India scored a diplomatic victory with seven of its former navy personnel, who were working for Doha-based Dahra Global and were taken into custody in August 2022, returning home earlier this month.

They were identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Rajesh.

While Commander Purnendu Tiwari has been released from prison along with others, he is yet to land in India with sources indicating his arrival by next week.

“As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday.

“The eighth Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill, he will return as and when those are completed,” he added.

The spokesperson did not elaborate on the requirements that Commander Tiwari needed to fulfill to ensure his return to India. Earlier, Commander Tiwari’s cousin, Dr. Meetu Bhargava, had expressed her joy upon hearing the news of his release, which she said would not have been possible without Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s help.

The MEA spokesperson also confirmed that the first group of civilian crew replacing Indian troops has reached Maldives.

“The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter at Gan has reached Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel that were until now operating it,” Jaiswal said in response to a question.

“That is where it is as far as the core group meeting is concerned. We will have more details later,” he added.

In a statement released on Monday, the Maldives’ Ministry of Defence said: “The civilian crew who will operate the helicopter in place of the Indian troops currently stationed in Seenu Gan (Addu city) has arrived in Maldives this evening.”

As of now, there are close to 80 Indian military personnel in the island nation to operate two Indian helicopters and an aircraft.

The Maldivian defence ministry also stated that the helicopter stationed at Kadhdhoo Airport would be returned to India for maintenance, adding that a replacement helicopter would arrive aboard an Indian warship.

Maldives’ pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu promised to remove Indian troops from the island nation after winning the country’s presidential election in November 2023.

Earlier this month, he said the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back before March 10, while the remaining will be withdrawn by May 10.

CHICAGO: The Bharatiya Seniors of Chicago celebrated Valentine’s Day on February 17, 2024, at ‘Rana Regan Centre’, Carol Steam Town in the presence of around 900 members and guests. The BSC Vice President Hirjibhai Ponkia and committee members conducted the meeting.

The BSC Secretary Rashila Dobria started the program with the recitation of  Ganesh Vandana. On this occasion, famous Chicago singers Rajesh Chalam and Pavitra Anand entertained the BSC members for 3 hours singing songs from old and new movies.

Rajesh Chalam won the hearts of all present by singing the ‘Madhuban Me Radhika Nachere’ song from the Kohinoor movie,  Richard Kristian gave Sangat on the table while Pavitra Anand made everybody happy and pitched all to dance on the dance floor.

Parasottam Pandya, Managing Trustee of BSC thanked all and the committee members for making the program a success. The people parted after having a delicious meal.

Mahashivratri “The Great Night of Shiva” is of great significance for all those who aspire for Moksha-the ultimate reality, enlightenment/awakening, and a worry free life. This notable festive night in Sanatana Dharma becomes a lively awakening night, marking an occasion of “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in life and in the world for all Sanatanis.It is observed by worshipping Lord Shiva, chanting Mantras and prayers, singing Bhajans, fasting, meditating and taking an oath to follow morals, ethics, and good virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of truth.

The fourteenth day of every lunar month, the day before the new moon is known as Shivratri. Among all the twelve Shivratris, Mahashivratri occurs on the 14th day of the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which usually falls in the months of February or March in the Gregorian calendar is of the most spiritual significance. On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way that there is a natural upsurge of energy that is going to affect all the living beings. This energy rise in the nature is very helpful for pushing oneself towards one’s spiritual peak. That is why, this festival goes on nightlong to ensure that people stay awake by keeping their spine vertical.

What is the deeper meaning of Lord Shiva?

Destroyer of darkness is called Shiva. He is also known as the destroyer, transformer and auspicious, gracious, kind, and benevolent. The deeper meaning is that the one who worships Him, he can overcome his/her inner darkness/demonic nature through self-awareness, self-awakening and self-control. By seeking his blessings, we can transform the darkness into light both within and around us.

After your deep and concentrated meditation, when you open your eyes and look around, you will see many of His beautiful creations, if you are partially enlightened; you will see His existence in the vast emptiness/infinity, if you are really and fully enlightened. Even according to modern science also everything comes from nothing and goes back to nothing. For that reason, the vast emptiness/nothingness is referred to as Mahadeva,the great lord.

