Saturday 25 August to 31 August 2018 Clear and 1 present warning Kerala floods match climate change forecasts STORY ON page Voice of South Asian Community Since March 2002 20 Vol. 15 Issue 20 Saturday 25 August to 31 August 2018 $1 www.thesouthasianinsider.com Google’s data collection is hard to BJP will fall short of escape, study claims majority if elections are held today Mood of the Nation (SAI Bureau) Short of chucking your phone into the river, shunning the internet, and learning to read paper maps again, there’s not much you can (MOTN) Survey STORY do to keep Google from collecting data about you. So says a Vanderbilt ON page University computer scientist who led 20 an analysis of Google’s data collection practices. (Contd on page 19) India’s rising income inequality 2016. The CBDT dataset contains income between Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 annual incomes in each category actual income distribution details of lakh, Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 lakh and so of income level.For instance, while Indians across 21 categories of on, up to income greater than Rs there were 273 people that earned income levels such as, annual 500 crores. This dataset gives the more than Rs 500 crores in 2016, income less than Rs 1.5 lakh, total number of people that earned (Contd on page 19) Annual Punjabi American Night Organized successfully by Mohinder Singh Taneja Nassau County Executive Laura Curran & DSGMC President Manjit Singh GK attended (SAI Bureau) A recent newspaper recently, because the last income column claims the phenomenon of distribution survey done in India rising income inequality in India is a was back in 2004 and that myth and free of evidence. subsequent surveys only captured The column should have ideally consumption data and not been ignored, had it not been written income. by a member of the Prime Minister’s The Central Board of Direct Taxes economic advisory council, (CBDT), aka the Income Tax STORY presumably an important economic department, has made available, ON page policy body in the country. detailed income distribution data The crux of the column’s argument of roughly 50 million income tax 3 is that there is no evidence to show filers for every year from income inequality has been rising assessment year (AY) 2013 to Publisher Sharanjit Singh Thind & Young Businessman Kunwar Raj Chopra among those awarded Low Cost Insurance *Business *Liability *Disability *Workers Comp. *E & O *Auto *Home Tel :917-612-3158 (See Full Page Advt. on Page 32) Saturday 25 August to 31 August 2018 ADVERTISEMENT 2 Saturday 25 August to 31 August 2018 COMMUNITY 3 Punjabi American Night Organized (By a staff Reporter) Annual Punjabi American Night was recently organized in Eisenhower Park of Long Island under the Chairmanship of Mohinder Singh Taneja, a well known community leader. This was a night with traditional Punjabi Bhangra, Gidha performances, Songs by Vicky Kohli & PasaDena, Complimentary food, full of fun and masti. Well known young entrepreneur Kunwar Raj Chopra, son of a very well known business family and power couple Ravi Chopra & Shalu of Long Island was recently awarded with the hippest honor during Punjabi American Night. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran was personally present during the event and County Parks Commissioner presented the Citation to Kunwar. Also present during the event was Manjit Singh GK of Delhi Sigh Gurudwara Management Committee. the County Citation. Seen in picture: Ravi Chopra, Kunwar Raj Chopra, Shalu Chopra & Yuvraj Chopra. Indian man racially abused in Canada, told to ‘go back to your country’ Asked whether the parking disagreement justifies the racist language used, she said, "It doesn't matter if it justifies it or not; it happened and that's where I took it." media report. Rahul Kumar, who and criticised the coverage, say- adds. Towards the end of the moved from India to Canada ing that she is “not a racist”. video, she can be seen driving seven years ago, was also Asked whether the parking dis- off, but not before she spits on called a “loser” with “shit- agreement justifies the racist lan- Kumar’s car and calls him a coloured skin”, CTV news re- guage used, she said, “It doesn’t “loser”. Kumar says he was ported. Kumar filmed the en- matter if it justifies it or not; it hap- stunned by the woman’s com- counter outside his home on his pened and that’s where I took it.” ments. “I’ve never experienced cellphone last week. In the She is unapologetic. “I have no prob- anything like that.” Kumar said video, a woman yells at Kumar lem with what happened,” she was he was concerned because the over a parking dispute. “You can quoted as saying by the report. At woman’s profanity-laden rant was film all you want Paki. Yes Paki, one point in the video, the woman within earshot of children. “It is very that’s you