We Wish Our Readers A Happy International Women’s Day YEARS # 1 Indian American Weekly : Since 2006 VOL 15 ISSUE 10 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● MAR 05 - MAR 11, 2021 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 ● [email protected] www.theindianpanorama.news MARTYRS DAY AND HOLI SPECIAL EDITIONS House passes HR1 sweeping bill on election, government reforms will bring out special editions to mark Martyrs Day and Holi. The Martyrs Day special will be The measure would require states to provide same-day voter registration, to allow at published on March 19. The Holi special edition is least two weeks of early voting and to offer drop boxes for ballots. scheduled for March 26. WASHINGTON (TIP): The House on Articles for the 2 editions may Wednesday, March 3, approved a please be submitted by March 10 and March 15, 2021 respectively sweeping package of election and [email protected] government reforms, amplifying the Advertisement space may please issue of voting rights amid a be booked for the 2 editions by contentious national debate in the wake March 12 and March 18, 2021 of the November elections. respectively with Nearly every Democrat voted for the [email protected] bill, which includes a slew of ballot access, campaign finance and ethics reforms that came under renewed scrutiny after four years of the Trump UK's new post-study administration. It would also require graduate route work visa to states to provide same-day voter open for applications in July CONTD ON PAGE 2 NIRPAL SINGH SHERGILL Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D- << Calif., and the Democratic Caucus gather LONDON to address reporters on H.R. 1, the For the (TIP) : A new People Act of 2021, at the Capitol in post-study work Washington, Wednesday, March 3, 2021. - visa that offers Photo courtesy / AP international students from Graduate route visa countries like Justice Dept. asks Supreme Court to was announced last India the year by UK Home opportunity to dismiss 'sanctuary' immigration suits Secretary Priti Patel as stay on for work WASHINGTON (TIP): The Justice about to be released from custody. part of her new post- experience Department on Thursday,March 4, asked In what began half-heartedly under Brexit points-based immigration regime after the Supreme Court to dismiss three former President Barack Obama and completing lawsuits over a Trump-era immigration ratcheted up under former President their course in the UK will formally policy that led some areas to declare Donald Trump, the Justice Department open for applications from July 1, the themselves "sanctuary cities." sought to withhold federal grants from UK Home Office said on Thursday, The policy was part of an effort to get local governments that refused to tell Demonstrators yell slogans at an anti-Donald March 4. police departments to tell federal immigration agents when people in the Trump immigration ban protest - ~ File Photo / Reuters CONTD ON PAGE 2 authorities when non-citizens were CONTD ON PAGE 29 Australia threatens deportations after attacks on Indian Sikhs CANBERRA (TIP): The Australian Screenshot of a government has threatened deportations video capturing following four attacks on the Sikh goons community ahead of a March 15 round smashing a car table in the Australian Federal Parliament to highlight concerns about New Delhi's heavy handedness and CONTD ON PAGE 29 THE INDIAN PANORAMA TURN PAGE FRIDAY MARCH 5, 2021 YEARS 02 contd from page 1 New ethics rules for public servants: The bill would create House passes HR1 sweeping bill on election... the first-ever ethics code for Supreme Court justices, to be PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER: created within a year of the bill's passage. registration, to allow at least two weeks of early voting and It would also stop a controversial practice in Congress: When Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja to offer drop boxes for ballots - some of the same measures that a member of Congress settles a sexual harassment or VICE PRESIDENT: Republicans are trying to roll back in statehouses across the discrimination lawsuit, in certain cases they can use taxpayer Chitagam Saluja country. money to settle. H.R. 1 would prevent taxpayer money from CHIEF EDITOR: "This reminds me of what it must have felt like at Valley being used for such settlements. Prof Indrajit S. Saluja Forge," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a news appearance on the The bill would also create more oversight on lobbyists and CONSULTING EDITOR : steps of the Capitol earlier Wednesday."Everything is at stake. foreign agents. Deepak Dwidedi, Chairman, We must win this race, this fight for this bill." A requirement that presidential candidates disclose their tax Bhaskar Group, Delhi "At the same time as we are gathering here to honor our returns: This one is a little more relevant to recent events. ASSISTANT EDITOR: democracy, across the country over 200 bills are being put Democrats have been frustrated for years that Donald Trump Bidisha Roy together, provisions they're putting forward, to suppress the never released