www.theindianpanorama.news # 1 Indian American Weekly: Since 2006 VOL 14 ISSUE 49 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● DEC 04 - 10, 2020 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 America Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhdev Singh UNITED against Dhindsa return Padma awards COVID-19 in protest against farm laws KEEP SAFE ● Follow CDC guidelines ● Observe Social Distancing "Most painful and embarrassing moment in my long political career": Prakash Singh Badal ● Wash Hands Frequently NEW DELHI / NEW YORK (TIP): Former Union Minister KEEP AMERICA SAFE and five-time Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Badal on Thursday, December 3, returned the Padma Vibhushan award in protest against "the betrayal of the farmers by the Government of India." In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, Badal said he was returning the award due to "the shocking indifference and contempt with which the government was treating the ongoing peaceful and democratic agitation of the farmers against the will bring out a three farm Acts". SPECIAL NEW YEAR EDITION Incidentally, SAD (Democratic) chief and rebel Rajya Sabha on January 1, 2021. member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has also announced that he News and articles for publication would be returning his Padma Bhushan award. Dhindsa was may please be submitted presented the Padma Bhushan-third highest civilian award -by by December 23, 2020 President Kovind last year for his contribution in the field of to [email protected] public affairs. Welcoming the decision of the Akali stalwart, Space for advertisements may Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said it was the outcome of the Prakash Singh Badal and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, once allies of BJP , please be booked growing public pressure and mass movement against the farm by December 20, 2020. have returned their Padma awards in protest against "the betrayal of bills. contd on page 2 the farmers by the Government of India." Please email to [email protected] Moratorium on federal student Indian American Gitanjali The agitating farmers in India get huge loan payments extended Rao is the first ever support from Indian Americans through end of January WASHINGTON (TIP): Education A section of Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday, TIME "Kid of the Year" protesters on December 4, extended the suspension of 5th Avenue in front of the federal student loan payments through Indian Consulate the end of January,giving Congress and in New York on the incoming Biden administration December 5 time to impose a longer moratorium, Photo / The Washington Post reported. Courtesy contd on page 2 Gurinder Hothi I.S. SALUJA The first week of December witnessed in New York and New Jersey enthusiastic support for agitating NEW YORK (TIP): 15-year-old Indian farmers in India, and a damning American Gitanjali Rao, a "brilliant" condemnation of Modi government's young scientist and inventor, has been anti-farm sector policies. named by TIME magazine as the first- States of New York and New Jersey ever 'Kid of the Year' for her on the East Coast have a sizeable "astonishing work" using technology to population of Indian Americans , many tackle issues ranging from of whom come from farming families. contd on page 2 contd on page 6 THE INDIAN PANORAMA TURN PAGE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020 02 CONTD FROM PAGE 1 national Capital from all over the country, leaving their fields, crops and even their families and travelled long distances - thousands of kilometers in some cases - to get the attention of PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER: Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhdev... their own government. Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja "The BJP leadership should be gracious enough to respect (Read full story at www.theindinapanorama.news) VICE PRESIDENT: the larger sentiments and call up the Akali stalwart to find a Chitagam Saluja way forward in solving the farmers' agitation". He also welcomed the announcement by Sukhdev Singh CHIEF EDITOR: Dhindsa to return the Padma Bhushan. Indian American Gitanjali Rao is the... Prof Indrajit S. Saluja The full text of Parkash Singh Badal's letter: contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and CONSULTING EDITOR : cyberbullying. Deepak Dwidedi, Chairman, Honorable Rashtarpati ji, "The world belongs to those who shape it. And however Bhaskar Group, Delhi I write this letter to return the Padma Vibhushan award in uncertain that world may feel at a given moment, the ASSISTANT EDITOR: protest against the betrayal of the farmers by the Government reassuring reality seems to be that each new generation Bidisha Roy of India and against the shocking indifference and contempt produces more of what these kids have already achieved: SPL. REPORTER UNO: with which the Govt is treating the ongoing peaceful and positive impact, in all sizes," Time said. H.S. Panaser democratic agitation