Top Stories
V O I C E
O F
I N D I A N S
W O R L D W I D E
India Post www.indiapost.com
Sri Sri Ravishankar
‘War is the result of silence of the majority’ Details on page 16
NEW YORK • WASHINGTON D.C. • CHICAGO • ATLANTA • CALIFORNIA
VOL 18, No. 968
April 5, 2013
50¢
Periodical Postage
E-POSTAL ORDER FACILITY FOR NRIs Boost to seeking India RTI information
Obama names Ranee to Council of Arts
WASHINGTON: Indians living abroad, especially those in the US have welcomed the launch of the electronic postal order, which they say would go a long way for them seeking information from the Indian Government and other state governments under the Right to Information Act. A number of Indians living in the US said that RTI has now become accessible to the Indian citizens living abroad after the Postal Department recently launched Indian
postal order in electronic format (eIPO). "With eIPO, I now have the ability to discern conflicting information about governance in India in the news by going directly to the source - the government," Vishal Kudchadkar, a volunteer with the non-profit Association for India's Development (AID) in Los Angeles, told PTI. Details on page 5
Details on page 10
Sunil Tripathi
FBI joins search for missing PIO student Details on page 5
USINPAC urges review of US, India relations Details on page 5
10 million Indians want to move to US Details on page 6
India, US to team up for Moon missions
Protest against Wharton snub to Modi
Details on page 5 Details on page 6
India is not Mittal’s priority for investment
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 47
Details on page 14
Community Post -------------- 16-27 Date Book -------------------------- 30 Edit Page --------------------------- 54
INDIA POST SURVEY
HealthScience Post --------- 31-34
survey@indiapost.com
Horoscope ------------------------- 52
This week’s question
Immigration Post ------------- 43-45
Will India delays harm investments?
Life Style ----------------------- 48-50 Philosophy ------------------------- 53
Last week’s result
Will Italy return the marines to India? YES 67%
NO 33%
Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4
WINNING SMILES: Navneet Kaur Dhillon (C) winner of Pond's Femina Miss India contest, Sobhita Dhulipala (R)
Real Estate -------------------- 36-38
first runner-up and Zoya Afroz,second runner-up, after the crowning in Mumbai on March 24 (Details on page 48)
TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-14
Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”
Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 39-42
2
India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 5, 2013
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post
3
4
India Post
India Post www.indiapost.com
The Weekly Newspaper Serving Indians Worldwide
Romesh & Sunita Japra Publishers Rajesh Verma Co-Publisher Vikram Paul President Krishan Sharma Mg Director & Joint Editor Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor Naresh Sodhi General Manager Amit Saini IT Director Ghanshyam Bisht Supervisor Graphics SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY Vijay Thapar CPRO & Advertising Sonia Sidhu Management Analyst Deepak Chhabra Promotions Harish Kalewar Promotions Priya Nayar Bureau Chief Gregg Nuti Sales & Marketing Director Rakesh Kapoor Correspondent Ratika J. Paul Photo Journalist Neeloo Kapoor Photo Journalist Sudesh Kumari Correspondent Rama Mehra Advertising Vidya Sethuraman Correspondent Ritu Maheshwari Correspondent Sujata Singh Correspondent Raaj D. Photo Journalist LOS ANGELES Mrs Shashi Trivedi Bureau Chief J S Bedi PR & Marketing Mrs Prem Kishore Sr Correspondent Greg Heffernan Correspondent Ms Bobby Sharma Correspondent Babeeta Kaur Dhillon Correspondent Pavan Kaur Bhatia Correspondent CHICAGO Ramesh Soparawala Resident Editor A Q Siddiqui Correspondent ST. LOUIS Ashwin Patel Correspondent NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY Pinky Kaur Bureau Chief Srirekha N. Chakravarty Correspondent Nikita Japra Correspondent Sukhvinder Saini Circulation ATLANTA Sanjay Saggere Bureau Chief FLORIDA B K Madnani CANADA Firdaus Ali Correspondent BOSTON Gope Gidwani Bureau Chief
April 5, 2013
IndiaNewsweekly Post Mission Statement To empower the Indian Diaspora and make their voice strong and effective in countries of their adoption. RJ Media conglomerate offers a credible, professional and complete package of news, opinion, entertainment, networking and information.
Publisher’s Diary
T
here ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do." This is a famous quote of John Steinbeck in his classic novel Grapes of Wrath. When you study ethics, they teach you this line to understand the concept of subjectivism. Text books apart, more and more people in contemporary reality are moving towards subjectivism - that is of course, considering that the concept of ethics itself is alive. Subjectivism does not see just black or white in what ought to be moral conduct. It says, moral judgments are dependent on the feelings and attitudes of the persons who think about such things. So, the question is: How can we blame people if moral truths are always subjective? If moral statements have no objective truth, then how can we blame people for behaving in a way that "is wrong", i.e. if "murder is wrong" has no objective truth, then how can we justify punishing people for murder? Key to this argument is "the majority view." If the majority feels it's right, maybe it is; and if the majority feels it's wrong, then maybe it is. Ok, before you wonder where I am going with all this, my philosophizing stems from the current happenings back in India with regard to the Supreme Court sentencing of actor Sanjay Dutt in connection with the illegal possession of arms in a case that was linked to the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in which hundreds of people were killed. So now, think of where the majority view in India seems to be going in judging Dutt, the Supreme Court judgment notwithstanding…? There's a huge chorus of federal ministers, senior politicians, elected representatives, film industry biggies, and his fans of course, who think of him as the overgrown kid who did wrong, but didn't mean to. Actually, I think, it is moral relativism that is at play here and not so much subjectivism. Relativists believe there are no hard and fast rules on what is right and wrong on which values are set. Well now, doesn't that suit us all? It definitely suits Sanjay Dutt.
Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com
DETROIT Ashok B Jain, M D Bureau Chief Gurminder Singh SAN DIEGO Neelu Bhardwaj Bureau Chief SACRAMENTO Madan Sharma Bureau Chief Janak Sidhra Correspondent Upen Shukla Correspondent CENTRAL VALLEY (CA) Dr Ram Saini Bureau Chief Sheila Rogers Correspondent YUBA CITY (CA) Satnam Tatla Correspondent CAROLINAS Nalini Raja Patel Correspondent INDIA Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor & Bureau Chief Tripti Parule Correspondent NEW DELHI Vinod Kumar Khatana Graphics PUNJAB Shiv Japra Bureau Chief Anil Kanwar Senior Correspondent/ Marketing DOABA, PUNJAB Romesh Kaura Correspondent HYDERABAD M Sagar Kumar Bureau Chief MUMBAI Nidhi Soparawala Correspondent Frank Fernandes Correspondent Vaidehi Patel Correspondent Hema Trivedi Marketing Diana Gabriel Marketing India Post (ISSN-1064-3868) is published weekly for $30 for 52 issues yearly by India Post, 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CA and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the corporate headquarters: 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Copyright © 1994 Indamec, Inc. DISCLAIMER India Post assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for all liability for their claimers
INFO-CENTER CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-797-7799, Fax: 510-790-2806; E-mail: info@indiapost.com E-SUBSCRIPTION: Vikram Paul Tel: 510-789-7520 Extn: 208; E-mail: subscribe@indiapost.com Classifieds: Tel: 510-938-8668; E-mail:classifieds@indiapost.com or Tel: 510-275-4467, E-mail: priya@indiapost.com Graphics Inquiry: Tel: 510-936-9490; E-mail: ghanshyam@indiapost.com For Editorial: Sonia Sidhu Tel: 510-797-7799; E-mail: sonia@indiapost.com
For advertisement rates call the office nearest to you: SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-938-8667 e-mail: nareshsodhi@gmail.com Priya Nayar: 510-579-2760 e-mail: priya@indiapost.com
ATLANTA 67 Peach Tree Dr., Ste. 102, Buckhead Atlanta, GA 30309 Tel: 404-425-3021 E-mail: sanjay@eBolo.com
HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: New moonwalker Sonakshi Sinha turned into an item girl for "Himmatwala" enacting the famous "Moonwalk" step of Michael Jackson.
Cover Story: eIPOs launched RTI has become accessible to NRIs/PIOs after the Postal Department launched Indian postal order in electronic format.
Community: Sri Sri in Bay Area Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched a campaign to create stress-free, violence-free communities in the Bay Area on March 24.
Immigration: Skilled immigration CEOs of some of America's top tech companies have written to Obama to allow more high-skilled immigration.
Life Style: Miss India Navneet Kaur Dhillon (20), the daughter of an army officer from Patiala, was crowned Pond's Femina Miss India.
LOS ANGELES
FLORIDA 8401 West Sample Road 30, Coral Springs, Florida - 33065
12908 Indian Lane Norwalk, CA 90650 Tel: 562-441-5511, shashi19@yahoo.com
Techbiz:
TORONTO, CANADA Tel/Fax: 416-744-8610
Teen prodigy
DELHI
Yahoo! is buying mobile news reader app Summly from the London teenager 17year-old Nick D'Aloisio who invented it.
CHICAGO 2543 W Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659 Tel: 773-973-7394; Fax: 773-973-7396; Email: sramesh@aol.com
NEW YORK Tel: 908-338-3752 (Marketing) Tel: 732-283-4939 (Editorial) E-mail: indiapost2000@yahoo.com
NEW JERSEY 21 Longfellow st., Carteret, NJ 07008 Tel: 732-969-1114; Fax: 732-969-3735 E-mail: indiapost2000@yahoo.com
BOSTON Tel: 617-298-9200; Fax: 617-298-1104 GOPE; E-mail: ggidwani@aol.com
Jin Kushal Suri Complex, 3rd Floor, 230-A, Masjid Moth, (NDSE Part-II) New Delhi - 110049 Tel: 11-46142940, 26257769 Fax: 11-46142969 E-mail:delhi@indiapost.com
28 1 16 43 48 12
MUMBAI
• Fernandes Mansion
Tam Taloa, Bassien (W) Mumbai Tel: 09619 330159
Travel:
• Hema Trivedi
Gangotri
7 Crescent Chambers, Tamarind Land, Fort Mumbai 400023 Tel: 93223 44471
• Diana Gabriel
Tel: 98200 28348
For editorial, contact: editor@indiapost.com or call 510-797-7799
Just the perfect destination to breathe in a serene and pious atmosphere, Gangotri has charm to attract people from all over.
39
Cover/Top Stories
April 5, 2013
India Post
5
www.indiapost.com
Electronic postal order facility for NRIs Boost to seeking India RTI information WASHINGTON: Indians living abroad, especially those in the US have welcomed the launch of the electronic postal order, which they say would go a long way for them seeking information from the Indian Government and other state governments under the Right to Information Act. A number of Indians living in the US said that RTI has now become accessible to the Indian citizens living abroad after the Postal Department recently launched Indian postal order in electronic format (eIPO). "With eIPO, I now have the ability to discern conflicting information about governance in India in the news by going directly to the source - the government," Vishal Kudchadkar, a volunteer
with the non-profit Association for India's Development (AID) in Los Angeles, told PTI. "In the last seven years, we have tried all possible workarounds to exercise our right to know. Now, our participation in nation building has become tad easier!," he said. For the past several years, the volunteers of AID have been running from pillar to post both at the Indian missions in the United States and with government agencies back home seeking information under RTI. However, the inability to pay in Indian currency from overseas was coming a major hindrance in their move. "It has been seven long years since we started this campaign for
"Their non-availability meant a missed opportunity. That will no longer be the case with this new eIPO. It would be ideal if the list of email id of PIOs is also available on this portal and the information exchange is completely digitized, but we will take this for now," Gopalan said
our right to information. It has been a difficult journey and during this time we have had to depend on friends in India to file RTIs on our behalf," said Arun Gopalan, a volunteer with Association for India's Development, Greater Washington Metro area chapter. "Their non-availability meant a missed opportunity. That will no longer be the case with this new eIPO. It would be ideal if the list of email id of PIOs is also available on this portal and the information exchange is completely digitized, but we will take this for now," Gopalan said. Balaji Janakiraman Iyer said the launch of eIPO would make the Right to Information more accessible to all Indian citizens living
abroad. "Couple of years ago, I had lamented that the implementation of the RTI Act made an NRI like me feel like a second class citizen because of something as trivial as the lack of a facility to make the payment for the RTI filing fee," he said. "Thanks to the tireless efforts of RTI activists in India and abroad as well as the willing support of government officials, with the launch of the eIPO, we have finally enabled Indian citizens abroad to exercise their right to information on an equal footing to that of resident Indians. "While the convenience factor is obvious, the more far reaching impact would be the sense of empowerment NRIs are going to feel in nation building," Iyer said. -PTI
USINPAC urges review of US-India relations India Post News Service
WASHINGTON DC: USINPAC (US India Political Action Committee) Chairman Sanjay Puri testified before the House Committee on Foreign Relations and passionately advocated to give top priority to Education, STEM Teacher exchange and export of gas to ease India's energy difficulty. He
Faleomavaega (D-AS), a strong advocate of US-India engagement pushed for strengthening the relationship between two countries. He said, "To deepen the U.S.-India relationship - which must be deepened if it is to become a defining partnership of the 21st century - I do believe it is to our benefit to focus on economic cooperation, energy security and edu-
Puri cited education as "the long-term solution required for the U.S.-India partnership to thrive." He articulated how Indian education was a market opportunity of over $50 billion as India needed over 500 universities and 33,000 colleges in the next eight years also recommended US working directly with progressive states in India to increase trade and cooperation. Earlier, Congressman and Ranking Member of the Committee Eni
cation". Puri had been invited as an expert witness on the House Committee on Foreign Relations on its hearing "The rebalance to Asia: why South Asia matters".
USINPAC has been active in promoting Nuclear, Defense, Education, and trade relations between USA and India for the past decade. Puri cited education as "the long-term solution required for the U.S.-India partnership to thrive." He articulated how Indian education was a market opportunity of over $50 billion as India needed over 500 universities and 33,000 colleges in the next eight years. Also, Indian CEOs educated in the US are more active in the US-India relationship. Chairman Puri drew attention of the members of the Committee to "a tremendous shortage of STEM teachers at the K-12 level" in the US and proposed to fill it with the huge pool of such teachers from India. He explained how it could create "our own pool of STEM experts for the future". Puri expressed a hope that USA will allow exports of gas to India saying, "it would do three things: increase economic opportunity in the U.S. through exports,
FBI joins search for missing PIO student WASHINGTON: The FBI has joined a search for 22-year-old IndianAmerican Sunil Tripathi, an undergraduate Brown University student who went missing on March 16. The police of Providence, Rhode Island, has launched a massive search operation to find Tripathi. His friends have not only been doing their own search, put-
ting up posters across the city, but have also launched a Facebook page to find him. Lead investigator detective Mark Sacco said "no solid leads" have been found so far. Tripathi's cellphone, credit card, ID and other personal things were found in his room. According to the Facebook Page set up by family, Tripathi
who went missing from his Angell Street residence is 6'0, 130 pounds, with brown eyes and short brown hair. "Sunil has been struggling with depression since he took a leave of absence from Brown last year. A note suggestive of suicidal intent left behind has his family extremely worried ," the family said.-PTI
reduce India's energy dependence on the Middle East and thirdly build a more strategic relationship with India given the country's tremendous need for energy independence". Puri further called upon the US
to engage in direct conversations with Indian States and build strong economic and cultural ties with them as it can help the US get away from the policy paralysis that sometimes affects New Delhi.
India, US to team up for future Moon, Mars missions WASHINGTON: India and the successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar US have agreed to cooperate on mission, which led to significant future missions to the Moon and discoveries about lunar surface Mars after successful collabora- characteristics," NASA Administion in Chandrayaan-1 lunar mis- trator Charles Bolden said at the sion. fourth US-India Civil Space Joint "Building on NASA's collabo- Working Group meeting here. ration in India's highly successAccording to the statement, ful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission existing cooperation, in the use of in 2008, NASA and ISRO agreed US and Indian earth observation to explore further cooperative satellite data, has produced inforspace exploration work, including future missions to the Moon and "The value of bilateral coopMars. eration was well reflected, "To this end the for instance, through the working group agreed to continue discus- inclusion of two NASA instrusions in planetary sci- ments on the successful ence and Heliophysics to identify areas of po- Chandrayaan-1 tential cooperation," lunar mission� Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and National mation yielding a broad range of Aeronautical and Space Admin- societal benefits including imistration (NASA) said in a joint proved weather and monsoon statement. forecasting, disaster management "The value of bilateral coop- and response, improved agriculeration was well reflected, for in- tural and natural resource use and stance, through the inclusion of better understanding of climate two NASA instruments on the change. -PTI
6
Top Stories
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Indian Americans protest against Wharton snub to Modi WASHINGTON: A group of Indian-Americans held a peaceful protest march in Pennsylvania against the decision of Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) to withdraw an invitation to Gujarat
Most of the protesters who had arrived from New York and New Jersey marched down several blocks to hold a demonstration in front of the WIEF event, which held its day-long conference on
Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Under the banner of "Americans for Free Speech," the IndianAmericans chanted slogans like "We want Modi" and displayed his pictures on posters and banners.
the India's economic development. Several speakers addressed the protesters gathered across the street from Harrison Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania, where the conference was held.
"Members of the press were denied entrance to the conference," The Daily Pennsylvania reported, putting the number of protesters at 200. Opposing the decision of WIEF to cancel its invitation to Modi after three University of Pennsylvania professors protested against it, Narain Kataria of the Indian American Intellectuals Forum alleged that WIEF had attacked the "freedom of speech" and called it an "inappropriate interference" into the Indian political process. Later in a memorandum submitted to the University of Pennsylvania President Dr Amy Gutmann, the protesters said they were "saddened and outraged to see this great university being bullied by a mere three English and Social Work activist professors" of Indic origin. "The principal issues here are freedom of speech and right to dissent. Sadly, both of these have been brutally trampled on at UPenn by this action," the memorandum stated.-PTI
10 million Indians want to move to US WASHINGTON: More than 100 million people from across the world, including 10 million from India, would like to move permanently to the US, which remains the most popular global destina-
The poll said that 19 million Chinese would like to move to the US, followed by 13 million from Nigeria, 10 million from India and six million each from Brazil and Bangladesh.
tion, according to a latest opinion poll. Potential migrants who would like to move to the US are logically the most likely to come from some of the most populous countries in the world, the Gallup poll said.
However, other populous countries such as Iran and Pakistan do not have large groups of people who say that they would like to move to the US permanently. Instead, Pakistanis most desire to relocate to Saudi Arabia and the UK, and Iranians would prefer to move to Jordan or Lebanon. This is not surprising, as Iranians and Pakistanis have some of the lowest US leadership approval ratings in the world. Gallup said the percentage of people in each country, who would like to move to the US permanently is perhaps more interesting. A staggering 37 per cent of Liberians say that they would like to relocate to the US permanently. One in four adults or more in Sierra Leone, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti would also like to move to the US permanently. Three countries with the highest percentages of people who would like to relocate to the US permanently are in Africa, seven are in Central America and the Caribbean, with the remaining country, Cambodia, in Asia. Gallup said about 13 per cent of the world's adults -- or about 630 million people -- say they would like to leave their country and move somewhere else permanently. For roughly 138 million people, that somewhere else would be the US -- the number one desired destination for potential migrants, the poll said. The UK, Canada, and France also rank among the top choices for potential migrants, it said. -PTI
Rajaratnam's brother pleads not guilty to charges in US NEW YORK: The younger brother of jailed hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam has pleaded not guilty at a US court to charges of conspiring in an insider trading scheme to cheat on Wall Street and earn nearly USD 1.2 million illegally. Rengam Rajaratnam, 42, brother "pleaded not guilty" before a New York court, where he was produced a day after his arrest at the John F Kennedy Airport on arrival from Brazil. Rajaratnam, was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on charges of insider trading. A former portfolio manager at the hedge fund management firm Galleon Group, Rengam is the younger brother of Raj Rajaratnam who in October 2011, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined a total criminal and civil penalty of over USD 150
million after being convicted in a massive insider trading case, the largest in the US history. In a statement, his lawyer said
from Brazil to clear his name. "After reading about his indictment, Mr Rajaratnam immediately volunteered to return from Brazil,
Rengam Rajaratnam
that Rengam Rajaratnam, voluntarily surrendered after returning
where he had been living and working for the past year, in order
to defend himself," the attorneys, David Tobin and Vinoo Varghese, said in the statement. The indictments alleged that Rajaratnam conspired with his brother, Galleon founder Raj Rajaratnam, to trade on the basis of material, non-public information concerning Clearwire Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) in 2008, earning nearly USD 1.2 million in profits in the aggregate. In a separate complaint, SEC alleged that from 2006 to 2008, Rengan Rajaratnam repeatedly received inside information from his brother and reaped more than USD 3 million in illicit gains for himself and hedge funds that he managed at Galleon and Sedna Capital Management, a hedge fund advisory firm that he cofounded. Last year, former Goldman Director Rajat Gupta, the poster boy of Indians at the Wall Street, was also found guilty of illegally tipping off his friend Raj Rajaratnam of confidential market information. -PTI
Top Stories
April 5, 2013
India Post
7
www.indiapost.com
China to buy Russian fighters, India keen to reciprocate Xi's desire to improve ties submarines BEIJING: China has agreed to buy two dozen fighter jets and four submarines from Russia, state media reported, the country's first large-scale weapons technology purchases from Moscow in a decade. The agreement to buy the 24 Su-35 fighters and four Ladaclass submarines was signed just before President Xi Jinping's weekend visit to Russia, said the People's Daily, the Communist Party organ, citing state
television. The report, which did not give a value for the purchases, said it was the first time in 10 years China had bought "large military technological equipment" from Russia. The deal comes as Beijing expands its military reach -- it commissioned its first aircraft carrier
last year -- and is embroiled in a bitter territorial row with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Two of the submarines will be built in Russia, with the other two to be built in China. "The Su-35 fighters can effectively reduce pressure on China's air defense before Chinese-made stealth fighters come online," the
China and Russia are expected to cooperate further in developing military technology, the report said, including that for S-400 longrange anti-aircraft missiles, 117S large thrust engines, IL-476 large transport aircraft and IL-78 aerial tankers report said. China and Russia are expected to co-operate further in developing military technology, the report said, including that for S-400 longrange anti-aircraft missiles, 117S large thrust engines, IL-476 large transport aircraft and IL-78 aerial tankers. China's defense ministry had no immediate comment on the report. -AFP
DURBAN: Ahead of the first in the region. meeting between Prime Minister Xi had propounded five proManmohan Singh and Chinese posals for improving bilateral ties President Xi Jinping, India has with India. These included keepsent clear signals of reciprocating ing aside differences on various China's new leadership's desire to issues while improving mutual improve ties without it being held ties and accommodation of each hostage by problems like the other's concerns while dealing boundary issue. with "core interests". Official sources said that India will not allow the bilateral ties to be “We have managed to held hostage by differences on the boundary show that despite differissue, echoing the ences, China is India's views of new President single largest bilateral trade Xi. "We think we can be partner and are sure we positive. We talk to have the ability to work each other about mutual together," concerns. We have managed to show that despite differences, China is He had also suggested that India's single largest bilateral trade peace and tranquility should be partner and are sure we have the maintained on the boundary pendability to work together," they ing settlement of the issue. said. Asked about the Chinese leadThey point out to the fact that ership using new phrases like the two countries last year de- "core interests", the sources said cided to have a military dialogue. India's core interests in the relaThe two sides have also decided tionship were open and transparnot to hurt each other's interests ent.-PTI
8
Top Stories
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Injury marks on body of Indian prisoner in Pak LAHORE: Four injuries, including a fracture, were found on the body of Chambail Singh, an Indian prisoner in Pakistan who died after he was allegedly assaulted by staff at a prison here, according to a preliminary autopsy report. Authorities had constituted a medical board to perform an autopsy on Singh's body about two months after his death. The autopsy was done shortly before the body was sent to India on March 13. The preliminary report states that traces of four injuries were found on the body, including a fracture of the right knee, an abrasion of 1.5 cm to 2 cm on the left knee joint, an abrasion over the upper lip and scars on the thigh, official sources told PTI. A chemical examination to ascertain the exact cause of death will be conducted later, the sources said. Singh, said to be in his sixties, was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the state-run Jinnah
Hospital on January 15. He was serving a five-year prison term at Kot Lakhpat Jail for alleged involvement in espionage. Tehseen Khan, a Christian lawyer who recently completed a 42-
Awais Shiekh, the counsel for Indian death row prisoner Sarbajit Singh, told PTI that he would file a petition in court against the jail officials after getting a copy of the preliminary autopsy report. Sheikh had earlier approached the Lahore High Court month sentence for fraud at Kot Lakhpat Jail, claimed Singh died after being beaten by prison staff. "On January 15, I saw some
three jail staff beating Chambail Singh over some issue. He was beaten severely and I think he died because of this," Khan told PTI earlier. Prison officials have refuted Khan's claim and said Singh died of an apparent heart attack. Kot Lakhpat Jail's Additional Superintendent Ishtiaq Ahmed said Singh was taken to hospital after he developed chest pain while having breakfast. "We shifted him to Jinnah Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead," he said. Awais Shiekh, the counsel for Indian death row prisoner Sarbajit Singh, told PTI that he would file a petition in court against the jail officials after getting a copy of the preliminary autopsy report. Sheikh had earlier approached the Lahore High Court for an inquiry into Singh's death but his plea was turned down. "I will ask the court to find out the measures put in place to protect other Indian prisoners, including Sarabjit Singh," Sheikh said.-PTI
China, Pak conclude secret deal on nuclear reactor WASHINGTON: China has secretly entered into an agreement with Pakistan to construct a third nuclear reactor at Chashma in Punjab province that the Obama administration says will violate Beijing's promises under an international antinuclear weapons accord, a media report said. "According to US intelligence and diplomatic officials, the secret agreement for the Chashma 3 reactor was signed in Beijing during the visit by a delegation from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from February 15 to 18," The Washington Free Beacon reported. The agreement calls for the state-run China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to construct a 1,000-megawatt
power plant at Chashma, where two earlier Chinese reactors were built, the American website said. While there was no confirmation of the news story from Pakistan or China, The Washing-
ton Free Beacon quoted unnamed State Department official, who said that such a Chinese move would be in violation of its international promise. China, which joined NSG in 2005, agreed not to sell additional reactors to Pakistan beyond the two reactors sold earlier.-PTI
Top Stories
April 5, 2013
India Post
9
www.indiapost.com
Bilawal leaves Pak after tiff with Zardari over PPP affairs ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has left for Dubai after a tiff with his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, over the affairs of the PPP, leaving the party without its star campaigner for Pakistan's general election. Bilawal, recently named patron-in-chief of the Pakistan People's Party, developed differences with Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, over the party's handling of key issues, including militant violence, sectarian attacks against Shias and the award of party tickets for the polls scheduled for May 11. Two sources privy to the development told PTI that Bilawal had made it clear to his father that he felt the PPP had not strongly taken up issues like the shooting of teenage rights activist Malala Yusufzai by Taliban fighters last year and three devastating bomb attacks on Shias in Quetta and Karachi that killed nearly 250 people.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
'Musharraf unlikely to have much impact on elections' WASHINGTON: The White House has said the return of Pervez Musharraf, the former dictator of Pakistan, is an "internal matter" of the country, even as a top US diplomat in Islamabad said that the event is unlikely to have much impact on the results of the May 11 general polls. "I don't see this as a terribly large or significant event. I could be surprised, but
Pervez Musharraf
I don't see this as terribly consequential," the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, told a Washington audience while responding to questions on the return of the former Pak General, who ruled the country for a decade. Musharraf returned to Pakistan after a four year self-imposed exile, during which he spent most of his time in England and
Dubai and speaking tour in the United States. "On the question of Musharraf, it's up to the Pakistanis to address the question. He may have some legal issues to address, and that's for him to address with the judiciary. But my Pakistani friends tell me he doesn't have a great deal of political support," Olson said in response to a question. On Musharraf, Olson said, the United States does not have a position, a stand taken consistently by the Obama Administration. "We've seen the news that he's returned. It's really up to the people of Pakistan to decide who their representatives should be, and so we really refer you to the Government of Pakistan," the State Department spokesperson, Patrick Ventrell, told reporters at a news conference when asked about his return to Pakistan. "When it comes to Pakistani politics, we'll leave it to the people of Pakistan to make decisions about their political leadership," the White House Deputy Press Secretary, Josh Earnest, told reporters.-PTI
Bilawal was also upset with the PPP's father and sought authority to take decihandling of issues that affect the youth, sions in party matters. especially in the wake of efforts by other But Zardari sided with his sister, who parties like Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik- plays a key role in the PPP's affairs, the e-Insaf to woo the youth ahead of the polls, source said. the sources said. "When Zardari told him that he would The 24-year-old nominal chief of the be handed over the command of the party PPP was angered by Faryal Talpur's refusal The 24-year-old nominal chief of the PPP was to award tickets angered by Faryal Talpur's refusal to award to certain candidates in Sindh tickets to certain candidates in Sindh provprovince that ince that he had recommended, a source he had recommended, a said."Last month, Bilawal had recommended source said. the names of some 200 PPP workers and " L a s t asked former Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali month, Bilawal had recom- Shah to give them jobs but Talpur intervened mended the names of some 200 PPP workers and asked after he is groomed politically, Bilawal got former Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah upset and left for Dubai," a source said. to give them jobs but Talpur had intervened, Matters got so heated on one occasion causing bad blood between them," the that a source quoted Bilawal as saying: "If source said. I had to vote, even I wouldn't vote for the Bilawal discussed these matters with his PPP." -PTI
Top Stories
10 India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Obama nominates Indian-American to Council of Arts WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Ranee Ramaswamy, a Bharatanatayam exponent, to the prestigious National Council of the Arts for a five year term. Ramaswamy founded the Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1992 and has been popularizing this classical Indian dance form in America. The White House said Obama has sent her nomination, along with others, to the Senate for its approval. "Ranee Ramaswamy, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2018, vice Miguel Campaneria, term expired," it said. The National Council on the
Ranee Ramaswamy
Arts advises the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who also chairs the Council, on agency policies and programs. It reviews and makes recommendations to the Chairman on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives. According to her bio posted on her website, since 1984, Ramaswamy has been a disciple of Alarmel Valli, one of India's greatest living masters. Ranee has worked with celebrated artists such as poet Robert Bly, jazz musician Howard Levy and legendary composer/ violinist L Subramaniam.
