Dharma in Digital Age Conference in Houston, Texas

In Search of Dharma in the Indian Diaspora

We have become an aggressive and divisive society which is becoming intolerant of others' ideas and points of view. For a pluralistic society like India, all the people who live there are important and we need to work together to take the country forward and to great heights. Unless we change our present thinking, we have the danger of becoming an extremist state

Beyond the Remittance: How Bangladesh's Overseas Workers Are Reshaping Post-Uprising Politics

For decades, Bangladeshi governments referred to their overseas workers as remittance warriors—a formulation that was generous in one respect and quietly limiting in another. It honored their economic contribution while bracketing their political identity. The July Uprising may have ended that bracketing for good. What is now taking shape, imperfectly and without clear resolution, is a constituency that earns its living abroad but has not surrendered its stake in what Bangladesh becomes.

US Immigration Policy Change Could Adversely Affect Indians, South Asians Seeking Employment-Based Green Cards

The policy could have particularly significant consequences for employment-based Green Card applicants, many of whom have traditionally relied on adjustment of status (AOS) while continuing to live and work legally in the U.S. There is a large number of Indian immigrants who stand to face significant disruption and delay because of this policy shift.

Stricter H-1B visa rules, OPT Termination Will Make US Less Attractive for Indian and South Asian Students

It is not just Indian professionals, but this bill could result in a further drop in Indian students - the largest foreign student cohort in the US - showing interest in higher studies in the US. It is not just the H-1B visa by itself, but the proposal for ending the OPT which prospective students would be paying attention to. OPT helps students in drawing employment, gaining experience and potentially transferring to H-1B Visa status. In 2024-2025, over 140,000 Indian students were participating in the OPT program.

More on South Asia Diaspora and Global Indians

Rahul Gandhi at Stanford: Pappu can’t dance maybe, but he sure can speak

Rahul G at Stanford was no barefoot messiah in a loin cloth but a dapper Nehru-jacket clad man with a salt and pepper beard who evoked images of truth and moral courage. This was a new Gandhi for a new age – opposing an old-fashioned autocrat who was allegedly subverting democracy and secularism. 

Indian American community discovers a reinvigorated Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi cast the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections in India as an ideological fight between those who believe in Mahatma's Gandhi’s message of love and peace and his “coward” assassin Nathuram Godse’s message of hatred and violence.

Indian diaspora in the Caribbean needs the right political impetus

It is about time that celebrations to mark Indian Arrival Day, whether in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, or Fiji, take on a new format and a more scientific approach

Bill to make Diwali federal holiday in the US introduced

The bill says, “Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is an auspicious day celebrated by many South and Southeast Asian communities as well as religious groups including the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain communities”.

Top US military officer nominee advocate of strong defence ties with India

Brown has repeatedly spoken of the importance of defence relations with India for the US. He participated in the Cope India 19 joint India-US exercise in 2018 in Kalaikunda and Panagarh and flew an Indian Air Force Mirage 2000.

Terror, famine, human rights violations heighten global concerns over Afghanistan

Guterres described the situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as “the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today” with six million Afghans “one step away from famine-like conditions”, while 28 million “will need humanitarian assistance this year to survive”.

Did the US snoop on high-level India-Russia talks? Pakistani policy memos also leaked

It reported that in an internal memo quoted in a leaked document "Pakistan's Difficult Choices", Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said that Islamabad  "no longer try to maintain a middle ground between China and the United States”.

Two Indian American women likely to occupy centrestage in 2024 US presidential campaign

It would have been compelling to see two presidential aspirants in Haley and Harris duke it out during debates. However, those encounters may have to wait for the foreseeable future.

India invited to join regional Quartet on Afghanistan that includes Pakistan and China

Posing a dilemma for India in joining a “Quintet” is that the four countries in the Quartet have the makings of a distinct anti-West grouping and two of them, Pakistan and China, are hostile to New Delhi.

Internecine warfare among rival Sikh gangs in California lead to mass arrests; officials say 'bloodbath' prevented

The official praised Sikh community leaders who condemned the violence and said the arrests do not “in any way reflect or represent a vibrant Sikh community that is such an important and vital part of the greater community in this region”

South Asians making their presence felt in American public life

Salahuddin believes that his home, America, provides the opportunity to bridge the divide left by a brutal Partition, ongoing Hindu-Muslim tensions, and the continual conflict between India and Pakistan.

US state of Georgia deplores academic attacks on Hinduism, condemns Hinduphobia

On the contribution of Hinduism, the resolution said, “Yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, food, music, arts, and more have enriched the cultural fabric and have been widely adopted in American society and enriched the lives of millions”. 

Ratan N. Tata awarded the 2022 Hoover Medal

Tata was recognized as the 74th recipient of the Hoover Medal in a private award ceremony in January at Somerset House in Mumbai.

With strong bipartisan support for the relationship, US to finally have an ambassador in India

But there is also a point of potential friction in ties with India: the human rights issues as perceived by some in the US, which is a touchy issue for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At that hearing, Garcetti said, “Respect for human rights and strong democratic institutions are key elements of our strategic partnership and values enshrined in our constitutions, and if confirmed, I will engage closely and regularly with the Indian government on these issues”.

Senior US official visiting Pakistan to discuss energy security

In Lahore, Pyatt will visit the Lahore University of Management Sciences' Electric Vehicle Labs to highlight technological advances made through US-Pakistan cooperation.