Monday, May 5, 2008
Washington Leadership Program interns remember Gopal Raju and their experience on the Hill
Amit Dhiru Patel, WLP Class of 2005
The first time I met Gopal Raju, he was a man of few words, but with a big heart. He was a humble man who I would unfortunately not come to greet again, but his commitment to me and many other Indian American youth will have a lasting impact. I will forever be thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill and opening my eyes in my search for a career path. After I finish law school, I look forward to working again in the political process; an opportunity that I would never have had without the aid of Gopal Raju.
Ajaita Shah, WLP Class of 2005
Gopal Raju was a man with a vision and passion for activism and change - through his contributions he created an incredible program which brought young like-minded individuals together, giving them the opportunity to understand politics, policy, and their roles and responsibilities as future leaders in the Indian American community. He generously nurtured an organization and groups of Indian Americans in a way that will always influence who they are and how they approach their lives and careers. He will truly be missed.
Prem Trivedi, WLP Class of 2005
I join everyone in the WLP and News India Times families in expressing my sorrow at Mr.Raju's passing. Mr. Raju invested in the political future of Indian-American youth at a time when politically oriented careers were considered radical or impractical. He played a pioneering role in ensuring that these career interests received the serious consideration and respect that they deserved. More importantly, he recognized that bolstering the prestige of a political career was secondary to inculcating the value of civic engagement.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The first time I met Gopal Raju, he was a man of few words, but with a big heart. He was a humble man who I would unfortunately not come to greet again, but his commitment to me and many other Indian American youth will have a lasting impact. I will forever be thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill and opening my eyes in my search for a career path. After I finish law school, I look forward to working again in the political process; an opportunity that I would never have had without the aid of Gopal Raju.
Ajaita Shah, WLP Class of 2005
Gopal Raju was a man with a vision and passion for activism and change - through his contributions he created an incredible program which brought young like-minded individuals together, giving them the opportunity to understand politics, policy, and their roles and responsibilities as future leaders in the Indian American community. He generously nurtured an organization and groups of Indian Americans in a way that will always influence who they are and how they approach their lives and careers. He will truly be missed.
Prem Trivedi, WLP Class of 2005
I join everyone in the WLP and News India Times families in expressing my sorrow at Mr.Raju's passing. Mr. Raju invested in the political future of Indian-American youth at a time when politically oriented careers were considered radical or impractical. He played a pioneering role in ensuring that these career interests received the serious consideration and respect that they deserved. More importantly, he recognized that bolstering the prestige of a political career was secondary to inculcating the value of civic engagement.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Gopal Raju, IACPA, Indian American community, interns, passion, Washington Leadership Program
Thursday, May 1, 2008
'Voice of Indians in America: Gopal Raju, High Quality Editor, Glory-averse, Self-effacing
Pioneer,Trail-blazer, Visionary, Astute, Indomitable, Brilliant, Transformational journalist, Passionate, Bridge-builder, Courageous, Fearless. Determined. Steadfast. Possessor of messianic zeal. Philanthropist. High Quality Editor. Glory-averse. Self-effacing. Reticent. Dapper dresser, Quirky. These are some of the qualities attributed to Gopal Raju in several published eulogies and tributes.
Gopal Raju was all that and more. You pick a positive adjective and place it before his name, it would be a tight fit.
Grief and sadness at a loss can be overwhelming, but Gopal and I often talked about the way Irish handle the inevitable (at least the Irish wakes I have attended). The family and friends gather at a church for the mass. Then some proceed to the cemetery for burial. Afterwards they gather in a restaurant or at home to celebrate the life of the deceased with drinks and foods. Each life is to be celebrated.
There is lot to rejoice about Gopal's life and his work. Just pick a copy of the last week's Indian newspapers or visit the Web site of the South Asian journalist's Association to read about his outstanding contributions to advancing journalism, promoting Indo-U.S. understanding, championing community causes and encouraging our participation in the political process.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Gopal Raju was all that and more. You pick a positive adjective and place it before his name, it would be a tight fit.