Pak on cusp of granting MFN status to India: Olson WASHINGTON: Observing that Pakistanis are very much in favor of enhanced economic relationship with India, a top American diplomat stationed in Islamabad has said the country is on the cusp of granting the most favored nation status to its eastern neighbor. "I think that there's been progress in the relationship between Pakistan and India, and as you know, we're on the cusp of Pakistan granting most favored nation status to India. My sense is that most Pakistanis are actually very much in favor of an enhanced economic relationship with India," the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, told a Washington audience. Responding to questions in his appearance before a Washington think-tank, Olson said the US would like to see energy co-operation between Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. "I think, from the perspective of the US government, what we would like to see is for the energy supply to run through Afghanistan and through Pakistan to the Indian market," he said, in an apparent reference to the gas pipeline from the Central Asian countries to the massive Indian market. However, Olson maintained the stand of Obama Administration that the Iran Pakistan gas pipe-
line is sanctionable under the Iran Act. "I think our position is pretty well-known on Iran in general. We've had a duty to warn our Pakistani friends that the pipeline that's under consideration is likely to be sanctionable under US law. One thing is that Iran has proved to be a less than reliable partner
remains. "The Pakistani military and the Pakistani government has been very focused over the past few years on the insurgencies, on the threat along the western border in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and they're focusing large amounts of resources there. But I think any military plan-
Richard Olson
on many such energy projects with other countries," he argued. As such, the US official hoped that Pakistan will take this as friendly advice from the US, which has been very highly supportive of its energy needs. Olson, in response to another question, said though over of late the Pakistani Army and security forces have been focused on insurgency on its western frontier, the anxiety about it eastern front
ner will obviously be looking at a variety of things and be looking at conventional threats as well," he said. "I think that the Pakistanis have been paying attention to developments on the eastern side. Our goal is to make sure that the situation is stable and we actually have confidence in the Pakistani stewardship of their nuclear materials," Olson said in response to a question. -PTI
Among her many grants and fellowships are 13 McKnight Artist Fellowships, a Bush Fellowship, and an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts International Among her many grants and fellowships are 13 McKnight Artist Fellowships, a Bush Fellowship, and an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts International. Her work is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Dance Project,
and the Japan Foundation. In 2011, she was chosen as the McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist. Ranee and co-Artistic Director Aparna Ramaswamy were named the 2011 'Artist of the Year' by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.-PTI
UAE freezone evokes interest during India roadshow DUBAI: UAE's leading free Middle East economies on infrazone, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), structure development is estihas said a large number of Indian mated to exceed USD 4 trillion in companies from food, oil and gas, the next 10 years. This offers metal and healthcare sectors huge opportunities to not only have expressed interest in set- large Indian multinationals but ting up their regional offices and also to Indian SMEs, who are other facilities in Dubai. well known for their entrepreJafza's five-day Roadshow, neurship and expertise," Deputy held from March 11-15, rein- CEO of Jafza Ibrahim Mohamed forced the free zone's status as Al Janahi said. the most favored business and Jafza Roadshow covered New logistics hub for the Middle East region among Indian busi- These companies are internesses and institutional investors, it said ested in either establishing in a statement. their footprint in the Middle These companies are interested in either estab- East or want to further lishing their footprint in strengthen their presence the Middle East or want to further strengthen in the region, it added their presence in the region, it added. "Keen interest of Indian com- Delhi and Mumbai. The seminar panies in Jafza and Dubai re- was attended by a significant flects not only the close commer- number of prominent Indian cial ties the two sides enjoy but businesses and trade promoalso huge business opportuni- tional bodies such as the Fedties the resource-rich Middle eration of Indian Exporters OrEast region offers to Indian in- ganization and Agriculture and vestors. Processed Food Products Export "The combined investment of Development Authority. -PTI
Man who eyed terror training convicted in NYC NEW YORK: A New Yorker has been convicted of lying to the FBI about plans to team up with the Taliban or al-Qaeda. A jury found Abdel Hameed Shehadeh guilty in federal court in Brooklyn. Friends of Shehadeh testified that he spoke of wanting to die waging violent jihad abroad against the US military. They said the former Staten Island resident
had hoped to attend a terrorist training camp in Pakistan. The defendant first drew the attention of the FBI in 2008 when he bought a one-way plane ticket to Islamabad. Prosecutors said he later lied by saying he was going to get religious training. He faces up to 21 years in prison at sentencing. No date has been set. -AP
Top Stories
April 5, 2013
India Post
11
www.indiapost.com
Telugu associations observe Women's Day Asian Media USA
CHICAGO: The Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC) and American Telugu Association (ATA) organized International Women's Day on March 23 at the Holiday Inn in Mount Prospect, a north side suburb of Chicago, with over 100 women of Telugu origin participating in this unique event. The event helped raise awareness about issues such as women's health, cultural identity and parenting issues, challenges facing women in corporate America, women as entrepreneurs and Indian cooking. A food drive was conducted as a part of this event. Mrs Malathi Damaraju acted as Master of Ceremony for the event. The organizers presented a slide show paying tribute to all the women leaders of the world, such as Indira Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Pratibha Patil, Hillary Clinton, Madam Curie, Helen Keller, Indira Nooyi, Serena Williams, Kalpana Chawla, Mamata Baneerjee and Sonia Gandhi. The workshops followed the slide show touching upon subjects like Health is Wealth, Both
Conference Organizing Committee (L to R) Vandana Reddy, Bhargavi Nettem, Sunitha Matta, Jyothi Madhavaram, Nandini Kondapalli, Sujatha Appalaneni, Sirisha Garapaty, Kiran Nuthulapaty, Kiran Mattey, Malathi Damaraju and Padma Madireddy
Sides of the Coin - Parenting Then and Now, Climbing the Corporate Ladder, Women as Entrepreneurs and Indian Cooking The organizers of the event also did a food drive for charity initiated by Padma Madireddy. They collected about 20 boxes of
food and donated to charity. A scrumptious Andhra dinner was served to all the women in attendance which beautifully complimented the spirit of womanhood. The evening ended with music and dancing which was enjoyed by all.
TAGC headquartered in Chicago seeks creating awareness and promotion of Telugu heritage and culture in the mid-west region. ATA founded in 1990 with main purpose to assist and promote literary, cultural, educational, religious, social, eco-
nomic, health and community activities of the people of Telugu origin as well as to promote exchange programs for students, scientists, and professionals of Telugu origin between the United States of America, Canada, India and other countries.
Sanskrit mantras to open Holocaust Pakistan is the great unknowns for the US: Allen 'Day of Remembrance' India Post News Service
NEVADA: Hindu mantras will open the "Day of Remembrance" at University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) on April 7 in remembrance of lives lost or altered by Holocaust and genocides around the world. Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will deliver this invocation from RigVeda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. Zed plans to start and end the prayer with "Om", the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work. History teaches us that genocide can be prevented if people care enough to act. Our choices in response to hatred truly do matter and together we can help fulfill the promise of "Never Again", event announcement says. Organized by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) of UNR in partnership with the UNR Interfaith Students Club, it will have
Dr Robert Krell, Emeritus Psychiatry Professor of University of British Columbia and Holocaust survivor who was born in Netherlands, as keynote speaker. Dr Krell has treated Holocaust survivors and their families as well as Dutch survivors of Japanese
"fosters intellectual stimulation and personal development through academic pursuits". Joe Coleman is President of its Board. UNR Interfaith Students Club, with Daniel R. Sanchez as president, aims to "cultivate social cohesion among people of different
University of Nevada
concentration camps. He founded Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, which teaches 20,000 students annually. OLLI at UNR, a diverse community of independent thinkers which serves adults over age 50,
religions". UNR, founded in 1874 and which has over 18,000 students, is known for helping to create the world's most accurate atomic clock and is home to one of the largest earthquake-simulation labs.
WASHINGTON: As the United States gears up for withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan by 2014, Pakistan and its safe havens in the border areas pose a great challenge to the US, a former top American general based in Kabul has said. "I think one of the great unknowns for us is Pakistan," Gen (rtd) John Allen, who till February was Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan told a Washington audience when asked on the US challenges in Afghanistan. "It still remains the border area and the insurgency - on both sides, frankly, of the border - remains, I think, one of the principal obstacles and one of the principal potential sources of downturn for the campaign," Allen said in response to a question. Noting that the US relationship with Pakistan is complex, Allen at the same time said there is promise there that he had not seen before.
"Conversations at a bilateral level have turned out to be promising, the potential for Afghans and Pakistanis to share both
John Allen
school seats, to exchange visitors," he said. "We now have a Pakistani brigadier in the headquarters of ISAF," Allen said, listing this among the positive indicators. According to the former US general, the Pakistani forces have been engaged in significant counterinsurgency operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.-PTI
Tech News Social networking existed much before Internet WASHINGTON: Modern-day social networks like Facebook and Twitter may help you stay more connected, but a new study has found that such long-distance networks existed even before the advent of Internet. Researchers studied thousands of ceramic and obsidian artifacts from 1200-1450 AD to learn about the growth, collapse and change of social networks in the late pre-Hispanic Southwest. The study led by University of Arizona anthropologist Barbara Mills, sheds light on the transformation of social networks and shows that people of that period were able to maintain surprisingly long-distance relationships with nothing more than their feet to connect them. They found that early social networks do not appear to have been as restricted as expected by settlements' physical distance from one another. Researchers found that similar types of painted pottery were being created and used in villages as far as 250 kilometres apart, suggesting people were maintaining relationships across relatively large geographic expanses. -PTI
Sebi plans action against non-compliant firms KOLKATA: Market watchdog SEBI has said strong action would be taken against companies that are not complying with minimum 25 per cent public shareholding norms. "SEBI has been insisting on a minimum shareholding of 25 per cent by the public. There are 200 non-PSU companies which were not complying with the guideline," SEBI Chairman U K Sinha said at a CII interaction here. Sinha said that out of the 200, trading has been suspended in 37 companies, while 51 companies are taking no measures to comply with the guideline. "The deadline for complying with the guideline falls on June 2013," he said. "Those who do not follow have to suffer," Sinha said. Stating that growth of the economy had been largely driven by bank finance, Sinha said SEBI would shortly introduce guidelines for developing the corporate bond market so that they were actively traded in the stock markets. Interest of the FIIs would have also to be developed in the corporate bond market, he said. -PTI
TechBiz 12 India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 5, 2013
The Chairman of BAE Systems, Dick Olver offering prayers during an event to handover a mobile hospital van to Smile Foundation, an NGO and Baptist hospital in Bengaluru
India’s first aviation varsity to be set up in Rae Bareli NEW DELHI: The first aviation university in the country will come up at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and its academic session would begin in July next year. This was decided at a meeting Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had with Minister of State for Civil Aviation K C Venugopal and top officials here. The National Aviation University (NAU) would train technical personnel, including engineers, and impart all aviation-related skills to its students. There would be a requirement of close to three million trained personnel in the Indian aviation sector over the next decade, according to independent estimates.
The foundation stone is likely to be laid in June and the NAU would start functioning at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy (IGRUA) at Fursatganj
Gandhi. Rs 80 crore has already been sanctioned for the purpose and "we have requested the UP government to allot more land for the
Rs 80 crore has already been sanctioned for the purpose and "we have requested the UP government to allot more land for the university," Venugopal said. The total project outlay for the first five-year period is Rs 202 crore in Rae Bareli from July next year, the Minister told PTI after the hour-long meet. Rae Bareli is the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia
university," Venugopal said. The total project outlay for the first five-year period is Rs 202 crore. "A detailed project report has already been prepared and sent to the Planning Commission for in-
Yahoo! buys app from British teen SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! has announced plans to buy mobile news reader app Summly from the London teenager who invented it, likely transforming him into one of the world's youngest self-made multimillionaires. The company did not disclose the terms of the deal it struck with 17-year-old Nick D'Aloisio, but the London Evening Standard said Yahoo! would pay between USD 30-60 million. "We're excited to share that we're acquiring Summly, a mobile product company founded with a vision to simplify the way we get information, making it faster, easier and more concise," Yahoo! said in a statement.
tant to us, at a glance." Yahoo! said most articles and web pages were formatted for browsing with mouse clicks and that "the ability to skim them on a phone or a tablet can be a real challenge - we want easier ways to identify what's important to us." The California firm said that "Nick and the Summly team are joining Yahoo! in the coming weeks." D'Aloisio said in a tweet: "@Summly has signed an agreement to be acquired by Yahoo!! Excited for the next chapter of
Nick D'Aloisio
to make money out of it," he was quoted as saying. About the new inflow of cash, the youth said: "I like shoes, I will buy a new pair of Nike trainers and I'll probably get a new computer,
The Evening Standard said the Wimbledon youth, who would become one of the world's youngest technology millionaires, claims to have created the app as a hobby. "At the age of 15, Nick D'Aloisio created the Summly app at his home in London. It started with an insight - that we live in a world of constant information and need new ways to simplify how we find the stories that are impor-
Summly! Thanks to all who have supported me." The Evening Standard said the Wimbledon youth, who would become one of the world's youngest technology millionaires, claims to have created the app as a hobby. "I didn't realize it was possible
but at the moment I just want to save and bank it. I don't have many living expenses." Former Google executive Marissa Mayer took over at Yahoo! in July 2012 as part of efforts by the struggling Internet search pioneer to reinvent itself. -AFP
principle approval. A legislation to set up the NAU has been sent to the Union Law Ministry for vetting. We intend to bring this Bill very soon," he said. Venugopal said collaboration with such institutions in other countries was also being looked at to make NAU a world- class facility, though nothing has yet been finalized. Once approval is granted by the Planning Commission, proposals would be moved for approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, official sources said. They said the Airports Authority of India was preparing the architectural plans for academic and hostel blocks for NAU at the IGRUA complex. -PTI
Videocon eyes pan-India operation NEW DELHI: Videocon Mobile Services, which has permits to operate in seven circles out of the country's total 22 circles, has plans to expand services pan-India in a phased manner. "Videocon had been a national player and had dominance in the market place. However, it lost momentum post the 2G license cancellation. We plan to have a national presence again, however in a phased manner," Videocon Mobile Services CEO and Director Arvind Bali told PTI. Videocon's 21 licenses were among the 122 permits quashed by the Supreme Court order on February 2, 2012. It had acquired permits to operate across all circles in 2008. The company, which recently won spectrum in six circles for Rs 2,221.44 crore, operates in four circles of Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, at present. It aims to add about 6 million subscribers in 2013-14. Cont’d on page 13
TechBiz Post
April 5, 2013
India Post
13
www.indiapost.com
India's MVAS market to double to $ 9.5 billion BANGALORE: Helped by rising penetration of handsets, India's Mobile Value Added Solution (MVAS) market is expected to
almost double to USD 9.5 billion by 2015 compared to last year, a report by IT major Wipro said. India's MVAS market is estimated at USD 4.9 billion in 2012, a joint report by Wipro Technologies, the global IT consulting and outsourcing arm of Wipro Ltd, and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) said. The report, 'Future Thought of Business (FTOB): MVAS', added that MVAS market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25 per cent between 2012 and 2015 to reach USD 9.5 billion in 2015 from an estimated USD 4.9 billion in 2012. "...an expected MVAS revolution in India is being made possible by the dramatic growth in mobile device penetration and mobile network capacity and this market offers abundant opportunities for growth to all industry participants" Wipro Technologies Senior VP and Global Head (Media and
Telecom) Ayan Mukerji said. However, the basic informational mobile services are set to decline in India, he added. The report findings are based on evaluations of over 450 consumers and providers of MVAS in India in order to identify the major drivers and barriers of the Indian MVAS market and provide insights that will help to grow this market. Domestic mobile operators could focus on providing better network and connectivity and global operators could increase their base by testing new VAS offerings in the Indian market, the report said on the opportunities for different participants in the Indian MVAS market, the report said. Content and VAS technology could focus on the consumer experience and developing personalized content and original equipment manufacturers could innovate with lost cost smart phones
The report said to realize the market's full potential, the industry requires a collaborative effort across mobile network operators, telecom equipment vendors and mobile service content providers. “So far, this market has been hampered by a lack of services innovation," said Dr Subho Ray, President, IAMAI. The research findings reveal that mEntertainment is the largest contributor to operator MVAS revenues and provides key opportunities in localized vernacular content, on-demand music and video content and live TV shows and events. On the other hand, mEducation can play a key role in expanding the reach and quality of education in India, through Interactive English Language Learning Services, Competitive Examination Preparation Solutions, Tutor-on-call and Vocational training. mHealth has the potential to improve healthcare access and affordability in India, especially through Remote Diagnostics, Chronic Disease Management and Maternal Care, the report said. Mobile phones will also play a
The research findings reveal that mEntertainment is the largest contributor to operator MVAS revenues and provides key opportunities in localized vernacular content, on-demand music and video content and live TV shows and events. On the other hand, mEducation can play a key role in expanding the reach and quality of education in India and mobile devices to drive penetration, it added. The research focused on the mEducation, mEntertainment, mFinance and mHealth application areas and found that there is pent up market demand from consumers for sophisticated mobile services in India.
key role in extending financial services to 40 per cent of India's population who are unbanked. mFinance through Mobile Wallet Services, Mobile Remittance Services and Business Correspondence Model Based Services will contribute to MVAS revenues, the report said. -PTI
Videocon eyes pan-India operation in phased manner Cont’d from page 12
Bali said the company's immediate priority is to roll out services in three other circles of Bihar, UP East and UP West. Bali said that once operations get into full swing in these circles "in about two years", it will start looking for operations in other regions. "As a strategy, we shall look at picking selective licenses, say a
corridor and roll-out, and instead of bidding for all circles in one go, we shall look at combination of circles that form a corridor, for example South corridor could be our next opportunity area," Bali added. He said the time line for expansion will depend on the timing for spectrum auction and the manner in which government decided to allocate spectrum as well. He said that the company will
look provide both 2G and 4G services at 15-20 per cent less rates compared to price offered in market. "In peak hours we will use technology to provide 4G services on which people may get data speed (Internet) of up to 9 Megabit per second (MBPS) and in lean period, say during night, we may use more spectrum that can give people speed of up to 21 MBPS," Bali said. -PTI
Engg students prefer IT, Google: Nielsen NEW DELHI: The Information Technology sector is the most preferred choice for India's engineering students, with Google, Microsoft and Infosys emerging as the top three most desired employers among them, according to a survey by market insights and information provider Nielsen. As per the Nielsen's Campus Track Technology School survey 2012, the Class of 2013 is looking at a starting salary of over Rs 11 lakh per annum, a 20 per cent rise
from the previous batch, where the average expected starting salary was Rs 9.3 lakh. "The IT story in India is going strong, and with the increasing focus on personal technology, the sector and its different specializations are still favored by students," Nielsen India Executive Director Dinesh Kapoor said in a statement. There is also a resurgence of interest in core sectors like power and energy that has been observed which is also a good indicator for the economy, he added. According to the survey, the top five preferences of engineering students were IT Services (35 per cent), followed by IT products (28 per cent), energy (21 per cent),
automobile and ancillary sector (20 per cent) and IT semiconductor (19 per cent). Some of the other sectors that were highlighted are telecom (18 percent), power (18 per cent) and management consultancy (17 per cent), it added. The survey took responses of over 2,500 students in July August 2012 across in 73 technology colleges in India to measure and monitor their attitudes and perceptions towards career preferences and potential recruiters. As far as employer of choice was concerned among the engineering students, Google topped the list, with Microsoft in 2nd and Infosys 3rd, the survey said. T A T A Consultancy Services was placed 4th and IBM came 5th. Social networking website Facebook featured at number 6, followed by recruiters in the core sectors of energy and power -- BHEL (7th), L&T (8th) and NTPC (10th). When it came to salaries, the current students had higher expectations. "Students today are very focused from the moment they enter college, and have a view on their long term goals and career aspirations. With the increasing options now available, aspirants want to go beyond the immediate boundaries of their courses, and explore opportunities that might not have been available to them some years ago," Kapoor said.-PTI
14
TechBiz Post
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Govt clears Airasia, Tata JV India is not my top priority proposal for passenger airlines for investment: Mittal NEW DELHI: Government of India has cleared Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia's proposal to start a passenger airline in India in partnership with the Tata Group with an investment of Rs 81 crore. The proposal was cleared by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), Finance Ministry said in a statement. AirAsia recently said it would
yet." To further questions, he said there were "some concerns ... some procedural issues" with regard to the proposed airline. "We will look into it quickly. But all that will depend on how fast they provide us the information regarding safety, aircraft, pilots and airworthiness of aircraft. Any clearance will depend on
line to set up a joint venture in the Indian passenger airline segment after liberalization of the FDI policy in the sector last September. Following the FIPB clearance, the AirAsia joint venture would now have to approach aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further clearances
set up a 49:30:21 joint venture with the Tata Sons and Telestra Tradeplace of Indian investor Arun Bhatia to launch a new Indian airline. Asked whether AirAsia and Tatas have approached his Ministry, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said: "No, they have not submitted any application as
how fast they give all this information which will be required by the DGCA (to grant them a flying permit)," the Minister said. The FIPB clearance was granted in accordance with the policy which allows up to 49 per cent FDI by a foreign carrier in an Indian airline company. AirAsia is the first foreign air-
and a scheduled air operator's permit. AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes recently said the new airline would be based in Chennai and in the initial phase would concentrate on destinations in south India and would also focus on providing connectivity to small towns. -PTI
Aakash is alive and kicking: Sibal NEW DELHI: A day after Human and Resource Development (HRD) Minister Pallam Raju expressed concerns over future of
Kapil Sibal
Aakash, IT and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said the project for the low-cost computing device is "alive and kicking" and work is on for its third and fourth versions. "I don't want to comment on a
distinguished colleague of mine. I only know that as far as we are concerned Aakash is alive and kicking. For me, it will provide the platform for the future and not just for children but for all citizens of India," Sibal said in response to queries on reports of uncertain future of Aakash at National Editors Conference. Human Resource Development Minister M M Pallam Raju had earlier said that production of Aakash is a challenge. Production is where the failure has come in, he had said, adding
that if the production had happened on time students would have had access to the device. The Aakash project was Sibal's brainchild when he was the HRD Minister. The idea is to provide lowcost computing device at subsidized rate to students so that they can access Internet for educational purposes. Canadian company DataWind had bagged a contract to produce the first and second versions of the Aakash tablet. Sibal said the HRD Ministry talked about their contract with Datawind. "Now, Datawind may have or may have not complied with the terms of contract. That is between them (the HRD Ministry) and Datawind and they can decide what they want to decide...That has nothing to do with me," Sibal said. The first version of Aakash was rolled out in October 2011 and later in 2012 the second version was launched. -PTI
AHMEDABAD: Unhappy over delay in getting clearances for his projects, the world's largest steelmaker L N Mittal has said India was not his top priority for investment. Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of convocation of Indian Institute of Management,
crore but it has been facing delay. Another project of the company in Jharkhand is also facing delay. Meanwhile, sharing his global outlook on steel, Mittal said that despite the European steel demand being down by 30 per cent, emerging countries like India and
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Lakshmi Mittal arrives to attend the annual convocation of IIM-A
Ahmedabad (IIM-A), where he was the chief guest, Mittal said "I do not want to give you any timeline about my Indian projects... experienced so much of delay." ".. India is not in my top priority for investment, it is top priority as a country but not a top priority for investment," Mittal said. ArcelorMittal, the steel giant belonging to L N Mittal, had inked an MoU with Orissa government in December 2006 to set up a 12 mtpa steel plant in Keonjhar district at an investment of Rs 40,000
China as also Africa will continue to do well. According to him, global steel demand would continue to grow at around 3.5 per cent. "In spite of the fact that European steel demand is down by 30 per cent... there are many countries around the world like American region, emerging markets like India, China, Africa, all these countries will continue to grow," Mittal said adding globally the demand for steel would continue to grow at 3 to 3.5 per cent. -PTI
'Challenge of using tech to channelize people' NEW DELHI: The challenge before government is using technology to channel desire of people to participate in governance, Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar said here. Speaking at Skoch Summit here, he said there have been trends of citizens wanting to get involved in governance and in specific as well as generic issues which affect the social fabric of the country. "If you look at technology .... the advent of social media facebook, twitter, prevalence of mobile value added services and so on. They have a profound relationship as we have witnessed
across the world. Look at the kind of mass mobilization that is being done which is quintessentially an instrument of politics....," he said. Mass mobilization using the tools of technology is a well recognized global phenomenon, for better or for worse, he added. He also cited the example of Arab Spring "where people using mobilization in the medium to bring in democracy" and London riots and "some other events within our own country nearer home". "What happens is in the nature of these events; sometimes these events have short self-life and tend to taper off.� -PTI
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 15
Desi News NRI legal services: A boon for beleaguered NRIs RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Corrupt elements teaming up with street mafias and political thugs in India have been quite active aggressively grabbing landed property, a good number of time illegally and thru unauthorized methods in order to cash in on the real estate boom in recent years. Non Resident Indians (NRIs) are among the biggest victims, among others, since most of the time they are away from their land or property. Anil Narang from Indiana and Dharam Paul in Canada (names changed) found to their dismay while going to Madhya Pradesh and Punjab that their ancestral land had been swallowed by unauthorized tenants and was littered with ramshackle houses and huts. When they tried to get their property back thru legal channels they faced lot of hurdles besides threats from street mafias.
