NRIs in the Diaspora Race to Stock Up Rice Despite No Ban on Basmati

new York: India’s move to ban certain rice exports has sparked some panic buying in various countries, with videos on social media showing bags of the staple food flying off the shelves and long lines outside grocery stores.

From the US to Canada and Australia, reports of overseas Indians stocking up are going viral. Some shops have imposed buying limits, while others hiked prices to cash in on the frenzy. Indian restaurants worry about a shortage.

A lot of Indians have been flocking to Indian stores and Costco to stock up on the rice bags until the ban ends. But many Indian stores have limited the selling to the ‘1 person – 1 bag’ formula. Also, a lot of stores increased the prices between $32 and $47 which was not more than $22 earlier

As scorching temperatures ravage farms from the US to China, crop harvests, fruit production and dairy output are all coming under pressure. That extreme weather is just one of threats to food supplies that are once again mounting around the world. This week, top rice exporter India banned some The government on Thursday banned the export of non-basmati white rice with immediate effect, in its bid to ensure adequate availability in the domestic market and allay the risk of rise in price. The modal or most common price of rice across cities has increased by Rs 5 a kg in the past one year

Rice is vital to the diets of billions in Asia and Africa. India’s restrictions, which apply to shipments of non-basmati white rice, are aimed at controlling local prices, but they add to strains on global food markets that have already been roiled by bad weather and the worsening conflict in Ukraine.

“Over the past few days, people have started buying maybe twice as much rice as usual. So we had to restrict,” said Shishir Shaima, a manager of MGM Spices, an Indian grocery store in Surry Hills in Australia.

The store is now allowing customers to buy only one 5-kilogram bag of rice each. “Some people get mad when we won’t let them buy more than one bag, but we won’t let them,” Shaima said.

In the US, videos show people caught up in a buying frenzy. Some South Asian grocery stores in Toronto have also implemented buying restrictions and increased retail prices.

Govindasamy Jayabalan, President of the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association, said he’s concerned this will lead to a shortage of rice and increase the cost of making dishes such as thosai and rice vermicelli.

“We are very worried about this. Most of our restaurant customers are from the lower income groups,” he said. “It’s not that we want to increase food prices but this is putting us in a difficult situation.”

The possibility of a long ban on export of non-Basmati white and broken rice has the Telugu diaspora in the US worried. “Sona Masuri or BPT fine variety, which is also on the list of prohibited exports, is a staple diet of Telugus and others from southern India in the US. Over the years, its consumption in the US has increased. We receive a very small share, so we urge the central government to consider lifting the ban. We will soon write to the Centre after discussing the issue with all diaspora organisations,” said Jayaram Komati, restaurant and store owner, and AP government’s former representative in the US..-- Times of India

Swami Mukundananda Lecture Series: Aug 5-18

Houston: Swami Mukundananda ji, a worldrenowned teacher of Spirituality, Yoga & Meditation, will conduct two different programs from August 5 (Sat.) – August 18 (Fri.) in Houston. In the first week-long program, Swamiji will delve into the topic of Golden Rules for Living Your Best Life at India House, from August 5 to August 11. In the second week program, Swamiji diverges in a different direction to help us focus and progress on our spiritual journey with Bhagavad

Gita – The Song of God, at the Houston Durgabari Auditorium from August 12 to August 18. Swamiji will also have a meet and greet session each day to answer your specific questions.

Swami Mukundananda received his degrees in Engineering and Management from two world famous institutes in India- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) respectively. However, the call of God was so strong that after a short while on a successful corporate executive career path, he renounced his professional career to take Sanyas at age 23 in quest for God-realization and has subsequently dedicated his life for the last 40 years for the welfare of humanity.

During the first week-long Program from Aug. 5-11, Swamiji will be presenting Golden Rules for Living Your Best Life. Every complex gadget in this world comes with its user’s guide. Likewise, it is with life as well. Swami Mukundananda’s lecture series Golden Rules for Living Your Best Life… is meant almost as a user’s manual for life.

During the second week of his visit Swamiji will be lecturing on the Bhagavad Gita. In his own unique way Swamiji will explain the eternal wisdom of the Gita and reveal its relevance in the modern world.

Admission to program is Free and Dinner Prasadam will be served after discourses. Free Registration is requested.

Swami Mukundananda’s enlightening discourses clarify the deepest concepts of the Vedic scriptures with wit and perfect logic. Swamiji has been invited to speak at vari-

Hyd Woman Starving in Chicago

CHiCago: A video recently surfaced in social media in which an Indian woman is reportedly seen starving on a street in Chicago. Her name is Syeda Lulu Minhaj Zaidi. She hails from Hyderabad and had gone to the US to pursue a master’s degree.

Syeda’s belongings were allegedly stolen.

The video was shared by the spokesperson of the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) Amjadullah Khan on Twitter.

In an appeal to the Indian government, Syeda’s mother has written to external affairs minister S.

Indian Canadians Get Key Appointments

ous Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle, Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, and he has conducted programs at prestigious universities like Princeton, Stanford, Kellogg, MIT, and Duke.

Details:

Golden Rules for Living your Best Life - daily discourse at India House at 8888 W Belfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031 from 6:45pm - 9pm from August 5 - 11 (Sat to Fri)

Bhagavad Gita– daily discourse at Durgabari Auditorium, 13944 Schiller Road, Houston, TX 77082 from 6:45pm - 9pm Aug 12 – 18 (Sat to Fri)

Please Join and enhance your life’s journey.

Contact 281-630-5982, 281780-4877, 832-377-6070 Free Registration at https://www. jkyog.org/Houston ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a major Cabinet shuffle on Wednesday, promoted Indo-Canadian Anita Anand to treasury board president from the defence minister portfolio. Anand, who told reporters that she is extremely excited about her new role after the reshuffle, is part of what is being seen as a stronger economic policy team of the Canadian government. A lawyer and MP from Oakville, Ontario, since the 2019 federal election; Anand was the procurement minister in PM Trudeau’s last government and worked closely him to procure COVID19 vaccines for Canada. Besides Anand, another high profile Indian Canadian Harjit Sajjan, who was minister of international development, has become the King’s Privy Council president and the minister of emergency preparedness. He also becomes the minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada. Born in Punjab, India; Sajjan is an MP from Vancouver, British Columbia. He had served as the minister of national defence from 2015 to 2021 and was also the first Sikh Canadian to command a Canadian Army reserve regiment.

Jaishankar asking for help.

“Syeda Lulu Minhaj Zaidi from Hyd went to pursue MS from TRINE University, Detroit was found in a very bad condition in Chicago, her mother appealed @DrSJaishankar to bring back her daughter,” tweeted Amjadullah.