WASHINGTON – As Americans began signing up for Obamacare health insurance plans on Wednesday, experts expected reduced participation as a bitter political debate clouds the program’s future.
Republicans in Congress have repeatedly failed to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, which they have said drives up costs for consumers and interferes with personal medical decisions. Democrats have warned that repeal would leave millions of Americans without health coverage.
President Donald Trump promised to kill Obama’s Affordable Care Act in his 2016 election campaign, and has taken steps to undermine a law he has declared “dead” and “imploding”. Trump’s administration cut Obamacare advertising by 90 percent and shortened the enrollment period by half.
“The market’s going to be extremely confusing. There’s going to be entire complexity of choice,” said David Anderson, a health policy researcher at Duke University.
Obama took to social media on Wednesday, encouraging Americans who need insurance to sign up on the federal Healthcare.gov website. He stressed that government tax credits would keep coverage affordable for most.
Obama asked people to get out the word, “because this country works best when we look out for one another.”
A new Trump ad, paid for by the Republican National Committee, blamed Democrats for Obamacare’s “skyrocketing” insurance premiums and for blocking efforts to repeal the law.
Obamacare advocates have warned that sign-ups for individual insurance coverage under the law could drop by about one million people in 2018 compared with 2017. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that four million fewer people will sign up for Obamacare private insurance than previously forecast due to Trump policies.
Still, CBO expects total enrollment to reach 11 million in 2018, up from the around 10 million who obtained and paid for coverage in 2017. Administration officials could not immediately say when 2018 enrollment data would be made public.
“FLOOD OF INFORMATION”
The Trump administration has cut the 2018 enrollment period in half to six weeks from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 for states using the federal Healthcare.gov website. Enrollment previously ran until Jan. 31, and many consumers tended to sign up in the last two weeks, according to state officials and organizations that help people choose insurance.
The administration has also cut off billions of dollars in subsidies that insurers use to discount out-of-pocket medical costs for low-income Americans and cut funding to groups that help people enroll in health insurance.
Several insurers have exited Obamacare markets due to concerns over subsidies and other Trump actions. Those that remained raised monthly premium prices to account for the lost government subsidies.
Senate Republicans and Democrats are working on legislation to stabilize Obamacare markets in the short term, including restoring the subsidies. But Trump has sought more far-reaching changes, and urged Republicans to take up full-scale repeal again in the coming months.
The Department of Health and Human Services said on Monday that premiums for the most popular Obamacare plans would rise 37 percent in 2018. Americans eligible for Obamacare tax credits to buy insurance may pay less for coverage, but middle-class consumers who do not get subsidies will face much higher prices for these plans.
“It’s been such a flood of information. A lot of the population thinks the Affordable Care Act has already been put under,” said Daniel Polsky, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. “The strange premium increases are going to be very confusing for consumers.”
The Trump administration is now planning changes for 2019. Last week, it proposed a rule giving states more flexibility over the benefits that must be covered by insurance. Under Obamacare, all insurers have to cover a set of 10 benefits, such as maternity and newborn care and prescription drugs.
High-rise residential towers are seen behind shanties in Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, in Mumbai March 18, 2015. In Mumbai, the windows of new high-rise apartment blocks, old low-rise residential buildings and shantytown shacks portray the disparity in living conditions and incomes in the Indian city. Rents for a place to live range from more than $2,000 to less than $5 a month. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui PICTURE 22 OF 22 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY “RENTING IN MUMBAI PER SQUARE FOOT”?SEARCH “RENTING SIDDIQUI” FOR ALL IMAGES? – RTX19SRX
MUMBAI – In a major decision, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cleared the decks permitting restaurants, bars and cafes on rooftops of buildings, officials said here on Wednesday.
The development comes are long efforts made by Hotel & Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) and Indian Hotels & Restaurants Association (AHAR) and Yuva Sena President Aditya Thackeray, with the state government and the BMC.
Lauding the decision, HRAWI president Dilip Datwani said it would unlock the huge potential that terraces offer by allowing them to be operated as leisure or recreational spaces.
“The sky-bars and rooftop cafes are an emerging trend around the world, and Mumbai despite being the commercial capital of India, lacked the policy on this. It will be appreciated by Mumbaikars besides domestic and international tourists,” said Datwani, whose HRAWI has a membership of over 2,000 star hotels and restaurants.
With a membership of over 8,000 restaurants and bars, AHAR’s Adarsh Shetty said the industry has been pursuing this proposal since years and now finally the authorities have given the green signal to it.
“This is a privilege for Mumbai and the city will join the ranks of cities like London, Hong Kong, Bangkok which have beautiful skylines and some of the best rooftop restaurants in the world,” he said.
Earlier, there were a few clubs or private parties allowed on rooftops against payment of daily licence fees of around Rs 15,000, which was scrapped permanently two months ago.
Shetty said that by December, at least 50 rooftop joints, especially those in the vicinity of the Arabian Sea, are likely to come up as they would offer dazzling views of the city, besides reduced noise and air pollution from the traffic below and beating space constraints.
As per the BMC policy, permissions would be granted to open air terraces, in full or part, except on refuge floors of commercial buildings, malls, hotels having eating houses and lodging services, without causing nuisance to the occupants.
The owners cannot claim the terrace areas as a habitable commercial areas approved by the BMC while submitting any redevelopment proposals in future, and no cooking or preparations would be allowed with LPG or open flames.
All other rules shall be applicable as per the Mumbai Police Act and the BMC’s Shops & Establishments Act, and the licensees would be liable to take proper safety and security measures on such premises.
WASHINGTON – A computer recovered in the 2011 U.S. special forces operation that killed Osama bin Laden contained a video collection that included kids’ cartoons, several Hollywood movies and three documentaries about himself.
The list of the videos was included in the release on Wednesday by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency of nearly 470,000 files found on the computer seized in the May 2, 2011, U.S. raid on the al Qaeda founder’s hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
It is the fourth tranche of materials taken from the walled compound where bin Laden and his family lived to be made public by the U.S. government since May 2015.
Materials that still have not been released are being withheld because they could harm national security, are blank, corrupted or duplicate files, are pornographic or are protected by copyright, said a CIA statement.
The copyright-protected materials include more than two dozen videos such as “Antz,” “Cars” and other animated films, the role-playing game “Final Fantasy VII” and “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden” and two other documentaries about the al Qaeda leader, the CIA said.
“Today’s release of recovered al-Qaeda letters, videos, audio files and other materials provides the opportunity for the American people to gain further insights into the plans and workings of this terrorist organization,” said CIA Director Mike Pompeo. “CIA will continue to seek opportunities to share information with the American people consistent with our obligation to protect national security.”