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
16 India Post
www.indiapost.com
If God can make infinite forms, He can also take a form
April 5, 2013
Details on page 24
War is the result of silence of majority of the good: Sri Sri
Details on page 23
Most popular & 'Unique' kids entertainment VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
SANTA CLARA, CA: Most Unique Parties & Ponies is the jolly magic party center where ideas are inspired, created, updated and renewed. This is where Most Unique's "get it all" was founded and has flourished for twenty years! Like no other party company, it brings a complete party package to your home, park, school, camp, parade, festival, corporate event or anywhere.
VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
SAN JOSE, CA: In the Bay Area, a campaign to create stressfree, violence-free communities was initiated in early February. A Launch Event was held on Sunday, March 24 at 4pm at the San Jose Convention Center, where Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar gave the keynote address inspiring the campaigners to take action to combat violence around them through acts of non-violence. Guest speakers included Dr
Details on page 24
Wells Fargo to lend $55 bn to womenowned businesses India Post News Service
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Wells Fargo & Company, America's No. 1 small business lender and a leading lender to women and diverse owned businesses, has announced a commitment to lend a cumulative total of $55 billion to womenowned businesses in the U.S. by the year 2020, updating its lending commitment first established in 1995. Details on page 23
James Doty, Founder of Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and Dave Cortese, Supervisor, County of Santa Clara. Speakers spoke at length on the importance of compassionate service to build communities free of violence and stress. The mission of this campaign is to lead a sustainable Bay Areawide grassroots movement that brings together thousands of individuals from schools, non-profit organizations, corporations and
the government in a collaborative effort to build a stress-free and violence-free society. The Campaign has been endorsed by Ro Khanna, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in Obama Administration and Vivek Paul, ex-CEO Wipro and a VC in Bay Area, as Ambassadors. Ash Kalra, Councilmember San Jose; Raj Salwan, Councilmember Fremont; Corey Gin, Leadership and Employee Enrichment Program (LEEP), California State University East Bay are wholeheartedly championing the cause. Many community leaders, Mayors of Cupertino, Fremont, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, city officials, and activists, participated at the event which was attended by over 8000 people from all over the Bay Area. David Cortese currently serves the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, representing District 3 including Milpitas and parts of Sunnyvale and San Jose. He is the Supervisor of 'The Corazon Project' to get at risk, gang affiliated teenagers to help fight the cycle of violence within their own neighborhoods through methods and acts of non-violence in hopes to stop the violence that continues to plague their community. He spoke about the work carried out
by his team and how they were responsible for bringing back over 1000 guns from the community in 3 years.
Sri Sri Ravishankar explained to the crowd how to get connected with our neighbors and involve ourselves in their joy and sorrow
Dr James Doty spoke on how peace starts from oneself and tran-
scends to the community. He said having connected with 1000 friends in Facebook doesn't mean we are connected emotionally with
them. Kindness allows species to survive, compassion is from heart were the key points reiterated by him in the event. In his keynote address Sri Sri Ravishankar explained to the crowd how to get connected with our neighbors and involve ourselves in their joy and sorrow. He said war is the result of silence of majority of many good people. Voice of non-violence and sanity should be heard loud and clear. He spoke of his dream on being a "Global Family" with no discrimination of race, color or sex. Recent inhuman incidents in United States and India have made him work against the issue of crime and violence. Cont’d on page 19
April 5, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 17
www.indiapost.com
Maha Shivaratri celebration in Fremont Temple All pics: Neelu Kapoor
18 India Post
Community Across America
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Maa Karunamayi Amma visits Fremont Hindu Temple All pics: Neelu Kapoor
April 5, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 19
www.indiapost.com
Second phase of San Jose Gurudwara completed VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
SAN JOSE, CA: Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Guru Nanak as "Realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living". Gurudwara is Guru's adobe, it is a place of worship in Sikhism where the holy Sikh scripture "Sri Guru Granth Sahib" is respectfully placed under a canopy on an elevated platform with a presiding presence. Sikhs have been living in the United States for well over one hundred years. Sikh population of San Jose grew exponentially
and this led to the establishment of gurudwaras to meet the religious needs of the growing community.
War is the result of silence of majority of the good: Sri Sri Cont’d from page 16
thousands of individuals, non-profit organizations, corporations, and the government in a collaborative effort to build a stressfree, violence-free community. "We want to create a community where every member feels connected to a greater whole, and is empowered to create positive change around them," said Sridhar Suri Dasika, a software engineer and a volunteer with the Art of Living Foundation who is also Campaign Manager, Bay Area. "We will do this by engaging everyday people into compassionate action, inspiring them to stand together as a collective force of change, in turn creating waves of positive change in the community," he added.
He reiterated on a no-arms society and asked people to come out of the virtual world and communicate in person which would help remove the sense of insecurity in the society. Since its initiation in early February, the Stress Free, Violence Free Campaign has seen over 11,000 acts of non-violence by over 3000 campaigners all across the Bay Area. Non-profit organizations such as International Association for Human Values (IAHV), the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, Carry the Vision, Silicon Valley FACES, Ever About Art of Living Forward Club, Vision Literacy, Stillheart In- Foundation: stitute, Peninsula Jewish Community Center, have joined hands for the coaliHe reiterated on a no-arms society tion, and many more are and asked people to come out of the joining every day. Major Silicon Valley cor- virtual world and communicate in porations are not only helping spread the word about person which would help remove the the campaign but also en- sense of insecurity in the society couraging their employees to join the campaign. Some are offering to sponsor the tickets to attend The Art of Living Foundation is a nonthe launch event. Among the companies that profit 501(c) (3) educational and humanitarhave partnered are Brocade, Intel, Symantec, ian organization founded by spiritual leader Bloom Energy, Cisco, Applied Materials, Juand humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Sri niper Networks and Nvidia. Sri's initiatives have benefited more than Over 300 volunteers are working to make 30 million people worldwide. this dream come true in the Bay Area. A The Foundation is one of the UN's largnumber of pre-launch events have taken est volunteer-based NGOs, and works in place. On March 9, there was a conference special consultative status with the UN's in Fremont for a "Safe and Peaceful FreEconomic and Social Council, participatmont", which was attended by many local ing in a variety of committees and activiofficials including Interim Chief Richard ties relating to health, education, sustainLucero of Fremont Police Department, able development, conflict resolution, and Councilmember Raj Salwan, non-profit ordisaster relief. ganizations (Rodney Clark of SAVE and Gayathri Sundar of Narika), school board About Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian members (Desrie Campbell and Lily Mei of FUSD), and citizens. They all agreed that leader, spiritual teacher and an ambassaauthorities alone couldn't create a safer en- dor of peace. His vision of a stress-free, vironment. It has to be done through a col- violence-free society has united millions of people the world over through service laboration of all citizens of the city. The campaign aims to lead a sustainable projects and the courses of The Art of Livgrassroots movement that brings together ing.
Jit Singh Bainiwal, Teja Singh, and late Pyara Singh Obhi along with the other dedicated sevadars from the community founded the Sikh Gurudwara San Jose in 1984. The first function of Sikh center San Jose was in 1985 at Aborn Road. In 1994, Gurudwara made an offer to purchase 40 acres of land on the Quimby Hills. This construction overcame lot of hurdles and was cleared by the court in 1998. In August 2004, the Gurudwara formally moved to the location at Murrillo Avenue,
not only in elegance and style, but also for a big community. The second phase of construction started in 2007 and it was opened on April 10, 2011. It not only establishes a permanent Sikh presence in San Jose, but also fulfills the dreams of thousands of Sikhs who had been working tireless to realize their dream. The first phase was completed in 2004 with the entire infrastructure for 12 million dollars. The second phase has now been completed with the cost of 20 million dollars. Bhupinder Singh Dhillon along with the current committee members thanked all of the Sadh Sangat support to make this the most beautiful gurudwara in the world. Cont’d on page 20
20 India Post
Community Across America
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Assembly panel okays Bill on Sikhism in Education India Post News Service
YUBA CITY, CA: A bill introduced in the California assembly last month to seek introduction of Sikhism in higher education curriculum has been approved by the assembly appropriation committee. The bill, called ACR 20, was introduced by Assemblyman Dan Logue of Yuba City on Feb 20. It was co-sponsored by Assemblyman Henry T. Perea. The bill aimed at recognizing the contribution of Sikhs in various fields as well as Sikh tenets of egalitarianism, equality of women, and tolerance of other religions. Assemblyman Dan Logue presented the bill to the appropriations committee of the Assembly on March 19. Mayor Ruby Dhaliwal of San Jaoquin, Dr Jasbir Singh Kang of Yuba City and Prof Onkar Singh Bindra of Sacramento gave powerful testimonies in support of the bill. After hearing them, Committee members unanimously approved the bill to proceed it to the full assembly for vote. Introducing the bill in February, Assemblyman Dan Logue had said, "I am a proud supporter of
Assemblyman Dan Logue with prominent Sikh leaders including D Jasbir Kang, Sarb Johl and Dhillon
the Sikh community of which my district has the largest community in the United States in the YubaSutter area. It's about time that the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) system recognize the importance that Sikhism has as the world's fifth largest religion."
California is the first place in the US where Indian immigrants, mostly from Punjab, landed more than a hundred years ago
Prof Onkar Bindra and members of the Sikh community in California had lobbied hard for the bill. Many organizations, including the Punjabi American Heritage Society of Yuba City and the Sikh Council of Central Valley, also whole-heartedly backed the efforts of Assemblyman Logue and
Prof Bindra. Prominent Sikhs who threw their support behind these efforts included Didar Singh Bains, Hardeep Kaur Singh, Gurjatinder Singh Randhawa, SiriPritam Kaur Khalsa, Matlesh K Ghuman, Harjit K Bajwa, Charanjit S Bath, Pashura Singh Dhillon, Nahar S Heer, Pal Singh Bindra, Miky Singh Hothi and many others. Lisa Kaplan of Natoma School District wrote a letter of support. California is the first place in the US where Indian immigrants, mostly from Punjab, landed more than a hundred years ago. And Yuba City is the first place in the US where the community formed its major cluster. Today, there are over 15,000 Punjabis, mostly Sikhs, in Yuba City which has a population of over 65,000.
Second phase of San Jose Gurudwara completed Cont’d from page 19
Khalsa School, San Jose was started in 1989. The school teaches Punjabi and Sikh religious scriptures to over 625 students of age 3 to 15. The school operates with over 150 volunteers inculcating the culture, language and history to the future generations. Dr Gurinder Pal Singh and Pushpinder Kaur were involved in planning, administration and curriculum for the Khalsa School. The program is scheduled every Sunday from 1-3 pm. They offer kirtan classes coupled with harmonium and tabla teachings. The Khalsa School participates in speech and kirtan competition at local, zonal, state and international
level. They conduct annual sports event for kids of all ages. Some volunteers offer coaching for SAT
program for high school students. The motto of Khalsa School is "Spread the love, Peaceful co-existence", which is the need of hour for the community. Free medical services are being offered by volunteer organizations every Sunday. Last week the services were rendered by Bhagat Puran Singh health initiative students from UC Berkeley. Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative was started by a few students from UC Davis and Sac State in an effort to provide basic healthcare screening and general health/nutrition advice to underserved and neglected communities.
They provide basic healthcare screening and general health/nutrition advice, healthcare advice to fight heart disease and diabetes, health knowledge to prevent chronic disease. A permanent clinic "Guru Harkrishan Free Medical Clinic" is in the works and will open in the near future. Langar is the common kitchen where food is served in a gurudwara to all the visitors without distinction of background for free. Langar is open to Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike. San Jose Gurudwara is equipped with modern kitchen amenities and serves the best in class food to all visit-
ing the holy shrine. On a Sunday, the Gurudwara serves food to over 5000 people. The Gurudwara performs Sikh weddings on Saturdays. They do high quality live streaming of the weddings which can be accessed by family members of the bride and groom. This gives an opportunity for family members living far away in India or other parts to witness the happenings. Guru Nanak rejected the caste system and the division of any people on the basis of religion, birth, power or wealth and this gurudwara is helping the community to spread love.
Community Across America
April 5, 2013
India Post 21
www.indiapost.com
Not all fats are harmful CHITRA THAKUR
T
he war between the good they are more harmful because and the bad is always on. they also lower good cholesterol It is essential to know (HDL). That will increase your risk about them and their use for for CHD (Coronary Heart Dishealthy living. When given the ease). question, what do you know about Saturated fats: fat; nine out of ten people say I Saturated fats such as those know that it's "Bad" for you. But found in meat at least have the that answer is only half correct, essential nutrients such as protein just like carbohydrates, not all fats and iron, in contrast to trans fatty are created equal. acids. Eating too many foods rich Fat is a major source of energy in saturated fats has been associfor the body and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids. Both animal- As a food ingredient, fat and plant-derived food provides taste, consistency products contain fat, and stability and helps you and when eaten in moderation, fat is important feel full. In addition, parents for proper growth, de- should be aware that fats velopment, and mainte- are an especially important nance of good health. As a food ingredient, source of calories and nutrifat provides taste, con- ents for infants and toddlers sistency and stability and helps you feel full. In addi- ated with the development of detion, parents should be aware that generative diseases, including fats are an especially important heart disease and even cancer. source of calories and nutrients for infants and toddlers (up to 2 years of age), who have the high- The Real Fat Polyunsaturated fats are conest energy needs per unit of body sidered as essential fats. There are weight of any age group. The major groups of dietary fat two types of essential polyunare Unsaturated, saturated fats - Omega-3 and (monounsaturated and polyun- Omega-6. Omega-3s (and Omega-6s) are saturated) Saturated Trans Fats termed essential fatty acids and cholesterol. Unsaturated fats (EFAs) because they are essential are beneficial when consumed in moderation, saturated and trans to life and good health. However, fats are not. Saturated fat and trans the body cannot make them on its fats raise LDL cholesterol levels own. For this reason, omega-3s in the blood. Dietary cholesterol must be obtained from food, thus also contributes to heart disease. making outside sources of these Therefore, it is advisable to fats "essential." At least 30% of choose foods low in saturated fat, our daily caloric intake should trans fat and cholesterol as part of come from good fat. a healthful diet.
Saturated fat and trans fats raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Dietary cholesterol also contributes to heart disease Trans fatty acids (hidden fats): Trans fatty acids are vegetable oils that are partially-hydrogenated, a process that changes liquid oil to a hard fat margarine, Dalda etc. Trans fatty acids are found in baked goods, fast foods, greasy snack foods (such as movie theatre popcorn or potato chips) and deep fried foods void of nutrients, and processed foods. Trans fatty acids are the most consumed artificial chemical. Trans fatty acids are known to boost "bad" cholesterol levels (LDL) as do Saturated fats, but
Omega-3s
Nutritionists have come to recognize the importance of balancing Omega-3 fatty acids with Omega-6 fatty acids in the diet. Because most people on a typical western diet consume far more omega-6rich foods (including cereals, wholegrain bread, baked goods, fried foods, margarine, and others), the ratio is out of balance for almost everyone. This means for most Americans the emphasis now needs to be on increasing omega-3s to make the ratio more even.
Health Benefits of Omega 3: It improves appearance (hair, skin and nails); improves heart health; reduces hypertension; improve rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Raynaud's disease, and other au-
toimmune diseases; improves depression and symptoms of other mental health problems. It also aids in cancer prevention and cancer support. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid and the building block of human brain and eye tissue. Your brain relies on DHA to function optimally and is also important for heart health.
Dietary Sources Omega-6 Fats: Omega-6 Fats are included in most whole grains (barley, corn, rice, wheat); most raw fresh nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, pumpkin, sunflower); oils (safflower, the richest natural source; sesame, hemp, walnut, wheat germ. Evening Primrose, soy, sun-
flower) and animal products (beef, chicken, pork).
Omega-3 Fats:
Omega-3 Fats are found in leafy green vegetables (broccoli, kale, spinach); beans (lima, navy, pinto, soybeans); some nuts (walnuts, Brazil nuts, flax, hemp); some oils (walnuts, canola, and flax); fish, Cont’d on page 22
22 India Post
Community Across America
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Indian descent Yhip honored as role model for young women India Post News Service
ROSEMEAD, CA: "Work hard, decide what you want and work to get there." That's the advice chemist Kathleen Yhip gives young girls who are interested in careers in the science, technology,
tion, tells girls not to wait for permission to succeed in the STEM fields. That advice has held true for Yhip who has worked at the San Onofre nuclear power plant since 1984, starting as a chemistry technician. Since then, Yhip has risen
Said Doug Bauder, SCE vice president and station manager, "She reminds us that women can reach the pinnacle of scientific achievement and excel in fields that have been traditionally male-dominated� engineering and math (STEM) fields. Yhip, the technical assistant to the site vice president at Southern California Edison (SCE)'s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Sta-
through the ranks as a chemistry engineer and the chemistry environmental engineering supervisor, a position she held from 1987 to 1992. Prior to her current role, Yhip was a senior project manager in
nuclear regulatory affairs for the nuclear plant from 1992 to 2008, responsible for developing technical positions and compliance with environmental requirements. Along the way, she has been involved with the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Electric Power and Research Institute, the Health Physics Society and the American Nuclear Society. As SCE celebrates Women's History Month in March and Diversity Month in April, Yhip is being honored as a role model for young women. "Kathleen Yhip is an outstanding role model for young women who dream of success in the STEM fields," said Doug Bauder, SCE vice president and station manager. "She reminds us that women can reach the pinnacle of scientific achievement and excel in
fields that have been traditionally male-dominated." During her career at the San Onofre nuclear plant, Yhip has worked with representatives from
Kathleen Yhip
103 other U.S. nuclear plants, sharing experiences on strategic planning, business planning and hazard response and with various state and federal entities on policy issues. "We are constantly learning new things and developing ways to improve ourselves and our industry," said Yhip. "The ability to learn and challenge myself keeps me motivated." Yhip has always given back to local nonprofit organizations, making time to volunteer on the board of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County. She is also active in the breast cancer fight as a volunteer for Susan G. Komen for the Cure Orange County. Cont’d on page 23
Not all fats are harmful Cont’d from page 21
preferably fatty cold water type (salmon, anchovy, sardine, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, swordfish, and fresh tuna) and grass-fed, free range animal products (beef, buffalo, chicken, eggs and lamb).
Fat Recommendations: Limit fat to 20 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories. Emphasize fats from healthier sources such as nuts and olive, canola and peanut oils. Minimize polyunsaturated except for Omega 3s Saturated Fat:Limit your daily intake of saturated fat to no more than10 percent of your total calories. For most women, this means no more than 20 grams a day, and for most men this means no more than 24 grams a day. Trans Fats: It should be the least consumed fat, almost 0%.According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, more than 12.5 million Americans have Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), and more than 500,000 die each year. That makes CHD one of the leading causes of death in the United States. What is Trans Fat? Basically, trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil - a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods
containing these fats. Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in dairy products, some meat, and other animal based foods. Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL
Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally cholesterol that increases your risk for CHD. Americans consume on average 4 to 5 times as much saturated fat as trans fat in their diets. Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly. How can you use the label to make heart-healthy food choices? The Nutrition Facts panel can help you choose foods lower in saturated fat, trans fat, and cho-
lesterol. Compare similar foods and choose the food with the lower combined saturated and trans fats and the lower amount of cholesterol. Although the updated Nutrition Facts panel will list the amount of trans fat in a product, it will not show a Percent Daily Value (%DV). While scientific reports have confirmed the relationship between trans fat and an increased risk of CHD, none has provided a reference value for trans fat or any other information that the FDA believes is sufficient to establish a Daily Reference Value or a %DV. There is, however, a %DV shown for saturated fat and cholesterol. To choose foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, use the general rule of thumb that 5 percent of the Daily Value or less is low and 20 percent or more is high. You can also use the %DV to make dietary trade-offs with other foods throughout the day. You don't have to give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a food you like is high in saturated fat or cholesterol, balance it with foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol at other times of the day. Do dietary supplements contain Trans Fat? Do not be surprised! Some dietary supplements that may contain saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol include energy and nutrition bars. Fat Tips: Here are some practical tips you can use every day to keep your consumption of saturated fat, Trans fat, and cholesterol low while consuming a nutrition-
ally adequate diet. Check the Nutrition Facts panel to compare foods because the serving sizes are generally consistent in similar types of foods. Choose foods lower in saturated fat, Trans fat, and cholesterol. For saturated fat and cholesterol, keep in mind that 5 percent of the daily value (%DV) or less is low and 20 percent or more is high. (There is no %DV for Trans fat.) Choose alternative fats. Replace saturated and Trans fats in your diet with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These
You don't have to give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a food you like is high in saturated fat or cholesterol, balance it with foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol at other times of the day fats do not raise LDL cholesterol levels and have health benefits when eaten in moderation. Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils. Sources of polyunsaturated fats include soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and foods like nuts and fish. Choose vegetable oils (except coconut and palm kernel oils) and soft margarines (liquid, tub, or spray) more often because the amounts of saturated fat, trans fat,
and cholesterol are lower than the amounts in solid shortenings, hard margarines, and animal fats, including butter. Consider fish. Most fish are lower in saturated fat than meat. Some fish, such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are being studied to determine if they offer protection against heart disease. Choose lean meats, such as poultry without the skin and not fried and lean beef and pork, not fried, with visible fat trimmed. Ask before you order when eating out. A good tip to remember is to ask which fats are being used in the preparation of your food when eating or ordering out. Watch calories. Don't be fooled! Fats are high in calories. All sources of fat contain 9 calories per gram, making fat the most concentrated source of calories. By comparison, carbohydrates and protein have only 4 calories per gram. To keep your intake of saturated fat, Trans fat, and cholesterol low: Look at the Nutrition Facts panel when comparing products. Choose foods low in the combined amount of saturated fat and trans fat and low in cholesterol as part of a nutritionally adequate diet. Substitute alternative fats that are higher in mono and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil.
April 5, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 23
www.indiapost.com
NRI legal services: A boon for beleaguered NRIs RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Corrupt elements teaming up with street mafias and political thugs in India have been quite active aggressively grabbing landed property, a good number of time illegally and thru unauthorized methods in order to cash in on the real estate boom in recent years. Non Resident Indians (NRIs) are among the biggest victims, among others, since most of the time they are away from their land or property. Anil Narang from Indiana and Dharam Paul in Canada (names changed) found to their dismay while going to Madhya Pradesh
Chicago office officials Dahyabahi Prajapati and Vijay Puniyani
and Punjab that their ancestral land had been swallowed by unauthorized tenants and was littered with ramshackle houses and
Akal Takhat panel condemns Rochester Gurudwara's Kirpan ban India Post News Service
A
seven-member committee appointed by the Akal Takhat recommended last month that the five jathedars discipline the trustees of the Gurudwara of Rochester for petitioning a New York court to impose a ban on Kirpans. "The Judge approved the Kirpan ban after the (board of trustees) showed that it is a dangerous weapon," said Satpal Singh Khalsa, coordinator of the committee, in a Feb. 15 letter to Jathedar Gurbachan Singh. He took particular aim at the head trustee, Santokh Badesha, who does not keep his Kesh nor carry a Kirpan but gave affidavits in court that he is an Amritdhari Sikh, court documents state. "His statements and affidavits are blasphemous and sacrilegious to the Sikh religion," Khalsa said. "My humble recommendations, after dis-
cussing the matter with our committee members, is that (Badesha), along with his team members, must be brought to the book so that no other Sikh dares to insult the Sikh religion, its democratic values, baptized Khalsa Panth, the Sikh way of life and the core principles and foundations of our Sikh faith." The consequences of imposing any restriction - by a gurudwara - are significant not only in the United States but all over the world, committee members said. Sikhs are regularly involved in court cases for the right to wear Kirpans, whether it is in federal buildings, court houses, airports or schools. "If we argue that a Kirpan is an article of faith and we should be allowed to wear it, it becomes more difficult to defend (our position) if a gurudwara itself has banned it," said Satpal Singh, a committee member. He is not related to Satpal Singh Khalsa.
