Commerce Bank donates $4000 to Five Corners Branch Library

The Jersey City Free Public Library announced April 16 that the Commerce Bank has donated $4,000 to the Five Corners Branch Library as part of the National Library Week, an annual observance to showcase America's libraries from the American Library Association, which designated the week of April 13 - 19 this year.

The Five Corners Branch, located at 678 Newark Avenue in Jersey City, was chosen as one of 50 libraries, in celebration of National Library Week's 50th anniversary, within the footprint of Commerce Bank to be the recipient of $4,000. Most, approximately 86 percent, identified libraries fall within a low to moderate income area across eight states, with an aggregate of $200,000 to be donated and which are made through the TD Bank north Foundation.

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Gopal Raju, mentor, ideas-bouncer, sparring partner in short the quintessential Editor

Having worked for more than two decades with Mr. Raju, he was for me not just the editor and publisher, but the mentor, the ideas-bouncer, the sparring partner, the anchor, and a mixture of the stern but collegial father figure. He listened objectively to my ideas, used them or dismissed them, never with a bias but rather from an almost unerring news judgment.

His was a judgment that sprang from his instinctual understanding of his universe of readers and from his no-nonsense view about that same universe, which meant a heavy dose of skepticism intertwined with good humor.

He always demanded the highest quality of accuracy from me and held me to account.

Mr. Raju never nixed a good idea. From the time I joined the company, he gave me the opportunities no other paper, mainstream or otherwise, would have offered which explains why I stayed.

"Mr. Raju, I must go and cover the elections in Guyana because Cheddi Jagan is running."

"Okay."

Next, I must go and cover his one year anniversary as president of Guyana, And while I am there we must cover the Indian diaspora in the other two countries Trinidad & Tobago, and in Suriname. We should cover the 50th Anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference in Madrid. We must cover the World Economic Forum.

When I was stuck in the middle of riots in Guyana during Jagan's elections in 1992, and received personal threats from certain elements not willing to see that country change to democracy, he listened to every detail of my situation. He never doubted my ability report in difficult situations, but advised me about safety and expressed his concern. That was not the only time I faced tough situations while reporting.

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Badminton India's challenge ends in Asian Badminton Championship

India's challenge at the Asian Badminton Championship at Johor Bahru, Malaysia, ended on a disappointing note with all the men, women and the mixed doubles pairs failing to survive the second day of the event April 17.

India's hopes in singles competition received a setback April 16 as all shuttlers came a cropper and bowed out in the first round, except P .Kashyap who was shown the door in the second round of the last qualifying event before the Beijing Olympics.

Women's doubles duo of Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurian were thrashed 10-21, 7-21 by top seed Chinese pair of Wei Yang and Jiewen Zhang in the second round. The Indian pair had defeated Fan Frances Liu and Yu Yan Vanessa Neo of Singapore 21-15, 24-22 in the opening round.

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Reliance Entertainment's Big cinemas to open in United States

R eliance Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (REPL) is poised to start its cinema chain in the United States under the brand name Big next month. More than 200 theaters will screen Hindi as well as regional films from India.

Confirming the schedule, a company official said, "We are still renovating and refitting the cinemas we have acquired in some cities there. A formal announcement about their opening will be made later."

Over the last one year, Reliance Entertainment has leased over 200 cinema halls in 28 North American cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and Washington.

Rented for long-term leases, these theaters will bear the company's entertainment brand name Big, and not Adlabs, as REPL's cinemas in India are called.

It is learned that REPL has also bought over an American theater management firm to oversee the operations of its Big cinema chain.

REPL may also distribute films overseas. Since it is already into producing movies in Hindi and other Indian regional languages under the Big Pictures banner, its exhibition outlets abroad will help it firm up its distribution venture.

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Bansal appointed to New York City Campaign Finance Board

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has appointed Preeta D. Bansal, former Solicitor General of New York, to the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB). She takes the slot vacated by Rev. Joseph P Parkes, S.J whom the Mayor elevated to Chair of CFB. The appointment was made on April 8.

The independent, non-partisan agency monitors city candidates' campaign contributions and expenditures and enforces campaign finance law. It provides funding to candidates who seek public financing. It also discloses the candidates' campaign finances, publishes a non-partisan Voter Guide for scheduled elections, and administers a mandatory debate program for candidates who use public funding for their campaigns.

