Global IndianstoryIndian-origin Swiss parliamentarian, Niklaus-Samuel Gugger has scaled great heights against all odds

Indian-origin Swiss parliamentarian, Niklaus-Samuel Gugger has scaled great heights against all odds

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(May 19, 2022) Five decades ago, a Brahmin widow, Anasuya, gave birth to a boy at the CSI Basel Mission Hospital in Udupi, Karnataka. Unable to keep the child, she gave him up to Dr Marianne Pflugfelder, and trusted the missionary hospital to find the best place for him. While several orphan kids live an underprivileged life, he was rescued by a Swiss couple – Fritz and Elizabeth, who adopted and named him Niklaus-Samuel Gugger.

Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, member of the Swiss National Council

52 years later, Nik Gugger is now the first Indian-origin politician to be elected as a member of the Switzerland’s National Council, and was recently awarded as the best bridge building/networking Parliamentarian in Switzerland. “My biological mother, Anasuya, kept me safe in her womb for nine months. While I never saw her, I think that she must have been a very powerful, compassionate and loving woman. I highly appreciate her. She passed those qualities to me too,” shares Nik, while speaking to Global Indian over a video call from Switzerland. “After I was born, two angels came to my bed and gave me the life I have today. My parents are the best parents any child could have asked for,” he adds.

Despite living in Switzerland for about 48 years, Nik hasn’t lost touch with his Indian roots. To honour his birth mother, Nik named his eldest daughter, Anasuya.

From the coast of Kerala to the Swiss Alps

After he was adopted by the Swiss couple, Nik stayed in Thalassery, Kerala where they were working for a development project of the Aid Organisation of the Swiss Evangelical Churches. Nik’s father, Fritz, ensured that Nik had several beautiful memories from his childhood, and recorded videos of the little Nik running around at the NTTF compound, where they lived for four years. The videos, Nik shares, are still with him. “My parents taught me that one should never forget their roots. That is the reason, why I still feel so connected to India.”

A childhood image of Nik, with his parents and two sisters in the Alps, Switzerland

Nik’s parents moved back to Switzerland when he was four. However, all was not peachy after he shifted to Switzerland. Being the only Indian child in the neighbourhood, he did have his melancholy moments. “For the Swiss people, it was strange that someone adopted a brown-skinned boy. I was the only Indian-origin kid in my class as well,” shares the politician, who also faced trouble with his employers and in politics later in the life.

With his father working with the deaf and dumb home Uetendorfberg Foundation, and later, his parents managing a retirement home, service to the society was a lesson learnt early in life by Nik. During his high-school years, the politician decided to pursue a dual-education as a mechanic in Fritz Studer AG, Steffisburg. After he finished his degree in mechanics, he took on various jobs – from a truck driver to a gardener – to support his higher education. “It is not uncommon here for students to work part-time, to pay for their studies. My parents taught several great lessons, but they weren’t very rich,” he adds.

Nik Gugger

A subsequent social internship in Colombia led him to become a youth and social worker. “This was during the time of narcoterrorist, Pablo Escobar in Colombia. I did an internship in social work and worked with the street children there,” shares Nik, adding, “After few years of working, I studied social work and social management at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern, from 1995 to 1999.” Nik, later, went on to pursue innovation management at the Center for Agogik ZAK in Basel and University of Amsterdam from 2004 to 2006 and Political communication at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

A leader of the masses

In 1997, after the Luxor massacre – which claimed the lives of 62 people – Nik was approached by the members of Evangelical Peoples Party (EPP) to join their ranks, an invitation that he readily accepted. From 2002 to 2014, he was a member of the City Council of Winterthur. After working as a member of the Zurich Cantonal Council, from 2014 to 2017, Nik moved up to the National Council, in November 2017. “Much of my work has been around development of people and socio-political issues. My goal has been to integrate the weakest in the society through socio-ethical management and empowerment,” he shares.

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Soon after the 2004 Tsunami struck, affecting the several countries including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, Nik was in the coastal city of Phuket, Thailand to work with the victims of the natural disaster. “Back then, Elvia Insurance and Swiss Foreign Department sent me to Thailand to rescue the victims, recognising my intercultural knowledge,” shares the global leader.

Interestingly, Nik was recently in news for protecting children in Switzerland from internet pornography – something he got to know about from several parents living in the neighbourhood. “One day my 12-year-old son came home from school and informed me that his classmates watch porn. That worried me a bit and when I looked into it, I found that there were no checks available before one could enter the websites. So, I called for action to protect the Swiss children. I hope that other countries will follow suit,” explains the politician, who is also the patron for the much-talked about movie, Kavita & Teresa.