The materials released on Wednesday are posted on line – https://www.cia.gov/library/abbottabad-compound/ – in their original Arabic.
They include bin Laden’s personal journal and 18,000 document files, about 79,000 audio and image files and more than 10,000 video files, the CIA said.
The CIA said that the materials, like those released in the past, provide insights into the origins of the differences between al Qaeda and Islamic State, disagreements within al Qaeda and its allies, and the problems al Qaeda faced at the time of bin Laden’s death.
LUCKNOW – At least 20 people were killed and more than 80 injured in a boiler explosion at a unit of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district, officials said.
Many of the injured are in critical condition with scalded body parts caused by hot ash and steam. They have been admitted to government medical facilities at Allahabad and at the Lucknow trauma centre.
Confirming the death toll, Principal Secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar said of the 10 injured brought to the civil hospital here, six have more than 90 per cent burns and that their condition, according to doctors, was very critical.A
Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Law and Order Anand Kumar said the death toll could climb up as many of the injured are in critical condition.
An NDRF team consisting of 32 persons has left Lucknow for Unchahar, the site of the accident.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya visited the Civil hospital at night to enquire about the injured and asked the doctors to give them the best possible treatment.
Two senior ministers – Suresh Khanna and Swamy Prasad Maurya – have been rushed to the site to oversee and coordinate relief and rescue operations, a government official said.
NTPC officials said that tThe number of casualties could go up once the blades of the boiler are cut and the team of experts is able to go inside. NTPC has ordered a probe into the blast.
More than 50 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire and 100 ambulances, private and government, helped ferry the injured to medical facilities. Rae Bareli is the parliamentary constituency of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
A massive fire broke out inside and a huge ball of dust and ash rose after the explosion, making rescue operations difficult, an official told IANS. The unit was the sixth at NTPC and was commissioned on March 31 this year.
An alert was sounded at the community health centre (CHC), district hospital and at other medical centres, after the accident. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is in Mauritius on a three-day visit, directed Principal Secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar to monitor the situation and brief him regularly. He has also condoled the death of workers and extended his sympathies to the bereaved families.
The Chief Minister has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those killed, Rs 50,000 each to those seriously injured, and Rs 25,000 each to those with less grave injuries. All the injured would be given free treatment at government hospitals, he added.
Senior district officials and police officials including the Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow Anil Garg were at the site and overseeing rescue and relief operations.
Officials said the explosion took place in the boiler, which creates steam which moves the turbines and generates electricity. The explosion was caused by the ash which got deposited on the furnace and triggered a massive blast.
Insiders at the plant, who refused to come on record, said that many labourers who were inside might have perished in the blast and their bodies would be buried under the very hot ash that has covered the entire area.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi expressed shock and horror at the tragedy and asked party workers to help in the relief operations. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also expressed sadness and condoled the deaths.
Allegations of sexual assault against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and a social media campaign that followed are raking up long-muffled controversies across the globe. Now a list of academics accused of assault has caused a frenzy among India’s intellectuals.
When Raya Sarkar, a 24-year-old law student of Indian descent at the University of California at Davis, posted a crowdsourced list on Facebook of male academics who allegedly harassed or assaulted women, India’s academic world splintered.
Sarkar’s list, based mostly on first-person accounts from women, includes the names of more than 60 prominent male academics. She said women provided her with WhatsApp messages and emails to corroborate their claims.
Some say the list is the product of a broken system that fails to hold sexual predators to account. But many, including a group of Indian feminists, said the list devalues “due process,” putting unverified accusations on equal footing with cases in which men were convicted of sexual crimes.
Sarkar defended the list in an interview with BuzzFeed, saying she created it in the aftermath of the Weinstein allegations and the #MeToo campaign, in which women shared their experiences of sexual harassment or assault. “The list is primarily for students to be wary of their professors, because in my opinion, knowing how college administrations function, harassers will continue to hold their positions of power,” she said.
The list, which has been widely shared, leaves out names of accusers, and specific details of the incident that could allow alleged predators to identify their victims.
Partha Chatterjee, a social scientist and historian from the eastern city of Kolkata, denied allegations in a response published by the Wire news website. He wrote, “I am certain that in 44 years of my association with the Center for Studies in Social Sciences, I have never been involved in an incident in which I could be accused of having sexually harassed a student.
“I believe it is fair for me to demand that the nature of the allegation against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to it. Otherwise, I demand that my name be removed from the list,” he wrote.
Prominent feminists also have lashed out against Sarkar. A post on the feminist Kafila blog signed by over a dozen noted women activists said, “It worries us that anybody can be named anonymously, with lack of answerability . . . We too know the process is harsh and often tilted against the complainant. We remain committed to strengthening these processes . . . This manner of naming can de-legitimize the long struggle against sexual harassment, and make our task as feminists more difficult.”
Accenture, one of the largest consulting firms in the United States, was sued last year by an Indian employee, Elton Kent, who claimed that he and other employees were being discriminated as he was paid less than American employees along with receiving fewer benefits and last week, the company was sued yet again by a Muslim Indian man, Mohammed Ali.
Ali, who also claimed that he was paid a lower salary, demoted and didn’t receive an annual bonus because of his race and religion, told Bloomberg that even though he regularly exceeded annual sales targets, with the exception of fiscal year 2015, he was paid less than his counterparts when they had sales targets of $30 million and he had $50 million, ending the fiscal year with $40.9 million in sales.
According to the complaint, Accenture “shorted” Ali on other deals “so as to falsely deflate Mr. Ali’s sales production for the year” and he was demoted shortly afterwards.
“The discrimination has caused Mr. Ali significant economic harm—in the neighborhood of seven figures,” the lawsuit stated.
His manager, who is white and knew that Ali was a Muslim when justifying the elevated target, even told Ali that he “wasn’t going to be like Bernie Sanders and give handouts,” according to the complaint and said that he agreed “with all of Trump’s views,” these statements were made during the first half of 2016 when then Republican candidate Donald Trump was calling for a Muslim immigration ban.
Bloomberg reported that in a statement, the company said it’s committed “to inclusion and diversity” and “that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences,” however, company spokeswoman Stacey Jones told Bloomberg that Ali’s claims “are without merit.”
Mark Oberti, Ali’s attorney, declined to comment.
The Bloomberg reported that Accenture is a support structure of sorts for corporate America and that such companies are hired to bring in outside expertise, look into industry trends and help with corporate restructuring.
Accenture said it works with more than 75 percent of Fortune Global 500 companies and just last year, 34 percent of the company, or 16,262 people, were Asians.
Many Muslim Americans say that they are facing an increasing amount of discrimination both in the workplace and outside of it.
