the company. In her new role, Ramnath will oversee international marketing, brand management, external communications, and play a key role in raising awareness of Emerson’s continuous development as a leader in global automation with customer stakeholders, an official statement noted. Commenting on the appointment, she said, “I’ve had the privilege of working closely with our customers throughout my career, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to engage with them in a new way as we elevate the brand of Emerson as a global automation leader. Emerson has such an incredible story, and I am energized to help our global team share this important next chapter with the world.” Ramnath won the EGYPS “Women in Leadership” Equality in Energy award in 2022 after being named one of Forbes Middle East’s Power Businesswomen in 2020. She replaces Kathy Button Bell, who retired in December 2022, in the position of CMO. The India native holds a mechanical engineering bachelor’s degree from the University of Madras and an industrial engineering master’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. STAFF REPORTER Around 254 individuals were dropped from the Forbes Billionaire 2023 list released, April 4, 2023, including Indian American Niraj Shah, the CEO and co-founder of furniture brand, Wayfair. He has a current net worth of US$600 million, a fall from US$1.6 billion in the recent past. Media reports attributed the billionaire’s fall to the declining furniture demand from Wayfair which sells furniture and home goods online. This comes after the co-founder, along with chairman Steve Conine, announced the layoff of 1,700 employees as part of the company’s costsavings plan. Wayfair was established by Shah and Conine in 2002 after the former’s venture at Simplfy Mobile, an enterprise software company, which was sold in 2001. The firm that grew over the last two decades, operates throughout North America and Europe. The son of Indian immigrants, Shah was brought up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He graduated with a degree in engineering from Cornell University in 1995. He was featured in the Fortune list of “40 under 40” in 2013 and served as the director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in 2017. He then co-founded Shah Family Foundation along with his wife Jill in 2017 to offer education and healthcare programs. Meanwhile, India business tycoon Mukesh Ambani regained his top spot as Asia’s richest, and ranking ninth among the top ten billionaires in the world with a net worth of US$83.4 billion. Gautam Adani has tumbled to number 24. The Indian newcomers who made it to the list include Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha and his brother Nithin Kamath from Bengaluru, with a net worth of US$1.1 billion and US$ 2.7 billion, respectively. Nevertheless, the Forbes Billionaires report said, “Two-thirds of the top 25 are poorer than they were last year, compared to around half of the list overall.” Vidya Ramnath Image - Emerson Niraj Shah Image: Wayfair website
Actress Charithra Chandran It definitely felt like a moment in history, being present for Dior’s first ever show in India. On a cool Mumbai evening at the foot of the Gateway of India, I saw local Indian artisans, centuries old Indian techniques and traditional Indian designs celebrated and honoured! Diaspora Talks Politician Ro Khanna I finished @ DrSJaishankar brilliant book The India Way. He interprets the Mahabharata as a call for reason & ethics in exercising power. India’s commitment to multipolarity is important to understand to strengthen the US-India partnership for democracy & against hegemony. EDITORIAL What happened in New York on that Tuesday is something right out of textbooks on democracies and the judicial system, the underlying fact being that no one is above the law. The 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, was indicted on criminal charges of business fraud and was arraigned in a court in Lower Manhattan, New York. If and when the case goes to trial he will face ordinary men and women as jurors but before this happens there will be a slew of motions from the defence team asking for the entire case to be dismissed. Some may make the point that what Trump faced in New York before, during and after the arraignment is typical of the dual standards of justice—one for the ordinary folks and another for the rich and the powerful. The motorcade from and to Laguardia airport, the special security procedures in and around the Trump Tower, the courthouse circus, waiving of handcuffs and mug shot all seen as examples of privileges for the few as opposed to what is seen in television and movies for the common person. Trump is different in that he was a former President and still entitled to a few perks like Secret Service protection till he dies or waives at anytime in the future. There were no precedents to go by for he happened to be the first ever sitting or former leader to face a criminal indictment in America’s 247 years of history; and as such it was decided to not humiliate a person of his standing with handcuffs, shackles and a mug shot. It had little to do with politics and more to an arrangement worked out between the prosecutor and defence attorneys. The indictments were unsealed and the former President faces 34 charges of business fraud. Whether the offences are weak or strong is not for the lay person to determine, more for legal luminaries and the court of law. There is no question that Trump is in a pile of legal trouble—New York aside, he faces a Grand Jury in Georgia for trying to interfere with Presidential election results of that state in November 2020; federal probes on the January 6, 2021 incitement and rioting on Capitol Hill; and carting away boxes of classified documents tohis Mar a Lago residence in Florida upon leaving office. Democracies have something called the rule of law where no one individual can claim he or she is above. At the other end of the spectrum are authoritarian and totalitarian systems where judicial systems are essentially an extension of the state with no due process and a sham of a procedure to defendants. How former President Trump turns his legal headaches to political advantage is his business. Ultimately it is left to the American voter to make a final determination. That is what democracy is all about. DEMOCRACIES AND THE RULE OF LAW 12 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Some may make the point that what Trump faced in New York before, during and after the arraignment is typical of the dual standards of justice—one for the ordinary folks and another for the rich and the powerful. An indictment and a political campaign DR SRIDHAR KRISHNASWAMI F or those who have been following the politics of former President Donald Trump what was seen on Tuesday in New York and Florida was just about another day in the life of the 45th President. But to many others it showed a side of Trump that was even far too below his standards. Indicted on 34 counts of business fraud Trump was cold sober when he entered the Hogan Building of the Lower Manhattan courthouse; one clip showed Trump not even given the basic courtesy of holding the door by a police officer; and the still frames revealed a quiet former President flanked by his lawyers. But by the time the two hour show was over in New York and Trump boarded his private plane back to Mar a Lago in Florida it was a totally different story. In front of a carefully picked crowd and for about thirty minutes at his private residence Trump was at the height of himself, in what he is generally good at—spewing venom, insulting folks and repeating things that have been laughed out of courts on the so-called stolen election of 2020. And at a time when the Judge in Manhattan politely reminded both the prosecution and defence on the need to be restrained on social media, Trump went on an all out assault of the Judge, his wife and the District Attorney. In his ranting and raving at Mar a Lago Trump had obviously an agenda: he wanted the Judge overseeing his indictments to impose a gag order so that he could come out screaming on the violation of his First Amendment Rights and the opposition standing in the way of a political campaign. Right through his career the former President specialized in the art of portraying himself as a victim and in accusing his opponents that had very little to do with substance. Fact checkers of the Tuesday evening speech were busy ticking away the erroneous statements, one of the more hilarious being that Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, the Bushes and Obama had also carted away classified documents to their homes when leaving the White House. Portraying himself as the one who is wounded no one expected to see or hear a person giving the impression that much of it was self inflicted. In fact the rambling speech at Mar a Lago prompted some analysts to believe that Trump could have implicated himself, at least in admitting that he had deliberately taken away documents from the White House when leaving. Somehow Trump’s incoherence on Tuesday evening seemed to leave an underlying message: that he is preparing his political base that the 34 criminal indictments slapped on him in New York could just be the beginning of bigger things to come. But the bottom line was not too difficult to figure out: they are coming after you and since I am in the way protecting you, I would have to be taken out first. The weight of the indictments that should translate into felony charges are being weighed by legal pundits and no one for sure has any answers at this stage including if an when a trial gets under way. In fact Trump’s lawyers are expected to file several motions including one for dismissal. And the spotlight, at least from a media perspective, will remain if the events of Tuesday in New York are anything to go by. What is being constantly reminded is that the Manhattan indictments are just the beginning and could perhaps pale into something very small when the curtains come down on three other legal goings on at this time. A grand jury in Georgia is looking at whether Trump, as President, tried to intervene to overturn Presidential election results in the state in November 2020; and two federal probes are under way including by Special Counsel if the former President had a role in the incitement and violence on Capitol Hill of January 6, 2021 and in classified documents being carted away from the White House at the end of Trump’s tenure. The legal drama surrounding Trump is expected to continue up until the November Presidential election of 2024, if not longer. In the short term Trump is being seen as having come away with the advantage and has used the indictments to raise an estimated US$ 8 millions to his campaign coffers. The larger question is if the rank and file Republicans, not just the Trump base, sees it as high time to look beyond worn out themes and conspiracy theories as the mid term elections of 2022 showed the Grand Old Party. The writer is Editor-in-Chief of New India Abroad ® Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney Image-Twitter/@EricTrump Trump is being seen as having come away with the advantage and has used the indictments to raise an estimated US$ 8 millions to his campaign coffers.
