From folk musicians in the Manganiar and Langa communities in Rajasthan to the storytellers of Telangana's Kakipadagollu community, who have been practising their art forms since the 12th century, many are unable to put food on the table. Even in the best of times, a vast majority of India's artists have struggled to earn decent wages as they are largely in unorganized sectors of the economy. Their predicament is exacerbated by the fact that many of them don't have regular jobs and … [Read more...]
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Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
Frank’s most recent blogs are highlighted on this page. To read other blogs or articles by Frank, click on the categories or publications links on the left.
Needed: A Reform Agenda to Unpack the Court
On October 26, in the dark of the night, Republicans in the Senate confirmed the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett in order to pack the Supreme Court. In common terminology, “packing the Supreme Court” is used to refer to adding more seats to the Court. That is not our use of the phrase. For us, packing is not the number of judges on the Supreme Court. Packing is the nature of those judges and how they were appointed. Barrett was pushed through, in an aggressive and accelerated manner, … [Read more...]
The Mind of the Trump Supporter — 2020
Never mind! That would be the response of tens of millions of Donald Trump’s loyal supporters on what to do to counteract his egregious actions, tweets and statements. They would say that to others, as they themselves would always mind. They would embrace whatever Trump says and do whatever he asks. Why is that? Who are the Trump supporters? As we noted in an August 2016 blog before the presidential election that year, “Trump supporters are of two principal types: right wing … [Read more...]
A record number of Indian Americans look to expand influence in US administration
Much of the focus of the US election coverage in the Indian and Indian American media has been about how both presidential nominees, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, have been courting Indian American voters. A less written about the fact is there are dozens of Indian American candidates in this election cycle running for federal, state, and local offices. If Joe Biden defeats President Trump in November, Senator Kamala Harris will be leaving the Senate to … [Read more...]
Donald Trump’s American Carnage
President Donald J. Trump has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center. He is now paying the price that so many others have paid for his disregard of science. We wish him well and a full and speedy recovery. We also recognize it is important, approximately one month before the presidential election, to reflect on the impact Trump’s disregard and mismanagement has had on the American democracy. In his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, after talking … [Read more...]
2020 is the year of Indian-Americans, and they’re not with Trump
There are many reasons the president hasn’t been able to move the needle substantially with the Indian-American community. First and foremost is the former vice-president’s long track record as a supporter of India, dating back to his Senate days. Throughout the 232-year history of the United States (US) presidential elections, India had rarely been a campaign issue. The current election, pitting President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden, is changing that. With the … [Read more...]
A Beginning to Seek Peace in Afghanistan
On September 12, representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban met in Doha to start the Afghan Peace Process negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo referred to these negotiations as a “truly momentous breakthrough.” Max Boot, an expert for the Council of Foreign Relations disagreed. He advises “…no one should expect a breakthrough quickly – or at all. The two sides are too far apart and the conditions are not propitious to end the civil conflict that has been … [Read more...]
Addressing Muslim developmental needs in India is a hand-up, not a hand-out.
Although madrasas educate only between 2-4% of Muslim children and youth, they need to modernize their curriculum and move away from Islamic centric or Islamic-only education to a holistic approach that enables these students to integrate fully into Indian society, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor. Eminent columnist Swaminathan A Aiyar called upon Wakf boards and wealthy Muslims to finance the development of “a string of world-class education institutions” that would … [Read more...]
The Great Society. One Time A Great Notion. Some Day A Great Nation.
“Would you tell me, please which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat “I don’t much care where,” said Alice “Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.” -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Unlike Alice in Wonderland, many Americans, know where they want to go. They want to make America great. The problem is that what constitutes greatness and the way to get there differs substantially depending on … [Read more...]
Trump vs Biden: Impact of American Elections
On November 3, Americans will decide whether to give another four years to Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, or to give the Oval Office to former vice-president Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate. Their collective decision will impact the world, and India in particular. The US election is being held in an atmosphere of deep polarisation, arguably not seen since the Civil War more than a century and a half ago. Opinion polls reveal that the majority of Americans have made up … [Read more...]