According to a Pew Research Center study conducted from January to May, this year, almost half of them said that they had faced at least one incident during the 12 months prior to the study and more than two-thirds of the respondents said that Donald Trump has been adding to their fears.
Although Muslims make up only one percent of the U.S. population, about 40 percent of religion-based workplace complaints that were filed with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission in 2015 were Muslims related.
Suman Raghunathan, the executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together, a nonprofit advocacy group, told Bloomberg that there needs to be more emphasis on implicit bias training and zero tolerance policies against discrimination at companies.
“Corporations are in the position to safeguard their South Asian and Muslim employees’ civil rights. We believe now is the moment for responsible corporations, workplaces, and other entities to take a stand themselves. The moral high ground and the arc of justice we believe is increasingly lying in both civil society as well as responsible corporations,” she stated.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives iin Washington, U.S., February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool
President Donald Trump said Wednesday, Nov. 1, that he is going to end the ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program’ in wake of the terrorist attack that took place in lower Manhattan on Halloween.
“The terrorist came into our country through what is called the ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program,’ a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based,” Trump tweeted.
Schumer, who was a member of the House of Representatives in 1990 when the diversity visa program was created, responded by accusing Trump of politicizing the attack adding that the White House is also seeking to cut the federal counter-terrorism budget.
“I have always believed and continue to believe that immigration is good for America. President Trump, instead of politicizing and dividing America, which he always seems to do at times of national tragedy, should be focusing on the real solution — anti-terrorism funding — which he proposed cutting in his most recent budget,” he told USA Today.
Media reports are suggesting that Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect for Tuesday’s truck attack that left at least eight people dead and many more injured, arrived to the United States from Uzbekistan through the diversity visa program.
Trump called for “extreme vetting” after the attack and posted a follow-up tweet saying: “We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter).”
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence committee, responded to Trump’s tweet on MSNBC’s Morning Joe stating “there are legitimate reasons to look at how much should we take immigration, new immigrants on the base of diversity, how much on the basis of merit. But I’ve never really heard this made as a security argument. To use this tragedy in that way to push an agenda is not what the president ought to be doing right now.”
USA Today reported that Democrats have accused Trump, who made immigration restrictions and “radical Islamic terrorism” the major themes of his presidential campaign, of using terrorism as a fear factor to tackle the immigration issue in general.
Jacob Corban Coleman of Puyallup, Washington has been charged with first-degree murder, after he killed his Indian American cab driver Gagandeep Singh of Spokane, Idaho in August.
Coleman stabbed Singh to death in his taxi after he found out that he was denied entry into Gonzaga University because the institution had no record of his admission.
In an earlier article, News India Times reported that Coleman hailed a cab from Spokane International Airport after the incident, and told Singh to take him to a fictitious friend’s house but during the drive, his thoughts became increasingly homicidal.
Coleman then asked Singh to stop at a local store, where he purchased a knife and then re-entered the cab directing Singh to drive farther to look for the nonexistent destination.
When Singh realized that there was no real location, he stopped the cab near the intersection of Spokane Street and East Railroad Avenue in Kootenai, Idaho where Coleman stabbed him, after which his mother noticed that he wasn’t picking up his phone when she called him at around 6 p.m. and when she learned that he had not checked in with the cab company, she contacted the police who located the vehicle.
Upon their arrival at the scene, Singh was pronounced dead and Coleman was still in the car and even surrendered without hesitation.
Singh was a former resident of Preet Nagar in Jalandhar, Punjab and he decided to settle in Spokane in 2003 along with his family.
The Bonner County Daily Bee reported that a Bonner County judge had ruled on Wednesday, Nov. 1, that there is a sufficient amount of evidence for Coleman to be tried in a 1st District Court.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (in middle, bottom row) at the IAFC meet in Washington, DC, on Oct. 31
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Tulsi Gabbard delivered a keynote address at the Indian American Friendship Council’s (IAFC) 20th Annual Legislative Conference, on Tuesday.
The Congresswoman, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Asia-Pacific Subcommittee and the Democratic Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, spoke about bipartisan support behind strengthening mutually beneficial economic ties, building upon the existing U.S.-India security framework and a shared fight against terrorism, and expanding educational opportunities between the U.S. and India.
Other speakers included the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ed Royce, Democrat Ranking Member Elliot Engel, and fellow lawmakers.
Gabbard was recognized with IAFC’s National Service Award for her leadership in strengthening the U.S.-India partnership.
Most recently in Hawaiʻi, she has worked with state and local leaders to initiate a Sister-State relationship between Hawaiʻi and Goa, which will be formalized later this year.
“Over the years, the U.S. and India have made great strides in strengthening our important relationship, from cooperating in education to business to counterterrorism and so much more. As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and through my work on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, I’m working to strengthen the friendship and bonds that our two nations already share, and to encourage new opportunities for growth,” she said at the meet.
Gabbard added: “The Indian American Friendship Council’s work to promote mutual exchange of knowledge and ideas, further understanding between elected leaders and those in the private sector, and provide a voice to the more than three million Indian Americans living in the United States has furthered this progress and expanded the U.S.-India relationship for the benefit of both countries and their citizens.”
Apna Ghar, a women’s support group, held its 11th annual Stride Against Violence 5K run/walk fundraiser on Oct.15 and raised more than $40,000 in funds to help accomplish its mission to end gender violence.
Chicago Spirit Brigade returned this year to cheer the participants on, and Bollywood Groove, a Dance Studio in Chicago, led the walk in pre- and post-race dances.
The fundraiser was sponsored by BMO Harris Bank and Eileen Fisher and supported by many other organizations like Fleet Feet Sports, PepsiCo, Sparkling ICE, KIND Snacks, Dunkin Donuts, Vita Coco, Trader Joe’s, Chipotle, The Great American Bagel Company, Panera Bread, Giordano’s, Cross Town Fitness, and Dr. Surinder Nand.
Apna Ghar is one of the oldest organizations that was founded to help Indian-American and South Asian-American women and immigrants fight gender violence and get help.
Rekha Nandwani, who is running for Ward C Council in Jersey City, was recently named a 2017 Champion by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).
The PCCC’s objective is to recognize candidates from around the country who it considers are fighting for progressive priorities and looking out for the needs of everyday families.
Nandwani was chosen by the organization because she has always fought for Jersey City residents and wants people to have access to healthier food options and supermarkets and already petitioned for eight supermarkets in Jersey City, a few years ago, the PCCC said.
