YEARS # 1 Indian American Weekly : Since 2006 VOL 15 ISSUE 23 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● JUNE 04 - 10, 2021 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 ● [email protected] www.theindianpanorama.news US VP Harris speaks with PM Modi, assures Covid vaccines to India SOME OF 6 MILLION DOSES FOR 'SURGE' NATIONS TO BE SHIPPED TO INDIA WASHINGTON (TIP): US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, June 3, spokewith India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and three other world leaders and informed them JUNE 5, 2021 that the US will begin sharing the first 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to SEE PAGES 3-6 their respective countries. Harris and PM Modi further discussed strengthening efforts to fight A LEAF FROM RECENT the COVID-19 pandemic. The call was HISTORY- OPERATION initiated by the American side, top government sources said. During the BLUE STAR call, Harris stressed the Joe Biden administration's efforts to 'achieve broad global coverage, responding to surges and other urgent situations ad public health needs and helping as many countries as possible who US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, June 3, spoke with India's Prime Minister CONTD ON PAGE 40 Narendra Modiand assured him of Covid vaccines for India Eager to involve Indian US CONGRESS TABLES BILL TO REMOVE PER-COUNTRY SEE PAGES 8-9-10 investigators and sites in global CAP ON GREEN CARD WASHINGTON clinical trials: Anthony Fauci (TIP): A bipartisan WASHINGTON (TIP): Dr. Anthony legislation has will bring out a special profusely Fauci, who is the head of the U.S. been introduced in illustrated edition on July 2 to National Institute of Allergy and the US House of mark the Independence Day of Infectious Diseases, said that India and Representatives to the U.S. must continue to collaborate on eliminate the per country cap on America on 4th of July research related to SARS-CoV-2 as well employment-based green card. as vaccines and adjutants. The legislation was introduced by "We also are eager to involve Indian Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and investigators and sites in global clinical Congressman John Curtis, and it is trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy likely to benefit Indian IT of various COVID-19 therapeutics," he professionals anguishing over decades added, referring to the need to step up of green card wait. The Bill phases out Articles and advertisements for joint research into the treatment of Speaking about lessons learned by the United the 7 per cent per-country limit on the edition may please be States from the pandemic, Dr. Fauci said that COVID-19 patients. it was necessary to implement "well employment-based immigrant visa e-mailed by June 25, 2021 to Speaking about lessons learned by the designed and validated scientific approaches and raises the 7 per cent per-country [email protected] United States from the pandemic, Dr. to guide effective public health and clinical limit on family-sponsored visa to 15 practice". For any question, please Fauci said that it was necessary to per cent. The Equal Access to Green call 646-247-9458. implement "well designed and validated U.S. has seen the highest number of cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) scientific approaches to guide effective COVID-19 cases (more than 34 million) in Act, 2021, needs to be passed by the public health and clinical practice". The CONTD ON PAGE 40 CONTD ON PAGE 40 Supreme Court of India throws out sedition case against Journalist Vinod Dua: upholds right to criticize government NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court of India, on Thursday, June 3, quashed an FIR registered by the Himachal Pradesh Police against senior journalist Vinod Dua last year for his comments critical of the government's handling of Covid-19 lockdown on YouTube. "We are of the firm view that the prosecution of the petitioner for the offences punishable under Sections 124A Vinod Dua, senior journalist and 505 (1) (b) of the IPC would be unjust. vindicated - File photo CONTD ON PAGE 40 THE INDIAN PANORAMA EDITORIAL FRIDAY JUNE 4, 2021 YEARS 02 -: COMMENT:- PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER: Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja VICE PRESIDENT: Get out and Vote Chitagam Saluja CHIEF EDITOR: Prof Indrajit S. Saluja ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, CONSULTING EDITOR : JUNE 22, 2021. POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 6AM TO 9PM. Deepak Dwidedi, Chairman, Bhaskar Group, Delhi EARLY VOTING PERIOD IS ASSISTANT EDITOR: PROF. I.S. SALUJA JUNE 12, 2021 - JUNE 20, 2021. Bidisha Roy SPL. REPORTER UNO: ew York City Primary Election is vote. must realize that they are a force to H.S. Panaser just two weeks away.Is the Indian The question is why the community reckon with, being the highest earning, GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: NAmerican community fully would give political donations, and yet on an average, and one of the