Nik at the Swiss Parliament

For years now, Nik has been involved in numerous projects for children and young people in India. In 2018, the Member of Parliament was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Odisha. The Global Ambassador of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Nik also launched a fundraising campaign to enable ventilator purchases in Odisha and Kerala, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nik was also working with Gundert Foundation in Thalassery, which gives modern education to children of all caste.

Nik with Meenakshi Lekhi, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture

The founder and President of Swiss Indian Parliamentary Group, Nik shares a cordial relation with all the Indian MPs. He was recently in India looking at possibilities for extensive collaboration in fields like healthcare, telemedicine and technological advancements. “We Indians have so much to give to the world. However, we have a lot to learn from the world as well. I have been working with many Indian ministers. With the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, I have been working extensively towards women empowerment. Also, I really hope that India incorporates dual education in its education system,” he expresses.

Nik speaking at the 30th Independence Day at the Ukrainian Parliament, in 2021

A proud Swiss, Nik stands firmly in support of Ukraine, as the war-struck nation continues to fight against Russia. “I am strongly against any aggression. There can be differences between two nations, but bombing is never the solution for that,” expresses the politician who visited Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in April 2022 by the invitation of the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.

A man who dons many hats

A social entrepreneur, Nik has worked extensively to coach the next generation. Nik is the co-founder and member of the board of directors of the consulting company Herzkraftwerk AG in Winterthur, which offers coaching for decision-makers from business and non-profit organisations. A life coach and motivational speaker, Nik is also the Vice President of the environmental organization BirdLife Switzerland. He is also the owner of famous Ayurvedic ginger drink in Switzerland – Zingi.

Nik enjoys skiing with his friends in the Alps

A doting father of three, Nik has varied interests outside the world of politics. “I love to ski and go on motorbike rides with my friends, through Europe,” shares the politician, whose wife, Beatrice, works as a pediatric nurse and is a very proud “wife of Indian-origin”. The busy politician is currently working on a book about empowerment and life-balance, called Against All Odds, which is set to hit the bookshelves very soon.

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SK Bhatt

September 18, 2023 11:04 am

Great man and visionary but I would request him to search out her biological mother who had to abandon him due to his helplessness being widow giving birth to a boy. She would have some social taboos against her but Mr. Gugger has no such thing so he should come out to search her helpless mother who had to abandon her son.

Published on 19, May 2022

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HealTokyo gives Japanese India’s spirituality as Nupur Tewari helps them turn inwards

(April 12, 2022) Motivational speaker, spiritual healer, philanthropist, performance coach, and yoga instructor - there are many hats that Nupur Tewari dons. A journey that started in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district traversed many cities to find a home in Japan with her husband and daughter. There, this introspective soul founded HealTokyo, that helps people through yoga, meditation, positivity, and teachings from the Bhagavad Gita. Her wings spread to other countries as well, and Tewari was recognised for her efforts by the United Nations too. Rooted in Indian culture, Nupur has been spreading Indian culture in Japan through dance, yoga, food, and festivals. Her efforts have earned her the title of ‘unofficial ambassador of Japan’. “My family practiced yoga, and taught us lessons from the Bhagavad Gita. I grew up with those values. Since childhood, I wanted to do something for the community. Japan didn’t need money, but several people needed healing, and that was exactly what I could provide. So, I began free yoga sessions and counselling en masse to help the grief-stricken crowds,” shares Nupur in an interview with Global Indian. Testing times For a girl, who wanted to do something in life, growing up in a small village

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For a girl, who wanted to do something in life, growing up in a small village wasn’t easy. Nupur walked four kilometers to school, and studied under the dim glow of a night lamp, as her village did not have electricity. The Nupur of today took those hardships and turned them around. She schooled at a Bengali-medium, and struggled with English, today though she is fluent. “I had very low self-esteem as a child,” shares Nupur, adding, “I was always lost in my own world, and was very shy. I always thought I was different from everyone else. Unlike other girls in my class, I wanted to explore the world outside my small village.”

[caption id="attachment_23149" align="aligncenter" width="502"] Nupur Tewari[/caption]

Although many girls in her village were married off early, she didn’t give up on her dreams of a good education. After completing her tenth, Nupur moved to Behrampur to study further. “It wasn’t an easy shift. I could hardly speak English while other students were fluent. My clothes were traditional too. I felt out of place,” shares the motivational speaker, adding that there would be times she would pretend to read something just to avoid conversations with her classmates.