The Indian-American candidate also collaborated with the Jersey City Board of Education in their recent school rezoning plans, advocating on behalf of the parents and assigned safe drop off zones for elementary schools, PCCC added. She was also credited with having made improvements to parking regulations in Jersey City neighborhoods and installing stop signs around busy intersections for the community. In addition, PCCC noted, she was able to catch a $2 million accounting error that had mistakenly raised the residents’ taxes.
“Our 2017 Champions across the country are committed to solving big problems affecting their communities. Selected for their bold vision, these candidates are highly capable leaders ready to make change,” said Kait Sweeney, spokesperson for the PCCC.
The organization has chosen more than 50 Champions nationwide this year. It claims to have a million-member grassroots organization that builds power at the local, state and federal levels.
The organization also advocates for economic populist priorities like expanding Social Security, debt-free college, Wall Street reform and the public option and says it has raised millions of dollars to support progressive candidates, including $1.1 million to support Elizabeth Warren’s Senate run in 2012.
The Mattoo Center for India Studies at Stony Brook University recently received a prestigious endowed Chair and a $5 million endowment at its 20th birthday celebration held on Sunday, Oct. 29.
The celebration was attended by India’s Consul General in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, who commended the Center for making public service as much a priority as academic excellence. It deserved to be known more widely, including in India, Chakravorty said, according to a press release from Stony Brook. Also present was Congressman Raja Krishnamoorth, D-Illinois, who said, “We need more Centers like this to train the new generation of Indian American leaders to swell the ‘Samosa Caucus’ in the Congress,” along with other members of the Indian American community.
According to the press release $2.5 million of the endowment came “from the Indian American community”; $1.25 million from Nirmal K. and Augustina Mattoo Chair in Classical Indic Humanities; $250,000 from Drs. Yashpal and Urmilesh Arya for the Arya India Studies Library; $150,000 from Sreedhar Menon; $150,000 from Deepak and Neera Raj; $100,000 from Dr. Krishna Gujavarty for an annual seminar on leadership and values; $100,000 from Sudesh and Sudha Mukhi for courses and performances in Vedic studies and music; $100,000 from S.N. and Kamal Sridhar for teaching and research support; and a lecture series from Drs. Rajesh and Sonali Kakani and other major gifts from Dr. Vijay Arya, Dr. Rishimani Adsumelli, Dr. Nungavaram Ramamurthy and Dr. Latha Chandran and Prem Chandran.
Nirmal K. Mattoo, the chairman of the Center’s Executive Committee, praised the university for recognizing the importance of India’s contributions to knowledge and the Indian-American community for their support of the Center’s mission.
Professor S.N. Sridhar, a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and the founding director of the Mattoo Center, said it was student demand for courses on India that drove him to work with the university administration, the Indian American community, Dr. Azad Anand and Dr. Mattoo, to create the India Studies center. He also helped develop its core curriculum, structuring programs such as a Minor in South Asian Studies which helped offer a Major and Masters in Asian and Asian American Studies.
Professor Sacha Kopp, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that a public university “has the responsibility not only to serve the public through education but to give back to the public in the form of knowledge and sharing and fostering community and culture.” Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., president of Stony Brook University praised the Indian-American community for its tireless efforts in building the Center.
Over the 20 years the Mattoo Center for India Studies has grown to include an Arya India Studies Library which features 13,000 titles; its publication Ananya: A Portrait of India which includes articles by 40 of India’s leading scholars; the Center is also leading an international consortium of translators of a Kannada Mahabharata to be published by Harvard University Press; this apart from seminars, exhibits, lecture series and performing arts series bringing the best of India.
The Center has conducted more than 200 outreach programs for schools, museums and civic institutions and is serving as a resource to mainstream media like PBS.
It also offers student scholarships and supports university departments, community associations and student groups in their India-related initiatives.
Today, Stony Brook teaches more than 30 courses on India every year and over 22,000 students have taken courses on India.
Indian American Preeti Shridhar will be battling against Peter Steinbrueck on Nov. 7 for the open seat on the Port of Seattle Commission for Position 4, replacing the current president of the commission, Tom Albro.
Although the Seattle Times reports that both candidates agree on several issues, such as preserving industrial lands for blue-collar jobs, opposing Chris Hansen’s proposed NBA arena in Sodo and hiring a new executive director focused on public accountability to help avoid repeats of recent public-trust issues, Shridhar wants to do much more.
Shridhar is currently the deputy public affairs administrator for the city of Renton, Washington and has spent 25 years working for the cities of Seattle and Renton, specializing in public-affairs programs for the environment and economy and thus wants to encourage the use of biofuels for planes as more flights are added, so that there is a better environment for the people who live near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
She also wants to defend the tax funding that critically causes workforce development and is optimistic that the Port will still be able to generate “a strong source of funding” without raising the tax further as property values increase.
Shridhar told the Seattle Times that she believes she is the right choice for Position 4 of the Port of Seattle Commission as she is approachable and has an open-door policy, she also mentioned that decades ago she had made an effort to increase recycling in Seattle and wants to focus on inclusion “for all,” including help for lower-income workers and immigrants.
She has raised $35,000 so far from members of the local Indian-American community and has been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal as well as the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington and the mayors of several South King County cities.
Shridhar is the only daughter of a business executive and a college professor, who came to the United States in 1986 and ended up settling in east King County while working for the cities of Seattle and Renton.
She has a B.A. in business administration from the College of St. Catherine and later received her MBA from the University of Minnesota, she also holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Bombay.
Entrance to the 25th Anniversary Gala of Children’s Hope, showing the children the organization supports, with the belief ‘Every child counts.’
LONG ISLAND, NY – Nearly 500 guests from the Tri-State area celebrated 25 years of Children’s Hope India (CHI), and the organization’s mission to transform the lives of underprivileged children in India, at Pier Sixty in Chelsea Piers, on October 28.
There was food; there was dancing; there was the honoring of several individuals for their commitment to public service and making a difference in the lives of the less privileged. But most of all, there was generosity in heart and in spirit as close to $1 million was raised to support Children’s Hope India’s new cornerstone project in Bhopal, India—the Children’s Hope Girls Academy—as well as other projects providing education and medical care both in India and the New York Metropolitan Area.
India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty and his wife were the chief guests, and the noted film director Mira Nair was there in person to introduce her Broadway bound show ‘Monsoon Wedding’. The Master of Ceremonies of was Tinku Jain, noted broadcaster and philanthropist.
A highlight of the evening was the felicitating of Lotus Award honoree Chandrika Tandon, who is a leader in the worlds of business, education, and the arts, dedicated to public service. She is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York University, Chair of NYU’s President’s Global Council, Chair of the Board of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and serves on the Boards of the NYU School of Business and Medicine.
