Tag: Indian-Americans

COVID-19: Several Indian-American doctors in the frontline

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Lying on a hospital bed in New York, Dr Madhvi Aya could only exchange text messages with her husband and daughter. She was not able to meet them one last time.

The 61-year-old woman, who died last week, was afflicted with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while treating a positive patient in March.

Aya, who moved to the US along with her husband in 1994, is among the several Indian-American doctors who are in the frontline in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Aya’s text messages and her family’s account of her final days reveal a woman who spent much of her life devoted to medicine before succumbing to the cruel and familiar arc of a patient with COVID-19,” reported local Sun-Sentinel.

Indian American community leaders say that quite a number of Indian American doctors have been infected during this once-in-a-century public health crisis.

The number could be in several dozens and several of the Indian-American physicians have succumbed to coronavirus. A majority of them are said to be from New York and New Jersey.

Dr Rajat Gupta (name changed) was attending a coronavirus patient in the emergency room of a hospital in New Jersey early this month. A few moments later, the patient threw up. It hit his face with a force.

Gupta fell ill and he tested positive for coronavirus. Despite best efforts, doctors could not save his live, adding to the growing list of Indian-Americans who have died due to COVID-19.

“It’s hard to know the exact number of infected one,” Ravi Kolli, secretary of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), told PTI. “There are at least 10 (Indian American doctors) who are critically ill.”

One of the largest doctor’s organisations of its kind, the AAPI represents more than 80,000 Indian-American doctors, who constitute the largest ethnic group of physicians in the US.

“AAPI members, as a group, are over-represented in all the hotspot areas, as well as caring for underserved populations,” he said.

Early this week, Indian American nephrologist Priya Khanna, 43, died in a New Jersey hospital. Her father Satyendra Khanna (78), a general surgeon, has tested positive and is said to be in a critical condition in the intensive care unit in the same hospital.

“Indian-American physicians are the real heroes. Many have become positive in the process, some have died, some are in ICU now and some are recuperating at home,” AAPI vice president Dr Anupama Gotimukula said.

Community leaders are praying for Dr Ajay Lodha, a former AAPI president, who has tested positive for COVID-19, has been hospitalised and now is in ICU in a New York hospital.

Gastroenterologist Dr Anjana Samadder from Ohio, wife of former AAPI president Dr Gautam Sammader is also reported to be battling for her life. Another prominent Indian American physician Dr Sunil Mehra is said to be in serious condition.

“They are bravely leading the enormous challenge of fighting COVID 19 pandemic at their own personal risk without a second thought, which speaks volumes for their compassion, commitment and sense of duty,” Kolli said.

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Asian American are least impacted by coronavirus among various ethnic groups. According to a CDC data that was recently updated, they account for nearly 4.4 percent of the total infected cases.

The virus has killed more than 40,000 people in the US and over 7,63,000 have tested positive.

Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi expressed his gratitude to the physicians and other healthcare professionals for their dedication to the nation, for helping all to cope with the situation, guaranteeing the wellbeing of all”.

“The healthcare workers have been feeling vulnerable as the disease can affect them and their family members and sense of duty to serve at the same time,” said Dr Jayesh Shah.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19 crisis: Indiaspora raises $800,000 for food security in US and India

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

As coronavirus continues to ravage nations around the world, the loss is not only in human life but also in the very fabric of existence, the fundamentals of food and health, of a livelihood. While Americans wait for the federal government’s stimulus package to get their lives restarted, many individuals and institutions are already lending a hand in trying to bring normalcy.

A group of Indian-American entrepreneurs brought together by Indiaspora, a DC-based community organization, donated $500,000 for food security in both India and the US in an initiative called ChaloGive for COVID-19 (www.chalogive.org). Within a week this figure has escalated to $800,000 and counting, with a goal of raising one million dollars. All funding will address the food emergency brought on by the pandemic.

MR Rangaswami, founder and chairman of the board of Indiaspora, recalls that the mandate was to do something immediately that was high impact and scalable, and which would help both America and India. He says, “The feeling was we made our wealth here and this is where we should take care of people – right now there are 22 million unemployed so it’s a big issue. But we also wanted to do something for the migrant workers in India who are really hurting at this time.”

The noted chef Floyd Cardoz who passed away from COVID-19 was a great humanitarian who had gone down to Louisiana during the Hurricane Katrina to cook for the people. This inspired Rangaswami and his team to think about the power of food for those who had lost their income during the pandemic.

Indeed, one of the most pressing and urgent challenges facing both the US and India right now is hunger, which was a deciding factor in Indiaspora’s new ChaloGive campaign.

The money is being allocated to two major organizations, Feeding America and Goonj in the United States and India, respectively. According to Feeding America, which is the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, more than 37 million people face food insecurity, with food banks struggling to meet a massive increase in need. In India, nearly 140 million migrant workers have been displaced and remain in dire need of food and other essentials.

