NRI family of four found dead in London May 14, 2015 18:31
All the four members of a family found dead in Britain. The police have been suspecting whether father had killed his wife and twin daughters before committing suicide or any other influence on their decision. The 44 year-old Pullarkattil Rethishkumar was found hanging in a forest near Woodford in north east London and the other three members were found dead at their home in Essex county on Tuesday, as per Mail Online report. The teachers of the twins Niya and Neha, 13, have raised alarm after the sisters failed to turn up at their school. On the basis of teachers’ information, police have entered the family’s ground-floor flat on Grove Road, Chadwell Heath, the officials have noticed the dead bodies of those three members. No visible sign of injuries noticed. And on Wednesday, the body of Rethishkumar, was found hanged beside a Walthamstow reservoir, some 15 km from the family home. He was working for Redbridge Council's culture and leisure services, and his wife Shighi, 37 worked as a social worker, as per media reports. The police have been investigating the case to find out the reasons behind their deaths. -Kannamsai
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Indian Student Found dead in Auckland, two suspects arrested May 14, 2015 12:32
Indian youth from Karnal was found dead under suspicious circumstances at Mission Bay in Auckland yesterday. He was actually scheduled to receive a management degree on June 20, for which his parents were planning to visit New Zealand. The youth, Manjit Singh, reportedly had injury marks on his face. Police have been investigating the case to find the causes of his death. Meanwhile, his parents have approached the local deputy commissioner in Karnal to help them in bringing back his body. According to the brief of his uncle, he had no issues with anybody of his college ‘International College of Auckland’ and with any others outside the campus. However, the police have taken two suspects into custody based on the footage of CCTV at a restaurant, where they were seen separately from Manjit’s place. The members of the deceased’s family are planning to meet Minister for External Affairs for ensuring government’s support in the investigation and to bring back his body asap. -Kannamsai
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Indian-Origin Daniel Mookhey, becomes first lawmaker to take oath on holy Gita! May 12, 2015 13:14
An Indian-Origin MP in New South Wales, Daniel Mookhey, has created history by swearing-in on Hindu religious text, the Bhagavad Gita for the first time in Australia. He was born in Blacktown to the parents emigrated from Punjab, a state in India. He expressed his happiness over his oath taking ceremony and praised the Australian tolerance towards all sections and the openness prevailing in the state. He said his time in the NSW Upper House would be productive by aiming for much more modern state and modern city in which everyone is able to move around and spend time at work and with their family without any frustrations. He was chosen by the Labor party to fill the casual vacancy created by Steve Whan for the later’s unsuccessful tilt at a Lower House seat in the March election. Mookhey holds three university degrees and currently works as a consultant to unions, charities and community groups. Indian-origin people in other parts of the world have been taking their allegiance on Gita for a long time. Recently, Mr Vivek Murthy, who became US Surgeon General, the highest ranking Indian Origin person in President Obama Administration, also sworn-in on the holy Bhagavad Gita. -Kannamsai
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Indian-origin Priti Patel, new Employment Minister May 12, 2015 11:40
Prime Minister David Cameron appointed one of Britain's most prominent Indian-origin MPs Priti Patel as the new Employment Minister. Ms Patel was re-elected from Witham in Essex with a big majority in the general election. The 43-year-old replaces Esther McVey, who lost her seat at the polls. Priti Patel, who was born on 29th March 1972 is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament from the Witham constituency in Essex since 2010. Her parents migrated from Uganda and were of Gujarati origin who came to Britain in the 1960s. Ms. PritiPatel attended Watford Grammar School for Girls in Watford, studied economics at Keele University, completed her postgraduate studies at the University of Essex. She joined the Conservative Party when John Major was Prime Minister. It was a Ladies' Day at Downing Street as British Prime Minister David Cameron completed his cabinet formation, in which many ladies found the place. Amber Rudd is made Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Anna Soubry and Priti Patel are appointed as small business and employment ministers. Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid is moved from Culture Secretary to Secretary of State for Business and London Mayor Boris Johnson has been made a minister without a portfolio. By Premji
