29th December 2024
Amid row in India, US city declares Sept 3 as Sanatana Dharma Day

Amid row in India, US city declares Sept 3 as Sanatana Dharma Day

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As a row over Tamil Nadu minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark on Sanatana Dharma has triggered a controversy in India, a city in the United States has declared September 3 as the Sanatana Dharma Day, according to a report by India Today.

According to the report, mayor of Louisville, Kentucky of the United States Craig Greenberg has declared September 3 as Sanatana Dharma Day.

During the event, spiritual leaders such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Chidanand Saraswati, president of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh and Bhagawati Saraswati were present during the event. Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman was also present.

The row in India erupted when Udhayanidhi Stalin, speaking at the Chennai conference, said ‘Sanatana’ is like malaria and dengue, which “should not be merely opposed but eradicated”.

“A few things cannot be opposed but should only be abolished. We can’t merely oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. They have to be eradicated. Rather than opposing Sanatana, it should be eradicated,” Udhayanidhi Stalin said and came under intense criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

As a result of the remark on Sanatana Dharma, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and Congress leader Priyank Kharge were booked on Wednesday for “hurting religious sentiments”. An FIR was filed on a complaint by advocates at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.

In a tit-for-tat response to DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin being booked over his rant against Sanatan Dharma, an FIR was filed against BJP’s IT cell head, Amit Malviya, for allegedly ‘spreading misinformation’ and ‘distorting’ the remarks made by the former, Trichy police said.

Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi Stalin has issued a statement over his Sanatana Dharma remark. The junior Stalin accused the saffron party leaders of “twisting” his statements and vowed: “I will face the cases filed against me legally with the guidance of the party president and on the advice of our party high command.”

Vivek Ramaswamy: If elected, Indian-American GOP presidential candidate will pardon all peaceful January 6 protesters

Vivek Ramaswamy: If elected, Indian-American GOP presidential candidate will pardon all peaceful January 6 protesters

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Vivek Ramaswamy has pledged to pardon peaceful protesters arrested for their involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. This commitment was announced after the 38-year-old Indian-American Republican presidential candidate gained public attention for criticising the US Justice Department at a Republican primary presidential debate in August.

Ramaswamy argues that the American justice system is biased. He claims that those involved in Antifa and BLM protests are treated leniently, while peaceful protesters from January 6 remain in jail without bail. This, he says, tarnishes the foundational principles of the American legal system.

Ramaswamy noted that, if elected in 2024, he would ensure the end of what he calls the “weaponisation” of police power in America. He stressed that every Republican candidate needs to be clear on such pressing issues.

On the likelihood of becoming the party’s nominee for the 2024 US elections, Ramaswamy stated that he would support Donald Trump if the former president secured the nomination.

Ramaswamy has expressed his intention to pardon Trump, who is currently facing various legal hurdles. He believes this action would contribute to uniting the country. However, he stated this is not the most crucial aspect of his presidential agenda, PTI reported.

The January 6 event saw an unprecedented storming of the US Capitol by a mob of more than 2,000 people. The riot occurred while lawmakers were certifying President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The incident has led to the most extensive police investigation in US history, with hundreds being accused of criminal offences.

Ramaswamy’s support rate
Ramaswamy’s rival in the Republican primary includes Nikki Haley, another politician of Indian-American heritage and the former Governor of South Carolina. According to a Trump Campaign opinion poll, Ramaswamy, with a 15% support rate, is currently trailing behind Trump, who has garnered 68% support. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stands in the third position at 13%.

“If China Wants To Be A Spoiler…”: US Ahead Of G20 Summit

“If China Wants To Be A Spoiler…”: US Ahead Of G20 Summit

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It is for China to decide what role it plays at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a top US official has said, asserting that if Beijing wants to come in and be a “spoiler”, that option is available to it.

US National Security Advisor Sullivan was responding to a question at a White House news conference on Tuesday on the impact of India-China border tensions on the G20 Summit.

“As far as the question of tensions between India and China affecting the (G20) summit – really that’s up to China. If China wants to come in and play the role of spoiler, of course, that option is available to them,” he said.