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 13 India’s growth trajectory and changing world political scenario compounded to make India a growing economic and military superpower and friendly to opposing present-day power structures. Is India treading a path to recover its lost glory? INDRANILL BASU-RAY I n an Aspen Security Forum meeting, Kurt Campbell, the White House Asia Coordinator, said that the U.S.-India bonhomie is forged with much more than the desire to be just allies. He strongly emphasized that the relationship between the two countries has matured significantly over the last twenty years. In Kurt’s own words at the summit, India is not content with just being a silent cohort. The new India has risen with its means to become a regional and global superpower, strategically and economically. The United States and its leadership now understand the value of investing more resources to build an equal Partnership with India. They now know it makes more sense to recognize India as a superpower than to tug it like an unequal ally. But what changed, or how did the United States realize that the disparity between the two nations’ importance is not sustainable or realistic to deny anymore? In its recorded history of eight thousand years, often, India has always been a powerhouse. From science to military to architecture, it has always been leaps and bounds ahead of all contemporary civilizations. It was the academic center for the whole planet. It is said that the first residential university in the World, Nalanda, when burned down under the order of Bakhtiyar Khilji, destroyed nearly 9 million manuscripts. The library was so vast that it took three months to destroy it. Such was the treasure trove contained in there. Even when outsiders invaded it, its wealth was rarely diminished. Despite recurrent invasions from marauders from central Asia who looted India, killing, raping, and maiming hundreds in the process. While most invaders were happy looting, Babar and his clan decided to stay back. They assimilated with the country, creating a porridge of different cultures and customs. From the 1st century A.D. to the start of British colonization in India in the 17th century, India’s GDP was between 25 and 35% of the world’s total GDP, dropping to 2% by 1947 when India became independent. It was by far the world’s largest economy and manufacturing power. However, after the invasion of multiple European nations, like England, France & Portugal, and a brutal British rule, its economy was in shatters bled by colonial powers. Research by economist Utsa Patnaik calculated that Britain drained nearly $45 trillion from India from 1765 to 1938. For a proper understanding of the magnitude, particularly for a dim-headed mathematician like me, this amount is 17 times more than the total annual gross domestic product of the United Kingdom today. After World War 2, in 1947, when India finally gained Independence, it was left a shell of its former glory. Multiple governments, after the Independence, struggled to get the country back on its feet. India & the U.S. have always had a tumultuous camaraderie after the former’s Independence. The younger nation became an economical & manufacturing superpower during the industrial revolution. At the same time, India’s stock fell far below due to its deindustrialization under British rule in the late 1800s till its Independence. Due to multiple famines after the Independence, the subsequent governments had to focus on agriculture for a long time till it became a selfsufficient agricultural nation. Industrialization also followed suit. The initial loot from India, followed by natural calamities, stunted the country’s growth till the later part of the nineteenth century. The U.S., the economic and military powerhouse, thus dictated most terms, including arm-twisting India during its war with Pakistan. In fact, due to India’s proximity to communist Russia and a platonic attitude toward expansionist China may have made the U.S. more inclined to support non-democratic Pakistan in regional conflicts and wars. While India’s proximity to Russia was appropriately awarded by a legacy of camaraderie that helped India at its worst times. Contrarily initial rulers of India harbored phantasmal ideas about “Hindi-Chinni Bhai Bhai.” This combination of genuflexion and delusion costs us heavily, including thousands of acres of land, hundreds of lives, and communist China knocking at our door. When China annexed Tibet on 7th October 1950, Tibet appealed to India for help. The Indian Government headed by Jawaharlal Nehru was a mute spectator to Chinese barbarism in forcibly annexing Tibet. A few Indian leaders, like Sardar Patel, advocated a strident stance against the Chinese invasion. He contended that given the covert support from the United States and Britain, based on inputs from the Intelligence, this move could have been prevented if not at least opposed. However, under the thrall of the ‘Hindi-Chinni Bhai Bhai’ façade, Nehru forced the entire nation to bury its heads in the sand instead of taking decisive action, perpetuating a blunder that India is paying the price for and will pay the price for in the future. Subsequent India’s growth trajectory and changing world political scenario compounded to make India a growing economic and military superpower and friendly to opposing presentday power structures. China’s growing economy might further aggravate its voracious appetite for expansion, compounded by its eternal dream to challenge the U.S. U.S. also perceived its longdrawn folly on two accounts; it needed a vital ally in India to negate China. Secondly, it also realized that Pakistan, which it had been feeding and funding for over seventy years, had no qualms in hiding and abetting U.S. enemies. It was with one hand accepting U.S. largesse but stabbing it from behind with the other without wavering. The prominence of India is also very clearly established by the amount of cooperation between the two countries at international levels, including the United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, G-20, and World Trade Organization, among others. Together with Australia & Japan, India, and the U.S., are also part of QUAD or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic security dialogue between member countries. As the partnerships increased, the U.S. and its allies realized that India could no longer be viewed as another ally. India’s leadership is needed to maintain a healthy balance of power in the world. It is also important to realize that many of America’s decision today is carved by the Indian diaspora in the U.S., which is one of the most potent region-ethnic group. The population of IndoAmericans is the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans. It is also the most successful, with the median household income at $107,000 – almost twice that of American-born households. Both first and second generations of Indians have permeated the establishment, be in educational or political power bastions. There are several prominent Indianorigin politicians: among them, Democratic party senator and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris; former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley; and former Democrat congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. There is also a long list of mayors, senators, state representatives, and city council members who are from a South Asian background, and their numbers are increasing with every election cycle. Similarly, many Indians supported and funded the campaign of former president Trump. Most importantly, Indo-Americans have spread their loyalty to democrats and republicans almost equally. Finally, one of the most significant sources of India’s soft power in the U.S. is the spread of yoga. Over 37 million Americans practice yoga. The number of U.S. “yogis” increased by over 50% in 4 years. The number of men practicing yoga increased by 150%. Amongst those practicing yoga, 72% are women, and 16% are over 65 years of age. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey of 2009, 24% of Americans believe in reincarnation, a core concept of Hinduism! India has been a responsible leader amongst all nations in the not-too-distant past, and it is destined to be once again. However, there are no free lunches in this universe-it does require relentless strive and hard work of well-meaning people from both nations to carry this bonhomie forward! Mentor & amp; Founder, American Academy For Yoga in Medicine
14 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Kiran Nadar is the chairperson of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Kiran Nadar receives France’s highest civilian award BHAVANA P Kiran Nadar, a philanthropist and art collector, was recently awarded the title of “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour), the highest civilian accolade in France, by Emmanuel Lenain, the French ambassador to India. Nadar was recognised for her extraordinary contributions to the realm of art, her dedication to promoting broader access to culture on a national and worldwide level, and her pivotal role in building Indo-French cultural links. The wife of Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies, Kiran is also the founder of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), India’s first private museum of modern and contemporary Indian art as well as a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation. She was acknowledged as a ‘hero of philanthropy’ by Forbes Asia Magazine in 2010 and is currently an international council member of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. On receiving the award, Nadar said she is feeling incredibly honored and humbled.”It fills my heart with immense joy and pride to witness the incredible growth of our art fraternity, and I thank everyone who has supported me on this enriching journey. Here’s to celebrating the depth and creativity of South Asian creators,”she added. KNMA took to their social media and congratulated Nadar for the achievement, “Your passion for Indian modern and contemporary art has led to the creation of an extraordinary space for creativity, innovation, and life-long learning while paving the way for the global recognition of South Asian diasporic artists. Thank you for being the driving force behind our museum community and inspiring us all with your vision,” the organisation tweeted. Kiran Nadar Conferred with “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by Emmanuel Lenain, the French ambassador to India. Image - Twitter @/E_Lenain
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 15 The 29-year-old Madison resident is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. Indian-origin man arrested for firebombing Wisconsin building MADHU BALAJI I ndian-origin Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury was arrested on March 28, 2023, for firebombing a Madison office building in the US state of Wisconsin in May 2022, according to a statement issued by the US Justice Department. The 29-year-old Madison resident is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. If convicted, he will face between five and a maximum of 20 years in prison. According to the US Justice Department the law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building in Wisconsin and found a graffiti on one wall that said, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” The authorities collected DNA from the scene. In March 2023, the DNA matched with Roychowdhury’s sample collected from the food he threw in a trash can. Law enforcement arrested him at Boston Logan International Airport.“A date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not been set,” the press statement said. “According to the complaint, Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization,” said assistant attorney general Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward,” said US Attorney Timothy M O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. Representative image (Photo: Pexels)
16 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Chaudhary was commissioned in the Air Force in 1993 upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. According to the Royal Air Force statement, the position was created in 1996. Murugesvaran Subramaniam named UK’s Royal Air Force Warrant Officer MADHU BALAJI Murugesvaran Subramaniam has been appointed as Warrant Officer of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF). He will take over from Warrant Officer Jake Alpert and will be advising the chief of the Air Staff on matters related to RAF personnel. Subramaniam, who joined the Royal Air Force in 1998, expressed his eagerness to assume office and take on the responsibilities that come with the position, particularly acting as the spokesperson for the noncommissioned cadre, in a statement published by the RAF. “Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working in a variety of roles and with colleagues from different branches of the UK’s armed forces, including the Army and Navy. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had to develop strong working relationships across all three branches of the military, and look forward to continuing to strengthen those bonds, in my new role,” he said. The British-Hindu officer served in the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), Missile Warning (MW), Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) field. In 2014, he was posted to RAF Fylingdales. On completion of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems Course, he served as a crew chief before taking up the post of Deputy Plans and Mission Support Flight. He then served in Air Command and spent a year in Air and Space Operations department. Subramaniam did his studies in Malaysia and has a bachelor’s degree in Law and a diploma in Finance and Legal Studies. He is currently studying for his Master in Business Administration Risk and Resilience at Buckinghamshire New University. Additionally, he is an active member of a charity foundation and enjoys reading rugby, hockey and cricket. Murugesvaran ‘Subby’ Subramaniam Image: Twitter/@RoyalAirForce Ravi Chaudhary is Air Force assistant secretary BHAVANA P I ndian American Ravi Chaudhary took the oath of office as the assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations, and the environment during a ceremony held at the Pentagon on April 7. The U.S. Senate confirmed him for the position on March 15, 2023. The former C-17 Globemaster III pilot and Federal Aviation Administration executive, was most recently the acting deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for energy. In a congratulatory message, Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Air Force, said, “We’re excited for his leadership in our energy, installations, and environmental initiatives. Ravi’s experience serving in numerous government agencies, including the Department of the Air Force as a pilot, space launch engineer, and acquisition officer, will be a major asset to our team as he steps into his new role.” In the new role, Chaudhary will be in charge of carrying out plans, policies, programs, and budgets to satisfy the Department of the Air Force’s objectives in the areas of energy, installations, the environment, safety, and occupational health. Chaudhary was commissioned in the Air Force in 1993 upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. He completed 21 years of service in a variety of command, flying, engineering, and senior staff assignments in the Air Force. Ravi Chaudhary Image - US Air force Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swears in Dr. Ravi Chaudhary as assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment during a ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. April 7, 2023. Image- U.S. Air Force / Eric Dietrich