What is the Meaning of Maha Shivaratri?

Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva has three words namely, Maha means great, Shiva means auspicious, and Ratri means night, which gives rest and comfort. This is the night of transcendental divine consciousness, which destroys adhyatmik, adibhoutik and adidaivik hurdles, as this great energetic night awakens every particle of our body towards truth, love, beauty, peace, and benevolence – the eternal qualities of Lord Shiva.

What is the significance of Maha Shivaratri?

According to Sanatana seers, offering prayers to Lord Shiva while staying awake on this divine night is helpful to develop our inner consciousness. Because, astrologically, on this holy day both sun and moon come in a particular alignment, which is helpful to elevate the mind and it is also a congenial night for spiritual practices, meditation, and for natural upsurge of energies in our spine. Therefore, Shiva devotees celebrate this day with great serenity, devotion, and observe a complete fast to seek the blessings of the Lord. Maha Shivaratri is the perfect day to celebrate Shivaratri in us, as there is absolutely no difference between individual soul and Lord Shiva. Spiritual seekers love to meditate to understand the higher truths of life. According to Shiva Purana, also a person who fasts on this divine day can reap the benefits of a whole year’s rigorous prayers.

What are the Maha Shivaratri rituals?

On the Maha Shivaratri, after completing the morning routines, devotees should make a Sankalp to observe a full day fasting and should break it only after the final Aarati in the mid-night or on the next day after taking bath and doing Shiva puja and prayers. On this day, devotees should take a second bath in the evening before visiting a temple of Lord Shiva. Shivaratri Puja can be performed onetime or four times during the night by offering water, milk, curd, honey, flowers, Belvapatra, and Diya to Shiva Lingam. Devotees stay awake all night at the Shiva temple or at home and listen to stories of Lord Shiva, sing Bhajans, chant Mantras to praise Lord Shiva and receive His graceful blessings.

What Mantras to chant on Shivaratri?

Panchakshari Shiva Mantra: Om Namah Shivaya

Rudra Mantra: Om Namah Bhagavate Rudraya

Rudra Gayatri Mantra: Om Tatparushaya Vidmahe Mahadevaya Dhimahi Tanno Rudrah Prachodayat

Maha Mritunjaya Mantra: Om Tryambankam Yajaamahe Sygandhim Pushtivardhanam, Utvaarukamiva Bandhanaan-mrityormuksheeya Maamritaat.

What are the different legends that narrate the importance of Maha Shivaratri?

According Sanatana scriptures, the holy river Ganga descended from the heaven to the earth on the night of Shivaratri. Lord Shiva held her in his thick matted hair and softened her journey to earth. That is why devotees offer Ganga Jal to Shiva Lingam.

On the Shivaratri day, Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati. The legend also mentions that observing daylong fasting and worshipping Lord Shiva with great vigor can destroy all bad karmas and bestows on the couple a happy and meritorious life.

Shivaratri is celebrated to express gratitude to Lord Shiva who saved the world from the poison that emerged from the Khirsagar (sea) during Samudra Manthan. It is believed that the merciful Lord Shiva drank the poison and stored it in his throat, which made his throat turn blue. That is why, Lord Shiva is also called Neelakantha

According to Shiva Purana, when Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva, ‘your devotees perform various rituals to please you but which one actually pleases you the most.’ To this question, the benevolent Lord Shiva replied that the Phalguna Masa Shivaratri is His favorite one. On this day devotees observe strict spiritual discipline as well as offer Him Belvapatra and Ganga Jal that are very precious to Him than all other offerings. Therefore, all Shiva devotees follow these rituals on this day without fail.

CHICAGO: Indian Consul T.D. Bhutia  Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, Vice President, Shree Gurusamy, Ms. Dipti Shah, Treasurer,  Sohan Joshi and Sampath Jayasekar, Air India,  members of Indian Community in Chicago, and seniors and staff of Metropolitan Asian Family Service gathered at the Heritage Park in Skokie, where the Statue of Mahatma Gandhi is located, to pay floral tribute to honor Mahatma Gandhi with great reverence and respect on Gandhiji’s 76th Martyr’s Day.

