T V Parasuram In Washington, DC

Stories by T V Parasuram In Washington, DC

'S Asia poses greatest risk to US'

'S Asia poses greatest risk to US'

Rediff.com   15 May 2008

An influential US lawmaker, who heads the Congressional Committee that has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the subcontinent, has warned that South Asia poses the greatest terrorist threat to the United States. Congressman Gary L Ackerman, New York Democrat, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, declared, "South Asia is arguably the place from which America faces the greatest terrorist threat."

Navin Nanda to head US cardiologists' body

Navin Nanda to head US cardiologists' body

Rediff.com   14 May 2008

Dr Navin C Nanda has been elected president of the American Society of Geriatric Cardiology. He is the first Asian American to head the 22-year-old organisation.

Nelson Mandela no longer a 'terrorist' in US

Nelson Mandela no longer a 'terrorist' in US

Rediff.com   8 May 2008

The United States House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a legislation to erase the government-imposed stigma against membership in the African National Congress of South Africa, the party of Nobel Laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela. The bill, authored by Congressman and California Democrat Howard Berman would remove any notation that would characterise the ANC and its leaders, as terrorists.

'Al Qaeda likely to launch terror strike from Pak'

'Al Qaeda likely to launch terror strike from Pak'

Rediff.com   7 May 2008

Congressman Howard Berman, the chairman of the United States' House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, has predicted that Pakistan is "perhaps the most likely launching point of a future Al Qaeda terrorist strike." Berman said, "The tribal regions of Pakistan provide safe haven for thousands of militants and terrorists, who seek not only to destabilise Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan, but who also plan attacks around the globe."

Exclusive: Hillary will make Indo-US ties stronger

Exclusive: Hillary will make Indo-US ties stronger

Rediff.com   7 May 2008

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, speaks exclusively to Aziz Haniffa.

'Myanmar can accept aid from India if not from US'

'Myanmar can accept aid from India if not from US'

Rediff.com   6 May 2008

On whether the sheer lack of trust between Washington and Yangon would impede the flow of any significant US aid to the victims of the cyclone, she reiterated that the US was looking towards India and other countries in the region to step up to the plate to alleviate the suffering of Myanmar's people.

Exclusive: S P Hinduja on Indo-Iran ties

Exclusive: S P Hinduja on Indo-Iran ties

Rediff.com   2 May 2008

"India has immense credibility in the whole world because it is the largest and is a true democracy and I believe India can play a very important diplomatic role in bringing both sides together to resolve the misunderstandings they have," S P Hinduja, chairman of The Hinduja Group, said. "No one should suspect India because it is the best democracy in the world," he added.

Domestic politics, factionalism holding back India

Domestic politics, factionalism holding back India

Rediff.com   2 May 2008

Richard N Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and an erstwhile senior administration official, has predicted that domestic politics and factionalism will hold back India from becoming a major player in the global arena. Haass, who was in India recently and was witness to the political bickering over the India-United States civilian nuclear deal, also argued that the challenge to India would be "the tension between the central level and the periphery."

Appointment of Pak envoy to US slap for Musharraf

Appointment of Pak envoy to US slap for Musharraf

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2008

The nomination of Husain Haqqani as the new Pakistani ambassador to the United States, by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, is being seen as a resounding slap on the face of President Pervez Musharraf. Haqqani -- a former journalist, diplomat and currently associate professor at Boston University is one of Musharraf's fiercest critics. In fact, Haqqani has not visited Pakistan for years, fearing possible imprisonment. Haqqani has been scathing in his attacks of Bush govt

Obama refuses Hillary's debate call

Obama refuses Hillary's debate call

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2008

Obama has refused to debate Hillary Clinton,with no moderator, before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.

US supportive of Pak peace deal with militants

US supportive of Pak peace deal with militants

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2008

The Bush administration apparently has no problem with the new Pakistani government's peace deal with militant groups in that country's North West Frontier Province, including Waziristan that have been sympathetic and allied with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. It has even given the tentative agreement its cautious blessings.

Hyde Act not binding on India: US

Hyde Act not binding on India: US

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2008

Boucher, who is the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, was asked by rediff.com not to dodge the question but to clearly articulate which one was binding on Indiathe Hyde Act or the 123 agreement. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had recently assured the Congress that for the nuclear deal to be consummated, it has to be consistent with the Hyde Act.

India must break through insularity: Ronen Sen

India must break through insularity: Ronen Sen

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2008

Delivering the keynote address at the conference on The Future of India's Foreign Policy organised by the Center for the Advanced Study of India of the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, Sen said this was particularly imperative in the context of today's world that is "shaped by globalisation, inter-dependence, inter-connectedness and rapid changes."

Faith - in song, across boundaries

Faith - in song, across boundaries

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2008

For centuries, Jewish women along the Malabar Coast filled notebooks with Jewish-themed songs in Malayalam and Hebrew. Recently, a series of programs, including scholarly discussions, music and dance and a book exhibition in Washington, DC, attempted to revive that musical heritage.

Indian American scientist, activist passes away

Indian American scientist, activist passes away

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2008

Dr Sam Bathena of Wheaton, Maryland, a popular communist activist in the Washington, DC area, died in March while on a visit to India. Mumbai-born Dr Bathena, founding member of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc and past president of both the Association of Indians in America, Washington, DC chapter, and the Association of Scientists of Indian Origin in America, experienced acute abdominal pain in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Virginia Univ remembers victims of 2007 shooting

Virginia Univ remembers victims of 2007 shooting

Rediff.com   17 Apr 2008

The special qualities of Professor G V Loganathan and Minal Hiralal Panchal and 30 other faculty and students of the Virginia Tech university community, who were killed a year ago on April 16, were read aloud in a remembrance ceremony attended by thousands on the Virginia Tech Drillfield in Blacksburg, Virginia.

'Indo-US ties will survive with or without N-deal'

'Indo-US ties will survive with or without N-deal'

Rediff.com   16 Apr 2008

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the failure to consummate the Indo-US nuke deal would not jeopardise overall US-India relations. "It's very, very important to emphasise that India-US relations are multi-dimensional, multi-layered, multi-faceted. The Indo-US nuclear deal was neither the beginning and nor is it going to be the end of that," he said.

US Congressman for clean energy co-op with India

US Congressman for clean energy co-op with India

Rediff.com   11 Apr 2008

United States Congressman Jim McDermott has introduced major new legislation to, in his words, "unite the two great democracies of India and the United States together in development of new and renewable energy supplies". The legislation seeks to establish a Congressional Commission on Renewable Power Technology Commerce with India to study methods for improving and promoting bilateral renewable energy cooperation with India.

US think tank urges India to alter Afghan policy

US think tank urges India to alter Afghan policy

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2008

A Washington, DC think tank has called on India to 'tailor its Afghan policy to the new situation in Pakistan' in order to alleviate the decades-long competing strategic agendas between New Delhi and Islamabad vis--vis Afghanistan. The report said that if New Delhi could find even modest ways of working in harmony with the Pakistani government, it could reap substantial benefits in its relations with both countries.

Fellowhip in memory of Indian student

Fellowhip in memory of Indian student

Rediff.com   7 Apr 2008

The president of Duke University in North Carolina Richard H Brodhead has announced that the university has established a fellowship in memory of slain Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato, 29, who was killed on January 18, 2008, in his off-campus apartment in what was described as a senseless, violent crime.