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 17 BAPS Temple vandalised in Ontario BHAVANA P The BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Windsor, Ontario, is the latest to be targeted by vandals, in a string of incidents that have occurred since July 2021. Anti-India graffiti and slogans supporting the separatist Khalistan movement, as well as those critical of India and Prime Minister Modi have been painted on the walls of the temple. The BAPS organization has expressed astonishment and regret over the incident. A spokesperson for the organization stated that they were “very shocked over the antiIndian graffiti on our mandir walls.” The incident has been reported to the local police for immediate action. Since July 2021, there have been five instances of anti-India graffiti being written on Hindu temples. Similar vandalism occurred in January and February at the Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton and the Shri Ram Mandir in Mississauga. At the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was desecrated in July 2021. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto was the target of vandalism the following month. BAPS swaminarayan Temple in Windsor Image - CaHiHaofficial
18 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 “We are seeing a historic moment, a moment of worker revolt, in which lowwage workers across the economy, and particularly in the restaurant industry, are for the first time refusing to work for poverty wages,” says Saru Jayaraman, founder and president of One Fair Wage. All workers deserve fair wage says Saru Jayaraman SUNITA SOHRABJI S AN FRANCISCO, California — The restaurant industry collectively is one of the largest employers in the US: more than 14 million work in the sector, and the majority of employers and employees are people of color. For immigrants, documented or undocumented, food service provides an easy entry into the labor force, albeit with long hours and low pay. Restaurant workers are among the lowestpaid employees on the food chain, often with salaries as low as $3.83 per hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. However, restaurant employers are allowed to compute a worker’s tips as part of their wages and are therefore allowed to pay less than minimum wage. Several attempts have been made to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, but those attempts have failed. Washington, California, Connecticut and Massachusetts are the only states that have a minimum wage at or beyond $15 per hour. Post-pandemic, however, employees are fighting back and demanding fair wages. “We are seeing a historic moment, a moment of worker revolt, in which low-wage workers across the economy, and particularly in the restaurant industry, are for the first time refusing to work for these poverty wages,” says Saru Jayaraman, founder and president of One Fair Wage. “Millions of low wage workers are saying: ‘you know what: we’re not going to do it anymore.” At the start of the pandemic, several restaurants moved to takeout and delivery only, as mandated “shelter at home” orders went into effect throughout the US. As sales went down, so did the tips, which restaurant workers currently rely on to make a sustainable living. “Sexual harassment, which was already the highest in our industry of any industry, went way up. Thousands of women told us us ‘I’m regularly asked: ‘take off your mask so I can see how cute you are before I decide how much to tip you.’” “As a result of this kind of behavior for very little tips and very low wages, 1.2 million workers have left the restaurant industry and 60% of workers who remain say they are leaving. Almost 80% say the only thing that would make them stay or come back is a full livable wage with tips on top,” said Jayaraman at an April 7 news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services. Faced with an unprecedented labor shortage, restaurants have been forced to raise wages. In San Francisco, which boasts one of the highest incomes per capita in the nation, restaurants are paying $35 per hour base salaries, and workers keep their tips. Other restaurants are trying out no-tip policies, with the cost of wages built into the price of the meal. “As a result of this huge revolt in the industry and upheaval we are winning policy across the country to raise wages and end sub minimum wages,” said the community leader, who founded One Fair Wage in 2019. “For the first time since emancipation, workers are refusing to work for these poverty wages, and it is resulting in policy change in a number of states across the country.” One Fair Wage is active in 25 states, and currently driving the 25 by 250 campaign, an effort to end sub-minimum wages in 25 states by 2026. Jayaraman was announced Feb. 13 as one of seven recipients of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards. Jayaraman is the second Indian American to receive the honor: Naindeep Singh received the award last year for his work with the Jakara Movement, a youth leadership development organization focused on the Punjabi Sikh population in California’s Central Valley. The annual awards are given to six leaders working to create sustainable change in California through grassroots initiatives. Each recipient’s organization receives a $250,000 grant to support their work that benefits the people of California and merits expansion, replication, or policy support. The Irvine Foundation also helps recipients share their approaches with policymakers and practitioners. “The California Way means finding new solutions to big problems, and that’s exactly what these leaders have demonstrated through their innovative work to tackle homelessness, climate change and other challenges facing our state,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom, as the award was announced. “Thank you to The James Irvine Foundation for its commitment to lifting up the impactful work of community leaders across our state to build a more vibrant, inclusive and resilient California.” This year’s winners included leaders working to end California’s crisis of homelessness, advocates for criminal justice reform, human rights, education, food insecurity, and climate change. Jayaraman, the daughter of Indian immigrants, grew up in Southern California. Her biography notes that she was “keenly aware of the dynamics faced by immigrants and lowpaid workers, including substandard conditions and limited respect for their labor.” The attorney is also the director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. She started her career in the food labor space after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks: she worked with displaced World Trade Center workers to co-found the Restaurant Opportunities Center, which grew into a national movement of restaurant workers, employers and consumers. Her work was profiled in the film “Waging Change.” I Baljeet Kumar Anttal son of Mewa Singh Anttal resident of 25619 86th AV Floral Park NY11001 change my name to Baljeet Kumar Please all note. I RITU Daughter of TARSEM LAL Resident 38 RIM LN, HICKSVILLE, NY USA 11801 change my name to RITU RITU please all note. Classifieds [email protected] Book Your
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 19 Apsara Iyer, is the first Indian-American to be elected as president of the Harvard Law Review since its inception. Viraj Patel honored with Student Teaching Award BHAVANA P The School of Communication at Illinois State University honored Viraj Patel, a doctoral student, with the Outstanding University Graduate Student Teaching Award for his professional commitment and skills. The University honors graduate teaching assistants who consistently pursue excellence at Doctoral Level 1. According to the University, Patel has instructed COMs (Communication as Critical Inquiry) 111 and 110. “As he enjoys public speaking and feels a sense of satisfaction while helping students succeed, COM 110 is his favorite class,” the news release stated. “Public speaking is so overwhelming, so I really like seeing those ‘a ha’ moments in students when they realize they can do this and that it isn’t as scary as they thought it would be,” said Patel in a statement released by the University. According to him, the motivation to teach has aided him in his time as an instructor. “The great teachers I have had in the past inspire me, they have helped me to think better, be a better member of society, and they showed me that through teaching we can all collectively learn and help others learn to be better people and better citizens in society,” he said. Viraj Patel Image - Illinois state University Chef Raghavan Iyer no more STAFF REPORTER Raghavan Iyer, a chef, cookbook author, culinary instructor, and curry master, passed away on March 31, 2023, aged 61 following a long battle with cancer. Iyer taught Americans how to prepare Indian food, according to a New York Times article. According to the New York Times, colorectal cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain with complicated pneumonia was the cause of his death. He passed away while travelling to San Francisco from his home in Minneapolis. Iyer discussed his most recent and final book, On the Curry Trail: Chasing the Flavors That Seduced the World, in one of his last interviews with the BBC in March of this year. He highlighted in the interview his desire for this book to be his lasting contribution to Indian cuisine, particularly the adaptability of curry across the globe. “The book is telling the story of how curry travelled out of India, all around the world,” he said. Through his books, he wanted his readers to know that there is more to curry than just curry powders. He described the book as his “love letter to the world of curries” and hoped it would be his “lasting legacy to the richness and vastness of this dish simply called curry”. Born on April 21, 1961, in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, to homemaker Gangabai Ramachandran and Indian Navy officer S. Ramachandran, Iyer was the youngest of six children. The family later moved to Mumbai before he immigrated to the United States. Raghavan Iyer on Instagram
20 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Bay Area benefits from unique relationship with India VIKAL SAMDARIYA S ynergies between the Bay Area and India’s robust innovation ecosystem suggest a range of opportunities for collaboration, according to a report titled “Seismic Shift – Economic Growth and Strategic Alignment Between the Bay Area and India“ by Bay Area Council. The report was prepared by the senior director of the Bay Area Council, Sean Randolph. Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu launched the report virtually and addressed the gathering on the historic Klamath Ship where the Bay Area Council is housed, Indian Consulate in San Francisco said in a statement. Earlier, in November 2009, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute produced its first report on India. Ten years later in June 2019, a second report was published on the Bay AreaSilicon Valley and India. The report that covered thematic areas of defense, critical and emerging technologies (enabled by iCET), standards, state-level collaboration on climate and energy, crossnational support for startups, AI and digital development, skilled immigration, trade, and supply chain integration, anticipated more interaction between the Bay Area and India in the coming years, the statement added. The report covered the California-India economic relations with a focus on university programs, leading Bay Area Companies’ presence in India and Bay Area-India foreign direct investment. On trade relations between the US- India, the report underlined “Except for a pause in 2020 due to the pandemic, twoway U.S. goods trade with India has steadily grown since 2018, reaching US$133 billion in 2022. U.S. exports to India have increased to US$47.3 billion.” Consul General Dr T.V. Nagendra Prasad attended the launch event. In his address, he highlighted the significance of the report and appreciated the work of Randolph as well as the deep understanding and analysis made by the Bay Area Council. The report launch was followed by a brief presentation by the author of the report and a panel discussion comprising of SVP and head of Global Technology Tech Mahindra, Harshul Asnani, strategic thought leader Mihir A. Parikh, director, India ZEV Research Center, Nishit Desai, the University of California Davis, Aditya Ramji, president & CEO, Indian Council on Competitiveness, Amit Kapoor, founder and chairman, Chiratae Ventures, Sudhir Sethi and Dr Nandini Tandon. Consul General Dr T.V. Nagendra Prasad at the report launch event. Image - The Consulate General of India, San Francisco Air India rolls out new menu on international flights STAFF REPORTER Guests aboard Air India international flights can now relish new culinary and beverage delights, including vegan dishes across cabins, featuring on the airline’s refurbished new menus. The new menus have been prepared on guests’ feedback, the airline said in an official statement. “We have brought great thought and energy into our new menus. We want our guests to enjoy their food and beverage on board Air India flights much as they would at their favourite restaurants,” said Sandeep Verma, head of Inflight Services, Air India. Multiple plant-based and vegan options like Subz Seekh Kebab, Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables, Broccoli and Millet Steak, and Lemon Sevaiyan Upma, Medu Wada and Masala Uttapam. are available for first and business class guests, the airline revealed. New additions to the bar menu include French and Italian wines, such as LaurentPerrier La Cuvée Brut champagne, wines from the renowned vineyards of Château de l’Hestrange, Les Oliviers, Chateau Milon, and Piedmont region of Northern Italy along with a range of whiskeys, gin, vodka, and beers of premium brands. The mocktail menu has Virgin Mary, California Orange, Apple Spritzer, and juices with an array of flavours to add to the fine dining experience. The new menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, across all classes, feature a mix of fusion dishes and classics such as Mushroom Scrambled Egg, Turmeric Chilli Omelette, Mixed Vegetable Paratha and other delectable dishes. Indulgent dessert offerings such as Mango Passionfruit Delight, Quinoa Orange Kheer, Espresso Almond Crumble Mousse Cake, Khajur Tukda with Kesar Phirni, Single Origin Chocolate Slice, ChumChum Sandwich with Blueberry Sauce, and a seasonal fruit selection are also available on the new menu. Image- @airindiain The refreshed menus have been prepared according to the guests’ feedback, the airline said. The inaugural flight will depart on May 15, 2023 from Biju Patanik International airport. IndiGo starts first international flight from Bhubaneswar BHAVANA P I ndiGo, India’s leading budget airline, became the first to launch international flights between Bhubaneswar and Dubai. The airline has started accepting reservations for the route, whose inaugural flight will take off on May 15, 2023 from the Biju Patnaik International Airport. Commenting on the development, Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, of Odisha, said, “Connectivity is key to development, and it has been a focus area of our government. Direct connectivity with Dubai, which is one of the biggest aviation hubs, will open up a direct gateway to the world. Not only will it provide seamless connectivity, but it will also have a huge multiplier effect on investment in Odisha in sectors like IT, manufacturing, and tourism.” The Odisha government and IndiGo are collaborating closely to launch international operations from Bhubaneswar to Singapore and Bangkok, a news release noted. The airline was recently awarded the contract to run direct flights to these three significant entry points. In accordance with the agreement, IndiGo would run direct flights three times per week from Biju Patnaik International Airport, for both business and leisure travelers. Direct connections to major centers like Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai will help harness the enormous potential for economic growth in the state.