Dr. Santosh Kumar, the President also joined in over WhatsApp from India to pay homage to him. She praised Mahatma Gandhi’s courage for standing up for the values of ethical leadership, non-violence, non-discrimination, justice, truth, peace and humility, and spirituality.

In his speech, Deputy Consul Bhutia spoke about Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination on January 30, 1948, and the year and place Gandhiji was born- Porbandar, Gujarat, India. He spoke of Gandhiji’s nonviolence protest to fight injustice and it’s great impact on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s strategies for the Civil Rights Movement in 1960’s in America, and an inspiration to the first President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, in his fight for South Africa’s independence. Remembering Gandhiji, Deputy Consul stated the message that Gandhiji passed on to humanity, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

A thoughtful insight by Joshi was that we are free today because of Gandhiji, and that we can work for ourselves in the present is because of him establishing an understanding of what freedom really means.

Paying tribute to Gandhiji,  Anthony Rathod and the seniors of MAFS sang “Veshnav Jan to Tene re Kahiye je PidParayi Jane re…”  one of Gandhiji’s favorite Bhajan.

Throughout the event, Dr. Prabhakar, the Master of Ceremonies;  Smitesh Shah and Ms. Gurusamy briefed everyone about the event including the introduction of the special guests. Delicious lunch snack-boxes and hot tea were provided by MAFS Niles site were a delight for all present on a cold wintry day.

CHICAGO: The Hindu Sindh Foundation (HSF) is a registered charity organization in the USA that works for the upliftment and advancement of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in Sindh, Pakistan. HSF is currently focusing on aiding persecuted families and empowering marginalized communities without any bias.

This organization has made a commitment to elevate women’s rights and enhance children’s education standards. Additionally, we strive to facilitate pilgrimage opportunities for widows, advocate for girls’ education, and undertake research projects focused on temples in Sindh and across Pakistan.

The webinar achieved significant success, drawing participation from a diverse range of individuals. HSF effectively fostered dialogue on numerous topics, demonstrating the Foundation’s commitment to empowering women in Pakistan.

The seminar started with a captivating discourse on the rich heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, known for its scenic landscapes and esteemed cultural heritage. Embracing inclusivity, the Foundation extended invitations to those dedicated to preserving Sindhi culture, urging them to collaborate in furthering this worthy endeavor.

A notable highlight of the seminar was Dr. Saveera Parkash, Pakistan’s First Hindu Woman Nominated for Provincial Elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, District Buner. Dr. Parkash’s decision to venture into politics was fueled by her desire to address healthcare disparities and support marginalized women. Despite facing significant challenges, including gender bias, Dr. Parkash remains steadfast in her dedication to healthcare, education, and environmental conservation, serving as a beacon of hope for her constituents.

In  her opening remarks, she expressed gratitude for the warm welcome extended by the Foundation. She underscored her aspiration to act as a catalyst for change, particularly in the fields of healthcare, education, and environmental conservation, all of which she views as essential for crafting a sustainable future for her community.

Her campaign resonated deeply with the people of her region, receiving widespread support from both young and old. While she did not secure a seat in the election, her candidacy has laid a strong foundation for future advocacy and grassroots mobilization.

Dr. Parkash’s commendable actions underscore the pressing need for equitable representation and the inclusion of minority communities in Pakistan’s political landscape. Her unwavering commitment to social causes stands as a testament to her perseverance and dedication to her community’s welfare.

Throughout the webinar, attendees expressed concerns about the issue of forced conversions faced by Hindus in Sindh for the past 15 years, and the apparent lack of response from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Dr. Parkash, although not personally affected by this issue in her district of Buner, pledged to raise her voice and advocate for change moving forward. She emphasized the importance of unity in addressing common challenges faced by both minority and majority communities.

“We are all united by common issues and aspirations,” she stated. “I am committed to representing the interests of all communities, regardless of their backgrounds.”

The Hindu Sindh Foundation continues its  efforts towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society in Pakistan. Their collective endeavors and initiatives aim to advocate for the rights and welfare of all communities, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

Also Read: Pakistan ‘strongly condemns’ violation of its airspace by Iran

Sri Vidya Dance School based out of Sunnyvale, CA collaborated with multi-talented Gurus of the Bay Area to bring “Panchabhoota Linga Shiva”. The idea was to share the various aspects of Lord Shiva through different Indian Classical Art forms and at the same time bring the Vedic scriptures associated with each Shiva Linga.

