Page 64 - Us India Relations

Ram Mandir Yatra to travel 8,000 miles, visit 851 temples in 48 US states

The Ram Mandir Rath Yatra will kick off from Chicago on Monday to travel to 851 temples in 48 states, crossing more than 8,000 miles over the next 60 days, organisers said Thursday. The rath or chariot built over a Toyota Sienna van will carry statues of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, along with special prasadam from the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and kalash of Prana Pratishtha Pujit Akshat, according to Amitabh Mittal, general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), which is organising the rath yatra. The Ram Mandir opening has filled with joy the hearts of over 1.5 billion Hindus around the world and has resulted in a renewed energy and faith. The nationwide Rath Yatra will start on March 25 from Chicago in the USA and travel for over 8000 miles. It will cover 851 temples in the USA and around 150 temples in Canada, Mittal told PTI. The Canada section of the Ratha Yatra separate one is being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Canada. It will .

'Arunachal is Indian territory': Here is what the US State Dept said

The United States recognises Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and strongly opposes any attempts made to advance territorial claims across the Line of Actual Control, an official spokesperson has said, days after the Chinese military reiterated its claim over the state following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit there. Earlier this week, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang said that the southern part of Xizang (the Chinese name for Tibet) is an inherent part of China's territory, and Beijing "never acknowledges and firmly opposes" the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India". China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, routinely objects to Indian leaders' visits to the state to highlight its claims. Beijing has also named the area Zangnan. On March 9, Prime Minister Modi dedicated to the nation the Sela Tunnel built at an altitude of 13,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh that will provide all-weather connectivity to ...

Here's how the US lobbied India to reverse laptop licensing policy

US officials have often been concerned about India's sudden policy changes which they say create an uncertain business environment

India-US relationship growing, stronger than before: Pentagon officials

The relationship between India and the United States has been growing and is stronger than it has ever been, America's top Defence Department officials have told lawmakers with an influential Congressman noting that New Delhi is a swing vote because of its ties with Russia. Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely S. Ratner told members of the House Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific on Wednesday that the US has been strengthening its relationship with India across a number of areas. "I would describe the US-India relationship as growing and stronger than it has ever been and absolutely essential to our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. "We have been strengthening a number of areas across the relationship including in co-production, where we've made some major strides on jet engines, some new projects on armoured vehicles to integrate our defence industrial base, which is one important way to make those bonds all the stronger," Ratner said in response to

India's probe finds rogue officials involved in Pannun's murder plot in US

At least one person directly involved in the alleged attempted assassination is no longer working for India's main spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, the officials said,

Working with India to hold those behind Pannun murder plot accountable: US

The United States is working with the Indian government to hold accountable those behind a plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, according to the Biden administration. An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was charged by federal prosecutors in November last year in connection with his involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. US federal prosecutors have charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee and had agreed to pay an assassin USD 1,00,000 to kill Pannun, who lives in New York City. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations. During a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, "This is a serious issue. A serious issue between the United States and India. The Department of Justice has alleged that an Indian citizen at th

Working with authorities to find missing Hyderabad student: Official in NY

The Consulate General of India in New York is working with local law enforcement authorities to find a 25-year-old Indian student in Cleveland who has been missing since the beginning of this month. Mohammad Abdul Arfath, hailing from Nacharam, Hyderabad, arrived in the US in May last year to pursue a Masters in IT from Cleveland University. His father Mohammed Saleem said that Arfath last spoke to him on March 7. Since then, he has not been in touch with his family and his mobile phone is switched off. The Indian Consulate said in a post on X that it is in touch with Arfath's family and authorities in the US. "We are working with local law enforcement agencies to find him at the earliest." Arfath's roommates in the US informed his father that they have lodged a missing persons complaint with Cleveland Police. On March 19, Arfath's family received a call from an unidentified person who claimed that Arfath had been kidnapped allegedly by a gang selling drugs and demanded USD 1,200

India buying more oil from US as fresh sanctions stifle Russian flows

Russian crude flows to India surged after the invasion of Ukraine and the OPEC+ producer is still the biggest supplier to the South Asian nation, but tighter US sanctions have stranded cargoes

Rajnath Singh, Lloyd Austin discuss defence ties between India, US

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday spoke over the phone with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin to discuss on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues amidst a "growing momentum in major defence partnership" between India and the US. During the call, Austin and Rajnath "lauded progress on bilateral defence initiatives following the 5th annual US-India 2+2 ministerial dialogue in November 2023, including US support for India's military modernisation, initiatives to drive forward the US-India roadmap for defence industrial cooperation, strengthening maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region, and India's support for the rule of law in the Arabian Sea and adjacent waterways, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder said. Austin held the call with Singh to discuss "growing momentum in the major defence partnership between the US and India in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region", he said. The two leaders also applauded recent announcements ...

'Misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted': India responds to US on CAA

US State Department expressed 'concerned' about the notification of the CAA on March 11, and stated that they would be closely monitoring its implementation in India

'Concerned, closely monitoring...': US on CAA implementation in India

What what Mathew Miller, Spokesperson of the US Department of State, said about the implementation of the CAA in India.