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 21 3 Monday, 6 February, 2023 New India Abroad Ami Bera on the Select Committee on Intelligence, Raja Krishnamoorthi on the Select Committee that looks at Strategic Competition between the US and China; Ro Khanna on the Sub-committee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems and Pramila Jaypal on the Sub-committee on Immigration. Indian American Legislators in key House Committees STAFF REPORTER The Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives has picked four Indian American law makers for critical Committee positions: Ami Bera of California for Select Committee on Intelligence: Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois as Ranking Member in the Select Committee that looks at Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party; Ro Khanna of California as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI) and Pramila Jaypal of the State of Washington as Ranking Member in the Sub-committee on Immigration. Bera’s influential House Permanent Select Committee oversees intelligence activities of the United States including that of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the National Security Agency (NSA) and military intelligence programs. “At a time of increased threats, both at home and abroad, I take seriously this new role and the responsibility entrusted to me to protect and defend American families”, Bera has said. In a new Committee formed in the 118th Congress to specifically investigate and develop policy to address America’s economic, technological and security competition with the Communist Party of China, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi will be serving as Ranking Member. “The Chinese Communist Party poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan’s democracy, its weaponization of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American intellectual property”, the Illinois Democrat said. “… at a time when anti-Asian hate and violence are on the rise, it’s essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community”, he added. Congressman Krishnamoorthi is also a senior Member in the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. While Ro Khanna is also a member of the committee on the Chinese Communist Party, he has been selected as a Ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI) in the 118th Congress. “Our adversaries are making advances in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence for their defense systems and have the potential to unleash cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure,”Khanna said. “In planning for the future of defense, our emerging and commercial technologies must be at the forefront. One of my goals on this committee will be to strengthen the bridge between Silicon Valley and the Department of Defense,” he added. Pramila Jayapal has been tapped to serve in the sub committee of the House Judiciary Committee on Immigration, Integrity, Security and Enforcement as a Ranking Member making her the first immigrant in a leadership role. “As the first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalized citizens in Congress, I am honored and humbled to serve as the Ranking Member…”, she said in a statement. “ It is extremely meaningful to me that I will now be in this position to better move the needle and re-center our broken immigration system around dignity, humanity, and justice”, she added. Congresswoman Jayapal’s Sub committee will have jurisdiction over immigration law and policy, naturalization, border security, refugee admissions, nonborder immigration enforcement, and other various issues. Images- Twitter Mohanty will take charge from February 23, 2023. Kuldip Mohanty is Chief Information Officer in North Dakota MADHU BALAJI Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum has announced the appointment of Kuldip Mohanty to the North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) department as the state’s next chief information officer (CIO). Mohanty will take charge from February 23, 2023. He has served the private sector for about 30 years. “Kuldip brings a wealth of experience in modernizing services and transforming IT that will help the State of North Dakota become more efficient and responsive, serving citizens 24/7 with smart, easy-touse systems. With his leadership of the outstanding team at NDIT, we look forward to building upon North Dakota’s reputation as a national leader in cybersecurity as we reduce redundancies, improve services and enhance the security of citizens’ data,” Burgum said. “It is a great honor and privilege to serve the people of North Dakota. I’m thankful to Gov. Burgum for the opportunity to lead the amazing team at North Dakota Information Technology,” Mohanty said. “I look forward to building on the momentum and successes of NDIT and collaborating with all stakeholders to build a citizen-centric, frictionless customer experience,” he added. Mohanty has served as senior vice president of IT and North America CIO for ManpowerGroup, a leading global workforce solutions company, from 2018- 2019. He has also served as vice president of enterprise IT strategy and services for CNO Financial Group from 2014-2018. Mohanty has a master’s degree in computer applications from Jorhat Engineering College and a master of business administration degree from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University in Chicago. He serves on the board of the executive service corps in Chicago and has worked to improve education and health care in rural India with the Abhaya Foundation. Kuldip Mohanty Image: Twitter 22 Monday, 6 February, 2023 New India Abroad Known for combining Bollywood influences in her music, Aurora said she had so much to learn from all the artists performing at the event. SRK after Pathaan success My genuine desire is to spread happiness Khan said the overwhelming success of the film on the worldwide box office has “still not sunk in” SANJEEV KUMAR Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan a.k.a SRK on Jan 30, 2023 expressed his love for acting after the success of his new film, Pathaan, and said, “My genuine desire is to spread happiness and I feel bad if I fail to do so’. Khan made these remarks during the first press meet organized for the success of Pathaan, which has proved to be a blockbuster earning around US$ 67 million in just five days. His co-stars, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, and director Siddharth Anand were also present on the occasion. SRK started the press meet by thanking fans, cast and crew for all the love and said, “There were some things that could have stalled happy release of the film, Pathaan and we can’t thank people enough on behalf of all Bollywood colleagues for bringing life back in cinemas.” Commenting on the controversy surrounding the movie, Khan said, “Our aim by making movies is to spread love and kindness even if we are playing bad characters, say bad things and it isn’t intended to hurt any sentiments. Fun and entertainment should left at that and it shouldn’t be taken seriously,” Khan added. He shared that his intention in film making was to ensure that people can watch it with love. Yet there were some incidents when some fans got too excited and might have broken a chair or two. “But It shouldn’t hurt or disturb anyone. Cinema watching, film making and film experience is an experience of love, more than an empty box of popcorn,” the Bollywood superstar said. Responding to a query on getting immense love after his movies become a hit, Khan retorted that his fans’ love remain the same even after a film doesn’t work. of fans who love me. My elders had told “I have millions, billions me that if some things don’t work go to the people who loves you. So whenever I am happy or sad, I go to my balcony (to meet people who love him). I am grateful that the God has given me lifetime ticket to the balcony.” Talking about his four year hiatus from movies, the actor said two and half years got marred by Covid and I, too, like everyone else, had good and bad parts. But most importantly, I was with my children and for first time, I saw my children, Aryan, Suhana and Abram grow up. “After Zero tanked then many people said my films wont work anymore now. So I had even thought of an alternate career during Covid, cooking and learned Italian cooking,” he said, adding he was planning to open Red Chillies Food Eatery. at Pathaan 2 by saying that he was grateful King Khan also hinted to Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Anand for giving him the opportunity to work in the movie and would definitely like to work in the sequel of the spy thriller. Image- Twitter/@JacyKhan “Feel so welcomed” Indian American singer Raveena Aurora on performing at Lollapalooza India STAFF REPORTER I ndian American singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora was overwhelmed with the love she received from the audience during her performance, at the inaugural Lollapalooza music festival held in Mumbai, India on January 29, 2023. Aurora took to Instagram to share her feelings after the show, “First show in India, can’t even explain how special this was, especially because of how much ‘Asha’s awakening’ (her new music album) was inspired by here.” “I think maybe in a way I was always searching for a sense of belonging somewhere and I think for a moment I felt it at this show,” the singer added. Known for combining Bollywood influences in her music, Aurora said she had so much to learn from all the artists performing at the event. “There is so much beauty and talent in every corner of my country. I love u all so much and thank u for making me feel so welcomed, I hope this is a spark to many more shows in India,” the 29-year-old singer wrote. It is worth noting that Aurora who is recognized for her ability to pair soothing sounds with powerful and soulful lyrics previously created headlines as the first ever Indian American to perform at Coachella 2022. Inspired by Indian singing legends such as Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle, Aurora’s songs usually bring attention to social issues such as sexual assault, identity politics, sexuality, and heartbreak. Raised by Sikh parents in New York and Connecticut, she is considered a trailblazer for her exploration of sexuality and identity in her art, especially in the representation of the queer South Asian Community. Image - Instagram/@Raveena Aurora 15 Monday, 6 February, 2023 New India Abroad Dr. Shivangi maintained that health care across the world is regarded as an important determinant in promoting the general, physical, mental, and social well-being of people around the world and can contribute to a significant part of a country’s economy STAFF REPORTER S tressing that the diaspora wants to make India’s health care a world class endeavour by utilizing information technology, medicine, finance, banking and politics, Dr. Sampat Shivangi, a physician, an influential community leader and a veteran of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) recommended that the government of India must collaborate with the professional body. “I want to stress the importance of working together with solid cooperation and partnership, which will make such a tremendous change in the Indian healthcare system,” Dr. Shivangi said in remarks made to delegates at the recently held Pravasi Bharatya Diwas in Indore. During the recent Covid catastrophe, AAPI provided extensive support to India raising more than US$ 5 millions that were used to procure and provide Oxygen Concentrators, Ventilators, High Flow Oxygen and setting up dozens of Oxygen