She is also the Grammy-nominated composer and singer of several albums and whose new album “Shivoham-the Quest” – is dedicated to seekers of the light and the teachers who show them the path.
Tandon spoke powerfully about her struggles to define true success, and how the prism through which she viewed the world has changed.
Chandrika Tandon receives the Lotus Award, flanked by Maya Rajani, CHI president, Tinku Jain, master of ceremonies, and Lavina Melwani, co-founder, CHI.
“My concept of perfection changed – now I believe I am perfect, we are all perfect. I believe there’s an incredible universe taking care of us and I believe we all have to take care of each other for we will not be complete unless we can do that. We have to do that for ourselves and for each other,” she said.
Her remarks about giving and finding one’s own radiance got a standing ovation from the audience.
Making a Difference honoree Bob Roth is the Chief Executive Officer of the David Lynch Foundation which has brought meditation to over 500,000 inner-city youth in underserved schools in 35 countries, to veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and to women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. He is also the author of Transcendental Meditation, which has been translated into 20 languages.
Bob Roth spoke to the importance of developing the whole child by offering not only the best educational opportunities and health care but also meditation and yoga, drawing parallels between CHI’s mission and that of the organization he heads, the David Lynch Foundation and his own personal mission as a teacher of Transcendental Meditation for 45 years.
“Without meditation and yoga we will never truly heal the trauma that afflicts so many children who grow up in the slums of India or the crime ridden streets of some neighborhoods in New York City. But with these ancient, evidence-based practices we can give each child a true foundation for a healthy, productive, happy life,” he noted.
Guests were also treated to a sneak peek at award-winning film director Mira Nair’s upcoming Broadway musical ‘Monsoon Wedding’ as the original cast performed five songs, in conjunction with the wonderful Sa Dance Company, founded by Artistic Director Payal Kadakia.
Taste buds were also indulged as celebrity chef Gaurav Anand, the man behind New York’s Moti Mahal, Bhatti Grill, Awadh and Aroqa, showcased a gastronomical feast with many innovative creations which got rave reviews from gala attendees.
Bob Roth is presented the Making A Difference Award by Maya Rajani, and Poonam and AJ Khubani of Telebrands, sponsor of the award.
A highlight of the evening was the live auction, conducted by Sandhya Jain-Patel of Christie’s, of life-changing ventures where guests bid on educational projects for the newly created Children’s Hope Girls Academy in Bhopal, which will educate 800 girls in Gandhi Nagar and surrounding villages, beginning in March 2018.
Over the course of this evening alone, funding was raised for two school buses to transport the girls from their villages to the school, a digital learning center equipped for distance learning, a playground, and classrooms, as well as nutrition and medical care for the students.
Also raising money for the CHI Girls Academy was the live and silent auction of donated must-have items, including fabulous diamond jewelry by Madison Avenue jeweler Nirav Modi, a painting by famous artist Jamini Roy; a Tuscan experience at a Bulgari villa; and air tickets to India on the national carrier Air India.
The music for the evening was provided by DJ Sharad of DJ USA. Jharna Jaisinghani of Artistic Affairs coordinated the event.
More than two decades ago, Children’s Hope India started as a small group of women professionals hoping to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. Now in 2017, Children’s Hope India has over 22 projects across several cities in India and the New York Metropolitan area, and has impacted over 250,000 children by looking after their health, education and vocational training.
The focus of Children’s Hope India is the ‘whole’ child and providing all the tools a child needs to progress from poverty to prosperity with a cradle to career approach. Since 2015 alone, CHI has allocated over $1.5 million to programs in several cities in India and additional ones in the New York metro area.
Mira Nair is surrounded by the performers of ‘Monsoon Wedding’ including the Sa Dancers.
Indian American Zain Jaffer, the CEO of Vungle, was fired after he arrested and charged with sexually abusing his three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter.
According to San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, Jaffer is charged with two counts of child abuse, a lewd act upon a child, attempted oral copulation with a person under 14-years-old and assault with intent to cause great bodily harm.
The SFGate reported that authorities also charged Jaffer with a misdemeanor count of battery upon a police officer and emergency personnel along with an initial charge of attempted murder, which was dropped due to not enough evidence.
Wagstaffe said police arrested Jaffer at his family’s house in Hillsborough, California at 4 a.m. on Oct. 15 after his father reportedly called police and when they arrived at the scene, they found Jaffer engaged in the illegal contact with the minors and was arrested.
According to a Forbes report, he was then arraigned on the following Tuesday and at the defense’s request, did not enter a plea; in an email to Forbes, Jaffer’s attorney, Daniel Olmos said “Mr. Jaffer has pleaded not guilty and he will not comment publicly at this time.”
After Jaffer was arrested, Vungle removed him from their board and appointed COO Rick Tallman to his place.
In a statement, Tallman said “we are aware of the extremely serious allegations leveled against our former CEO, and we are shocked beyond words. While these charges are completely unrelated to his former role at the company, they are obviously so serious that it led to his immediate removal.”
“We learned of the allegations late Monday night, and convened a board meeting, removed him as CEO and I was appointed permanent CEO all within 24 hours. He did not step down for personal reasons as has been erroneously reported. We removed him as rapidly as possible. The actions of one individual are in no way reflective of the almost 200 dedicated and hard-working people who work for Vungle. Everyone at the company is appalled and deeply saddened by these events,” Tallman added.
Jaffer’s profile on LinkedIn says he previously served as CEO for two other tech firms, Mediaroots and CyberPlanet before he founded Vungle in 2011.
He is a graduate of both the University of London and London Business School and was named to the Forbes Under 30 list in 2012.
Jaffer is currently being held in San Mateo’s County Jail on $300,000 bail and was to appear in court on Nov. 1.
NEW YORK – The flier came innocuously enough, by mail, postmarked and delivered by the United States Postal Service, to residents in the town of Edison, New Jersey, on Wednesday.
But the flier’s racist, vile content, has stirred up what was an otherwise docile local school board election into a volatile one; put focus on the bitter, almost transparent divisiveness that exists in areas around the United States where minorities are burgeoning, the local Caucasian populace feel threatened their culture and way of life is eroding, waning to extinction.
The flier specifically targeted an Indian American attorney, Falguni Patel, 32, and a Chinese American, Jingwei ‘Jerry’ Shi, both of whom are running as teammates for the School Board.
Headlined “Make Edison Great Again” in a box which has the color blue in the background, and perhaps has political connotations — with the words itself a spinoff from President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan — the flier has pictures of both Patel and Shi, on either side of that box, with a red “DEPORT” stamp under their faces.
The message is terse, simple enough: ‘Stop Jerry Shi and Falguni Patel from taking over our School Board.’