A chance meeting that changed her life

During this time, an incident shook her. A man, who wanted to marry Nupur, pushed her into a drain after being rejected by her. To keep her safe, her parents sent Nupur to her grandparents in Berhampore. There Nupur did her undergrad in tourism and management from Calcutta University. Although she wanted to work, her family was against it. They wanted her married off. “It was my mother who helped me move out. I left for Kolkata, where I got a job at a hospitality firm,” says the spiritual healer.

[caption id="attachment_23151" align="aligncenter" width="712"] Nupur Tewari with her mother[/caption]

In the Land of the Rising Sun

Within months of shifting to Kolkata, Nupur landed a job at Mitsubishi, and her hard work and perseverance got her an opportunity in Japan in 2003. The spiritual healer found a new home in Japan. Its rich and welcoming culture gave her a sense of belonging, and soon she started incorporating Indian culture into Japanese lives at the International Centre. “History suggests that King Ashoka of Magadh had sent ambassadors to Japan. I feel I might have been one of them because I was right at home as soon as I arrived in Japan. I already had a connection with the land, and felt so liberated,” Nupur shares.

[caption id="attachment_23153" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A HealTokyo yoga class in session[/caption]

Making yoga, music, and dance come alive at the International Centre in Tokyo, when Japan crumbled under the devastating Kumamoto earthquake in 2015, Nupur knew she had to do something to help the common people. “Many people lost their homes, livelihood, and loved ones. I began free yoga sessions and counselling. Every session had a voluntary donation box into which anyone could contribute, all proceeds directed towards rehabilitation,” she shares.

Giving back to the community

The great response saw Nupur start the HealTokyo movement in 2017 to help combat the worrying yet increasing suicide rates, and the overtly anxious atmosphere in Tokyo. The spiritual healer conducts one session weekly, which is attended by at least 30 people. In 2018, Nupur also initiated the HealIndya movement by renovating a school in Aligarh and providing students with stationery, books, and uniforms. “I had faced many struggles in my childhood, and I did not want any other child to go through that,” she says.

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Her efforts were recognised by the United Nations, and she was appointed to help Sri Lanka mentally recover from the devastating effect of floods and other natural calamities. She organised several yoga sessions, collecting about Rs 70,000, which was donated to help people rebuild their lives in Sri Lanka. Many foundations, including the Global MICE, India Star Book of Records, and the Nargis Dutt Foundation also appreciated and recognised her efforts.

[caption id="attachment_23154" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Nupur Tewari with her daughter, Mihika[/caption]

Nupur, who loves to spend time with her family whenever she gets some time, is a proud mother of a 13-year-old Mihika. “She is an amazing person, and I am very proud to be her mother. Even at a young age she is kind and takes care of everyone,” shares Nupur. Currently, Nupur is working on introducing the Japanese way of learning in an Aligarh school, the roots of which lie in self-empowerment – from cleaning rooms, polishing shoes, and training to be self-sufficient.

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Charu Suri: The Indian pianist and composer making jazz raga popular globally

(September 29, 2023) Sitting in a long emerald dress, musician Charu Suri creates a beautiful jazz raga by playing the black and white keys of the piano in front of her. "I am taking the sounds I grew up with as a kid and adding some of the chords of your hit pop music," explains the New Jersey-based artist in one of her videos on YouTube. It's the amalgamation of ragas and jazz that has put this Indian-origin artist's latest album Rags & Ragas at #3 on the iTunes US jazz charts and #2 in Kenya. "Rags and Ragas is an ode to the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans, a city that also got me started on my jazz journey," she told HT in an interview, adding, "I wanted to showcase the breadth of the raga tradition, and how ragas could transform into jazz." It was at the young age of five, living in Nigeria with her family who had recently relocated owing to her dad's new job at a record label, that she discovered a piano in one corner of her home. One day she sat playing the piano and never stopped. She grew up surrounded by music as

ed. She grew up surrounded by music as her grandmother Savithri Surianarain was a Carnatic vocalist who played the veena too and even taught Charu. Her father, on the other hand, loves jazz and waltzes along with Western Classical music.