The concept was initiated by Smt. Akila Rao, Artistic Director of Sri Vidya Dance School. It was truly wonderful to collaborate with these Gurus and the Students of

Smt. Bidisha Mohanty, Artistic Director of Indraadhanush-Center for Excellence;
Smt. Anupama Srivastava, Artistic Director of Insync Kathak;
Smt. Madhuri Kishore, Artistic Director of Madhuri Kishore School of Kuchipudi and
Smt. Bhairavi Nedungadi, Artistic Director Of Sreepadmam School of Dance.

The original music was composed by Smt. Snigdha Venkataramani, a wonderfully talented musician, and Bharatanatyam Guru of the Bay Area. The music ensemble was
Sri. Prakash Rao
Dr. Bhavani Prakash and Chi.
Skanda Prasad Rao from New Jersey,
Sri. Sadha Parasuraman from Arizona,
Sri. Srinivas Sarepalle from the Bay Area and Sri. Ramamurthi Kesavan from India.

The coordination of the students of each school depicting the five elements was choreographed with precision and poise. In addition, the finale of Desh Thillana had a special message to the community – “Let us come together as one, invoke the Panchalinga Linga Shiva in each of us and bring the world together”. With the entire team on the stage, it really struck a chord in each of the audience as it brought a sense of community through the art.

CHICAGO: The Intuitive Machines-1 commercial lander, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, successfully landed on the Moon on Thursday, February 22, 2024, carrying along with it an etched disc commemorating the life and universal messages of Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2016), the late spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu organization.

Amid the celebrations that followed the exciting announcement from mission director Tim Crane, “Odysseushas found its new home” soared a loving tribute in the hearts of those who knew Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

‘In the joy of others lies our own, in the good of others abides our own,’ was his life motto, a simple but profound message, etched on a disc developed by Relative Dynamics, that traveled along IM-1 on this remarkable journey to the south pole of the Moon.

The mission not only represented the first controlled descent to the lunar surface by a U.S. spacecraft in over 50 years but also symbolized, as aptly put by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a “triumph for humanity.” A triumph in the form of a universal message of harmony and compassion for all of humanity as lived by a spiritual leader, coming together with the finest application of science and technology in a spacecraft by scientists and innovators, to ascend in unison towards this historic lunar landing.

Commemorating the teachings and universality of the values practiced by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, IntuitiveMachines shared the following message on LinkedIn ahead of the landing:“Created in coordination with Intuitive Machines and Relative Dynamics Inc., the IM-1 mission will fly an eternal tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth guru of the BAPSSwaminarayan organization.

The etching honors the life and service of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a Hindu spiritual leader who championed the universal human value of selfless service. Such a cultural engagement between nations and corporations allows for the development of shared values, efforts, and responsibility in the pursuit of space exploration.”

The disc was blessed by the current spiritual leader of BAPS, Mahant Swami Maharaj, on December 29, 2022, during the centennial celebrations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Amdavad, India. It carries Mahant Swami Maharaj’s heartfelt prayer of peace and happiness for all:“In the joy of others lies our own. In the good of others abides our own. With this life motto, Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2016), a universal spiritual leader and great saint of our time, dedicated his entire life in the upliftment of humanity.

Stressing this spirit of the shared values for all of humanity, Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus, remarked, “It is clear that space exploration endeavors are for all of us, all of humanity, to strive for and share in.”

In this manner, a universal message of harmony, unity, and compassion touched the Moon in a true extension of the Hindu scriptural sentiment, VasudhaivaKutumbakam, meaning, ‘The world is one family.’

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is an international community-based Hindu fellowship affiliated to the United Nations, caring for individuals, families and societies through its more than one million members, 80,000 volunteers and 5,025 centers.

(For details about BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, please visit baps.org. Mahant Swami Maharaj provides guidance, enrichment, and upliftment, deeply touching hearts and uniting families and communities, helping every citizen to become better members of their families, communities, and country.)

