Sherin Mathews, of Richardson, Texas, is missing after disappearing Saturday morning. She had been sent outside at 3 a.m. as punishment for not drinking her milk. (Richardson Police Department)
The physician of Sherin Mathews, the Indian American toddler who died mysteriously in October, testified in court saying that she had found several bone fractures on Sherin in March, suggesting abuse.
Dr. Suzanne Dakil’s testified Wednesday, Nov. 29, during the custody hearing regarding the biological daughter of Wesley and Sini Mathews, who was placed in foster care after Sherin disappeared on Oct. 7. The biological child and is now being looked after by family members living in the Houston area.
According to an ABC News report, Dakil said that she had suspected abuse after looking at Sherin’s bone fractures and reported her concerns to Child Protective Services.
News India Times reported earlier that Sherin was left at home alone on the night of Oct. 6 when her parents and their biological child had gone out to eat. Authorities found the girl’s body in a drainage culvert about a mile away from the Mathews’ home, two weeks after she was reported missing. At that time, Wesley Mathews maintained that he had “physically assisted” Sherin to drink the milk and that she choked and died and he moved her body.
Wesley told Richardson police that Sherin was being punished for not drinking her milk and was alive when they returned home, 90 minutes later.
The next day, Wesley called police and reported Sherin missing saying that she had just disappeared overnight, with her location unknown, after he had ordered her to stand outside for not drinking her milk, at 3 a.m.
Wesley was immediately taken into custody on a felony charge of injury to a child and Sini was taken into custody shortly after for child endangerment.
Wesley remains in jail while Sini’s bond was reduced recently to $100,000 from $250,000 in a hearing in Dallas County Criminal District Court on Monday, Nov. 27. She was also put under house arrest and has to wear an ankle monitor.
ABC News reported that both husband and wife pleaded their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and refused to answer any questions in Wednesday’s hearing.
Samir Raval, Maulesh Patel, Dr. Raj Bayani, Edison councilman Viru Patel, Harshad Patel, Minesh Patel, Dr. Jayesh Patel, Piyush Patel, Praful Patel and others. (Photo By: Prashant Desai)
EDISON, NJ – A new organization, The Patidar Foundation, gathered together on November 30 at Royal Albert’s Palace in Edison, NJ, to launch their new website patidar.org, which was created by Maulesh Patel.
After they honored the 15-foot statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel which stands in the courtyard, outside of Royal Albert’s Palace, many dignitaries spoke about the importance of maintaining the history of Patidars and their desire to unite everyone as it was the vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
“In the name of Sardar, the greatest uniter, we have seen a lot of religions and whenever it is convenient to use a politician’s name for any political party in which way that suits them, we always see the visionary. So we thought, why not reflect on Sardar Patel’s life. See what his messages are, see what he has done for the country, in what circumstances and try to do the same, try to follow his path and bring the message, bring the content, bring the unity and also provide a platform to join hands together,” said Maulesh Patel.
Dignitaries present at the gathering included Dr. Raj Bayani, Edison councilman Viru Patel, Harshad Patel and Minesh Patel of Gujarati Samaj of New York, Dr. Jayesh Patel, Piyush Patel, and Praful Patel, the great-great grandson of Sardar Patel.
Speaking on the concept of unity, a few dignitaries spoke on the occasion, which was organized by Samir Raval.
Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the courtyard, outside of Royal Albert’s Palace in Edison, NJ (Photo By: Prashant Desai)
“In the last three years I have been briefly giving a hint about unity in Edison. Today our community is divided so much that we cannot have our voice heard because we are divided,” said Piyush Patel.
“If we Patidars get together, we can be as strong as the FIA and if we all Patidars unite, in the country, we can have a President of the United States with a Patel surname, in the next 10 years,” said Dr. Jayesh Patel, who also believes that to preserve the history for the next generation, Patidars in New Jersey should open up a library where books are translated from the Gujarati transcript into English.
Minesh Patel said that he is pleased to see the amount of Patels and Patidars that have been successful in the United States and on a side note mentioned the divide that Piyush Patel talked about earlier.
“Recently in my last speech in the Gujarati Samaj, somebody came up and told us that out of the 16 percent of Indians in the national county, only one percent voted, the rest of them never went to the voting booths and the same issue lies in Edison Township,” said Minesh Patel.
Harshad Patel and Councilman Viru Patel also gave their thoughts on unity and the community becoming one.
The gathering ended with the showing of two documentaries: one on Sardar Vallabhai Patel and the other on the history of Patidars, which was created from the research done by the Patidar Foundation of New Jersey.
EDISON, NJ – The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) raised $51,000 at a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Harvey which flooded the streets of Texas, in August.
About 300 people attended the fundraiser which was held on November 17 at Royal Albert’s Palace, in Edison, NJ.
Prominent attendees included Gautam Samadder, President of AAPI; Hemant Patel and Ajay K. Lodha, former presidents of AAPI; Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, founder and chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media; Raymond F. Fredericks, the President and CEO of JFK Hospital and Richard C. Smith, the CFO of Hackensack Meridian Health at JFK Medical Center.
JFK Hospital donated the largest amount of $5,000.
The fundraiser featured a wine tasting by Wine Chateau as well as entertainment from Yaadein Group Entertainment.
The fundraiser was organized by Dr. Binod K. Sinha, the chairman of AAPI.
NEW YORK – It’s a hard video to watch, especially for parents with kids: a bigger, physically more daunting girl punches, kicks, eventually overpowers the petite-looking 10-year-old Ashawnty Davis, a fifth grader at the Sunrise Elementary School, in Aurora, Colorado. The victim tries in vain to fight back with some puny punches, looks defenseless, vulnerable.
Davis got into a physical confrontation after being relentlessly, mercilessly bullied in school. She decided to tackle her bully after school hours, came off worse for it. What she didn’t know was her abject trauma was going to get much worse. A student watching from the sidelines took a video of the fight, posted it on an app called Musical.ly.