[caption id="attachment_45483" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Charu Suri | Global Indian Indian composer Charu Suri[/caption]

Taking up the piano classes, she fell in love with the instrument. So much so that when they returned to Chennai, she continued her piano classes and spent her formative years learning Western classical music. It was during these early years that Charu had her aha moment about composing music. "I wanted to compose since I was five, and I would end up playing Beethoven and Mozart. But my piano teacher told me, 'That's great. But we want to hear you.' That's when I realised that composing is not about repurposing, rehashing, and redoing the tons of stuff that we have heard. Composing is about creating something new. That's when I started taking risks and pushing musical boundaries."

At the young age of 15, she won an international piano playing contest, which helped her bag a place at Princeton University to study classical literature and musical performance. Those years at the university shaped her as a composer, so much so that a piece composed by her for chamber orchestra was performed by French-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and American bassist and composer Edgar Meyer at Princeton University.

However, graduating from college came with its share of the pressure of releasing her compositions soon. "That's a very dangerous mentality to subscribe to because you end up following in other people's footsteps and never really finding your voice," she added. That's when she decided to take a break and start to travel the world and find her voice as a freelance reporter. In no time, Charu became an award-winning travel journalist with articles in The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Charu Suri | Global Indian

However, a gig by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans in 2018 reignited her passion for music and inspired her to return to the world of composition. Her first EP - The New American Songbook - a jazz record came out in 2019. It was the same year that she became one of the few Indian-born composers to play at New York's Carnegie Hall. By this time, she had realised that composers like Beethoven and Debussy brought their signature style and voice, and she too needed to bring her heritage into jazz. That's when she began taking lessons in jazz along with resuming lessons in Indian classical music, and started delving more into raga jazz. She released three albums - The Book of Ragas Vol 1 and Vol 2 and Ragas and Waltzes - in quick succession. Her compositions weave techniques and sounds from several places including India, Europe, and Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT74c9rgI5M

Her latest album Rags and Ragas perfectly showcases her versatility and breadth of ragas by blending jazz with Indian classical music. "I have folded in everything from Bhairavi to Bageshri, two completely diametric opposites in terms of what ragas can do," she said. With her music, Charu wants the listeners to know that one can't put Eastern music and Western music in watertight compartments, instead, they are parallels. With her album topping the charts, she is now gearing up for a concert at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles in October this year.

For Charu, the musical journey has been spiritual. "To feel the music was something that I learnt by listening to tons of records by Bill Evans and Miles Davis. When Bill Evans was asked what is jazz, he said, it's a feeling. It took me a while to realise that anyone can write a tune but not everyone can write a tune that has an emotional touch. That takes years to experience life. That's the greatest aspect of my musical journey."

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Frogman of India: Prof SD Biju is all set to make frogs popular at Harvard

(May 19, 2023) For those intrigued by the amphibian world, Professor SD Biju is a name to note. A pioneering herpetologist, he has unearthed 116 unique amphibian species across India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka and is now preparing to bring his expertise to Harvard University as a Radcliffe Fellow. “Delighted to announce that I will be joining the Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute as a Radcliffe Fellow,” tweeted the Delhi University professor Sathyabhama Das Biju. Popularly known as the ‘Frogman of India’, Prof SD Biju has been selected for the prestigious Harvard Radcliffe fellowship for 2023-24. The senior professor of environmental studies at DU is the 60th fellow representing biological sciences in 23 years of the Radcliffe programme at Harvard, and only the second fellow in this discipline from India. The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University is one of the world’s leading centres for interdisciplinary exploration and research. [caption id="attachment_38842" align="aligncenter" width="846"] Dr S.D. Biju[/caption] The Radcliffe Fellowship One of the most prestigious academic programmes in the world, the Radcliffe Fellowship is awarded every year to scholars, artists, and practitioners engaged in innovative work seeking to engage audiences beyond academia, confronting pressing social and policy issues along the

ramme at Harvard, and only the second fellow in this discipline from India. The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University is one of the world’s leading centres for interdisciplinary exploration and research.

[caption id="attachment_38842" align="aligncenter" width="846"] Indian Professor | SD Biju | Global Indian Dr S.D. Biju[/caption]

The Radcliffe Fellowship

One of the most prestigious academic programmes in the world, the Radcliffe Fellowship is awarded every year to scholars, artists, and practitioners engaged in innovative work seeking to engage audiences beyond academia, confronting pressing social and policy issues along the way. This is not the herpetologist’s first association with Harvard University, where he serves as an associate of the department of organismic and evolutionary biology. However, the Radcliffe fellowship gives him the chance to work there full-time.

