New Delhi takes up issue of Krittika Biswas with the US

Ravi Batra speaking to the media outside the City Hall in Manhattan on May 24. Krittika Biswas is in the center.

India has conveyed its concern to the United States over the arrest of Krittika Biswas, daughter of the vice-counsel at the Indian Consulate in New York, Debashish Biswas. Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar said on May 26, 2011 that Krittika’s wrongful arrest has been taken up with the US government "very seriously."

"It is a case which the embassy had taken up very seriously with the US government. When she was apprehended, we worked through the night as we got the information in the night. We woke up the US officials in the night and got her released the next day," she told reporters after a meeting with home minister P Chidambaram in Delhi. The envoy said there was concern over the way the 18-year-old student was apprehended.

Krittika was arrested by the New York Police on February 8 on the suspicion of sending obscene emails to her teacher in Queens' John Browne High School. She was released a day later after being found innocent. The girl is now suing New York City's government for $1.5 million for what she claims was a wrongful arrest.

The fourth season of MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee

(L to R) Laurel Daring, Assistant Vice President of Diverse Markets at MetLife; Rahul Walia, CEO of Touchdown Media Inc. and founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee; Ambassador Prabhu Dayal Consul General of India-NY and Jaideep Janakiram, Head - North America, Sony Entertainment Networks at the Season 4 Launch & Anniversary Party of The 2011 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee.

The fourth season of the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee was announced on May 10, 2011, by Touchdown Media, the leading multicultural advertising firm at an event held in Manhattan last week. MetLife, the global provider of life insurance and other financial services, returns as the title sponsor of the contest.

The event is open to children of South Asian descent up to 14 years of age and gives them a chance to test their spelling skills in their core peer group. Interested spellers need their parent or guardian to register them online at www.southasianspellingbee.com.

Organized by Touchdown Media Inc., the 2011 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee will be conducted in 10 locations across the United States starting June 18. Regional level events will be held in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, New Jersey, DC Metro, New York and Boston. All events will be free to attend and open to the public.

"It’s great to be celebrating the 4th year of the South Asian Spelling Bee. With the help of our sponsors and media partners, a great platform has been built for the community where spellers can test their skill and have the thrill of being on television. We have expanded to 10 cities across the US, adding Atlanta to the roster and look forward to another great season in 2011," said Rahul Walia, CEO of Touchdown Media Inc. and founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee.

Indian American girl wins the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Sukanya Roy won the 84th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee crown championship held in Washington on June 2, 2011.

It was the spelling of the tongue twister "cymotrichous," Greek for having wavy hair, which fetched the coveted crown, making it the 3rd straight year a girl has won. Sukanya, an eighth-grader at Abington Heights Middle School, Pennsylvania, got the decision making word right and won the championship. The competition began with 275 spellers. A written test and two oral rounds were held.

Sukanya said she knew as soon as she heard the word that she’d get it word right and win. "It’s just amazing. It’s hard to put into words."

This was the 14-year-old’s third trip to the national spelling bee and she had credited her past experience with keeping her calm and relaxed heading into the finals. She tied for 12th place in 2009 and 20th place in 2010.

The winner was awarded a $30,000 cash prize, a trophy, a $2,500 US savings bond, a complete reference library, a $5,000 scholarship and $2,600 in reference works and other prizes. She is the ninth Indian-American in the last 13 years, a run that began when Nupur Lala captured the crown in 1999 and was later featured in the documentary "Spellbound."

Anamika Veeramani had scored a hat-trick for Indian-Americans in taking the crown last year. Roy was among the 13 finalists along with other five who are also Indian Americans. The youngest finalist was 10- year-old India-born Dhivya Murugan of Denver.

Scripps Spelling Bee’s website says this year has seen contenders ranging in age from 8 to 15 years old from all over the world.

[ BY VRN ]