“This year, the COVID-19 crisis is driving more of our neighbors into food insecurity and putting a strain on food banks to provide more meals. Never has the charitable food system faced such tremendous challenge,” says Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. Two Indian-Americans are part of Feeding America – Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former US Surgeon-General is on the board of Feeding America, while Indra Nooyi serves on its Food Security Council.

Both Murthy and Nooyi are ambassadors of the ChaloGive campaign along with philanthropists Rohini and Nandan Nilekani, actor and social activist Nandita Das, Atul Satija, CEO of Give India, and Raj and Aradhana Asava, founders of #HungerMitao.

Goonj is the India partner which is noted for its innovative work amongst vulnerable communities. It is headed by Anshu Gupta, a social entrepreneur who received the Magsaysay Award for transforming the culture of giving in India.

Rangaswami says, “What really attracted us to the Goonj model was their secret sauce – their logistics and supply chain which can transport the food from large metros to rural communities and villages.” Goonj will be providing ration kits for migrant workers and their families, consisting of 10 kilos of rice, oil, spices, soap and personal hygiene products, delivered to 14 states.

Sunil Wadhwani, one of the early pioneers of the IT industry, is the founder of the WISH Foundation and a donor to this initiative. He points out that many Indian-Americans have been affected by the pandemic as they are in the hospitality industry, both as entrepreneurs and workers. In this hard-hit industry, many people have lost their jobs.

He says, “And when you look at India, the situation is even more challenging over there. As you know 90 percent of workers in India work in what’s called the informal sector. There are over 100 million migrant workers in India, and virtually all of them have lost their jobs and they have very little in the way of savings.”

Anand Rajaraman is a major funder of the ChaloGive campaign. He founded rocketship.vc and is a co-founder of Junglee and brings his experience from the business world to the nonprofit world. He says, “As an entrepreneur you cannot hope to solve all the problems of the world or try to deal with all the challenges created by the COVID scenario. You have to pick on one and focus on that.”

Sejal Hathi, who is on the board of Indiaspora, is a resident physician working in the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, where her team is battling the coronavirus crisis. As she says, “We may stand at the medical front lines of this pandemic, but a dire humanitarian crisis is unfolding at another front line, our country’s food banks and soup kitchens, where unprecedented numbers of our most vulnerable patients are seeking help even as these centers face their own major shortages.

“Our individual health — and our global resilience to this pandemic — depends just as much on maintaining these communities’ food security as it does on expanding our hospital capacity. That is the mandate of Indiaspora’s ChaloGive campaign: ensuring as many people as possible have access to the nutrition they need to stay healthy, and safe, outside of the hospital.”

Wadhwani recognises that many people are doing their best to help, and Indiaspora is a vehicle to ensure that their money will reach where it is needed.

“So this is a time when all of us who have some measure of financial stability in our lives to step up and give help, whether it’s in the US, whether it’s in India. But my only thought is – now is the time for all of us to step up and do the best we can.”

Stressing on the immediacy of the crisis, he adds one final thought: “If not now, then when? If not us, then who?”

Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina. 

Read her columns here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna in White House coronavirus advisory council

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has been appointed to the White House Coronavirus Advisory Council.

Khanna is the only Indian-American lawmaker to be named to the White House’s Opening Up America Again Congressional Group which comprises Congressmen and Senators from both the Republican and the Democratic parties.

The first meeting of the group was held Thursday over a phone call.

The dialogue included a range of topics, namely the need for additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, the international and domestic supply chains, ways to energize the economy, surprise medical billing, clarifying the difference between essential and non-essential workers, mental health, and relief for small businesses, the White House said in a readout of the call.

Additionally, the Opening Up America Again Congressional Group discussed the rapidly expanding access to COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody tests, ventilators, face masks, and other PPE kits.

President Trump was pleased to hear such positive feedback from the members about the work that the administration is doing to keep America healthy and prosperous, and thanked them for their participation, it said.

Khanna said that as a member of the Council, he will continue to fight to get working class Americans the relief they need to make it to the other side of COVID-19.

“I will call for massive investment in advanced manufacturing, in innovative scientific advancement, and in smart technology, he said.

“Already, we have seen that America was too dependent for crucial medical equipment and electronics on China, Germany and other nations. Like Eisenhower did during the Cold War, we can reshape the future of American industry to rebuild our economy if we harness the power of American innovation,” Khanna said.

The American people need action, support, and direction from the federal government. The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program just ran out of the funds to keep Main Street afloat. Millions of Americans are filing for unemployment every week, he said.

“That’s why I, along with several of my Democratic colleagues, decided to accept President Trump’s invitation to serve on the White House Coronavirus Advisory Council,” Khanna said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Battling Coronavirus: Heroic first-responders on the frontline

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

As coronavirus continues to ravage American cities with over 424,000 cases and 145,000 deaths, New York City reached a sad distinction – of over 799 deaths in a single day. This once vibrant ‘center of the universe’ is today a dismal ghost town with empty streets, shuttered stores and restaurants and with only a sprinkling of people, masked and gloved, out for any urgent matters.

