‘New Sankalps from the Sadhana in Kanniyakumari’
Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi reflects on the boundless energy and unity that define us, and calls on the nation to dedicate the next 25 years to building a #ViksitBharat.
You can read the full article here – https://www.narendramodi.in/new-sankalps-from-the-sadhana-in-kanyakumari-582982
Shared by the Press Section of the Consulate General of India, New York.
The DNC hosted a press call with Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Co-Chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, and Lauren Miller – a mother who was forced to leave the state of Texas to receive life-saving abortion care .
“Let’s be clear: Texas Republicans did this and it shows their true cruelty. And they could only do it because of one man: Donald Trump,” said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Co-Chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign. “Donald Trump has repeatedly bragged that he is ‘proudly’ responsible for overturning Roe and ripping away women’s reproductive freedoms. Trump now says that state bans are ‘working the way they are supposed to.’ When women are suffering, when women can’t make their own decisions, when women’s lives are on the line he claims that this is the way it’s supposed to work. I ask every Texan, every American, but especially women like Lauren, Kate Cox, Amanda Zurawski and countless others who have fought for life-saving care – How dare he say that this is working?”
“I’ll never forget when one specialist tore off his gloves in frustration and threw them in the trash. ‘I can’t help you anymore,’ he said. ‘You need to leave the state…’ I was at risk of organ damage to my kidneys and brain, but I wasn’t dead enough for an abortion in Texas,” said Lauren Miller, Dallas mother who was forced to leave Texas to receive critical care because of the state’s abortion ban and joined a lawsuit filed by Texas women denied health care despite serious pregnancy complications. “This is untenable for the millions of women who call Texas home, and if we allow Trump to reach the White House this November, he will make this nightmare a reality nationwide.”
“Texas Republicans have repeatedly shown who they are. They are a group of MAGA extremists hellbent on stripping away women’s rights and all of their talk of being the party of freedom is hogwash,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, Chair of Texas Democratic State Party. “Our message to voters is this: Texas Democrats are the party of freedom. Joe Biden is the candidate who will protect fundamental freedoms in the states. We want people in our state to have the freedom to choose what health care is best for them without the threat of capital punishment. The fact that we are even discussing this is further proof of the depravity of Texas Republicans. This weekend in El Paso, Democrats from across the state of Texas will gather and vote on a platform that protects women from these violent threats and we will specifically protect families’ access to IVF treatment as one of our pillars.”
India is a land of wonders, no doubt, one bit on that – and so it is also a land of huge diversity – reflected through the varied cultures, languages, dialects, food, beverages and cuisines, to name just a few. MeraSangeet, in yet another attempt to bridge the gap, tries to bring these delicacies, right from the kitchens back home – some saved in our memories, some through our own skills, some shared by our dear listeners who hail from different parts of India.
Tune – in on alternate Tuesdays, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, on MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM,11:00 AM, 3:00 PM,7:00 PM , 11:00 PM – EST.
A journa
list, a writer, a director, an entrepreneur, and a dreamer- Kanchan embarked on her professional journey as a journalist with NDTV in the year 2006. Transitioning into the realm of writing in early 2012.
With one feature film, one short film, over 300 stories, 2 published books, and a documentary series on her name, Kanchan has carved her own niche. She has been the creative head of India’s most popular storytelling show ‘Yaadon ka Idiot Box’ (Big FM), Kahani Express (Saavn), and Quisson ka Kona (Red FM). Through her dedicated work on audio-based content, she has created numerous award-winning shows and campaigns.
In her capacity as a mentor, Kanchan has nurtured the talents of over a hundred writers, both collectively for projects like ‘Yaadon ka Idiot Box,’ Spotify, and Big FM, as well as on an individual basis. In a pivotal shift in 2021, Kanchan’s trajectory took a leap as she ventured into film writing and directing, with a film she had penned. Titled ‘Dear Latika,’ which premiered in MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023. Dear Latika was selected as ‘NFDC Recommends’ at the prestigious NFDC Film Bazaar in 2022 and will be screened in the Thrissur International Film Festival, and Imagine India Madrid Film Festival this year. In addition to ‘Dear Latika,’ she has also written a short film titled ‘Shikayat,’ available for viewing on Disney+ Hotstar.
