Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 4 CITY VIEWS April 10, 2026 NJ Congressional Candidate Vaingankar Responds To Racist Attacks F ormer Biden Administration official and Gen Z congressional candidate Jay Vaingankar, 28, released a statement Monday, April 6, 2026, in response to MAGA leader Laura Loomer and her followers’ racist attacks on his campaign for Congress in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District: “Over the weekend, Trump confidante Laura Loomer and her far-right allies attacked me by name in a series of racist posts calling me ‘un-American’ and accusing my campaign of putting ‘America Last’ – all because I posted a video reaching out to voters in Hindi. “What followed was even more disturbing. Within hours, I was flooded with messages and comments filled with death threats, racial slurs, and calls for me to be deported and stripped of my birthright citizenship. “That says everything about the state of our politics under Trump. Extremists like Loomer want to intimidate anyone who doesn’t fit a narrow definition of who be- longs in this country, and they try to silence campaigns that are actually doing outreach in every community. “New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District is one of the most diverse places in America. One in every three residents is foreign-born, and two in five households speak a language other than English. While Loomer calls this ‘un-American’, in Central Jersey we know that this diversity represents the best of America. “As the son of Hindi speakers and a Spanish speaker myself, I’m proud to use my language skills to connect with diverse communities that are too often left out of our politics. That’s why organizations like AAPI Victory Fund and Indian American Impact Fund have endorsed this campaign. They recognize that for too long Demo- crats have underinvested in organizing and listening to certain communities. “I have been building coalitions in my community since I was in high school, fromTrenton shop owners to North Brunswick high schoolers to Bound Brook church- goers. The racist threats by extremist MAGA agitators like Loomer won’t scare me into stopping now. If anything, they make it even clearer what’s at stake in this election. “Our rising utility bills and health care premiums don’t care what language we speak at home. I’m going to keep fighting for a new generation of leadership that represents all of us.” (For more information about the campaign, visit www.JayVaingankar.com or follow @JayforJersey on all social media) By a StaffWriter Jay Vaingankar PHOTO:SCREENSHOT FROM JAYVAINGANKAR. COM Columbia University Hosts 21st India Business Conference 2026 T he 21st Annual India Business Conference was held at Columbia Business School in NewYork City on April 4, 2026. Hosted by the South Asia Business Associa- tion, a student run organization within Columbia Business School aimed at promoting cultural and economic interest in South Asian countries, this is considered a flag- ship event. The conference was supported by State Bank of India NewYork as the Title Sponsor and TATA Group as the Gold Sponsor, according to information provided on Linke- din. This year, the conference ex- plored India’s growing influence in business, innovation, and sustain- ability. The theme was The New India Playbook: Capital, Creation & Culture. At least two dozen heads of various companies addressed the conference, including Key- note Speaker Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, and billed by organizers on Instagramas a “Builder. Investor. Disruptor”, and K.T. Rama Rao, working President of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Business leaders ranged from fashion design to investors and IT companies. Indian breakfast and lunch was provided, followed by an evening dinner reception. India’s Consul General in NewYork delivered the opening remarks in which he described the India-US corridor is one of the world’s most dynamic corridors. He highlighted how bilateral trade had surged from $19B in 2000 to $220B today, targeting $500B by 2030. Under the TRUST frame- work (Transforming Relationship Using Strategic Technologies), the two nations are now collaborating concretely across AI, semiconduc- tors, defense, space, and other hi-tech areas, he noted. He singled out the 5.4 million Indian diaspora members who he said were key actors in the new playbook. Speaking at a “Fireside Chat” during the Conference, BRS work- ing president KT Rama Rao said, “Youth should not merely remain job seekers, but must aspire to become job creators,” the news outlet telenganatoday reported. He urged them to continuously upskill even as needed to be cau- tious about Artificial Intelligence. “This threat is real and imminent. Governments and societies are not fully prepared,” he said pointing to heavy job-losses at major multina- tional companies. He also noted that while India had adopted new technologies quickly, it could not longer “copy and paste” and need to create. By a StaffWriter Photo (left): India’s Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan addressing the Columbia University 21st India Business Conference 2026, on April 4. Photo (right): Inaugural session at the Columbia University 21st India Business Conference 2026, on April 4. Lamplighting ceremony to kick off the Columbia University 21st India Business Conference 2026, on April 4. BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao addressing Lamplighting ceremony to kick off the Columbia University 21st India Business Conference April 4, 2026 in New York City. PHOTOS:X.COM @INDIAINNEWYORK PHOTOS:X.COM @INDIAINNEWYORK PHOTO:SCREENSHOT FROM FACEBOOKVIDEO