During his fellowship, Prof Biju plans to accelerate his scientific efforts through on-site collaboration with Harvard faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students, making use of the rich specimen collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. He would work to expedite efforts to outpace nameless extinctions in India’s amphibian hot spots through the discovery and documentation of species and identification of key biodiversity areas for their conservation.

“The biologist attracted global attention to amphibians in South Asia when his three decades of work discovered over a hundred new species, created an upsurge in scientific knowledge,” stated the release from Harvard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLEA8zyE1uI

Tryst with frogs – how it all began

The research scientist earned his first PhD in Botany from University of Calicut, India, and contributed to knowledge on plants through several scientific publications and books. He went on to obtain his second PhD in animal science from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium and shifted his focus to amphibians.

In his acceptance speech of IUCN/ ASG Sabin Awards few years ago, Professor Biju shared “I was introduced to the wonderful world of amphibians by amphibians themselves. I was a plant taxonomist. Wherever I went searching for plants, frogs were there. I became fascinated by their colours, shapes and behaviours,” he said. Slowly his interest leaned from plants to frogs. “One day I realised that my mind is full of plans for frog study, and not for plants study. From that moment frogs took charge of my life.”

Prof Biju works in India’s forests and out of his laboratory at Delhi University. During his field studies, he has spent long days in forests, even going without food several times. “No stranger to starvation as a child, I can easily go without a meal or manage in any adverse circumstance during tough field trips. This has all now become part of my life,” he shared in an interview.

[caption id="attachment_38843" align="aligncenter" width="1163"] Indian Professor | SD Biju | Global Indian Photo Credit: Prof SD Biju[/caption]

Early life

Born in Kadakkal, a remote village close to a forest in Kerala, as a little boy he used to walk to school with a broken slate in hand, after selling milk in the morning and handing over the money to his mother to run the household. The family moved to Madathura after his birth and during the several years they spent living there, they would see wild elephants in their backyard almost everyday.

“I helped my parents from a young age in earning our livelihood. We had a small plot of land that we tilled. I bathed the cows, fed the chickens, walked every morning for five kilometres to sell the milk to a shop. It’s a life I cherished. That’s my strength,” he shared in an interview with Forbes.

Back then, the only language he knew was Malayalam and he struggled in college as ‘science was taught in English’. His sheer dedication towards the subject that helped him sail across all hurdles.

Today, ‘his discoveries alone represent 25 percent of India’s amphibian diversity,’ highlights a research report. Interestingly, out of 100 amphibian species discovered by Prof Biju, 40 are named after people who have played a significant role in his journey of rising from humble beginnings to becoming a world-renowned herpetologist.

To acknowledge his contribution to the world of amphibians, a research team led by other herpetologists have named two frogs after Biju - Beddomixalus bijui, which was discovered in Kerala by researcher Dr. Anil Zachariah and team in 2011, and Bijurana nicobarensis, discovered in 2020 from Nicobar Islands by a joint team of Indian and Indonesian herpetologists.

Indian Professor | SD Biju | Global Indian

Why are frogs significant at all

Calling himself a ‘crazy frog scientist going about his usual business.’ Professor Biju said in an interview with Mathrubhumi, “Frogs are a small, yet significant, part of the wide spectrum of an ecosystem. Our survival is dependent on such billions of life forms.” He believes that if frog population in a habitat is healthy, the good health of other species in the habitat can be maintained.

“Frogs are living fossils. With 230 million years of evolutionary history, frogs are the first land animals with a backbone that moved on earth. They are among the few living beings with us who have witnessed all the five mass extinctions,” he shared with Forbes.

Strongly advocating to build a mindset of conservation of all species in entirety instead of focusing on few, Prof Biju pointed out:

In the food chain, frogs form an important part of the diet of many other animals such as birds and snakes. If their populations decline, the entire ecological pyramid will collapse. That is why they are called the 'conveyor belts of life'.

“The highly permeable skin in frogs is sensitive to even the slightest of change in the environment. If the number of frogs decrease (in a habitat), so would other species co-inhabiting in those water bodies and wetlands,” he remarked, calling them ‘the herald of ecological balance’ and ‘environmental barometers,’ and emphasizing on why if all species need to survive, they must survive together.

[caption id="attachment_38847" align="aligncenter" width="1108"] Indian Professor | SD Biju | Global Indian Photo Credit: Prof SD Biju[/caption]

The ardent researcher

Prof SD Biju has published over 100 research articles in top scientific journals. His findings have appeared in popular international press like National Geographic, BBC, CNN, New York Times, Forbes, The Economist, Associated Press, and The Guardian.