Grief and sadness at a loss can be overwhelming, but Gopal and I often talked about the way Irish handle the inevitable (at least the Irish wakes I have attended). The family and friends gather at a church for the mass. Then some proceed to the cemetery for burial. Afterwards they gather in a restaurant or at home to celebrate the life of the deceased with drinks and foods. Each life is to be celebrated.
There is lot to rejoice about Gopal's life and his work. Just pick a copy of the last week's Indian newspapers or visit the Web site of the South Asian journalist's Association to read about his outstanding contributions to advancing journalism, promoting Indo-U.S. understanding, championing community causes and encouraging our participation in the political process.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: desi talk, Gopal Raju, Gopal's life, gujarat times, journalist, Pioneering publisher, promoting Indo-U.S., South Asian journalist's Association
Monday, April 21, 2008
He taught his reporters, administrative employees the meaning of integrity
As I mentioned in my tribute to Mr. Raju on my television program, his importance to so many of us in the profession of journalism is simply immeasurable.
I was but a young lad, editing a small weekly newspaper in Washington, D.C., working the extra odd job here and there to finance my pursuit of a graduate degree at American University. He spotted something in my work in 1976 and astounded me with an offer to become an editor of India Abroad. I was dum founded because, by my own estimate of myself at the time, I was far too young to be handed responsibility for a newspaper that clearly was heading toward becoming the main medium of our then infant community. But Mr. Raju thought otherwise and asked me to give him a ‘yes' or ‘no' answer as soon as possible.
I fudged, thought about it, then passed up the offer. I ended up becoming the editor a year later of a brand new newspaper, News India.
But by late 1979, I walked into the Park Avenue offices of India Abroad in Manhattan. I asked to meet with Mr. Raju and he obliged. Was his offer to me still good, I asked. At first he gave me that miffed look.
Then he spoke, somewhat noncommittal, "You should have jumped on board the first time I asked you". There were a few minutes of silence as he appeared to size me up.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
I was but a young lad, editing a small weekly newspaper in Washington, D.C., working the extra odd job here and there to finance my pursuit of a graduate degree at American University. He spotted something in my work in 1976 and astounded me with an offer to become an editor of India Abroad. I was dum founded because, by my own estimate of myself at the time, I was far too young to be handed responsibility for a newspaper that clearly was heading toward becoming the main medium of our then infant community. But Mr. Raju thought otherwise and asked me to give him a ‘yes' or ‘no' answer as soon as possible.
I fudged, thought about it, then passed up the offer. I ended up becoming the editor a year later of a brand new newspaper, News India.
But by late 1979, I walked into the Park Avenue offices of India Abroad in Manhattan. I asked to meet with Mr. Raju and he obliged. Was his offer to me still good, I asked. At first he gave me that miffed look.
Then he spoke, somewhat noncommittal, "You should have jumped on board the first time I asked you". There were a few minutes of silence as he appeared to size me up.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: believed, Gopal Raju, journalism, Manhattan, program, Swedish newspaper, television, Washington
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Astute, indomitable and brilliant... he created legal history in United States
Gopal Raju's casual demeanor, boyish looks and apparent shyness hid a steeliness and chutzpah that emerged whenever a crisis surfaced.
He displayed both qualities during the nerve racking libel suit against India Abroad News Service by Ajitabh Bachchan in connection with the Bofors kickback scandal in 1991 - for which I (as the agency's London bureau chief) was responsible and single handedly went on to create legal history in the United States.
To realize Raju's astuteness in the landmark judgment for which leading U.S. newspapers and television networks will forever remain grateful to this humble Indian with a razor sharp mind and easy manners, some background is required.
In 1990 at the CBI's request, the Swiss authorities froze six coded accounts into which alleged kickbacks of around $50 million from the import of 410 Bofors howitzers had been deposited.
Following investigation, however, Swiss bankers discovered a sixth "inter-connected" account.
Thereafter, Bo Anderson, a correspondent for Dagens Nyheter, the leading Swedish newspaper credited with several Bofors exposes, relying on CBI and Indian legal sources, declared that the account was Ajitabh Bachchan's, brother of the film icon Amitabh in the January 31, 1990 edition of his journal.