CHICAGO: India-origin State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) observed that it was “great to see that Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget closes corporate loopholes to continue our commitment to funding K-12 public education, supporting our seniors, safety for all of us, and prioritizing economic development in Illinois. We must continue investing into our communities – from our youth to our seniors.

“Everyone deserves the right to a high-quality education, regardless of ZIP code. Being a father to two children, I understand the importance of always investing in our young people.  The investments we make in our children will pay off dividends for years to come.

“By increasing funding for home-delivered meal programs and the Community Care Program, we can provide our seniors with the opportunity to live their lives with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

“We need to continue our commitment to attract the best and brightest entrepreneurs to make Illinois their home. The proposed funding toward grants, resources and apprenticeship programs is going to help grow our economy and create new good-paying jobs for Illinoisans.

“This is an encouraging first step in the budget process. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to pass a budget that prioritizes the needs of our community and state.”

Dr. Indrajeet Tyagi and Dr. Iranna Hirapur

Although most people with COVID-19 return to their normal state of health after acute infection in 2-4 weeks, but a significant proportion report persistent life-altering health problems.

It is difficult to predict who will experience long COVID however, the continuous symptoms as well as remitting and relapsing patterns do also occur morein women and be linearly related to age.

Long COVID can occur irrespective of the initial severity of infection, and often affects multiple organ systems such as heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, or spleen. Many individuals have more than one organ affected and it is unknown so far how and when these chronic symptoms will resolve.

Studying long COVID syndrome is especially difficult because there is such a wide range of health issues involved — from shortness of breath to “brain fog” to fatigue to insomnia to cardiovascular problems to polyneuropathies to depression, and even rare cases of psychosis andthere is no consensus on how to define, diagnose or measure this syndrome using modern medical technology. COVID-19 can result in prolonged illness due to following sequelae.

Neurologic sequelae: Coronavirus is primarily a respiratory virus causing symptoms range from mild, such as headache, nausea, anosmia (loss of smell), ageusia (loss of taste), altered consciousness, “brain fog” to more severe such as hemorrhage, syncope, seizure, stroke, meningoencephalitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and demyelinating disease. The exact pathologic basis for these neurologic symptoms is currently unknown despite the understanding of the “spike protein”, that builds many copies during the infection, can readily cross the blood brain barrier and lodge in the gray matter of the brain and this toxic spike protein subunits also enter the spleen, liver and kidneys.

Cardiac sequelae: According to previous studies, although cardiac abnormalities and myocardial inflammation were not associated with initial COVID-19 severity. At the same time, evidence of cardiac injury in long COVID is not only rising but also observing cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, heart palpitations, and tachycardia that commonly persist among COVID-19 survivors for 6-12 months or longer, suggesting substantial cardiac sequelae. Individuals with orthostatic hypotension along with tachycardia condition are at risk for vasovagal syncope.

Gastrointestinal, renal, and musculoskeletal sequelae: Long COVID may also affect the gastrointestinal system and patients may experience abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hepatitis, and pancreatitis. People who experienced kidney dysfunction during many other acute illness periods are more likely to have continued kidney dysfunction as time passes but researchers are uncertain how this will affect COVID-19 long-haulers. The musculoskeletal symptoms of myalgias and arthralgias are also very common complaints among long-haulers and often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.

Skin sequelae: Dermatologic symptom associated with COVID-19 infection include skin lesions such as morbilliform rash (“measles-like”) and chilblain-like acral lesions, “COVID toes (pink, red or purplish bumps).” may develop up to 2 weeks after acute COVID-19 infection and normally resolve within 4 to 8 weeks, but can persist.

Immunity sequelae: Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 have decreased immune systemactivity and it can also have the opposite effect, causing parts of the immune system to become overactive and trigger harmful uncontrolled inflammation throughout the body. At this time, it is unclear how long it takes the immune system to regain balance and normalcy. A recent study has revealed that increased risks of new respiratory, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases occurring within the subsequent six months among COVID-19 patients.

What are the Ayurveda concepts of post-acute COVID-19 infection/long COVID?

Agnimandya Avastha – a state of low ‘agni’/digestive fire.

Visharoga – accumulation of toxic substances (Visha = toxin), which cause cellular dysfunction, and in extreme cases death.

Dhatu-Kshaya – weakening and loss of bodily tissues or Dhatus.

