Celebrate Diwali with The Great Khali
This festival season visit former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Dilip Singh Rana (50) aka The Great Khali’s dhaba in Karnal in Haryana to enjoy a new experience. The tables and chairs are placed around a wrestling ring. This is Khali’s new profession. The dhaba is part of his sports academy spread over in 10 acres of prime land. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Earth Science; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Monday inaugurated the ‘The Great Khali Academy’. The campus has, among other things, a fitness centre, gymnasium, sports complex, wrestling enclave and restaurant, which will mainly cater to the youth. Jitendra Singh said, Khali’s wellness centre is a tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship schemes of “Fit India” and “Khelo India” initiatives. After a short stint with the Punjab police and a successful wrestling career with WWE, Khali became a politician by joining the BJP three months ago. While inducting Khali to the party, Jitendra Singh had said, “I welcome The Great Khali to the party. His size and his personality is such that the whole world knows him. I am sure that he will also play an important role in making BJP strong.”
Lekhi Showcases Festival Of Lights For Diplomats
For the diplomatic community, a Diwali Utsav was organised by the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakashi Lekhi, in the capital on Tuesday. The pleasant evening opened with ‘Ramayana Chaupai’. It was followed by a brief performance of Ramleela. The major part of the show was the rendition of ‘Sundar Subhumi’ or ‘Girmityas Song’, commonly known as ‘Diaspora Song’. The event was witnessed by Ambassadors and diplomats from many embassies, including of Australia, Singapore, Britain, Finland, Romania, Bhutan and Nepal.
Laughing ‘banned’ In MEA
The staff members at the Ministry of External Affairs at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, in New Delhi, are quiet amused as they have been issued a stern warning: Don’t laugh. Laughing inside the building has been “banned”. The Ministry has issued instructions regarding decorum and dress code to the staff. The officials and others have been ‘advised’ against “unnecessary roaming around and sitting on sofas”, says the order dated 12 October 2022. A senior official said that “it seems laughing in the MEA has become an undiplomatic act”.
Art For Tibet Auction Is Now Live
Art for Tibet’s online global auction is now open. The 10th Art for Tibet benefit auction and exhibition features more than 60 artworks from a diverse international pool of established and emerging artists, including several outstanding contemporary Tibetan artists. One can visit Artfortibet.org/artists to see more and their works. The online auction began on 19 October and it will continue until 9 pm EST on 3 November on bidsuare.com. “The final three hours of the online auction will coincide with a free and open to the public live event and exhibit, which will take place from 6-9 pm on 3 November at NowHere Gallery on 40, Wooster Street in Soho, New York,” Pema Yoko, Art for Tibet Organizing Committee, told The Sunday Guardian.
Haridwar-Born Kashmiri Pandit Is U.S. envoy To Netherlands
Meet Indian-American Shefali Razdan Duggal (50), new U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands. She believes in Lord Krishna’s philosophy in the Holy book Bhagavad Gita. “…So help me God,” a tearful Razdan Duggal said as she concluded her oath, taken on the Bhagavad Gita, as new U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, in the presence of her mother and other family members, in Washington on 20 September. The oath was administered by U. S. Vice-President Kamala Harris. Razdan Duggal and her mother then embraced Harris amid a rousing round of applause. She presented her credentials to the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander on 19 October. A Kashmiri Pandit born in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, Razdan Duggal moved to America at a very young age and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is married with two children. She has a B.S. in Mass Communication, with a minor in Political Science, from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and an M.A. in Media Ecology from New York University. She is a San Francisco Committee member of Human Rights Watch, serves on the Leadership and Character Council at Wake Forest University, and is on the National Advisory Board of Inside Washington at Miami University of Ohio. Most recently, Razdan Duggal served on the National Finance Committee of Joe Biden for President 2020 and was a National Co-Chair of Women for Biden. She has also served as a Deputy National Finance Chair at the Democratic National Committee. Previously, Razdan Duggal served on the National Board of Directors for Emily’s List 2014-2020. She was a Presidential Appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council 2014-2018 and continues to serve as a Western Region Advisor to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.