# 1 Indian American Weekly: Since 2006 VOL 13 ISSUE 05 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● FEBRUARY 01 - 07, 2019 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 www.theindianpanorama.news President Trump wants wall, with or without Congress President Kovind defends NEW YORK (TIP): President Donald Trump, in an interview to the New York Demonetization, Rafale deal Times on Thursday, January 31, called the ongoing talks Addressing House, heaps praise on govt on triple talaq, surgical strikes with congressional lawmakers to avoid another shutdown "a NEW DELHI (TIP): Ahead of the Lok waste of time" and suggested Sabha elections, President Ram Nath Kovind, he may go in for funding the on January 31, defended the BJP wall without the lawmakers. government's controversial decisions, from "I'll continue to build the "I think Nancy Pelosi is Rafale jet purchase and demonetization to wall, and we'll get the hurting our country very GST implementation, saying the government wall finished,"President badly by doing what she's had commenced its journey towards building said in his interview to doing and, ultimately, I think a "New India". the New York Times I've set the table very nicely," His hour-long Address to the joint sitting of Thursday, January 31. Trump told the Times. Parliament marked the start of Budget Photo / Courtesy White Declining to confirm whether Session with PM Narendra Modi, former PM House contd on page 32 Manmohan Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in attendance. Gandhi debuted in the front DHS Announces Final Rule for rows. H-1B Visa Program The President used the occasion to hail demonetization as "a defining moment in the Final Rule Effective Beginning April 1, 2019 President Ram Nath Kovind greets Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge during the government's war on corruption and black joint session of both Houses on the first day of the Budget Session at Central Hall of Read the story on Page 12 money"; term the GST contd on Page 32 Parliament, in New Delhi on January 31. Photo / Courtesy PTI Indian Embassy in Washington Celebrates Indian-Americans Celebrate Republic Day in 70th Republic Day of India New York and New Jersey with Enthusiasm WASHINGTON DC (TIP): The 70th NEW YORK (TIP): Indian Republic Day of India was celebrated at the diaspora in New York and New Jersey Embassy of India with an enthusiastic and celebrated the 70th Republic Day of unprecedented participation of about 800 India with much fanfare andpatriotic prominent members of the Indian fervor. Republic Day Celebration at community in USA. Ambassador Harsh the Consulate General of India Vardhan Shringla paid floral tribute contd on Page 3 toMahatma Gandhi at the public park in Lighting the lamp to inaugurate front of the Embassy. Thereafter, the celebrations. From L to R: Dr Sudhir Ambassador unfurled the National Flag Parikh, Consul General Sandeep followed by singing of the National Chakravorty, Congresswoman Carolyn Anthem. Ambassador addressed the guests Maloney (lighting the lamp), and read out the Address of the President Congressman Gregory Meeks, Council Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla paying floral of India on the occasion of the Republic Member Paul Vallone and Ambassador tribute to Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi Day of India. contd on Page 13 Syed Akbaruddin (extreme right) THE INDIAN PANORAMA 2 ADVERTISEMENT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2019 THE INDIAN PANORAMA FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2019 NY/NJ/CT 3 Indian-Americans Celebrate Republic Day in New York and New Jersey with Enthusiasm and to all of us - every group and every community, every region and every identity. It belongs to every citizen and every individual. India's pluralism is its greatest strength and its greatest example to the world. The "Indian model" rests on a tripod of diversity, democracy and development. We cannot choose one above the other; we must have all three and we will have all three", President Ram Nath Kovind said in his message. In the evening, Consul General hosted a reception which was attended by prominent dignitaries such as Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the U.N., Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Congressman Gregory Meeks, NY State Senator Kevin Thomas,NY State Senator John Liu, Councilmember Paul Vallone, Deputy Manhattan Borough President Mathew Washington, HershParikh, Representative from the office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Ambassador . Masud Bin Moman, PR of Bangladesh to the UN, Ambassador Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel, and Consuls General from Dance performance by NYC Bhangra Group at the Consulate Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Guyana. Noted actor Anupam Kher, community leaders and media representatives also attended the reception. More than 300 guests were present for the reception. The evening began with singing of Indian and U.S. national anthems by Jewish singer Issac Blech followed by lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries. Consul General Chakravorty welcomed the guests andthanked everyone for their participation. "We are celebrating the 70th Republic Day of India here but most importantly we are celebrating the largest democracy of the world in the oldest democracy of the world. We are also celebrating the Indo-US relationship and the enormous contribution of Indian diaspora in the United States. We are celebrating what India and US have to offer to the world", said Consul General. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney who led the effort for the U.S. Postal Service's commemorative Diwali stamp, said, "This year is 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.I amintroducing a legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian award, to honor Mahatma The Indian Consulate was decorated with lights Gandhi who inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson CONTD FROM PAGE 1 Mandela." Congressman Gregory Meeks credited Mahatma Gandhi for in New York showcased the growing bonhomie between 'What he is today' and said that the India diaspora "has made world's largest and the oldest democracies as prominent America a better place to live in." Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of Indian and US leaders graced the event. India American SenatorKevin Thomas also conveyedhis India to the UN unfurling the national flag at the PMI As is customary, a Flag Hoisting Ceremony was held in the greetings and well wishes. morning in the Consulate Ball Room. Despite sub zero Then followed a dance performance by NYCBhangra group Constitution of India was shaped by the diverse nature of temperatures, a large number ofmembers of Indian diaspora and an individual dance performance by a child artist Ms. India; its diversity of languages, religions, and ethnic and friends of India numbering 250 attended the event. Angel Shah. communities. Thus, with its adoption, India became a Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, ConsulGeneral of India, The Permanent Mission of India (PMI) hosted an event at sovereign, secular, democratic Republic and its foundations of unfurled the national flag and the national anthem was the UN on 25 January evening. On 26 January morning, liberty, justice and equality became integrated into the fabric sung.Artists of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan sang patriotic Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of of the nation. It is truly an extraordinary document." songs.Consul General conveyed his greetings to the gathering India to the UN unfurled the national flag at the PMI. In New Jersey,an event organized at Royal Albert Palace to and read out theaddress of the President of India. In South Brunswick, the New Jersey Chapter of Indian celebrate the 70th Republic Day of India attracted about 500 "No conception of India's development can be complete American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group people. Community and political leaders offered their tribute without a salute to our spirit of inclusiveness - of access and dedicated to safeguarding India's pluralist and tolerant ethos, to India and lauded the strong bond of friendship between opportunity for all; of an expansion and an embrace of those marked India's 70th Republic Day on Saturday January 26. India and the US. whom we consider our own. This country belongs to each of us Board member Jawad Mohammed remarked, "The (Bidisha Roy/TIP Bureau) Child artist Angel Shah mesmerized the audience with her dance performance A view of the gathering THE INDIAN PANORAMA 4 INDIANS ABROAD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2019 Indian American Announces Bid for Ohio Indian Penn Undergraduates in State Senate in 2020 Y-Prize Winning Team of Four NEW YORK (TIP): A team of four Penn Undergraduate students including two Indians is the winner of this year's $10,000 Y- Prize, awarded Jan. 28 for planning a new, improved catheter designed to stop costly-and deadly-infections at the source. The two Indians - Tanvi Kapur, a senior at the Wharton School who's from Frankfurt, Germany and junior Ishir Seth from Rochester, New York won the prize along with two other students - Beatriz Go and WenTao Zhang. Along with the prize money, their company, Nosoco Technologies, is also entered into the semi-final round of the Penn Startup Challenge later this year if the project meets that competition's guidelines. Since forming the team in October 2018, the group worked with researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Niraj Antani is the second Indian- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to figure The winners. From left: Ishir Seth, Tanvi Kapur, Beatriz Go and WenTao Zhang American state elected official in Ohio out whether the idea will work. Now, with the would come next. Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship, and the history, and the first Indian-American Y-Prize money, Nosoco can move toward The Y-Prize is a collaboration between Penn Penn Center for Innovation. Republican testing the viability of the product by the end Engineering, Wharton's William and Phyllis (Source: Penn Office of University of the year.