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www.desitalkchicago.com – that’s all you need to know 10 NATIONAL AFFAIRS October 3, 2025 Indian Overseas Congress USA Hosts Memorial For Harbachan Singh, Honors MPs From India T he Indian Overseas Congress USA (IO- CUSA), in association with its New Jersey, Telangana, and Kerala Chapters, hosted a solemn memorial September 26, 2025, at Royal Albert’s Palace, Fords, New Jersey, to pay tribute to Harbachan Singh, the long-serv- ing Secretary-General of IOCUSA, who passed away recently. Singh’s demise “marks an irreplaceable loss to the organization and the Indian diaspora,” a press release from IOCUSA said. The program was attended by leaders and members representing multiple IOCUSA chap- ters. Praveen Singh, daughter of the late Har- bachan Singh, offered floral tributes on behalf of the family. The Chief Guests at the event, Indian Members of Parliament Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy of Telangana, and Hibi Eden of Kerala, spoke warmly of Harbachan Singh praising his decades of dedicated service. Both leaders used the occasion not only to honor his memory but also to engage with the community on key issues facing India today. They spoke at length about India’s current development trajectory, the challenges that must be ad- dressed to achieve inclusive growth, and the critical role of the overseas Indian community in making the country more vibrant and self-sustainable. They also highlighted the growth and opportunities in their respective states, underlining the potential in export, innovation, and other emerging sectors, and en- couraged diaspora members to contribute their expertise and investments to further strengthen these areas. Messages of condolence were also shared from Sam Pitroda, Global Chairman of the Indian Overseas Con- gress, and national leader of the Congress Party Rahul Gandhi, who described Harbachan Singh as a pillar of IOCUSA’s activities in the United States, particularly in the NewYork area. They praised his simplicity, dedication to the nation, and selfless work, calling his pass- ing a “huge loss to the IOC family and to the nation.” Others present at the event were IOC USAVice Chair George Abraham, National President Mohinder Singh Gilzian, Working President Pradeep Samala, and New Jersey Chapter President Peter Kothari, along with Telangana Chapter President Rajeswar Reddy and Chairman Ram Gadula. From the Kerala Chapter, Chairman Paul Karukappally, Rajen- der Dichpally , IOC Leader, Deputy Chairman R. Jayachandran , and NJ Kerala Chapter President James George, who introduced MP Hibi Eden all took part in the program. Vice President Baldev Randhawa, Treasurer Joshua Jai Singh, General Secretary Sophia Sharma, and IT Focal Point Rajiv Mohan also joined, as did Jose Charummood, who deliv- ered a moving eulogy together with Mohinder Singh and George Abraham. Other senior leaders, such as Rajiv Gowda, President of the Karnataka Chapter, Srinivasa Rao, President of the AP Chapter, Im- ran Pasha, president of the NewYork Chapter, along with other prominent people, including social activists, and friends of IOC USA were also in attendance. By a StaffWriter Asia Society To Honor Kiran Nadar At 12th Annual Asia Game Changers Awards Gala In New York City A sia Society will honor Kiran Nadar, a leader in the Indian art world credited with “profoundly” shaping it and increasing the visibility of Indian Modern and Contemporary art worldwide, through the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), a global platform established in 2010, to showcase and promote that country’s art. Nadar, who lives in Delhi with her husband Shiv Nadar, will be honored at the Asia Society’s 12th Annual Asia Game Changers Awards Gala scheduled to be held October 15, 2025, at Cipriani 25 Broadway in NewYork City. Nadar’s continuously expanding, diverse art collection today comprises more than 15,000 plus artworks repre- sentative of all major phases of modern and contempo- rary Indian art. Under her guidance KNMA also drives outreach programs to nurture a museum-going culture among Indian youth, a press release from Asia Society said. Asia Society praised Nadar’s initiatives including her collaborations with globally renowned museums includ- ing the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Ma- drid), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NewYork), Tate Modern (London), Musée Des Arts Asiatiques, (Nice), Sharjah Art Foundation (Sharjah), Barbican (London) and Musée Guimet (Paris) in a short span. Nadar is also credited with being the driving force behind the India Pavilion: Collaboration of Ministry of Culture, KNMA, CII and NGMA: Our time for a Future caring: at the 2019 La Biennale, the Venezia. Additionally, she also serves as an International Council member of the Museum of Modern Art, NewYork (MoMA). The KNMA is set to open a new state-of-the-art build- ing near Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Covering 100,000 square meters (over 1 million square feet), the building is expected to be an architectural mar- vel, and to be a global cultural hub for visual arts, music, dance, and theater. The new space will feature changing exhibitions, permanent displays, and performances, making it a versatile space for artistic expression. With its strategic location on National Highway (NH8), KNMA aims to become an international cultural destination ac- cessible to a diverse audience. Besides art and institution–building, Nadar is an ac- claimed international-level Bridge player. She is one of the top Indian players of competitive Bridge and repre- sented India at 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games, winning Bronze in the mixed team category. She has also won several laurels as a member of the “Formidables” team, leading it to victory at the Commonwealth Nations Bridge Championships 2018, bringing gold to India after 12 years. She is the driving force behind the HCL Interna- tional Bridge Championship, which has been in existence for 18 years now. She shares her husband’s commitment to philan- thropy. Shiv Nadar’, apart from being the founder, HCL, is the Founder & Chairman of the Shiv Nadar Foundation which has invested US$1.5 billion to create institutions of transformational education, to help create India’s next- generation of leaders, including private engineering col- leges around the country, as well as, in the schools’ space, VidyaGyan schools in Uttar Pradesh and greater Delhi, bearing the Shiv Nadar name. Kiran Nadar is a member of the Rasaja Foundation which has been involved in a joint initiative with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation to promote the education of the Dalit and Muslim girl child in some of the most backward districts in Uttar Pradesh in India. She has received numerous awards, including the Padma Shri from the Indian government, the CSP Hero’s Award presented by the Australian High Commis- sioner for promoting Comprehensive Strategic Partner- ship (CSP) between India and Australia. In 2023, she was bestowed with the title of “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour), the highest French civilian award. She was also recognized globally as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the contemporary art world, by the UK-based ArtReview and has also been included in Artnews’ Top 200 Collectors. Additionally, Forbes Asia Magazine recognized her as a ‘hero of philan- thropy’ in 2010, for launching Kiran Nadar Museum of Art – India’s first philanthropic private museum of modern and contemporary art. PHOTO:CourtesyAsia Society Visionary collector, philanthropist, and museum founder Kiran Nadar will be among the honorees at Asia Society’s 12th Annual Asia Game Changers Awards Gala on October 15, 2025, at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York City. By a StaffWriter PHOTOS: IOCUSA Solemn memorial service held Sept. 26, 2025, at Royal Albert’s Palace, NJ, for Harbachan Singh, leader of the IOCUSA who passed away recently.