IHCNJ celebrates 10th anniversary
Indian Health Camp of New Jersey, a nonprofit organization, celebrated its 10th anniversary on September 12, 2009 at South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, NJ. Approximately 600 people including doctors and other medical professionals and volunteers attended this event. The event was attended by Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, Councilman Mac Shah, Anil Patel of ICS and other well-known Indian community leaders. The celebration started with delicious Gujarati dinner from Rajbhog Foods followed by American and Indian national anthems, deep pragatya and plaque presentation to various supporters and contributors from the past 10 years to include Accurate Diagnostic Labs, LabCorp, Quest Lab, Ved Mandir, Balaji Temple, Yogi Divine Society, Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Secaucus, Gujarat Darpan and Tiranga. The grand sponsors Piyush Patel of Summit Research Labs and Mukund Thakar of Arista Care and silver sponsor Pinakin Pathak of OHM International also attended the event.
The organization’s President Dr. Tushar Patel welcomed everyone and mentioned that IHCNJ was established in 1998 by dedicated volunteers, including physicians, to provide free health screening and disease prevention to South Asian communities in Central and Northern New Jersey. These services are provided to uninsured and underinsured individuals above the age of 50, at health camps organized each year. The first health camp was organized in 1999 with 280 participants. Since then, the activities have expanded to other locations. At present, the yearly camps are held at four different locations in Central and Northern New Jersey. The health camp offers blood test, electrocardiogram, dental examination, vision screening, dietary counseling, physical therapy consultation, heart disease screening and cancer screening. To date, the organization has provided services to more than 4,000 participants with an estimated market value of $2.6 million.
Maaza Miss India New York and Miss Teen India New York The Twenty Seventh Annual Maaza Miss India New York and The Second Annual Miss Teen India New York is scheduled for November 14, 2009, at the Community Center Auditorium, Flushing, New York.
Produced by the New York based IFC, Miss India New York is the oldest Indian pageant outside of India. The pageant draws never-married contestants of Indian origin from New York State between the ages of 17 and 27. Many of the past contestants and winners have achieved a place in Indian and American movies, television and in modeling. Many others have chosen careers in the field of medicine, law, and business.
After public demand, the first annual Miss Teen India New York was held along with Maaza Miss India New York last year and was a grand success. Open to girls of Indian origin between the age group of 12 and 17, Miss Teen India New York is an ideal platform for the young Indian girls to gain confidence and promote Indian performing arts.
The contestants will participate in Indian attire, Evening gown and talent segments. The winner will be decided after a questionand- answer segment featuring the five highest-scoring contestants. Emphasis is placed on the talent and promotion of Indian culture and heritage.
“We are glad to join hands once again with Miss India New York” said Sudhir Vaishnav, CEO of Sahara One TV that will be covering the pageant.
The winner of Miss India New York will represent the state in the Twenty Seventh Miss India USA pageant on November 21 in Tampa, Florida.
TV-Desi delivers channels from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to viewers in North America
TV-Desi announced the launch of its set-top-box service and new dual streaming service on the PC. The launch of TV-Desi’s online viewing capability complements its television service, delivering premium South Asian television channels in high digital quality direct to the television set via the Internet. The TV-Desi platform uses an Internet connection and set-top-box technology for television viewing without the need for satellite or cable installation. As a corresponding service to TV-Desi’s online platform, www.jumptv.com/international, the set-top-box service streams content live and features a diverse lineup of 44 channels including: SET Asia, ATN Bangla, NDTV, Aaj TV, HUM TV as well as other popular television channels from leading South Asian and U.S. content providers. TV-Desi set -top-box subscribers can also watch the TV-Desi online channels for free.
In addition to the vast array of South Asian content, the Sky Angel Family Package is also available to U.S. customers as part of the TV-Desi service for $19.99 a month. Subscribers can enjoy a bundle of added programming through the set-top-box that includes: Fox News Channel, NFL Network, Discovery Channel, Hallmark Channel, QVC and many other top channels.
TV-Desi comes to the marketplace through leading technology provider NeuLion (TSX:JTV). As an end-to-end turnkey service, NeuLion is the backbone of both the online and set-top-box services for TV-Desi and a number of other International partners.
The TV-Desi service is now available in the United States and Canada. New subscribers can receive the set-top-box equipment for free by ordering now.
Air India announces economy and executive class sale fares from all its US gateways to
India Air India has announced special sale fares from its U.S. gateways cities to India. Travelers can take advantage of Air India’s special Executive Class Sale Fares to India that are available for travel through March 2010. Roundtrip fares from Newark and Chicago to Mumbai, Delhi are $2,824; from JFK Airport (via non-stop flights) to the same cities, the fare is $3,059. The fare is not available for travel to India during December and from India to the U.S. in January. Some other blackout dates and restrictions apply.