“I am at the threshold of 60. I work for 16 hours every day. Frog study may seem absurd to some, but this is a realm of research which is highly vibrant,” the scientist remarked in an interview with Mathrubhumi.

The Global Indian has guided many PhD students and is happy with the quality of research he produced during the process. All his students are well-placed as professors or scientists in top universities and institutions in India and abroad.

With the support of Conservation International, USA, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) the herpetologist runs The LOST! Amphibians of India (LAI) which is a nation-wide citizen science and conservation initiative started in 2010 for rediscovering India's lost species of amphibians.

[caption id="attachment_38849" align="aligncenter" width="1115"] Herpetologist, professor SD Biju has unearthed 116 unique amphibian species and is now heading Harvard University as a Radcliffe Fellow. Prof Biju and his team on field study[/caption]

The Frog Prince

Under his leadership, some of the lost species of frogs like the Chalazodes Bubble-Nest Frog, were rediscovered in the Westerern Ghats after 136 years.

The frog researcher who founded Systematics Lab at the University of Delhi in 2006 has been making contributions towards conservation of amphibians through discovery and documentation of their species with his students. The Kerala-born has been recently conferred the first 'Kerala Sree' Award by the governor of the state in the presence of the chief minister. Prof Biju is often found capturing the images of the amphibians on camera with finesse of a skilled photographer. Such is his love for frogs that he even has an impressive collection of frog replicas in different shapes and sizes adorning his home.

[caption id="attachment_38888" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Indian Professor | SD Biju | Global Indian A rare species - Indian Purple Frog ((Nasikabatrachus Sahyadrensis) that is usually found 18 feet under the soil discovered by Prof SD Biju | Photo Credit: Prof SD Biju[/caption]

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Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna’s oeuvre straddles artsy tales, & compassion

(April 17, 2022) Untiring, ceaseless and purposeful. That is Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna. Yet, that hardly encapsulates his persona - restaurateur, TV cooking show host, bestselling cookbook author, filmmaker and hugely inspired philanthropist. The suave and affable Khanna also made it to People Magazine's list of sexiest men alive in 2011! A Punjabi munda Born in Amritsar, Vikas spent his childhood observing his Biji (grandmother) and mother cook family meals. The mischievous-eyed lad also helped at langars (public kitchens at gurudwaras). A profound influence of all this has seen Vikas blossom as a true epicurean. During the pandemic, Khanna’s huge humanitarian mission to feed around 50 million Indians was praised across the globe. Global Indian speaks to Chef Vikas Khanna in this freewheeling interview. [caption id="attachment_23380" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Vikas Khanna[/caption] Early drive and arrival at the world stage A love for cooking honed early also awakened an entrepreneurial spirit. At 17, Vikas started a catering business with his mother. Hotel management at Manipal (Karnataka) further honed his culinary skills. Then came a slew of stints that were to give him a strong foundation - Taj, Oberoi, Welcomgroup, and Leela Group of Hotels. He rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s

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A love for cooking honed early also awakened an entrepreneurial spirit. At 17, Vikas started a catering business with his mother. Hotel management at Manipal (Karnataka) further honed his culinary skills. Then came a slew of stints that were to give him a strong foundation - Taj, Oberoi, Welcomgroup, and Leela Group of Hotels. He rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s most famous chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and others. Dreaming big meant going to the Big Apple -- New York (2000). “I think when any immigrant goes to America, there is a feeling of resistance. You feel you are not a part of the city’s fabric. Many think that we have arrived if we have a fake accent or make occasional friends. I find that an extremely superficial way to become part of the country you choose to live in,” explains the enterprising Michelin-starred chef.

[caption id="attachment_23373" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Michelin-starred chef | Vikas Khanna Vikas Khanna[/caption]

Soldiering on, some breaks turned the tide. When Chef Gordon Ramsay invited Vikas to help revamp Indian restaurant Purnima in New York, as a part of the Gordon Ramsay TV series Kitchen Nightmares in 2007, he found himself in the limelight. “For me, the moment of arrival comes in when the leaders in the field you are in embrace you, your craft and culture. That big moment (for me) happened with chef Ramsay. After that, I saw an overwhelming response, long reservations to get a table. I felt that Indian food was finally finding its roots, and that I had arrived in the big city,” recalls Vikas.