That was in October.
The taunting and bullying after the video was posted intensified, the likely peals of laughter accompanying the teasing in school corridors and grounds shattering the little girl’s hope for any succor after trying to reckon with her bully.
“She was devastated when she found out that it had made it to Musical.ly,” Davis’ mother told Fox News.
Two weeks later, Davis came home, and hanged herself in her closet.
Doctors tried to save Davis’ life, put her on life support. It was in vain. She never woke up; died after two weeks at the Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Her parents say Davis, who wanted to be a WNBA star, died of “bullycide,” when a person died by suicide after being the subject of bullying.
Bullying, which children of immigrant and minority community face increasingly across the length and breadth of the country, is a vexatious issue. There are no set rules or regulations for it, schools have often total discretion over incidents.
Take the curious case of the mother of a fourth-grader at the Ocean View Elementary School, in Norfolk, Virginia, Sarah Sims, who was charged with felony – intercepting wire, electronic or oral communications – and would have got five years in jail, after she secretly sent a recording device in her daughter’s schoolbag to try pinpoint bullies, the perpetrators who made her daughter’s life miserable in school.
An arrest warrant was issued for Sims on November 1. After she turned herself in, she was arraigned in court on November 8. She posted bond, and a court date was set for January.
Better sense prevailed, however, after Sims went on air on CNN this week to recount her travails. Virginia prosecutors said Wednesday they had dropped all charges against her.
Sims decided to take matters into her own hands after her daughter had the previous year, in her third grade, “been kicked in her stomach and hit with a jump rope on the playground.” The school didn’t notify her then. Her daughter became “very anxious about attending” school, felt like she wasn’t “protected.”
Bullying is not likely to go away anytime in the US, unlike hazing on campuses where there are stricter rules to punish violators.
For brown folks, it’s getting harder, especially with President Trump’s recent salvo of tweets targeting Muslims, retweeting anti-Muslim propaganda videos.
Ishaq Pathan, INGYouth Manager of the Islamic Networks Group, a non-profit organization who counter all forms of bigotry through education and interfaith engagement, in a column in USA Today, noted: “Muslim students are being bullied at a rate of two to four times that of other student populations.”
Comments like, “Do you have a bomb in your backpack?” and “Make sure not to drive on the bike path” are faced by elementary-, middle- and high-school students alike.
“And it’s not only students who perpetrate this harassment. Muslim students tell of facing discrimination from their own teachers and staff — the very people charged with preventing bullying in the first place — which puts them in a tough position. Feeling unsafe on the bus, at lunch, in the hallways and even in the classroom, Muslim students often have nowhere to turn for help,” Pathan wrote.
The Huffington Post noted earlier this month that the American Sikh Council presented a turban to all the attendees of the International Bullying Prevention Association conference. Attendees were encouraged to wear the turban and walk around, gauge the reactions of strangers.
Half of all Sikh-American children face bullying in schools, and even more so if the child is wearing a turban. More boys are targeted than girls, and the American Sikh Council notes that some Sikh children are excluded from sport activities.
Bullies in school are racists. For them Muslims, Sikhs, people with brown skin, are all the same, victimized alike. If schools across the US don’t act as a unified force against bullies, there will be many more children like Ashawnty Davis who would rather die than face degradation every single day in school, a place meant for learning and fun.
Last year, an Indian American woman, writing under a pseudonym, in Elite Daily, described the bullying she suffered in high school, the psychological trauma she faces to this day.
She wrote: “You brown piece of sh*t. I’ve done everything I can to try and forget those words, but they will never leave me. Because inside of the wiser, grown-up me, there’s still scared, little-girl me. Whenever someone looks at me and stares a beat too long, I wonder, Why is that person looking at me? Is it because I’m brown?”
Perhaps, states across the US need to implement at the earliest ‘Jacobe’s Law’ to protect vulnerable children.
The New York state Senate this summer passed legislation known as ‘Jacobe’s Law,’ which requires schools to notify parents when a child is being threatened by a bully. It’s yet to become law though.
‘Jacob’e Law’ is named after 13-year-old Jacobe Taras who took his own life, like Davis, after being a victim of bullying.
How many more children need to die before states and school wake up, do something about it?
(Sujeet Rajan is Executive Editor, Parikh Worldwide Media. Email him: sujeet@newsindiatimes.com Follow him on twitter @SujeetRajan1)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Ivanka Trump, advisor to President Donald at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in Hyderabad Nov. 28-30. IANS
Gujarat’s economic trajectory has been cited as a model for growth by economists, hopeful foreign investors, and party faithful alike. And virtually all of them agree that the state’s achievements were initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a firebrand Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Rashtriya Swayam Sewak pracharak, who is committed nationally to a path of clean government, and industrial and agricultural growth, energized by transformational technology.
According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (Ibef.org), a body established by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Gujarat is one of the high-growth states in the country with an average annual Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth rate from 2004-05 to 2015-16, of 12.02 per cent. Gujarat has achieved the distinction of being one of the most industrially developed states and contributes about a quarter to India’s goods exports, the report notes.
At this January 2017 Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the U.S.-India Business Council delegation led by John Chambers, USIBC Board Chairman and Executive Chairman, Cisco Systems, comprised of some 100 representatives from leading U.S. companies. Former president of USIBC, Mukesh Aghi, who is now with the breakaway U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said in January, “Vibrant Gujarat has placed India on the world map, providing an impetus to industrial growth, innovation and has paved the way for multinational companies to integrate India in their global supply chain. I congratulate Prime Minister Modi for realizing the dream of not just Vibrant Gujarat but a Vibrant India.”
Columbia University professor and freemarket economist Jagdish Bhagwati, and his colleague at the same university, Arvind Panagariya, India’s first vice-chair of the newly formed NITI Aayog, have been among the leading supporters of the entrepreneurship- driven growth in Gujarat. While economists continue to battle on the ‘Gujarat model’, Indian-American Gujaratis as well as foreign investors place their bets on Gujarat and want to see the rest of India go the Gujarat way.