Departure taxes, airport security fees (including September 11 security fee) and other fees and fuel surcharges of at least $411 are not included in either the Economy or Executive Class Sale Fares. Early booking is recommended, as seats are limited and may not be available on all flights.
Air India is India’s national carrier and largest airline. It has been in operation since 1932, and offers daily non-stop flights from JFK to Mumbai and Delhi and direct service to India from Chicago and Newark (via Frankfurt) and from Toronto (via London). As of September 1, 2009 flights from Newark Liberty International Airport feature Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, making the airline’s entire U.S. operation served by new 777 aircraft.
Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan at Asia Society
To spotlight the current energy, vitality and range of expression in Pakistan’s contemporary art scene, Asia Society Museum is presenting 55 works by 15 artists, comprising installation art, video, photography, painting and sculpture. A number of the works have never been exhibited, including a large-scale site-specific painting by Imran Qureshi.Salima Hashmi, one of the most influential and well-respected writers and curators in Pakistan, curates hanging Fire.
Hanging Fire is accompanied by a comprehensive, full-color, 161- page research book, distributed by Yale University Press, addressing Pakistan’s political, social, cultural and art history. The volume is edited by Salima Hashmi and includes essays by specialists in Pakistan, the United States and the United Kingdom: artist Naazish Ata- Ullah and artist/critic Quddus Mirza, professors Iftikhar Dadi (Cornell University), Ayesha Jalal (Tufts University), and Carla Petievich (Montclair State University), and celebrated author Mohsin Hamid (The Reluctant Fundamentalist, 2007, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize).
The exhibition begins with one of the last major works by the late artist Zahoor ul Akhlaq, considered the founder of modernism in Pakistan, who was tragically murdered in 1999 and whose work continues to influence younger artists.
The exhibition’s title, Hanging Fire, refers to an idiom that means, “to delay decision.” In the context of the exhibition, the title evokes the idea of delaying judgment, particularly based on assumptions or preconceived notions about contemporary society and artistic expression in Pakistan. “For over 40 years, Asia Society has been a leader in providing balanced and nuanced perspectives on Pakistan and U.S.- Pakistan relations,” said Asia Society President Vishakha N. Desai.
Oscar Fernandes bestowed with Nelson Mandela Award for Minority Empowerment
Senior Congress leader, Oscar Fernandes, has been bestowed with the Nelson Mandela Award in recognition of his efforts for promoting minority rights. The prestigious Minority Empowerment Award was presented last month to Fernandes by Dr Charles Steele Jr, a prominent civil rights activist and CEO of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Atlanta based organization co-founded by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Oscar Fernandes MP was bestowed with this award for his heroic promotion of minority-rights and outstanding service to the nation. This award in the field of advocacy for minority causes is an honor given to individuals and organizations in recognition of outstanding achievements in promotion of minority affairs. The award commemorates the sacrifices of Nelson Mandela who suffered jail and various forms of repression to champion the causes of his people. The award also records his great strength in forgiving and reconciliation in an effort to unite the country. Speaking to a well-attended audience of intellectuals and community leaders at the United Nations Church Center in New York, the leader from India said, “In today’s world we can progress as a civil society only when we have an inclusive approach and recognize each other’s strengths. This creative energy of different communities, when pooled together can lead to fulfillment of purpose and life and shall bring about a wonderful harmony in society.”
Several dignitaries and community leaders attended the meeting from the Diaspora. Oscar Fernandes who was accompanied by his wife Blossom was given a grand reception by the community later in the evening at Queens, New York. Among the prominent people to speak were Dr. Charlie Steele Jr., SwamiBhua, Guru Dilip ji, Dr. Bernard Malik, George Abraham, General Secretary, Indian National Overseas Congress, Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Abraham Mammen, Mohinder Singh, Vice President, INOC, Thomas T. Oommen, Najma Sultana, Tayeb Poonawala and Dr. Sajan George.
Festival of Indian Classical Music on November 7-8 at Vedic Heritage
Vedic Heritage Inc., under the leadership of Founder/President Her Holiness Pratham Parvatyacharya Sri Sri Guru Maa Jyotishanand Saraswati was one of the first organizations in USA to bring rich heritage of the classical music and dance to the NRI and Western audiences in the NY-area.
This year it will host Ved Shiromani Sangeet Martandya Padma Vibhusan Pandit Jasraj (vocals), Padma Vibhusan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute) and famous dancer, Smt. Sudha Chandran on November 7 and 8 at Pandit Jasraj Auditorium in Hempstead, Long Island.
Vedic Heritage has also been running AVIDES Music Foundation to encourage classical music and dance amongst the younger generation. A nationwide talent hunt and competition is conducted in India for aspiring artists under 25 years of age, and the top 1 or 2 winners in the categories of vocal, instrumental and dance perform at our NY program, where the audience selects the winners. This competition has produced winners who have made great names for themselves in the last few years.