You hear the constant wail of the ambulance siren and the sheer loss of lives in New York weighs heavy on every resident.

Yet at 7 pm the city comes alive with the clatter of banging utensils, musical instruments and clapping of hands as people gather at their windows and doors to salute the real heroes behind the coronavirus battle – the tenacious and devoted healthcare workers – the physicians, nurses and staff in the hospitals for whom there is no respite, and many of whom have themselves got infected with the virus while rescuing others. It is for them that the cars honk, and the people clap at precisely 7 pm every single day.

The Empire State building is suffused with red lights in honor of the emergency care workers; six BAPS temples from Atlanta to New Jersey are all lit up in blue to honor the healthcare workers and responders, and the organization has donated over 18,000 N95 respiratory masks to hospitals.

Sikh gurudwaras have been donating thousands of meals. Restaurants, themselves shell-shocked and shut down, are paying tribute to the selfless first responders by providing meals to hospitals. Children are each contributing a portion of a giant poster to thank first responders.

In a multicultural city like New York, Indian-Americans are within the categories of victims, survivors and healers. Brahm Kanchibotla, a correspondent with United News of India passed away from COVID-19, one of several Indian-American deaths as the virus continues to batter the country. He had been a part of New York for 20 years.

Here in New York a family is frantically searching for a plasma donation for their mother Susham Singh who is in the Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston on a ventilator. In New York, a prominent leader of the Indian American community on Long Island, Professor N.S. Ramamurthy, tested positive for COVID-19 and is on a ventilator fighting for his life at Stony Brook Hospital for the last 9 days. There is an appeal for a plasma donation from a recovered COVID-19 patient.

There are many Indian-Americans in the healer category too since so many from the sub-continent are physicians, nurses, medical technicians and healthcare workers. One doctor who enters the living rooms of New Yorkers every day is Dr. Sanjay Gupta who conducts Global Town Halls about coronavirus every day with Anderson Cooper on CNN, helping everyone keep informed and calm.

New York’s hospitals are hotspots right now and one of the battlegrounds is The Mount Sinai Hospital which has several branches in Manhattan and Queens. Founded in 1852, it is one of the nation’s largest and most respected hospitals, acclaimed internationally for excellence in clinical care. A doctor who is out there in the trenches dealing with hundreds of coronavirus cases is Dr Umesh Gidwani, Chief of Cardiac Critical Care at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He describes how volatile the situation is in a coronavirus ICU: “There is usually a variety of intensity within any intensive care unit but here everyone is equally super sick – so there is no variation, no downtime, there is no easy patient.” Below is a video of Dr. Umesh Gidwani in Mount Sinai coronavirus ICU.

Dr. Roopa Kohli-Seth is the Director of Critical Care at Mount Sinai, and is leading all the ICUs in a very proactive fashion: “We were fortunate that The Institute for Critical Care Medicine (ICCM) had an infrastructure in place that allowed us to quickly deploy measures to ensure safe patient containment and expansion of ICU beds.”

“My responsibility as the Director of ICCM is to lead the care of all patients in our expanded ICUs. Maintaining staff morale is one of my priorities throughout this COVID-19 crisis and giving them access to the fast changing medical information.”

Were there difficulties in being a woman physician leader during the pandemic? She says, “Being a woman in a leadership position can have its challenges but I am lucky to be a part of an organization where I am empowered and supported. As a mother, I am always vigilant about the well-being of my family during these difficult days.”

Male or female, all physicians on the frontline have to face the death of some patients who could not be saved. In these days of coronavirus, there is an added challenge. As Gidwani explains, “Typically when somebody is dying the family gathers around and there’s a sense of closure. Here family members are not allowed and nurses and doctors don’t unnecessarily enter the room because it’s a highly contagious disease. We’re outside the room monitoring the patient dying. So the patient literally dies alone. There is no grieving process. So besides the physical there’s a lot of moral and psychological stress.”

Indeed, these physicians are to be applauded for their dedication to duty. Dr. Omar Manya who is an emergency room doctor at Elmhurst General Hospital, one of the worst hit hospitals in New York, actually got COVID-19 as he healed patients. Yet once he recovered, he’s back on the battlefield, once again treating patients.

Manya told Chris Cuomo, the television host who himself is suffering from COVID-19 (and conducting his television show in self-quarantine from his basement), that he, like others on the frontline, became an emergency physician to change people’s lives and there was no question about not returning: “There’s just so much need out there, and there’s such a shortage of supplies and people in the workforce that we’re excited to get back on the frontlines.”

He too spoke about the grief of losing patients: “The real sad part about this disease is patients are dying alone. Not having your loved one hold your hand in your last few minutes has got to be one of the most painful, painful experiences. So some of us have started facetiming families, so that they can whisper a prayer in a patient’s ear.”