“What I think the Chair, India, will encourage them to do what we, the United States and every other member, virtually every other member of the G20 will do, is encourage them to come in, in a constructive way on climate, on multilateral development, bank reform, on debt relief, on technology and set aside the geopolitical questions and really focus on problem-solving and delivering for the developing countries,” Mr Sullivan said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi this week and the delegation will be led by Premier Li Qiang, China’s foreign ministry announced on Monday as it expressed Beijing’s readiness to work with all parties to make the high-profile meeting a success.

At the invitation of the Government of India, Premier of the State Council Li will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a brief statement.

India is hosting the annual G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

At the G-20 Summit, Mr Sullivan said President Joe Biden will be clear that the United States expects real progress.

“He will be clear that we need all G20 members to be constructive and at the table, with no exceptions. We’ll also be making progress on other key priorities, from climate to health to digital technology, including commitments, with respect to a more inclusive digital transformation and a responsible path and approach to AI development,” he noted.

“In addition, we’ll spotlight the progress that we’ve been making on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, or what we call PGI. We’ll have some announcements that we’re excited about. Now, we know that there will be continued focus on how the G20 deals with Russia’s illegal and ongoing war in Ukraine,” he said.

Mr Sullivan said the reality is that Russia’s illegal war has devastated social and economic consequences, and the poorest countries on the planet are bearing the brunt of it.

As he has done before, President Biden will call for a just and durable peace founded in respect for international law, principles of the UN Charter, the precepts of territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.

Mr Sullivan said Biden will continue to emphasise that the United States will support Ukraine for as long as it takes to redeem these principles.

“Last but not least, and this is important, you’ll see that the United States will make it clear that we remain committed to the G20, as a critical forum for all of the major economies of the world to come together for global problem-solving,” he told reporters.

At a moment when the international economy is suffering from historic and overlapping shocks, it is more important than ever to have a working forum with the world’s largest economies to deliver meaningful outcomes, Mr Sullivan said.

“So, in a sign of that commitment, the United States is looking forward to hosting the G20 in 2026,” he said.

Meanwhile, an eminent American expert said on Tuesday that Chian’s decision to skip the G20 Summit in New Delhi points to a troubled state of India-China relations.

Asia Society Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy Daniel Russel said Xi recently travelled to South Africa to attend a BRICS summit in person.

“So, his decision to skip this week’s G-20 in New Delhi is significant,” Russel said.

“The tensions between Delhi and Beijing, and the apparent animosity between the two leaders, seems the likeliest explanation – but we do not know. Not even offering an alibi makes it look like Xi Jinping is snubbing Modi – it points to the troubled state of PRC-Indian relations,” he said.

It is true that Chinese premier will substitute, but Li lacks the stature of past Chinese prime ministers like Zhu Rongzhi who wielded significant decision-making on economic matters, he added.

“Xi Jinping’s rationale is less clear, but the signalling from Beijing suggests that he is keeping Biden at arm’s length – and making no commitment to attend the November APEC Summit in San Francisco – in an attempt to pressure Washington into making concessions such as easing export restrictions on advanced semiconductors and equipment,” he said.

“Ironically, the absence of Putin and Xi leaves the field open to Biden to dominate the agenda as well as the airwaves. He can be expected to press for stronger measures against Russia, on clean energy transition, and on measures to deal with crushing debt among developing nations – the vast amount of which is held by China,” Russel said.

Indian-American physician-author Siddhartha Mukherjee on UK non-fiction prize longlist

Indian-American physician-author Siddhartha Mukherjee on UK non-fiction prize longlist

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Indian-American physician-author Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee’s ‘The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human’ has been longlisted for the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction category.

The New York-based cancer physician and researcher, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, will go up against 12 other authors from around the world for the annual GBP 50,000 prize (approx Rs 52,18,530), which aims to recognise and reward the best of non-fiction and is open to authors of any nationality. Mukherjee’s longlisted work has been described as at once panoramic and intimate, and the author’s “most spectacular book yet”.

“The cell is the foundational unit of life. Its discovery reshaped our understanding of our bodies and brains as never before,” note the judges with reference to the 53-year-old’s latest work.

“This revolutionised medical practice in the past and, centuries on, holds ever-greater clinical promise for the future. Mukherjee provides the definitive account of this remarkable cellular story, authoritative yet at the same time personal. He has that rarest of scientific gifts – the ability to pull back the magical curtain of complexities to reveal, like cells themselves, the foundations of life,” they said.