his tax returns, either during his first election SPL. REPORTER UNO: vote," Pelosi said. or his presidency, and H.R. 1 would require it by law. H.S. Panaser The measure passed 220-210. President Biden's comments that the leaders of states lifting GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: House Democrats passed a nearly identical bill, led by Rep. coronavirus restrictions, like Texas and Mississippi, are guilty Om Parkash Malik John Sarbanes (D-Md.), shortly after seizing back control of of "Neanderthal thinking" are, well, touching a nerve. But DIRECTOR the chamber in 2019. No Republicans voted for the bill then. perhaps not in the way you'd expect. ADMINISTRATION: This year's passage was more complicated for Pelosi and her "We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change Gauri Beri leadership team, with just a four-vote margin. Earlier this the nature of this disease because of the way in which we're week, a group of moderates negotiated changes to one aspect of able to get vaccines in people's arms," Biden said Wednesday. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: the bill - the public financing of elections - after facing intense "The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that, in the criticism in their districts, in part because of a barrage of GOP meantime, everything's fine, take off your mask, forget it. It Baldev Singh / BJ Videos Gunjesh Desai / Masala Junction attack ads that falsely claimed taxpayer funds would be paying still matters." Jay Mandal, for campaigns. Several Republicans were mad - but only some directed their Mohammad Jaffer, "If signed into law, H.R. 1 would be the greatest expansion of displeasure at the politicians Biden was referencing. SnapsIndia the federal government's role in our elections than we have "President Biden said allowing Mississippians to decide how Mohammad Shahzad, ever seen," Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said. to protect themselves is 'neanderthal thinking,'" Mississippi Zia Khan, Democratic leaders also worked with senior members of the Gov. Tate Reeves (R) tweeted. "Mississippians don't need Nisha Rani Congressional Black Caucus to resolve concerns over a handlers. As numbers drop, they can assess their choices and Vaaho Photographers, redistricting provision. With concern about a state mandate to listen to experts. I guess I just think we should trust Vijay Shah - Photo Journalist. establish independent commissions on redistricting, Americans, not insult them." CORRESPONDENTS : Democrats ultimately agreed to provide more flexibility to Others seemed to be mad on behalf of Neanderthals. Or their SACRAMENTO: states in the current round of redistricting, while still descendants. Or cancel culture. Or something. (With inputs Parminder S. Aujla requiring that states meet certain standards to prevent from agencies) NEW YORK : extreme partisan gerrymandering. Chitagam The Senate, now in Democratic control, is expected to take UK's new post-study graduate route work... FRESNO: up the bill, which will force Republicans - particularly those up The graduate route visa, announced last year by UK Home Tarlochan Singh for reelection in 2022 - on the record on the issue. Secretary Priti Patel as part of her new post-Brexit points- DALLAS: The bill, dubbed H.R. 1, is the first of multiple voting rights based immigration regime and confirmed within the Harjit Dhesi, Amarjit Dhillon bills the House will consider this year. The House also plans to Immigration Rules tabled in Parliament this week, is approve a bill, named for the late civil rights icon Rep. John applicable from the 2020-2021 academic cohort of international OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTS Lewis, that would restore key parts of the landmark voting students. LONDON measure of 1965. Both bills' fates are uncertain in the Senate, "As we rebuild from the global pandemic, we want the Nirpal Singh Shergill where they would require GOP votes. world's brightest talent, who aspire to a career at the highest SPL CORRESPONDENT The Bill is explained here. levels of business, science, the arts and technology to see our DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: A set of national voter registration and mail-in voting United Kingdom as the natural place to fulfil their Chandan Singh standards: H.R. 1 requires the chief election official in each aspirations," said Kevin Foster, Minister for Future Borders CHANDIGARH: state - the secretary of state in most, but not all - to establish an and Immigration. Manjit Sidhu automatic voter registration system that gathers individuals' "The changes announced today will ensure once they have LUDHIANA: information from government databases and registers them received a gold standard qualification from one of our world A.S. Arora, unless they intentionally opt out. And it says it's the leading education institutions, they can easily secure the R.P.Sharma government's responsibility to keep that information up to status they need to continue living, working and fulfilling their JAIPUR : date, based on information from government agencies.