plants, and Chemiluminescence ImmunoAnalyzers (CLIA). The AAPI also adopted several villages and closely coordinated the overall development by providing primary care and preventive medicine to dozens of rural villages across India. A close friend of the Bush family, Dr. Shivangi was instrumental in lobbying for the first Diwali celebration in the White House and for President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India. The prominent Indian origin Physician also played a critical role during the United States-Indian Civilian Nuclear Agreement, seen as a landmark deal of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and George Bush tenures. Dr. Shivangi maintained that health care across the world is regarded as an important determinant in promoting the general, physical, mental, and social well-being of people around the world and can contribute to a significant part of a country’s economy, development, and industrialization when efficiently improving human health and providing access to affordable highquality health care. “India has made striking progress in health standards in the postindependence era. The sustained efforts to control the country’s population & the political will to march towards the SDG in health will help India to make a significant impact in the international health sector”, he said. Dr. Shivangi, an obstetrician/gynecologist, has been elected by a US state Republican Party as a full delegate to the National Convention. He is one of the top fund-raisers in Mississipi state for the Republican Party. Besides being a politician by choice, the medical practitioner is also the first Indian to be on the American Medical Association, the apex law making body. Dr. Sampat Shivangi was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Sanman in 2016 in Bengaluru by the then President Pranab Mukhejee. He was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York in 2008. Diaspora has role in promoting healthcare ecosystem during Amritkaal… Dr. Sampat Shivangi Dr. Sampat Shivangi with Minister of Health Mansukh Mandaviya 7 Monday, 6 February, 2023 New India Abroad India’s Republic Day celebrated at Vaishnav Temple of New York BHAVANA P The first traditional Pashtimargiya temple in North America, The Vaishnav Temple of New York (VTNY), along with the The Cajani Sam of New York (CSNY) celebrated 74th Republic Day of India, with almost 300 Indian “Desh Bhakts” on January 29, 2023. Founded by the late Dr. Arvind Shah, in 1986, VTNY along with the Indian community have been celebrating India’s Republic Day for more than 30 years. Dr. Bobby Kalotee, chairman of the Nassau County Commission on Human Rights, and Ragini Srivastava, Town Clerk of the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, were the event’s chief guests. Dr. Pratix Shroff and his family, who are devout Vaishnavs, sponsored the event. Famous for both general and cosmetic dentistry, Shroff has for long supported VTNY. The celebration began with a parade of the Indian and American flags, in which all the dignitaries, trustees, executive committee members, and other Indians from VTNY and CSNY participated. Everyone was welcomed by Kamat Madaria, secretary of VTNY. Champakbhai Parikh and his sons Bharathbhai Parikh Charpakhat led the flag hoisting event, which has been conducted for more than 20 years, while all the senior members of VTNY and CSNY joined on the stage with the dignitaries. Avantika Shah sung the American National Anthem, which was followed by the Vande Mataram, flag hoisting by dignitaries, Rashtra Dwaj salami, and everyone singing India’s National Anthem. The community members were then honoured for their altruistic contribution by Kalotre and Srivastava. The festivities also included patriotic song dance performances by young kids and teenagers from the community. The celebration grandly commenced with a parade of the Indian and American flags, which recorded participation from the dignitaries, trustees, and executive committee members. As part of India’s commitment to the idea that “the world is a family,” BMVSS (Jaipur Foot), which is the largest lower limb rehabilitation facility, aims to help people worldwide. Bobby Kalotee and Ragini Srivastava presented Citation to Mrs. and Mr. Jignesh Pratix Shroff, addressing the gathering, as the events sponsor. 74th Republic Day Flag Hosting at Vaishnav Temple of New York. Images - Provided Jaipur Foot camp inaugurated in Beirut STAFF REPORTER On the occasion of India’s 74th Republic Day, the Jaipur Foot artificial limb fitment camp was launched in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital. Organized by Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayati (BMVSS), Jaipur, under the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ “India for Humanity” initiative, the camp was was attended by Dr. Jihad Saadeh, chairman of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Colonel Nadim Kakoun, who represented the Lebanese Armed Forces, and Joseph El Helo, Minister of Public Health. The Elite Center of Culture and Education Tripoli, Dar El Handassa, El Khalil Foundation, and Rotary club were among the partner associations represented at the inauguration ceremony. Speaking on the occassion, Joseph El Helo commended the Indian government’s efforts and thanked it for supporting the handicapped people of Lebanon. He hoped that this partnership would persist. Dr. Jihad Saadeh emphasized the necessity of such programmes in Lebanon and recognized the efforts of the Government of India and the Jaipur Foot organization. Charge d’Affaires Sandeep Grover stressed on the value that India places on its long-standing relations with Lebanon and expressed his happiness that the inaugural Jaipur Foot camp was launched on India’s Republic Day, a day of special significance. According to D R Mehta, the founder and chief patron of BMVSS the ‘India for Humanity’ campaign was inaugurated in 2018 to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday by late External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayati (BMVSS) in the Jaipur foot camp Images - BMVSS A platform for the voice of next generation Indian Americans Bringing you the Latest from Indian communities around the world New India Abroad thenewindiaabroad NewIndAbroad New India Abroad Email [email protected] Website www.NewIndiaAbroad.Com subscribe now
22 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Biannual report on India underlined that although significant challenges remain in the global environment, India was one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The pharma company, at the same time, “voluntarily” recalled the eye drop phials which were sent to America, though the Indian drug controllers did not ask it to withdraw the same. IMD predicts aboveaverage heatwave days in central India, east India, and northwest India. IMD forecasts abnormal heatwaves in India BHAVANA P As a significant change in India’s weather pattern occurred in March, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted above-average hot days in numerous places of the country beginning in April. According to the prediction, during the hot weather season, which runs from April to June, majority of the nation will record maximum temperatures that are above average. However, parts of northwest India and the southern peninsular will see maximum temperatures that are normal or below normal. Up to 10 states, including Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Bihar, are projected to see such extreme weather changes in April, the weather monitoring agency said in a news release. “Above normal heatwave days are likely over many parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, East Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, north Chhattisgarh, western part of Maharashtra, Gujarat and some parts of West Uttar Pradesh , Punjab and Haryana during April 2023,” the release added Despite IMD’s early forecast of higher than usual temperatures, the extreme temperature fluctuations in March made it one of the top ten coldest Marches in the previous 73 years. This is because the month was cooler than typical in the second half of the month due to western disturbances. Photo by NOAA / Unsplash India’s growth resilient amid global uncertainties says WB Report CDC flagged eye drops are of “standard quality” say Indian regulatory agencies SUPRIYA SINGH I ndian health authorities have ruled out any bacterial infection in samples of eye drops made by Chennai-based Global Pharma Healthcare, which were flagged by US watchdog Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC.) CDC flagged and recalled EzriCare Artificial Tears for the presence of “a rare strain of extensively drug-resistant” bacteria, that caused eight patients to lose vision in one of their eyes and infections in numerous others. According to a NDTV report quoting sources in the Union Health Ministry, America’s drug regulator is the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and not the CDC. The former institution has not raised any objections about the Artificial Tears product. However, the Drugs Controller General of India has raised the issue and is awaiting their response. According to the report, an inspection of the product was carried out jointly by Tamil Nadu’s Drug Controller and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation in February, which did not flag any inconsistencies. Speaking to NDTV, Tamil Nadu Drugs Control PV Vijayalakshmi days, “Samples from several batches, including the one under question, were analysed. We found no contamination. The raw materials too were found as per standards.” In light of the accusations, the pharma company has “voluntarily” recalled the eye drop phials which were sent to America, though the Indian drug controllers did not ask it to withdraw the same. VIKAL SAMDARIYA I ndia’s growth continues to be resilient despite some signs of moderation in growth, World Bank (WB) stated in its latest India Development report released on April 4, 2023. Describing the country’s growth as “robust” the report estimated it to have a 6.9 per cent full year growth with real GDP growing 7.7 per cent year-on-year during the first three quarters of the fiscal year 2022-23. Strong investment activity bolstered by the government’s capex push and buoyant private consumption, particularly among higher income earners, were the factors that supported the growth, the bank found. However, the report also highlighted that inflation remained high, averaging around 6.7 per cent. “Although headline inflation is elevated, it is projected to decline to an average of 5.2 per cent in FY23/24, amid easing global commodity prices and some moderation in domestic demand,” it added. “The Indian economy continues to show strong resilience to external shocks,” said Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank’s country director in India. “Notwithstanding external pressures, India’s service exports have continued to increase, and the current-account deficit is narrowing.” “Spillovers from recent developments in financial markets in the US and Europe pose a risk to short-term investment flows to emerging markets, including India,” said Dhruv Sharma, Senior Economist, World Bank, and lead author of the report. “But Indian banks remain well capitalized.” Image - World Bank