As New York still faces the threats of the disease, what would Dr. Umesh Gidwani say to ordinary people who are stressed out and fearful at this time?
“We will get through this, together but apart, and we will emerge stronger and more resilient,” he says with New York spunk. “But this is no time to slack or let down your guard. We have to maintain social distancing and a lockdown. If you don’t go out – you don’t get the bug! Practice common sense, diet, get exercise, good sleep and wash your hands. There’s no need to be anxious – just hang in there!”

Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina. 

Read her columns here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Senator Elizabeth Warren’s family ties with India: Meet Sushil Tyagi, Amelia Warren’s husband and father of three

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

With the constant increase of Indian immigrants to America, Indian success stories in academia and the corporate world and the rise of multicultural unions, it was bound to happen: The Indian connection has exploded in mainstream America.

Everyone seems to have an Indian doctor or friend but now there are so many mixed families too, celebrating the best of different cultures. So while Senator Kamala Harris had an Indian mother, Senator Elizabeth Warren has an Indian-American son-in-law! Yes, many readers may not know this, but Warren’s daughter Amelia is married to Indian immigrant Sushil Tyagi and through them, Warren is the proud grandmother of three Indian-American grandchildren, has travelled to India for several family occasions and met the relatives in Uttar Pradesh.

Tyagi has the story of the immigrant struggle behind him and how he transformed his life through the power of education. He is a graduate of IIT Delhi, UC Berkeley and has an MBA from Wharton MBA and a postgraduate degree in Ocean Engineering from UC Berkeley. He has a home in Dehra Dun where his mother lives, and whom the grandchildren visit.

Currently, he is the President of Berkeley Marine Robotics in CA. He says. “My latest venture stems from my prior engineering work on marine structures at UC Berkeley. Our goal is to build robotic systems for ocean exploration and conservation.”

Tyagi grew up in many different towns in Uttar Pradesh since his father became a police constable to augment the meager family income from farming. He recalls, “Like most children of smallholder farmers, I grew up taking the cattle to the ponds and taking the sugarcane carts to the crushers. My mother never went to school and could not even read or write in Hindi.”

It was a tough battle for Tyagi growing up in small towns in UP. He says, “As no one in my extended family had gone to any college, and no one around me even knew of IIT back then, it was quite a lonely path for a Hindi medium kid to embark on JEE preparation. Once selected for IIT, I was grateful for a UP police scholarship that helped ease the cost burden for my parents.”

Tyagi met Amelia Warren during business school at Wharton, where they were both first-year MBA students together: “Soon I got to know that her parents were teachers and she also had to move with them to their various university appointments — and just like me, she had also gone to nearly 10 schools before college. So we started off on the shared stories of being the new kid in town every year and then having to do well in each new school right away.”

Education was the common denominator: “At that time, about 20 years ago, I had married the daughter of two college professors and we all had an instant common bond in the value of education. Her parents grew up on the edges of middle-class and had found higher education as their path forward in life. Even though I came from a totally different part of the world, I identified with their life story, and I think they identified with mine in some way.”

As Tyagi points out, his two daughters and a son have one grandmother from India who never had a chance to go to school or to learn to read; the other is a Harvard Law professor, a US Senator and a presidential candidate. “However, they are both quite similar in their hardscrabble upbringing, in their love for the grandchildren, and in their focus on the family above all.”

Like many multicultural families in America, they draw strength from their diverse faiths and traditions. Says Tyagi: “We are an American family and as much as I like to teach my kids about mythological Hindu epics, I too have much to learn from our local Church’s hymn books.”

He does believe that Elizabeth Warren would make the best president because she would fight for all Americans. Having grown up in the heartland, she knows what families go through every day. Her brothers were in the military and she knows their aspirations.

“She has also studied family economics at the highest levels and has worked for decades to advocate for policies to help protect middle-class families,” says Tyagi, pointing to her work against predatory banks which hurt all Americans but particularly people of colour.

“With a multicultural family ourselves, she has respect for the global communities and need for thoughtful moderation and respect in our dialogue with all nations.” As he says, the key to the India-US community is to not get taken in by the easy pandering or divisive rhetoric coming from partisan voices which does not have the best interest of this community at heart despite their opportunistic and selective sloganeering during the election time.

Sushil Tyagi reveals some engaging details of Elizabeth Warren as grandmother which tell a lot about her character on the whole; with some superpower skills which most grandchildren would love:

“Elizabeth Warren is an amazing grandmother (“Gammy” to the kids). She is the only one who knows how to operate the little sewing machine and whenever she visits us, the kids put all their new clothes out that need to be hemmed or new buttons to be sewed. My daughters like to craft the emoji avatars for their Gammy’s Snapchat and giggle together.”

This is all part of her life and not alien to her busy life as senator: “And then Gammy gets up and takes serious calls from the senators, and teachers, and her team. On any given day, she can move through many states in multiple town meetings and after a 2-hour rally still has the energy to stand for 4 more hours to meet thousands in person — and then comes over to hang with the grandkids and discuss their school homework while heating up some leftover snacks for them.”

