About: Kanwal

Recent Posts by Kanwal

Dr. Rajiv Bhateja, co-founder of They See Blue, with us

Dr. Rajiv Bhateja grew up in Bangalore, India, and earned a Bachelor of Technology from IIT, Bombay. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bhateja has worked at eight startup companies in Silicon Valley, most recently as vice president of engineering. Following retirement, Dr. Bhateja has been active in civic affairs and was recently elected to the City Council in his hometown of Los Altos Hills.

Dr. Rajiv Bhateja is a co-founder of They See Blue®. He first became involved in U.S. politics in 2004. He volunteered for the first Obama campaign in 2008, co-founded Silicon Valley Courageous Resistance in January 2017 and They See Blue in July 2018. He serves on the They See Blue National Strategy Team and helps coordinate its technology and data management activities. Check out the website: https://theyseeblue.org 

We talk to Dr. Rajiv Bhateja about the upcoming elections, about the economy and much more – Tune – in for sure, yet again on 4th November, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at  12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.

In conversation with Varsha Das about her life in Florida

Varsha Das lives with her husband in the beautiful sunshine state of Florida. Originally from India, where she built a successful career in technology consulting for large corporations, she immigrated with her husband and small child to the United States of America around thirty years ago. She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Information Systems and now serves as assistant director of ERP systems.

In addition to her professional background, Varsha is passionate about the arts. She has a bachelor’s degree in Hindustani classical music and is trained in Bharat’s Natyam dance. She has always loved sports and has played basketball and badminton at a competition level at both college and state levels. As an avid traveler, Varsha enjoys exploring new cultures and cuisines and is currently learning Spanish.

We talk to Varsha Das about her life in Florida, about her concerns and much more – Tune – in for sure, today, on 2nd November, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.

From our Archives – a conversation with one of India’s finest actors, Parikshit Sahni

Parikshit Sahni is one of India’s finest actors. He is the son of actor Balraj Sahni and nephew of writer Bhisham Sahni.

Parikshit Sahni is known for playing the lead in the TV series Barrister Vinod, Gul Gulshan Gulfaam (Doordarshan), and Gaatha (Star Plus). He has also appeared in three of Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster films Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, and PK. He starred in the classic Punjabi film Marhi Da Diva (1989), with Raj Babbar, Pankaj Kapur, Kanwaljit Singh, and Deepti Naval. He played a remarkable role in the Hindi film Pavitra Paapi (1970) which was based on a Punjabi novel by Nanak Singh (a famous novelist). Pavitra Paapi also featured his real-life father, Balraj Sahni in a pivotal role. Courtesy https://merasangeet.com/page/2/

Do listen – in this conversation, recorded many years back – yet again today, 29th October, on our show, From our Archives, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM – EST

Kalpana Peddibhotla, Executive Director of SAAJCO, with us

Kalpana Peddibhotla is a lawyer of over 25 years and has practiced primarily in immigration.

Kalpana is the Executive Director of the newly formed South Asian American Justice Collaborative (SAAJCO) which seeks to advance the rights of South Asians living in the US.

Kalpana has a great perspective as an Immigration Lawyer on how the Presidential candidates deal with immigration, and can bust some prevalent immigration myths.

Join us for a great conversation, today, focused on the issues being discussed for the November Elections. Tune – in for sure, yet again, today, 28th October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM  and  7:00 PM EST.

In conversation with Environmental Advocate, Chitra Kumar

Chitra Kumar is a mother of two boys and environmental advocate living in the Washington, DC, metro area. Her family immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 and raised her in the American Midwest, including Michigan, Indiana, and Missouri. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a Masters degree from MIT focusing on environmental issues. Chitra worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more than 20 years and now works for an environmental nonprofit in Washington, DC.

In her free time, Chitra sings and plays Western music, inspired by her mother’s passion for Carnatic music. She loves adventure, taking to the ski slopes, hiking and enjoying the beauty of Mother nature.

We talk to Chitra Kumar about various concerns she has and also about the upcoming elections – Tune – in for sure, on 25th and 26th October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.

In Remembrance – From our Archives – Conversation with Indian singer, Pankaj Udhas

Pankaj Udhas is a very popular Indian ghazal and playback singer. After his success as a ghazal singer, he was invited to appear and sing for a film by Mahesh Bhatt, Naam. He did playback singing for many Hindi films after that. In 2006, Pankaj Udhas was awarded Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. Courtesy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankaj_Udhas

On the show, Pankaj Udhas talks about his growing-up days, about his father, his brothers – how music just became his first love, home, and much much more. This conversation was recorded many many years back but is as fresh as today – So know your favorite singer, and hear him talk about so many memories – as he does so, he also sings along – and we also play many many of his super hit nos.

The date and time to save is – our show, From our Archives, today, 21st October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA at 5:00 PM – EST

In conversation with Sunil Mehta, co-founder of They See Blue

Sunil Mehta grew up in Bombay, India, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Engineering at IIT-Bombay. He moved to the U.S. in 1980 for graduate school and received advanced engineering degrees from Penn State and MIT. He has worked in the electronics industry for more than 40 years in both technical and management roles. He holds 92 U.S. patents.

