Indian-American woman appointed to US body advocating religious freedom
Washington, Dec 13: An Indian-American woman lawyer on Thursday was appointed to a top post in a US organisation, which advocates religious freedom.
Anurima Bhargava, a civil rights lawyer, has been appointed as a Commissioner to the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the US Congress to monitor, analyse and report on threats to religious freedom abroad.
Born and raised in Chicago, Bhargava is currently the founder and president of the Anthem of Us, which describes itself as "a strategic advisory firm that works with educational institutions and corporations to promote dignity and justice for all".
She has an extensive experience in various roles advocating for members of under-represented communities, including at the US Department of Justice and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF).
The USCIRF is currently headed by Tibetan-American Tenzin Dorjee.
Dorjee commended House Leader Nancy Pelosi for appointing Bhargava as a USCIRF Commissioner.
"With an impressive background and a demonstrated commitment to advocating for members of minority communities in the United States and abroad, Anurima Bhargava brings an important new perspective that will enhance the work of the Commission, especially on democratic India, with whom the United States has a long and proud relationship," he said.
In addition to her work at the Department of Justice and the LDF, Bhargava served as a fellow at the Open Society Foundations and at the Harvard University.
Before attending law school, Bhargava worked in India assisting women elected to local government. She has been a member of the Truman National Security Project and the Council on Foreign Relations.
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Engine issue forces SWISS Delhi flight to abort takeoff; six passengers injured
New Delhi (PTI): A Zurich-bound Swiss International Air Lines' flight carrying 232 passengers aborted take off at the Delhi airport early Sunday due to an engine issue, sources said.
Six passengers are undergoing medical evaluation, an airline spokesperson said without elaborating.
Smoke was observed from the port side of one of the landing gears of the A330 aircraft that was operating the flight LX147 to Zurich. The flight crew aborted the take off and full emergency response was initiated, the sources said.
In a detailed statement, an airline spokesperson said there were 228 passengers and four infants on board.
"Shortly after takeoff, just after 1:00 am. local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft," the spokesperson said.
Six passengers were receiving medical attention, the spokesperson added.
"All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides.Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation. For a small number of individuals who were unable to use the slides, stairs were provided," the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, Swiss technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps.
The airline is known as Swiss.
At the same time, the spokesperson said the airline was working intensively to find a swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers.