Indian descent Yhip honored as role model for young women Cont’d from page 22
Of Chinese and Indian descent, Yhip was born in the Bahamas to parents from Guyana. Her parents pushed her to study the sciences, encouraging extra homework assignments. "They set the pattern for my life," said Yhip. She later graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology. Yhip remains thankful to her mentors. "Nuclear power plants are a male-dominated workplace, but there have been a lot of changes since 1980," she said. "I am lucky to have a manager who
mentored women and facilitated our professional growth." While Yhip admits that her focus for 2013 will be improving her work and home life balance, she says having the encouragement of family has been critical to her success. For girls looking to follow in her footsteps in the field of nuclear energy, Yhip says maintaining the highest level of integrity is crucial. "Establish your own standards and stick to them," she said. "And don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't or you shouldn't."
huts. When they tried to get their property back thru legal channels they faced lot of hurdles besides threats from street mafias. To their dismay, they also found it was not easy for them to get competent attorneys well versed in laws of the land and with courage to face the wrath of mafias backed by corrupt political clouts. Comes then Nidhi Singh, a young practicing attorney in Punjab who picked up the cudgel back in 2000 to take up the cases of hapless victims, mostly NRIs, from across the globe, and pitch legal battles to thrash these demons in their dens. In less than a decade, Nidhi 's law firm, NRI Legal Services headquartered in Chandigarh, won confidence and accolades from its clients world-wide and
has now blossomed into a full fledged facility providing host of services - Land Search ,Transfer of Land & Property, Partition of
Land and Property , Check Illegal Transfer / Sale/Occupation related issues ,Landlord / Tenant Disputes ,Real Estate / Buying & Selling of property ,Succession certificates/Will/POA - with twelve attorneys at its head office and 300 plus associate attorneys working for it across the country Huge success and a great surge in business induced Nidhi Singh to branch out abroad. The law firm is probably the first one from India to have overseas facilities. It had already marked its presence in UK, Canada and Australia and has now come to the US too. Cont’d on page 25
Nidhi Singh, founder NRI Legal Services now turned Mindsprings (India)
Wells Fargo to lend $55 bn to women-owned businesses India Post News Service
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Wells Fargo & Company, America's No. 1 small business lender and a leading lender to women and diverse owned businesses, has announced a commitment to lend a cumulative total of $55 billion to women-owned businesses in the U.S. by the year 2020, updating its lending commitment first established in 1995. March was National Women's History Month and Wells Fargo has a rich history of working with women business owners and providing them access to capital and financial services. Since introducing the women's lending commitment 18 years ago, Wells Fargo has provided more than $38 billion in capital to women business owners. Today, approximately 30 percent of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women, according to the National Women's Business Council. "Women-owned businesses
are among America's fastest growing segments, and we want to help women grow their businesses, stay competitive, contribute to the economy and create jobs," said Terry Lachenbruch, small business
In addition to the cumulative lending goal, Wells Fargo supports numerous outreach efforts to build relationships with women business owners and help them to succeed financially division manager, Greater Bay area region, Wells Fargo. "Wells Fargo is honored to support womenowned businesses and help our customers succeed financially." Wells Fargo's first lending commitment in 1995 established a goal
to lend $1 billion to women business owners over three years. Fueled by the continued growth of women business owners, the goal was increased, most recently in 2003. In addition to the cumulative lending goal, Wells Fargo supports numerous outreach efforts to build relationships with women business owners and help them to succeed financially. Wells Fargo is a proud supporter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Women Presidents' Organization, as well as several other organizations focused on the education, growth and advancement of women business owners. Wells Fargo provides the full array of financial products and services to satisfy all of the financial needs of women-owned businesses, such as banking, business loans and lines of credit, credit cards, payroll, merchant services, insurance, retirement planning, and online resources.
24 India Post
Community Across America
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Most popular & 'Unique' kids entertainment VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
SANTA CLARA, CA: Most Unique Parties & Ponies is the jolly magic party center where ideas are inspired, created, updated and renewed. This is where Most Unique's "get it all" was founded and has flourished for twenty years! Like no other party com-
pany, it brings a complete party package to your home, park, school, camp, parade, festival, corporate event or anywhere. Imagine a humorous kid friendly magic show, that amazingly produces two or three of our adorable trained pets, a bunny, a dove, a guinea pig. Or a whole petting zoo. The thrill of a real miniature horse for petting, and ponycart rides! Everyone wants bubbles and safe facepaint that washes off with water. Kids love the 'Unique' balloon animals, hats and swords, and the fun and lively games it brings. And what about the humorous and sometimes educational
puppet shows? They keep writing and recording them, with music, sound effects and…naturally, kids silliness. For giggles sake, there are the mascot costumes? Over two hundred characters dwell in their warehouse, including heroes, princesses, clowns, magicians, tigers, bears, monkeys and many popular TV and movie stars…with quality big heads, fat clean bod-
ies, feet and gloves. With Unique you get it all - magic, facepaint, balloons, bubbles, puppets, two characters (one with a human face, the other with big head) and games.
If God can make infinite forms, He can also take a form SWAMI MUKUNDANANDA
S
piritual practices all over the world commonly describe the qualities of God as all powerful, almighty, omnipresent, divine etc. But there are conflicting views on the form that God possesses.
Swami Mukundananda
While some practices are based on the concept of a formless God, others preach about God in personal form. Moreover, most people today are overwhelmed by the large number of forms of God described in Hinduism. Though this speaks great volumes about the depth of this religion, which was originally called the 'sanatan dharma' or the 'eternal religion' in Vedas, people find it bewildering and mis-
understand the concept of Supreme Absolute Truth as stated in the Vedas and scriptures. In this article Swami Mukundananda has clarified some very basic doubts that people have regarding the form of God. He says there is one Supreme God, and he is allpowerful. He has created this world around us, which is full of shapes and forms. If God can make a world with infinite forms, He also has the ability to take on a form himself. If we say that he cannot have a form, then we do not accept him as the allpowerful God. And if we admit that he is all-powerful, then we must also accept that he possesses the power to manifest in a personal form. At the same time, God is also formless. He exists everywhere in the world. For him to be all-pervading, it is necessary that he should also be formless. Hence, the Vedas state that there are both aspects to God's personality: Dvevavabrahmanoroope…(Chandogya Upanishad) "God is formless and All-pervading, but he also manifests in a personal form." In the Vedic tradition, we are fortunate that we have descriptions of the personal forms of God, such as Shree Krishna, Shree Ram, Lord Shiv, Lord Vishnu, etc. Cont’d on page 26
April 5, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 25
www.indiapost.com
Chicago leader recognized for communal harmony HARISH RAO
Members of Sarva Dharma Parishad Left to Right: Haji Maqsood Ahmed, Chairman, City Improvement Council; Sister Kanti of the Convent School; Sher Rajput (wearing honor turban and shawl); Mahant Shree Somgiri Jee Maharaj; J. Kalla, Rajasthan Congress Party Chief; Moulana Abdul Wahid; Sardar Inder Singh, Chief of Gurduwara Sahib.
CHICAGO: A front ranking Indian community leader and an office bearer of Indo American Center and Trustee East-West University Chicago, Sher Mohammed Rajput has bagged the distinct recognition from Sarva Dharma Sabha Rajasthan for his efforts in promoting com-
munal harmony and interfaith dialogues. Rajput was given the title of Ambassador of Interfaith Harmony award at a well attended event recently in Bikaner with a plaque, ceremonial honor turban and shawl. Rajput's daughter, Rachel M. Rajput, of San Fran-
cisco, who was visiting India with her father, also attended the event. "Sarv Dharam Sabha", a grand council consists of the four major religious faiths of Rajasthan - Christian, Hindu Muslim and Sikh In a talk to this paper, Sher Mohammed said that he was In-
dian first and had deep commitment to promoting harmony among followers of all religions. He was honored to receive this award and had written to the Gujarat government that he would strive his best to promote communal amity in the State. He commended CM Narendra
Sher Mohammad Rajput with turban and Plaque
Modi for his recent efforts to win back trust from the minority community and felt that Gujarat could turn out to be a shining example for communal peace for the whole of India.
NRI legal services: A boon for beleaguered NRIs Cont’d from page 23
It launched its office in SkokieChicago recently with two front ranking real estate business persons - Dahyabhai Prajapati and Vijay Puniyani - in charge. It already has chalked out plans going to New York, New Jersey and Atlanta. "We will be there and in the West coast in the course of next six to eight months," beamed Vijay Puniyani confidently.
and effective working relations with people in multi-cultural environment. In a talk to this paper she said that NRI Legal Services is uniquely positioned as a legal management company to help NRIs with monitoring, supervising, representing them for both in-court and out of court work, to protect their land and properties in India." "We are not a restrictive law firm but operate on a much more flexible platform obviating the
ing almost every part of rural and urban India." NRI Legal Services, which turned Mindsprings (India) Private Limited in 2006, basks under its reputation of transparency and a great degree of success. Nidhi Singh said that the rate of success is "nearly ninety percent as we would not touch a case which has poor chance of success legally or is timed out by circumstances beyond control." Another reason for Staff at work in office
Attorneys meet at NRI Legal Service office
Nidhi Singh, the founder NRI Legal Services with a doctorate in history and a law degree under her belt, has excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to establish
need for our clients to be personally present in India. Our experienced team of 300 plus lawyers across the country ensure a complete circle of protection penetrat-
success is that "we quote a particular fee before accepting a brief and we stick by it gain or loss and this lends to a great transparency in our dealings."
She further observed that all their offices overseas in India and abroad are well equipped with top of the art technology that includes integration of voice communication through VOIP and video conferencing. The overseas offices are also directly linked up with their offices in India and the online case management system makes all information available to the clients fast and quick. "Our mission is to ensure that no matter in which part of India the property is located or legal issue is pending in the court, our team will always be able to coordinate, supervise, monitor and report all progress and updates to our clients," she pointed out. Another thing that she asserted was that no matter what "we will fight only thru legal channels and would not indulge in hanky panky
or muscle business." Vijay Puniyani of Chicago office said that he would not have vouched for the company had he not visited the Chandigarh office or had talks with some of the company's clients in UK and Canada. "The service provided by NRI Legal Services headed by Nidhi Singh is a real boon to many a beleaguered NRI and I have no hesitation in saying that we will have the same measure of success that the company has achieved in India," he said. Dahyabhai Prajapati, besides being a real estate magnate, has extensive involvement in community organizations like Manav Seva Mandir. He asserted that NRIs do need a reliable platform in India for protecting their property and property rights. "Our company will meet this need fully," he added.
26 India Post
Community Across America
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
If God can make infinite forms, He can also take a form Cont’d from page 24
Question: The ancient scriptures describe that "The bliss of the personal form of God is exceedingly sweeter than that of the formless Brahman." How is this true? Please elaborate. Swami Mukundananda: Consider an example to understand this point. Let us say that a woman is carrying a baby in her womb. Although she has not seen her baby as yet, she is happy at the thought that soon she will become a mother. After a few months, the baby is born and starts growing up. The mother holds her two yearold baby in her lap with great love. Now, ask that mother, "The joy you are experiencing from your baby now, is it the same as the joy you got when the baby was in your womb." The mother will say, "What are you saying? That was nine months of pain. This is real bliss. I can see my little daughter, hug her, hear her childish chatter, see her innocent pastimes and serve her. When she was in the womb, it was just a feeling that I have a baby." Similarly, those who worship the formless Brahman cannot see their Lord; they cannot witness his sweet leelas; they cannot hear the enchanting sound of his flute, or feel the love of His embrace. They can only experience him in their minds. But the worshippers of God in his form as Bhagavan are able to see the divine form of his Beloved Lord, participate in his sweet pastimes, and serve him to their heart's content. They experience
forms, shapes, attributes, etc. So our mind is naturally accustomed to forms. If we engage in meditation on the formless brahman, it is against our nature. If you were asked to observe a light for six hours and contemplate on it, you would probably not be able to do so. Instead, if you were asked to see a wonderful drama, with a great story, attractive actors and lots of action, you would thoroughly enjoy it, and easily sit through the entire session. Similarly, Shree Krishna says: Kleshodhikatarasteshamavaktasaktachetasam ‌(Bhagavad Gita) "For the embodied soul it is very difficult to meditate on the unembodied Brahman; the path of worshipping the formless Brahmanis full of difficulties." Since our mind is drawn towards sweetness, it is easily attracted to the bliss of the personal form of God. This is called premanand. In this, we can also take advantage of all the nectarine descriptions of the loving leelas of God, which have been described in the scriptures, for turning our mind towards Him. Q: In Hinduism, we have many Gods - Krishna, Ram, Shiv, Vishnu, Durga, etc. Are they all different Gods? And if so, are some of them bigger than the others? SM: The answer to this question is that these are not different Gods; they are different forms of the same Supreme Lord. We too have many personalities. When a man goes to office, he is dressed formally. When he
If you were asked to observe a light for six hours and contemplate on it, you would probably not be able to do so. Instead, if you were asked to see a wonderful drama, with a great story, attractive actors and lots of action, you would thoroughly enjoy it, and easily sit through the entire session all the sweetness of the names, forms, qualities, pastimes, abodes and associates of God. Hence, the highest Bliss of God is attained from His personal form as Bhagavan. This is called premanand, or divine love bliss. It is innumerable times sweeter than brahmanand, the bliss of the formless Brahman. Q: Why does the Bhagavad Geeta say that worshipping the Formless is very difficult for the embodied soul? SM: Since eternity, we have been habituated to interacting with people and things possessing
takes a walk in the park, he is dressed semi-formally. And when he is at home, he is dressed very informally. His wife does not become confused, thinking, "I had married one man. How come I have three husbands?" She knows very well that these are three different appearances of her one husband. Similarly, Krishna, Ram, Shiv, Vishnu, etc. are all different forms of the same one God. We should not consider any one of these as bigger or smaller than the others. This is stated in the Vedas: Ekamsantambahudhaykalpyanti "The Absolute Truth is one but
The highest Bliss of God is attained from His personal form as Bhagavan. This is called premanand, or divine love bliss. It is innumerable times sweeter than brahmanand, the bliss of the formless Brahman it has been described in a variety of ways by the Saints." While comparing the example of a worldly person with God, we must also note the difference. A worldly person is not all-powerful; he cannot exist in all three places at the same time. However, God is supremely powerful. He can manifest in as many forms as He wishes and exist in all of them simultaneously. Hence, he eternally exists in the forms of Krishna, Ram, Shiv, Vishnu, etc. The true devotee respects all these forms of God, although doing devotion to any one of them. Q: If there are so many forms of God that we can choose to meditate on, how does one decide which God to worship? SM: Although Ram, Durga, Krishna, Shiva, Hanuman etc are all different forms of the one Supreme Lord, yet it is advisable to focus your devotion on a single form. There is a Hindi saying: Eksadhe sab sadhe, sab sadhe sab jaay "If you focus all your attention on a single activity, you will succeed in it. But if you try to succeed in multifarious things at the same time, you will fail in all of them." With the same logic, if you try to love all the forms of God, you will end up loving none. But if you focus your mind in devotion to one form, you will develop love for all of them. So you must choose one form to worship, which is called "Ishta Dev", or the devotee's chosen form of God for devotion.
Now in deciding your Ishta Dev, you must consider which form of God is attractive to the mind. If your Ishta Dev has a beautiful form and wonderful pastimes you will find it much easier to meditate on Him. By hearing and chanting those pastimes (leelas), devotees increase their love for God. From both these viewpoints, devotion to Shree Ram and Shree Krishna is both sweet and easy. Hence, they are also the most popular IshtaDevs in India. Their sweet pastimes are lovingly sung and remembered in temples and houses in every part of the country. Amongst them, Shree Krishna manifests four special nectars, above and beyond any other Avatar of God: 1. Exceptionally attractive form (His famous three-fold bending form with a flute on his lips). 2. Amazing sweetness of his flute that attracts even Lord Shankar. 3. The sweetest childhood pastimes that enchant the mind. 4. Loving leelas that reveal how God forgets his almightiness because of the love of his devotees. For all these reasons, it is highly recommended to make Shree Krishna and his divine consort, Shree Radha Rani, as your Ishta Dev. However, if you decide to choose any other forms of God, that is also fine. Q: What about the celestial devatas such as Indra, Varun, Kuber, Agni, Vayu, etc? What is their status in comparison to the Supreme God?
Secretary of State etc do not cease to exist, but the persons holding the posts change. Similarly, in the governance of the world, there are posts such as AgniDev (the god of fire), Vayu Dev (the god of the wind), Varun Dev (the god of the ocean), IndraDev (the king of the celestial gods), etc. Souls selected by virtue of their deeds in past lives occupy these seats for a certain amount of time. Then they are removed from their positions and others occupy these seats. Hence, souls get these posts of AgniDev, Vayu Dev, IndraDev, Varun Dev, etc only temporarily. We cannot compare them to the Supreme Lord who is the all-powerful, eternal creator, maintainer and annihilator of the world. This distinction should be borne in mind between the various forms of Bhagavan, or God, and the celestial gods, or devatas. Many people worship the celestial gods for material rewards. However, we must remember that these devatas cannot grant either liberation from material bondage or God-realization. Even if they do bestow material benefits, it is only by the powers they have received from God. Thus, Shree Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that people who worship the celestial gods are less intelligent. Those who are situated in knowledge worship the Supreme Lord. Swami Mukundananda is a world renowned spiritual teacher from India, and is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree KripalujiMaharaj and founder of JK Yog. He has received his de-
With the same logic, if you try to love all the forms of God, you will end up loving none. But if you focus your mind in devotion to one form, you will develop love for all of them. So you must choose one form to worship, which is called "Ishta Dev", or the devotee's chosen form of God for devotion SM: These devatas live in the higher planes of existence within this material world, called swarg. The devatas are not God; they are souls like all of us. They occupy specific posts in the administration of the world. Consider the Federal government of a country. There is a Secretary of State, Finance Secretary, Industries Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, and so on. These are posts, and chosen people occupy those posts for a limited tenure. At the end of the tenure, the government changes, and all the postholders change too. The posts of
grees in engineering from world renowned institutes in India, IIT and IIM. He has inspired people all over the world on the path of spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God realization. This year, Swamiji will be conducting weeklong programs in 30+ cities of USA from April onwards. For more information visit: http:// www.jkyog.org/ or contact: secretary@jkyog.org To attend Swamiji's Yoga, Meditation and Spiritual Discourses in USA, see the schedule for your city: www.jkyog.org/2013
April 5, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 27
www.indiapost.com
UIC Indian students present State Dept honors Indian Professor in Tulsa great cultural show MARIA GENAY-SHOOK
Asian Media USA
CHICAGO: Students from the Indian Students Association (ISA) recently hosted a sold out, dynamic Cultural Show showcasing dance styles prevailing across India besides a variety of cultural dance mixes with Bollywood songs. It was India Night Flame Fair Awards 2013 at University of Illinois Forum in Chicago. This year, the show's theme was Tribute to renowned Bollywood legend filmmaker late Yash Chopra. The show featured acts such as the Nrutya Kalashree, Brownwashed Part II, Pyaar Mein
Masters of Ceremony Shivam Thakkar, Selwyn Varghese, Jay Shah, Dhruv Patel, and Sahaj Shah
Lead dancer Aahlad Vadrevu shows off his team's choreography as Dhamaal takes over the stage
Axita Patel and Jay Patel take front stage as they dance to the classic songs of Yash Raj films during the ISA Board Dance Chicago Dhamaal amazes the crowd with their stunning dance moves and synchronization
Twist 3, F r e s h t a c u l a r, Raag N' Roll, Ministry of Bhangra, UIC Bhangra, ISA Board Dance, Chicago Dhamaal, UIC Dange Raas and Nazaara. The auditorium was bustling with excited parents and friends of the performers and invitees. Many student participants belonged to different Chicago uniChicago versities like DePaul and hence there was a cross city ethnic mix in the audience. The students emceeing the event did a remarkable job entertaining the crowd with hilarious sketches interspersed between program items. There were five CoMCs who shared the podium making the audience laugh, and bring tears of joy. Monika and Axita did an excellent job while presenting vote of thanks. ISA Board: Lisa Patel (Co-President), Shani Chibber (Co-President), Krishna Modi (Secretary), Axita Patel (Cultural Chair), Monika Sharma (Cultural Chair), Ami Shishodia (Social Chair), Bansri Thakkar (Social Chair), Selwyn Varghese (Publicity Chair), Nikesh Shah (Publicity Chair), Shivam Thakkar (Public Relations), Shivani Patel (Community Outreach), Jay Shah (Webmaster), Parth Shah (Freshman Rep), Neema Patel (Freshman Rep), Jay Patel (Freshman Rep) and Alex Oommen (Treasurer).
TULSA, OK: Dr. Anil K. Kaul, an Associate Professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of clinical laboratories at Oklahoma State University Center for Health and Sciences, recently received the Expeditionary Service Award from the United States Department of State. The service award is presented to employees in the US State Department who serve in designated field locations. Dr Kaul, who served as a senior health advisor in Iraq for the US Department of State, received the award for providing successful service in an arduous and difficult field location. The award included a certificate signed by thenSecretary of State Hillary Clinton and a lapel pin. "This award is presented in grateful recognition of your committed service in extraordinary and arduous conditions during your field assignment in Iraq," Clinton wrote on the certificate. "In spite of your constant danger and diffi-
culty, your contribution to reconstruction, stability and peace reflect great credit on yourself and
Dr Anil Kaul
on the US Department of State." Kaul earned his degree from Madras Medical College of Madras University and dental degree from King Georges Medical College, both in India. He had his Master's in public health administration from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Kaul joined the faculty at OSU Center for Health Sciences in 2007.
Recognition certificate from US State Dept
TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Meethi Boliyaan: Kai Po Che! 2 Manjha: Kai Po Che! 3 Aake Tere Kareeb: Ammaa Ki Boli 4 28 India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 05, 2013
Shubhaarambh: Kai Po Che!
5 Mat Aazma Re: Murder 3 6 Saajna: I Me Aur Main 7 Kaise Bataaoon: 3G 8 Surmayee: Ammaa Ki Boli 9 Naino Mein Sapna: Himmatwala
S
onakshi Sinha seems to have found new passion in dancing. She left all of us in awe when she matched step to step with India's best dancer Prabhu Deva in the movie "OMG: Oh my God!". She turned into a item girl for the movie "Himmatwala" with the song "Thank God its Friday". And for this song, Sonakshi learnt the famous "Moonwalk" step of legendary singer/dancer Michael Jackson. Incidentally this step was shown by director Sajid Khan. Sources say Sajid Khan, himself got on the dance floor to teach Sonakshi the 'Moonwalk'. He saw that the way Sonakshi was doing the step was a little different than how it should be. So he went on the dance floor and had some fun on the dance floor and also taught Sonakshi. Actually Sajid himself is a great dancer and during his college days, he performed this Moonwalk step in lots of dance competitions. It seems that genes of his sister and star choreographer Farah Khan have rubbed on to Sajid Khan. He said, "The song has a retro feel to it, that is why I decided to include the famous step of that era. Sonakshi is a fabulous dancer and she showed it in the song. I was barely of help".
T
he chemistry between former 'it' couple of B-Town Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone at the launch of their up coming film's trailer confirmed that their return on screen would be an exciting one. They were launching the first promo of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Karan Johar, in Mumbai. Ranbir came to Deepika's rescue when she faltered on a question about her tattoo. Deepika had inked 'RK' on her nape while they were courting and promoting their 2008 film Bachna Ae Haseeno. When asked if she would do something similar while
promoting YHD, Ranbir retorted: "Getting a tattoo done for promotions is really silly. I don't think actors in Bollywood, do things only for promotion and marketing. We also have our personal life and you should respect that." "Deepika is a very pretty actress and it is not difficult to act being in love with her. Since our first film, I have seen that she has grown a lot as an actor," Ranbir said. Deepika too praised Ranbir. "I have never seen him prepare for a role. However difficult the scene, he is perfect. Looking at him now, I feel proud," she said. However, Deepika brushed off talks about them getting back together as she said every possible thing had been thought of before they agreed to work together.
10 Dhak Dhak: Nautanki Saala
W
ith Priyanka's Babli Badmaash and Sunny Leone's Laila being talk of the town, the leading actress of the film Kangana Ranaut is feeling sidelined. So much so, that the actor even refused to be a part of the music launch of the film, Shootout at Wadala. A leading publication quoted an industry insider as saying, "Kangana feels she's being kept away despite playing the female lead and Manya Surve's (played by John Abraham) love interest after PC (with Babli Badmaash) and Sunny Leone (with Laila) took centre stage at the film's recent music launch. She's upset about the developments and doesn't want to promote the film. Ekta even explained to her that she has an important part to play in the promotions, but she just doesn't see reason, upsetting Ekta and Sanjay.
Bollywood
April 05, 2013
India Post
29
www.indiapost.com
Himmatwali T
amanna made her Bollywood debut in the year 2005 with Chand Sa Roshan Chehra. The actress then headed southwards. The 23-year-old will soon be seen opposite Ajay Devgn in the remake of the 1980s hit flick, Himmatwala. She will be playing Sridevi's part in the film. On being compared to Sridevi, Tamanna says, "The movie made Sridevi an icon in that era and no one can recreate that magic. But my role too has substance and I have tried my level best to do justice to it. Also I am a huge fan of Srideviji so this role will be my tribute to her." Tamanna had an awesome time shooting with Ajay Devgn. Talking about her on screen romance with the 43-year-old, she says, "As actors when we are on a film set we play the character, irrespective of our age. That is how we are tuned to think so there is no age barrier. I was as comfortable doing a romantic scene as any other scene." Meanwhile, the 23-year-old has bagged another Bollywood project, a comedy flick opposite Akshay Kumar.
Queen of HORROR
B
ipasha Basu hates to be known as the 'face of horror genre', but at the same time she is glad that she has been able to make it popular in Bollywood. Bipasha hopes that her upcoming supernatural thriller Aatma opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui, directed by Suparn Verma, will strike a chord with the audience. Bipasha stressed how horror as a genre hasn't been properly explored in Bollywood. Having starred in films such as Raaz, Rakht, Raaz 3 and the latest Aatma, the actor enjoys working in these films. "Horror films evoke a certain kind of emotion in the audience. As viewers, you will have an expression coupled with excitement. One can be scared, choked with emotion, can cry or laugh, but one can never fall asleep in between while watching a crisp horror film," Bipasha said. "Raaz 3 managed to gross Rs.94 crore, which is huge money for a film made on a modest budget. The film was enjoyed by both the masses and the classes, which goes on to prove that the audience is looking forward to watching films in this genre," she added.
Awaara Tattoo
R
anbir Kapoor is the latest star to have joined the long list of actors with a tattoo. The 30-year-old has inked 'Awaara' on his wrist in Devanagari script. During the first trailer launch of Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone's upcoming film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ranbir's tattoo was clearly visible. Awaara was the name of Ranbir's grandfather Raj Kapoor's hit 1951 film. Earlier, Bollywood celebrities like Saif Ali Khan got his now wife Kareena Kapoor's name tattooed on his arm, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn got Lord Shiva inked, Akshay Kumar got his first son's name, Hrithik Roshan and wife Sussanne got an identical tattoo which represents epidermal love.