Long living life as a private citizen, Sushil Tyagi is stepping into the public arena to assist his American family in changing the status quo of political life in America and perhaps overturning the Trumpian model of America.

“Our South Asian community is really special and a big part of her family, and she has a personal understanding of various cultures, family and multicultural connections,” says Tyagi. “Although this does not get brought up very much I just want to say that she really, really appreciates the support from this community as from her own family.”

Why does he think it’s so important for South Asians to get involved in the voting process? He says South Asian older generations have been usually less active in organising and having their voices heard in the electoral process – and it is so much more important now. The younger generation is getting more engaged and there are many young volunteers and leaders of South Asia origin in the EW campaign.  In fact, over 100Asians including South Asians are involved in all aspects of the Warren campaign from high-level policy to grassroots organising including longtime advisor Ganesh Sitaramanand campaign manager Roger Lau — marking the first cycle in which a major presidential campaign has hired an Asian American campaign manager. According to the campaign, about40 percent of their full-time employees are people of colour.

 Prominent lawyer Navneet Chugh says, “What we like about Senator Warren the most is that her values are the values of a traditional Indian family. Family, education, spirituality, and serving humanity are the values that Senator Warren lives by and so do our Indian families.”

Chugh says they have launched WIN – Warren India Network – in 20 cities in the US.  Both Chugh and Tyagi support and connect regional leaders as needed with campaign groups such as Warren-India-Network or South-Asians-for-Warren (or AAPI sub-community groups.)

Just on January 22, over 150-plus prominent Asian American and Asian Pacific Leaders announced a major endorsement for Elizabeth Warren for President. One of the issues they mentioned was immigration: “She has a comprehensive plan that includes reinstating and expanding DACA, lowering barriers to naturalization, and not just reversing Trump’s refugee cuts, but committing to increase refugee admissions.”

Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina.

Read Lavina Melwani’s columns here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Indian-American student sexually assaulted, strangulated to death in Chicago

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

A 19-year-old Indian-American student was sexually assaulted and then strangulated to death in Chicago, police said about a brutal murder that has shocked the community in the United States.

Ruth George, originally hailing from Hyderabad and an honours student at the University of Illinois, was found dead in the back seat of a family-owned vehicle in a campus garage on Saturday.

The assailant, Donald Thurman, 26, was arrested Sunday from a Chicago metro station. He is not associated with the university. On Monday, he was formally charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault for killing George.

The medical examiner ruled George’s death a homicide by strangulation.

According to the university, George was a sophomore and kinesiology major.

The university said in a statement George’s family reported to the University Police on Saturday that she had not been heard from since Friday evening.

Her phone was pinged to the Halsted Street Parking Garage, and police and family members responded to find George unresponsive in the back seat of a vehicle owned by her family.

Police then requested assistance from the FBI Evidence Response Team to assist in the processing of the crime scene and to complete forensics on the vehicle.

According to the university, police retrieved video footage from existing university cameras of the offender who was seen walking behind George on Saturday.

She entered the garage on foot at approximately 1:35 am, followed by the offender. The offender is seen again on video footage at 2:10 am walking on Halsted Street.

Police then reviewed video footage from the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago POD cameras, and its internal system to determine travel patterns for the offender.

Based on the observations, police detectives decided to watch the Blue line station during the hours that the offender had previously travelled on the Blue line.

Thurman, who has a criminal history, was arrested Sunday near the Blue line train station at Halsted and Harrison streets. He was taken into custody and subsequently gave a full confession to this horrific crime.

“All of us are devastated by the loss of Ruth George, a member of our Honours College and a talented kinesiology student with dreams and aspirations to become a health professional and help others. Our thoughts, our hearts, and our condolences are with her family and friends during this trying period, University chancellor Michael D Amiridis said in a statement.

According to local ABC7 News, yellow ribbons are hung around campus in memory of George, who was nicknamed “Baby Colour.”

“The ribbon is yellow, the colour is her favourite colour,” Cynthia Martinez, UIC student, was quoted as saying. “They just asked if we could tie them somewhere on campus, in her memory.”

Her former gymnastics team coach said in a statement to ABC7 News that George was a “sweet girl” with the “brightest smile” who will be dearly missed.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

The big Democratic flip: Two Indian-Americans help in colouring Virginia blue

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

For the first time in a generation, the swing state of Virginia went completely blue and this is partly thanks to the strong showing of two Indian-American candidates – Suhas Subramanyam and Ghazala Hashmi. It goes to prove how important immigrants and the children of immigrants are in the reshaping of America.

Ethnic tongue-twisting names like ‘Suhas Subramanyam’ and ‘Ghazala Hashmi’ did not deter mainstream Americans from casting their ballots for them, making Suhas the first Indian-American in the state house of Virginia and Ghazala the first Muslim woman to be state senator. As The New York Times wrote, “In helping to flip the General Assembly to Democrats, Ghazala Hashmi became part of a wave of Muslim women winning public office.”

