by Hind Himalaya Staff | Sep 25, 2023 | Indian-American
Reading Time: 2 minutesAs hip-hop turns 50 , Indian-American DJ-producer KSHMR and rapper-producer Raftaar have joined forces for their debut collaboration titled ‘Legacy’, the third track from KSHMR’s much-awaited Indian hip-hop album ‘Karam’.
Raftaar showcases his lyrical prowess as he raps about the importance of legacy and how a person should masterfully build towards his legacy for empowerment of future generations.
KSHMR stated: ‘Raftaar was at the top of the list of rappers in the Indian scene I wanted to work with. We went back and forth over virtual meetings, where I told him about the concept of my forthcoming album KARAM’s storyline and how each track on it tells a different piece of that story. We landed on our song being the last track of the album, a reflection on the main character’s death, which I knew Dilin could perfectly execute with his lyrical intensity.
‘I was blown away to find he’s a great producer as well. As the beat took shape, he offered lots of input as to its production and even added his own elements in Ableton. We recorded the final vocals in a Mumbai studio together and it was an honor to witness his iconic voice firsthand.’
Raftaar shared that the word legacy holds a potent value in our hip hop culture.
‘I am glad to have worked on this track with KSHMR. Whilst creating this track, I was constantly thinking about how do I want to be eventually remembered in time to come and what is the kind of heritage I want left behind to motivate a hundred other artists.
‘Legacy these days is such an overlooked concept and this track is a reminder to everyone that if you hustle hard, you don’t do it for the fame and money only, you do it to build something much bigger than yourself, something for the community.’
by Hind Himalaya Staff | Aug 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2 minutesAn Indian-American curator, who worked with the Worcester Art Museum, is suing the establishment for “mocking” her brown skin tone and subjecting her to “hostile” work environment.
Rachel Parikh filed a 64-page lawsuit in Worcester County Superior Court last month, alleging that she was “mocked and ridiculed because she is a brown-skinned South Asian” Indian woman and “subjected to a hostile and offensive work environment”.
Parikh resigned from her job as associate curator of the arts of Asia and the Islamic world with the museum last fall, radio service WBUR reported.
In the civil lawsuit, Parikh detailed a slew of allegations against Director Matthias Waschek, as well as Parikh’s supervisor, Claire Whitner.
The complaint said Parikh endured “racism and unwelcome and offensive behaviour” on multiple occasions, including while she worked inside the museum and attended social gatherings at Waschek’s invitation, and as she sought to report the alleged incidents.
The complaint further said that Whitner, at Waschek’s request, allegedly also told Parikh about a year after she was hired to “look the part” of a curator, suggesting she “zhush up” her look and “wear makeup, perhaps little earrings, a necklace, a ruffled blouse” to work.
“WAM’s (Worcester Art Museum) employee handbook does not require curators to do any of the things that Ms Whitner stated she and Mr Waschek felt Dr Parikh must do,” the complaint read.
Parikh said comments were also made over brunch with Waschek and his husband in November 2021 and at a dinner at the pair’s home in March of 2022.
She said both men asked intrusive questions about her cultural heritage, referencing a ‘90s British television show that featured an Indian family.
More than once, Parikh alleges, the two white men imitated an Indian accent while discussing the show, WBUR reported.
A public relations firm shared a statement from Waschek in which he called the accounts of his and his husband’s actions in the complaint “patently false” and “staggering”.
An outside consultancy firm hired to probe Parikh’s claims of harassment and retaliation said in its final report in July 2022 that it could not substantiate Parikh’s claims with other colleagues, but found her statements “credible”.
“I believe the museum did its due diligence in investigating Dr Parikh’s claims. She did not bring any of these allegations to me until the day she resigned,” WBUR quoted Whitner as saying.
She called her work experiences mentally exhausting and said the stress took a physical toll.
“I buried myself in my work, because I really enjoy being a curator… But the day-to-day was incredibly difficult, because I was constantly on edge. I was just waiting for a comment to be made or something to happen,” Parikh said.
Parikh quit shortly after the investigation, saying in her notice that the museum failed to uphold its own policies, according to the complaint.
“It took me back to a place where I was, you know, a kid and being bullied for being brown, basically,” she told WBUR.
The complaint describes Parikh as “an expert in South Asian and Islamic art with a focus on works on paper as well as arms and armor”. Her parents emigrated to the US from India in 1979, and she was born and raised in Chicago.
by Hind Himalaya Staff | Aug 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSamantha Ruth Prabhu is the most popular actress in India and she is making us proud by representing the country at the 41st Annual India Day Parade which is held in New York. The India Day Parade is being organized by a leading diaspora organization, the Federation of India Association in New York. Moreover, the actress has previously expressed her feelings about New York being very special to her which plays a very significant role in her career.
In recent pictures that surfaced on an Instagram handle, Samantha can be seen with the mayor of New York City Mayor Eric Adam as the powerhouse actor meets with the head of New York City with extreme warmth and grace. As they both look absolutely stunning, they were seen sharing smiles and making heart gestures that indeed say a lot about the great bond between the two nations.