Feed India mission

Covid 19 was also a time when Khanna’s philanthropic side married his culinary wisdom. During the first wave, Khanna was at his New York home, monitoring Indian news channels, and shocked at the horror and helplessness Indians faced during the first lockdown. “Such a cruel pandemic it was. It took away the lives of loved ones, time and spirit. I saw people struggling at old age homes, leprosy centres, migrant workers suffering as they walked back home. I said to myself, no point sitting here and complaining. If I can be of any benefit to India, let me try to do whatever I can from New York,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_23372" align="aligncenter" width="697"] Michelin-starred chef | Vikas Khanna Feed India Initiative by Vikas Khanna[/caption]

That simple aspiration of “do whatever I can” became the hugely successful and helpful movement Feed India. Vikas messaged requesting people to connect him with the needy for food and dry rations on social media. Like-minded humanitarians joined in from all corners. He partnered with India’s National Disaster Relief Force for logistical, and on-the-ground support. Aid from grocery vendors, tech firms, and offers of industrial kitchen spaces from across India poured in. “I am proud that we continued to grow despite the challenges - distance, time-zone and lack of adequate resources. It was the most gratifying,” says the enterprising Michelin-starred chef of the Feed India initiative that fed over 50 million. Then in May 2021, Khanna got busy organising the “world’s largest Eid feast” in Mumbai. His mission? Feeding 1.75 lakh during the first wave.

Khanna authored a book on his initiatives Barkat: The Inspiration and the Story Behind One of World's Largest Food Drives FEED INDIA which released in December 2021.

Michelin-starred chef | Vikas Khanna

The Made in India brand

Vikas Khanna is a household name –Kannauj (UP) perfume maker Zighrana collaborated with Khanna on a fragrance called “Vikas Khanna by Zighrana.” The perfume embodies the enterprising Michelin-starred chef’s persona - a unique blend of Indian spices (cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, jasmine and rose). A true Vikas signature, like his epicurean morsels.

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"Something that is on a plate is now in a bottle - the beauty of the spices is enhanced to a new level," he adds. The intrepid New Yorker has been on a mission - to highlight Indian culture, cuisine, art and history, globally with great success - owning Indian restaurants the world over, writing books, hosting cookery shows. And it’s just the beginning of his swan song. “I never feel satisfied. I choose projects which are significant, not for their longevity but for their meaning. I think that is my mission - Anything that highlights Indian culture, history, ethos, our pain and triumphs. I don’t feel anything as an accomplishment as everything is a work in progress. I am constantly rediscovering myself and reinventing myself. It's a hard job,” laughs the enterprising Michelin-starred chef who is optimistic about new ideas – no matter the brickbats.

“Being recognised at the top of my profession, often people don’t dare to start a new game or climb a new mountain. They are content - being recognised, having investors or creating a company. Yet, when I express myself in various forms, as an author, chef, director, I don’t surprise others, I need to surprise myself,” he says.

Turning filmmaker

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The year 2020 saw the Indian release of Vikas’s first directorial venture The Last Color based on the chef’s novel of the same name. It is the story of the bond between Noor, a 70-year-old widow (played by Neena Gupta) and Chhoti, a Dalit street performer (Aqsa Siddiqui), in Vrindavan, UP, where destitute widows are mostly abandoned. The film bagged the best feature film and best actress award at the Indian International Film Festival of Boston in 2019.
“I always try to find ways to tell the story of pain, and respective triumphs of people back home,” says the enterprising Michelin-starred chef. What of critics? “Of course, I will be criticised - taking up a new trade at 50. Yet, I feel it encourages others who had dreams, to tell their own story,” he says.

The ”celebrity chef” title vexes him, though. “I feel by not wearing a crown of your achievements, yet trying to be authentic and expressing yourself in any artform is real freedom,” says Vikas for whom, his canvas and the future hold immense possibilities.

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Avinash Sable: Crossing the finishing line with two medals at Asian Games 2023

(October 9, 2023) Sprinting in neon shoes, India's Avinash Sable effortlessly crossed the many obstacles on the track to win a gold in the men's 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Games 2023, making him the first Indian to achieve the feat. Not just this, the Global Indian took top honours with a timing of 8:19:50, thus breaking the Games record. Crossing the finishing line made Indian fans erupt in joy, along with the natives of Beed district where Avinash spent a large part of his life. Known for its landless workers and migrant labourers, life is hard in Beed, and it's this grim reality that played a catalyst in Avinash's success. Seeing his parents constantly move for work instilled in him a certain sense of hard work and passion to keep doing whatever it takes to achieve whatever you want. "For me, the background of the athlete is very important. Those who come from humble families, from the villages have faced the worst situations in life, those things made them hardened and battle-ready. They are not afraid of adversity and want to work hard. Sable was special and different from others. He has a will of steel and he can

and want to work hard. Sable was special and different from others. He has a will of steel and he can come back from any worse scenario" his former coach Amrish Kumar said in an interview.