30
Datebook
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
ILLINOIS
Upcoming
Upcoming
Upcoming
Upcoming
Fri Apr 5
Sat Apr 13
• Gujjubhai Ni Golmaal
• Indian Speed Dating - Meet 15 Desi Dates In One Night
Venue: Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street , Rahway, NJ 07065 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 13479896104
Sat Apr 13 • Bong Konection 2013: Bengali New Years Eve
Venue: K lounge, 30 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 9173248022
Sun May 5 • Masters of Indian Music
Venue: Fire N' Ice, 85 Lafayette Rd, Fords, NJ 08863 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 973-462-1695
Venue: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York, NY 10025 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 212-545-7536
Sun Apr 14
Fri May 10
• Varli Kids Food Festival 2013
• Soorya Festival New York
Venue: Hyatt at Headquarters Plaza, 3 Speedwell Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960 Time: 12:00 pm Contact: 612-220-3617
Venue: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 832 643 9131
Sat April 27 to Fri May 3 Discourses by Swami Mukundananda • Bhagavad Geeta for Everyday Living Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, 420-450 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale CA 94089 Time: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Sun Apr 7 • Celebrating 100 years of Bollywood with 'Preeti Jhangiani’ Venue: Valencia High School, 500 N Bradford Ave, Placentia, CA 92870 Time: 4:00 pm Contact: 714-368-3424
Sat Apr 13 • 'Paada Vaa Un Paadalai' (PVUP)
• Essence of Spirituality Venue: Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Drive, Fremont, CA 94538 Time: Sat: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Sun: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, Tue: 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm Prasadam: Prasadam will be served after the program May 4th (Sat) to May 10
• Regular On-going Balmukund Class Venue: 3839, Heriatage Terrace #232, Fremont, CA Contact: 510-794-3368, Email: babitarpur@gmail.com
Venue: TBA, 100 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Time: 4:00 pm Contact: 949 733 3150
Sat Apr 20 • Krazy 2 Venue: Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, 777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 714-584-7466
ATLANTA Upcoming Sat Apr 6 • Bollywood 15.01 Spring Beats
• Regular On-going Satsang: Contact: 408-594-8197 Email: lisamousum@gmail.com, 510-573-2288 Email: karuna101_sharma@yahoo.com
WASHINGTON DC Upcoming Fri Apr 12
Venue: Twisted Taco Perimeter, 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30346 Time: 9:00 pm Contact: 770-339-0991
Friday Apr 19 • Sunidhi Chauhan & Ali Zafar's Krazy live in Atlanta Venue: Atlanta Civic Center, 395, Piedmont Ave, NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 Time: 8:30 pm Contact: 404-576-8909
• Adnan Sami - Live in concert Venue: Warner Theatre, 513 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20004 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 202-5962784
Fri Apr 26 • Paresh Rawal in Double Roll Venue: GWCC in Sidney Marcus Auditorium, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd, NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 Time: 8:45 pm Contact: 404-786-7860
• J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda Chicago Satsang Information: J K Yog Satsang and Bal Mukund Hindi Classes are held every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of Month 330pm-530pm @ Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets, Board Room, 933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-5614807 -Website: www.jkyog.org Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes- Bal Mukund Classes are held every 1st and 3rd Sunday of Month 11am-1pm @ Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-5614807 - Website: www.jkyog.org/bal-mukund Two superhit Gujarati plays are coming to Chicago
1. Eak Bejane Nadta Rahiye Date Venue:
March 22, 2013 Jain Center, Bartlett, IL
2. GujjuBhai Ni Golmaal Date: Venue:
March 29, 2013 Jain Center, Bartlett, IL
• Shreejidwar Community Events Venue: Vaishnav Samaj of Midwest, 440 W Fullerton Ave., Addision, IL - 60101 Time: Holi-Rasiya-Rangotsav: Sun Mar 24, Shree Mahaprabhuji Pragatyosav: Sun May 5, Haveli Patotsav: Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun/ Jul4/5/6/7 Nandmahotsav: Sat Aug 31 Sharad Poonam/Rasotsav Garba: Sat Oct 18 Annakut Mahotsav: Sat Nov 9 Tulsi Vivah: Sat Nov 16 Tavasmi & Kirtan Classes every other Sunday… Satsang Every Saturday & Sunday After Sandhya Darshan Sakha Mandal 3rd Sunday Contact: 630-543-38-71
„ Health
Line
Cause for Down syndrome found
WASHINGTON: Extra chromosome inherited in Down syndrome - chromosome 21 - alters brain and body development, a study has found. Researchers at SanfordBurnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have new evidence that points to a protein called sorting nexin 27, or SNX27. SNX27 production is inhibited by a molecule encoded on chromosome 21. The study shows that SNX27 is reduced in human Down syndrome brains. The extra copy of chromosome 21 means a person with Down syndrome produces less SNX27 protein, which in turn disrupts brain function. What`s more, the researchers showed that restoring SNX27 in Down syndrome mice improves cognitive function and behavior. "In the brain, SNX27 keeps certain receptors on the cell surfacereceptors that are necessary for neurons to fire properly," Huaxi Xu, Ph.D., professor in SanfordBurnham`s Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center and senior author of the study, said. "So, in Down syndrome, we believe lack of SNX27 is at least partly to blame for developmental and cognitive defects," Xu said. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
„ World's first digital brain to study mental disorders
A
South African neuroscientist is building the world's first digital brain in order to uncover new information on mental disorders. "What we are developing is a new foundation, a new instrument - a telescope - that will allow one to look deep into the brain, offering a more systematical approach to any disease," Professor Henry Markram told the Sunday Times. He has been given a 12 billion South African rand grant from the European Union for the project which is being created in a supercomputer at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, News 24 reported. Markram - who has an autistic son - said he believed the project would "help us find new ways to treat autism. More than 200 researchers will work under Markram on the project which is expected to take about 10 years to complete. It should also shed new light on disorders like Alzheimer's Disease.
Health Science 31
India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 5, 2013
Panel objects to proposed rural healthcare course NEW DELHI: In a major setback to government's effort to improve rural health infrastructure, a Parliamentary Committee has opposed introduction of an undergraduate community health course to create a new pool of healthcare professionals. Details on Page 34
Fewer people are dying of tuberculosis in South-East Asia India Post News Service
NEW DELHI: Significantly fewer people are dying of tuberculosis today in South-East Asia compared with 1990, according to the World Health Organization. The death rate due to the disease has decreased by more than 40% in the past 13 years. This achievement is attributed to greater public awareness of TB, an increased number of cases being detected, and more people having access to adequate treatment because of the sustained efforts by Member States, assisted by WHO. On World TB Day 2013, WHO has called on Member States to "Stop TB in South-East Asia - zero death to zero infection." Emphasizing that tuberculosis elimination is a social and public health responsibility, Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, said, "To successfully eliminate TB, we must pay attention to the underlying causes of the spread of the disease, such as poverty, the environment, and nutrition." He added, "Expanding services to billions of people, of diverse languages and cultures, faced with rapid urbanization and large
population displacements in many countries is a major task. TB detection and treatment facilities must be made accessible and affordable to the hard-to-reach and unreached populations at the primary health centers." As access to TB care has expanded substantially, the number of people with TB, or the TB
course), the cornerstone for ensuring TB is successfully treated, has led to relatively low levels of multidrug resistant TB in newly detected cases. Advances in diagnostics are also contributing to success in TB control. Six countries in this Region - Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand
TB elimination cannot be achieved by the health sector alone. It requires coordinated efforts by other sectors, such as environment, infection control, water and sanitation. With adequate resources and dedicated efforts, it is possible prevalence rate, has also declined by a fourth in the Region compared with 1990. All 11 Member countries of the Region have adopted the WHO Stop TB Strategy. More than 88% known TB patients have been successfully treated. Five countries have had a bigger treatment success rate: Bangladesh (92%), Bhutan (90%), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (90%), Indonesia (90%), and Nepal (90%). Good performance by countries in implementing DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-
- have introduced Xpert MTB/ RIIF, a system that detects the disease, including TB that is resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin, rapidly, within 100 minutes. Rapid detection of TB enables health providers to ensure patients get treated quickly and appropriately, and prevents its spread. However, absolute numbers are still high. There were an estimated 5 million TB patients in 2011 in the Region, with 3.5 million new cases. Half a million people died of TB that year. There were also an estimated
90 000 cases of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB in 2011. This is nearly a third of the estimated number of people with MDR-TB in the world. This is mainly due to the large and growing population in this Region. Substantial challenges remain. An estimated one third of TB cases continues to remain unreported. Such cases are of concern as they unknowingly help spread the disease in the community and pose a serious risk of drug-resistant TB. This makes successful treatment difficult, and leads to high TB mortality. There is a need to increase technical and managerial capacity within national programs, provide additional funding for TB programs, extend communitybased care, and develop new tools and improve laboratory capacity to better diagnose and more effectively treat patients and stop multidrug resistant TB. TB elimination cannot be achieved by the health sector alone. It requires coordinated efforts by other sectors, such as environment, infection control, water and sanitation. With adequate resources and dedicated efforts, it is possible to "Stop TB in South-East Asia - zero death to zero infection" in this generation.
Gujarat hosts seminar on medical tourism RUCHIT SHAH
AHMEDABAD, Gujarat: Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) NRG Center and Gujarat State NRG Foundation, jointly organized a Seminar on Medical Tourism at Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) in Ahmedabad recently. Among the participants were GCCI President Prakashbhai Bhagwati, Sr. Vice President Shankerbhai Patel, Hon. Secretaries and Executive Committee members Jayendrabhai Tanna, Narsinghbhai Agrawal, Rohit Shah, Ashish Guru, Bipin Shah, Himanshu Vyas, Nilesh Desai and Gujarat Government officials N. P. Lavingia, Joint Secretary, Cont'd on Page 32
Medical Seminar participants: Arvind Agarwal, IAS, Principal Secretary (NRI), addresses the gathering; On the dais from left: Dr Satish Patel, M.S. FRCS, Sarthak Orthopaedic Hospital, Dr. Bharat Barai, Oncologist Chicago, USA, Shankerbhai Patel, Sr. Vice President, GCCI, Prakashbhai Bhagawati, President, GCCI, Amb.K. H. Patel, Chairman, GCCI, NRG Committee/ NRG Centre, Dr. Kandarp Parikh, M.S., Shyam Urosurgical Hospital, and Dr. Bharat Gadhavi, M.S. CEO & Medical Director, HCG Hospitals
32
India Post
Health Science Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Delhi outlay for health up by 33 per cent NEW DELHI: Vowing to make Delhi the "health and well-being capital" of the country, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has set aside a plan outlay of Rs 2,490 crore for the health sector in the budget for 2013-14. The outlay is an increase of 33 per cent up as compared to Rs 1,872 allocated in 2012-13 In the budget, Dikshit proposed to bring large section of lower and middle income group people under the ambit of "Delhi Arogay Kosh" scheme. Under the new proposal, the income limit to get financial benefit under the scheme would be increased from the existing Rs two to Rs three lakh per annum. Financial assistance under the scheme will be provided to patients having income of Rs 3 lakh per annum. The patients who get assistance under the scheme are those needing organ transplants and cardiac interventions, cancer treatment. Dikshit also announced schemes to strengthen Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) to speed-up transportation of critically ill patients needing emergency medical care to health facilities. The budget had proposed procurement of 100 new ambulances, which would expand the existing fleet of ambulances to 251. Dikshit announced commencement of construction of seven new hospitals and nine new dispensaries in the coming year. As of now, Delhi government runs 38
hospitals, including five super-speciality facilities, and 509 dispensaries. In order to ensure safe blood transfusion in hospitals, Dikshit announced that Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) facility would be introduced in blood banks of government hospitals, which
The fiscal deficit has been pegged at Rs 1,268 crore for the year 2013-14 against Rs 2,912 crore in 2012-13. For the transport sector, Dikshit allocated Rs 3,876 crore for various projects, including purchase of 1,725 low floor and semi low floor buses. The allocation for the
Talking about tax revenue, Dikshit said government expects to collect Rs 19,500 crore from VAT, Rs 5,300 crore from stamps and registration fees, Rs 3,500 crore from excise tax, Rs 1,600 crore from taxes on motor vehicles and Rs 550 crore from luxury tax, entertainment tax and betting tax would ensure accurate screening of donated blood. The CM also proposed to establish six additional Mobile Medical Units (MMU) for the North-East district with central assistance under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The government has set target to screen around nine lakh school students for general check-up under the Chacha Nehru Sehal Yojana in 2013-14. Dikshit said de-worming program will be carried out to benefit 34 lakh children. Declaring 2013 as the Year of Awareness for prevention and early detection of diabetes and hypertension, she also announced to set up Tobacco Cessation Clinics in all districts of Delhi.
sector is 24.23 per cent of the total plan outlay and an increase of Rs 504 crore compared to last year. She also announced giving 8,000 new permits for autorickshaws which will be operated by corporate entities on the lines of radio taxi service. The corporates would set up a call centre to provide autorickshaws on demand. The Chief Minister said more than Rs 1,500 crore would be spent on improvement and maintenance work of the roads, taken over by the government from the municipal corporation last year.
She said that government would procure 625 low floor buses and 1,100 semi low floor buses in the current year to strengthen the public transport infrastructure. In the budget, Dikshit estimated to collect a total of Rs 30,454 crore from tax revenue in the financial year 2013-14 against a total tax collection of Rs 26,150 crore in 2012-13. Talking about tax revenue, Dikshit said government expects to collect Rs 19,500 crore from VAT, Rs 5,300 crore from stamps and registration fees, Rs 3,500 crore from excise tax, Rs 1,600 crore from taxes on motor vehicles and Rs 550 crore from luxury tax, entertainment tax and betting tax. "The proposed total expenditure of Rs 37,450 crore during 2013-14 is to be financed by Rs 30,454 crore from tax revenue, Rs 913 crore from non-tax revenue, capital receipts of Rs 4,113 crore and grantin-aid of Rs 2,701 crore from the central government," she said. The Chief Minister said the outstanding loan which was Rs 30,140 crore as on March 31, 2011 will be reduced to Rs 28,888 crore as on March 31, 2013. "Outstanding debt of Delhi is 7.89 per cent of GSDP in 2012-13 which is the lowest among all the states in the country," she said. -PTI
Gujarat hosts seminar on medical tourism Cont'd from Page 31
NRI Dept. and D. G. Chaudhari, Manager, NRG Foundation. A former Ambassador and Chairman GCCI NRG Center KH Patel and a front ranking oncologist and community activist Dr Bharat Barai from USA also attended and addressed the meet. Addressing the Seminar as Chief Guest, Principal Secretary NRI Department, Government of Gujarat and Chairman NRG Foundation, Arvind Agarwal, IAS, said that the State has promoted six NRG Centers in Gujarat, and GCCI NRG Centre is the most active among them. He said seminars like this one are not financially beneficial to the State unless better services are provided in public hospitals. GCCI President Prakash Bhagvati said that more and more hospitals are receiving international accreditations and till date 28 hospitals in Gujarat have got such accreditations. This shows how fast the medical services are improving in Gujarat. K H Patel, Chairman GCCI NRG Center, said that 6 million Gujaratis are spread in 110 countries of the world. The medical services in Gujarat are cheaper compared to many developed countries. Dr Satish Patel of Sarthak Orthopedic Hospital said that Mexico, Thailand and Singapore are competing with India in providing medical services. We require to improve paramedical and maintenance services to attract more patients from foreign countries. Dr Kandarp Parikh of Shyam Urosurgical Hospital said that pick-up ser-
vice direct from the airport, availability of interpreters and wi-fi services are also necessary for developing Medical Tourism. Dr. Bharat Gadhavi, CEO and Medical Director of the HCG Hospitals, said that foreign exchange earned from these services should be tax free. The registration with the police is a cumbersome procedure and sometimes an entire day is wasted in such
Dr Satish Patel of Sarthak Orthopedic Hospital said that Mexico, Thailand and Singapore are competing with India in providing medical services formalities. Dr. Bharat Barai from Chicago, USA, said that the Licensing Procedure prevalent in USA for doctors should also be implemented in India. This will help in ensuring that doctors are careful in providing reliable services to all the patients, including those from abroad. In short, doctors who addressed the Seminar were of the opinion that the high standard of paramedical and maintenance staff, cleanliness in hospitals, availability of interpretation services and more direct flights joining foreign countries with Ahmedabad are also required to attract foreign patients as countries like Thailand ,Singapore and Mexico have done.
April 5, 2013
Health Science Post
India Post
33
www.indiapost.com
Kartar Lalvani wins healthcare business award entific developments in key sectors, including nutrition and women's health, and exports to over 100 countries," it added. Amit Bhatia, chief of the Swordfish group of companies and son-in-law of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, was declared the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013.
NRI entrepreneur Kartar Lalvani
LONDON: NRI entrepreneur Kartar Lalvani has been conferred with the Healthcare Businessman of the Year Award 2013 at the Asian Business Awards ceremony here. The founder-chairman of Vitabiotics, UK's largest supplier of minerals and vitamin supplements to the retail trade, received the honor from UK's Home Secretary Theresa May at a ceremony here. The Asian Business Awards, commended Lalvani, a chemist by training, for "creating Vitabiotics in the 1970s and overseeing the company's remarkable growth to become the UK's largest supplier of minerals and vitamin supplements to the retail trade." "The company is at the forefront of sci-
Blaming the previous Labor Government for immigration system "mess," May said that "the bright and best students from India are welcome to study in the UK" The Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 went to Indian-origin entrepreneur Sudhir Choudhrie. Speaking on the occasion, the British Home Secretary said Indian students were welcome to study in the UK. Blaming the previous Labor Government for immigration system "mess," May said that "the bright and best students from India are welcome to study in the UK." In a message, the British Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the work done by Asian businessmen in the UK, adding that awards "will be an opportunity to celebrate the enormous contribution that the Asian community makes to the UK economy." -PTI
Too much salt in snacks poses health risks WASHINGTON: Nearly 75 per cent of commercial pre-packaged meals and savory snacks for toddlers in the US are high in sodium which may pose long-term health risks, new research has warned. In the first study to look at the sodium content in US baby and toddler foods, researchers compared the sodium content per serving of 1,115 products for babies and toddlers using data on major and private label brands compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Baby food was categorized as intended for children less than one year old, and toddler food was categorized as intended for children between the ages of one and three. A product was defined as high in sodium if it had more than 210 mg of sodium per serving. The study found that toddler meals had
significantly higher amounts of sodium than baby meals, and the amount of sodium in some of the toddler meals was as high as 630 mg per serving - about 40 per cent of the 1,500 mg daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association. The foods with the most sodium were savory snacks and meals for toddlers. "Our concern is the possible long-term health risks of introducing high levels of sodium in a child's diet, because high blood pressure, as well as a preference for salty foods may develop early in life," said Joyce Maalouf, lead author of the study. "The less sodium in an infant's or toddler's diet, the less he or she may want it when older," Maalouf said. Consuming excessive amounts of sodium has been linked to the development of high blood pressure in scientific studies. -PTI
Nausea drug can kill brain tumors MELBOURNE: Scientists have discovered that the growth of brain tumors can be halted by a drug currently used to help patients recover from chemotherapy-induced nausea. New research from the University of Adelaide looked at the relationship between brain tumors and a peptide associated with inflammation in the brain, called "substance P". Substance P is commonly released throughout the body by the nervous system, and contributes to tissue swelling following injury. In the brain, levels of substance P greatly increase after traumatic brain injury and stroke. "Researchers have known for some time that levels of substance P are also greatly increased in different tumor types around the body," said Dr Elizabeth HarfordWright, a postdoctoral fellow in the University's Adelaide Centre for Neuro-
science Research. "We wanted to know if these elevated levels of the peptide were also present in brain tumor cells, and if so, whether or not they were affecting tumor growth. Importantly, we wanted to see if we could stop tumor growth by blocking substance P," she said. Harford-Wright found that levels of substance P were greatly increased in brain tumor tissue. Knowing that substance P binds to a receptor called NK1, she used an antagonist drug called Emend to stop substance P binding to the receptor. Emend is already used in cancer clinics to help patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea. "We were successful in blocking substance P from binding to the NK1 receptor, which resulted in a reduction in brain tumor growth - and it also caused cell death in the tumor cells," she said. -PTI
34
Health Science Post
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Panel objects to proposed rural healthcare course
Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad
NEW DELHI: In a major setback to government's effort to improve rural health infrastructure, a Parliamentary Committee has opposed introduction of an undergraduate community health course to create a new pool of healthcare professionals. The Committee has instead recommended compulsory one-year rural posting for fresh medical
graduates to meet the shortage of doctors in rural areas. The government had proposed introduction of a 3.5-year Bachelor of Rural Healthcare course, rechristened as BSc (Community Health) course, from the current session to produce Community Health Officers (CHOs) in rural India which did not have adequate number of doctors.
"In view of the opinion of a majority of members opposing introduction of BSc (Community Health) course, the Committee recommended that the government should not go ahead with the proposal for introduction of the course," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare said. The panel, headed by Brajesh Pathak, said the government should continue its focus on strengthening the existing health care infrastructure by increasing intake of MBBS doctors and making provision of one-year compulsory rural posting for them after internship, which would help in providing healthcare for rural people. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently stated in Parliament that the proposed course was likely to be introduced in the states willing to adopt it from academic 2013-14. Azad had also said that medical bodies like the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have not welcomed the proposal, but the government is committed to introduce
Parkinson's drug makes older people decisive
A
drug widely used to treat Parkinson's Disease can help reverse age-related impairments in decision making in some older people, a new study led by an Indian researcher has found. The study by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging also describes changes in the patterns of brain activity of adults in their seventies that help to explain why they are worse at making decisions than younger people. Poorer decision-making is a natural part of the ageing process that stems from a decline in our brains' ability to learn from our experiences. Part of the decision-making process involves learning to predict the likelihood of getting a reward from the choices that we make. An area of the brain called the nucleus accumbens is responsible for interpreting the difference between the reward that we're expecting to get from a decision and the reward that is actually received. These so called 'prediction errors', reported by a brain chemical called dopamine, help us to learn from our actions and modify our
behavior to make better choices the next time. Dr Rumana Chowdhury, who led the study at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL, said: "We know that dopamine decline is part of the normal aging process so we wanted to see whether it had any effect on reward-based decision making." "We found that when we
their early seventies compared with 22 volunteers in their midtwenties. Older participants were tested on and off L-DOPA, a drug that increases levels of dopamine in the brain. L-DOPA, more commonly known as Levodopa, is widely used in the clinic to treat Parkinson's. The findings reveal that the
An area of the brain called the nucleus accumbens is responsible for interpreting the difference between the reward that we're expecting to get from a decision and the reward that is actually received treated older people who were particularly bad at making decisions with a drug that increases dopamine in the brain, their ability to learn from rewards improved to a level comparable to somebody in their twenties and enabled them to make better decisions," she said. The team used a combination of behavioral testing and brain imaging techniques, to investigate the decision-making process in 32 healthy volunteers aged in
older adults who performed best in the gambling game before drugtreatment had greater integrity of their dopamine pathways. Older adults who performed poorly before drug treatment were not able to adequately signal reward expectation in the brain - this was corrected by L-DOPA and their performance improved on the drug. The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
the course, with inbuilt safeguards, to address the serious shortage of human resources in health sector in rural areas. The panel recommended that to improve healthcare infrastructure in rural areas more medical
It also recommended that more nursing graduates may be posted in sub-centers and intake of nursing graduates may be increased in the nursing schools colleges should be opened to meet shortage of doctors. It also recommended that more nursing graduates may be posted in sub-centers and intake of nursing graduates may be increased in the nursing schools. The Committee in its 65th Report to Parliament further recom-
mended that to meet the immediate demand, graduates and postgraduates in the AYUSH stream may be appointed. "The Committee is, however, constrained to note that a very substantial portion of primary healthcare is provided by untrained providers and often by quacks and there is acute shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas. "The Committee would, therefore, like the Ministry to devote its energies towards devising new strategies to overcome this gigantic problem," the report said. During its meetings, a majority of the members were against introduction of the course on the grounds that providing two different sets of health facilitators for urban and rural masses was not only "ethically wrong" but also "unconstitutional". Some members also raised serious apprehensions on clinical competencies of graduates who would be churned out of these schools and how the government would ensure that such graduates would not do private practice. -PTI
Olive oil could hold key to beating Alzheimer's
S
cientists in America have found that oleocanthal - a compound which gives olive oil its peppery "bite" - helps to destroy the toxic proteins that are thought to cause Alzheimer's disease. The researchers believe that the naturally-occurring antioxidant could become a key ingredient in powerful new drugs to fight dementia, the Daily Express reported. They also suggested that a Mediterranean diet could help people cut their risk of developing Alzheimer's. They noted that rates of the disease and other forms of dementia are far lower in Mediterranean countries, where extra-virgin olive oil is a staple part of the diet. High consumption of oleocanthal is believed to help "shuttle out" destructive molecules of the protein amyloid beta from the brain. The sticky protein forms harmful "plaques" which kill off nerve cells and eventually stop one part of the brain talking to the other, causing devastating symptoms such as memory loss and confusion. Amyloid beta is thought to build up in the brain for at least a decade before the first outward signs of dementia are seen.
Finding ways of preventing it from forming plaques is seen as the key to wiping out Alzheimer's. In the latest study, scientists tested oleocanthal on mice and cells taken from them. The compound was found to boost production of two proteins and key enzymes critical in removing amyloid beta from the brain
Rates of the disease and other forms of dementia are far lower in Mediterranean countries, where extra-virgin olive oil is a staple part of the diet by stopping it from clinging on to nerve cells. The researchers believe that their findings also apply to humans. "Extra virgin olive oil derived oleocanthal associated with the consumption of Mediterranean diet has the potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's or related neurodegenerative dementias," the paper quoted Dr Amal Kaddoumi, of the University of Louisiana as saying.
India Post 35
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
New York (Hicksville)
AIRWING TRAVELS INC.
Tel: (516) 931 4600
SEEMA WORLD TRAVEL, INC. One of the Oldest Travel Agencies in St. Louis
Competitive Rates & Confirmed Seats for All Major Airlines 10635 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132
Est. 1991 Toll Free: (866) 532 3413
New Jersey (Iselin)
Tel: (732) 658 5450
Lowest Fares / Confirmed Seats to INDIA & Other Destinations Worldwide Save upto 40% on First and Business Class OPEN 7 DAYS - Call or Email : AIRWINGTRAVELS@GMAIL.COM
NEWS on your desktop
Tel: (314) 423-9990 or (800) 55 SEEMA Fax: (314) 423-0391
www.indiapost.com
Realty Tidbits
Anamudi sells 6.54 lakh Godrej Prop shares
MUMBAI: Anamudi Real Estates, one of the shareholders of Godrej Properties, has offloaded 6.54 lakh shares of the company for about Rs 34 crore. According to information available with the stock exchanges, Anamudi Real Estates Pvt Ltd sold 6,54,880 shares of Godrej Properties, real estate development arm of the Godrej Group, through open market transaction. Shares were sold at an average price of Rs 510.01, valuing the deal size to Rs 33.39 crore. However, the buyer of shares could not ascertained. As of December quarter, Anamudi Real Estates held 11.95 lakh shares amounting to 1.53 per cent stake in Godrej Properties. In a separate bulk deal, HSBC Global Investment Funds sold 7.31 lakh shares of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Ltd for Rs 18.3 crore. -PTI
Jailed for buying Kasauli land on fake papers SOLAN: Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Kasauli, Gaurav Mahajan sentenced Delhi resident Vam Dev to three years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 10,000 for cheating by using a fake Himachali agriculturist certificate to buy land in Kasauli tehsil. The case has once again exposed how sale and purchase of property in Kasauli tehsil is a flourishing trade where even field officials of the Revenue Department act as facilitators. Vam Dev of Punjabi Bagh in New Delhi had procured a fake agriculturist certificate and on the basis of it purchased land in various parts of Kasauli tehsil in 2006. His conspiracy was unearthed when the tehsildar of Kasauli received an anonymous complaint regarding the use of a fake Himachali agriculturist certificate. An inquiry was conducted later by the police and it established his guilt.