New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 23 Arindam Bagchi of the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “We reject this outright. Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.” India rejects China’s renaming places in Arunachal MADHU BALAJI I ndia has outrightly rejected China’s attempts to rename places in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. In response to media queries regarding the renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh, Arindam Bagchi of the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright. Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality.” China has earlier unilaterally renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh in April 2017 and in December 2021, the Hindustan Times mentioned in its report. China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, on Sunday, April 2, 2023, issued a statement which said it had “standardised” the names of 11 places, including five mountains, as being within Zangnan or southern Tibet in China. “According to the relevant regulations of the State Council (China’s cabinet) on the management of geographical names, our ministry, together with relevant departments, has standardised some geographical names in southern Tibet,” the Ministry said in its statement. The country claims Zangnan as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. This comes after India’s Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last month said the situation in Ladakh was fragile and dangerous. India has promptly rejected two previous renaming attempts, with New Delhi reiterating that the northeastern state will always remain an integral and “inseparable” part of India, according to a Hindustan Times report. Earlier in January 2021, India dismissed China renaming 15 locations in Arunachal Pradesh saying that the move would not alter the region’s status as an integral part of the country. At that time, Bagchi reassured that the state will always be an integral part of India and that the reaming does not alter the fact. India, China military officers Image: Twitter/@NewsIn_Asia India in UN Statistical Commission VIKAL SAMDARIYA I ndia was elected member of the United Nations’ Statistical Commission, for a four-year term starting January 1, 2024, by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on April 5, 2023. The Statistical Commission is the highest body dealing with international statistical activities and is responsible for standards set in the field of statistics, according to the Permanent Mission to India in the UN. India was elected member in the just concluded election by securing 46 out of 53 votes, leaving rivals the Republic of Korea, China, and UAE far behind, according to the release. The appointment marks India’s return to the Commission after a two-decade hiatus. “The experience of India in the field of official statistics especially concerning its diversity and demography is immense and will be a value addition to the functioning of the Statistical Commission,” the UN body reported. In a congratulatory message, Foreign Minister of India, S. Jaishankar tweeted, “India elected to the highest UN statistical body for a 4-year term beginning on 1 January 2024! Congrats Team @IndiaUNNewYork for coming through so strongly in a competitive election. India’s expertise in the field of statistics, diversity & demography has earned it a seat on the UN Statistical Commission.” On securing the seat, Indian Mission to the UN commented “The overwhelming support received by India in today’s elections reflects the trust reposed by the international community on India’s expertise in these bodies. Guided by the philosophy of ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’ or ‘The World is One Family’, India will strive to make its due contribution to these and other organizations, in the spirit of advancing multilateral solutions to global challenges.” Additionally, India was also elected to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs which supervises the application of international drug control treaties and the Program Coordinating Board of UNAIDS which supports and provides strategic direction for international responses to HIV/AIDS are important subsidiary bodies of the ECOSOC. United Nations. Image - NE Universi Diaspora can promote soft power and cultural diplomacy STAFF REPORTER The enormous and diverse Indian diaspora presents a great opportunity for the promotion of India’s soft power and cultural diplomacy abroad, the Indian Parliament Committee on External Affairs noted in its report on Indian diaspora, which was released on April 3, 2023. The 21st report underlined actions taken by the Indian Government on the observations/ recommendations contained in the fifteenth report of the Committee on the subject ‘Welfare of Indian Diaspora: Policies/Schemes.’ As per the report, about eighty per cent of recommendations have been accepted by the government. In the latest report, the Committee recommended one-stop centres for distressed Indian women; registration of migrant workers and students abroad with Indian missions/posts; expansion of the outreach of the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme and others. It called for active and effective participation of the State Governments to ensure the welfare of the Indian community abroad. Additionally, to ensure participation, the Committee urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to organize more ‘Videsh Sampark’ programmes prioritizing states which are migration hotspots. The one-of-a-kind events instill awareness among stakeholders and officials about the programmes, schemes and initiatives launched by the government with regard to consular and passport services, and also about issues concerning the diaspora. On Global Indian Students’ most pertaining concerns of fake universities and fraudulent agents, the Committee recommended setting up a Global Indian Students’ Portal (GISP) to “facilitate the students to take an informed decision while selecting courses in universities abroad.” The Parliamentary Panel noted that the Indian Missions/Posts abroad work with the motto ‘Indian Embassies: Home away from Home’ to reach out to Indian Abroad including students. A gathering of Indian diaspora at the Howdy Modi event in Houston. Image (File -2019) - Twitter/ Narendra Mod
24 New India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023
“Holi @ Home: Padharo Mhaara Ghar” is a series of 4 events being celebrated in member houses of the community, to mark the beginning of Spring. Meera Gandhi hosts book talk in Williamsburg YRF’s Tiger vs Pathaan to unite superstars after 28 years ...Page 4 ...Page 8 *India Abroad is a Registered trademark and not affiliated with the newspaper named India Abroad marketed in the US from 1972 to 2021. Melange Senior Care Centre established in Chicago ...Page 6 Friends of MP NYNJ celebrate Holi BHAVANA P “Holi @ Home: Padharo Mhaara Ghar,” a special festival to mark the beginning of spring, was welcomed by Friends of MP NYNJ. Friends of MP - NY NJ is an informal coming together of residents of the NY Tristate area, who share their heritage/ affection with Madhya Pradesh (MP). The Holi @ Home event is a gathering of about 20 families from the Friends of MP NYNJ community, who share their homes and hearts with other members. There are games, introductions, Holi Tilak, tasty Meetha Namkeen Nashta, and Holi songs and Dances. Four families volunteered to serve as hosts this year. The first occasion was celebrated on March 19 at Lalit Khandelwal’s house, a member of the community. The next occasion was held on April 2 at Anand Rai’s house in New Jersey. On April 16 and 29, two additional families in Edison will host “Holi - Padharo Mhaara Ghar.” Amit Mishra and Shaman Jain of the Friends of MP Team are in charge of organizing the Holi activities. During the event in the member houses Images - Friends of MP NYNJ Celebration of “Holi @ Home: Padharo Mhaara Ghar” Image - Friends of MP NJNY Year 1, Volume 25 Washington DC, Monday 10 April, 2023 STAFF REPORTER The New York City Council celebrated Sikh Heritage Month and Vaisakhi in the People’s House on April 6, 2023. Vaisakhi marks the birth of Sikhism as a collective faith. In 2023 it will take place on April 14. According to the Sikh Coalition the City’s Sikh population was approximately 50,000 in 2007, while a representative with United Sikhs, a U.N. affiliated, international non-profit, humanitarian relief, education and advocacy organization headquartered in New York, estimated the number of Sikhs in the City at around 80,000 in 2010, with the largest concentration of them in Richmond Hill. The event, which was attended by New York’s Sikh community members, also commemorated April as Sikh Heritage Month. Council Woman Linda Lee and Councilman Jim Gennaro had introduced a resolution in City council to recognise Vaisakhi as a Public holiday in New York City Schools. Speaking of the event Lee tweeted, “It was a wonderful evening at City Hall as we commemorated Sikh Heritage Month and the pillars of Vaisakhi with a night of culture & performances. We will always honor our Sikh neighbors and all of their contributions that continue to uplift communities all across New York City!” “Sikh New Yorkers have contributed immensely to our city’s success and culture, and it was an honor to celebrate alongside our Sikh community,” the council added in a statement. NYC City council celebrates Vaishakhi NYC City Council/Flickr
2 India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 l न्यू इंडि्ा अब्रॉि नेटवर्क भारती्य-अमेररकी दंपती और उनके शकिोर बेटे को िबशलन, ओहा्यो शसथत उनके घर पर मृत पा्या ग्या है। तीनों की मौत गोली लगने से हुई है। पुशलस मृत्यु का कारण पता लगाने में र्ुटी है। दंपती और उनके बेटे की हत्या हुई ्या ्यह सामूशहक आतमहत्या का मामला है, इसकी पडताल की र्ा रही है। मीशि्या ररपोटस्र में बता्या ग्या है शक भारती्य मूल के रार्न रार्ाराम (54), िांशतलता रार्न (51) और उनके बेटे अनीर रार्ाराम (19) के िव 18 र्नवरी को उनके घर में शमले। पररवार के एक र्ानने वाले ने उनकी खैरर्यत र्ानने के शलए फोन शक्या था लेशकन शकसी ने उठा्या नहीं। इसके बाद उसने पुशलस को इत्ला दी। पुशलस मौके पर पहुंची तो घर में िव शमले। पुशलस के खुशफ्या सूत्ों ने अपनी प्ारंशभक र्ांच में कहा है शक तीनों की मौत गोली लगने से हुई है। ्यह हत्या ्या सामूशहक आतमहत्या का मामला हो सकता है। अशधकारर्यों का कहना है शक उनहें इस बात के सुबूत नहीं शमले हैं शक घर में कोई र्बद्रसती घुसा हो। ्यह भी लग रहा है शक घर के अंदर िव कई शदनों से पडे हुए थे। रिेंकशलन काउंटी का्या्रल्य के ररकॉडस्र के आधार पर बता्या ग्या है शक रार्न पररवार उस घर में 1998 से रह रहा था। रार्न शसनशसनाटी शसथत टेक्ोसॉफट कॉपटोरेिन में इंर्ीशन्यर थे। उनकी पत्ी र्ेपी मॉग्रन चेस में काम करती थीं। बेटा अनीर ऑकसफोि्ट, ओशह्यो शम्यामी शवशवशवद्ाल्य के फाम्रर सकूल ऑफ शबर्नेस में अकाउंशटंग प्मुख था। शवशवशवद्ाल्य ने एक ब्यान में कहा है शक छात् अनीर की मृत्यु की खबर से संसथान के कम्रचारी और बेहद दुखी हैं। पररवार के पररशचत और दोसत भी घटना को लेकर व्यशथत हैं। िबशलन कॉफमैन हाई सकूल के एक शिक्षक एली शर्मरमैन ने मीशि्या से कहा शक वह अनीि को तब से र्ानती हैं र्ब वह कॉफमैन में पहले साल आ्या था। वह सामुदाश्यक सेवा संगठन से भी र्ुडा हुआ था। एक समझदार, िांत और मेहनती बच्ा था। वह पढाई में तो अचछा था ही, उसमें नेतृतव के भी गुण थे। अनीर के बचपन के एक दोसत गाबे शफनटा ने मीशि्या से कहा शक उनकी मुलाकात तब हुई थी, र्ब वे आठवीं कलास में थे। हाल ही में वह दुबई की ्यात्ा पर गए थे र्हां अनीर ने अपने एक िर पर र्ीत हाशसल की थी, वह िर था सकाईिाइशवंग का। अनीि ऐसा लडका था र्ो शर्ंदगी को पूरी तरह र्ीना चाहता था। उसकी और पररवार की मौत से हमें बहुत दुख है। 16 न् यू इंडि्ा अब्रॉि सोमवार, 30 जनवरी, 2023 ओहायो में भाितीय मूल िे दंपकत औि बेटे िे िव कमले, हतया या सामूकहि आतमहतया? खबरों में बताया गया है लक भारतीय मूल के राजन राजाराम (54), िांलतलता राजन (51) और उनके बेटे अनीष राजाराम (19) के िव उनके घर में लमले। तीनों की मौत गनोली लगने से हुई बताई गई है। World Vegan Vision is a volunteer-powered organisation which includes animal activists, medical professionals and other professionals who support the promotion of a plantbased diet, animal welfare and environmental conservation. World Vegan Vision observes Sri Ramanavami SUPRIYA SINGH The World Vegan Vision organised vegan Ramanavami celebrations at Siddhi Vinayak Mandir in Lawrenceville, New Jersey on April 2. With the efforts of Nitin Vyas, public relations officer, and the consent of the priest of the temple, the celebration was made possible, the WVV said in a statement. It further emphasized that a vegan diet is the best diet and quoted a couplet from Geeta, “If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that item offered with love by My devotee in pure consciousness.” World Vegan Vision is a volunteerpowered organisation which includes animal activists, medical professionals and other professionals who support the promotion of a plant-based diet, animal welfare and environmental conservation. President New Jersey Chapter Kalindi Bakshi, Public Relations Director Nitin Vyas , Temple Priest Dilip Bhai Shashtri, Director Of Medical Advisor Dr, Shrenik Shah, Anil Narang Vegan Activist, Former Water Commissioner Of California Ashok Bhatt & Web And Social Media Director Avinash Kachhy. Image- World Vegan Vision