Ojakshaya – Loss of ojas/vital force. This is the most devastating and disabling effect of long COVID.

What Ayurvedic treatments are necessary and effective for long COVID?

The following Ayurvedic treatments are recommended for long COVID. Consult a qualified Ayurvedic doctor for your right treatment.

Deepana-Pachana Chikitsa is used to correct Agnimandya Avastha by administrating gentle spices, and medicinal herbs to re-constitute and re-strengthen the Jatharāgni (principal digestive fire), and dhatwagis (tissue-level digestion and assimilation) as well as removal of accumulated Ama from the tissues. Ama is a sticky endogenous metabolic poisonous substance that is the result of improper or incomplete digestion. Because long COVID involves the accumulation of Ama, Deepana-Pachana treatment is essential.

Panchakarma is suggested to correct both Visharoga and removal of Ama(cellular and metabolic poisons) accumulation. These two are closely related. There are five purifying procedures to be individually adopted to purify and reestablish proper function of cells, organs, and body systems.Shirisha (Albizia lebbeck) and Haridra Churna/turmeric root powder (Curcuma longa) which are recommended to be started following Panchakarma and after clinical recovery from the acute condition.

Pathya vyavastha or regulation of the diet (pathya)

Ayurveda considers food as the first and foremost factor in the tripod of life (food, sleep, brahmacharya). A proper diet is vital and mandatory for maintenance of good health, resistance to disease, and for the healing from disease. Pathya vyavastha primarily is knowledge about appropriate and inappropriate foods for different diseases and how to enhance the therapeutic effect of diet, maintain digestion power, and aid in the assimilation of nutrients and Prana from the diet.

COVID-19 has been stressing and deteriorating our individual immunity as well as our collective herd immunity as the world was already in a very vulnerable condition and ripe for a widespread diseases due to the consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods. A “processed food” refers to any food that has undergone a physical change before it is consumed.

This can include canning, smoking, pasteurizing, crushing, boiling, freezing and drying and examples include canned vegetables, canned broths, salted nuts, canned tuna fish, canned salmon, canned sardines, plain yogurt, tofu, cheese, or smoked meats. Ultra-processed foods  include white bread, white rice, plain white pasta, noodles, regular flour products, foods made from refined grains, cereals, crackers, sugary cakes, donuts, cookies, candy, ice cream, soft drinks, energy bars, flavored yogurt. Therefore, eat unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as apples, bell peppers, spinach, bananas, unsalted nuts, or fresh salmon, and any food in its natural state.

Dhatu-ojo-poshana or systematic re-nourishment of the bodily tissues and replenishment of Ojas includes the administration of formulations of COVID-specific Rasayana remedies. Although a healthy, balanced diet is the primary tool for this, a considerable amount of plant medicines, and spices can play an important role in creating healthy tissues and organ systems which are resistant to diseases like COVID and cancers.

One formulation found to be effective for many people is a decoction made from Draksha (Vitis vinifera), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Vasa (Justicia adhatoda), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for at-least 45 days.

Several plants such as Sanguisorba officinalis L, Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (tetrandrine, fangchinoline, and cepharanthine), and Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze (tryptanthrin), and F. suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl (forsythoside A) are able to inhibit the viral RNA and protein synthesis.

Various herbs that contain quercitin and kaempferol are also used asRasayana plants to protect against COVID infection.

(Authors: Dr. Indrajeet Tyagi, M. R. Medical College, Kalaburagi, Karnataka and Dr Iranna S. Hirapur, MD, DM (Cardiology) Interventional Cardiologist at Heart Foundation,Kalaburagi, Karnataka)

Also Read: Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Management of Cellulitis

As the March primary election approaches, Ethnic Minority Media (EMS) invited representatives of community leaders to hold an online meeting on the Feb 23rd to share the significance of minority voting.

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic voting group in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. Community organizing to achieve specific gains for neighborhoods and disadvantaged populations is often linked to efforts to register and turn out low-propensity voters.

There are a few reasons for that: The practice of knocking on doors and actively engaging with communities, fundamental to successful labor and community organizing, is equally crucial in electoral mobilization.