Realty players seek more cuts in RBI rate Details on page 38
Real Estate
India among top 20 real estate investment markets NEW DELHI: India is ranked 20th in the list of world's top real estate investment markets with investment volume of USD 3.4 billion in 2012, property consultant Cushman & Wakefield said in its latest report. Details on page 38
36
India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 5,2013
Is now the time to buy a house? MARCIE GEFFNER
L
ow interest rates. Fallen home prices. Rising rents. Is now the time to buy a house? Owning is a more attractive proposition than renting in many perhaps even most - US cities. It's more affordable to buy a house today than it has been in ages. In fact, the National Association of Realtors says houses were the most affordable in 2012 than they had ever been since the group began tracking the data in 1970. Today's high affordability combines two factors: low prices and low interest rates, says Leslie Appleton-Young, chief economist for the California Association of Realtors in Los Angeles. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to buy real estate. I emphasize that double bold and underline," she says. Still, some people in some places aren't able to buy a house or don't want to become homeowners - at least not right away. They would rather rent. "What's subduing that attractiveness (of buying a house) a little bit has to do with how many people have bad credit, no credit, don't have a down payment, don't have a job or don't want to undertake a big financial obligation, even if it's a fire sale," Appleton-Young says. She adds that renting appeals to people who have just started a new job or who are uncertain about job security. Rising rents There's a flip side: Rents are rising in some cities, partly because of increased demand for rental housing. Higher rent makes renting a less appealing option, particularly in places without controls on rent increases. "The demand for rental housing is greater in areas where we've had significant foreclosures be-
cause there are families that have lost their home and renting is the only option," Appleton-Young explains. More renters might buy a house as the economy improves and employment strengthens, but that's not expected to happen right away, says Jed Kolko, a housing economist in San Francisco.
More rentals What's more, builders are putting up new apartment buildings to take advantage of the demand, and that could keep a lid on rent prices, though again, it's a delayed reaction. Lenders stuck with too many foreclosed houses, and investors who've been buying up these
“If you're in a stable job, but (in) an industry where people move around often and you might have to move to another city in three years, you might not want to incur the costs of buying and owning a home” "When you get a new job, you don't buy a house the next day. You (wait until) you've saved a down payment and you're sure enough of your job security that you can make the commitment. It will take some time before recovery in the job market carries over fully to the housing market," Kolko explains.
properties, also have plans to increase the supply of rental housing. But again there's a glitch: Many of those homes aren't located in cities where the jobs are. "Converting vacant foreclosed homes to rentals doesn't help renters who are suffering rising rents in downtown New York or San Francisco because that's not
where the foreclosed homes tend to be," Kolko says. Time in place One factor that hasn't changed is that there are high transaction costs when you buy a house. Consequently, the stay-put-or-movesoon question is crucial. For people who plan to move within five years, it "starts to make a lot less sense" to buy a house, Kolko says. "If you're in a stable job, but (in) an industry where people move around often and you might have to move to another city in three years, you might not want to incur the costs of buying and owning a home," he says. Housing markets are notoriously local, so that's another factor that complicates the decision to rent or buy a house. Longer-term economic and housing fundamentals are important determinants in the direction of most markets - even more so, Kolko says, than the proportion of foreclosure-related home sales.Courtesy Bankrate.com
Real Estate
April 5, 2013
India Post
37
www.indiapost.com
The top 10 real estate tax deductions SAM DEBORD
A
s the time to file income taxes approaches, we need to take a new look at the changing tax landscape for homeowners. The dynamic atmosphere in Washington, D.C. has a different effect each year on which tax breaks are proposed, rescinded, changed, and extended for taxpayers who own a home. Thanks to the efforts of many real estate industry groups including the National Association of Realtors, many of the tax benefits that homeowners enjoy-which were on the chopping block over the past few months-have been protected and extended through the 2013 tax season. Disclaimer - This is only an informational summary of current tax issues in the news. If you need tax advice, please contact a tax attorney or CPA 1. Mortgage Interest deduction The mortgage interest deduction has always been the mostbeloved tax benefit of home buyers in the U.S. New homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are made up almost entirely by interest for the first few years. Their ability to deduct that interest can result in a healthy reduction in tax liability. Affordability for first-time home buyers is directly linked to their ability to deduct the interest on their mortgage. Homeowners who itemize their deductions can deduct the interest paid on a mortgage with a balance of up to $1 million. While there is some movement to limit the total itemized deductions for taxpayers with higher incomes (over $400,000), the current deductions holds for all tax brackets. Americans save around $100 million every year by deducting mortgage interest on their tax returns. 2. Home Improvement Loan Interest Deduction The interest on home equity loans used for "capital improvements" to a home can also be a tax deduction. On loans with balances of up to $100,000, the interest is tax-deductible for a homeowner who uses the loan to make improvements to the home such as adding square footage, upgrading the components of the home, or repairing damage from a natural disaster. Maintenance items like changing the carpet and painting a home are usually not included
as capital improvement projects. 3. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Deduction Homeowners who make a down payment of less than 20% are usually paying some sort of Private Mortgage Insurance. PMI (sometimes abbreviated MIP or just MI), can be a few dollars to hundreds of dollars per month, and it is a large portion of many homeowners' mortgage payments. If your mortgage was originated after Jan 1, 2007, and you have PMI, it can be a tax deduction. The deduction is phased out, 10% per $1,000, for taxpayers who have an adjusted gross income between $100,000-$109,000 and those above that level do not qualify. The extension of this tax deduction in 2013 was one of many last-second saves by real estate industry advocates. 4. Mortgage Points/Origination Deduction Homeowners who paid points
The home must be a primary residence. This means that you must have lived in the home, as your primary residence, for two of the past five years on their home purchase or refinance can often deduct those points on their tax returns. Points, often called origination fees, are usually percentage-based fees which a lender charges to originate a loan. A one percent fee on a $100,000 loan would be one point, or $1,000. On a home purchase loan, taxpayers can deduct the entirety of the points that they paid in the same year. On a refinance loan, the points must be deducted as an amortization over the life of the loan. Many taxpayers forget about this amortized benefit over time, so it's important to keep good records on the deduction of points on a refinance. 5. Energy Efficiency Upgrades/Repairs Deduction Homeowners can deduct the cost of the building materials used for energy efficiency upgrades to their home. This is actually a tax
credit, one which is applied as a direct reduction of how much tax you owe, not just a reduction in your taxable income. 10 percent of the total bill for energy-efficient materials can be used as a tax credit, up to a maximum $500 credit. Insulation, doors, new roofs, and many other items qualify for the energy efficiency credit. There are also individual limits for certain items, such as $150 for furnaces, $200 for windows, and $300 for air conditioners and heat pumps. 6. Profit on Sale of Real Estate Deduction If you've sold a home in the past year, you're likely aware that individuals can claim up to $250,000 of profit from the sale taxfree, and married couples can claim up to $500,000 tax-free. Of course, there are some requirements to escaping the capital gains tax on this profit. The home must be a primary residence. This means that you must have lived in the home, as your primary residence, for two of the past five years. You could rent it out for years one, three, and five, while living in it for years two and four. In this way, a homeowner could potentially claim this tax break on multiple homes within a fairly short time frame, but each taxfree sale must occur at least two years apart from the previous taxfree transaction. 7. Real Estate Selling Cost Deduction For those lucky folks whose profits on the sale of their home might exceed the $250k/$500k limits, there are still some ways to reduce the tax burden. The costs of selling the home can be significant, and those in themselves can be claimed as tax deductions. By adding up all of the fees paid at closing, capital improvements made to the home while you owned it, money spent to make repairs to damaged property, and marketing costs necessary to sell the home, you can add a significant figure to the cost basis of your home. This basically raises the original price you paid for the home. Your cost basis begins with the original price of the home, and then adds in the improvement and selling costs. When the new cost basis price is compared to your selling price, it reduces your potentially-taxable profit on the home significantly. Cont’d on page 38
Indiabulls ties up with Doha Bank for NRI deals DUBAI: Indian realty major Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd has tied up with Doha Bank to offer its NRI customers exclusive deals on properties in India. Complimentary Home Loan eligibility checks, special offers on Indiabulls properties and exclusive promotion for Doha Bank Indian customers will be part of the special offer. The agreement offers mortgage loans to its NRI customers for acquiring properties in India, serving the growing demand from expatriate Indians for home loans and property acquisition in Indiabulls' housing projects. "With the opening of an office in Dubai last year, company's future plans include opening of offices in other GCC countries including Qatar," said Santosh Tandel, Regional Head - MENA Region, Indiabulls. "We aim to connect more and provide seamless service through the arrangement. Gulf NRIs have always contributed significantly in the Indian
economy whether it is remittances or investments in properties," he said. According to him, overall NRIs make up for 25 per cent of its business plus NRIs in GCC countries including Qatar are constantly
“With the opening of an office in Dubai last year, company's future plans include opening of offices in other GCC countries including Qatar� looking for appropriate property investment opportunities both for end use as well as investment purpose. "With an approximate 20 per cent of the Qatar's population comprising of Indians, the need to have a local representation catering to this segment was vital," he said. -PTI
Govt mulling tough real estate regulator: Maken NEW DELHI: The Government plans to set up a tough regulator for the real estate sector with provisions for even jail term for the developer for putting out misleading advertisements about projects. The proposed regulator will also make it mandatory for developers to launch projects only after acquiring all the statutory clearances from relevant authorities, Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ajay Maken said at the National Editors' Conference here. He said all relevant clearances for real estate projects would have to be submitted to the regulator and also displayed on a website before starting the construction.
Maken said a proposal for the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, which seeks to provide a uniform regulatory environment to the sector, will be brought before the Union Cabinet soon. "We plan to introduce the Bill during the Budget Session of Parliament," he said. The Bill has certain tough provision to deter builders from putting out misleading advertisements related to the projects carrying photographs of actual site. Failure to do so for the first time would attract a penalty which may be up to 10 per cent of the project cost and a repeat offence could land the developer in jail, Maken said. -PTI
38
Real Estate
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Realty players seek more cuts in RBI rate NEW DELHI: Real estate players and analysts have welcomed the Reserve Bank's move to cut short-term lending rates, but also said that more such steps are needed to bring growth back to the sector. Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), however, termed RBI's repo rate reduction by "just" 25 basis points as a "missed opportunity" and urged it to ease funding options in realty sector. "One would have expected RBI to be realistic and appreciate the fact the real estate industry supports hundreds of other industries and hence plays a major role in rejuvenating the economy, hit by job losses and dwindling investments," CREDAI National President Lalit Kumar Jain said. The RBI should take steps to ease funding for real estate sector at much lower rates in the interest of millions of home seekers, and ease Cash Reserve Ratio for banks to further enhance liquidity in the system, he added. Jain said: "It is high time that we looked at enhancing growth by infusing liquidity and going in for rate cut... We cannot hope to make housing affordable for the masses
with such restrictive policies...the continued stubborn approach of RBI is shocking." Leading realty consultant Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) said the apex bank has taken the right step to boost economic growth through reductions in
"Since the beginning of year, the second time repo cut clearly indicates the concerns of central bank to support the revival progression of Indian economy and to narrow the fiscal deficit" key interest rates, although the reduction of 25 basis points is a small one. "If this rate cut also translates in further lowering of loan interest rates by banks for businesses and for home buying consumers, then we can definitely expect to see some momentum in a slow and anxious real estate market that was left largely disappointed by the Union Budget," C&W Executive
Managing Director (South Asia) Sanjay Dutt said. Welcoming the rate cut, CHD Developers Managing Director Gaurav Mittal said the step is slated to be beneficial for both the buyers as well as the developers, who have been struggling with cash crunch in recent times. Real estate private equity firm Fire Capital Chief Executive Officer Om Chaudhry said reduction in lending rates will help the sector with low interest on home loans. The 3C Company Director (Sales and Marketing) Brijesh Bhanote said: "Since the beginning of year, the second time repo cut clearly indicates the concerns of central bank to support the revival progression of Indian economy and to narrow the fiscal deficit." M3M India Director Pankaj Bansal said a further reduction expectation will give encouraging outlook to the economy and the developers can expect more inflow towards equity market. Realty research firm PropEquity Chief Executive Officer Samir Jasuja said the repo rate cut will help boost the real estate sector by providing the home buyers an access to home loans at cheaper rates, thereby stimulating demand. -PTI
The top 10 real estate tax deductions Cont’d from page 37
8. Home Office Deduction The home office tax deduction is often cited as a deduction that increases your likelihood of being audited. While the raw numbers might add some credibility to that perception, it's really the way a home office is deducted that gets some taxpayers into audit purgatory. This deduction, when used correctly, is just as safe as any other. Homeowners deduct a percentage of their mortgage, utilities, and repair bills in direct proportion to the amount of their home that is dedicated office space. There are a few hard and fast rules to live by when deducting the costs of your home office. The home office must be your principal place of business (the primary office location where you get the majority of your work done). It needs to be exclusively used for business (it can't be your kitchen by day and office by night). You need to be realistic with its size and use (unless you enjoy audits). 9. Property Tax Deduction New homeowners often don't
know that their property taxes are deductible. While it may sound strange to have a tax-deductible tax, the overall effect is that you don't pay income tax on money that was spent on property taxes. Homeowners should be careful to only deduct the amount of property tax actually paid to their local municipality for the year. This is not
market. An underwater homeowner might convince their lender to agree to a short sale of their home at $100,000, even though they owe $150,000 on their mortgage. While the lender forgives the extra $50,000 owed after the short sale, the government views it as $50,000 in taxable income (a gift from the lender to the borrower).
Homeowners should be careful to only deduct the amount of property tax actually paid to their local municipality for the year. This is not necessarily the amount you paid to your escrow account, and should not include any other city/county fees necessarily the amount you paid to your escrow account, and should not include any other city/county fees that might potentially be on the same bill as your property taxes. 10. Loan Forgiveness Deduction The Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Relief Act of 2007 was created when short sales were becoming a new and growing part of the real estate
The Debt Forgiveness Act temporarily relieved the taxpayer of that burden, but was set to expire this year. Through much effort, it was extended along with many other homeowner tax relief measures this year and homeowners can continue to claim this tax relief in 2013. Sam DeBord is a RealtorÂŽ and Managing Broker at Coldwell Banker Danforth & Associates.
India among top 20 real estate investment markets NEW DELHI: India is ranked 20th in the list of world's top real estate investment markets with investment volume of USD 3.4 billion in 2012, property consultant Cushman & Wakefield said in its latest report. China was at the top position with investment of USD 304.1 billion, followed by US (USD 267.1 billion) and UK (USD 56.3 billion). The consultant said the global property investment market grew by 6 per cent in 2012 to USD 929 billion and is expected to cross USD 1 trillion mark in 2013, the first time since 2007. "India was (20th) among the top 20 real estate investment markets globally with investment volume of Rs 19,000 crore (USD 3466 million) recorded in 2012," C&W said in a statement. The majority of the investment in India were through institutional sales (67 per cent) while remaining were through private equity (PE) investments (33 per cent). "The market witnessed institutional sales (excluding apartments) of Rs 12,800 crore, concentrated in commercial development sites and office segment including stand-alone and pre-leased office buildings," it added. Investments in institutional sales saw a decline of 37 per cent over last year, but private equity investment in India rose by 7 per cent in 2012 at Rs 6,200 crore.
Bengaluru saw the highest number and value of private equity investments at Rs 3,250 crore in 2012, posting more than double of investment over last year, followed by Mumbai with Rs 1,300 crore and NCR with Rs 700 crore investments. "Investment in ready income generating/operational office assets have gained strength over the last few years due to lower risk and
The majority of the investment in India were through institutional sales (67 per cent) while remaining were through private equity steady cash flows associated with this type of investment. With increase in number of high value transactions in this sector, the market is moving towards a mature phase," C&W South Asia Executive Managing Director Sanjay Dutt said. According to C&W latest report 'International Investment Atlas', the global property investment market recorded a modest 6 per cent rise in activity during 2012 with volumes reaching USD 929 billion. -PTI
Advance India to develop premium houses NEW DELHI: Real estate developer Advance India Projects will invest Rs 600 crore to develop around 600 premium residential units over the next 3-4 years in Gurgaon. "We have earmarked an amount of Rs 600 crore, which is specific to the development of 'The Peaceful Homes' project. This investment entails creating a dedicated resource outlay for the development of the project," Advance India Projects Ltd (AIPL) Executive Director Sanjay Sachdeva told PTI here. The project 'The Peaceful Homes' is offering flats at a price ranging between Rs 1.3 crore and Rs 2.5 crore. The planned investment includes the cost of the land for the project, he added. The company will develop the project in about 16 acres of land. The construction work for developing around 600 housing units
will be completed over the next 34 years. On financing the planned investment, the company said it will be primarily done through cash flows from apartment sales to the customers. "...they (customers) will be assisted with the banks tied up for this project with company," it added. Elaborating on the projects, the company said 'The Peaceful Homes' will offer 2, 3 and 4-BHK apartments along with penthouses with sizes varying between 1,565 sq ft and 2,925 sq ft. The starting price of the flats will be around Rs 1.3 crore and it will go up to Rs 2.5 crore, AIPL said. "With an impetus on developing the residential property to provide a vista of peaceful living to the consumers, the AIPL group seeks to bring in best-in-class feature sets to the property which will set it apart from other development projects in its category," Sachdeva said. -PTI
39
India Post
www.indiapost.com
O
ne of the main religious places among the four Char Dham pilgrimage areas, Gangotri, situated in Uttarkashi, is closely related to Ganga, the river that we know as Ganges. The history of Gangotri dates back to centuries when according to mythology, Goddess Ganga transformed herself into a river to dissolve the sins of King Bhagirath's forefathers, following his penance. In order to reduce the impact of her fall, Lord Shiva gathered Ganga into his matted locks and has ever since been associated with Goddess Ganga. Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier and is known as Bhagirathi. The name Ganga picks up later after the river passes Devaprayag and merges into the river Alaknanda. Just the perfect destination to breathe in a serene and pious atmosphere, Gangotri has the charm to at-
tract people from all over. The striking presence of the snow-clad mountains in the vicinity and the pure crystal clear water of the Ganges flowing around add to the sanctity of the place. One feels close to God in the high altitude of Gangotri. Vegan food dominates the culture and is available in the local food joints or dhabas. Non-vegetarian food and alcoholic drinks are a strict no-no.
Attractions Dodi Tal At an altitude of 3307 meters, Dodi Tal is a clear lake nestled amidst thick dense forests. The lakeside has accommodation in the form of a wonderful rest house, a camp site and a log cabin. Dodi Tal is a very famous trekking site and any holiday package is incomplete without a trek to this area. Fishing may be allowed following permission from the Divisional Forest Officer. Those planning to trek to Dodi Tal can take the route which passes Agoda via Kalyani, and advances
April 5, 2013
Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier and is known as Bhagirathi. The name Ganga picks up later after the river passes Devaprayag and merges into the river Alaknanda
into thick forests for a distance of about 16 kms. Every step that takes you higher and higher also exposes you to the beauty of Mother Nature! Ganges Glacier The Gangotri Glacier, situated at a height of 4238 mts, moves along the Gangotri track starting from Chaukhamba and finally merging into the Gaumukh. It is a known fact that the water of the Ganges is 100% pure in nature and contains absolutely no impurities. Even when kept for years, the water displays no change in properties; the various reasons that can be attributed to this fact are its holiness, secretion of herbs or the mineral content of water! The Ganges or Gangotri glacier is an ideal trekker's path that leads to various other spots such as Nandanvan, Tapovan, and Gaumukh. Kedar Tal A crystal clear and transparent lake giving a feel of the chill waters, Kedar Tal is a spectacular creation that Cont’d on page 40
40
Travel & Hospitality Post
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Gangotri: Sacred place of descent of mythological Ganga Cont’d from page 39
before you begin your trek.
lies at an altitude of 4425 mts above sea level. This is the best place for a long trek. The trek to Kedar Tal needs to
Gangotri Temple The Gangotri temple, dedicated to Goddess Ganga, was
be directed through a local guide, and is not for the weaklings. To trek across and cover the entire patch of 18 kms from Gangotri to Kedar Tal without any modern facilities on the way is task for a dare devil. Ensure that you make the necessary arrangements well in advance
constructed on the banks of Bhagirathi by a Gorkha Commander Amar Singh Thapa, in early 18th century. This temple stands at an altitude of 3042m and emits a highly pious aura. Religious rituals are in full swing in the Gangotri temple with the Aarti cer-
If You are looking For the BEST & the MOST AUTHENTIC VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT IN TOWNCome to One and Only One Place
Publicly Acclaimed Top Vegetarian Restaurant Serving NORTH INDIAN • SOUTH INDIAN • GUJARATI • JAIN DISHES
TASTE OUR 30 PLUSE MOUTH WATERING DISHES ONCE YOU COME TO US YOU WILL NOT ELSEWHERE THAT IS OUR GUARANTEE
2508 W. Devon Ave.Chicago, IL 60659
Tel:(773) 274-5800 Fax: (773) 262-4465 E-mail: aryabhavan@aol.com www.aryabhavan.com
CATERING IS OUR SPECIALITY
emony performed by pujaris of the Semwal family. Vishwanath Temple One of the most famous temples in Uttarkashi, Lord Vishwanath temple bears a description in the Kedar Khanda or Skanda Puran. The temple is 300 meters away from the local bus stand at Uttarkashi. This holy shrine has a Shivling which is 60 cms tall and is 90 cms in circumference. The history of this temple dates back to centuries and it is believed to have been constructed by Parashuram. The temple was renovated much later in 1857 by the wife of Sudarshan Shah, Maharani Khaneti. Lord Vishwanath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and people from all over the world make it a point to visit this ancient temple. Harsil Situated two kms away from Dharali, on the highway towards Uttarkashi, Harsil is another picturesque village of scenic importance. Elevated at 2623 mts and stretched at a distance of 72 kms from Uttarkashi, this hamlet is a splendid attraction for nature lovers. The specialty of Harsil lies in the vast number of apple orchards spread across the village. This place can prove to be a source of inspiration for all artists, be it poets, painters or writers. You never know, Harsil may also instill creativity in ordinary individuals! A memorable holiday is guaranteed for those visiting Harsil. Maneri Situated about 13 kms close to Uttarkashi en route to Gangotri, Maneri is the latest entrant in the list of tourist attractions around Gangotri. The main attraction here is the dam built across river Bhagirathi where the water is channeled to turbines through an 8 km
This place can prove to be a source of inspiration for all artists, be it poets, painters or writers. You never know, Harsil may also instill creativity in ordinary individuals! A memorable holiday is guaranteed long tunnel built at Tiloth at Uttarkashi. If you plan to approach Maneri from Gangotri, you have to travel a short distance of 92 kms. A wiser idea would be to plan a trip to
Maneri after covering places in and around Uttarkashi, on your way back to Gangotri. The added attraction to Maneri is the beautiful lake developed as a result of the dam. Tapovan Tapovan is a camping base for those wishing to visit the Shivling peaks. Located at an altitude of
An ideal trekking route, the Tapovan is visited by tourists from all over the globe to enjoy the experience of mountain climbing and trekking. A combination of peace and enthusiasm, spiced up with lots of adventure makes this place special! above 4460 mts above sea level, Tapovan is a beautiful meadow that surrounds the peaks. Enriched with lovely flowers, a climb to this meadow sharpens the images of the surroundings peaks and ranges. As you ascend towards Tapovan, the view of the Shivling peaks gets even better. An ideal trekking route, the Tapovan is visited by tourists from all over the globe to enjoy the experience of mountain climb-
ing and trekking. A combination of peace and enthusiasm, spiced up with lots of adventure makes this place special! Uttarkashi Travel a distance of 155 kms from Rishikesh and you reach Uttarkashi, one of the important pilgrimage destinations of India. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1150 meters above sea level. Uttarkashi is a home to various famous temples including Lord Vishwanath temple, Ekadash Rudra temple, Bhairav temple, Kuteti Devi temple and Gyaneshwar temple. Also situated close by is the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Uttarkashi is known to host the Magh Mela when people and pilgrims from all over the country bring along their village deity to take a dip in the holy Bhagirathi. How to Reach By Air: Jolly Grant at Dehradun, 226 km away, is the nearest airport. Taxis, private cars, state road transport buses are available from the airport to Gangotri via Rishikesh. By Rail: The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, which is well connected to Dehradun and Delhi. By Road: There are daily bus services from Gangotri to Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun. Jeeps and tempos are available from Rishikesh to Gangotri.
April 5, 2013
Travel & Hospitality Post
India Post
41
www.indiapost.com
JK Assembly appeals for safe passage of tourist season JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution appealing to people of the state to ensure "safe" passage of current tourism season and not to allow harming of tourists and tourism infrastructure. "Let the members of this House bring a unanimous resolution cutting across the party affiliations and appeal people for safe passage of tourism season... not to harm tourists, damage tourism infrastructure and transport carrying
including 38,000 foreign tourists, visited Ladakh during last season, he said. The Centre has sanctioned 79 tourism projects worth Rs 367 crore for creation of varied tourist related infrastructure facilities in the state during last four years against which 62 projects have been completed, he said. Three mega projects, including Rs 38.15 crore for Naagar Nagar, Srinagar to Watlab, Rs 16.92 crore for Mubarak Mandi Heritage Con-
sioned during coming financial year, he said.
The Centre has sanctioned 79 tourism projects worth Rs 367 crore for creation of varied tourist related infrastructure facilities in the state during last four years against which 62 projects have been completed The Minister said construction of Rs 40 crore Mubarak Mandi-
tourists and pass it with thumping of benches," state tourism minister Gulam Ahmed Mir told the Assembly. Mir, senior Congress Minister in the state, appealed to the people of Kashmir valley to ensure safe passage of the season starting from April this year. The Minister said the state has recorded highest ever tourist influx in 2011 and 2012, with 13.11 lakh tourists, including 37,000 foreigners, and 6.21 lakh Amarnath yatris visiting Kashmir Valley during last tourist season. Over 1.03 crore pilgrims visited Mata Vaishno Devi while 1.40 lakh,
servation Project and Rs 22.43 crore for Trans-Himaliyan Cultural Centre Project Leh, are also under implementation, he said. The government has forwarded DPRs of Rs 150 crore to the Centre for development of Sufi Circuit in Kashmir, Spiritual Circuit in Jammu and Buddhist Circuit in Leh, which in principle has been agreed to by the Centre, the Minister said. To promote adventure tourism in the state, second phase of Kongdoori-Marysholder Ski Chair Lift Gulmarg has been commissioned at a cost of Rs 17.50 crore. Rs 6 crore Ropeway Project Makdoom Sahib would be commis-
State Tourism Minister Gulam Ahmed Mir
Maha MayaShahbad Cable Car project would be taken up soon after receiving Forest, Wildlife and Environment clearances. He said Ropeways at Patnitop and Shiv Khori would also be taken up after
clearing certain bottlenecks. The Minister said the revenue of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation is expected to touch Rs 36 crore during the current fiscal. -PTI
42
India Post
Travel & Hospitality Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Safety of tourists top priority, says Chiranjeevi NEW DELHI: Expressing anguish over the attempt to assault a British tourist in Agra, Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi has underlined the need for ensuring safety and security for tourists in the country. Addressing the consultative committee of his Ministry here, he said safety and security of tourists are on top of his priority list. He informed the members of the committee that he has immediately ordered suspension of the threestar rating of the Agra hotel involved in the incident. He also said the ministry has issued a show-cause notice to the hotel for canceling its license. Chiranjeevi spoke to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and requested him to put in place a proper system to ensure the safety and security of tourists especially women and children.