For more details and for tickets, please visit https://www.nyiff.us/
On our show, we talk to Kanchan Pant about her film, Dear Latika,’ and about her journey so far. Tune – in for sure, today, 28th May on our Show, Saat Samundar Paar, on MeraSangeet Gold – at 9:00 AM,1:00 PM,5:00 PM, and 9:00 PM – EST. You can also catch the interview on MeraSangeet East at 11:00 AM EST.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced its Spotlight Candidates in Pennsylvania to protect the Democratic majority in the House and make gains in the Senate. Including 15 House candidates and 4 Senate candidates, these targeted races will serve as a guidepost as the DLCC works to increase Democratic power to keep Republican extremism in check and deliver the progress that Pennsylvanians deserve.
Returning the Democratic majority in the House and making gains in the Senate are top priorities for the DLCC in 2024. The DLCC has been on the frontlines of supporting Pennsylvania Democrats in their fight to win and defend their majority in the Pennsylvania House, defending the majority in six special elections in 2023 and 2024. In the Senate, where half of the seats are on the ballot this year, the chamber margins are the closest they have been in a decade.
To listen in to some snippets from the press call, do join in today, 24th May, on our Show, Saat Samundar Paar, on MeraSangeet Gold – at 9:00AM,1:00 PM,5:00 PM and 9:00 PM – EST shows. You can also catch the same on MeraSangeet East at 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM – EST.
To watch the unveiling of the DLCC’s spotlight candidates, click here.
Sudeep Kanwal is a NY-based filmmaker who was born and, for most part, raised in India. He graduated from City College of New York with an MFA in film, specializing in writing & directing fiction. His short film, Silent Wave played at 23 film festivals across the United States. It won numerous awards and nominations. His next short, ‘Dhund’ premiered at the 2018 Mumbai Film festival as a winner of the Perfect 10 category. His first feature, ‘Privacy’, is co-produced by Mumbai-based art house studio, Fundamental Pictures.
PRIVACY is a neo-noir social thriller that asks the question, how much access to someone’s private life is okay? Roopali is an ambitious police officer confined to monitoring CCTV footage of the bustling streets of Mumbai. After a burglary takes place on her watch, Roopali becomes troubled and ignores protocol to investigate the incident. As she delves deeper into the investigation, her obsession with the CCTV surveillance grows, leading Roopali down a dark path from which she may not be able to return.
For more details and for tickets, please visit https://www.nyiff.us/
On the show, we talk to Sudeep about PRIVACY, about his journey, about his hometown, back home in India aand much more- Tune – in for sure, today, 23rd May on our Show, Saat Samundar Paar, on MeraSangeet Gold – at 9:00 AM,1:00 PM,5:00 PM, and 9:00 PM – EST. You can also catch the interview on MeraSangeet East at 11:00 AM EST.
NYIFF is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Three days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremonies, special events, after parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain and educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City. For more information, please visit www.nyiff.us
The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. For more information, please visit www.iaac.us
A Software Engineer turned Filmmaker, Sumanth has written & directed 4 short films before this. Having worked in the IT industry for 5 years, Sumanth quit his job and moved back to his quiet, coastal hometown to set up his own design firm, while also pursuing his passion – filmmaking. He made a few short films, acquainting himself with the nitty-gritty of the art of filmmaking, before finally deciding to wind down his design firm & take a plunge into full-time filmmaking. Mithya is his debut feature film.
Mithya is a journey alongside Mithun, an 11-year-old, who is coming to terms with the loss of his parents. The passing away of a young couple in the family, orphaning two kids, triggered a chain of thoughts. How would the little kids come to terms? How long before the wounds heal, or do they even? How do children grieve? Mithya is an attempt to find answers to these. Can a new house be home, can friendships be forged again or is it all just a search for something long gone? — Watch the film for all these answers and much more. For more details and for tickets, please visit https://www.nyiff.us/
On the show, we talk to Sumanth about Mithya, about his journey, about his hometown – Tune – in for sure, today, 21st May on our Show, Saat Samundar Paar, on MeraSangeet Gold – at 9:00 AM,1:00 PM,5:00 PM, and 9:00 PM – EST. You can also catch the interview on MeraSangeet East at 11:00 AM EST.