India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 3 Click here for registration
4 India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Gandhi is an awardwinning humanitarian, philanthropist, social activist, businesswoman and mental wellness advocate. Meera Gandhi hosts book talk in Williamsburg MADHU BALAJI Abook talk event for, Indian-origin author, Meera Gandhi’s book - 3 Tips: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success, was recently held at Club Curious in Williamsburg. The event was scheduled and planned by Gandhi’s son Kabir Gandhi and daughter Madame Gandhi who flew from San Francisco to surprise their mother. The media reports claimed the book talk was a huge success. Gandhi is a humanitarian, philanthropist, social activist, businesswoman and mental wellness advocate. Moderated by influencer Leiti Hsu, the event featured discussions ranging from accomplishments, success, and tools for leading a calm and fulfilling life. It was attended by a young crowd of influencers and Gen Z as well as prominent individuals from the Indian community like Reshma Patel, Miriam Belov, and Adrianna Shaw owner of Herflix The audience heard Gandhi speak about friendship, good parenting, and selfbelief and celebrated each other’s victory at the event. In the beginning Madame Gandhi shared her music album with the gathering. “Most people remarked while leaving the event that they left full of hope and positivity for the future!” a press statement read. Meera Teresa Gandhi is the daughter of an Irish mother and an Indian father. Growing up in India, she volunteered to teach dance at Ashadaan, a home for abandoned and differently-abled children, the destitute, and HIV-positive people run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. With a passion for charitable work, Gandhi founded ‘The Giving Back Foundation’ with her husband. She has received many awards, including the Humanitarian Award of the Year from the Mayor’s Office of NY City in 2015. Meera Gandhi’s book talk event at Club Curious in Williamsburg Mohammed Jaffer / Snaps India To celebrate and recognize women power and accomplishments “Shakti The Power” awards was organized by Shobhana Patel, Sonal Gadhavi and Albert Jasani at Royal Albert Palace on April 7, 2023. The aim of the event was to “To recognize and acknowledge the invincible potential of women as change makers & their commitment, courage and confidence of being Shakti The Power” 18 accomplished women were honored during the event across various fields. Shakti The Power awards celebrate Women
India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 5
6 India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Blurb-Currently the president of CU Bhangra, Virdi spends six to ten hours a week practicing the dance form The Centre aims to uplift senior citizens’ lives by hosting a variety of programs such as yoga exercises, birthday celebrations, musical events, picnics, educational events and more STAFF REPORTER Aspecial social care centre for the elderly was inaugurated recently during a ceremony held Manav Seva Mandir, Bensenville, Illinois. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi attended the event as the chief guest and keynote speaker. Founded by Hema Shastri in memory of her late father-in-law and prominent community priest C L Shastri, the Dev Darshan Senior Center (DDSC) aims to “uplift senior citizens’ lives by providing a variety of programs such as yoga exercises, birthday celebrations, musical events, picnics, educational and notable speakers and much more,” a news release noted. Lauding the thoughtful initiative, the Congressman congratulated the Shastri family on the occasion and said, “One of the most important peoples in our lives are our parents and this senior center will definitely make a difference in their social health and well-being.” A tribute was paid to the late CL Shastri who serves as the inspiration behind DDSC. In her inaugural address, Hema Shastri said, “This is no less than a dream come true. It truly has been my dream and my vision to operate a Multiethnic Senior Center where all Senior members can come together, make friends, exercise & educate themselves while exchanging our knowledge and life experiences.” The founder president also felicitated the first senior to join DDSC on the occasion and announced the executive committee members. Supporters of the Centre such as Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) chairman and founder president Sunil Shah and wife Rita Shah, Indian American Business Council (IABC) president Ajeet Singh and wife Jaspal Kaur, marketing and finance Guru Dr Ajit Pant, Dr Rasik Shah, Dr Kamlesh Amin, Dr Bharat Barai and wife Panna, were conferred with DDSC awards. The inauguration attended by over 400 people featured Bollywood dances, Bharatnatyam style – Achyutam Keshavam by Pika Munshi and a Bollywood Kathak inspired -Bollywood fusion dance among many other cultural performances. Senior Care Centre established in Chicago MADHU BALAJI Punjabi American student from Columbia University (CU), Gurnoor Virdi, who serves as the president of CU Sewa (Sikh student organization), performed the Bhangra dance at Tamasha 2023 in Low Library, New York, on April 8, 2023, celebrating South Asian culture and paying tribute to his Punjabi roots. Speaking about the dance form and his passion for it in an interview with Columbia University, Virdi said he began practising it with his friends in New Jersey. “It’s changed so much from when we started doing the Bhangra; it’s evolved from being more of a hip-hop blend to going back to more of a folk style. But the reason I started was just that it was something related to me and my culture.” Having performed the dance since childhood, Virdi revealed that he currently practices like a sport devoting upto six to ten hours to it weekly. “The idea of Bhangra is to bring happiness and joy whenever one needs it, and the dance is about love and compassion and bringing joy to the floor,” Virdi who also serves as the president of CU Bhangra on campus said. Mentioning the accomplishments of the CU Bhangra team, he said that the annual showcase event BHeights (Bhangra in the Heights) was held in February and ten teams from schools like Harvard, UConn and Yale competed. “We are hosting more open workshops and trying to perform at lots of events on campus. We want to reach out to as many students as possible so they can watch us perform but then also learn from us, come to our workshops and dance themselves. We really want to show the love and joy that Bhangra brings to us,” he said. Bhangra helps CU’s Sikh student stay connected to his roots Founder Hema Shastri paying tributes to CL Shastri , the inspiration behind DDSC. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi addressing the gathering. Asian Media USA Dev Darshan Senior Center - Lamp Lighting ceremony. Columbia University
Aries You have ahead of you a week full of creativity, which will be very useful in your work, Aries, both now and later. You will also express your emotions and ideas with great ease. But in your environment, you may encounter some resistance to the recognition of your merits. Do not try to impose your ideas and your tastes on the people around you, because you will not succeed in this way. You will get better results by using your persuasiveness. Sometimes you get upset because you’re struggling to advance professionally, the competition is high, and things seem to be stagnating. However, do not stop working. As for your personal development, it is linked to a course, which will not happen immediately. A bit of patience. In love, you may experience some moments of suffering due to jealousy. You doubt your partner’s fidelity because he may have had contact with his ex. Stop suffering for this reason. He loves you. Taurus A good surprise awaits you in the professional world, Taurus. A person from this environment with whom you have never communicated much, will suddenly ask you to participate in one of his projects in which you will have to work as a team. You may be suspicious because you don’t know it in depth and you may think it might actually harm you. But this is not the case, this person is in good faith and seeks to reach an agreement in which you could both benefit from your mutual knowledge because in reality, you are very complementary. Think carefully about whether the project interests you, but don’t dismiss it out of mistrust, your suspicions are unfounded. In any case, you have a few days left to think about it and work out the details. In love, you are tired of your partner not caring and having to take on all the tasks. Try to make him react. You are united by a very intense love. Gemini It’s all up to you, Gemini. Your week will depend on your attitude. Focus on issues that relate to your work and your goals, because soon nothing and no one will be able to stop your professional progress. Plan, take care of everything that needs special attention, pay attention to details. An intense week also awaits you in love. If you’re a Gemini in love and want to solidify your relationship, be careful how you express yourself. Avoid long silences, but don’t spend the whole day texting either. If your partner isn’t responding to you, don’t get discouraged, respect their freedom and give them all the time they need to make up their minds. It’s the best strategy. Cancer You’ll have more time to think now, Cancer, and you’ll be able to find the reason why, no matter how hard you try, you’re failing to scale your work. You’ll find that someone more experienced than you is getting in your way and making sure your qualities aren’t noticed. The only solution is to act intelligently and, above all, with great cunning. You need to plan a strategy, so get to work this week. In the field of business or finance, you sometimes lack the courage to decide and achieve what you desire. Psychologically, you are not ready to take such risks. In love, you can experience good times. Your partner is everything, your lover, your friend and your travel companion. Can’t ask for more. You can trust him and you have his full support. Now, for this to be consolidated, you have to take on more responsibility. You need to move forward in your relationship. These days will bring you closer to each other. Leo You may have recently started a new job and are now in the adjustment phase. If you’re worried about how things are going to turn out from now on, relax because you got it right. You will