He also informed the committee that he has started contacting personally all chief ministers urging them to institute an adequate safety
The growth registered in terms of foreign tourist arrivals was significant for our country especially considering the fact that world tourist arrivals as a whole increased only by 3.8 per cent mechanism for tourists in their respective states. The tourism ministry has set a target to double the foreign tour-
Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi
ist arrivals by 2016 taking 2011 as base. "This would mean that our foreign tourist arrivals need to register a growth of 12 per cent per annum. "For the purpose, the focus of my ministry would be to improve existing infrastructure, create new
Kerala Tourism revenue tops Rs 21,000 cr-mark MUMBAI: Kerala Tourism has said its revenue, both direct and indirect, jumped 11 per cent to touch Rs 21,125 crore in 2012 over Rs 19,037 crore the year ago. The state welcomed 7.94 lakh foreign tourists in the year, up from 7.33 lakh in 2011, said Kerala Tourism Director Rani George in a statement here, adding that the number of domestic travelers crossed the 1-crore mark at 1.01 crore in the year from 93.88 lakh in 2011. The foreign exchange earnings also went up from Rs 4,221.99 crore in 2011 to Rs 4,548 crore in 2012, the statement said, making it one of the largest revenue heads for the state, she said. Kerala has become the number one travel destination in the Google's search trends for India this year. Munnar is also on the list of top 10 domestic destinations on Google's Zeitgeist site showing search trends from around the world, George said. She attributed the rise in the
number of visitors to the successful partnership meets the department held in various cities like Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Lucknow, Gurgaon, Nashik, Pune, Surat, Rajkot and Vishakhapatnam in the
year, apart from global destinations like Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Melbourne, Perth, Rome, Stuttgart, Sydney Warsaw and Zurich. It also took part in many global tourism expos. -PTI
Guj Tourism bags 3 national awards NEW DELHI: Gujarat Tourism has bagged three national tourism awards for best tourism film, innovative use of information and technology and another in the category of best states for comprehensive development of tourism in the country.
In a statement released here, Gujarat government said its star tourism campaign, 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' which features megastar Amitabh Bachchan was decorated with the prestigious National Tourism Award 2011-12 in the category of Award of Excellence- Best Tourism Film.
The statement also said Gujarat was adjudged the third best state in Comprehensive Development of Tourism while Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited also received the award for Most Innovative use of Information Technology. -PTI
infrastructure, broad base human resource development, overcome seasonality of Indian tourism by developing niche tourism products, expand the range of Indian tourism destinations by developing lesser known destinations and undertake aggressive promotional and marketing activities," he said. Foreign tourist arrivals registered a growth of 5.4 per cent and foreign exchange earnings registered an impressive growth of 21.8 per cent last year. He said the growth registered in terms of foreign tourist arrivals was significant for our country especially considering the fact that world tourist arrivals as a whole increased only by 3.8 per cent last year. At the same time, he expressed his concern over India's low share in international tourist arrivals. The country receives only 0.64 per cent
of international tourist arrivals. In order to increase India's share in global tourism, Chiranjeevi said, "My effort is to make India as a round the year destination - a destination for 365 days and for all seasons. For this purpose, we are developing various niche products like rural tourism, wellness and medical tourism, eco and adventure tourism, golf and polo tourism, film tourism, cuisine and shopping tourism and cruise tourism." He further said, "While trying to concentrate on the growth of foreign tourist arrivals, we are not going to lose focus on domestic tourism. In order to popularize and promote domestic travel, the Ministry has launched a new campaign 'Go Beyond' which means go beyond the obvious." The campaign will help the ministry develop lesser known destinations. -PTI
Kumarakom best rural tourism project THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism's rural model in Kumarakom, linking local community to the hospitality industry, has won the national award for best rural tourism project. "The National Award for Kumarakom is recognition of the best practices in responsible and eco-friendly tourism," said Kerala Tourism Minister AP Anil Kumar. "The recognition goes to the people of Kumarakom who made it sure that the project became a huge success through their participation," he said. Kerala also bagged the honors in three other categories at the National Tourism Awards for 2011-12, a Kerala Tourism release said. The Best Wellness Centre award went to Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort in Chowara near Thiruvananthapuram while Pioneer Personalized Holidays won in the Best Approved Inbound
Tour Operator and Travel Agent category. Kumarakom picked up two more awards for Vivanta by Taj in the Best Four Star Hotel category and Coconut Creek Farm and Home Stay, Kumarakom in Bed and Breakfast category. Under the Kumarakom Rural Tourism Project, the Kerala Tourism has forged partnerships with self-help network Kudumbashree to sell fruits and vegetables to tourists in kiosks run by its units. The National Tourism awards are given away every year by the Union Tourism Ministry to recognize excellence and pioneering initiatives in the tourism industry. PTI
In Brief UK curbs benefits of health & home for immigrants LONDON: In a bid to cut down on immigration, British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a string of tough measures to over-turn the country's "soft touch" image, restricting new immigrants' rights to unemployment, health benefits and a "home on arrival". "Under the last government, immigration in this country was too high and out of control. Put simply, Britain was a soft touch," he said during his long-awaited speech on immigration. "There are concerns, deeply held, that some people might be able to come and take advantage of our generosity without making a proper contribution to our country. These concerns are not just legitimate; they are right and it is a fundamental duty of every mainstream politician to address them. We cannot have a culture of something for nothing. New migrants should not expect to be given a home on arrival," he said during a keynote address at University Campus Suffolk on the Ipswich Waterfront. Under some of the latest measures announced, access to social housing will be linked to new rigorous tests and changes to healthcare would be introduced, with the UK getting "better at reciprocal charging" of foreign governments for treatment provided to non-working overseas nationals. Unemployment benefits for nonUK nationals will cease at the end of six months from early next year, largely aimed at countering fears of an influx of Romanians and Bulgarians once movement restrictions are lifted on the relatively new European Union (EU) member-states at the end of this year. -PTI
India hands over passenger info system to Maldives MALE: India has handed over an Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) to Maldives that would allow authorities here in providing safe and efficient immigration service to travelers to the country, whose main source of foreign revenue is tourism. Maldivian authorities said the new system installed at the Male's Ibrahim Nasir International Airport marks a "giant step" forward in the capability of the country's immigration to provide better service to the travelers. The APIS will feed advance information on the passengers traveling to and from Maldives, to the Border Control System in the country, for use by the various enforcement agencies in the country like the immigration, customs and police. -PTI
Immigration 43
India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 5, 2013
Obama calls for comprehensive immigration reform WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has said it was time for a comprehensive and sensible reform to fix the country's broken immigration system in order to attract "the best and the brightest" the world has to offer. Details on page 45
US tech leaders ask Obama for more skilled immigration WASHINGTON: Chief executive officers of some of America's top tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Microsoft, have written to President Barack Obama and lobbied the lawmakers to allow more high-skilled immigration given their significant role in the country's economy. "One of the biggest economic challenges facing our nation is the need for more qualified, highlyskilled professionals, domestic and foreign, who can create jobs and immediately contribute to and improve our economy," wrote more than 100 technology executives in a letter dated March 14. "As leaders of technology companies from around the country, we want to thank you for your sincere efforts in addressing high skilled immigration and we urge that you and your colleagues enact reform legislation this year," they said. Among prominent signatories to the letter were Randal Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T; KR Sridhar, CEO, Bloom Energy; John Donahoe, CEO, eBay; Mark Zuckerberg, Cofounder, Chairman and CEO, Facebook; Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google; Meg Whitman, President and CEO, HewlettPackard; Paul Otellini, CEO, Intel; Bradford L. Smith, General Counsel and EVP, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft; Bob Greifeld,
Randal Stephenson
John Donahoe
“Because our current immigration system is outdated and inefficient, many high-skilled immigrants who want to stay in America are forced to leave because they are unable to obtain permanent visas� CEO, NASDAQ OMX; Safra Catz, President and CFO, Oracle; and Marissa Mayer, CEO, President and Director, Yahoo. "Because our current immigration system is outdated and inefficient, many high-skilled immigrants who want to stay in America are forced to leave because they are unable to obtain permanent visas," the letter said. "Some do not bother to come in the first place. This is often due to visa shortages, long waits for
green cards, and lack of mobility. We believe that numerical levels and categories for high-skilled nonimmigrant and immigrant visas should be responsive to market needs and, where appropriate, include mechanisms to fluctuate based on objective standards. In addition, spouses and children should not be counted against the cap of high-skilled immigrant visas. There should not be a marriage or family penalty," the letter said.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are tens of thousands of unfilled jobs requiring highly skilled individuals. The letter said four high-tech companies alone - IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Oracle - have combined 10,000 openings in the United States. "Each one of these jobs has the potential to create many others, directly and indirectly. Bipartisan legislation currently introduced in the Senate, such as The Immigration Innovation Act of 2013, and the Start-Up Visa Act, will encourage innovation here in the US by allowing American companies and entrepreneurs to have access to the talented workers they need while simultaneously investing in STEM education here in the US," the letter said. "We know what it will take to keep America in a position of global leadership. We know that when America is leading, our economic growth follows to the benefit of our nation's workforce," executives told Obama in the letter. "We call on you to address the need for more qualified, highlyskilled professionals, domestic and foreign, and to enact immigration reform this year. We look forward to working with you and your colleagues in a bipartisan way as we move forward in our common interest," the letter said. -PTI
Wrong assumptions behind visas overhaul bill SHAH PEERALLY
I
n the year 2007, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced what has been known as "The H1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007" which was intended at overhauling the programs focused on the H-1B and L1 visa. This was apparently done in order to give emphasis on the situation where many American workers are supposedly being deprived of qualified jobs that are otherwise and unjustly being offered to foreign workers. Readers may be reminded that
currently an H-1B visa program serves the purpose of allowing companies and universities in the US to employ foreign workers, temporarily in the country. This of course must be done provided that the said employee has a degree equivalent to that of a bachelor's degree in the U.S. This program is applicable to those who apply for the "specialty occupation" category by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The L-1 visa program grants permission to US companies to transfer certain employees from
their foreign facilities to the U.S. offices, for a maximum period of seven years. In a rather recent development, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (RIA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced "The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007? to impose a fresh overhaul on the H-1B and L-1 visa programs so as to give priority to American workers. This is also supposedly an attempt at cracking down on unscrupulous employers who have been depriving qualified Americans of being em-
ployed in high-skill jobs. We take a look at exactly what the arguments made by the Senators are and how they will actually be working out if they are implemented1. According to the senators, the present form of the H-1B visa program has done nothing to protect the American workers cause. This is perhaps not the whole truth. The demand for H1B workers are most often in the 'specialty occupation' sector where it is difficult for the US employers to find Cont'd on Page 44
44
Immigration Post
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
The status of internet proxy marriages CYRUS D. MEHTA
A
recent article in the New York Times entitled "You May Now Kiss the Computer Screen" caught my interest. The article highlights a rise in marriages over the internet, especially through a video chat program Skype, among immigrant communities. "The practice is so new that some immigration authorities said they were unaware it was happening and did not provide extra scrutiny to ensure these types of marriages were not being misused to secure citizenship," the article states. A "Skype marriage" takes place in another country where it is legally registered while the other party participates via video in the United States. If the marriage is considered legally valid in the foreign country, it will generally be recognized in the US. On the other hand, such a marriage is considered a proxy marriage, and under §101(a)(35) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"), if the parties were not in each other's presence at a marriage ceremony, there must be proof of consummation for such a marriage to be recognized under immigration law. This is true even in the case of a couple who were previously married and had consummated their marriage through the birth of three children, and then divorced. They remarried through a proxy marriage that was valid in Italy, but since there was no proof of consummation following that mar-
riage, the visa petition filed on behalf of the spouse was denied. See Matter of B-, 5 I&N Dec. 698 (BIA 1954). Thus, internet marriages, even on the rise, will not be recognized under immigration law unless the parties establish that there was consummation. In addition, there is a requirement that every marriage, proxy or not, be bona fide and not be entered into solely to obtain a green card. Indeed, INA §204(c) imposed a lifetime bar to a new petition being approved on behalf of a beneficiary who was previously involved in marriage fraud. The immigration authorities do not require definitive proof of consummation, and proof of the two parties being together physically after the celebration of their proxy marriage, along with a statement affirming consummation, ought to suffice. In fact, non-proxy marriages do not require consummation to satisfy the bona fide marriage test. In Matter of Peterson, 12 I&N Dec. 663 (BIA 1968), the fact that an elderly couple lived in separate bedrooms and had not engaged in sexual intercourse did not preclude the demonstration of a bona fide marriage. Also, a marriage would still be considered bona fide even though it is no longer viable because the couple have separated as a result of marital discord. See Matter of McKee, 17 I&N Dec. 332 (BIA 1980). The advent of increasingly sophisticated internet-based tech-
nologies have changed the way we live and work, and the law has yet to catch up. For example, telecommuting employees were unheard of before the internet, and I have commented on how existing H-1B visa rules defining a worksite have not been able to cope with this trend in LCAs in the Age of Telecommuting.
There is too much of a concern for fraud, and such proxy marriages could also involve forced marriages of women and children without their consent Internet marriages are another example of this trend, and the couple in the NYT article, Ms. Chowdhury (who is in New York) and Mr. Ahmmed (who is in Bangladesh), notwithstanding the unconventional nature of the celebration appear to have entered into a bona fide marriage. The following extract from the article is worth noting: But for Ms. Chowdhury, 21, and Mr. Ahmmed, 31, the giggling pair pretending to feed each other wedding dessert by holding forkfuls of cake to their computer screens that day, it felt full of the gravity of any other wedding. Ms. Chowdhury noted that her aunt had married similarly, long before
the Internet age - by telephone. Peering from the screen of a laptop, Mr. Ahmmed agreed. "This is my lawful wife," he said. At the last word, his bride squealed with joy. Even if one argues that a Skype marriage may have all the trappings of a marriage where the parties are physically in each other's presence (and can also be intimate via video), it is doubtful whether Congress will be in a mood to change the law to make it easier for such marriages to be recognized for immigration purposes. There is too much of a concern for fraud, and such proxy marriages could also involve forced marriages of women and children without their consent. They could also be used by sex traffickers to bring in women who then unwittingly find themselves involved in sex work in the US. Interestingly, the non-recognition of a proxy marriage helped someone to successfully claim he was a US citizen and avoid deportation. In Moussa v. INS, 302 F.3d 823 (8th Cir. 2009), the government commenced removal proceedings against Moussa based on several criminal convictions. Moussa, on the other hand, claimed he became a citizen at the time of his father's naturalization and could not be deported as a US citizen. Moussa's claim depended on whether his father was married to his non-citizen mother or not at the time of the father's naturalization. Under old INA §321 which
has since been repealed, both parents had to be citizens if they were married in order for Moussa to have become a US citizen. However, if his father was not married to his mother, Moussa could claim derivative citizenship through his father. The government claimed that the parents were married as a result of a proxy marriage while Moussa's mother was in Ethiopia and so he was not a citizen. The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Moussa that such a marriage was not recognized under INA §101(a)(35) as the parents had not consummated the marriage before his father was naturalized and he was thus a citizen. As a result, Moussa could not be deported for his criminal convictions. So long as §101(a)(35) remains on the books, notwithstanding the rise of internet marriages, those wishing to seek an immigration benefit from such marriages must first be able to demonstrate that they commenced marital relations after such a marriage. Even if such a marriage passes muster under §101(a)(35), unless the couple have started cohabiting together, the immigration authorities are likely to look at such marriages more suspiciously in determining whether such a marriage is bona fide or not.
* Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com
Wrong assumptions behind visas overhaul bill Cont'd from Page 43
citizens who are eligible for such positions, especially when it comes to fields such as STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics). Contrary to what anyone might suggest the fact remains that H1B cannot be obtained on non-specialty occupations. This means that a person with regular administrative abilities, without any special capacities cannot obtain an H1B visa. 2. It has been accused that there are many companies which indulge in "job shops", wherein employers supposedly hire a large numbers of foreign workers through the H-1B visa program for a short duration for training purposes. These workers are then sent offshore to work. This seems to be a rather strange accusation as it does not explain why a company would go
to the trouble of hiring people on H1B visa program and train them in the US when the same can training can be provided in their own native countries where they would eventually work. 3. Another assumption is that as of now, the Department of Labor lacks sufficient oversight and investigative authority over the H1B program. This is perhaps not a true assumption because; the Department of Labor (DOL) has a strict view on the LCA (Labor Condition Application). Moreover, the DOL and the USCIS organize regular checks to verify that the client's site where the position of the employees are verified regularly. Perhaps it might be a better method if the USCIS and DOL focus only on the fraud cases instead of spending valuable time on issues such as bad RFEs (Request for Evi-
dence). This might actually help in the overall cause. 4. Experts are often of the opinion that employers use the current L-1 program to evade restrictions
The L1 program is for companies which want to transfer an employee from one company to another. Such applications are usually limited because the conditions are not always met on the H-1B program. The cause cited behind this is that the L-1 program does not have an annual cap and does not include protections for American workers. As a
result, efforts to reform the H-1B program can e improved only if the L-1 program is also reformed. The L1 program is for companies which want to transfer an employee from one company to another. Such applications are usually limited because the conditions are not always met. Moreover the L1 visas are restricted both by the USCIS and the State Department therefore putting a cap on L1 visa does not actually hold much good, on the other hand it might actually hinder different companies in their normal operations. The blanket visa might be an area that needs more control though. Based on these points, one is really unsure about what purpose, the amendment of H1B and L1 visas will actually serve and how much it would really benefit the US employees. On the other hand this might have the reverse effect
of different companies opening branches in different countries so that they can operate under fewer restrictions imposed on them. The information above is the opinion of the author and should not be construed as legal information. You should not act or refrain to act solely on the information provided. Shah Peerally is an attorney licensed in California practicing immigration law and debt settlement. He has featured as an expert legal analyst for many TV networks such as NDTV, Times Now and Sitarree TV. Articles about Shah Peerally and his work have appeared in newspapers such as San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, US Fiji Times, Mauritius Le Quotidien, Movers & Shakers and other prominent international newspapers. His work has been commended by Congress women Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee.
Immigration Post
April 5, 2013
India Post
45
www.indiapost.com
Obama calls for comprehensive immigration reform WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has said it was time for a comprehensive and sensible reform to fix the country's broken immigration system in order to attract "the best and the brightest" the world has to offer. "Immigration makes us a stronger. It keeps us vibrant. It keeps us hungry. It keeps us prosperous. It is part of what makes this such a dynamic country. And if we want to keep attracting the best and the brightest that the world has to offer, then we need to do a better job of welcoming them," Obama said at a naturalization ceremony for a group of new US citizens at the White House. "We've known for years that our immigration system is broken, that we're not doing enough to harness the talent and ingenuity of all those who want to work hard
citizens. Obama pointed out that of late there has been bipartisan effort towards this. "The good news is that we've
"We know that real reform requires modernizing the legal immigration system so that our citizens don't have to wait years before their loved ones are able to join them in America�
US President Barack Obama
and find a place here in America. And after avoiding the problem for years, the time has come to fix it once and for all. The time has come for a comprehensive, sensible immigration reform," Obama said in his address to the new American
seen some real action in Congress. There are bipartisan groups in both the House and the Senate working to tackle this challenge, and I applaud them for that. We are making progress, but we've got to finish the job, because this issue is not new," he said. "Everyone pretty much knows what's broken. Everybody knows
H1-B visas could double under Senate plan WASHINGTON: The number of H-1B visas issued by the US could double under a proposed Senate immigration plan which would also remove the cap on the green card, a move likely to benefit Indian-American technology professionals but not the Indian companies. The Senate immigration plan would dramatically increase the number of high-skilled foreign workers allowed into the country and give permanent legal status to an unlimited number of students who earn graduate degrees from US universities in science, technology, engineering or math, Washington Post reported quoting people familiar with the negotiations. The plan, if passed by both the chambers of the US Congress House of Representatives and the Senate - would meet one of the major demands of top American technology companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft who argue that they are not able to find enough qualified workers in the US.
how to fix it. We've all proposed solutions and we've got a lot of white papers and studies," Obama said. "And we've just got, at this
Given that India has the maximum qualified such professionals in the world, Indian-American technology professionals are likely to benefit from this. But Indian companies are un-
The plan, if passed by both the chambers of the US Congress - House of Representatives and the Senate - would meet one of the major demands of top American technology companies likely to benefit from this immigration reform, if some of the legislations introduced in the Congress are passed, including the one which was introduced by Senator Chick Grassley. The Grassley resolution among other things ensures that
an H-1B application filed by an employer that employs 50 or more US workers will not be accepted unless the employer attests that less than 50 per cent of the employer's workforces are H-1B and L visa holders. "The agreement would be a major victory for the tech industry, which has backed an intense lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill in recent months arguing that Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other companies are having trouble finding qualified workers because of visa limits," the daily said. "The expansion of the visas, known as H1Bs, is one element of talks among a bipartisan group of eight senators, whose legislation is expected to serve as the basis for a deal between Congress and the White House to retool the immigration system. "The number of visas available would approximately double from the current limit of 65,000 per year," The Washington Post said. -PTI
point, to work up the political courage to do what's required to be done. So I expect a bill to be put forward. I expect the debate to begin next month. I want to sign that bill into law as soon as possible," he said. The US President said that real reform means continuing to strengthen the border security and
holding employers accountable. "We know that real reform means providing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are currently living in the shadows - a pathway that includes passing a background check and paying taxes and a penalty, and learning English and then, going to the back of the line behind everyone else who is trying to come here legally," he said. "We know that real reform requires modernizing the legal immigration system so that our citizens don't have to wait years before their loved ones are able to join them in America, and so that we're attracting the highly skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that are going to help create good paying jobs and grow our economy," Obama said. -PTI
PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law
Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney
Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc. 1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1
http://www.proy-singh.com
2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659
46
India Post www.indiapost.com
SKY WORLD TRAVEL 1-888-695-0005
CONSOLIDATORS (INTL. & DOMESTIC) : 3HWHUVRQ 6WH &KLFDJR ,/
SPECIAL LOW FARES TO BOMBAY, DELHI, MADRAS, CALCUTTA, DHAKA, KARACHI, LAHORE etc. Tel: 773-728-9071 773-315-8597
E-mail us at: skyworldtravels@hotmail.com
FOR ALL YOUR
MATCHLESS EXPRESS TOURS 2600 W. Peterson Ave., Suite 105 Chicago IL 60659 Experienced Travel Consultants Pasport and Visa Services available * Confirmed seats (Even in High season) * Low Airfares * Courteous Service 2240-42 West Devon Chicago IL 60659 Ph# 773-338-4080 Fax# 773-338-4088
Call and Contact
Tel. (773) 338 6260
TRAVEL NEEDS INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC AIR INDIA AND ALL OTHER MAJOR AIRLINES. PACKAGE DEAL TAJ TOUR-SOTC
CALL:
Sita Ram Patel @ 847-568-0535
April 5, 2013
Classifieds
April 5, 2013
India Post 47
www.indiapost.com
ASSISTANT FINANCE MANAGER IS HIGHLY WANTED REQUIREMENTS: GOOD TYPING AND COMPUTER SKILLS MUST BE ACCURATE AND HAVE A FOCUS OF IMPROVING THE COMPANY. JOB EXPERIENCE DOESNT MATTER AS ANY JOB EXPERIENCE CAN APPLY .
SALARY IS $3300 MONTHLY. Email me at karenjeffersupply@gmail.com if interested
NAME CHANGE
NAME CHANGE
I, Minal Krishnamurti Bendre wife of Krishnamurti Bendre (20990, Valley Green Dr. Apt 656. Cupertino CA 95014 USA) have changed my name to MINAL BENDRE for all the purposes vide affidavit dated: Mar 21,2013 sworn before Advocate and Notary A. S. Desai, Dharwad.
I, Disha Krishnamurti Bendre daughter of Krishnamurti Bendre (20990, Valley Green Dr. Apt 656. Cupertino CA 95014 USA) have changed my name to DISHA BENDRE for all the purposes vide affidavit dated: Mar 21,2013 sworn before Advocate and Notary A. S. Desai, Dharwad.
48
www.indiapost.com
India Post
April 5, 2013
Amid cheers, Miss India 2000 Priyanka Chopra told the three to appreciate the crown. "It stays with you forever. It changes you� Femina Miss India 2013 Winner Navneet Kaur (middle) 1st runner-up, Sobhita Dhulipala (right) and Pond's Femina Miss India 2nd runner- up, Zoya Afroz
A
ll that glittered at Pond's Femina Miss India (PFMI) 2013 on Sunday March 24 was gold indeed since it was the golden jubilee (50th) year of the pageant. Finally, Navneet Kaur Dhillon (20), the daughter of an army officer from Patiala, was crowned PFMI World 2013. After Army Public School, Ambala, she attended Patiala's Punjabi University. The first runners-up was Sobhita Dhulipala of Visakhapatnam. The 20-yearold ex-student of Vishakha Valley School currently studies at HR College, Mumbai. The city is also the present home of Zoya Afroz (18), who was the second runners-up.
Originally from Lucknow, the Land of Nawabs, Zoya, an actor, studied at R N Shah High School and then Mithibai College. Faced with a rather morbid question of what her one regret would be if she were to die the following day, Navneet gathered her wits quickly and said, "The only thing I would regret would be not having done as much for society as I would like to. Issues of women's empowerment and child labor and other social evils are a big concern."
Amid cheers, Miss India 2000 Priyanka Chopra told the three to appreciate the crown. "It stays with you forever. It changes you from who you could have been to who you are going to be," she said. This year's pageant, held at Yashraj Studios, Andheri, marked a double milestone, given that 2013 celebrates the centenary of Indian cinema as well as the 50th year of the Miss India contest. In this span of time, India has won 34 international titles - second
Zoya Afroz was a popular child artiste NEW DELHI: Miss India second runner up Zoya Afroz is actually not new to glamour. The 18-year-old Mithibai college student, originally from the city of Lucknow, is actually an actress who was a popular child artiste. Zoya first featured in advertisements and later was spotted by Rajrshri productions and went to play actress Neelam's daughter in 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Zoya featured in 'Kuch Na Kaho' The 18-year-old which had Aishwarya Rai and Mithibai college Abhishek Bachchan in the lead roles and also featured in TV series student, originally 'Sonpari' before taking a break from from the city of the glamour world for studies. Incidentally, Zoya considers Aishwarya Lucknow, is actually her role model and always wanted an actress who was to win the Miss India pageant. The 18-year-old appeared in a a popular child arPunjabi film called, 'Sadi Gali Aaya tiste. Zoya first feaKaro' in 2012 and has done commercials for brands like Coke and tured in advertiseKFC. With the Miss India crown ments and later was firmly on her head, looks like we have a new girl knocking on the spotted by Rajrshri doors of Bollywood very soon. productions
only to Venezuela. Host Manish Paul opened the evening with a nostalgic audiovisual tracing the golden history of the contest. From Nutan, Meher Castelino Mistry, Persis Khambatta and Zeenat Aman, down to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sushmita Sen and Priyanka Chopra, the winners have done the country proud. The event started with host Manish Paul quoting an Urdu verse celebrating womanhood. As the event's judges, Karan Johar, Asin, Shiamak Davar, Yuvraj Singh, Ritu Kumar, Chitrangada Singh and John Abraham, entered, their fans rose and cheered. And then, kitted out in black, ivory and flame, the contestants, aged 18-25, walked down the ramp and introduced themselves. They had come from all over the country Assam's Dibrugarh to Orissa's Bhubaneswar, Patna to Pune, and the metro cities. Among them were models, actors and even an aeronautical engineer and a yoga trainer. Comedy trio Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani pretended to gatecrash the event to ease the nerves of the women onstage. They performed a ribald act before moving on to a dance medley. Miss India has long been known as a passport to cinema and there were no pretensions this time. All 23 finalists wore ethnic Bharatanatyam costumes or ghagracholis and danced to a robust 'Radha teri chunri' as if they were ready for the next logical step. A special award called woman of substance was given to Urmi Basu for her work in the field of prostitution and trafficking. It was presented by Miss India 2012 Vanya Mishra.