"It is an honor to serve the people of New York city as a member of the Campaign Finance Board," Bansal said. "As a member of the Mayor's Election Modernization Task Force, I have seen first hand the challenges that the city faces in reforming our outdated electoral system. I look forward to working with Father Parkes, other members of the Board, and the staff to continue the important work of the CFB in enhancing our democratic process by providing public financing to candidates and educating voters."

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South Asians have high profile at meeting with Pope

South Asians took front and center seats in an audience with Pope Benedict the XVI, the evening of April 17, at the special Interreligious Gathering at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. They were visible in the audience of a few hundred people and leaders of various faiths, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jains, in particular that met the revered head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Representatives of four religions drawing links to India and practiced by millions in the United States got to greet the Pope. Hinduism, which according to the commentator, is practiced by 1.8 million people in the U.S., was represented by Dr. Uma Mysorekar from New York, Director of The Hindu Temple Society of North America. She spoke to the Pope for about 40 seconds when greeting him.

Among the five young religious leaders who shook hands personally with the Pope and presented him religious momentos was Ravi Gupta, 25, Assistant Professor of Religion at Centre College, Kentucky, who offered the symbol 'Om' to the Pope.


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Astute, indomitable and brilliant - he created legal history in United States

Gopal Raju's casual demeanor, boyish looks and apparent shyness hid a steeliness and chutzpah that emerged whenever a crisis surfaced.

He displayed both qualities during the nerve racking libel suit against India Abroad News Service by Ajitabh Bachchan in connection with the Bofors kickback scandal in 1991 for which I (as the agency's London bureau chief) was responsible - and single-handedly went on to create legal history in the United States.

To realize Raju's astuteness in the landmark judgment for which leading U.S. newspapers and television networks will forever remain grateful to this humble Indian with a razor sharp mind and easy manners, some background is required.

In 1990 at the CBI's request, the Swiss authorities froze six coded accounts into which alleged kickbacks of around $50 million from the import of 410 Bofors howitzers had been deposited.

Following investigation, however, Swiss bankers discovered a sixth "inter-connected" account.

Thereafter, Bo Anderson, a correspondent for Dagens Nyheter, the leading Swedish newspaper credited with several Bofors exposes, relying on CBI and Indian legal sources, declared that the account was Ajitabh Bachchan's, brother of the film icon Amitabh in the January 31, 1990 edition of his journal.

This report was widely quoted by several newspapers and agencies, including the IANS bureau in London which I then represented.

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Gregory David Roberts 'I am a filmic writer'

Gregory David Roberts, author of the bestseller ‘Shantaram' that is now being made into a film by director Mira Nair, says he always knew that his autobiographical novel would be adapted into a film.

"It feels great that my novel is now adapted into a film. However, I always knew it would happen because I am a filmic writer," Roberts told IANS.

"I mean, when I write, I write with images in mind. In fact, with the advent of cinema all writers do that now, contrary to the past when it (cinema) wasn't there," said the Australia born author, who speaks Hindi as fluently as he speaks English.

The film of the same name stars Amitabh Bachchan and Johnny Depp. It narrates the story of a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from prison and flees to India, where he lives for 10 years.

And the wizard of words is all praise for Depp and Big B.

"What could have been better than Hollywood bigwig Johnny Depp being a part of the film. I have met Depp and, apart from being a great actor, he is a wonderful person. One must see how he adores his kids. He is an amazing father.

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He was a man of passion

If I were to sum up Gopal Raju in a sentence, it would be "He was a man of passion". Passion- ate about the select causes he espoused and that he pursued with messianic zeal one was to empower the Indian American community, first with information relevant to their lives, and then through their involvement in the American political process the other was to put the diaspora on India's national agenda and pursue its causes globally. He succeeded in considerable measure in both these goals.

Dour, taciturn, determined, visionary, quirky these are some of the epitaphs that readily come to mind when thinking about the man who I knew for 24 years and who, in many ways, I regarded at various times as a difficult boss, business mentor, father figure or just an impossible person to deal with.

He rang me up to say goodbye, just hours before he died, leaving me stunned about the quiet fading away of a man who represented an era in the highest quality of "bridging journalism" journalism that helped bring understanding of India closer to the United States and that of the growing, achievement-notching and influential Indian American community on to the Indian political and social radar.