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President Obama nominates IITian to a key post! May 09, 2015 15:59
US President Barack Obama has nominated an MBA from IIT, Ms Sanjita Pradhan, to his advisory commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). She is one among several persons nominated for key posts. "These men and women bring extraordinary dedication to their roles and will serve the American people well. I look forward to working with them," Obama said while making the announcement. She is currently serving as an Executive Officer of the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs at the Iowa Department of Human Rights. She also served as Resettlement Director at Catholic Charities of Des Moines, Iowa from 2010 to 2013. And as per her Linked In profile, she worked as an Employment Coordinator of Lutheran Services of Iowa's Refugee Cooperative Services from 2009 to 2010. The Nepali American Knows Nepali, Hindi and English proficiently and she also knows Urdu (with limited working proficiency). -Kannamsai
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10 Indian-Origin MPs in Britain House of Commons May 08, 2015 16:00
The number of Indian-Origin members in House of Commons has not changed as only 10 members have become successful in Thursday’s election. Nine out of ten of previous house have won the election, while Paul Uppal of the Conservative party lost in Wolverhampton South West in the West Midlands of England in the hands of Rob Marris of the Labour party by a margin of 801. The constituency is having storng hold for Sikhs from India. However, Uppal’s loss was compensated by son-in-law of N.R. Narayana Murthy, Mr. Rishi Sunak of Conservative party, from Richmond in Yorkshire. And the nine members, who won their seats again, Keith Vaz (Leicester East), who has been an MP from 1987; his sister Valerie Vaz (Walsall South); Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove), who is half Indian-half Pakistani and was minister for culture, media and sport in the outgoing cabinet; Virendra Sharma (Ealing Southall); Seema Malhotra (Feltham & Heston); Lisa Nandy (Wigan), who is half Indian-half English; Priti Patel (Witham), who was a junior minister; Alok Sharma (Reading West); and Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West), another junior minister who has been an MP since 2005. Over 50 Indian-origin members have contested in the neck to neck elections this time. -Kannamsai
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Bengalore female grads receives USD 210,000 from a US org! May 07, 2015 10:51
An anonymous person has donated $210,000 to a not-for-profit organization based in the United States for providing stipends to Christel House India-Bangalore female graduates for college and career, named Vidya Maanini-Kannada for ‘young girl full of knowledge’. The organization is well-known for its service to the poor children for their education. “Our donor is passionate about providing opportunities and empowerment for our female students in India for many years to come,” Christel DeHaan, founder and CEO of Indianapolis-based Christel House International, said. It is unclear about the donor, but he is apparently an Indian origin person, committed to encourage the girls’ education in India. -Kannamsai
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Indian Techie goes Missing in Houston May 06, 2015 19:11
A software employee, Puneet Nehra (43), has been missing in Houston, the city in Texas, where he lives with his wife and two children. He was last seen by his family on May 3rd evening while he was leaving out to buy dinner for them. The employee of Avanade, reportedly stopped to help an accident victim on a bridge across the Brazos river. The police and family members suspecting that he might have met with accident by a drunken driver who plowed into the accident site. But there was no official information about this confirmation. Fort Bend County sheriff's office issued a call to public for tracing him, and about the crash incident. The members of Punit’s family praying for his return. According to his father and friends, he was a great human being. He earlier had associated with CSC in India before leaving leaving for the US with his wife Minita. His parents are urging the government of India to extend help in locating their son. -Kannamsai
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PM David Cameron visits Mandhir to Woo NRI votes? May 05, 2015 12:48