with the shit-coloured mixes up two countries where she disturbing,” he said. Last month, an skin,” the report said, citing the thinks Kumar is from before she Indian-origin couple was harassed (Agencies) An Indian in Canada a white woman who yelled “go video.The woman who made the mocks his accent. “East Indian in Canada by a white man who has been allegedly racially back to your country” and called comments called CTV Paki,” she shouts at him. “Go yelled that ‘go back to your country’ abused over a parking dispute by him a “Paki”, according to a Edmonton after the report aired back to your country, man,” she and threatened to ‘kill’ their children. Saturday 25 August to 31 August 2018 COMMUNITY 4 “Ekal” Targeting $10 Million with Dazzling Galas - Prakash Waghmare Every year, Ekal’s hosts net-worth supporters, eagerly-awaited galas, are After last year’s phenom- over 50 fund-raising events Ramesh Shah, the Chair- all taking place in October enal success of magnifi- in major metropolitan cen- man of EVF-USA has no - Houston, TX on October cent fund-raising gala - ‘Fu- ters across USA, by bring- doubt that Ekal in 2018, is 6; Bethesda MD on Octo- ture of India’ - “Ekal ing famous ‘Bollywood going to hit $10 Million ber 12 and in New York City Vidyalaya Foundation Artistes’ for concerts. Ear- magical mark for the first NY on October 13. The (EVF)”, this year, is launch- lier this year, Ekal had in- time. distinguished speaker at all ing the most ambitious vited two groups of talented As of now, Ekal has 72,000 three galas will be Media plan to host three Galas, at performers for this purpose. schools under its wings, Moghul Dr Subhash three strategic locations in One group was headed by grooming 1.92 Million chil- Chandra (Chairman, Essel USA. In sold-out Yr.2017 Kathak dancers Aditi dren annually – more than Gr of Companies that in- Gala at majestic art-deco Bhagwat & Kunal Tavri and half of which are girls. Hon. cludes ZEE-TV). In addition, ‘Cipriani-Wall Street” ban- another group was headed PM Modi, in his clarion call at NYC gala iconic former quet hall, ‘Ekal’ raised $2 by Kaushik & Pranita to eradicate illiteracy from CEO of Pepsi and Apple, Million for its Literacy, Deshpande. They each every small corner of the John Sculley, is going to educational movement un- As the catastrophic de- Healthcare and Integral-De- were the star-attractions in nation, wants Ekal to estab- grace the evening as a dertaken by Indians and struction is currently un- velopment projects for rural 23 and 30 concert-events, lish 100,000 schools by Chief guest speaker. This NRIs, Ekal is socially con- folding in Kerala due to India. It was Ekal’s first ever respectively. The response year Yr. 2022 – 75th anni- NYC gathering will also be scientious, wherever it op- torrential rain and floods, attempt at gathering gener- to these concerts was so versary of India’s indepen- entertained by ‘Indian Idol’ erates. Last year during ‘Ekal-India’ is actively in- ous individuals for its nation- overwhelming that the dence. The primary objec- competition winner – ‘Hurricane Harvey’, volved there too with building cause. According events were sold-out at tive of glittering galas is not ‘Sreeramchandra’. In Hous- Ekal volunteers not “Sewa Bharati”. Bajrang to EVF-USA President, most of the places in ad- only to raised funds for this ton, along with Dr Subhash only worked along side Bagra, CEO of ‘Ekal-In- Suresh Iyer, this unprec- vance. Over the years, task of national concern, Chandra, another highlight ‘Sewa International’ in dia’ says,” the whole edented show of support Ekal’s progress has been but also, to encourage ev- of the evening is going to rescue and rehabilita- Ekal movement is all from philanthropists brought consistently exponential. ery sphere, every strata of be renowned motivational tion efforts in Houston about giving dignity and the year-end tally of dona- Now with three forthcoming Indian diaspora to invest it- speaker, Shiv Khera. region but also raised self-esteem to rural-tribal tions to $8 Million. Ekal galas planned for high self in India’s future. Three As the largest grass-root money for the victims. folks of India”. Indians 3rd largest group affected by UK’s immigration scandal While the majority of the 2,272 migrants' cases dealt with by the 'Taskforce' came from Caribbean countries Jamaica (1,093) and Barba- dos (213), India at 102 came in third followed by Grenada (88) and Trinidad and Tobago (86), with 690 cases classed as "Others". (Agencies) Indians have emerged as to live and work in the UK by an emer- the third-largest group affected by the gency ‘Taskforce’ set up to deal with UK’s ‘Windrush’ immigration scandal cases of Commonwealth nationals who involving Commonwealth nationals be- arrived in the UK before immigration ing wrongly denied their citizenship rules became more stringent in 1973, rights in Britain.