It’s a matter of tremendous honor to see the actress who yet again has topped the list as ‘Ormax’s Most Popular Indian Actress’, this month as well, after continuing the achievement spree for almost two years now. She is undoubtedly the biggest name in actress across India. No one but Samantha is a better fit to represent India at an International forum to celebrate India’s Independence Day.
On the work front, Samantha has 2 big releases scheduled ahead with Kushi and Citadel.
by Hind Himalaya Staff | Aug 21, 2023 | Indian-American
Reading Time: 2 minutesVivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-origin American entrepreneur is running for the 2024 presidential election. The Republican candidate is making heads turn with his ideology and actions.
Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy, an Indian-origin American entrepreneur is running for the 2024 presidential election. The Cincinnati-born 38-year-old was born on August 9, 1985, to Hindu Tamil Brahmin immigrant parents.
His family immigrated from Palakkad, Kerala where they had an ancestral home. Growing up, Vivek attended a Catholic school affiliated with the Jesuit order.
Apart from being a devoted Hindu, Vivek is a vegetarian, believes in one god and is absolutely fluent in his mother language Tamil. He is married to Apoorva Ramaswamy, a physician he met during his law years at Yale. He shares two sons with his wife.
Careerwise, Vivek co-founded Campus Venture Network, a social networking website for university students who aspired to launch businesses in 2007, along with working at the hedge fund QVT Financial till 2014.
In 2014, he founded a biotechnology firm Roivant Sciences, that purchased medicinal patents and brought medicines into the market. He stepped down as the CEO of the company in 2021 but still remains the sixth-largest shareholder in it.
While he announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections on Tucker Carlson Tonight on February 21, 2023, Vivek’s political career has been building up for years. He supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election and has made significant political contributions to both Republicans and Democrats.
During his political campaign for the presidential post, Vivek has made heads turn with his unique ideology and eloquence.
While LGBTQ+ While he announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections on Tucker Carlson Tonight on February 21, 2023, Vivek’s political career has been building up for years. He supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election and has made significant political contributions to both Republicans and Democrats.
During his political campaign for the presidential post, Vivek has made heads turn with his unique ideology and eloquence.
While LGBTQ+ and gender in essence have been emphatic points of discussion in the US for the last few years, Vivek is of the view that there are only two genders and is vocally against the ‘tyranny of the minority’ as in forcing children to acknowledge the gender variations that exist for adults.
As a part of his campaign, he also proposed to raise the voting age from 18 to 25. In July this year, he detailed his plans of abolishing the FBI, Department of Education and Nuclear Regulatory Commission all of which he believes have been corrupted and can not be reformed. and gender in essence have been emphatic points of discussion in the US for the last few years, Vivek is of the view that there are only two genders and is vocally against the ‘tyranny of the minority’ as in forcing children to acknowledge the gender variations that exist for adults.
As a part of his campaign, he also proposed to raise the voting age from 18 to 25. In July this year, he detailed his plans of abolishing the FBI, Department of Education and Nuclear Regulatory Commission all of which he believes have been corrupted and can not be reformed.
Additionally, he also plans to achieve peace in Ukraine and stop the China-Russia military alliance, just like President Nixon did in 1972.
by Hind Himalaya Staff | Aug 21, 2023 | Indian-American
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe world’s largest ‘India Day Parade’ outside India kicked off on Sunday afternoon in New York City, with the celebration witnessing huge floats and marching groups comprising members of the Indian-American community.
Supporting the spectacle were several members of the diaspora including spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Jacqueline Fernandez and New York City Mayor Eric Adam.
The parade began at 12 pm (local time) at 38th Street and Madison Avenue in New York. It was organized by the Federation of India Association in New York as part of the 41st World Largest India Day Parade.
With many holding the Indian tricolour and dressed in celebratory attire, and performers dancing and playing drums, the parade served as a vibrant convergence of cultures, patriotism, and shared values that unite India and America.
Actor Jacqueline Fernandez, during the parade, was seen waving the Indian tricolour.
Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General of India in New York, also joined the parade. He said that India and the United States have shared democratic values and that the message of India is that they want to be a “force for global good.”
This year’s tagline is “Mission Life”, the same name as a mass movement launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Mission life is lifestyle about the environment. We want to tell the world that we must change our behavioural habits. We must change the way we live if we care about the planet,” Jaiswal said.
He further added that the global community is celebrating the year of millets which are considered superfoods that can also help the planet because they can be grown with less water than other foods.
Regarding Mission Life, PM Modi highlighted that climate change goes beyond only government responsibility and needs contributions from individual, families and communities. The Prime Minister underlined that Mission LiFE makes the fight against climate change democratic, in which everyone can contribute with their respective capacities.
Samantha, who will next be seen in the movie ‘Kushi’ with Vijay Deverakonda, called it an honour to witness such a rich representation of Indian culture and heritage.
“It is truly an honour for me to be here today…you have made me realise how rich my culture and heritage is and what I have seen today will last me for a lifetime. Thank you for all the support through the years. Thank you USA for supporting every film of mine,” Samantha said.
Many Indian celebrities have been invited to the parade in the past; including Arjun Rampal, Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sunny Deol, Allu Arjun, and Raveena Tandon.