achieve great success over time. Now you have to have a little patience. If you have a business, you are worried because you now see the future as very uncertain. Remember that sometimes things take a complicated road and that seems to be the case for you. Prepare to face difficulties, but do not lose heart, because you will manage to get back on your feet. Take advantage of your current financial possibilities to increase your future resources, this will allow you to pass this difficult course. On a sentimental level, a few tense days await you, but since you know this, try to avoid any situation that could lead to an argument. Nerves are on edge, do your best to control yourself and don’t say things you’ll regret. Virgo You’re going through a very nervous time, Virgo, and it’s not all about work. In matters of the heart, you have a lot of emotional insecurity right now. It may be because your recent relationship with someone was established in an open, non-committal way. But now you realize that you fell in love and wish you had something more. Give yourself time to take stock of your feelings, to find out if you really feel love, and also to try to find out what he/she is thinking. He/she may also have changed and also be afraid to tell you. These next few days will be important and decisive, as you will realize the true nature of what binds you at this time. Although you first thought of approaching it from in some way, events may have led you to act differently. It wouldn’t be the first time, it’s more common than it seems. And due to the favorable astral conjunction affecting you this week, you are going to gain the upper hand. Libra Now that you have time, Libra, your mind circles around certain situations in your work environment. You have become a bit paranoid. You always need to be in control and when something unexpected happens you panic. You are mistaken, but such mistrust can offend those around you. You need to empathize with your team members, whether they are at the bottom or at the top. Fantasy plans for next weekend may fall through, but don’t be negative about it. Remember that everything in life has a purpose, so adapt and plan another activity, even at home. Why don’t you go around your wardrobe? But it is also true that very intense days are ahead on the social level, even on the phone or your computer screen. You’ll talk to people you can’t even imagine. If you are a lonely hearter, you may find your soul mate in one of these people. Scorpio Keep all negativity away from you, Scorpio. You must be 100% positive now. Maintaining this attitude is the best way to deal with certain adverse circumstances. You who are so organized, make a schedule so that you can do all the things you never have time for every day. Outside of work, your list can include a little yoga or stretching, natural beauty treatments, reading… Take advantage of tutorials on languages, music, painting, and much more than you can find on the internet. And if there’s an idea in your head, maybe it’s time to put it into practice. In the sentimental domain. Sagittarius You’ve probably had a few run-ins with one of your superiors in recent days, Sagittarius. This has caused you a lot of discouragement, among other things because you think that the question is unresolved. But in a few days a new project may arise and you will be the first to be surprised when your boss asks you for help. This will be the time to iron out this conflict once and for all. In these days begins for Sagittarius a period of great economic growth that will last about six months. You won’t notice it too much at first, but your business will move forward. You don’t have such an easy life in the sentimental field. A little patience before everything goes back to normal. Capricorn Life is going to surprise you with an unexpected situation these days, Capricorn. Something that you never thought would happen is going to materialize precisely now. On a personal level, it will be a stressful week, not only because you want to go out, to travel, and you won’t be able to do it now, but also because a friend will need your emotional support. Do what you can in this regard. You may have noticed that your partner has drifted away from you over the past few days, but he/she hasn’t given you an explanation either. Don’t get upset or angry with him/her. It is possible that this attitude is due to the fact that he/she does not assimilate a certain situation or that he/she has problems in his/her family environment. Don’t worry, it will pass. You have to be patient now and forgive what in other times you would not have done otherwise. Aquarius If you were expecting changes in the work environment, Aquarius, in a few days, maybe a few weeks, there could be some very positive changes. This week, you will receive a call for a future interview that will lift your spirits. Start preparing, be confident, everything will turn out fine and you will get what you want. You may also receive a proposal to participate in a commercial operation. You will do well to think about it before you decide, because it could harm you financially. In love, an excellent sentimental week awaits you. You might be contacted by someone who will dazzle you and it seems that they are also very interested in you. Your doubts stem from the fact that it seems too good to be true, but you must put aside your mistrust. A very good opportunity to be happy in the very near future. Pisces This week, Pisces, you will receive a great lunar impulse that will allow you to successfully face difficult situations and adapt perfectly to some important changes that may occur in your life. For this reason, if you have to make important decisions during these days, be guided by your own judgment, as it will be the most accurate. Now think about that proposal you received that would mean career advancement. If you accept it, you will adapt to the new situation in the blink of an eye. In the sentimental domain, you waste a little time recreating the nostalgia of a love that was important to you, but which ended a long time ago. Even if this person now comes to your mind with intensity, turn the page . There is a person who can make you happy, but he will only appear when you are convinced that the past will not return. Weekly Horoscope Sundeep Kochar Astrologer https://www.sundeepkochar.com India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 7
8 India Abroad Monday, 10 April, 2023 Published Weekly Copyright © 2022 Indian Star LLC Editor in Chief Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Bhambri Registered Address Indian Star LLC, 6215 Rockhurst Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817 USA Disclaimers: 1. India Abroad is a Registered trademark and not affiliated with the newspaper named India Abroad marketed in the US from 1972 to 2021. 2. Indian Star LLC assumes no liability for claims / assumptions made in advertisements and advertorials. Views expressed by the writers are their own. Indian Star LLC A publication of Editor (Hindi) Dr. Rameshwar Dayal Music video ‘Yentamma’ creates a sensation MADHU BALAJI The makers of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released a music video titled Yentamma featuring actors Salman Khan, Ram Charan, and Venkatesh Daggubati in their yellow shirts and traditional dhoti that resembles Lungi Dance from Chennai Express. The actors, excited about the song release, shared the news on Twitter. Charan called it a precious on-screen moment to have featured with two other legends. “It is overloaded with energy and swag, the coolest track of the year is here,” Daggubati claimed. Yentamma also features Pooja Hegde, who joins the trio sporting a red shirt. After winning the Oscar for his Naatu Naatu, the South sensation is now shaking legs with Salman Khan and Venkatesh Daggubati. The song, bilingual in Hindi and Telugu, is a combined effort of singers Vishal Dadlani, Payal Dev and rapper Raftaar. The latter has penned and sung the rap portion of the song. According to the media, the song has been written by Shabbir Ahmed with additional lyrics and vocals by Aditya Dev. The song, bilingual in Hindi and Telugu, is a combined effort of singers Vishal Dadlani, Payal Dev and rapper Raftaar. I mage: Twitter/ @AlwaysRamCharan Still from the song ‘Yentamma’ The 7th film of the YRF spy universe will mark Salman and Shahrukh’s return as the lead actors in the same movie after 28 years. The fifty-over World Cup is scheduled to be held between October 5 and November 19 in India this year. As per the standard timelines for recuperation from the surgery, the star batter is unlikely to be available for selection for the ODI World Cup. NZ Captain to miss ODI world Cup after IPL injury SUPRIYA SINGH New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson might not be available for selection for this year’s ICC ODI World Cup as he will undergo surgery for his injured knee, New Zealand Cricket authority announced. Williamson sustained the injury while on his right leg while attempting a catch at the boundary in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opener against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on 31st March 2023. The fifty-over World Cup is scheduled to be held between October 5 and November 19 in India this year. As per the standard timelines for recuperation from the surgery, the star batter is unlikely to be available for selection for the ODI World Cup. “I have received great support over the past few days and want to thank both Gujarat Titans and New Zealand Cricket for that,” Williamson said acknowledging the support he received after the injury. “Naturally it’s disappointing to get injured, but my focus now is on having the surgery and starting rehab. I look forward to doing what I can to support Gary and the team over the next few months,” the cricketer said. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans (GT) have named Dasun Shanaka as a replacement for Kane Williamson for the IPL season. The Sri Lankan all-rounder, who went unsold at the IPL auction, will be making his debut in the tournament. Image- @ICC YRF’s Tiger vs Pathaan to unite superstars after 28 years STAFF REPORTER F ollowing the immense success of Pathaan, Yash Raj Films (YRF) will reportedly be producing a film starring Bollywood heavyweights Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. The news was shared by Bollywood trade analyst, Taran Adarsh on Twitter, who revealed that the film will be directed by Pathaan director Siddharth Anand. Touted to be the biggest Bollywood film till date, Tiger VS Pathaan is expected to go on floors in 2024. According to media reports, the film is part of the YRF Spy Universe, which is centered on a series of spy action-thriller films, featuring various fictional RAW agents duch as Tiger (Salman Khan) in Ek Tha Tiger, Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) in WAR and Pathaan(SRK) in Pathaan. The upcoming movie will mark the onscreen return of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in lead roles after their last performance together in the 1995 film Karan Arjun. Since then, the duo collaborated on and off on movies, making special appearances in each other’s films, including their latest Tiger, Pathaan, Zero, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam. According to the media, Shah Rukh is said to be appearing in a cameo in Salman and Katrina Kaif’s third instalment of the Tiger franchise. Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 will feature Emraan Hashmi playing the role of an antagonist. The film will hit the theatres on November 10. Still from the film Pathaan Image: Twitter/ @jammypants4