BJP MP Vijay Goel participating in a cycle rally in protest against Aamir Khan’s statement in New Delhi, Nov. 28. (Press Trust of India)

@Siliconeer, #Siliconeer, #AamirKhan, @narendramodi, #DadiPariwar, #DadiPariwarUSA, Community, Politics, Siliconeer Editorial

The recent barrage of flak for one of Bollywood’s foremost actors, Aamir Khan, started at the Ramnath Goenka Awards ceremony of the Indian Express Group when he indulged in a conversation with Anant Goenka on a range of subjects. The actor is known for his perfectionism and unconventional take on cinema and social issues concerning the country. Social media turned abuzz with reactions bordering from the vitriolic to lunatic, threatening, personal attacks to downright outlandish and even supportive. Such has been the “alarm and despondency” that it has become a purported topic of debate in the soon to be held winter session of the Parliament, writes Priyanka Bhardwaj.

Following the crushing defeat in the Bihar assembly elections, the Indian government has re-focused attempts to push forward economic reforms, the key electoral promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a rare move to evolve a consensus on the passage of the Goods & Service Tax (GST) bill in the Rajya Sabha, Modi has invited Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to discuss the matter over tea at his official Race Course Road residence, writes Siddharth Srivastava.

Few people would take this liberty, but one has to here, as two very different titans of Urdu language writing have to be mentioned together but not for comparison. The main reason for that is that a very large gathering on Urdu and Pakistan had taken place at UC Berkeley a few years ago (with this writer present) focusing on poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and it had filled the hall and was almost standing room only, writes Ras H. Siddiqui.

This is one of the most unique of the myriad of histories of California. It tells of the state’s first and only revolution; it’s short-life as a Republic and the man who was its first and only President who was said to live in an adobe cabin he had no connection with. Yet it lives on in history as the William B. Ide State Historical Park, writes our travel editor Al Auger.

In search of snow went a family of five from Fremont. We reached a dry South Lake Tahoe but then it all changed into a “white Christmas,” writes an elated fourth-grader Janam A. Gupta.

Imagine 56 different dishes served right in front of you, consisting of a variety of sides, hors d’oeuvres, main course, and desserts. Dadi Pariwar USA members were able to portray this extravagant showcase of food at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, in their annual “Chhappan Bhog” (56 food items) function, Dec. 6. Vansh A. Gupta presents glimpses of the enthusiastic devotees serving Hindu deities and the public with a variety of traditional Indian cuisine.