Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 6 CITY VIEWS March 20, 2026 T he Virginia State Senate passed a resolution March 13, 2026, com- mending Indian American journal- ist T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman, Ph.D., founder and editor-in-chief of South Asian Herald, honoring his “com- mitment to excellence in journalism and his service to the Commonwealth.” The resolution, introduced by Virginia State Senator Kannan Srinivasan, was unanimously adopted by voice vote. It noted that Jayaraman has “greatly served communities in the Commonwealth and beyond” through his leadership of the news outlet. “Through both South Asian Herald and his other journalistic endeav- ors, Vishnudatta Jayaraman has ampli- fied diverse voices, fostered informed dialogue, and brought greater attention to the South Asian community in the Com- monwealth,” it added. Jayaraman founded South Asian Herald in October 2024 with the mission of estab- lishing a news outlet that would serve as an “authentic voice” of the Indian Ameri- can and broader South Asian community in the United States. Throughout his journalism career, the resolution stated, Jayraman has “embodied the highest ide- als of ethical journalism, earning recogni- tion from the United States Congress and other entities.” Jayaraman was recently recognized in the Congressional Record. Welcoming Jayaraman to the Senate Gallery on March 9, Senator Srinivasan emphasized Jayaraman’s “dedication” to ethical journalism. “Through South Asian Herald Dr. Jayaraman provides free access to critical civic info, helping to amplify diverse voices and foster informed dia- logue across our Commonwealth,” added Senator Srinivasan. “His work ensures the contribution of the South Asian commu- nity remains a central part of the Virginia story.” Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi, Vir- ginia’s first South Asian American and first Muslim woman to hold statewide office, and President of the Senate, expressed her gratitude to Jayaraman for his work. Describing South Asian Herald as “an important voice,” LG Hashmi emphasized, “We know how critically important inde- pendent media are especially during this time, and we thank you for all the work that you do to be a spokesperson and a voice for so many in our communities, especially here in Virginia.” This marks the second time Jayara- man has been honored by the Virginia State Senate. In March 2024, then–State Senator and now U.S. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, first Indian American and South Asian to represent Virginia in Con- gress, introduced a resolution recognizing Jayaraman’s dedication to “foreign policy and journalism,” among other contribu- tions. The resolution was also passed by all Senators through voice vote. Prior to founding South Asian Her- ald, Jayaraman worked with News India Times, Hindustan Times, The Tribune, The Sunday Observer, and The Times of India. He also served as a Contributing Editor for the United Nations Yearbook. Jayaraman, an accredited journalist, has been covering theWhite House, U.S. Congress, United Nations, World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, among other institutions. He is a member of theWhite House and United Nations Correspondents Association, National Press Club, and the South Asian Journal- ists Association. A Ph.D. in International Administration and the United Nations from Presidency College, University of Madras, Jayaram also holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Uni- versity of Madras and a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University, New Jersey. Virginia Senate Resolution Honors Indian American Journalist Vishnudatta Jayaraman For Excellence In Journalism By a StaffWriter PHOTO: LINKEDIN Vishnu T. Jayaraman I ndia co-sponsored on March 11, 2026, the Security Council resolution condemning Iran’s “egregious attacks” against its regional neighbors. Resolution 2817 (2026), co-sponsored by about 140 member states out of a total of 193 member states, was adopted after a unanimous vote by the 15-member Coun- cil with a clear vote of 13 in favor and no vote against. China and the Russian Fed- eration were 2 members who abstained from voting or using their veto power. The resolution condemns “in the strongest terms” Iran’s attacks against residential and civilian areas of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. It also demands Iran to stop its actions, threats and provocations in the regions maritime trade. Following that, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a state- ment March 12, 2026, that India has co-sponsored the resolution led by the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) in the interest of the safety of its Diaspora in the GCC countries. MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said, “The resolution reflects several of our positions, as you know, that we have a large Diaspora in the GCC countries and their well-being and welfare is of utmost importance.” “The Gulf is also very important for our energy security needs,” he said. Drafted by Bahrain, the resolution, seems to bring together nations which have historical disagreements with each other. That, and the number of member states co-sponsoring the resolution, both reflected global collective conscience, said Bahrain’s representative, Jamal Fares Alrowqaiei, pointing out that the Gulf re- gion was important for economic stability, trade, and global security. The representatives of the United Kingdom, Greece, Panama, Latvia and Colombia voted in favor of the resolution, along with the United States who is the Security Council President for the month of March. France, Denmark, Liberia, the Demo- cratic Republic of Congo and Somalia also voted for the resolution. France’s representative, Jérôme Bonnafont, voiced concerns about Iran’s nuclear threats and its support of regional proxies. Denmark’s representative, Christina Markus Las- sen, pointed out the large support for the resolution in the interest of civilians. Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo said the resolution was needed to stop the war and solve the situation with diplomacy, dialogue, de-escalation and respect for international law. Although China abstained from vot- ing for the resolution, its representative strongly suggested that both the United States and Israel launched military strikes without Council authorization and must cease their actions immediately. Russia which also abstained from vot- ing, presented a second draft, maintain- ing that the passed resolution was biased and one-sided. Russian representative, Vassily Nebenzia, said the passed resolu- tion did not take in account the actions of Israel and the US who had also killed men, women and children in Iran. The Security Council then voted a second time on the draft presented by the Russia. Pakistan, although it had voted in favor of the resolution, supported the second draft presented by Russia. China, Pakistan, Russia and Somalia voted in favor of Russia’s draft. The US and Latvia voted against it. Russia’s draft did not pass as Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Greece, Liberia, Panama and United Kingdom abstained from voting on it. Members who abstained from voting on the second draft of Russia found it not taking in account the realities of the region. Bahrain’s representative noted that the text of the second draft was too general. The representative of the United King- dom, Dame BarbaraWoodward, criticized Russia for hypocrisy in presenting itself as a guardian of international peace and security. France’s representative, Bon- nafont, also pointed out that the second draft did not describe Iran’s responsibility in unjustified attacks against its regional neighbors who posed no threat. The representative of the United States, Michael Waltz, accused the Russian Federation of wasting time in the second vote, knowing fully that its text would not be accepted. Latvia’s delegate described the text as deeply “cynical” text, coming from the Russian Federation which has for years been using force against civilians and civilian infrastructure in a sovereign country, just as Iran is doing now. China’s representative expressed regret about the second draft not succeeding. Russia accused member states of short term political interests in not voting for their draft. However, it expressed a desire to contribute to the response to events in the region. The representatives of Israel and Iran, both present at the Security Council vote, accused each other and the US. Iran’s representative accused the US of starting the war, and blamed it for obstructing efforts to end the war. Israel’s representa- tive pointed out the grave danger of Iran’s nuclear program not being peaceful as it claimed. India Co-Sponsors UNSC Resolution Condemning Iran’s Attacks In The Middle East UNSC voting on Iran resolution March 11, 2026. PHOTO:UN By Archana Adalja