Just hours before the ending of the election campaign, which are slated to take place in next week, Prime Minister David Cameron has paid a symbolic visit to the Shri Swaminarayan mandir. He was greeted with a garland of pink and white flowers, as well as a ‘nadachide’ tied to his right wrist and tikka on his forehead. The PM offered flowers and performed ‘Abishek’ at the temple. During his speech at the temple, around 1,000 devotees keenly listened to his voice on the greatness of Hinduism and Dharma. Interestingly, he started his speech with ‘Jai Swaminarayan’ chanting and said “If we want to make Britain better, we could do a lot worse than taking Hinduism as an inspiration.” He lauded the contribution and service by Indians to console the Nepal earthquake victims, and the family systems. This his second visit as PM and he had visited the mandhir as leader of the opposition in October 2008 for the first time. Most of the Indian NRIs are considering this as his election campaign to cash the crucial votes of Indians in Britain. -Kannamsai
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Indian American families are high earning groups in US! May 02, 2015 16:42
Indian-origin persons in US are considered to be best-educated and wealthiest ethnic group, ahich has been proved again by the revelations of data by US Census Bureau as part of the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month which is celebrated in May. According to the data for the year of 2013, the median income of Indian-American house hold was above $100,000 per annum, and the median income of households headed by the Asian population in 2013 was $72,472. The data also said that the national (US) median income was around $51,000 only. And among the immigrants the Pakistani-Americans ($63,000) and Bangladeshi-Americans ($51,000) came next. As per the census bureau's "American Community Survey in 2010", Indian-American median family income was $86,135. The report did not cover the incomes on the basis of religions, but US Religious Landscape Study by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2008, 46% of Jews reported family incomes of over $100,000 compared to 19% of all Americans, with the next highest group being Hindus at 43%. Most of the youth from Indian origin attends post-graduate studies ans earns more than those of natives. -Kannamsai
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Indian Student Dead Body Reaches Mother Land May 02, 2015 15:59
The dead body of a student from Manoharabad Village in Medak district of Telangana, Vishweshwar Reddy Bethi, who was found dead on Thursday April 23, 2015 in Buffalo River Park, Arkansas, reached India. The police officials suspected it as suicide and probing on the reasons for his death. American Telugu Association contributed a lot to send his Caracas to India on the request of the members of his family and their financial condition. After learning about the incident Mr. Sreedhar Reddy Kanchanakuntla, the Regional Coordinator ATA Houston and ATA Community Services team informed his relatives in US and association president Sudhakar Perkari urged the members for financial contribution to send his body to India. Vishweshwar had gone to US for pursuing M.S. degree in Southern Arkansas University. -Kannamsai
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Amitabh to Lead a campaign initiated by NRI doctors April 30, 2015 15:52
Indian movie legend Amitabh Bachchan will be leading an awareness campaign on road safety initiated by the American physicians of Indian Origin. There are several road safety missions and programmes existing in India, but they are unable to drop the number of accidents as expected or as needed. Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and pharma company Abbott jointly organizing the campaign in order to minimize the accidents and there by injuries and deaths. The campaign would include the posters with the messages on road safety endorsed by Amitabh will be showcased in all the clinics and hospitals across the country to remind the importance to the visitors. “I am with you in this campaign to create awareness about head injury and trauma because of road accidents”, said Bachchan in a press statement issued by Abbott. “AAPI is committed to building the right foundation to address the serious concerns of head injury and trauma,” said Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, president of AAPI. AAPI and Abbott have conducted a country-wide road safety awareness drive, which reached over 800,000 people as the Abbott is having larger base in Indian hospitals. The campaign includes the safety precautions like adequate protection, speed limits, concentrated driving. "With our vision of 'Zero Injury Zero Incidents', Abbott’s field force is trained on safe two-wheeler driving. This has resulted in reduction in accidents to the tune of 83 percent amongst Abbott employees," said Bhasker Iyer, Abbott management representative in India. "AAPI has been working with multiple stakeholders and professional associations like NSI, NSSI and AASAN in developing the first trauma and brain injury guidelines for India," said Anwar Feroz Siddiqi, honorary advisor to AAPI. They have designed the project in Indian context to nullify the accidents in India. Renowned actor and potential organizational support can help the NRI doctors to realize their aspirations. - Kannamsai
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