of the farmers against the Farm Acts. Ms Rao was selected from a field of more than 5,000 GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: When the Government of India had brought the Ordnances, nominees as TIME's first-ever 'Kid of the Year'. She was assurances were given that the farmers' apprehensions on interviewed by actor and activist Angelina Jolie for the TIME Om Parkash Malik these Ordinances would be addressed to their satisfaction special. DIRECTOR while bringing the relevant Bills and subsequently the Acts. "Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate," ADMINISTRATION: Trusting these assurances, I even appealed to the farmers to Ms Rao told about her process during a virtual talk with Ms Gauri Beri believe the Government's word. But I was shocked when the Jolie from her home in Colorado. CONTRIBUTING Government simply went back on its word. She spoke about her "astonishing work using technology to PHOTOGRAPHERS: That was the most painful and embarrassing moment in my tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to Baldev Singh / BJ Videos long political career. I just cannot put in words the emotional opioid addiction and cyberbullying, and about her mission to Gunjesh Desai / Masala Junction stress which I have been going through since then. I have truly create a global community of young innovators to solve Jay Mandal, begun to wonder why has the Government of the country problems the world over. Mohammad Jaffer, become so heartless, so cynical and so ungrateful towards the "Even over video chat, her brilliant mind and generous spirit SnapsIndia farmers. shone through, along with her inspiring message to other Mohammad Shahzad, While writing this letter to you, I am conscious that I address young people: don't try to fix every problem, just focus on one Zia Khan, myself to a President who presides over the destiny of a that excites you," Time said. Nisha Rani population 70% of whom are farmers. For over 70 years, these "If I can do it," she said in the interview, "anybody can do it." Vaaho Photographers, farmers have been serving the country as its "Annadata" with Ms Rao said her generation is facing many problems that Vijay Shah - Photo Journalist. the most selfless and self-effacing humility. they have never seen before. CORRESPONDENTS : I hardly need repeat that the country owes a huge and almost "But then at the same time, we're facing old problems that SACRAMENTO: irrepayable debt to them. When the country faced hunger and still exist. Like, we're sitting here in the middle of a new global Parminder S. Aujla humiliation in the sixties, having to beg for food in world pandemic, and we're also like still facing human-rights issues. NEW YORK : capitals, the Government turned to the farmers to pull it out of There are problems that we did not create but that we now have Chitagam starvation. The farmer responded so heartily that in a matter to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with the of three years, he turned the country from a food-begging to a introduction of technology," she said. FRESNO: food exporting country. "I think more than anything right now, we just need to find Tarlochan Singh The tide was turned principally by Punjab with Green that one thing we're passionate about and solve it. Even if it's DALLAS: Revolution. But in the process, he sacrificed the only two something as small as, I want to find an easy way to pick up Harjit Dhesi, Amarjit Dhillon natural assets he had: soil fertility and water. litter. Everything makes a difference. Don't feel pressured to OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTS Today however, the same farmer finds himself forced to come up with something big," she said. LONDON wage bitter struggles just to secure his fundamental right to When asked when she knew that science was her passion, Ms Nirpal Singh Shergill live . The three Acts fell as bolts from the blue on the already Rao said, she always wanted to put a smile on someone's face. beleaguered peasantry of the country. "That was my everyday goal, just to make someone happy.And SPL CORRESPONDENT Now, the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of farmers it soon turned into, how can we bring positivity and DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: crying out for justice in one voice in the national capital would community to the place we live?" she added. Ashishpal Singh have moved any other nation or its government. Tragically, no Ms Rao said that she doesn't look like "your typical scientist. CHANDIGARH: such sensitivity towards the farmers' pain and anger is visible Everything I see on TV is that it's an older, usually white man Manjit Sidhu here. I am sure that as the first Citizen of our great country as a scientist. It's weird to me that it was almost like people had LUDHIANA: and a conscientious public figure, you would be fully aware and assigned roles, regarding like their gender, their age, the color A.S. Arora, perhaps as deeply concerned about these developments as I of their skin." R.P.Sharma have been.