Washington, Jan 21 

Several Indian-Americans gathered for a gala here to celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th US President, an event skipped by many from the community, with Shalabh Kumar, a key member of the President's panel on Asia-Pacific affairs, also conspicuous by his absence.

At least a hundred Indian-Americans attended the gala that took place at the Grand Ballroom of the central Mayflower hotel in Washington on Friday, American Bazaar online reported.

Indian ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna and his counterparts from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, South Korea and Singapore were also present.

"This is a great celebration of Asian success," Sarna said at the event, largely attended by Republican crowd.

"I am very happy that Indian-Americans are part of the successful large Asian community."

Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia, one of the organisers of the event, told the American Bazaar that it was "a grand success".

"We were able to create a platform for the AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islanders) community to come together and celebrate the Trump election. The gala also made a strong statement that we are very much part of the American mainstream and will play an effective role in the next administration."

Ahluwalia added that by showing up in good numbers, the Indian-American community has showed their desire for "the US-India relationship to be on the front and centre for the next administration".

Dozens of dignitaries attended the event, including Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee, Representative Barbara Comstack, Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Governor Ralph DLG Torres as well as a number of Republican leaders from various Asian American and Pacific Islanders communities.

"The (Trump) administration is looking to increase its relationship with the Asian countries," said Royce, the California Republican known to be one of the most staunchly pro-India voices in the US Congress.

"We should reach out to our friends in Asia. We will work to further and deepen this relationship," said the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

Indian-American Republicans who were present included Californian K.V. Kumar, Floridian Harry Walia and Ahluwalia who along with Shalabh Kumar form Trump-Pence campaign's Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee.

Shalabh Kumar was, however, not present.

The formal part of the ball began with a rendition of the US national anthem. Indian food and Bollywood dance were other highlights of the event.

Hindu priest to participate in Trump's National Prayer Service

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) A Hindu priest will be among various religious leaders who will offer prayers at Washington National Cathedral for Donald Trump on Saturday, a day after he was sworn in as the 45th US President, the media reported.

Narayanachar L. Dialakote from the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland, will offer prayers at the National Prayer Service, also to be attended by Indian American Jesse Singh, the chair of the Sikh Associations of Baltimore and Imam Mohammed Magid from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Centre in Sterling, Virginia.

The service would also feature representatives of the Jewish, Baha'i, Navajo, Mormon, Greek Orthodox and many other faiths, reported the Washington Post.

The Hindu priest will be joined by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Priest Bishop Harry Jackson, and Carlyle Begay to offer prayers.

Alveda King, who is a niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cissie Graham Lynch, a granddaughter of evangelist Billy Graham, will also participate in the prayers. 

The service will include two Jewish clergy: Cantor Mikhail Manevich from the Washington Hebrew Congregation and Rabbi Fred Raskind from Temple Bet Yam in St. Augustine, Florida.

Calls to prayer will be offered by Rev. Canon Rosemarie Duncan. The rabbi, three pastors and Sajid Tarar, a Muslim man from Baltimore who prayed for Trump onstage at the Republican National Convention, will read Biblical passages.

Others will read prayers for peace. The service will conclude with a prayer for the nation delivered by Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC, and a dismissal by Rev. Darrell Scott. There will not be a sermon.

Thousands of women to march in Washington to protest Trump's agenda

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) A day after Donald Trump's inauguration, tens of thousands of women are to descend on Washington for the Women's March to protest his agenda and rhetoric and demand their voices be heard by the new administration.

Buses and planes of protesters arrived in the nation's capital on Friday night and on Saturday morning.

The Women's March on Washington features speakers, celebrity appearances and a protest walk along the National Mall.

On Friday, planeloads of women, many toting signs or wearing "pussy hats" (meant to recall - and reclaim - the infamous x-rated reference in Trump's videotaped brag about being able to grab women by their genitals without their consent) flooded into the nation's capitol in preparation for the festivities, reported vox.com.

The women participating have plenty to complain about - from his admitted sexual misconduct, to the many sexual assault allegations against him that he's denied, to the serious threats to women's health and reproductive rights that experts expect based on his threatened defunding of Planned Parenthood and appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices, said vox.

Some of the protesters see the march as a sharp repudiation of Trump's history of offensive and misogynistic comments before he entered presidential politics.

Several hundred marches are planned around the US and world. 

One Friday night in Brussels women gathered with candles for a "Lights for Rights" rally to show opposition to Trump.

The march comes a day after the nation's capital was rocked by violent protests against Trump, with activists smashing windows, setting vehicles on fire and fighting with police.

Leaders and activists from hundreds of left-leaning groups are joining the march, including the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, the American Federation of Teachers, as well as pro-immigrant and pro-environment groups.

The march has also drawn thousands of women from different backgrounds who simply hope to show their solidarity against Trump.