The first-ever Congressional Diwali celebration on Capitol Hill on Tuesday evening was a spectacular event by any measure, with the House of Representatives Rayburn Building lobby overflowing with over 500 members of the Indian American community, scores of United States lawmakers, administration officials and well-wishers ranging from leading American business and industry and policy wonks and think tank heads from some of Washington's premier institutions. Aziz Haniffa reports
A leader of the Patel community rubbishes reports that the anti-Modi protest has been called off
As they watched pictures of ghastly incidents on their TV sets, Indians stood shocked and many who had their loved ones in Jaipur tried frantically to contact them. Condemning Tuesday's blasts, in which at least 60 people were killed and 200 injured, Indian National Overseas Congress appealed to all communities to maintain communal harmony.
Puneet Talwar, one of the most respected Middle East policy specialists in administration and Congressional circles, has been nominated by United States President Barack Obama to a senior State Department position.
'Given the disdain Trump has shown for our community's values and experiences, it is disappointing that a handful of wealthy, conservative donors invited him to address their friends last weekend,' say Mira Patel and Gautam Raghavan.
'Every index of the US-India relationship is pointing north. The time has come for us to set much more ambitious goals for ourselves,' says India's new Ambassador to the United States Dr S Jaishankar.
Playboy Enterprises, known for its adult magazine for men Playboy, is reportedly planning to launch its accessories, apparel, etc, in India by year end 'targetting young adults', even as the Indian American community has called it 'crude westernization'.
India's new Ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao was on Sunday accorded a rousing welcome by the Indian American community in Washington.
Catch the latest updates from the awards function, real-time, as rediff.com reporters post them online from the venue. Follow the action and drama as they happen, only on Rediff.com's MyPage.
The Indian American community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylavania held a small reception/fundraiser for Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama recently.
Senator Obama has the ability to unite our nation as no one has done in my lifetime. Perhaps you need more proof, and in the coming weeks I'm sure he and his talented team of campaign staffers will show us.
Both the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama, have issued messages congratulating India, its people, and the Indian-American community on India's 61st anniversary of its Independence, with Obama issuing a similar message congratulating Pakistan, its people and the Pakistani-American community too.
Stepping up defence cooperation, India and the US are poised to unveil a roadmap for industries in the sector to partner closely in co-production, co-development and maintaining supply change during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US beginning June 21.
The Indian-American community will accord a grand reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he travels to the United States in September to attend the annual General Assembly session in New York and a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama.
Earlier, he lost to veteran Democrat and his own party colleague Mike Honda in his maiden Congressional bid in 2014.
The resolution observed that the American-Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, retail trade, among others.
Obama's winning will underscore that in America anything is possible. My hope is that young Indian Americans will see Obama and say, 'I can go into public service as well'. My hope is that Obama will inspire Indian Americans to see politics as something noble, as something that can make a difference in people's lives, says Ro Khanna
As per the schedule released by the White House on late Saturday night, Trump will spend 100 minutes at the NRG Stadium.
Milind Makwana, according to his close friends and family, spoke at the City Council meeting on July 18 against SB403, the anti-caste discrimination bill in California State Assembly.
The Senator hopes the Indian-American community will understand that last week's controversial memo was not reflective of his views.
Tulsi Gabbard's stand on gays, her dress sense, irks Hindu group, reports Aziz Haniffa.
He founded India Abroad, the leading Indian-American newspaper.
Thirty-seven-year-old Indian-American physician Vivek Hallegere Murthy has been confirmed as the 19th surgeon general of America by the United States senate. He is youngest person and first person of Indian-origin to hold the post.
She will also be the first serving diplomat to be posted in Washington in more than two decades after K Shankar Bajpai.
She will also be the first serving diplomat to be posted in Washington in more than two decades after K Shankar Bajpai.
In what could be yet another historic appointment in the annals of the Indian-American community's immigrant experience, senior administration sources have told rediff.com that Nisha Desai Biswal is strongly tipped to be appointed the new assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs
Subra Suresh is one of the only 16 living Americans to be elected to all three national academies, the IOM, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.
The 37th India Day Parade organised by the Federation of Indian Associations.
'They are starting to move more quickly and we would just like to continue to see bold action being taken.'
Indian Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the United States, today, is not only India's largest trading partner, but most importantly, the two countries enjoys excellent people-to-people contact.
'The diplomat's arrest has led to a major diplomatic spat, the likes of which I have not seen in my nearly three decades of covering the US-India relationship, says Aziz Haniffa. 'The knee-jerk reaction by the powers-that-be in Delhi was myopic to say the least.'
Major Indian businesses and temples issued a joint statement opposing the proposed California Caste Bill SB 403.
'Allen's comment was very painful to a lot of people.'
In many ways, the United States and India are fulfilling our own destinies now, as we cooperate even more closely together.
"Indian-Americans are an 'organic bridge' between the world's two largest democracies," he said.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare's trip to the United States and participation in the India Independence Day Parade, was "to meet NRIs and connect with like-minded people in the United States and get their support -- wake them up -- for the next anti-corruption agitation in India."
The Coalition would continue the work begun by USIBC's Trade and Investment Initiative in 2007.