[caption id="attachment_45791" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Avinash Sable | Global Indian Avinash Sable won a gold at the Asian Games 2023[/caption]

A few days later, he won a silver in the men's 5000m, thus picking up his second medal at the Asian Games 2023. Clinching medals for India has become the new normal for Avinash, but not many know that being an athlete was never on his dream list. "When I was a child, I had never thought I would become an athlete and win medals for the country. It's destiny," said Avinash.

How hardships prepared him for anything

Born in a farmer's family in 1994 in the Mandwa village of Beed district in Maharashtra, he grew up with modest means as his parents owned a small piece of land and worked as daily wage workers in brick kilns. With his school almost six km away from his home, Sable would often run to make it to school on time, while helping his parents part-time at brick kilns. His schoolteachers saw the potential in him and encouraged him to participate in a local marathon when he was just nine. He ended up earning the top spot and a cash prize of ₹100. His confidence grew and soon the muddy roads of his village became his training ground.

While he kept training and running marathons, he started working at construction sites to help his family earn some extra income after finishing Class 10. When he enrolled in a local college, the hardships continued to remain. This time he had to run 8 km daily to reach college, and once again, his talent was spotted by a college teacher who played a pivotal role in expanding his horizons by accompanying him to collegiate-level track and field competitions. He was always keen to join the Indian Army and at the age of 18, he was recruited as a part of the 5 Mahar regiment. In the first few years of his service, Avinash survived two extreme weather conditions - one, when he was posted in Siachen, the highest battlefield known for its cold weather, and two, when he faced 50-degree Celsius during his posting in the arid Rajasthan. This made him a tough man who was ready to take on anything that came his way.

Avinash Sable | Global Indian

Finding his passion in steeplechase

This attitude led him to the cross-country race in his regiment and soon started participating in competitions and even secured fifth place at the National Cross Country Championship. It was here that he met his coach Kumar, who is also an Indian Army coach mentoring long-distance athletes, who pushed him to become a better athlete. In 2017, on Kumar's suggestion, Avinash switched from cross country to 3000m steeplechase. In just one year of dedicated focus on steeplechase, Sable achieved a remarkable feat by shattering a national record that had stood for 37 years, accomplishing this in 2018.

The very next year, at the Federation Cup in Patiala, he established a fresh record with a time of 8:28.94. This outstanding performance earned him qualification for both the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2019 World Athletics Championships, making him the first male steeplechaser from India to qualify for the World Championships. He clinched a silver at his international debut at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in Doha and ended up breaking his own national record twice at the World Championships. "The steeplechase is a very tactical race. So most times, I was told it was not possible to break this record in India because no one can set that kind of pace in India. So I had to set the pace for myself too," Avinash told ESPN.

Honored to receive the prestigious Arjuna award from honourable President of India.Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement.
I Will keep working hard to bring glory to the my nation.
Congratulations to all other Awardees
jai hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/BtyuBss9fq

— Avinash Sable (@avinash3000m) December 1, 2022

Running towards the finishing line

In the final, he secured the 13th position with an impressive time of 8:21.37, not only surpassing the national record once more but also securing his qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This remarkable achievement made Avinash the first Indian to qualify for the steeplechase event at the Olympics since Gulzara Singh Mann in 1952. But COVID-19 put the brakes on it for a year, and just three months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Avinash tested positive, thus affecting his performance at the biggest sporting event. Though he still managed to break his record yet again but was only good enough to secure seventh position.

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However, he bounced back at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, with a silver medal in the steeplechase, making him the first athlete from outside Kenya to win a medal in men's 3000 meters steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games since 1994. But he took it a notch higher when he scripted history at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 by winning the first-ever Gold medal for India in the steeplechase and bagged his second medal in the event by winning a silver in the men's 5000m. Avinash's inspiring journey exemplifies the unwavering spirit of determination and dedication. Despite facing numerous challenges, he has demonstrated that with relentless hard work and unwavering commitment, one can achieve the seemingly impossible.

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