April 5, 2013
India Post
49
www.indiapost.com
Naeem Khan of NY Star with a heart of gold Supports families of future champions makes India debut
B
ollywood star and philanthropist Akshay Kumar insists that the diversity in sporting talent amongst India's youth is the key to help propel the country forward. Akshay, who regularly promotes martial arts, can relate to the need to stand out from the rest. He asks that India's corporates and those who are fortunate enough should help support India's poorest youths and encourage them to take part in sports other than Cricket. "Cricket...I want something else to come out of this country. I just want it to happen." Kumar said.
A model displays a flowing multi-hued creation by Indian-born American designer Naeem Khan
W
orld-renowned stylist Naeem Khan, who has dressed the likes of US First Lady Michelle Obama, singer Beyonce and actress Penelope Cruz, showcased his collection for the first time in India at the Lakme Fashion Week 2013. Being held in Mumbai, the fashion fiesta is on a roll with a plethora of celebrity showstoppers and front-row personalities. Day two ended with a fashion coup of sorts with global star
hint of shimmer and sequins. The filigree leaf work embellished red and green floor sweeping dresses had just the right mix of sexy and red-carpet opulence. The collection was inspired by traditional weaves and textiles of the country but the silhouettes were modern and contemporary. The designer was humbled with the appreciation he received. While walking to the head ramp, he said, "I'm so happy to be here.
“I'm so happy to be here. I was anxious thinking how Indians will perceive my work� Freida Pinto seated in the front row to cheer for Naeem. She played her part to the tee, dressed in a black and white knee-length number by the Indian-born American designer. While the audience flocked to get a glimpse of her, Freida graciously kept a low profile to ensure all the focus was on the designer. Naeem's collection was a melange of glamorous evening wear, cocktail gowns and red carpet dresses. Models sashayed down the runway in chic numbers with a
Naeem Khan
I was anxious thinking how Indians will perceive my work." Dsigner Rocky S presented a trendy collection of evening gowns and dresses on Day two. The color black and fold dominated his creations and modelturned-actress Evelyn Sharma was the showstopper for the designer second season in a row.
"I support three families whose children are eight to nine years old. I support them completely their father, mother... everything, so that they can come up in the sports field� The actor has thoughtfully given some of his profits and time to invest in a few families who are unable to provide the resources for their sports passionate children. Akshay has taken it upon himself to ensure that these talented youngsters reach their goals and fulfil their potential. Kumar added: "If all the corporates support four to five families and give them all the money they need, I think we can come up with gold medals" The superstar passionately said: "Support these families, their children are made of something which can get us gold medals at Olympics." It takes belief as well as money to ensure that these underprivileged communities nurture their children's' innate talents and Akshay certainly delivers that level of belief: "I support three families whose children are eight to nine
years old. I support them completely - their father, mother... everything, so that they can come up in the sports field. The children are very interested in sports, so they can come up and become great sports persons." says Akshay.
Akshay Kumar proves yet again that he is not just a leading big screen presence with over 20 years in the Indian film industry and a host of 100 crore films under his belt, but that he also has a heart of gold.
50
India Post
April 5, 2013 www.indiapost.com
IFFLA to honor two extraordinary women India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES, CA: The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has announced its honorees for the Sixth Annual Industry Leadership Awards (ILA): veteran network and cable television executive Bela Bajaria, Executive Vice President, Universal Television, and one of India's most sought-after producers on the rise, Guneet Monga. The Industry Leadership Awards honor entertainment industry professionals (US and India-based) who have had a significant impact on the entertainment industry as it relates to India and the Diaspora. The 2013 Industry Leadership Awards will be presented at a gala luncheon on Thursday, April 11 at the iconic entertainment venue, House of Blues in West Hollywood. "It is truly an honor and a moment of pride for IFFLA and its Board of Directors, to bring a spotlight on two extraordinary women, leaders in their respective fields; Bela Bajaria, persistent in her vision, and paving the way for rising leaders like Guneet Monga, who take it upon themselves to change the game in the entertainment industry," said IFFLA Chair Christina Marouda. The keynote address will be given by Andy Bird, Chairman of Walt Disney International and former ILA Honoree. Since joining The Walt Disney Company in 2004, Bird has greatly expanded Disney presence around the world. During his tenure, Disney has acquired UTV, one of India's
premier media and entertainment companies reaching almost 250 million consumers through film, television and interactive media. IFFLA will also salute Christopher Gebhardt, EVP of Participant Media and General Manager of TAG, Participant's consulting and agency services division. Participant is a leader in cinematic ac-
the USA Network hit series "Royal Pains." Mindy Kaling ("The Mindy Project") will be presenting Bela Bajaria's award. "It's an incredible honor to be recognized by IFFLA and I'm very grateful," said Bajaria. "I've always admired the work the organization does and I am excited to be a part of the festival, which
Bela Bajaria, a veteran network and cable television executive, was named Executive Vice President, Universal Television in August 2011. She oversees creative programming for one of the country's largest and most successful television studios, which is responsible for such hit series as "The Office," "Parks and Rec-
During Bird’s tenure, Disney has acquired UTV, one of India's premier media and entertainment companies reaching almost 250 million consumers through film, television and interactive media Bela Bajaria
tivism with a philosophy that "a story well told can change the world." Some of their films include Lincoln, An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting For "Superman" and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. TAG builds communication strategies and programs for brands and foundations, and is about to launch a new initiative to bring their social action campaigns to India. Actor and IFFLA Trustee Rupak Ginn will serve as MC. Ginn's credits include The Namesake, Just Wright, Friends With Benefits, and the role of Raj on
Guneet Monga
shines a spotlight on distinct voices and focuses on talent in front of and behind the camera from the South Asian community worldwide." Said Monga, "I am honored and grateful that such a prestigious award is being bestowed on me. I sincerely thank the entire team of IFFLA for this. I see this as a new milestone and hope to continue doing my best. I would also thank my entire team and specially Anurag for being my rock and support system, always making a strong foundation and carving a path of constant growth."
reation," "30 Rock," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Grimm," "Smash," "Bates Motel," and "Parenthood." The studio also produces new series such as "The Mindy Project," "Go On," "Chicago Fire," "Deception," and "Guys with Kids." Bajaria was previously the Senior Vice President of Cable Programming for CBS TV Studio and the Senior Vice President of Movies and Miniseries for the CBS Network. Upon creating the cable
division at CBS TV Studios in 2007, she shepherded many cable dramas and comedies from prolific writer/directors, including a docu-comedy for Showtime that was produced by Glenn Gordon Caron, "Common Law," and "Panic Boys" for Showtime. While at CBS, Bajaria also worked on numerous cable projects by notable writers such as Carol Mendelsohn, Julian Fellowes, Augusten Burroughs, Anthony Zuiker and James Ellroy. Guneet Monga, CEO and Producer AKFPL and Sikhya Entertainment, was named one of the top 12 women achievers in the Global Entertainment industry by The Hollywood Reporter and among the Top 50 Indians changing India by India Today. The Oscar nominated producer has paved the way for Indian cinema globally, with three of her films premiering at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival: Peddlers by Vasan Bala, and Gangs Of Wasseypur, Part 1 and 2 by Anurag Kashyap. Her credits include the Oscar nominated short film, Kavi, directed by Gregg Helvey, Aiyya, That Girl In Yellow Boots, and Shaitan by Bejoy Nambiar. She has also co-produced Trishna by Michael Winterbottom. Monga's forthcoming projects include Monsoon Shootout by Amit Kumar, Haraamkhor by Shlok Sharma, Toba Tek Singh by Pan Nalin, and the Oscar winning director Danis Tanovic's next venture starring Emraan Hashmi.
2014 Oscars show moved to March Manoj Kumar given lifetime
achievement award
V
idya Balan won the best actress award for her per formance in the film Kahaani at the 8th Renault Star Guild Awards given in Yash Raj Studio. Ranbir Kapoor won the best actor award for his performance in Barfi. Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar received Nightingale of the Century award. She was asked by Salman Khan to sing one line. She sang the song "naam gum jayega." Veteran actor Manoj Kumar was. Ramesh Sippy gave the award to him. Manoj Kumar said that he will be happy to make a new film when Ramesh Sippy makes a film. Superstar Salman Khan hosted the awards night for the first time.
LOS ANGELES: Next year's Academy Awards ceremony - the highlight of the annual movie awards season - will be held on March 2, a week later than normal, so as not to clash with the Winter Olympics in Russia in February, organizers said. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced a Feb. 22 date for the 2015 Oscar ceremony and said both awards shows will be televised live as usual by ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The Winter Olympics are to be held in Sochi, Russia, from Feb. 7-23, forcing several of Hollywood's big awards shows to shift their traditional dates to avoid a clash with
blanket TV coverage of the games. The Screen Actors Guild Awards, one of the key ceremonies ahead of the Oscars, has already announced that its 2014 ceremony will move back from the end of January to Jan. 18. The Golden Globes ceremony, Hollywood's second biggest awards show, has for the past 10 years taken place in Beverly Hills in midJanuary but organizers have yet to announce a date for the 2014 show. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, has shifted its awards ceremony in the past to avoid competition from the Winter Olympics.
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 51
Horoscope
52 India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar
APRIL 5TH - APRIL 11TH 2013 (March 21 to April 20)
J
upiter will bring financial relief. Money stuck for long can also come this week. You may be able to get out of the project or a property draining you out for long. People in power will extend helping hand and will really deliver. You may also replace an old vehicle with newer model. Issue involving a child will get quickly resolved to satisfaction.
(July 23 to August 22)
S
ome of you may feel discontent with the changes at work and start looking for a new and better environment. You will be taking more interest in a child and try to resolve important issues. Some one from a different culture will make an interesting offer. You may be confused whether to go on a trip. It will be better to think twice before actions.
(April 21 to May 20)
R
ight help is only a phone call away. Once again things will start moving in right. You will receive useful tips and leads from a matured and elderly person. Business will pick up suddenly and you will be more optimistic about life. You may get out of a bad relationship also. You will call few old friends and arrange a small party at your place.
(August 23 to September 22)
B
usiness will pick up suddenly and things will be better at work. Jupiter's transit in ninth brings an end to lots of uncertainty clouding your mind in the past. You may visit a holy place or making some contribution to a noble cause. Expect some last minute delay in ongoing legal matters. Isn't it time to get in touch with old friends and relatives.
(May 21 to June 20)
S
ome of you may need to travel out of state for business purpose. Listen to spouse carefully, the idea is not bad. Money wise you will stay comfortable and meet all commitments on time. Strong Venus can take you closer to an adventurous person. New job offer will not be bad and you may be slightly reluctant to take the risk at this point in life.
(September 23 to October 22)
Y
ou will be spending lots of money on family. Some money will also go towards a future trip. You may be suggested minor surgery to overcome a health issue bothering for quite some time. Stick your terms and soon the others will agree. Spouse may have some unnecessary fears in mind, talking will really help calm things down.
(October 23 to November 22)
(June 21 to July 22)
U
ncertainty will clear in career and you will escape the worst. Jupiter's aspect on Saturn will bring an end to lots of anxiety and bring peace in mind. Some of you will be shifted to another position at job. Money wise you will continue to do fine and find time and resources to entertain yourself. You will be in great demand at the get together.
D
eal will be good in short as well as long term. You will make new friends and one of them will give you good leads. Sibling will call to give you very good news. You will spend money on an upcoming trip also. You will be tempted to take a big risk but something will pull you back on last minute. You will relish your favorite items this week. (November 23 to December 22)
C
hanges may start taking place at work. Some of you will be offered opportunity little away from home. Pending issues with government are about to be decided in your favor. You will be paying more attention to spouse and try to entertain more often. Some of you may decide to appear and start preparing for a highly competitive exam. (December 22 to January 19)
E
xpect some serious prosperity from now and on. Project you had been working on will be accepted opening new doors. A new member will be added in the family soon. You will also overcome few difficulties in life. Mind will stay calm and you will make excellent choices this week. Hard work and patience will yield rich rewards in very near future. (January 20 to February 18)
T
here will be big change on financial front. Suddenly you will feel relieved. Expenses will stay under control and new opportunity will bring in extra cash. You will be slowly planning a trip also. Do not disclose your strategy to every one right away. Planets in third will make you take some courageous steps to get out of rat race. (February 19 to March 20)
Y
ou will spend lots of time on phone and writing emails. Commit ments made long ago will keep draining you out financially. Health will be better and you will be more confident about your actions. Meetings will go very well and you will be given green signal also. Spouse may not agree on everything but support you on major ones.
Pandit Parashar, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com
510-886-4370 website: www.parashar.com
Philosophy
April 5, 2013
India Post
53
www.indiapost.com
Page Sponsored by Sahanis NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ
I
n sleep consciousness is dormant, when you get up consciousness says, 'I had a good sleep'. You can give it any name you like - body, mind but it is an attribute that was dormant in sleep - it is not the senses telling you. The food-body will always have desires; beingness is the fragrance of the same body. Prior to it I did not know myself; it was an experienceless state, suddenly the eight clues (five elements and three gunas) of experience and knowingness were fed lots of information - birth, body and so forth, with all this I started suffering. My Guru initiated me into an inquiry about myself. Did I experience my birth and parents? I hadn't, so I rejected it. In the process I started investigating my own beingness, it was a temporary state, so I have disposed it off. I am free from fear now as I know this state will go. I have no fear of my beingness because I will experience the same (the going of beingness). Because of concepts I considered myself a personality and due to this conceptual state my true state suffered. Just as I admonish you, I listen to my friends, their thoughts talk to me, even visions appear, I tell them to shut up. I admonish thoughts and visions. Will DOUGLAS HARDING
L
ong before we reach our teens our ability to pick up a language has hugely deteriorated. At twenty or so our table tennis starts falling off, at twenty-five our figure skating and gymnastics, at thirty our football or tennis. However, our ability to play chess or run a business or make a speech or write or paint or compose may well have been growing all the time and perhaps we've only just begun to do philosophy in any disciplined or creative fashion. And so on, gaining skills and losing skills all the way up to - well, up to what age? While there's still life there's still the question: 'What to do now' what's the right job for me, what do I enjoy most, at this time of my life? Which leads to: 'what - if anything- can I do as well now as in my fifties and sixties? Or even - is it possible? - better than then, provided I keep up the needful practice? In short, what's appropriate now?' It's not for nothing that, traditionally, wisdom is expected to come with age, that the Sage is generally pictured as an Ancient Sage, that the Wise Old Man is among the more convincing of Jung's archetypes.
anybody quarrel with his thoughts? When these foreign or alien thoughts are kept aside, the Self starts sprouting and imparting knowledge. Then it is the realized principle that prevails which was never created, but behaves as though created. Who observes or witnesses then? 'I the Absolute.' If there are no thoughts then there is no fear, and then the Self sprouts. In the
what happened to me? For that principle for which you get no reply, is perfect, whatever answer you get is wrong. If I think of this world, why should I not inquire about prior to consciousness? If I tackle this question, I must investigate what is this principle of 'I am'? I would prefer to play with that child not born because eternal Parabramhan and unborn children are alike. You
any reply you get is not eternal. That eternal, unborn principle is now talking which has been accused of birth. 'I feel I am guilty'. Whatever guilt you accept you have to suffer. In a country not visited a robbery occurs, the Police arrest you here. If you accept you suffer, maybe a life term. I don't accept the charge; I have not visited that place. I am not a robber. I plead that - 'my only guilt is that I
Investigate the cause of trouble that is, beingness
Nisargadatta Maharaj
In the absence of beingness, what have I been doing? My unborn children, what are they doing? The same that I did prior to the appearance of this beingness
absence of beingness, what have I been doing? My unborn children, what are they doing? The same that I did prior to the appearance of this beingness. World, mind and all are expansive, how did this calamity occur with the arrival of beingness? So I must investigate the cause of the trouble that is, beingness. Think how you came into this body complex instead of investigating the world. The body falls down but
want to have knowledge. What do you mean by that? Hold on to that principle which understands, recognizes thoughts and be quiet. For your sake, what are you? Investigate that. Forget who is torturing whom; stabilize in your most confidential being as 'you are'. What are you? Investigate. The problems of manifest world can be solved later. There is no right answer to 'who are you?' No answer is the most correct one;
accept that I am born'. Give it up! The Absolute has no scope, it's unborn. Prior to my appearance (beingness) it never occurred to me that I was, so where is the scope for feeling guilty either? If you had wisdom, you would reject beingness. Excerpted from 'I Am Unborn, Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.' The 116th birth anniversary of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj will be observed on April 9
I'm certainly not suggesting that enquiry into your essential Nature and destiny - into the great questions of life and death - is best put off till hoary old age, which has all too obvious reasons for specializing in such weighty (not to say heavy) matters. On the contrary, the enquiry can't begin too early in life. What I am saying is that - even if you've left it rather late - this is just the job for you to
which is just what's now needed. You have all the leisure free from pressing duties and responsibilities, which you could want for this, the most engrossing of all the enterprises of your life. According to Carl Jung (and all the evidence I have suggests he's right) you are now psychologically ripe for this great endeavor which is coming to terms with your own death, and (much more than
information, all the experience of life you need in order to make sense of it. What more fitting task therefore - what more urgent duty - awaits you than this one: assemble the jigsaw puzzle of your life till the master-design suddenly takes shape: enabling you to look back on the those once so poignant and absorbing concerns as trivial in themselves, yet revealed as indispensable now they are
Coming to terms with your own death
Douglas Harding
pursue now, through old age to very old age. It's exactly what you have an excellent chance of becoming very good at indeed. And this for a variety of reasons. It's likely you have now either realized your ambitions and find yourself as unsatisfied as ever, or else you have given them up as unrealistic or unachievable. In either case you are being helped towards that measure of detachment
You are now psychologically ripe for this great endeavor - which is coming to terms with your own death, and (much more than that) having death itself as your goal that) having death itself as your goal. On the other hand, if you deny or actively resist your built-in need to devote much of the energies of the closing decades of your life to that goal, you are likely to be unhappy for no outwardly discernible reason, deeply afraid of what's to come perhaps clinically sick. You now have in the bag all the raw material all the loose pieces of
subordinated, to the great concerns: What's it all in aid of? What, above all, is my true identity, and therefore my true role and fate? Am I made of god and accordingly indestructible; or am I made of the less hardwearing stuff and accordingly soon for the cosmic dump where everything that is not God ends up? Excerpted from 'The Little Book of Life and Death'
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. -Robert Frost Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success. -Swami Sivananda You can only hate someone whom you have the capacity to love, because if you are really indifferent, you cannot even get up the enough energy to hate him. -Sri Chinmoy The logs of wood which move down the river together are driven apart by every wave. Such inevitable parting should not be the cause of misery. -Nagarjuna Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself. -Khalil Gibran Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? -T. S. Eliot
You Insure all your Valuables, all are replaceable except YOU! So Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs
54
Edit Page
India Post
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Kashmir protests and the return of Fidayeen ZAINAB AKHTER
S
ecurity was beefed up and Maqbool Bhatt and his hanging to draw the attention of the whole put on high alert after the has once again brought back an- world. According to the Director 13 March Fidayeen attack. ger within the valley towards the General Police Ashok Prasad, the Disguised as cricket-playing Government of India especially militants were desperate to strike youth, with lethal weapons hidden among the youth. A hospital in in Srinagar. "Militants want to in their sports kits, at least two GMC, Srinagar and the area near strike in Srinagar to gain publicity. Fidayeen unleashed a brazen at- the Allama Iqbal library in Kash- Nobody comes to know about tack at a CRPF camp in Srinagar's mir University are named after him them when they strike in a far flung Bemina. In a second strike ten days as Afzal Guru Hospital and Afzal area. They want to strike in later, militants attacked a BSF ve- Guru Chowk respectively. Srinagar to give an impression to hicle at Nowgam killing a border He has been bestowed the title people that militancy is alive," he guard and injuring two others. of Shaheed-e-Watan (martyr of the said. Do these attacks signify the nation) and at Eidgah's Mazar-eSecurity has been beefed up in return of the Fidayeen and the re- Shahuda (martyrs' graveyard) a Srinagar in order to thwart any vival of armed militancy in the Val- grave yard for him with gravestone such attacks but whether this mealey? Has the hanging of Afzal Guru inscribed with a demand for the sure can actually thwart the said given an impetus to violence? return of Guru's mortal remains attacks is the question which linThe Bemina attack is the most audacious one in the last three years. A curfew day was chosen to inflict maximum damage on the security forces. The attackers had surveyed the targeted place and chose a different modus operandi - disguised as youth playing cricket, they abruptly Soldiers take positions during an encounter with millitants near a CRPF camp started firing at Bemina in Srinagar indiscriminately at the CRPF personnel. has been put up just beside the gers. While handling the protestFive army men and two militants other empty grave of Maqbool ers on the streets, security forces were shot down and two other Bhatt. are ordered not to fire and are admilitants fled the scene. In the The separatist fractions of the vised to use teargas and other less Nowgam incident militants travel- valley have come together under harmful methods to disperse the ing on motorcycles fired automatic the same banner to form an asso- crowd. In the Bemina case, too, the weapons at a BSF vehicle injuring ciation called MMM (Mutahida army was caught unarmed and the three army men. In the latest at- Majlise Mashawrat) and their main attack took them by surprise. tack, a suspected militant shot a demand from the Government of These attacks have reignited civilian and injured a CRPF per- India is the return of the mortal the debate of revocation of the sonnel in Sopore town on Sunday. remains of Mohmmad Afzal Guru AFSPA (Armed Forces Special and Maqbool, both buried in Tihar Powers Act). Looking at the fast jail. The MMM has been instru- deteriorating security situation in The fear factor mental in charting out protest cal- Kashmir, one can say that AFSPA The attacks have revived fears endars. There are days when sepa- is here to stay for the time being that militancy may return to the rate protest calendars are being or it may even be strengthened to Valley. The youth of the Valley took meet up the security demands. sorted out for men and women. to armed rebellion for the first time Amid the protest calendars, life in when Maqbool Bhatt (founder of Kashmir has come to a halt and JKLF) was hanged in Tihar Jail in Militant strikes: Why the public has to face its brunt. 1984. In between, normalcy re- now? It would be tragic if, in their frusturned to the Valley. If the protests The valley of Kashmir has been tration with the failures of the govof this time are studied, be it in on the boil since the hanging of ernment, the youth were again to 2008 due to the Amaranath land Afzal Guru. Protests continue in pick up arms. All that can be hoped row or in 2010 due to killing of the state demanding the return of for is that good sense will prevail youths in the valley, it may be seen Guru's body which is buried in the and violent methods will be abanthat protesters resorted to only premises of Tihar jail. The hang- doned. If not it is predicted that stones and sticks while clashing ing of Guru has given the militants this time the armed rebellion will a reason to make a comeback in be deadly. with the army. Kashmir considers Afzal Guru the valley. Srinagar gives the miliThe writer is Research Officer, as their leader of a stature close to tants publicity and they are able IReS, IPCS
Twists & turns
I
t is inevitable that the political arena will see many twists and turns before the actual polling day in 2014. It may actually become totally different from what appears possible today. The interest in 2014 poll, still a year away, is tragic because there is little faith in the present dispensation delivering anything. What Mulayam Singh Yadav said about coalitions being here to stay is an obvious fact. That is why so many regional chieftains are almost thinking of what to wear on coronation day. What these ambitious state bosses must fear is rebellion within their own ranks. There is the curious case of turncoat Beni Prasad Verma, Steel Minister in the UPA government at the Center and once a close confidant of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Recently he heaped abuse at his former friend by calling him not only a "looter, a goonda" but also alleged he had "terrorist links." A livid Mulayam demanded his sacking as minister. The UPA has not obliged although Sonia Gandhi has apologized on his behalf. It seems the UPA is encouraging Beni to go after his former boss. Because soon after, Beni Prasad launched another tirade against Samajwadi Party chief saying those "serving family interest" cannot be termed as socialists. In this weird election politics, Beni Prasad seems to enjoy the support of Rahul Gandhi for making a foray for the Congress in UP. For its part, Yadavs of UP are threatening to pull the plug on the UPA government to bring about an October election. Another interesting move was Mulayam Singh praising L.K. Advani which can be seen as a signal to the Congress led UPA that he has his options open for aligning with the NDA if the latter combination happens to come to power in 2014. The scenario could not have been more fluid. Another major figure preparing for 2014 is the octogenarian DMK chief M. Karunanidhi whose politics has been wrecked by feuding sons. The veteran has anointed his younger son, Stalin as his successor which fact is not like by his older son Alagiri who was creating his own base as a union minister in the UPA government. Sensing he could create trouble for Stalin, the DMK chief has sought to clip his wings by withdrawing support to the UPA government on the ostensible reason of the UPA being soft on Sri Lanka over the issue of treatment of Tamils. Without a ministry at the Center Alagiri would be less of a threat to Stalin. However this has created a split in the DMK as Alagiri continues to show his displeasure over pullout from UPA. Another regional boss, Nitish Kumar of Bihar, recently put up a show in Delhi proclaiming his version of development was a better recipe for India than that of Narendra Modi. But by appealing for special status for Bihar, Nitish has himself put a question mark over of his model of development. If this model is so successful, why beg for special concessions from the Center? Also, his own coalition with the BJP at state level is under strain as his deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, who belongs to the BJP, has been openly hooting for Narendra Modi. Other regional chieftains who are waiting in the wings to be kingmakers in 2014 are Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Naveen Patnaik of Orissa, Jayalalitha of Tamil Nadu and even Mayawati of UP. Since no present politician has a national image, a clubbing of small timers is likely at the Center who will end up pulling in different directions. If this is the likely scenario for 2014, what is wrong with the present patchwork which is also a coalition? Political analysts speculate that never before has the prime ministership of India been so emasculated. If the Congress is unable to cobble together a majority, there is hope that a combination will come to power with a regular prime minister who will carry weight as the first among equals; who can himself create policy and implement it and also be accountable for it.
April 5, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 55
56 India Post
www.indiapost.com
April 5, 2013