That seems to be the beauty of America, that voters can be independent and intelligent and can bring about change through the ballot box.

Subramanyam won by 62 percent of the vote defeating Republican Bill Drennan who got just 38 percent. He said, “We made history and sent a message that the solution to our divisive politics is to raise the bar, not lower it.”

Forty years ago his mother Geeta had travelled from Bengaluru to Richmond to join her immigrant husband. As Subramanyam recalls, “Never could anyone have imagined that 40 years later, I would represent the area in Richmond.”

His success is due to his grassroots work with the community from the time he was in college. While attending Tulane University in New Orleans he got involved in volunteer efforts to rebuild communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina.He later worked as a healthcare and policy aide on Capitol Hill before earning his law degree with honours at Northwestern University School of Law. He also clerked for the US Senate Judiciary Committee, where he helped re-introduce the DREAM Act and worked on criminal justice reforms.

Subramanyam served as a White House technology policy advisor to President Obama, working on issues like cyber security and IT modernisation in the public sector. After leaving the White House, he started his own consultancy company and is married to Miranda Pena Subramanyam.

Ghazala Hashmi came to the US at the age of 4. Growing up in Georgia she was very inspired by the public service ideals of President Jimmy Carter. She and her husband Azhar moved to the Richmond area in 1991 and have a long history with the local community. In fact, both their daughters Yasmin and Noor were born there and attended local public schools.

Education is vitally important to Hashmi, 55, who is a college professor and has worked in the Virginia Community College System for over 17 years. In 2013, she was named a member of the statewide Strategic Plan Taskforce and helped to develop Complete 2021, a six-year vision for Virginia’s community colleges.

Hashmi was endorsed by many Democratic leaders including President Obama and vice president Joe Biden. On her victory, she said, “After flipping the Senate, I’ll have Democrats by my side to fight to protect Virginians from the climate crisis and senseless gun violence, and work to expand our access to affordable health care and funding for public education. I can’t wait to work together in the state Senate.”

Raj Goyle is co-founder and chair of Indian American Impact Fund, a political action committee which endorsed both these candidates, and is continuing to support Indian-Americans running for office. Asked about Subramanyam’s success in Virginia, he said: “The growing Indian-American population in northern Virginia had an important role in Suhas’ victory, and we’re thrilled to see him reap the rewards of our community’s political engagement.”

He also believes that “Ghazala Hashmi’s victory is a powerful sign that voters in Virginia, and across the country, will rebuke the divisive politics of racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.”

Asked how difficult it was to have won in a red state like Virginia, Suhas Subramanyam says, “I am proud to have run a positive campaign focused on issues like education, healthcare, and safety. My team worked incredibly hard, and I personally knocked on more than 13,000 doors to ensure that people had a chance to hear my message one-on-one. It wasn’t easy, but that is what won us the election.”

Does he see Indian-Americans finally getting a place in the political arena?  “I hope that my candidacy encourages more Indian-Americans and people in general of all backgrounds to run for office,” he said. “The opportunity has always been there for Indian-Americans to run, but only lately have great community leaders of Indian background started seizing that opportunity.”

As America has become a nation divided, the challenges of coming together have been further complicated. Asked how Democrats can get their message across to the country, Subramanyam observed, “I believe we as Democrats have the right ideas and policies, but we can do more to clearly articulate a vision for the country’s future and restore people’s trust in our ability to govern and solve problems.” He pointed out that means reaching out to all voters, including those that may not vote regularly, listening to their issues, and demonstrating that their issues will be addressed.

Subramanyam sees positives in the political scene of today for as he finds people are more engaged than ever, especially in Virginia. He said the voter turnout has been at record highs and continues to defy expectations. Ask him about his plan of action for Virginia, and he says: “I will work tirelessly for the people of Loudoun County and Prince William County to address issues they face every day like education, health costs, and traffic. I will empower people by pushing for fair redistricting, campaign finance reform and an end to politics as usual.”

The results of the November 5 elections were so promising that even former President Barack Obama tweeted, “Proud of all the Americans who showed up to vote yesterday, electing a set of hopeful, forward-thinking leaders primed to protect Medicaid, draw fair voting maps, and reduce gun violence. A great night for our country – one that’ll leave a lasting legacy.”

As America gears up for the upcoming presidential elections, victories such as the one in Virginia will help lay the blueprint for the America of the future. Says Raj Goyle: “We are looking forward to engaging our community in 2020 which will be one of the most important election cycles in recent memory.”

Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina.

 Read Lavina Melwani’s columns here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Days after ‘Howdy, Modi!,’ Indian Americans in Los Angeles raise funds for Joe Biden

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Days after US President Donald Trump tried to woo Indian Americans by joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a mega rally in Houston, Democratic presidential aspirant Joe Biden was hosted for a major fund-raiser by this small but rich community.