I was in a comfortable job as the India correspondent of a Western news agency when, one fine day in January 1984, I got a call from my old friend Arul Louis, who was then working with India Abroad, that the paper's editor, Gopal Raju, wanted to speak to me. In those days of communication vacuum, as far as India went, I remember jumping out of bed when I learnt that the call was from New York. The call was cordial and businesslike. Would I like to write for India Abroad and, to start with, could I cover the visit of then Vice President George H. Bush to India?

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What was it about the man that kept him forever young?

I never believed that Gopal Raju would ever age. The last time we met in New York, about a year ago, we dined at an Indian restaurant near Columbus Circle. Allen E. Kaye, the well-known immigration lawyer, had joined us. I had introduced Allen to Gopal nearly four decades ago, when all of us were very much younger. Allen subsequently became a columnist for India Abroad, the newspaper that Gopal had founded to serve the South Asian community in America; his legal practice benefited significantly from his association with Gopal. Allen pioneered the concept of a column on immigration at a time when more and more South Asians sought to come to America. And Gopal, with his intuition for business opportunities, sensed a need for a particular kind of ethnic journalism, a blend of narrative, analysis and service-oriented features.

Both men grew wealthy as a result of their enterprise. As for me , you know what they say about those who toil in the vineyards, and, increasingly, the graveyards daily journalism. Both men could have retired long ago had they so wished. I neither wished to retire, nor could I have afforded to do so.

As we dined that evening, it occurred to me that Gopal had remained young his looks, his spirit, and his mind. There were, to be sure, a strand or two of gray hair, and there were also fewer follicles. The long years since the three of us had first gathered together had made both Allen and me world-weary; not dispirited, of course, but certainly more questioning of whether what we did professionally was truly appreciated in a world that was changing at warp speed.

Gopal had no such doubts. He was, as ever, indomitably optimistic. There would always be a need for newspapers, he said, people would always want to hold something tactile in their hands as they absorbed information. Indeed, when Allen raised the possibility of starting a new publication on immigration, Gopal's first response was, "Let's do it. How about starting next week?"

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National Commission for Minorities to examine anti-conversion laws

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) will be setting up a committee to examine whether anti-conversion laws in India throttle the freedom of individuals to practice any faith, says panel chief Mohammad Shafi Qureshi.

"Several states have enacted legislations to regulate conversion from one religion to another and maintain public order. It is high time to examine if the provisions of state legislations violate the constitution that guarantees freedom of religion," Qureshi told IANS.

"A committee will be set up to look into different aspects of conversion laws and suggest remedial measures to remove irritants, if any, for communal peace and harmony. People's constitutional rights need to be protected," said Qureshi, a former governor and union minister.

Several states, including Orissa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh have enacted legislation to check religious conversion through "fraud, force and inducement" or any other such means.

"Nobody can support religious conversion through coercion. The law of land must prevail if anyone is found guilty of effecting conversion through coercive measures. At the same time, it must also be ensured that the people's absolute right to practice and preach any religion is preserved," Qureshi said.

He said the panel would formalize the blueprint for the new committee in the next meeting of the commission.

"It is one of the priority concerns of the commission, and will set up the committee as soon as possible," Qureshi added.

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India's 75-year-old marathon man completes his 81st run

Ashis Roy, India's 75-year-old marathon man, has completed his 81st long run, finishing the 26.2 mile course in the second annual ING Georgia Marathon in Atlanta on a cold windswept day.

Braving chilly temperature of about four degrees Celsius (41 degrees F) and gusty 10-20 mph winds on March 30, Roy finished fifth in the 70 plus age group with a time of 6:21:23 hours to the cheers of fellow competitors.

It wasn't the best of times for Roy, who took to long distance running at the age of 50 after retiring from the Indian Air Force where he served as a cardiologist for 21 years. Five years back when he first ran in the 70 plus group in Norway, Roy finished the course in 4:18:00 hours.

With osteo-arthritis in the right knee for the last two years slowing him down, Roy found the going a little tough on the uneven up and down route in the first half which he finished in 3:8:23. The second half took just four and a half minutes longer.

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Abraham Krasnoff Memorial Award' for Dr. Ray, Long Island University professor

The Long Island University system has awarded two professors from its five campuses to recognize lifetime achievement in scholarship.

Among the two winners, Brooklyn Campus Pharmacy Professor Dr. Sidhartha D. Ray, professor of toxicology at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is to receive the 'Abraham Krasnoff Memorial Award' for 'Lifetime Scholarly Achievement'.