To further drive home the point of ostracizing immigrants, there’s another box at the bottom of the flier, with the wordings: “The Chinese and Indians are taking over our town!” “Chinese school! Indian school! Cricket fields! Enough is enough!”
On the reverse of the flier, there is a traffic ‘Stop’ sign, reiterating ‘Stop the overcrowding!’ ‘Stop taking over our sports fields!’, ‘Stop the McMansions!’, ‘Stop the multiple families living in the same house!’, ‘Stop wasting school holidays!’, ‘Stop the Outsiders!’. The last line at the bottom declares: ‘Let’s take back our Edison.’
No group or individuals(s) have come forward to take responsibility for the fliers. It’s not known if all the 100,000 residents of Edison got the flier, or only some pockets of the town were targeted.
Edison, which also houses the stretch of ‘Little India’ known as Oak Tree Road, is one of the areas in the US where minorities have dwarfed the Caucasian population. More than 45 percent of the township was born overseas; about a quarter of the township was born in India. Nearly half of the population is of Asian-origin.
NJ101.5 pointed out that in recent years cricket pitches in the town have become more popular than baseball diamonds in parks. More than 4,800 other residents were born in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. On weekends, a Chinese community group pays the school district rent to hold Chinese language classes in classrooms. Another 4,200 have Latin America roots, according to Census estimates.
Edison is the fifth-largest municipality in the state and is New Jersey’s most populous suburb, according to 2016 census estimates.
Since the politically motivated flier doesn’t identify the group that paid for it, it violates state election law. There is bound to be an investigation. A call by News India Times to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office on the status of the investigation, or if it had even commenced, was not returned, as of going to press.
Falguni Patel
In a joint statement to News India Times, Patel, who was born and grew up in New Jersey, and Shi termed the flier as ‘un-American’ and ‘unfortunate attacks.”
They wrote: “We decided to run for the Edison Board of Education so we can improve educational opportunities for all the students of Edison, this is the only reason we got involved. Edison is a wonderful community full of amazing people of all backgrounds, this is our strength. So, we will not be distracted by these unfortunate attacks. They are un-American and not the Edison we know. Those who are responsible for these actions should be held accountable.
“When our naysayers go low, we will go high and double our efforts to build a better future together. We will continue to focus on our campaign and work for the students and taxpayers of this town that we love,” they added, with a touch of former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s insouciance to it.
The flier immediately drew flak from both Democrats and Republicans, who denounced it.
Incumbent Mayor Tom Lankey posted his comments on Facebook: “A vile, racist campaign flyer has been distributed around Edison Township. Our community proudly embraces our ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. My Administration, in keeping with our progressive Democratic principles, has supported and encouraged our newest residents to get involved in public affairs, to run for elected office, to work in public service, and to hold appointed posts on local boards and commissions.
“This despicable mailer, from an unidentified source, contains the Trump-Republican sentiments that Edison’s Republican mayoral challenger and some of his supporters have chosen to embrace. This mailer appears to be an act of desperation meant to misdirect and confuse voters.
“Make no mistake, we will do everything possible to expose the shameful people behind this. We referred all documents to our Police Chief and the Middlesex County Prosecutor for action that they deem appropriate.
“As Mayor, my top priority is to protect the safety of all residents. Rest assured, Edison will react swiftly to any potential threats that result from this flyer being disseminated in my community.”
Lankey’s rival, Republican challenger Keith Hahn, also came down hard on the flier, vowing to find out the “anonymous cowards” behind it.
“Disgraceful and offensive campaign tactics cannot be tolerated,” Hahn posted on Facebook. “If anyone else has received this piece please message me, it will help the investigation greatly.”
In interviews to News India Times, some Indian American Democrats and Republicans felt the flier was generated with political motivations, rather than merely a blatant racist attack.
Democrat Virbhadra ‘Viru’ Patel, who was sworn-in last year to replace James Major as the Woodbridge town, New Jersey’s Fourth Ward’s Councilman, is the first Indian American to be on the Town Council. He is up for election next week.
“It has nothing to do with racism, but is just out of political motivation,” said Patel.
Patel, who has lived in Woodbridge, the adjoining town to Edison, said he’s not surprised at the vicious words in the flier.
“A few years ago, there was a feud between the local law enforcement and Indian residents in Edison,” he said, referring to a protest by the community against the police, for what they alleged was overt and abusive tactics. “The police at that time were shouting at that time to the Indian community, ‘Go back to the country where you come from.’ So, I’m not surprised by what is happening in Edison, but this doesn’t look like a case of racism to me,” he added.
Veteran community activist and businessman Peter Kothari, a Republican, put the blame of the flier on the Democrats, to try sway the election, and said he didn’t buy the notion of a racist angle to it.
“This is the easiest way to divide the community,” Kothari said, referring to the election for Mayor between Lankey and Hahn.
“There is no hate here, just a political end game to sway the election. It’s not going to work,” Kothari opined.
Former Assemblyman Upendra Chivukukla, a Democrat, who had twice made a run for the US House of Representatives, and currently serves as Commissioner on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, termed the flier as “more of an election ploy”.
“It is racial, and it is illegal as there is no disclosure, and a cowardly act, trying to make use of the divisiveness, that the Indians are coming, the Chinese are coming,” Chivukula said, but added that, “one has to be careful of giving this more prominence. One has to focus on the election and support candidates.”
Chivukula said while the flier was meant to “provoke some voters,” he said it was also important to remember that the Indian and Chinese community have been “waiting for their turn for many, many years” to be elected at the grass-root levels, to school boards and town councils.
“The community needs to speak up at the polls, loud and clearly, by voting for their candidate,” he said.
Chinese American Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY), Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, condemned the mailer.
“One of our country’s greatest strengths is its vast diversity, and this hateful rhetoric has no place in our democracy and runs contrary to everything the Garden State stands for,” said Meng, in a statement. “More than one in five New Jersey residents is an immigrant, and nearly half of Edison, New Jersey’s residents are Asian. These include hard working business owners, taxpayers, teachers, mothers, children and neighbors who love their communities. This racist mailer is shameful and disgusting and was produced for no other intention than to empower divisive forces of bigotry and hate.”
She added: “I hope that the good citizens of Edison will reject this disgraceful mailer and I urge officials to do all they can to find out who is behind it.”
U.S. President Donald Trump talks with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley as they attend a session on reforming the United Nations at U.N. Headquarters in New York, U.S., September 18, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Washington would not tolerate safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan, emphasizing a warning that came straight from President Trump this August, and reiterated by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during his recent trip to South Asia.
Haley was speaking at the 20th Annual Legislative Gala hosted by the Indian American Friendship Council in Washington, D.C. Oct. 31. More than 200 people attended the event, organizers told News India Times.
