Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal receives threat messages
Washington, Sep 9: Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has said that she has been receiving abusive and hate messages over the phone from a male caller who even asked her to go back to India.
On Thursday, Chennai-born Jayapal posted a collection of five such audio messages.
In all the messages, portions of which have been redacted because of obscene and abusive content, the male caller is heard threatening her with dire consequences and in one instance she is being asked to go back to her country of origin India.
Jayapal, 55, is the first-ever Indian-American Congresswoman who represents Seattle in the US House of Representatives.
Typically, political figures don't show their vulnerability. I chose to do so here because we cannot accept violence as our new norm. We also cannot accept the racism and sexism that underlies and propels so much of this violence, Jayapal, from the Democratic Party, said in a tweet.
Early this summer, a man with a pistol had shown up outside the Congresswoman's house in Seattle. The man, identified by police as Brett Forsell, 49, was arrested later.
This is the latest such incident of hate crime against the Indian-American community in the US.
On September 1, An Indian-American man has been racially abused by a compatriot in California who hurled racist slurs that he is a "dirty Hindu" and a "disgusting dog''.
On August 26, four Indian-American women were racially abused and smacked by a Mexican-American woman in Texas who hurled racist slurs at them that they are "ruining" America and should "go back to India".
The incident took place in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas. The woman, identified as Esmeralda Upton, has been arrested.
Typically, political figures don't show their vulnerability. I chose to do so here because we cannot accept violence as our new norm.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) September 8, 2022
We also cannot accept the racism and sexism that underlies and propels so much of this violence. pic.twitter.com/DAuwwtWt7B
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Bengaluru airport introduces AI-based system to enhance safety at vehicle-aircraft intersections
Bengaluru: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has introduced an integrated smart airside safety system at Kempegowda International Airport to improve operational safety at key intersection zones.
According to The Hindu, the system has been designed to enhance safety at Cross Service Roads (CSRs), where aircraft and ground vehicle movements intersect.
According to BIAL, the system integrates AI-based computer vision, automation, and centralised monitoring to manage right-of-way movements and reduce the risk of human error.
“CRSs are among the most sensitive areas within airport operations, requiring precise and seamless coordination between aircraft and ground vehicles. Traditionally, right of way protection at these intersections relied on manual or semi-manual inset light activation, creating dependencies on human intervention, increasing the risk of delays and limiting operational visibility,” TH quoted BIAL as saying.
The new system uses real-time detection of vehicle movement, risk assessment, and automated signalling. AI-enabled cameras identify potential conflicts and trigger automated inset light signals to ensure aircraft priority. Normal operations resume once the area is confirmed clear.
“Based on these detections, the system triggers automated inset light activation to protect aircraft right‑of‑way and restores normal signalling once the intersection is confirmed clear. A centralised monitoring and analytics platform digitally logs all events, strengthening governance, compliance, and operational control,” BIAL said.
By embedding technology into operations, the system creates a data-driven separation layer between aircraft and ground vehicles, significantly reducing human error, especially during night and low-visibility conditions.
“Precision-led signal activation improves traffic flow, minimises unnecessary stoppage and enhances turnaround efficiency. It also establishes a scalable foundation for predictive safety analytics, enabling trend analysis, peak-hour optimisation, compliance mapping and risk forecasting to support continuous improvement and stronger airside governance,” BIAL said.