Professor Ray is known for his research on acetaminophen-induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death in in-vivo models and antitoxic properties of phytochemicals.

Marshall Silverstein, professor of Psychology at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, C.W. Post Campus is the other recipient of the award.

The 28th biennial ‘Abraham Krasnoff Memorial Awards for Life Time Scholarly Achievement' and ‘The David Newton Awards for Teaching Excellence' will be presented on April 24 at the Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus in the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts.

The ‘2008 David Newton Award' recipients are Robert Domingo, Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, C.W. Post Campus, Cecil K.

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Paravathy Omanakuttan is ‘Pantaloon Femina Miss India 2008'

Parvathy Omanakuttan, a 20-year-old from Kerala, was crowned as the 'Pantaloon Femina Miss India World 2008' at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai on April 5.

Simran Kaur Mundi, ‘Pantaloons Femina Miss India Universe 2008' was named the first runner-up, while Harshita Saxena, who was crowned 'Pantaloons Femina Miss Earth 2008', was the second runner-up.

Omanakuttan, winner of 'Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2008', is an athletic model. Her hobbies include basketball, badminton, music, dance, glass painting and reading. She will represent India at the ‘Miss Universe 2008' contest.

She was also crowned 'Miss Beautiful Hair' and Miss Photogenic' in the sub-contests.

South superstar Madhavan along with actress Diya Mirza were the hosts for the evening.

A panel of judges that comprised of actors like Tabu, Zeenat Aman, Katrina Kaif; designers Rina Dhaka and JJ Vallaya; choreographer Shiamak Davar; and journalist Arnab Goswami graced the event, which was a perfect test of beauty and brains for the contestants.

The evening was star studded and the stars proved their worth by rendering absolutely electrifying performances.

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Menon appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Air India

Air India has announced the appointment of Raghu Menon to the post of Chairman and Managing Director of the airline, a press release said. He succeeds V. Thulasidas, who retired on March 3.

In his new position, Menon will be responsible for continuing the integration of Air India and Indian Airlines following their merger in 2007, as well as the expansion and upgrading of the carrier's fleet and product offers, and its entry into the Star Alliance, the release said.

A 1974 batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, Menon was previously a Special Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Menon also worked at the Home, Welfare and Information and Broadcasting Ministries of the Government of India. He was briefly a journalist with The Hitvada newspaper before joining the civil services.

"It is a great honor to be elected to the position of Air India's Chairman and Managing Director. I look forward to continuing the airline's successful growth around the world, helping to foster tourism and business, and making an important contribution to the economic prosperity of India," Menon was quoted in the release as saying.

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The Jain Temple of America has facilities for all 5 Jain sects to practice their religion

It was under the guidance of spiritual leaders Gurudev Shri Chitrabanuji and Gurudev Shri Sushilkumarji that the Jain community in New York came together in the late 1970's.

By 1981, The Jain Center of America on Ithaca Street in Elmhurst, Queens was established -- a two-family home that was made into a place of worship.

"But with each passing year and growing number of devotees the once-sufficient space proved less than sufficient.

"And by the mid 90's a larger complex that can accommodate the devotees became the need of the hour," Jaymik Shah, President, Jain Center of America told Desi Talk.

" The community gathered together to discuss ways to expand the temple. In one such meeting a gentleman who was sitting at the corner of the gathering, listening to the whole discussions offered $4 million for the temple expansion program. And he had just one request that the temple do not carry the names of the contributors, and the community agreed." Shah, said.

Another $3.5 - 4 million was collected from the community, and the 16,600 square foot temple complex was constructed on the same lot.

"And today the complex can accommodate about 700-800 people,"Shah said.

The Jain Center of America is not only the temple that devotees from across the tri-state area throng to - it stands out for being one of the few temples that houses all five Jain sects: Shwetam bar, Digambar, Dadavasi, Sreemanth Rai Chander and Sthanakavasi under a single roof.

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New IITs for Bihar, Andhra and Rajasthan

Three more Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) would come up in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan in fiscal 2008-09, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram informed parliament February 29.

While allocating Rs.344 billion ($8 billion) for the education sector - an increase by 20 percent over - he remarked that the new IITs will start soon.

While IITs coming up at Patna in Bihar and Medak in A.P is expected to start from the next session in 2008-09, the Rajasthan government is yet to provide a suitable site for its IIT, considered as a premier engineering institution in the country.