A bipartisan group of high profile lawmakers including Senators Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Brad Sherman, D- California, Reps. Ed Royce, R- California, Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, who received an award, Sheila Jackson Lee, D-TX, among others, spoke at the event. Indian-American lawmakers Ami Bera, D-California, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, were also present. Pallone and Royce are on the Advisory Board of the IAFC.
“In many instances Pakistan has been a partner to the United States…,” Haley conceded, “But we cannot, tolerate its government or any other government giving safe haven to terrorists who target Americans. We will not tolerate it and we’re communicating that message to Pakistan more strongly than in the past,” Haley added, according to a Press Trust of India report.
Around 200 invitees, including numerous high profile lawmakers, attended the Indian American Friendship Council legislative gala Oct. 31 in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard)
There was also a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the IAFC commending it for its work in promoting U.S.-India relations.
“For me the highlight was Ambassador Haley’s speech which praised Indian-Americans and Indian culture and criticized Pakistan,” Prasad Thotakura, president of the IAFC told News India Times. This year’s gala was better, according to Thotakura. “A lot more people showed interest because so many Indian-Americans are in Congress. People are also more aware and want to follow politics more closely,” he added. “Indian-Americans are also very anxious to see how the new administration’s policies are going to affect them and the bilateral relations with India,” he said.
Reps. Royce, Gabbard and George Holding, R-North Carolina, received IAFC’s National Service Award. The National Excellence Award was given to Dr. Prem Reddy, Avadesh Agarwal, Adish Agarwal, Yossef Bodansky and Pramila Raza.
Rep. Maloney issued a statement after the event in which she recounted her successful efforts in Congress to create a commemorative Diwali stamp, which was issued by the U.S. Postal Service a year ago on Diwali. Calling the stamp a “beautiful tribute” to a wonderful holiday, Maloney said, “I am thankful to have been embraced by the Indian American community and to have had the opportunity to participate in Diwali celebrations. The ideals it espouses make us better neighbors, friends, and citizens. I thank the Indian American community for sharing that with all New Yorkers and with all Americans.”
Rep. Gabbard, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Asia-Pacific Subcommittee and the Democratic Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, spoke about bipartisan support behind strengthening mutually beneficial economic ties, building upon the existing U.S.-India security framework and a shared fight against terrorism, as well as expanding educational opportunities between the U.S. and India, a press release from her office said.
Rishi Sharma, who just turned 20, has been documenting the lives of World War II combat veterans, since high school. (Photo courtesy Rishi Sharma from www.heroesofthesecondworldwar.com)
Rishi Sharma, 20, lives an uncomfortable life by most accounts – driving in his Honda Civic from one city to another, eating mostly at fast-food joints, and sleeping nights in the backseat of his car. But he considers it a small sacrifice if at all, in fact rather a privilege. After all, the “Greatest Generation” of World War II combat veterans who spent time in the trenches protecting their country, and their friends and fellow-soldiers, had it much worse, is his reasoning.
As Veterans Day approaches Nov. 11, Sharma, who spoke to News India Times from his car on the road to Raleigh, North Carolina, to interview a veteran, is the epitome of how far the Indian-American community has come to embrace the mainstream American narrative.
He has chalked up more than 750 interviews with those who lived to tell the tale — of seeing friends and enemies die in the trenches beside them, on battlefields far and wide, then come back home to become husbands, fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers, to take the nation to greater heights, something veteran journalist Tom Brokaw also tracks in his 1998 book, The Greatest Generation.
Sharma’s project is far more ambitious. He wants to document each of these stories – which according to his estimates, equal the 50,000 living combat veterans out of some 525,000 World War II veterans in the country. Sharma singled out those in the infantry, the foot-soldiers on the frontlines that are the first to become fodder on enemy lines;, and it’s obvious why he is attracted to that segment – “When I was little I used to want to be a Marine but when I thought of a Marine, I thought of a man with nothing but a rifle in his hands and the shirt on his back. I have always felt that these men are my heroes and I have always been interested in WWII,” he explains on his website heroesofthesecondworldwar.com.
“The only reason I am alive today is because of these heroic men. They went in as ordinary boys in extraordinary circumstances which churned them out as men,” Sharma adds.
It appears he is willing to spend the rest of his days doing exactly what he has been doing since the end of his sophomore year in high school.
“Every single day of their lives has been about other people,” he told this interviewer. So he could do the same by dedicating his days to them.
Born and brought up in Agoura Hills, California, Sharma dismisses speculation about why the immense love for this group of combat veterans pulls so greatly at his heartstrings. If anything, he questions why such a question needs to be asked.
“It’s not something I can eloquently state,” he says eloquently, “Ever since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated by World War II, and soon as I discovered they were still among us, I have wanted to talk to them.”
Few if any teachers in his high school knew about Sharma’s passion or his project, he recalls. “I wasn’t finding anything beneficial,” in the education he was getting at high school, he says, and it did not keep his interest. Which explains why he occasionally cut classes to visit nursing homes to interview combat veterans living in those facilities in Agoura Hills. He continued his search on a wider scale after graduating.
His conscience, it appears from his account, would not let him do anything else, and his single-mindedness has not limited, his knowledge.
“India had the largest volunteer army and under the British, it fought in the East, Japan, Germany, and in Europe. India played a huge part in the Second World War,” Sharma told News India Times when told he was being interviewed for an Indian-American news outlet.
He wants others to share the excitement of what to him is a serious venture. At the same time, he sounds disappointed with society in general, but especially with his own generation, upset by what he sees as a lack of empathy for the millions killed in that war and Americans who lost their lives and those who survived the horrors.
Rishi Sharma, who has interviewed som 750 Second World War combat veterans, seen here with one of them. (Photo courtesy Rishi Sharma at www.heroesofthesecondworldwar.com)
Asked what he does in his spare time, any vacations, and about friends his own age, he shoots back – “It never happens that I have a gap of several days. My heroes are World War Two combat veterans and I spend my days with them.”
“I want to absorb the gravity of their sacrifices and hardships, their knowledge and their wisdom,” he says in a video on his website.
“All the younger generations since World War Two are very soft,” Sharma opines.
And what about his generation? “They seem to be more interested in themselves. People are so obsessed with social media and themselves, and not (about the fact) that people have died for them. It’s very upsetting to see people in nursing homes with no one even coming to see them … and they gave so much,” he stops.
His website numerous pictures and stories of his interviews with veterans. It is being updated he says. The number of interviews is increasing at a faster pace. Each day, Sharma says he tries to interview at least two veterans, each interview taking about 3 to 4 hours. Ninety nine percent of the interviews are in video form.
