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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline February 26, 2021 |
bidisHa bHattacHaRyya
indian american named to key
position in us agriculture dept
he Biden administration has appointed Indian American cli-
mate and energy expert Bidisha Bhattacharyya as Senior Pol-
Ticy Advisor in the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Earlier Bhattacharyya served as the Director of Climate
and Energy Policy at the Centre for American Progress. Before
that, she was the Vice President of Emerging Markets at the im-
pact-investment firm Village Capital. In her role, she headed a
global team across India, Mexico, and East Africa to invest in
high-impact startups innovating to solve issues across clean ener-
gy deployment and financial inclusion.
Bhattacharyya has also worked with a technology startup Sim-
pa Networks for three years to deploy solar energy solutions in
rural India. She guided the end-to-end rollout of a new off-grid
solar product line. She served on Capitol Hill for four years as
the Senior Energy and Agriculture Policy Adviser to Senator Al
Franken of Minnesota and as Energy and Agriculture Legislative
Assistant for Congressman Betty McCollum of Minnesota.
Bhattacharya completed her master’s degree in public policy
from Harvard University and did her bachelor’s degree in eco-
nomics from St Olaf College.
FSA is the US Department of Agriculture that implements
agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and
manages conservation, commodity, disaster and farm marketing
programs.
saleHa Jabeen
india-born woman graduates
from chaplian college
ndia-born Saleha Jabeen
US military’s first female
IMuslim chaplain on Febru-
ary 5, graduated from Air Force
Basic Chaplain Course. Jabeen
said that she is grateful and is
aware of the responsibility be-
stowed upon her and will set an
example to show that there is a
place in the military for anyone who wants to serve.
Jabeen said: “I did not have to compromise on any of my re-
ligious beliefs or convictions. I am surrounded with people who
respect me and are willing to receive what I bring to the table as
a woman, a faith leader, and an immigrant.” She said that she is
provided with numerous opportunities to learn, develop skills to
equip herself to become “a successful officer and a chaplain in a
pluralistic environment.”
“I get to provide spiritual care to all service members, guard-
ians, and families and advise the commanders on religious and
moral matters regardless of my faith, ethnicity, or gender,” said
Jabeen. Jabeen who became the first woman Muslim chaplain in
the US Department of Defense was commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in De-
cember.
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The Indian Eye 33
Air Force Chaplain Corps College staff chaplain Capt Mara
Title said Jabeen’s addition to the chaplain corps will be a great
benefit to everyone. Title said: “The Air Force Chaplain Corps
endeavors to promote diversity in all respects.” “Chaplain Saleha
Jabeen’s presence enables an even broader scope of spiritual care
for our Airmen, and for this we are very grateful,” she said.
Air Force Chaplain Corps College staff chaplain Capt John
Richardson said: “The bottom line is to care for Airmen – ev-
ery single Airman. When they [chaplains] care for Airmen in
a professional way, every other aspect of our calling falls into
place: advising leaders and providing for the religious needs of
our force.”
us faRmeRs
groups issue a solidary state-
ment to farmers in india
round 87 farmer organizations, allied agroecology, farm and
food justice groups in the United States delivered a solidar-
Aity statement in support of the ongoing farmers protest in
India to Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a body of around 40 Indian farm-
ers unions. In the statement, US farmer groups expressed respect
for the struggles of the farmers and farmworkers and requested
the Indian and US government to help the farmers and protect
food sovereignty in India.
The statement said: “India’s farmers have mobilized to create
one of the world’s most vibrant protests in history against un-
just farm laws that will increase agribusiness’ stranglehold over
their food system. They have rallied around a cry for the repeal
of three laws — passed without farmers’ knowledge or consulta-
tion — that aim to liberalize Indian agriculture and food sectors,
not only at the cost of farmers but also the food security of India’s
poor.” The statement also stated concerns over additional issues
including, the unconstitutional manner of passing the farm laws
without proper parliamentary rules and the Indian government’s
authoritarian measures to deny farmers their right to dissent
democratically.
us farm, food, and racial justice organizations including, the
institute for agriculture and trade policy, national family
farm coalition, Rural coalition, northwest atlantic marine
alliance, and the grassroots global Justice alliance co-spon-
sored the solidarity statement. the co-sponsors also compro-
mise diasporic indians who work with farmer groups in india.
Executive Director of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade
Policy (IATP) Sophia Murphy said that liberalizing markets with-
out hearing farmers’ political voices and not taking into account
protection against concentrated buyer power makes a mockery
of what markets should stand for. She said: “We denounce the
three farm bills, the lack of consultation with farmers and their
organizations, and stand in solidarity with the brave stance In-
dia’s farmers are taking.”
Chair of Rural Coalition John Zippert said: “The Rural Coa-
lition, which has fought for four decades for the civil and human
rights for all producers and farmworkers in this nation, sends our
strong support and deep respect to the heroic family farmers and
farmworkers of India.”