Sunil was an independent who stayed clear of politics for more than three decades when the unthinkable happened in the November 2016 election. This spurred him to get involved in the ground game of politics for the first time. In June 2018, he co-founded They See Blue, an organization focused on getting South Asians to vote Democratic.

Besides his full-time high-tech job and They See Blue, Sunil has several other interests. He is a movie buff (both Hindi and English films), an aficionado of Hindi film songs, and a voracious reader of books and comics. Over the past three years, he has spent much of his spare time building a blogging/reference website that encompasses his various interests. He just completed the work on the website and it is now live: sunilslists.com.

We talk to Sunil Mehta about the upcoming elections, about the various issues – Tune – in for sure, yet again, today, on 21st October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.

In conversation with one of India’s finest singers, Kavita Krishnamurthy

In conversation with one of India’s finest singers, Kavita Krishnamurthy, we explore her remarkable journey in music and her inspirations. Known for her versatile voice, she shares insights on her creative process, the fusion of traditional and contemporary styles, and the challenges she faced in the industry.

Kavita reflects on memorable collaborations with renowned composers and the joy of connecting with audiences. Her passion for music shines through, inspiring aspiring artists to embrace their uniqueness. Join us as we celebrate the melodic journey of Kavita Krishnamurthy, a true icon in the music world.

Do tune in for the interview, recorded many years back – yet again today, 20th October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM – EST.

From our Archives – Conversation with the popular Indian singer, Master Saleem, also known as Saleem Shahzada, on our Hindi Radio Show

Master Saleem, also known as Saleem Shahzada, is an Indian singer who is known for his work as a devotional singer and also as a playback singer in Bollywood films, like Heyy Babyy (2007), Dostana and Love Aaj Kal (2009). He has also released several private albums of Punjabi Music and Sufi music.

Master Saleem was born as Saleem (Saleem Shahzada), in Shahkot, near Jalandhar, Punjab. He is the son of the famous Sufi singer Ustad Puran Shah Koti, who was also the guru of folk singers, Hans Raj Hans, Jasbir Jassi, Sabar Koti, and Diljaan. At the age of six Saleem also became his disciple and started learning to sing. Courtesy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Saleem

This conversation is simply not to be missed – You will love the way Master Saleem tells us about his journey, his family, his friends and so much more – Tune – in for sure on our show, From our Archives, today, 12th October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM – EST

In conversation with Dr. Rita Yadava on Gun Safety Reforms

Dr. Rita Yadava, M.D. specializes in Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology and has been practicing since 1986, though she is currently semi-retired. She serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Easter Seals DuPage, the Board of Directors of Giant Steps Autism School, and the Board of Directors of the National Indo-American Museum.

Dr. Yadava has a special interest in children with developmental and behavioral disabilities. She is a passionate advocate for gun safety, community health, and reproductive rights. She is also mom to Nina and Gaurav, and Nani to Nina’s two daughters.& Dadi to Gaurav’s three sons. 

We talked to Dr. Rita about the Gun Safety Reforms and much more around the topic.

Do tune – in today and tomorrow, 11th and 12th October, and again on  MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM – EST.

In conversation with the legendary Indian classical Sarod player, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Sahaab

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Sahaab, the legendary Indian classical sarod player, needs no introduction. He is well known and much loved across the globe. He was born into a classical musical family and has performed internationally since the 1960s.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Sahaab was awarded the 21st Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award. He received the Padma Shri in 1975, Padma Bhushan in 1991, and Padma Vibhushan in 2001, and was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1989 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for 2011. He was awarded the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 2004.The U.S. state Massachusetts proclaimed 20 April as Amjad Ali Khan Day in 1984. He was made an honorary citizen of Houston, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, in 1997, and of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2007. He received the Banga-Vibhushan in 2011. Courtesy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amjad_Ali_Khan

It was a delight for us to have this conversation with Khan Sahaab, as he talks about music, his journey  and much more. This conversation was recorded some years back – So incase you missed it earlier, Do listen – into the rebroadcast for sure, today, 11th October, on our Hindi Radio Show, From our Archives, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM – EST

In conversation with Prof Shuvra Das, faculty member of Mechanical Engineering, University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit

Prof Shuvra Das was born in Kolkata, India, and finished his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He came to the US as a graduate student in 1985 and finished his Ph.D. from Iowa State University. He was a post-doctoral researcher at University of Notre Dame for just under a year. Since 1994 he has been a faculty member of Mechanical Engineering at University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, USA. His wife, also an engineer, works for Ford Motor Company.

Prof Shuvra loves reading, writing, painting, photography, and theater. He has six published texts on different topics of engineering. His creative writings (mostly poetry) in English and Bengali have been published in many magazines such as The Antonym, Batayan, The Balcony, Doublespeak, Pine Cone Review, Rigorous, Sahitya Cafe, Banglalive, Irabotee, etc. He is also very active in grassroots organizing and is a founder member of SAMOSA, a South Asian grassroots organizing group in Michigan. In 2019 SAMOSA became a partner and the Michigan chapter of They See Blue. Since then Shuvra and other SAMOSA members have been involved in the nationwide efforts of They See Blue to get South Asians to support Democratic candidates nationwide.

We talk to Prof Shuvra Das about the upcoming elections, and much around it – So, if you missed this earlier, tune – in for sure, yet again, today, 29th  September, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 7:00 PM and 12:00 PM EST.

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