Asked what has stood out from all these interviews, Sharma gives a moving account. “The biggest thing is just how gruesome and horrible combat in World War Two was. Because it was hand-to-hand combat. That was the only one where you saw your friend killed next to you, saw the enemy in the eye, the smell of death, wondering if you would make it to the next day, or next moment.”
His passion requires a lot of research and planning, he emphasizes. Apart from general and targeted, as well as premium Internet searches, he keeps track of events around the country, identifies specifically the infantrymen, and finds their numbers in local directories. But that alone does not assure that a veteran would talk to him. “Some veterans don’t want the interview, but they usually come around,” says Sharma from his experience. “And because of the amount of research I have done, I am able to speak to them so they feel like I am one of them,” says the young man who just turned twenty.
“Most of them feel like at least there’s someone who cares, who understands them, and they want to get it off their chest,” says Sharma. Many ask him to stay the night when he visits them, but he refuses their offer.
Besides, “It’s so much easier to sleep in the car. Especially when I think to myself, ‘I know what all you went through, I can never take more’,” Sharma says.
Since CBSNews ran an article on him last December, things have got a bit easier. Donations to Sharma’s GoFundMe link have given him more mobility. He’s put around 45,000 miles on the car since then.
“I have decided to dedicate my life to interviewing these veterans and bring awareness to their sacrifices,” Sharma says on his website. But he is realistic and is reaching out to others to join him. He tried reaching out to high profile individuals like Brokaw, but was unsuccessful. He is open to the idea of sharing his material with a museum. However, he said he has not yet reached out to institutions like the Library of Congress or National Public Radio’s Storycorps, which is audio-documenting the extraordinary lives of every-day Americans.
“I’m only one person. My goal is to create a TV series about World War II veterans,” he told this interviewer. “I’m looking to other people to get involved along with me.” He has set down a series of steps and says they are easy to follow. “Anyone can do this. I’m just hoping others will.”
Psalm Isadora, who passed away on March 26, 2017 from depression, exposed the ancient secrets of Tantra to the modern world in what she called “the yoga of sex,” where she specialized in helping women have better sex and men reach peak performance.
Being raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult, Isadora experienced years of sexual trauma as she was sexually abused by her father and this made her ignite her passion to teach sexual empowerment and modern sexual education.
She left the cult at the age of 17 and came to Santa Monica, California where she became a sex and love guru, teaching sex education for free online as well as at live events and on TV shows where she coached celebrities and even an NFL player, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
However, as a result of the sexual trauma she faced as a child, Isadora was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 29 when she landed in the ER after a crystal meth overdose, “I spent my 20s in a hot mess of sex and drugs,” Isadora said in a wellness seminar last year, months before she committed suicide.
Isadora eventually turned to yoga which changed her life forever and traveled to India in 2007 to immerse herself in the ancient teachings of Tantra, which would help with deep healing and discovering her own path as a healer.
According to her website, she ended up continuing the tradition of going to India for eight years, teaching yoga to sex-trafficked women in the red light district of Calcutta because the ancient teachings on feminine and sexual energy were kept a secret in India for centuries due to religious taboos.
Her work in Calcutta was then made into a documentary which was titled “Shakti.”
Isadora committed suicide on March 26, at the age of 42 after she decided to stop taking her prescription medication as well as alcohol and caffeine, which led to severe depression and the increase of suicidal thoughts.
According to famousbirthdays.com, Isadora founded the global sex coaching program called Urban Kama Sutra, appeared as a featured expert on Cougar Club on Playboy TV and Modern Sex on Buzzfeed in 2016, she also created the OYoga technique which combines belly dancing with burlesque and yoga along with working alongside Lisa Ling on the CNN documentary series “This Is Life;” she was a single mother and is survived by her son.
Actor Dev Patel arrives at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. (Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake)
NEW YORK
Actor Dev Patel says acting in “Hotel Mumbai” was “harrowing experience” and an eye-opener in realising the travails of the victims of the 2008 terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
Patel recounted his experience of making the film when asked during a discussion at the Asia Society here on Wednesday if he would like to star in a movie about British colonial rule in India.
He said that he would “love” to do a movie on British rule, but it would depend on the script and went to explain the difficulties of making films based on historic events.
“I feel especially when you are tackling a project that is about real events, that affected real human lives, in a massive catastrophic way, there is great responsibility in that,” he said.
“So I tread very carefully when I am dealing with such subject matters.”
“I just did a film recently which is based on the 2008 terror attacks on the Taj Hotels in Mumbai,” he recalled.
“It was a harrowing film to shoot and to really get an inside look at the suffering of these people in this hotel in this terror siege was really eye-opening.”
“Hotel Mumbaia” is based on the three-day siege of the Taj Hotel that started on November 26, 2008, by Pakistan-based terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba in which 167 people were killed.
Patel is reported to be playing the role of a waiter in the movie directed by Anthony Maras.
The British-born actor received the Asia Society’s 2017 Asia Game Changer Award in recognition of “using celebrity to place a spotlight on India’s poor”.
Asia Society said his roles in “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Lion” “challenge audiences to view India’s poor not as teeming, desperate masses but as individuals imbued with hopes, dreams, and opportunities”.
Patel said that he got hooked on movies when as a child he surreptitiously saw Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” well past bedtime at his home.
Watching the movie “I fell in love with cinema and escapism, he said.
Asked if there was any role he would not play and where he would draw the line, Patel said: “I would take home any role if it is executed well.”
At one time he used to say that he would not play specific type of characters like taxi drivers or terrorists, he recalled.
Explaining his change of mind, he said: “It is important that we educate the world through our art.
“If I can play a role like that… and show the grey areas and parts of the human psyche and mentality that we are not aware of, then we can break down those broad strokes that we have, that we keep painting in the media and we can get to the core of some of these issues.”
He said that the movie industry in the West is doing better in producing movies about non-White and diverse people, although he added, “There’s ways to go.”
“Our film-making and art should represent an exploration of what it is like to be human,” he said.
“It shouldn’t be giving voice to (only) one part of society. Everyone should be able to look at that big screen and be able to relate to someone out there. There should be a story for everyone.”
In 2016, with movies like “Lion”, where he played a young man trying to find his lost family, Patel said: “We’re beginning to hear some more diverse voices in the film industry.”
The box office success of films like “The Big Sick” can “show the studios that an Asian actor can be bankable,” he said.
“The Big Sick” is a romantic comedy based on the experience of a reallife inter-racial Pakistani and white American couple, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, who wrote the film.
Nanjiani also acts in the movie with Anupam Kher. The movie has grossed over $50 million this year at the box office.