India-US bond to gain more importance in years ahead: Richard Verma

India-US security cooperation will become even more important in the years ahead and the work of the two countries on emerging technologies will take on even more promise, a top American diplomat said on Thursday, reiterating the remarks of President Joe Biden that this is the defining partnership of the 21st century. As both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi have said, our impact on each other is important, but what we can do for the world is even more important. Whether it's addressing food insecurity or battling the next pandemic or connecting millions to the digital economy, there is so much we can do together, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, wrote in a blog post in his recent return from India. Verma is the highest-ranking Indian-American ever in the State Department. He was also the first ever Indian-American to serve as the US Ambassador to India. So, where are we headed? Verma wrote as he described in detail the significant growth

Hinduphobia rising in the US, needs to be fought: US Congressman Thanedar

The US of late has seen a rise in Hinduphobia which needs to be fought because there is no place for hatred in this country, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has said, as he joined a group of Hindu leaders and organisations seeking to fight this growing hate crime against the community. Representatives of various Indian American groups met on Wednesday at the US Capitol during a meeting organised by HinduAction. "We see a lot of Hindu phobia. We see California SB403 (the bill banning caste discrimination), and that's just the beginning. The attacks on our temples and attacks on Hindus all over the world. That is one of the reasons why I decided to form the Hindu Caucus, Thanedar said. For the first time in the United States Congress, we have a Hindu Caucus. Number of initiatives we are taking to ensure that people have religious freedom to practice their religion the way they want to and not be, we need to fight this phobia, bigotry, and hatred. Because there should be no .

Incredible momentum in India-US defence partnership: Pentagon official

There is a paradigm change and incredible momentum in the US-India defence relationship which is now defined more by the overall trajectory rather than by differences on key issues, a senior Pentagon official has said. The remarks by Siddharth Iyer, Director for South Asia, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy), Department of Defense, came at a roundtable on the future of the US-India Defence Partnership with a focus on technology collaboration and maritime strategy. The roundtable was organised by The US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum and CUTS International, a non-profit body on trade relations. Incredible amount of progress (in India-US relationship) has been made not just in the last two years, but even the last 12 months. I think that just sort of underscores the degree to which there's incredible momentum and the relationship now is defined more by the pace and the sort of overall trajectory rather than by differences and divergences on key issues, Iyer said. The

US House to vote on bill that decides ByteDance-owned TikTok's fate in US

Tiktok CEO Shou Zi Chew will visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday on a previously scheduled trip to talk to senators, a source briefed on the matter said

US needs highly qualified professionals from India, says Congressman

The United States needs highly qualified professionals from India, an influential American lawmaker has said, advocating that the US Congress remove the seven per cent country quota for issuing of Green Cards that has resulted in decades of long wait for professionals from India who have moved to this country. It's so important that Indians are able to immigrate to the United States when they're looking for jobs because the United States depends on high quality, high skilled, very smart people coming from all over the world to work here. It's one of the natural advantages of the United States that we welcome people from all over the world, Congressman Matt Cartwright, who represents the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, told PTI in an interview. Cartwright is supporting the move by Indian American organisations, including the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora (FIIDS) for removing the per country seven per cent quota in issuing Green Cards every year. The problem is

India-US bond very strong; Biden admin strengthened it, says Ro Khanna

Observing that the Biden administration has worked to strengthen India-US relationship, the co-chair of Congressional India Caucus has said that the bilateral relationship between the two democracies is very strong. It (India-US relationship) is very strong on defense, on economics, on the cooperation on AI, on alternative energy, many areas of cooperation, Congressman Ro Khanna, co-chairman of Congressional India Caucus told PTI in an interview. In the last 10 years, India has progressed a lot, he said. Huge economic development, huge ambition, a lot of energy. Of course, there are challenges too. There are challenges of income inequality like we face here in the United States. Challenges to make sure that it's a vibrant, pluralistic society. But you get a sense that India has great ambition, Khanna said in response to a question. The Indian American lawmaker said that he has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was notified this week. I oppose that (CAA). I have alwa

Modi is going to be PM again, is highly popular: US Congressman McCormick

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a popular leader, a US congressman has exuded confidence that he would be re-elected in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Modi is incredibly popular. I was just over there. I actually had lunch with Prime Minister Modi and several other congressmen, and to see his popularity across party lines really. Somebody who I think is around 70 per cent popular. He is going to be prime minister again, Congressman Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, told PTI in an interview. To see his progressive outlook on economy, on development, on goodwill towards all people, to see his application and positivity to the Indian people in the diaspora worldwide is going to affect the global economy, their strategic relationships. I look forward to his influence in a very positive way, he said in response to a question. India's economy, under Modi's leadership, he said, is expanding anywhere from four to eight per cent per year. If you look at

US to revitalise relations with allies like India amid China's rise: Biden

The US is standing up against China's unfair economic practice, standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and revitalising its partnership with allies like India, US President Joe Biden has said. In his last State of the Union address before the November election, Biden said the US wants competition with China, but not conflict. Biden on Thursday told Americans that the country is in a stronger position to win the competition for the 21st Century against Beijing. "We are standing up against China's unfair economic practice, standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait but revitalising our partnership with allies and the Pacific, India. Australia, Japan, South and Korea," he said. For years, all I've heard from my Republican friends and so many others is that China's on the rise and America is falling behind. They've got it backwards. America is rising," he said. The US has the best economy in the world, Biden said in his third State of the Union

US, India agree to cooperate in Quad Counterterrorism Working Group

Both sides also exchanged information regarding procedures for designating various terrorist entities/groups and individuals, the US State Department said in an official press release