The fund-raiser in Los Angeles on Wednesday night was organised by Indian-American surgeon Sanjay Khurana and his software-engineer wife Mona, at their picturesque Manhattan Beach home. It was attended by about 150 top Indian Americans from in and around Hollywood.

Indian Americans have traditionally voted for the Democratic party candidates. Trump, by attending the Houston rally, tried to attract Indian Americans to the Republican fold.

During his nearly 30-minute speech, Biden said he is running for president to “restore the soul of America, to rebuild the middle class and to unite the country”.

The former vice president said if Trump is elected to another term, it will fundamentally change the United States.

“We can handle, God-willing, the next 18 or 16 months if he doesn’t get us into a war. We can handle four years of President Trump,” Biden said, adding that the nation will still need to repair itself domestically and its image and relationships abroad.

“I believe four more years of Donald Trump will change the very nature of who we are as a nation, the very nature of we are and we can’t let that happen. There’s too much at stake,” he said.

Biden mentioned his visit to Mumbai when he was vice president, noting that India is the world’s largest democracy and some at the event were immigrants who became naturalised citizens.

We’ve been able to take the best of every country in the world, from every continent, Biden said, pointing that his great, great grandfather immigrated to the US from Ireland in a coffin ship.

You all decided to come, you weren’t sure what was going to happen either. The people who came had resilience. They had hope. They had optimism. They were determined. They were in fact ready to be inclusive. You represent why we’re the nation we are, Biden said.

Despite all the “bad news and fears” about how Trump has impacted the nation, Biden said, he was more optimistic than ever about the nation’s future.

The fact of the matter is we’re in a situation now where we have such enormous opportunity. We’re better positioned than any country in the world to own the 21st century, Biden said.

There is not a single thing we can’t do if we set out minds to it. And folks, everybody will benefit, the wealth, the poor, the middle class, everybody will benefit. And the world will benefit, said the former vice president.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Why the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event was a master class in people diplomacy

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Political ideologies and beliefs aside, I can tell you without the slightest hesitation that the #HowdyMody Summit in Houston last Sunday (yes, that is how it started trending on the social media!) was nothing short of spectacular. A sentiment, I am sure, that would have been echoed by almost everyone who was there or watched the event from around the world – other than the small group of protestors who had gathered outside the venue to peacefully share their concerns around recent developments in Kashmir. Here are some of the reasons, which made the event special:

Size matters:

This was the single-largest gathering of Indian-Americans at a single venue in America, ever.

NRG Stadium, one of the largest American football stadiums in Houston, had been specifically chosen by the organisers, the Texas India Forum, as it could comfortably house 60,000 people — more than three times the number of people who attended Prime Minister Modi’s Madison Square Garden event in September 2014. Texas, as people in the know would tell you, is known for doing everything in style and super-sized, and commitments to fill up the stadium with over 55,000 Indian-Americans, non-resident Indians and Indophiles, like me, were ‘locked and loaded’ well before White House announced President Trump’s intention of joining Mr Modi at the ‘Howdy, Modi’ event.

The net result: that this was the single largest gathering of Indian-Americans in the America’s ever — including 20+ extremely significant US elected officials from across party lines, several hundred CEOs, and people from across the country and overseas — made the venue feel like a Live Aid concert, which had to be seen to be believed.

Houston Strong:

Visiting Government of India officials have traditionally visited Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles / San Francisco. So, why Houston?

Well, Houston, is the 4th largest and the most diverse metropolis in the United States, of which India, is its fourth-largest trading partner — behind Brazil, China, and Mexico. Between 2009 and 2018, trade between Houston and India averaged $4.8 billion annually and was at $7.2 billion in 2018. These volumes are expected to rise quite significantly as India continues to source crude and LNG from the United States, a key focus of both governments as they work toward balancing the trade deficit between them, while India diversifies its energy resources. These energy shipments will largely be initiated out of Houston, which is referred to as the energy capital of the world, as it (and Texas) plays home to a disproportionately large number of US headquarters (and in several cases, global headquarters) of the energy majors (and several of India’s public sector oil and gas companies).

Houston is also home to the world’s largest and best medical centre — the Texas Medical Centre — and is known for its chemicals, materials and space industries. Additionally, Houston (and Texas) is home to the second-largest concentration of Fortune 500 company HQs anywhere in the world. It is therefore hardly any surprise that Houston is likely to play an increasingly important role in the India-US bilateral going forward.

Cultural Khichdi:

Howdy, Modi? Really?

The ‘Howdy, Modi’ title and program line-up did a fascinating job of encapsulating the multiculturalism and innate dichotomy faced by many people living in a globalised world. Though most of the people in the audience were ethnically Indian and were proud to see Indian represent itself so boldly on the global stage, they have chosen to be, and are, clearly American. (And, in the case of the several thousand young Indian-Americans in the stadium, undisputedly, American).

