7th June 2025
Indian-origin Sikh woman sworn in as Connecticut’s first assistant police chief

Indian-origin Sikh woman sworn in as Connecticut’s first assistant police chief

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Indian-American

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Indian-origin Sikh Manmeet Colon has been sworn in as first assistant police chief of Connecticut’s New Haven city, becoming the department’s first Indian-American and second woman assistant chief of colour to rise to the top position.

The Board of Police Commissioners in New Haven unanimously approved the appointment of Colon, 37, who was previously a lieutenant in the internal affairs office, The New Haven Independent reported.

Mumbai-born Colon moved with her family to Queens when she was 11, and studied criminal justice at the University of New Haven.

Colon hoped that her status as the department’s first Indian-American assistant chief inspires others from similar backgrounds to pursue careers in law enforcement.

“I come from a Sikh family. I speak Punjabi. I’m very proud of my heritage,” Colon was quoted as saying in The New Haven Independent.

“More important is the mission and the values of the department. To me, it’s all about being fair and impartial. My background, my morals, my family values and traditions. I feel like I bring a lot to the table. I’m glad there’s a space for me at the table,” she added.

Colon’s daughter pinned the new assistant chief badge on her mother’s uniform, as Mayor Justin Elicker then administered the oath of office earlier this month.

“A trailblazer, AC Colon is the 2nd woman of colour & the 1st of Indian descent to serve in the position in the history of the NHPD – and I’m confident she will continue to serve our city w/honor & distinction in this new role,” Elicker tweeted.

Spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in U.S., says judge

Spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in U.S., says judge

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Immigration

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a big relief for foreign workers in the U.S. tech sector, a judge has ruled that spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in the United States.

In the process, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed a lawsuit filed by Save Jobs USA which had approached the court to dismiss the Obama-era regulation that gave employment authorization cards to spouses of certain categories of H-1B visa holders.

Tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft had opposed the lawsuit. The U.S. has so far issued nearly 1,00,000 work authorizations to spouses of H-1B workers, a significantly large number of whom are Indians.

In her order, Judge Chutkan said the primary contention of Save Jobs USA is that Congress has never granted the Department of Homeland Security authority to allow foreign nationals, like H-4 visa-holders, to work during their stay in the United States.

But that contention runs headlong into the text of the Immigration and Nationality Act, decades of executive-branch practice and both explicit and implicit congressional ratification of that practice, she wrote.

The judge wrote that Congress has expressly and knowingly empowered the U.S. Government to authorize employment as a permissible condition of an H-4 spouse’s stay in the United States.

The fact that the federal government has had longstanding and open responsibility for authorizing employment for similar visa classes further manifests Congress’ approval of it exercising that authority, she said.

The Department of Homeland Security and its predecessors have authorized employment not just for students, but also for their spouses and dependents, Judge Chutkan wrote in the ruling.

Also, the Department of Homeland Security has long extended work authorization to spouses of foreign government officials and spouses of employees or officers of international organizations, the judge wrote as she dismissed the lawsuit filed by Save Jobs USA.

Ajay Bhutoria, a prominent community leader and advocate for immigrant rights, has applauded the decision by the court to allow H1B spouses to work and support their families.

The H1B visa programme is designed to allow skilled foreign workers to come to the United States and work for American companies. However, until recently, H1B spouses were not allowed to work, which often placed a significant financial burden on families, he said.

“With the court’s decision to allow H1B visa holders’ spouses to work, thousands of families across the country will be able to breathe a little easier. This decision will provide much-needed relief to families who have been struggling to make ends meet and it will help to ensure that these families can stay together and thrive,” Mr. Bhutoria said.

“Allowing H1B spouses to work is not just a matter of economic fairness, but it is also a matter of family unity and stability. I applaud the court’s decision, and I hope that this is just the first step towards a more compassionate and equitable immigration system,” he said.

Save Jobs USA said it plans to appeal against the court ruling.