Cyndi M
unson became the first Asian-American woman elected to the Oklahoma legislature in 2015 and has focused on bolstering protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, providing equal pay for equal work, and striving to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s. She has fought targeted bigotry against Asian Americans and is a staunch advocate for Oklahoma’s women and girls. Oklahoma has been on the frontlines of attacks against fundamental freedoms and Leader Munson is a rising star.
DLCC President Heather Williams says – “Leader Cyndi Munson is a force to be reckoned with. Her unwavering commitment to combating bigotry against AAPI communities is part of her important work in creating a brighter future – particularly in a state with entrenched Republican power and extremism. The DLCC is committed to electing a diverse slate of electors across the country who reflect the communities they represent. State legislatures shape the policy that impacts people’s lives the most, which is why having leaders with the lived experiences of their constituents is so essential. The DLCC is proud to stand with AAPI lawmakers like Leader Munson who are changing the face of power and the future of this country.”
Oklahoma House Democratic Leader and DLCC board member Cyndi Munson talks to us about her journey so far, about all that is at stake in the November Presidential elections, the polarization in politics in the US, and much more. Do join-in today, 15th May, for the 1st half of our Show, Saat Samundar Paar, on MeraSangeet Gold – at 9:00 AM,1:00 PM,5:00 PM, and 9:00 PM – EST. You can also catch the same 1st half on MeraSangeet East at 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM – EST.
Shantanu Mukherjee, known as Shaan, is an Indian singer, actor and television presenter. In 2002, he won the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India for best solo album for his album Tanha Dil.
Apart from studio albums, Shaan also sang several other albums songs such as Channel Hits, Bollywood Sensation 2, Club Class, A Reason To Smile, The Ultimate Party Album, among many others. He collaborated with international singers as well. After working with blue for the song “One Love” and singing the theme song (“Shuruaat”) for the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Shaan collaborated with Michael Learns to Rock for his album Tishnagi. Courtesy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaan_(singer)
Do listen – in to this conversation, recorded many years back – yet again today, 7th May, on our show, From our Archives, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 5:00 PM – EST
According to latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data in India, 36% of children are stunted, 32% are underweight, and 21% are wasted. All that in spite of the fact that 64% of women exclusively breastfeed their babies. Behind this alarming data is the barely known fact – pervasive poor breastfeeding techniques that result in babies constantly crying for milk and mother’s giving up in frustration to switch prematurely to external baby feeds if they can afford& easily find. A problem that is completely fixable, and rather give those 86% of malnourished babies a chance of a healthy life – physically and mentally.
WHEELS Global Foundation (a social impact platform of global IIT alumni community)’s Newborn Nutritional Health Initiative is scaling pioneering work of IIT Bombay’s Health Spoken Tutorials (HST) team to address pervasive newborn malnutrition at scale. Washington D.C. based RIST (Rural India Supporting Trust) with a large grant is supporting scaling of deployment of this initiative across one of the largest State in India, Madhya Pradesh, so as to impact lives of >10m mothers and babies. After amazing results in several districts across three States (Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh) where the babies gained as much as five-fold more weight in first six months and exceeded all WHO standards, HST team has taken its Cuedwell technology-enabled train-the-trainer model to enable thousands of health & ICDS workers so mothers can be taught proper breast-feeding and nutritional intake practices.
On 9th April, Consulate General of India (CGI), New York, hosted WHEELS leadership team along with several well-known IIT alumni, and its partners who are complimenting its newborn nutritional health program with daily healthy meals to underserved school kids across rural India — Annapoorna Trust serving >9m meals a day and Akshaya Patra Foundation serving >2m meals a day. Given the massive benefits mothers and babies would drive from these simple-to-learn (via IIT-Bombay’s HST team’s >10010-min long video tutorials) towards a healthy life and healthy society, CGI and WHEELS hope those who missed attending the public event would visit WHEELS’ initiative page to learn and benefit from this pioneering research and dedicated effort from a passionate team, and help scale the effort to entire India and all over the world.
