Author: Lavina Melwani

t was his smile that many people remember first. His warm, spontaneous smile. And of course, his turban which he wore proudly on his head, like a crown.

f you can’t go to the Jaipur Literature Festival, the festival comes to you with its traveling caravan of writers and poets and raconteurs. It is good news for the many disaporic communities that this wandering festival now comes to New York, Boulder, Colorado and its latest stop is Toronto, Canada.

Indian art is playing a big role at Asia Art Week with antiquities and contemporary South Asian art highlighted in auctions and exhibits.

‘Howdy, Modi – Shared Dreams, Bright Futures, – a community summit in honor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on September 22, 2019.

Ashok Amritraj is the most successful Indian film producers in Hollywood with over a 100 films to his credit.

9/11. The day the world stopped. It’s not often that you feel your heart has stopped and your blood run cold. This is the feeling many people had, especially in NY, on that fateful day in September 2001. There was the indescribable pain of loss, the sheer fear of the unknown, the helplessness of seeing the world teeter out of control.
The healing process is still very much a work in progress.

5300 people reached on Lassi with Lavina FB page – 262 engagements. Ram Jethmalani – Mumbai’s Fearless Legal Avenger RIP Ram Jethmalani passed away at the age of 95 on September 8, 2019. The tributes have been pouring in for this remarkable yet controversial man. “He was witty, courageous and never shied away from boldly expressing himself on any subject,” tweeted Prime minister Narendra Modi. “One of the best aspects of Shri Ram Jethmalani Ji was the ability to speak his mind. And, he did so without any fear. During the dark days of the Emergency, his fortitude and…

Even as tensions build between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, one can’t help but remember the softer, gentler things these two neighbors – originally one country – share in common: a love for mangoes and gulab jamun, a passion for cricket, Bolly]wood – and of course, ethnic fashion

ooking for a real fun, feel-good experience? Take a trip on ‘Mission Mangal’ to Mars with Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Tapsee Pannu and a gang of talented Bollywood actors,  reenacting India’s historic mission to Mars.

The Trump Administration has just introduced the new Public Charge Rule which will only make it tougher to get a green card or become a citizen of the US if you’ve ever been on public assistance.

The revocation of Article 370 has brought many changes to Jammu and Kashmir. We spoke to Kashmiri pandits in the US about their reactions.

Racism of course comes in many shapes and forms, from hurtful remarks to all forms of injustices – economic disparities, educational and financial walls, voter suppression, loss of possibilities for people of color, for people who are different.

Indian-American children did very well in the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee – here’s the back story

The Much Loved Philosopher-Saint who passed away last year just before his 100th birthday would have been 101 this August, which is being observed as Forgiveness Day. He was gentle, humorous and had all the answers to life’s complexities.

At a time when refugees, asylum-seekers, migrants and illegal immigrants are regarded as trouble-makers, scum, inconvenient and expendable in America and immigration is itself the new four-letter word, there comes a powerful protest from award-winning author Suketu Mehta, himself the son of immigrants.

She’s the only woman chef at the world-famous Rainbow Room which is one of Manhattan’s most celebrated restaurants and which also has a members only exclusive club

“Our Dreamers are American in every way but on paper. Yet, by cruelly ending DACA, the Trump Administration brought fear and uncertainty into the lives of countless Dreamers. House Democrats are honoring our promise, and their bravery, by ensuring Dreamers can continue to bless our nation.”

Six of the eight winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee had used a coaching service called SpellPundit and the result was big success.

V]ikas Khanna’s life has been no bowl of gulab jamuns – he was born in a middle-class home in Amritsar with a club foot. He struggled with his disability  and had to overcome bullying by the other children. His is the classic story of the immigrant, coming to America with little money and big dreams.  

I came to the US in the 80’s, as an immigrant via India, Hong Kong and Africa, and landed in Astoria, a gritty Greek neighborhood in Queens. I fell in love with the prosaic neighborhood with its heart of gold, and it was here that I discovered my own private America.The part which never fails to amaze me is that when I take the N subway from Manhattan to Astoria – glancing at my fellow passengers I see a virtual United Nations – Latinos, Chinese, South Asians, Blacks, whites all wedged together, sitting side by side on the Great American Journey. If Lady Liberty was to see them, she would definitely shed a tear – because this is exactly what America is all about. And on this day after the Fourth of July, with the firecrackers still ringing in our ears – we can say amen to that.