Others in the running include John Vaillant’s look at the reality of climate change, ‘Fire Weather’; Chris van Tulleken’s dietary warning ‘Ultra Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food…and Why Can’t We Stop?’; Nathan Thrall’s ‘A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: A Palestine Story’; Tiya Miles for ‘All That She Carried’; Katja Hoyer’s portrait of East Germany in ‘Beyond the Wall’; Jennifer Homans for ‘Mr. B: George Balanchine’s Twentieth Century’; David Grann for ‘The Wager’.

Jeremy Eichler for ‘Time’s Echo: The Second World War, The Holocaust, and The Music of Remembrance’; Christopher Clarke for ‘Revolutionary Spring: Fighting for a New World 1848-1849’; Tania Branigan’s look at China’s Cultural Revolution in ‘Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China’s Cultural Revolution’; Hannah Barnes for ‘Time to Think’; and ‘Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity’ by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson were also included.

The list of 13 books was chosen by this year’s judging panel, which includes the Literary Editor of ‘The Financial Times’ Frederick Studemann, who is also chair of the panel, along with award-winning author Andrea Wulf, theatre critic for ‘The Guardian’ Arifa Akbar, writer and historian Ruth Scurr, journalist and critic Tanjil Rashid, and Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts Andrew Haldane.

“Given the wealth of options on offer, getting to a longlist was never going to be easy. And indeed, our judging discussions were intense and rigorous – and also enjoyable and highly stimulating,” said Studemann.

“I’m delighted that the resulting longlist spans a wide range of subjects and genres – from history and science to technology and geopolitics along with a flash of swashbuckling adventure. The books on the longlist share an ability to communicate lucidly and engage with readers in an intelligent and relevant way,” he said.

The prize covers all non-fiction in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. As part of the celebrations marking the prize’s 25th anniversary, it has been announced that as well as the winning author receiving GBP 50,000, the other shortlisted authors will receive GBP 5,000 (up from GBP 1,000), bringing the total prize value up to GBP 75,000.

The announcement of the six books shortlisted for this year’s prize will take place on October 8 in a live event at England’s annual Cheltenham Literature Festival, and the winner will be awarded on November 16 at a ceremony at the Science Museum in London.

Green Card backlog: Over 1 lakh Indians in US risk being separated from parents

Green Card backlog: Over 1 lakh Indians in US risk being separated from parents

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Over one lakh Indian children in the United States are at risk of being separated from their parents due to a backlog in the process of granting Green Cards.

More than 10.7 lakh Indians are in queue for employment-based Green Cards, which offer legal permanent residency in the United States.

Considering the huge pendency of cases and the 7 per cent cap on each country, the process is likely to take more than 135 years to be completed at the current numbers.

By the time the Green Card applications get processed, as many as 1.34 lakh Indian children, who are under the H-4 visa, will age out, a recent study by David J Bier, an immigration studies expert at the Cato Institute, stated. This will lead to forced separation from their parents.

The Cato Institute is a Washington, DC-based libertarian think tank.

Even when dropping-out factors, like death and aging out, are considered, the wait time is nothing less than 54 years.

AGING OUT LEADS TO SEPARATION FROM PARENTS
Children who move to the US from other countries stay there under the H-4 visa, which is a nonimmigrant visa for the spouses and children of H-1B visa holders. H1B visas are temporary work visas for highly skilled workers.

However, when the children turn 21, they are no longer allowed to stay in the United States under the H-4 visa category.

These children, who are sometimes referred to as “documented dreamers”, then have two options.

The first is to secure an F-1 or a student visa. This visa allows them to study in the US, but they are not allowed to work without obtaining an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD).

The EAD application process can be lengthy and expensive. There is no guarantee that these children will be able to obtain an F-1 visa, as only a limited number of children manage to get it.

The second is to self-deport to their home country. This can be a difficult and emotional decision, especially for children who came to the US as kids and have grown up there with little or no connection with their family in India.

UNCERTAINITY AMONG INDIAN FAMILIES IN US
This age limit of H-4 visas and the decades-long pendency in the Green Card process has become a major source of uncertainty and anxiety for many Indian families settled in the US.

The Biden administration has proposed a rule that would allow certain H-4 visa holders who turn 21 to remain in the United States and work, but it is unclear if and when this rule will be implemented. Biden had also promised to change the 7 per cent country cap for Green Cards