Also, demonstrating how electoral participation directly connects to tangible outcomes including electing policymakers who will help/defend gains or changing a policy maker who doesn’t- serves as a powerful means to illustrate to individuals that their votes matter.

Debbie Chen, Executive vice president of Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA) in Houston, said that when Chinese people exercise their right to vote, they are deciding how to use “money” and how to use funds in areas that benefit the Chinese people. She said that “money” is important to everyone, and voting is to decide how funds are allocated, such as whether to build schools, build roads, and whether it can make the community better.

Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values described the strategies the organization used to mobilize voters to turn out, including conveying the concept that voting is not just about electing leaders, but about the future of the community. She encouraged social media, local news outlets to promote voting rights through storytelling. She urged everyone to vote in the March primary election, which will determine the candidates’ names to appear on the November ballot.

Also Read: National Asian Pacific Center on Aging

CHICAGO: Federation of Indian Associations- FIA CHICAGO (Est 1980) celebrated 75th India’s Republic Day with Patriotic fervor; epitomizing the spirit of rich heritage, the essence of hard-won freedom, and the inspiration for generations to come.

The festivities commenced with ceremonial lamp lighting, graced by dignitaries including the Deputy Consul General of India, Chicago – T D Bhutia among o0thers. This symbolic gesture heralded the beginning of our collective consciousness.

The audience was treated to a short film elucidating the significance of India’s Republic Day, followed by a comprehensive review of FIA’s year-long activities aimed at empowering the community, which received resounding applause from all present.

The atmosphere was further electrified rendition of the patriotic anthem “Vande Mataram,” beautifully sung by Vrinda Pandev, captivating the hearts of the audience. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Dr. Reddy, and Dr. Vijay Prabhakar delivered inspiring messages about the essence of Republic Day.

The evening was hosted by dynamic duo of Kruti Pandya and Khaty. Hina Pandya’s Women Empower group from Des Plaines enthralled the audience with their captivating performance.

The event was graced by the presence of distinguished guests including Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, India’s Deputy Consul General BHUTIA, FIA 1980 Trustee Board, FIA’s Executive Leadership Team, and over a hundred FIA Members.

In recognition Dr. Sreenivas Reddy and Dr. VGP were honored at the event, symbolizing the spirit of service and dedication that embodies FIA 1980 Chicago.

The celebration culminated in a kaleidoscope of cultural entertainment, featuring patriotic dances and songs, serving as a poignant reminder of our shared heritage and unity in diversity. A sumptuous dinner awaited all attendees, fostering camaraderie and fellowship among participants.

As FIA 1980 Chicago marches forward into another year of community empowerment and fulfillment, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serving the needs of our community and upholding the values that define us as a proud Indian diaspora.

CHICAGO: The AAEIO Milwaukee chapter marked its first anniversary with a successful event attended by distinguished guests, including Deputy Consulate General of India, Hon. Shri. TD Bhutia, prominent leaders from the engineering community, business figures, and engineers from diverse fields in Milwaukee.

Launched in 2022, the Milwaukee Chapter aimed to establish a networking platform, support entrepreneurship, and provide mentoring for engineering professionals and students.

The event commenced with the rendition of the American and Indian national anthems, followed by the lighting of the ceremonial diya by the guests.  Muralikrishnan Raghavendran, President of the Milwaukee Chapter, led the proceedings, providing an overview of the accomplishments in the first year. Noteworthy achievements included forging a partnership with the UW Milwaukee student group under the guidance of Dr. Kaushal Chari, Dean of the Lubar School of Business, and enhancing diversity by welcoming accomplished women engineers to the board.

Gladson Varghese, President of AAEIO Chicago, extended a warm welcome to the chief guest and elucidated the vision and mission of the parent organization, inviting engineers to join the chapter and offer their support.

Shri TD Bhutia delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the success of Indian-origin engineers in the US and recognizing high achievers across various fields, including Mr. Raghunathan Rajagopalan, Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Mutual, Mrs. Rashi Khosla Arora, CEO of Mars Solution Group, and Mrs. Lalitha Murali, a Gifted and Talented STEM teacher from the Shorewood School District.