This being a community event, the juxtaposition of a traditional Texan welcome, with Indian values and a celebration of the art and culture of both countries was only appropriate, and clear for everyone to see: from the way people dressed — in the finest Indian attire, western formals, Sunday casuals and even NaMo-branded garments — to the various cultural performances that sought to present a rich kaleidoscope of art forms to the audience. (The showstopper for me was an outstanding vocal rendition that combined the extremely beautiful, Vaishnav Jan To Tene kahiye, with the soul-stirring Amazing Grace!).

Post the main event, it was also seen in the traditional Indian — vegetarian lunch — that was served to several hundred C-suite executives and special guests in a private dining room where the Prime Minister, amongst other things, unveiled plaques to commemorate the launch of the first Siddhi Vinayak temple in Houston and the launch of an Eternal Gandhi museum to mark the sesquicentennial birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Pahle Aap:

The rousing speeches made by senior members of the Congressional delegation, who cut across party lines, could little prepare you for the roars of ‘Modi, Modi’ and ‘USA, USA’ that reverberated across the stadium with the entrance of Prime Minister Modi, and later, President Trump.

However, it is what ensued thereafter — with both gentlemen on stage — that no one could have predicted or anticipated, and left life-long students of the political economy like me, well, gob-smacked. Prime Minister Modi took it upon himself to welcome a ‘very special person’ to this “magnificent stadium and gathering”. “A man”, he said, “who needs no introduction, (as) his name is familiar to everyone on the planet. His name comes up in almost every conversation on global politics. His every word is followed by tens of millions”, President Donald Trump. Quite possibly a first for any head of state to be introduced to his own people on his own home soil!

He then, proceeded to introduce President Trump ‘to his family’ that stood before him. The 55,000 strong Indian-American diaspora and Indophiles in the audience, the 4-million plus Indian-Americans across the United States, over a billion Indians at home, and countless viewers who were watching this telecast from around the world. In that very moment, one forgot who was the host, and who, the visitor, and started to understand the potential significance of this meeting, between the leaders of two of the world’s most important economies and largest democracies.

The fact that we stand on the cusp of an election year, was clearly not lost on anyone.

President Trump, on his part, was quick to reciprocate: “Prime Minister Modi and I have come to Houston to celebrate everything that unites America and India: our shared dreams and bright futures. I have also come to express my profound gratitude to the nearly 4 million amazing Indian-Americans all across the country. You enrich our culture, you uphold our values, you uplift our communities. You are proud to be American, and we are truly proud to have you as Americans!”

Yeh dosti, hum nahin todenge:

Both Prime Minister Modi and President Trump referred to the fact that we were witnessing history in the making. Were we?

Perhaps yes, and, in many ways. With the two leaders scheduled to meet later this week on the sidelines of UNGA, and against a backdrop of several bilateral ministerial and working group meetings, the atmosphere is pregnant with possibility.

Will the public posturing at the meeting underscore the discussions during the week and lead to the announcement of a new trade agreement? The removal of tariffs at both ends, in a de-escalation in what could otherwise lead to another trade war? The reinstatement of GSP privileges? The relaxation of investment or operating norms in industry segments like agriculture, technology, BFSI and med-tech? A new construct around immigration and work visas? Increased cooperation across other priority areas including defense, geopolitical stability in the Indian subcontinent and the Indo-Pacific region, aviation and space?  We will need to wait and see. With so much going on and with so much at stake, the timing and significance of the ‘Howdy, Modi’ event, cannot be understated.

The one place where history has definitely been made is in the impromptu ‘victory lap’ taken by the two gentlemen around the arena — to the apparent consternation of the security services on both sides, and the glee of everyone in the audience. The image of the two smiling gentlemen walking hand in hand, around the stadium as they waved to the crowds will stay emblazoned in the public consciousness for some time to come. After all, as Mr Modi put it, ‘People are at the heart of all relationships!’

Sukanti Ghosh is a senior director at APCO Worldwide and a member of the firm’s global management committee and global health care leadership team.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

PM Narendra Modi has this one request for Indian diaspora

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested Indians living across the world on Sunday to send at least five non-Indian families to India as tourists every year.

Addressing a gathering of members of the Indian community, he said, “Can you do something for me? It is a small request. I am saying this to all Indians living all over the world. You take a decision that every year, each one of you will send at least five non-Indian families to India as tourists.”

The prime minister said this after unveiling the plaque of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Eternal Gandhi Museum, the inauguration of the Gujarati Samaj of Houston Event Centre and a Siddhi Vinayak temple.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) posted video clips of Modi’s address on Twitter.

PM @narendramodi has a request for the Indian diaspora. Know what it is… pic.twitter.com/RTPYLwjDaH

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 22, 2019

“The Eternal Gandhi museum will be a prized cultural landmark in Houston. I have been associated with this effort for a while. It will surely make Gandhi Ji’s thoughts popular among the youth: PM,” the PMO said in a tweet.

Modi also thanked the Indian community in Houston for setting the stage for a “glorious future” of Indo-US ties, it said in another tweet.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow