HGH Seeks Apology from Emgage
To: Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of National Emgage Foundation, Inc. Reference: Protest against Activities of Emgage in Texas District 22 We write in protest of your recent announcement of non-endorsement in the Texas Congressional District 22 race. We are unconcerned about who you choose to endorse; rather, we are shocked at the language used in describing […]
Hindu Groups Offended by Caricature of Kamala as Durga
Houston: Hindu groups in the US have sought an apology from the niece of Senator Kamala Harris for tweeting an ‘offensive’ image, which depicted the Democratic vice presidential nominee as goddess Durga. The tweet has now been deleted by Meena Harris, 35, who is a lawyer, a children’s book author and the founder of the […]
Early Voting Begins for the Soul of the Nation
Houston: Voters in Harris County set another early-voting record Wednesday. This time for turnout on the second day of early voting. According to a tweet from the Harris County Clerk’s Office, there had been 100,000 ballots cast by about 5:20 p.m. That shattered the previous day-two-early-voting record of 73,542 set in 2016. This marks the […]
Democracy First
By Lakshmy Parameswaran The United States of America – the model of democracy for the world – is at the precipice of becoming an autocratic state. The validity and certainty of the 2020 presidential election hang in the balance. President Trump claims that our ballot system is rigged, that is, if he loses the election. […]
Houston Chronicle Endorses Sri Kulkarni
Changing demographics and a narrow escape in the 2018 elections helped persuade longtime Republican Congressman Pete Olson not to run for reelection in U.S. House District 22 this year. The six-term incumbent’s departure sets up a showdown that mirrors the presidential race with Sri Preston Kulkarni representing the moderate approach of Democrat Joe Biden and […]
The Indo-American Voter in 2020
By Safiya Ghori-Ahmad and Fatima Salman In her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Senator Kamala Devi Harris (D-CA) put her Indian roots on full display. She spoke movingly about her Indian mother and gave a shout out to her “chittis” or, aunts in Tamil. Just a few days later at the Republican National […]
Biden Holds Lead among Indo-Americans
San Francisco: Sixty-six percent of Indian Americans currently favour Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential election as compared to 28 per cent who prefer President Donald Trump, according to a survey released Tuesday. Indiaspora, a nonprofit member organisation of global Indian diaspora leaders, and Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Data on Tuesday […]
What Kamala Means to Indo-American Women
By Chaya Murali I cried when Slumdog Millionaire won the Oscar for Best Picture. I didn’t expect the tears, but there they were, brought on by the sight of little brown children onstage at the Academy Awards, the sound of A.R. Rahman dedicating his statue to God in Tamil. I had never dreamt of such […]
Bill to Name Post Office for Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal
Houston: A new bill honoring Harris County Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was killed in the line of duty in September 2019, passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives Monday. Dhaliwal was killed during a traffic stop in Cypress, Texas on Sept. 27, 2019. In 2015, he made history as the first Texas law […]
Trump Official Verma ‘Abused’ Government Rules
Washington DC: Seema Verma, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “abused the federal contracting process” and “wasted millions of taxpayer dollars” on consultants and other services to boost her own profile, lawmakers found as part of a lengthy congressional investigation. The alleged abuses included Verma hiring a team of pricey media […]
Judge Sandill Rejects Request to Halt Harris County Mail Ballot Plan
Houston: A judge on Friday rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to halt Harris County’s plan to send mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters. State District Judge R.K. Sandill denied Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction, stating that nothing in the Texas Election Code bars Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins from […]
Federal Judge Hears Arguments against Trump’s H-1B Visa Ban
San Francisco: The future of U.S. immigration policy and the fate of thousands of H-1B, L-1 and other visa holders rests in the hands of a federal judge. Arguments were heard on a preliminary injunction filed by businesses against the Trump administration’s June 2020 proclamation to suspend the entry of foreign nationals on H-1B, L-1, […]
Biden’s Indian Connection Goes Back in History
Chennai: Kamala Harris spoke movingly of her discussions with her grandfather P.V.Gopalan as they walked along the beach at Chennai. It now appears that her running-mate Joe Biden may also have ancestors who strolled along the same stretch of sand two centuries before. Joe Biden first made the claim of an Indian connection in 2013. […]
FIS Presents Distinguished Lecture on India-China Competition
Houston: On Sunday, August 23, 2020, the Foundation for India Studies (FIS) presented its first virtual webinar in its Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture, titled “India China Competition in South Asia: the Past, Present and Future,” was presented by Dr. Constantino Xavier of the Brookings Institute in New Delhi. Dr. Xavier’s presentation focused on the […]
Trump or Biden: Desis Can Make History
By Bhamy Shenoy For once, President Trump spoke the truth during the recent Republican convention. He roared that this election is the most important one deciding which direction the country will take. While we hear such warnings during each election, this time the wolf has finally come to town. I am sure that Desi Indians, […]
Does Federal Policing Violate U.S. Constitution?
By Surendran K. Pattel There can be little doubt that the Trump administration’s provocative decision to send federal agents to “police” city streets in Portland, Ore, was a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. Without question, such federal “policing” infringes on state and local rights and powers. The fact is, there is far more clarity […]
Fort Bend County Judge KP George Speaks Out against Racist Attacks
BY CLAIRE GOODMAN RICHMOND: Fort Bend County Judge KP George has spoken out against hatred and racism he has encountered as county judge. George, who was born in India but is an American citizen, took to Twitter and Facebook […]
In Buzbee’s Houston, Diversity is More than Just a Buzzword, it’s an Opportunity
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The floor-to-ceiling glass windows of his 73rd-story office provide a spectacular and all-encompassing view of the city that he has come to love and admire. Behind the tall, Phillip Johnson designed, Gothic-spired brown skyscraper snakes the spaghetti bowl of the elevated I-45 freeway and just in front lies Jones Plaza and […]
SIMA & IAPAC Host Reception for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner
HOUSTON: SIMA (Small Independent Motel Association of Houston) & IAPAC (Indo-American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston) hosted a reception for the Indo-American community of Greater Houston honoring the Mayor of Houston, Mr. Sylvester Turner. SIMA and IAPAC President Mr. Hasu Patel welcomed and introduced the Honorable Mayor Sylvester Turner. At a very well attended […]
Justice Hegde Lauds Narendra Modi’s Win at FIS Distinguished Lecture
HOUSTON: India’s former Supreme Court Justice Santosh Hegde praised the reelection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recent general elections, saying it was perhaps more due to the personal popularity of Mr. Modi than necessarily the appeal of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Justice Hegde spoke at the Foundation for India Studies (FIS) Distinguished […]