Indian-American entrepreneur donates USD 1M to Hindu University of America

Indian-American entrepreneur donates USD 1M to Hindu University of America

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Indian-American

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Indian American businessman Ramesh Bhutada has donated USD 1 million to the Florida-based Hindu University of America, the only institution in the US whose mission is to provide education based on Hindu philosophy.

This is the highest donation received by the Hindu University of America (HUA) which was established in 1989 and authorized by the Florida State Government in 1993.

Bhutada, the CEO of Houston-based Star Pipe Products, said he made the donation so that the youth can gain the knowledge and understanding of Hinduism much earlier in life, enabling them to live a happy and productive life.

Bhutada was felicitated by HUA at an event in Houston.

Despite being born and raised in a traditional Hindu family and being a member of several prominent Hindu organizations and traditions, Bhutada claimed that he “did not really understand the essence of Hinduism”.

It took him 60 years to understand the true essence of Hinduism “which teaches us how to live in harmony within ourselves, with our family, friends, colleagues, and with the entire world,” the university said in a release.

“Other universities may impart knowledge for students to earn a livelihood. Only an institution like HUA can impart Hindu knowledge that teaches a student how to live their life,” it said.

HUA president Kalyan Viswanathan urged the Hindu community to “come together to build a Hindu university that lasts a 1,000 years just like the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur which has stood strong for over 1,000 years or like the Nalanda University that was a beacon of knowledge to the world for 1,700 years before it was destroyed.”

The university’s chairman Ved Nanda said that HUA “will seek to become an authoritative voice in the academic domain for all matters pertaining to Hindu Dharma, not only in the United States but also globally.”

Kapil Dev hopeful of cricket reaching great heights in USA

Kapil Dev hopeful of cricket reaching great heights in USA

by | Mar 29, 2023 | Sports

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Cricket is still in its infancy in the US but the legendary Kapil Dev is hopeful of the game reaching great heights in the future.

“I hope one day America will take this game to the level where no country has seen,” Kapil said at an event held to launch of Indian American Unity Cricket League, which would be held later this year.

At the event attended by Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva announced that the Indian American Unity Cricket League will be held in September.

Among others it was attended by Congressman Seth Maganizer and Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar.

The lawmakers began event by playing cricket.

On the occasion the organisers felicitated several Indian Americans with life time achievement awards for their contribution to the society.

Grammarly announces Rahul Roy Chowdhury as its new CEO

Grammarly announces Rahul Roy Chowdhury as its new CEO

by | Mar 29, 2023 | Indian-American

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Grammarly, the San Francisco-based company that provides assistance in writing English including Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and plagiarism check, announced Indian origin Rahul Roy Chowdhury as its new CEO from May 1, 2023. Currently, he is serving as the global head of product.

Taking to Twitter, Rahul Roy said that he joined Grammarly two years ago with a mission to improve lives by improving communication.

“I joined @Grammarly two years ago because of a deep belief in our mission to improve lives by improving communication. I’m honored to serve that mission in a new capacity as Grammarly’s CEO, starting May 1. We’re just getting started!” he wrote in a tweet.

Brad Hoover, current Grammarly CEO made the announcement on the company’s official website. He described Rahul Roy as ‘mission-driven’ and ‘fiercely user-focused’.

“Rahul’s product and technology background is a tremendous asset, and he is well-positioned to help us navigate the path ahead. Rahul is also mission-driven and fiercely user-focused, and his experience and learnings from building Chrome into a platform can help us move faster at scale,” he said.

Hoover further highlighted Rahul’s contribution to Grammarly during his two years as a global head of product.

“During his two years at Grammarly, Rahul has focused on driving excellence and helped us up-level as a company. He has pushed our thinking and driven the organization forward with clarity, keen judgment, and sound decision-making,” the company’s CEO stated.

“Under Rahul’s leadership, we also took a big step forward with our product, increasing quality and introducing solutions to help beyond the revision stage of communication,” he added.

Before joining Grammarly, Rahul Roy Chowdhury worked with Google for 14 years. He was the vice president of product management when he left the tech giant and joined the Francisco-based company.