Immediate Press Release

Pleasantville, NY

Sunday, November 17, 2002

SEMINAR/WORKSHOP ON EVALUATING INDIA’S IMAGE IN WESTERN MEDIA

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY:

DR. SURENDRA K. KAUSHIK, PROFESSOR OF FINANCE AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH, LUBIN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, PACE UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK

GOOD MORNING. IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO PACE UNIVERSITY AND ONE OF ITS SIX CAMPUSES IN NEW YORK CITY AND WESTCHESTER. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS TO HOST A WORKSHOP/SEMINAR ON EVALUATING INDIA’S IMAGE IN WESTERN MEDIA. I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE CAMPUS AND THAT THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP WILL BE PRODUCTIVE FOR ALL OF US.

THE ACADEMIC SETTING IS AN IMPORTANT FOUNDATION FOR A THOUGHTFUL AND SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF INDIA’S IMAGE IN WESTERN MEDIA BY A DISTINGUISHED GROUP OF ACADEMIC SCHOLARS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, BUSINESSMEN AND WOMEN AND DIPLOMATS. I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK

THE INDIAN AMERICAN FORUM FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION FOR JOINING US IN THIS EFFORT AND THE OFFICE OF THE AMBASSADOR-AT LARGE FOR NON-RESIDENT INDIANS AND PERSONS OF INDIAN ORIGIN FOR ITS ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT.

MY ROLE IN THIS OPENING SESSION IS TO INTRODUCE THE PERSONS WHO WILL BE PRESIDING THE FOUR SESSIONS AND THIS OPENING SESSION. BEFORE I DO THAT, HOWEVER, LET ME SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS ON INDIA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC AT HAND. AS A PROUD INDIAN I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT INDIA ON MY MIND EVER SINCE I LEFT INDIA IN 1970 TO GO TO THE UNITED STATES FOR HIGHER STUDIES LIKE SO MANY OF US.

INDIA IS A VERY OLD AND RICH COUNTRY AND CULTURE – WE JUST BEGAN (ON NOVEMBER 4) SAMVAT (YEAR) 5228-29 ACCORDING TO OUR KRISHNA CALENDAR AND SAMVAT (YEAR) 2059-60 ACCORDING TO THE NEW VIKRAM CALENDAR. THE FIRST THING THEREFORE WE RECOGNIZE IS THE CONTINUATION AND SUCCESS OF A CULTURE AND SOCIETY THAT BEGAN SUCH A LONG TIME AGO. CLEARLY THERE IS MUCH THAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT INDIA AND SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE WORLD.

EQUALLY IMPORTANT ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS MODERN INDEPENDENT INDIA HAS MADE IN A SPAN OF TWO GENERATIONS. THE WORLD IS BEGINNING TO RECOGNIZE THOSE ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIELDS OF COMPUTING AND SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS, SPACE, PHARMACEUTICALS, CHEMICALS, MEDICINE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ABOVE ALL A DEMOCRATIC CIVIL SOCIETY. WE HAVE TO TELL THE MEDIA ABOUT ALL THESE AND MORE SO THAT THEY CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THEIR READERS IN THE WEST. IN OTHER WORDS, INDIA HAS A LOT TO TELL AND SELL AND WE SHOULD BRING IT TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WESTERN MEDIA. ONE CANNOT SELL ANYTHING UNLESS ONE HAS AN IDEA, A PRODUCT, A RESOURCE OR A SERVICE TO SELL. FORTUNATELY INDIA HAS A LOT TO OFFER UNDER EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES.

BUT WE SHOULD ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE THAT HAS ALLOWED INDIA ITS ACHIEVEMENTS IS EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY HIGHER EDUCATION OF ITS PEOPLE, ALBEIT ONLY 2 PERCENT OF ITS POPULATION-3 PERCENT OF MEN AND 1 PERCENT OF WOMEN AS OF 1997. TODAY INDIA IS BEGINNING TO ENJOY THE RICHES THAT HAVE COME FROM THIS GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN IN INDIA AND SOME 20 MILLION OF US OUTSIDE INDIA.

MY PERSONAL VIEW IS THAT INDIA WILL BE A “DEVELOPED NATION” WHEN IT HAS 10 PERCENT OF ITS POPULATION WITH COLLEGE EDUCATION. TO FURTHER THIS GOAL AT A MICRO LEVEL, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED MRS. HELENA KAUSHIK WOMEN’S COLLEGE (WWW.HELENAKAUSHIK.ORG) IN NORTHEAST RAJASTHAN FOR THE BENEFIT OF RURAL WOMEN IN 1999. ONE CLASS OF 22 STUDENTS HAS ALREADY GRADUATED WITH A B.A. DEGREE IN 2002.

HIGHER EDUCATION IS A KEY RESOURCE IN THE PROGRESS INDIA IS MAKING, AND EVEN MORE PROGRESS IN THE FUTURE, IF IT FOLLOWS THE STRATEGY THAT IS WORKING SUCCESSFULLY: MORE HIGHER EDUCATION, A MORE COMPETITIVE ECONOMY, AND A MORE GLOBALLY OPEN ECONOMY. THIS STRATEGY CAN ALLOW INDIA TO EMULATE THE UNITED STATES.