Gujarat, the IBEF maintains, “has achieved the distinction of being one of the most industrially developed states.” Among the major initiatives are the Vibrant Saurashtra Expo and Summit which was held in Rajkot in January 2016, and during which MoUs worth US$ 341.88 million were realized for the development of various sectors of the state; The government is developing a High Speed Rail passenger corridor from Ahmedabad to Mumbai with the cooperation of the Government of Japan, and undertaking the modernization of 20 railway stations: An incentive program for the Industries (General) from 2016-2021 in accordance with the New Industrial Policy of 2015, has been announced to attract increased investments in the manufacturing sector to create more employment opportunities; New Delhi has plans to set up a medical device park in the state, which has a well developed infrastructure with one major port and 44 non-major ports, making Gujarat the state with the highest number of operational and commercial cargo ports in India; and an Industrial Policy, 2015, which offers attractive incentives and concessions to prospective investors.
Those who travel frequently to their ancestral home state, and investors engaged with the country, believe the strength of that growth model will endure years after the architect left for New Delhi – – as an industrial and technological hub, viewed as a prime destination of foreign investors eager to locate their enterprises.
“Gujarat is energy surplus, blessed with natural gas infrastructure. Of all the states in India, Gujarat remains on the top of the list as foreigners consider expansion entry to India,” Ron Somers, former president of the U.S.-India Business Council, told News India Times. Somers now heads his own consultancey, India First Group, of Washington, D.C. “The greatest asset of the state is the dynamic entrepreneurial people who live there. This is a state which means business. The heritage and culture of Gujarat are unmatched,” Somers added in his email responses while on a visit to India Nov. 29.
During the 2000s, Gujarat’s growth rate was 6.9 per cent compared to the national average of 5.6 per cent, the website Narendramodi.com, points out. “The entire world talks about the Gujarat Model of Development. This is a Model that celebrates the collective efforts of the people of Gujarat,” it adds, noting further that, “Gujarat’s development journey is characterized as development oriented, inclusive and participative,” and all three sectors, agriculture, industry, and services, were tackled, with optimum use of technology “to minimize corruption (sic) increase the pace of development.”
Most observers and analysts, as well as those who remain connected to the state by emotional and ancestry ties, tend to describe the history of the state in “Before-and-After Modi” terms. Economists writing in those years also described the state’s trajectory in similar fashion.
A labourer works at the construction site of a residential complex in Ahmedabad October 31, 2014. REUTERS
“Gujarat has come a long way since early 2000s, bringing in economic reforms, deregulation, electrification of villages, growth of industries including manufacturing, and exponential service industry growth,” said Dr. Sudhir Parikh, publisher of News India Times and recipient of India’s Padma Shri award, “The credit going to the initiator – Narendra Modi.”
“Gujarat is still progressing well. There seems to be religious harmony and no riots, so it is socially more stable, as well as economically and politically. To continue that, I’m sure voters will go for growth and stability rather than chaos,” Parikh said looking to the Dec. 10 elections.
“As in every place which is heading towards elections, there is an overload of information being disseminated to the public,” said Somers when asked about his view from the ground.
“In the case of Gujarat, the proof is in the pudding. Employment is robust. Industries are succeeding there. Infrastructure has come in a big way. And the future remains bright as new investors still view Gujarat as the premier destination. The beauty of democracy is that it rewards such performance.”
The respected British publication, The Economist said in its Jan. 8, 2015 issue, on the eve of the “Vibrant Gujarat Summit” which some 125 countries to attend, that “Gujarat is richer, enjoys faster GDP growth and a greater intensity of jobs and industry than India as a whole.” The state pulls above its weight, the magazine contended. “With just 5% of India’s population and 6% of its land mass, it accounts for 7.6% of its GDP, almost a tenth of its workforce, and 22% of its exports,” The Economist said.
Source: The Economist
Today, at the national level, the popularity of Modi, remains undiminished, according to survey results brought out as recently as Nov. 15, by Pew Global, an American research organization. It’s February-March poll shows nearly nine-in-ten Indians hold a favorable opinion of Modi, comparable to their view of him in 2015, after a year in office. Roughly seven-in-ten say they have a very favorable view of the prime minister, again similar to public views in 2015. Gujarat’s performance remains a talking point in America, as does the reputation of the man who catapulted that state to global notice reaching the cover of Timemagazine and leading to The Economist naming the state “India’s Guandong”, referring to the Chinese province with a galloping economy.
“If you talk about Gujarat’s development you cannot separate it from Modi,” Ramesh Patel of New Jersey, a senior leader in the Indian-American community and co-founder of the Federation of Indian Associations, insists. Returning to India every year for decades, Patel says, “You did not need TV or radio to tell you how the state has progressed. You see it with your naked eye,” emphasizing he holds no special brief for the BJP.
“Before I came to the United States 51 years ago, there was dynastic rule in Gujarat,” he recalls. He recalls the early 2000s when Indian-Americans stepped up with aid after the natural disasters that struck the state and how over the years, he saw the change as he drove around the state, outside the cities – “industries springing up, rapid transit appearing, housing complexes growing by leaps and bounds, and people look happier,” and while poverty is there, he concedes, so is it in New York City.
Shekhar Tiwari, an Indian-American businessman in Greater-Washington, D.C., and founder and chairman of the American Hindu Coalition, notes that Gujarat and Karnataka remain the two “inherently pro-business” states in India. Modi made Gujarat’s development his main agenda, and the gains made in those years will sustain, Tiwari maintains. “You cannot destroy something so quickly. Once you have tasted good roads, 24-hour electricity, a police under control, you don’t want to go back to chaos,” Tiwari told News India Times.
Supporters of Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India’s main opposition BJP, shower confetti from atop a bus in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, May 15, 2014. REUTERS-Amit Dave
Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh, Founder and Chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media, and Chairman, Parikh Foundation for India’s Global Development, presented a copy of the second issue of the magazine US-India Global Review – a publication of the New York-based think tank to analyze and promote Indo-US bilateral and business ties – to India’s Minister of Railway and Coal, Piyush Goyal (left), and Bharat Lal, Joint Secretary to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in New Delhi, earlier this month.
Goyal and Lal lauded the initiative of the think tank, and gave their blessings for the success of the initiative. Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria, Chairman, Gauseva and Gauchar Vikas Board, Gujarat, is seen on the left in both the photos.The inaugural issue of the quarterly magazine was unveiled in New York by India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
The newly launched think tank’s goal is also to put focus on the Indian government’s initiatives to foster greater bilateral ties between the two largest democracies, and to highlight growth in business relations.
They don’t know fact from fiction about fabled Rajput queen Padmavati, but the uproar over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavati” has made visiting international movie talent here sit up and take note of how “autocratic” and “dangerous” voices and actions are infringing on freedom of expression in India’s film industry.
Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) artistic director Cameron Bailey, who were at the just-concluded 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), were vocal in their support for Bhansali.
“Artistes face this kind of situations because of the talent and desire they have. That extends to filmmakers too. They should not stop innovation in their work because of adverse conditions,” Majidi said on the opening day of the festival.
He was among a string of artistes and filmmakers who visited IFFI, which itself was caught in a controversy over the exclusion of two films — “S. Durga” and “Nude” – – from its Indian Panorama section. The brouhaha over these and “Padmavati” — which is under attack for alleged distortion of facts — became a crucial talking point throughout the fest.
Michael J. Werner, a film and media strategic consultant who attended the Film Bazaar here, told IANS: “I think it is a dangerous trend because you shouldn’t have a government dictating history. What is happening with this particular movie (‘Padmavati’) seems to be a minister or a department or a state saying that we don’t accept that representation of history.
“I don’t know whether it is factual or not, but it is still a kind of an autocratic response.”
“Padmavati”, which sets out to tell the tale of the valour and courage of Rani Padmavati, whose historicity is in doubt, has been under the scanner since its shoot began. Its National Award-winning director was assaulted and the set vandalised in Jaipur by Rajput organisation Karni Sena over the conjecture that the movie will feature intimate scenes between the characters of Padmavati and the invader Alauddin Khilji.
Thereafter, the Karni Sena has continued its protest and has been intense in its effort to stall the film’s release, which has been deferred from its original December 1 date as of now.
There were threats to burn down theatres if the film was released and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading Bhansali and the movie’s lead actress, Deepika Padukone.
In the midst of this, “Padmavati” got a go-ahead from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for release. But the makers are waiting for a decision by India’s censor board. French producer Ilann Girard feels a film shouldn’t be held hostage by any conflict.
“I have been watching things on television and asking my Indian friends about the situation. I understand it touches some cultural element about a female character who is seen as a very important symbolic figure for Hindus,” Girard, Managing Director of Online Film Financing (OLFI), told IANS.
Girard, who was visiting India for the third time, didn’t want to pass any judgment as it’s an “Indian topic”, but said: “My perception is that film and the cultural industry should not be taken hostage of the conflicts.”
Narrating his own struggle with freedom of expression, he said: “I have produced a film in Israel about the war in Lebanon, and we are facing some embargo from filmmakers trying to pressurise film festivals not to take our movie. I think it is a wrong thing to do. Because, on the contrary, the film explains the situation… Filmmakers should remain free to tell the story that they want.”
TIFF’s Bailey said people must wait for censor clearance before drawing assumptions and conclusions.
“One of the small mercies with censor authorities is that they actually do watch the film before they pass judgment. So one hopes that anyone who hears about a film that they think that they might have an objection to, should first watch the film,” Bailey told IANS.
Bailey feels the film should be given a “benefit of doubt before passing judgment”.
“We can all have differences of opinion with any art form, but I think we live in a better world where we wait to actually see what the film is before we pass judgment. Also, we accept that other people have different responses to that. What I might not like to see on-screen, some others might. That doesn’t mean I should prevent that person from seeing it.”
Mike Dougherty from Radiant Films International, a worldwide distribution company, feels the controversy is unfortunate for “the filmmakers and for the audiences eager to see the film”.
He, however, said the row will perhaps draw more eyeballs to the movie across the world.
“The issues causing unrest around ‘Padmavati’ here in India are not known in other parts of the world. If anything, I think controversies like this just increase a film’s profile and its value internationally, making people more eager to see what the uproar is about,” Dougherty added.
As dark clouds still loom over the future of “Padmavati”, Ana Tiwary, a Sydneybased producer-director of Indivisual Films, hopes the controversy will die down soon.
A Haryana BJP leader who announced a Rs 10 crore award to behead Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Deepika Padukone for their role in “Padmavati” on Wednesday resigned as the party’s Chief Media Coordinator in the state.
Kunwar Surajpal Singh Ammu sent his resignation to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state chief Subhash Barala through a WhatsApp message and urged his to accept it immediately.
In his resignation, Ammu said he was upset with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s “attitude towards the Rajput community”. The Chief Minister, according to him, was surrounded by “a few unwanted people and keeping himself away from loyalist party workers”.
He said he would pray to God so that “good sense” prevails on Khattar and requested that he be relieved of the party post’s responsibility.
A delegation of Rajput leaders led by Ammu on Tuesday visited Haryana Bhawan in Delhi to meet Khattar and request him to fulfil their demand of announcing a ban on “Padmavati” in the state but the Chief Minister refused to meet them.
Rajput leaders said they felt insulted by Khattar.
On November 21, Ammu was booked for issuing threats to Bhansali and Deepika over their movie. But he stood by his announcement of Rs 10- crore reward for “beheading” them.
Ammu said he gave the statements as a “Rajput” and not as a BJP leader.
Ammu also threated to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji in the movie. The movie centres around the valour of Rajput queen Padmavati.
Asked if he had received any notice from the BJP for his statement, Ammu told IANS: “No notice has been received. I’ll answer if I get one. I am ready to do anything for the welfare for my community.”
Police officer Sunil Kumar said the accused would be served a notice soon to join the police probe.
The inspiring journey begins from 10th Dec every Sunday at 7pm ET/4pm PT
NEW YORK
Star India’s flagship channel Star Plus and the global digital platform for ideas – TED, come together to India to create a unique collaboration never seen before on Television. A limited edition series Ted Talks India Nayi Soch, launching December 10 will span across 7 Sundays, is all set to inspire the nation to embrace and celebrate ideas.
Social conditioning, rote learning and risk aversion are the culprits that stop us from letting our ideas come to life, which sometimes comes in the way of us realizing our vision to be an innovation powerhouse.
This cultural insight is at the heart of the campaign of Ted Talks India Nayi Soch, the first look went live on November 18, 2017. Two films ‘Gudiya’ and ‘Bobby Ka Idea‘ focus on how ideas that could have potentially provided a way out of the drudgery of life are systematically discouraged and killed. #DontKillIdeas is the central idea on which the first look of the marketing campaign is based on.
Gayatri Yadav, President, Consumer Strategy and Innovation, Star India says, “It’s an important and pertinent message from the brand that encourages new thinking (Nayi Soch), about how a seemingly ordinary idea comes with the immense power to transform lives.”
Narayan Sundararaman, Business Head, Star Plus notes, “Ideas are often dismissed as figment of people’s imagination. Yet, every great achievement, discovery or invention starts with an idea. It’s time we put a premium on ideas. All of us at some point in time or the other have been victims of our ideas being killed or have been responsible for killing ideas. These simple slice of life films bring out this point vividly and with a disarming charm. The films have been conceptualized by the creative agency Leo Burnett India and directed by Nitesh Tiwari of ‘Dangal’ fame”.
NEW YORK – DataVal Analytics Inc., a Bengaluru and Chicago-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup is the first in the world to successfully complete a difficult 20-part AI challenge, created by Facebook in 2015.
The test, known as the (20) QA bAbi Tasks hosted by Facebook AI Research (FAIR), assesses the ability of AI-based programs to perform text understanding and reasoning and to date, no organization has been able to solve all the 20 tasks with a 100 percent accuracy.
However, DataVal successfully completed all 20 tasks with 100 percent accuracy by using a unique approach which focuses on the human way of understanding language, including integrated multiple processes related to language pre-processing, word sense disambiguation, conjunction processing, preposition association, co-reference resolution and time and space analysis.
DataVal focuses on a holistic view of the environment and the ecosystem to reason and understand the situation, an approach similar to the human approach to problem solving.
AI is the new frontier technology of the future with far reaching implications on social, economic and political activities across the world at home, in business and factories, for banking, government, education and health purposes.
All major global companies and universities have been working on AI for decades since there has been an advance in high speed computing, low cost storage, open source software, cloud computing and smart phone and is being used by leading companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and IBM.
DataVal’s success in solving QA bAbI tasks addresses more expectation for a variety of AI applications related to intelligent personal assistance, search engine, voice command and control applications, social media content analysis and expert systems in fields such as education, health, energy, environment, transport, finance, manufacturing, services and government.
DataVal was founded by veterans from the Indian Army – Lt. Col. Shashi Kiran (Veteran) and
Lt. Col. Naveen Xavier (Veteran). The team is mentored by the leading entrepreneur, innovator, policy maker and development thinker, Dr. Sam Pitroda as Chairman.
NEW YORK – The Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) honored their president, Dr. Sameer Kapasi, at a celebratory event which took place on Nov. 18 at the Boston Hilton in Woburn, Massachusetts.
The event was attended by Dr. Gautam Samadder, the president of AAPI and his wife Dr. Anjana Samadder, who were also invited to a celebratory brunch which was organized by Dr. Seema Arora.
At the brunch, Dr. Samadder presented Dr. Kapasi with a plaque for Outstanding Leadership, praising his stellar performance and his absolute dedication and commitment, after which Dr. Kapasi thanked him and presented the first copy of the historic forty-page IMANE Brochure with a gold ceremonial IMANE lapel pin, designed especially for the gala.
More than 250 people enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Gourmet India at the gala celebration.
In his address, Dr. Kapasi gave an overview of the year’s successful programs, including: the Spring CME program, IMANE’s generous contribution to the Hurricane Disaster Fund, community health services events such as the IAGB Hatch Shell event, the UIA Norwood High School event and the INE Health Expo.
He also said that the highlight of IMANE’s community service was an independent health and dental screening event which they conducted at Guru Nanak Gurudwara in Medford, Massachusetts where more than 150 Indian community members underwent preventive screening along with receiving medical and dental advice.
IMANE members and family also spent a day at “Cradles & Crayons”, a charitable organization where they donated much needed items and sorted out clothes for eighty families in need.
In efforts to promote new membership, Ravindra Mahadev of Ameriprise organized an innovative program with IMANE called “Nights out with IMANE.”
IMANE also offered financial help and physician support services to charitable clinics in Framingham and Waltham as an ongoing annual support.
During Summer, IMANE organized a fully funded unique outing called “IMANE at the Ball Game” at Fenway Park where participants were seated in a private booth and were provided dinner as they watched a baseball game.
At the gala, Dr. Kapasi invited the keynote speaker, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th Surgeon General, to join him for a “Fireside Chat” which was conducted by Dr. Bhavna Lall.
In his chat Dr. Murthy talked about a physician burnout and the future of public health.
For Dr. Murthy, the most pressing public health issues include children who were victims of violence, the mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission, and substance abuse and addiction.
“There is no single cause, the truth is that we did not learn how to care for ourselves in medical school,” Dr. Murthy said, about the causes of physician burnout as he encouraged medical students, residents, and physicians to take care of themselves and find de-stressors, emphasizing on daily aerobic exercise and building nurturing human relationships and told them “if you succeed, pull someone along.”
Dr. Vikas Merchia was then welcomed as the incoming president of IMANE and spoke of his vision to strengthen bonds within the community and diversify.
Awards were given to the following recipients:
Anjan K. Chaudhury, M.D.: Distinguished Physician’s Award
Seema Arora, M.D.: Community Service Award
Ravindra Mahadev, CEP, CLTC: Presidential Ambassador Award
Sucheta Doshi, M.D.., M.P.H.; Paul Mathew, M.D., DNBPAS, FAAN, FAHS; Arshiya Seth, M.D.; Ranjani Saigal and Neela Gandhi, D.D.S.: Presidents Award
Krishna Adit Agarwal, M.B.B.S.: Prem & Raj Goyal Foundation Award
Entertainment was provided by DJ Tej as well as Dr. Amit Chakravarty and his partner Sadhna who sang Bollywood songs, while Dr. Arora gave a Bollywood dance performance.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, announced on the first day of his trade mission to India the names of four young soccer players (footballers) from Mumbai, who are to head to London soon to train with the Queens Park Rangers.
Khan was joined by Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor who is also the co-owner of the Mumbai City football club and Tony Fernandes, the Chairman of Queens Park Rangers.
Khan said that this is the first year in which two girls and two boys have been selected.
“This initiative is another example of the close links between India and London. It has been fantastic to see the passion and skill of these young footballers, and to be able to announce that two girls as well as two boys will be travelling to London to train with Queens Park Rangers. I wish them every success and it is heartening to see how grassroots sport can inspire, thrill and change the lives of young people all over the world,” said Khan.
“The power of sport in bringing people together and encouraging healthy competition is a wonderful thing. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, once you’re on the pitch, on the court, in the ring or on the track how well you do is down to the drive and talent of the individual and their team – and those valuable lessons are transferable to so many other situations in life,” he added.
Sadiq Khan with Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor
The initiative was brought on by politician and former Indian Minister of State, Milind Deora, who said that the selected children were chosen from a pool of 1,000 who took part in the soccer challenge and will spend 10 days training with QPR at their academy in Cranford, England, next year.
“I am grateful to London Mayor Sadiq Khan our chief guest for today. Sadiq’s presence is huge encouragement to us and the kids. In the last 9 years we have strived to create a level playing field for those kids who have keen interest in football. Year after year we have realised the wonderful talent Mumbai kids have in playing football. I deeply appreciate Queen Park Rangers for their continued support and our innumerable sponsors who have been great encouragement,” said Deora.
“QPR is a football club with the community at its heart. While most of our charitable efforts are focussed on our home in West London, we are delighted that the Mayor of London has come to visit one of our fantastic international projects. I’m particularly delighted that next year we will host some Indian girls as well as boys at Loftus Road. Girls’ and women’s football is a big growth area for us, and we look forward to working with the Mayor and the GLA to promote it even further in London in the years ahead,” said Fernandes.
“This event has given a platform to kids who love football. The professionalism and commitment by the organisers and the vision of Milind Deora is commendable. As owner of ISL Mumbai FC we will explore avenues to partner with QPR Mumbai Soccer Challenge. It’s great to have Mayor Sadiq Khan with us today,” said Kapoor.
Khan’s trade mission to India is a part of his continued drive to create jobs, skills and growth in London.
NEW YORK – The Vaishnav Innerfaith Pushtimargiya Organization (VIPO) was launched on October 6 at the Gokuldham Haveli in Atlanta, Georgia.
VIPO is a global organization envisioned by His Divine Holiness Shasthpeethadishwar Pujya Pad Goswami and Shri Dwarkeshlalji Maharajshri in efforts to unite individuals from every conrner of the world regardless of age, sex, color or creed.
The idea is to bring these individuals together so they can play a positive role in the world by developing social, religious, spiritual, cultural and humanitarian activities, programs and values to spread knowledge, peace, compassion, love and unity for the betterment of society at large.
The inaugural “deep pragatya” or lamp lighting ceremony took place in the August with the presence of HDH Shasthpeethadishwar Pujya Pad Goswami and Shri Dwarkeshlalji Maharajshri and HH Pujya Pad Goswami and Shri Sharnamkumarji Mahodayshri along with several dignitaries including: Pramodbhai Amin, Sairam Dave, Tejas Patwa, Rajeev Desai, Bharat Patel, Dr. Divyang Patel, Dr. Grishma Patel, Ashok Patel, Subodh Shah, Hetal Patel, Jayesh Majmudar, Harshad Shah, Dr. Devendra Patel, Bobby Patel, Bharat Shah, Dr. K.C. Shah, Dr. Nimish Dhruva, Dr. Jignesh Gandhi, Bhagat Faldu, Jigar Shah and Dr. Mukund Raja.
Untitled (hands Holding Flowers Through Bars) by Muhammad Ansi.
NEW YORK – It’s an eerie feeling, to gaze at innocuous looking paintings of landscapes and buildings, of boats in water, knowing that they were produced by some of the most notorious detainees on Earth, etched and painted with grim determination, sometimes shackled in a cell, in Guantanamo Bay, in solitary confinement, for plotting to kill innocent people around the world.
The exhibition ‘Ode to the Sea: Art from Guantanamo Bay’, at the John J. College of Criminal Justice, in Manhattan, through January 26, 2018, is ironically, displayed in a public space, in two corridors, where there are campus offices too. Some visitors, who walk through, are unlikely to realize the significance of the artworks hanging on the walls.
In all, the exhibition – which has generated controversy in recent days after the US government decided that in the future no artwork by detainees of Guantanamo Bay will be allowed for resale and will be the property of the government – displays 36 works, paintings and sculptures made by eight terrorists, some for nearly 15 years. Only two of the works have been on display before.
A model ship by Moath Al-Alwi .
The exhibit includes works like model ships crafted from materials permitted to detainees, including parts of shirts, prayer caps, razors, and mops.
The works are the result of clandestine art as well as art classes provided by a Joint Task Force Guantanamo instructor. The eight artists include both current inmates (Moath Al-Alwi, Ammar Al-Bluchi, Ahmed Rabbani, and Khalid Qasim) and former detainees (Muhammad Ansi, Djamel Ameziane, Abdualmalik (Alrahabi) Abud, and Ghaleb Al-Bihani).
The exhibition includes paintings by the Pakistani terrorist Ahmed Rabbani, who has been held at Guantanamo Bay for 13 years. According to notes accompanying his works, Rabbani, who signs his works with his nickname Badr, has undertaken sometimes years-long hunger strikes, resulting in daily violent force-feeding.
Rabbani’s two works in the exhibition are eye-catching, and introspective. The untitled works has a still life of empty glassware, suggesting a combination of fragility and hopelessness, while another shows a set of buildings with huge binoculars pointed at a full moon, perhaps homage to the super moon phenomena or the travails of his life, besieged with intense scrutiny since being incarcerated.
Interestingly, it’s likely that as much time was spent on making it, as examining the works by government authorities. Once the works were completed, there was a laborious process of searching, scanning, and analysis for hidden messages, before an ‘Approved by US Forces’ stamp was given as clearance.
Untitled (Pier) by Muhammad ansi.
Former detainee Mansoor Adayfi explains in an essay written for the exhibition catalog, the theme of the show was chosen because the sea “means freedom that no one can control or own, freedom for everyone.” Reports said although detainees were held close to the sea, tarps blocked their view until they were removed for four days in 2014 in anticipation of a hurricane. That proved to be the inspiration for most works.
Interwoven Dialogues
There was more art from the subcontinent on display, at the exhibition ‘Interwoven Dialogues: Contemporary Art from Africa and South Asia’, at the Aicon Gallery, through January 6, 2018.
Curated by Awam Amkpa, the exhibition, which opened last week, displays also the works of Indians artists Rina Banerjee and Rina Sen, as well as Pakistani artists Aisha Khalid and Naiza Khan.
The exhibition is anchored around the twin concepts of exploration of the tactile quality of fabric and other related material and how it affects image-making, and, the design elements that infuse African and South Asian art, especially innovative pattern-making traditions.
Drawing from her experience as a Pakistani woman who grew up in a conservative household, Aisha Khalid tackles ideas of feminism, domesticity, and contemporary politics employing the miniature painting tradition and traditional Islamic pattern design.
‘Robe’ by Naiza Khan. Made of galvanized steel.
The menacing metal garments that Naiza Khan crafts echo these concerns. Delicate or strong, armor or cage, Khan invites the audience to decide.
‘Hanuman’s fight is evolution’s climb’ by Rina Banerjee. Made of silk velvet, glass beads, gold threads, silk threads, iron wire, glass, and Victorian doll eyes.
Rina Banerjee’s thoughtfully-titled compositions are grotesque, monstrous and chimeric all at the same time. In a similar vein, Mithu Sen delivers a masterclass in the art of playful subversion. Drawing from her own spontaneity and tendency towards free association, Sen groups together seemingly unrelated objects in her paintings, drawings, and collages in an effort to subtly criticize the ways in which western and non-western audiences perceive complex ideas, such as femininity and sexuality.
(Sujeet Rajan is Executive Editor, Parikh Worldwide Media. Email him: sujeet@newsindiatimes.com Follow him on twitter @SujeetRajan1)
NEW YORK – Community advocate, businessman and philanthropist Ramesh Dalchand Kalicharran passed away on Sunday, December 3, in New York. He is survived by his wife Judy, his children Jagdesh, Nadesh and Romanee, his grandchildren, his siblings, extended family, friends and associates.
The Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC) joined in solidarity with organizations, institutions, agencies, and individuals in the U.S., Guyana and other countries in Kalicharran’s mourning, said a press release.
“Ramesh Kalicharran was an outstanding community stalwart. He was a prominent and well recognized cornerstone of the community, having pioneered several programs and events which promoted the interests of Indo-Caribbean people in New York and the Caribbean. He is widely recognized for his advocacy, philanthropy and exemplary contributions to charitable and community causes. Ramesh D. Kalicharran was an active member of IDC and recognized for his exemplary contributions to his community and the promotion of Indian culture and heritage. He was an icon among Indo-Caribbean people with a long lasting legacy of selfless service. He will be greatly missed,” IDC said in a statement.
Kalicharran was born on April 7, 1949 in Guyana and was the eldest of eleven children born to Ramdayal and Mangani Kalicharran, the second generation of Indians living in Guyana who trace their roots to the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.
Though he was Indian, Kalicharran saw himself beyond such limits as he continuously and relentlessly promoted the welfare of his Indo-Caribbean community, as well as others.
“Kalicharran excelled in every field of endeavour and became an outstanding role model for our youth, excelling academically as well as in his extra-curricular activities,” the release noted.
He immigrated to the United States in 1970 where he married Judy in 1974. They have three children and two grandchildren.
Kalicharran entered the real estate business, started a driving school and then launched an innovative concept called the Kali Bharat Yatra Tours (KBY) for Indians to discover and re-connection with their roots in India.
Popularly known as Kali, Kalicharran has received recognition for his contribution in Guyana, where he was an ambassador, as well as in New York, including several citations, the Asian-Indian Award and the Indo-Caribbean Award.
A citation to Kalicharran from the Queens Borough President best showcases his achievements.
“As an outstanding business and civic leader of the Guyanese community in Queens, you have generously given time, talent, and resources toward the betterment of your community and the preservation of its cultural heritage. I, President Shulman, wish to express my sincere gratitude for your valuable contribution to the cultural richness and vitality of our borough,” he said.
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during a visit to Islamabad, Dec. 4, 2017. Mattis is traveling to Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Kuwait to reaffirm the enduring U.S. commitment to partnerships in the Middle East, West Africa and South Asia.(Photo: DoD photo by Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith)
United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited Islamabad Dec. 4 on his inaugural trip to Pakistan in this position. He took the opportunity to emphasize that Islamabad must do more to end terrorist networks operating from inside that country.
While in Islamabad, Secretary Mattis met with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Minister of Defense Khurram Dastigir Khan, according to a readout provided by the U.S. Defense Department. Secretary Mattis also met with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar.
“The Secretary reiterated that Pakistan must redouble its efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country,” the Defense Department said, even as he recognized Pakistan’s “sacrifices” in the war against terrorism, and emphasized the “vital role” that Pakistan can play in working with the United States and others to facilitate a peace process in Afghanistan to stabilize the region.
NEW YORK – The Consulate General of India in New York has announced the rules for Aadhaar Card enrollment for Non Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).
As per a statement, Aadhaar Card enrollment is presently available to residents in India only.
Those who are Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders, who stay in India for over 182 days in the last 12 months, immediately preceding the date of the enrolment application and have an Indian address, are eligible to enroll for Aadhaar Card in India.
Non Resident Indians (NRIs), though they are citizens of India, are not eligible for Aadhaar Card enrollment if they have not stayed for more than 182 days in the last 12 months.
It is only upon completion of 182 days of their stay in India in the last 12 months immediately preceding the date for enrolment application in which NRIs can apply for Aadhaar Card.
The Government of India states:
“As per Section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person who is eligible to obtain Aadhaar number shall, on or after the 1st day of July, 2017, quote Aadhaar number— (i) in the application form for allotment of permanent account number; (ii) in the return of income. The above provisions apply to persons who are eligible to get Aadhaar. Under section 3 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, only a resident is entitled to get Aadhaar. Therefore, the provisions of Section 139AA quoted above regarding linking of Aadhaar to PAN or the requirement of quoting the Aadhaar number in the return shall not apply to a non-resident, who is not eligible to get Aadhaar.”
A unique two-day beauty pageant in New Jersey, Dec. 2-3, where women of all ages competed in 6 different categories, attracted 63 contestants to vie for the positions of Miss Bharat USA, Miss Teen Bharat USA, Mrs. Bharat USA, Mrs Bharat Classic USA, Mr. Bharat USA, and Mr. Teen Bharat USA of 2017.
Siya Nanda was crowned Miss Bharat USA 2017. The 1st Runner-up was Amreen Dhaliwal, and the 2nd Runner-up was Kyra Lalwani.
In the Mrs Bharat USA 2017 category, the winner was Aanchal Pahwa , 1st Runner-up Naveeta Sachdeva, and the 2nd Runner-up was Anchal Dubey.
Sugandha Gopal walked away with the Mrs Bharat Classic USA 2017 crown. The 1st Runner-up in this category was Meenakshi Uppal, and the 2nd Runner-up was Milie Rajput.
Shayna Sunil became Miss Teen Bharat USA 2017. The 1st Runner-up in this category was Ramya Pramila Bathula, and the 2nd Runner-up was Amy Nargis Kohli.
In the men’s categories, the Mr Teen Bharat USA 2017 crown went to Nikhil Misra and the 1st Runner-up was Rohit Bboga.
Rythm Singh won in the Mr Bharat USA 2017 category. The 1st Runner-up was Jai Dev, and 2nd Runner-up position was taken by Tarun Swarnkar.
MyDream Entertainment, a New Jersey based company, organized the pageant which was held at Royal Albert’s Palace in Ford, N.J. The special guest was Bollywood singer Ali Quli Mirza who according to organizers, ‘rocked’ the audience.
Bollywood actor Aryan Vaid, model and yoga instructor Gauri Sandhu, and other business personalities were among the judges. MyDream CEO Rashmi Bedi, and Janak Bedi claimed in a press release that this was one of the biggest beauty pageants in the world of Indian pageant industry and that they are planning to send it to the Guinness Book of World Records. Parikh Worldwide Media was among the media partners of the event which was aired live on TV and online, the press release said.
The primary goal of the pageant, according to organizers, was to highlight the talents of contestants, showcase their skills, and judge fairly. Special software was used to ensure this fairness, they said. The in-depth insight provided by judges and panelists also ensured fair judgment, organizers said. They thanked the participants, the audience, the many sponsors, and judges, the media and others who came together to make the event a success.
WASHINGTON – Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a fast-rising Democratic star, has featured in the Politico magazine’s “Power List for the year 2018” for having assumed the mantle of a House “leader of the resistance”.
Jayapal, 52, is in the fifth position and the only Indian American in the power list. She is described by Politico as a “feisty freshman Democratic lawmaker from Washington state’s 7th Congressional District who knows how to punch back”.
“Jayapal, a fast-rising Democratic star and determined critic of President Donald Trump, has assumed the mantle of a House ‘leader of the resistance’,” the report said.
“From her spot as first vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she has worked as a relentless advocate of civil rights and immigration reform on Capitol Hill,” said her friend and fellow freshman House Representative Ro Khanna.
Her most recent drives are a legislative pushback against Trump’s threats to end Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Haitians and Salvadorans by allowing them to apply for permanent residency if they can prove they would face extreme hardship if they return to their home countries.
Jayapal also wrote a letter to the Trump administration in October demanding the termination of a new policy of social media vetting of immigrants and American citizens.
“She is a groundbreaker,” said Democracy for America’s Robert Cruickshank, who is also one of Jayapal’s constituents.
“She’s really positioned herself to be an essential player in the future of the Democratic Caucus in the House.”
“With determination, steely drive and some well-placed tweets, Cruickshank said, Jayapal has “taken a deliberate approach to get there”.
Jayapal is the first Indian-American woman in the US House of Representatives. She travelled to the US from Chennai at the age of 16 to study at Georgetown University.
Years later, as a new US citizen, Jayapal in 2001 founded Hate Free Zone — later renamed OneAmerica — dedicated to advocacy work including registering new immigrants to vote and lobbying for immigration reform.