This report was widely quoted by several newspapers and agencies, including the IANS bureau in London which I then represented.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
He displayed both qualities during the nerve racking libel suit against India Abroad News Service by Ajitabh Bachchan in connection with the Bofors kickback scandal in 1991 - for which I (as the agency's London bureau chief) was responsible and single handedly went on to create legal history in the United States.
To realize Raju's astuteness in the landmark judgment for which leading U.S. newspapers and television networks will forever remain grateful to this humble Indian with a razor sharp mind and easy manners, some background is required.
In 1990 at the CBI's request, the Swiss authorities froze six coded accounts into which alleged kickbacks of around $50 million from the import of 410 Bofors howitzers had been deposited.
Following investigation, however, Swiss bankers discovered a sixth "inter-connected" account.
Thereafter, Bo Anderson, a correspondent for Dagens Nyheter, the leading Swedish newspaper credited with several Bofors exposes, relying on CBI and Indian legal sources, declared that the account was Ajitabh Bachchan's, brother of the film icon Amitabh in the January 31, 1990 edition of his journal.
This report was widely quoted by several newspapers and agencies, including the IANS bureau in London which I then represented.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Ajitabh Bachchan, Bofors kickback scandal, Gopal Raju, IANS bureau, New York Supreme Court, Swedish newspaper, United states
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Pioneering publisher Gopal Raju is no more
Gopal Raju, who was a bridge between India and the United States in the fields of media, politics and philanthropy for over half a century, died in New York late on April 9 after a brief illness. He was 80.
Raju's death was announced by his long-time colleague and friend Veena Merchant. He died after complications from a week long bout of jaundice.
An institution-builder, he founded India Abroad newspaper, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), the Indian American Foundation (IAF) and the Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA). At the time of his death, he was the publisher of the weekly newspapers News India-Times, Desi Talk and Gujarat Times.
A pioneering advocate of the two-million Indian diaspora in the United States, Raju saw India Abroad as an information bridge between the Indian-American community and their native country.
Later, he founded IACPA in 1993, which extended this community involvement to US politics - from Washington to state and local levels. As part of the Center's eight-week Washington Leadership Program, he placed about 200 Indian American interns with Congressional and Senate lawmakers in Washington, D.C., introducing them to the US political process.
In 1995 IACPA introduced the Washington Leadership Program (WLP) to introduce Indian American college students to the political process through Congressional internships. The program enabled them to get a firsthand look at how the political process works. Each year WLP selects college students to participate in an eight-week summer program, which includes the first and the last week of orientation and evaluation specially designed by the program.
In 2003, the WLP expanded its scope by sending six interns to visit India for a week, to understand the political process of the world's largest democracy, interact with policy-makers and think-tanks.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Raju's death was announced by his long-time colleague and friend Veena Merchant. He died after complications from a week long bout of jaundice.
An institution-builder, he founded India Abroad newspaper, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), the Indian American Foundation (IAF) and the Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA). At the time of his death, he was the publisher of the weekly newspapers News India-Times, Desi Talk and Gujarat Times.
A pioneering advocate of the two-million Indian diaspora in the United States, Raju saw India Abroad as an information bridge between the Indian-American community and their native country.
Later, he founded IACPA in 1993, which extended this community involvement to US politics - from Washington to state and local levels. As part of the Center's eight-week Washington Leadership Program, he placed about 200 Indian American interns with Congressional and Senate lawmakers in Washington, D.C., introducing them to the US political process.
In 1995 IACPA introduced the Washington Leadership Program (WLP) to introduce Indian American college students to the political process through Congressional internships. The program enabled them to get a firsthand look at how the political process works. Each year WLP selects college students to participate in an eight-week summer program, which includes the first and the last week of orientation and evaluation specially designed by the program.
In 2003, the WLP expanded its scope by sending six interns to visit India for a week, to understand the political process of the world's largest democracy, interact with policy-makers and think-tanks.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Gopal Raju, he Indian American Foundation, Indian American Center for Political Awarenes, Indo-Asian News Service, Pioneering publisher, Raju's death, Washington Leadership Program
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