There are seven IITs in the country - in Kharagpur, Mumbai, Chennai, Kanpur, Delhi, Guwahati, and Roorkee. These autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education were established and declared as Institutes of National Importance by the Indian government.

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Kalam enthralls Indian Americans with his India 2020 vision

Former president and scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam enthralled an Indian American audience with his vision for India in the year 2020 and exhorted the expatriates "to give the knowledge and experience back to the motherland".

Addressing a gathering of about 800 people, including community leaders and students at the Hindu Temple in Flushing, he encouraged everyone to dream big, to achieve with integrity and to ignite the minds of youth of this world.

For NRIs and persons of Indian origin (PIOs), his message was clear: "We should give 100 percent to where we live and work, while we commit to give back our knowledge and experience to our motherland also."

Kalam said that since the end of his presidential term last year, he has interacted with over one million people and youth to formulate his vision for India. Earlier, on March 24, he addressed the students at the 12th Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) held with the theme of "India Imagine".

The forum is designed to serve as a platform for thought-leaders, professionals and policy makers to define their perception of the global Indian and discuss the wave of new imagination that is spurring the nouveau Indian to create unprecedented opportunities.

"This resource of the youth is an important building block for transforming India into a developed nation. If you have an aim in life, realize that spent time cannot be recovered," Kalam said.

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'Person of the Year 2007' - Mira Nair is ‘India Abroad Person of the Year 2007'

Critically acclaimed film director Mira Nair was announced the ‘India Abroad Person of the Year 2007', on March 28, at a glittering ceremony at the historic Gotham Hall in Manhattan.

The host of the evening, Sreenath Sreenivasan, WNBC's technology reporter, Journalism professor at Columbia University and co-founder of South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), created an atmosphere of suspense and celebrity.

The ture Master of Ceremony kept the suspense up. The winner was announced at the end. He acknowledged all mention ables during the evening which made it a perfect celebrity event.

The inaugural ‘India Abroad Person of the Year' award was conferred on Iowa legislator Swati Dandekar.

In 2003, Sonal Shah, co-founder of NGO Indicorps, was chosen.

In 2004, Olympic gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj, was chosen.

In 2005, then Congressman Bobby Jindal, now the governor of Louisiana, received the honor.

And In 2006, Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo received the award.

2007 winners in other categories:

Legendary economists Professor Padma Desai and her husband Professor Jagdish Bhagwati got the ‘India Abroad Lifetime Achievement Award'.

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City Council approves congestion pricing

The controversial proposal to charge drivers in the busiest parts of Manhattan took a major step forward on March 31, with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Speaker Christine C. Quinn wrenching approval from the City Council by an unusually slim margin, The New York Times reported.

Under intense pressure from the mayor, Quinn and their allies that continued almost until the voting began, council members approved the plan to charge most drivers $8 to enter a zone below 60th Street by a vote of 30 to 20, with no abstentions and one absence, the report said.

At a press conference after the vote Mayor Bloomberg made a rare appearance on the speaker's side of the City Hall. He said:

"Madam Speaker, thank you. You left one person off the list that deserves thanks and that is you because I think what is clear here is that Speaker Quinn's principled leadership throughout the Council's deliberations on congestion pricing shows this time, as it has in previous times, that she cares about the city and the interests of the city come first with her. It is not easy to corral a lot of people; it's not easy to tackle some of the controversial issues. But Christine Quinn really did stand up and, with the power of persuasion and the arguments that we all know make a lot of sense here, she managed to get 30 votes when I think most people did not expect this to pass.

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Tuberculosis Day, March 24 - Tuberculosis at historic low; foreign-born most at risk

The Health Department announced on March 24, World Tuberculosis Day, that TB reached another all-time low in New York City in 2007. A total of 914 cases were reported in 2007 – a 4 percent decrease from 2006 and a 76 percent decrease from the high levels seen in the early 1990s. Despite this continuing progress, New York City's TB rate is still more than double the national rate (11.4 versus 4.4 cases per 100,000 people).

"We continued to make progress this past year, but many challenges remain – especially among New York City's immigrant communities," said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Health Commissioner of New York City. "Tuberculosis can be prevented and cured and all care and treatment in our centers is free and given without any questions about immigration status."

Immigrant New Yorkers accounted for 71 percent of new cases in 2007, with a rate of 24 cases per 100,000 people. The rate among New Yorkers born in the United States was 5.7 per 100,000.

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