US President Biden hosts largest-ever Diwali reception at White House
Washington (PTI): US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on Monday hosted a Diwali reception at the White House in what they called the largest since the People's House started celebrating the festival during the George Bush administration.
More than 200 eminent Indian Americans attended the reception at the East Room, a venue which has witnessed some of the landmark events related to the India-US relationship, including the signing of the nuclear deal and the joint press conference by then US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2008.
The reception saw some enthralling cultural events, including performances by sitarist Rishab Sharma and dance troupe The Sa Dance Company. The guests, dressed in traditional Indian attires such as saree, lehenga and sherwani, relished some mouthwatering Indian delicacies.
The room is full at the East state dining room This is a real celebration of what the Indian American community has achieved in the United States. It's a wonderful recognition by the President and by the White House to host all of us on Diwali. I feel very privileged to be here as an Indian American, Atul Keshap, president of US India Business Council told PTI during the reception.
It's an honour and a privilege to be here to celebrate Diwali. Indian Americans thank the President and the First Lady for this, said H R Shah, chairman and CEO of TV Asia, the largest South Asian television channel in the US.
It was heartening to see the leaders of our vibrant Indian American community come together at the White House during Diwali to be a force for good. It was also nice to hear the president on Diwali day welcoming Rishi Sunak as the new prime minister of the UK, said M R Rangaswami, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Indiaspora.
Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, said the event was held to recognise the South Asian community's contributions in economic development and managing Covid crisis among others.
Biden has appointed a record number of over 130 Indo-Americans at various levels of the administrations, he said.
Lauding the Diwali celebration, Bhutoria said it sent a message how much President Biden and this administration loves and respects the South Asian community .
Earlier, welcoming the guests, Biden said it was the first Diwali reception to be held at the White House on such a scale.
The incredible South Asian community all across America has helped the country emerge stronger from this pandemic, building an economy that works for everyone, teaching children and caring for elders, responding to the cry for action on climate, working to fix immigration system, defending rights and freedoms, building a more just and equitable country, serving and protecting our communities and the nation, informing, entertaining and inspiring, he said.
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BrahMos proof of continuity in governance which cannot be denied: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): With focus on India's defence arsenal, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said the BrahMos missile is a remarkable proof of continuity in governance which simply cannot be denied or erased, "despite it being the regular habit of today's ruling establishment".
Ramesh said the BrahMos missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007, while the air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012, all during Manmohan Singh's tenure.
"It was his leadership that led to the historic Indo-US nuclear agreement of 2005, paving the way for India finally joining the Missile Technology Control Regime eleven years later. It was also during his tenure that the BrahMos Integration Complex in Hyderabad and the Brahmos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited were established," the Congress general secretary said on X.
"BrahMos is very much in the news these days. It is named after the Brahmaputra and the Moskva rivers and is an outstanding example of Indo-Russian collaboration. It is also yet another remarkable proof of continuity in governance which simply cannot be denied or erased - despite it being the regular habit of today's ruling establishment in New Delhi," he said, taking a swipe at the Modi government.
Noting that India's Integrated Missile Development Programme began in 1983, Ramesh said it has had great successes.
Sometime in the mid-90s, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and his colleagues like Dr. Sivathanu Pillai felt the need for collaboration with the Russians for supersonic cruise missiles, he said.
"An inter-governmental agreement was signed on February 12, 1998 when IK Gujral was PM. Incidentally he was India's Ambassador to the USSR 1976-80. Thereafter the first contract was signed on July 9, 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM. The first successful launch took place on June 12, 2001," he said.
The BrahMos headquarters complex that includes design, simulation and aerospace knowledge facilities was inaugurated in New Delhi on December 4, 2004 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ramesh said.
"Thereafter the missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007. The air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012. All this was when Dr. Manmohan Singh was PM," he said.
His remarks come days after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect after four days of cross-border strikes that triggered fears of a wider conflict.