highly Om Parkash Malik prepared to exhibit its strength? Well, not vote? It may be, partly because the educated in the US, with ideas to DIRECTOR some believe, its isn't. Some others claim community does not find any of the influence the outcome of any election, at ADMINISTRATION: it is better prepared now than before. several candidates in the electoral battle least at the local level. But it is also Gauri Beri They cite the number of Indian origin strong enough to win. They prefer not to subject to one and the only condition- candidates who have thrown their hats "waste" their time in campaigning or provided they exercise their right to CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: in the electoral ring. But does the casting their vote. This despondency has vote. A right they must exercise as number of Indian American candidates been explained repeatedly by many in responsible citizens. Baldev Singh / BJ Videos Gunjesh Desai / Masala Junction in the electoral fray indicate the the Indian American community. They So, folks, you have choices. Go in for Jay Mandal, enthusiasm of voters? Well, again, many have to understand that it is not always a early vote which opens on June 12. Or, Mohammad Jaffer, say" No". candidate from your own community wait till you get to the polling station on SnapsIndia The Indian American community has who should be considered good enough June 22. And, yes, be careful about the Mohammad Shahzad, never been enthusiastic about voting in to represent you, but it could be anyone. new Ranked Choice voting system which Zia Khan, the elections. But for the committed If the community backs a candidate, the allows you to list your preferences. It will Nisha Rani voters in both the parties, very few have candidate will feel obliged to take care of help to get hold of a person who is Vaaho Photographers, ever bothered to know the candidates, or the community. It is a question of conversant with information on the Vijay Shah - Photo Journalist. support them, and much less go to owning your candidate. system. Whatever, let your voice be CORRESPONDENTS : polling station to cast their "valuable" The Indian American community heard. Do vote. SACRAMENTO: Parminder S. Aujla NEW YORK : -: GUEST COMMENT :- Chitagam FRESNO: Tarlochan Singh DALLAS: Sedition law Harjit Dhesi, Amarjit Dhillon OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTS LONDON must go Nirpal Singh Shergill SPL CORRESPONDENT DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: British-era clause can't be used to fix Chandan Singh CHANDIGARH: activists, journalists Manjit Sidhu LUDHIANA: A.S. Arora, fter over seven decades of (1951) declared Section 124A R.P.Sharma Independence, India is struggling unconstitutional. Once described as JAIPUR : Ato get rid of the sedition law - 'highly objectionable and obnoxious' by widely misused against activists and Nehru, Section 124A continues to be on Dr. Yashpaul Goyal journalists. In view of its 'chilling effect', the statute book, thanks to the First DALLAS BUREAU CHIEF & VP the Supreme Court has decided to Amendment piloted by him that added Lovllien Kaurr examine the archaic Section 124A of the 'public order' to Article 19(2) as a ground 972-330-3139 Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the context of to restrict free speech. [email protected] media freedom after the filing of It was on the basis of public order in The Indian Panorama sedition cases against journalists in Article 19(2) that the SC, in Kedarnath P.O. Box No. 190067, South Andhra Pradesh. According to Section Singh's case (1962), upheld the validity of Richmond Hill, NY 11419, 124A, a person commits sedition if Section 124A. However, the court Tel: 646-247-9458 he/she brings or attempts to bring in restricted its scope to some extent. In Email: hatred or contempt or excites or Balwant Singh's case (1995), it let off two [email protected] attempts to excite disaffection towards men accused of raising anti-India the government established by law in slogans, hours after Indira Gandhi's DISCLAIMER India. It attracts life imprisonment. assassination in 1984, saying that raising After Independence, sedition was of slogans a couple of times - which THE INDIAN PANORAMA ASSUMES proposed in the Constituent Assembly as neither evoked any response nor any NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CLAIMS MADE IN ADVERTISEMENTS. one of the grounds to restrict freedom of reaction from the public - couldn't attract WE ONLY SELL SPACE. VIEWS speech and expression. But KM Munshi sedition. The court's comment about PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER opposed it, saying that if sedition were possible filing of sedition cases against ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND allowed to stay,'an erroneous impression news channels for showing a body being DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE would be created that we want to thrown into a river indicates that the VIEWS OF THE NEWSPAPER. ALL perpetuate 124A of the IPC or its problem runs much deeper.