NOW IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR TO INTRODUCE MS. MADHVI VERMA, AN ATTORNEY, WHO WILL PRESIDE THE SESSION ON WESTERN MEDIA. MS. VERMA SPECIALIZES IN INTERNATIONAL, CORPORATE, BANKING AND FINANCE LAW. HER LAW FIRM HAS CLIENTS IN EUROPE, ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC. A CONTRIBUTOR TO AND COMMENTATOR ON DISCUSSIONS ON SOUTH ASIA, MS. VERMA HAS CHAIRED AND HOSTED CONFERENCES AND LECTURE SERIES ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND GLOBAL ISSUES. SHE RECEIVED HER B.A. AND LL.B DEGREES FROM DELHI UNIVERSITY, LL.M. FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND WOMEN’S SCHOOL OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AT YALE UNIVERSITY.

IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE DR. SUDHIR PARIKH WHO WILL PRESIDE THE SESSION ON REASONS FOR PRESENT LEVEL OF COVERAGE. DR. PARIKH, A PRACTICING AND CONSULTING PHYSICIAN, HAS RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM IN THE TREATMENT OF ALLERGY, ASTHMA AND IMMUNOLOGY. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE NEW JERSEY LICENSING BOARD. HE IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY OF NEW JERSEY, HAVING SERVED AS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE. HE SERVES ON THE MEDICAL BOARD OF NEW JERSEY. HE IS A TRUSTEE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS OF INDIAN ORIGIN AND HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL SUPPORT TO THAT ORGANIZATION AND HELPED RAISE LARGE FUNDS FOR THAT ORGANIZATION. HE HAS HELPED IN OPENING US DOORS FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS AND PHYSICIANS FROM INDIA. AS A PROMINENT INDIAN AMERICAN DR. PARIKH WAS INVITED BY THE WHITE HOUSE TO ACCOMPANY PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON DURING HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO INDIA IN MARCH 2000. DR. PARIKH IS PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE INDIAN AMERICAN FORUM FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION AND IN THAT CAPACITY A SPONSOR OF TODAY’S SEMINAR. HE SUPPORTS NUMEROUS INDIAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS AND MEETINGS WITH VISITING INDIAN DIGNITARIES. HE WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE INDIA CAUCUS IN THE US CONGRESS. DR. PARIKH IS MARRIED TO DR. SUDHA S. PARIKH, AN ANESTHEGIOLIST

DR. RAJESH SHUKLA WILL PRESIDE THE SESSION ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. DR. SHUKLA IS A BUSINESSMAN WITH INTEREST IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, MANUFACTURING, HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AND RETAILING. HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR’S IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FROM INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KANPUR AND A PH.D. FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. DR. SHUKLA IS ACTIVE IN THE INDIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. CURRENTLY HE SERVES AS A VICE PRESIDENT OF OVERSEAS FRIENDS OF BJP HAVING SERVED AS ITS GENERAL SECRETARY.

OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER TODAY IS MR. RAJIV MALHOTRA. MR. MALHOTRA STARTED THE INFINITY FOUNDATION IN 1995(WWW.INFINITYFOUNDATION.COM), AND LEFT THE FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS WORLD. THIS FOUNDATIONS’S VISION IS TO ENCOURAGE A TYPE OF MULTICULTURISM AND GLOBALIZATION IN WHICH NONWESTERN CIVILIZATIONS ARE ALSO GIVEN EQUAL RESPECT. IT HAS GIVEN OVER 200 GRANTS FOR MULTICULTURAL STUDIES WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON INDIAN AND ASIAN CULTURES. GRANT RECIPIENTS HAVE INCLUDED HARVARD, PRINCETON, AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITIES ALONG WITH MANY INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO ORGANIZES CONFERENCES AND OTHER SCHOLARLY IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. ACTIVITIES OF THE FOUNDATION

MAYBE LOOKED AT WWW.INFINITYFOUNDATION.COM/MANDALA/INDIC_MANDALA_FRAMESET.HTM

MR. MALHOTRA HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. HE SERVES ON THE BOARD OF THE NEW JERSEY CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.

OUR CHIEF GUEST TODAY IS HIS EXCELLENCY DR. BHISHMA K. AGNIHOTRI, AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR NON-RESIDENT INDIANS AND PERSONS OF INDIAN ORIGIN. AMBASSADOR AGNIHOTRI ASSUMED THIS NEW POSITION CREATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA TO RECOGNIZE AND PROMOTE MUTUAL INTERESTS OF INDIA AND THE NRIS AND PIO. AMBASSADOR AGNIHOTRI WAS AN ADDITIONAL SESSIONS JUDGE IN DELHI BEFORE MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES FIRST AS A STUDENT IN THE LL.M. PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE FORMER HONORABLE WILLIAM. O. DOUGLAS, JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES. AMBASSADOR AGNIHOTRI MET WITH ROBERT F. KENNEDY, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES AND REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AT WHOSE SUGGESTION HE JOINED THE SOUTHERN LAW CENTER AND JOINED THE LAW FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA WHERE HE ALSO SERVED AS DEAN OF THE LAW SCHOOL BEFORE ASSUMING HIS CURRENT POSITION. AMBASSADOR AGNOHOTRI RECEIVED HIS UNDERGRADUATE AND LAW DEGREES FROM PUNJAB UNIVERSITY IN INDIA.