The event featured a panel discussion on the “Impact of Generative AI,” with panelists offering insightful perspectives on up-skilling and leveraging technology for improved business outcomes. The esteemed panel included Kathy Henrich, CEO of Milwaukee TechHub, Rashi Arora Khosla, CEO of Mars Solutions Group, Ganesh Mayya, SVP of GE Healthcare, and Sivapunniyam Dakshinamurthy, CEO of SignaTech. The discussion was moderated by Madhu Expedith, a board member of the chapter.

The event concluded with a delectable lunch provided by Cafe 94, hosted by Mr. Parminder Singh Goldy and Mr. Jay Patel, accompanied by captivating performances by local dance artists and student performers.

In reflection, the event embodied the spirit of collaboration, echoing the sentiment of Henry Ford’s words – “coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.”

CHICAGO: The Hindu invocation is scheduled to be read for the first time in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife (Canada) on June five, containing verses from world’s oldest extant scripture.

Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and the root language of Indo-European languages.

Rajan is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, He will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use; besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories runs on a “consensus system of government instead of one based on party politics”. It has 19 members and Frederick Blake Junior is the Speaker

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco announced on social media yesterday that OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards will now be printed in San Francisco. This is good news for applicants whose wait times will decrease by two weeks because of this development.

The Consulate General also reiterated its commitment to work with the U.S. based Indian Community and make their life easier through developments like these.

Also Read: Indians under 20 must renew OCI cards after each passport renewal: Govt

Every day people report to the FTC the scams they spot. Every year, the FTC shares the information we collect in a data book, which tells a story about the top scams people tell us about – so we can all spot and avoid them. Ethnic Media services (EMS) held an online conference on the Feb 9th, and specially invited experts from the Federal Trade Commission (hereinafter referred to as FTC) to introduce the latest fraud data for 2023, including the most common fraud techniques and how to report them.

Maria Mayo, Acting Associate Director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission said the data book tells us that people lost $10 billion to scams in 2023.

That’s $1 billion more than 2022 and the highest ever in reported losses to the FTC – even though the number of reports (2.6 million) was about the same as last year. One in four people reported losing money to scams, with a median loss of $500 per person. And email was the #1 contact method for scammers this year, especially when scammers pretended to be a business or government agency to steal money.

The top five most common fraud methods in 2023 are pretending to be a person or an organization to defraud, online shopping, fake lottery winning information, investment, and defrauding through business and job opportunities. Unexpectedly, the most common platform for contacting victims in 2023 is email, followed by phone calls, text messages, websites or apps, and social media. She said that in previous years the most common methods of contact were calling and sending messages, but in 2023 it was through email.

Lois Greisman, Associate Director, Federal Trade Commission Division of Marketing Practices, Washington DC said that in recent years, artificial intelligence has been widely used in fraud. Scammers impersonate the voices of relatives and friends of the victims and call them to defraud them of money. Scammers can also use artificial intelligence to analyze the most successful methods of deception.

Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney, Division of Consumer & Business Education, Federal Trade Commission, Washington DC explains how to report a scam. She said victims can report whether they have been defrauded of money or not. Currently, telephone reporting supports multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. The phone number is 8773824357. After dialing, press “3” to select the corresponding language. The reporting hotline operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. People can also make reports online, in English and Spanish, at: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.

Here are other takeaways for 2023:

Imposter scams – Imposter scams remained the top fraud category, with reported losses of $2.7 billion. These scams include people pretending to be your bank’s fraud department, the government, a relative in distress, a well-known business, or a technical support expert.

Investment scams – While investment-related scams were the fourth most-reported fraud category, losses in this category grew. People reported median losses of $7.7K – up from $5K in 2022.

Social media scams – Scams starting on social media accounted for the highest total losses at $1.4 billion – an increase of 250 million from 2022. But scams that started by a phone call caused the highest per-person loss ($1,480 average loss).

Payment methods – How did scammers prefer that people pay? With bank transfers and payments, which accounted for the highest losses ($1.86 billion). Cryptocurrency is a close second ($1.41 billion reported in losses).

Losses by age – Of people who reported their age, younger adults (20-29) reported losing money more often than older adults (70+). However, when older adults lost money, they lost the most.

Also Read: The FTC breaks through language barriers to reach consumers targeted by fraud