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GOPIO honors 5 achievers & Congressman Details on page 16
ArcelorMittal opens steel plant in China
VOL 19, No. 1031
June 20, 2014
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Periodical Postage
UPA GOVERNORS ON WAY OUT: 2 QUIT
NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked some of the Governors appointed during UPA regime to quit in the wake of change of government. Heeding the call, two governors have resigned - BL Joshi of Uttar Pradesh and HR Bhardwaj of Karnataka, according to reports. Though there is no official confirmation yet, many other Governors have resigned or are about to resign. The Narendra Modi government has sounded out nearly 12 Governors appointed by its predecessor to resign. So far,
two have obliged. Some others denied reports that they would quit but they came and met President Pranab Mukherjee. "If I were in their place, I would have resigned," said Home Minister Rajnath Singh. In its plans for governors, the government has created two categories: those who have more than two years left in office should exit; seven others who have nearly completed their terms will be spared. Details on page 5
Details on page 13
Details on page 17
Pratishtha Khanna
India-born among Change Champions Details on page 5
3 Indians charged in trade froud KING SIZE HAPPINESS:
Details on page 8
83-yr-old Indian worker honored by British Queen
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the lunch hosted by the King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in Thimphu, Bhutan on June 16. (Details on page 6)
Details on page 8
INDIA POST SURVEY survey@indiapost.com This week’s question
Should NDA remove UPA Governors? Last week’s result
Will ties with China take precedence over US? YES 57%
US waking up to minorities' plight in Bangaldesh
NO 43%
'Modi should look into Sikhs visa issue Details on page 5
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 52 Community Post -------------- 16-26 Date Book -------------------------- 50 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 32-35 Horoscope ------------------------- 51 Immigration Post ------------- 44-46 Life Style ----------------------- 48-49 Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 38-39 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-14 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43
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don't know how it is with the other American communities, but in the Indian American community, organizational unity seems an onerous task that is at best impossible to achieve. I will not sit in judgment over any group as I have myself been associated with organizational activities for several decades. But I will say this with sadness that more often than not, we seem more interested in who gets to head the organization than who actually works for it. The infighting, or should we call it the 'power struggle' is more evident in organizations that are associated with or are affiliated to political parties back in India. I remember how more than a decade ago when the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited New York, he was affronted by the relentless bickering among the members of the Overseas Friends of the Bharatiya Janata Party here in the US, and their unabashed tug of war for the party's executive positions. So much so that Vajpayee had reportedly burst out at a OFBJP meeting in New York with anger and walked out stating that he did not understand what the fight was for since none of these individuals would ever hold any elected position in India. A similar struggle is currently playing out in the Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) over the past few years since the long time founding President of the INOC was unceremoniously ousted from the party's presidentship. Things have come to a head once again now where different individuals within the party are claiming to be the party's president or chairman or whatever the position that they think important. Such issues are not uncommon among the many non-political community organizations too. And honestly, it's not about whether such things happen with other immigrant communities or not; rather, it's about the purpose such infighting would serve be it for the organizations, the Indian American community or, for that matter, India. A little introspection can go a long way in placing ourselves in meaningful positions of greater good than be found wanting in leadership positions that no one recognizes.
Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com
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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Hidden celebrity On his recent visit to Delhi, Ranbir took the rear seat in an ordinary car, hiding under his trademark cap and dark glasses
Cover Story: 2 Governors quit The Centre has asked some Governors appointed during UPA regime to quit in the wake of change of government.
Community: Brahmin convention After ten years the city of Chicago will be hosting again an annual convention of Brahmins from all over the world
GOP paralyzed Eric Cantor's startling primary loss illustrates how the GOP finds itself paralyzed by immigration reform
Life style: Most popular father US President Barack Obama and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan have emerged as the most admired dads
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UPA governors on way out: 2 quit NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked some of the Governors appointed during UPA regime to quit
Uttar Pradesh Governor BL Joshi
in the wake of change of government. Heeding the call, two governors have resigned - BL Joshi of Uttar Pradesh and HR
Kerala Governor Shiela Dikshit
Bhardwaj of Karnataka, according to reports. Though there is no official confirmation yet, many other Governors have resigned or are
about to resign. The Narendra Modi government has sounded out nearly 12 Governors appointed by its predecessor to resign. So far, two have obliged. Some others denied reports that they would quit but they came and met President Pranab Mukherjee. "If I were in their place, I would have resigned," said Home Minister Rajnath Singh. In its plans for governors, the government has created two categories: those who have more than two years left in office should exit; seven others who have nearly completed their terms will be spared. Home secretary Anil Goswami reportedly phoned Sheila Dikshit to ask if she would resign. To him and to reporters, her response was non-committal. "I can't react to rumors," the 76-year-old said. She was posted as Governor of Kerala in March after she led the Congress to a humiliating defeating the Delhi state election after three terms in power. Her son, Sandeep Dikshit, who is a Congressman, said, "Who is the Home Secretary to call a Governor? Governors are constitutional posts. There is a Supreme Court ruling that governors can't be removed on whims and caprice." The government believes it is within its right to appoint governors of its choice. "The country is not the property of any party," disagreed Naresh Agarwal of the Samajwadi Party, which rules
Uttar Pradesh, whose governor has quit. Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva, who met the PM and Assam Governor JB Patnaik, who met President Pranab Mukherjee, denied speculation that they were surrendering their offices. Assam Governor JB Patnaik
The Union Home Secretary had reportedly called up Governors of many states and suggested that they put in their papers. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also, reportedly, sought details of the tenures of at least eight Governors was also said to have resigned but he later told media persons that he has not resigned. "If there is a rumor (about his resignation) I cannot help," he said. The speculation had gained weight after Patnaik met President Pranab Mukherjee. Patnaik, a former Congress chief minister of Odisha, said meeting the President, who is his friend, did not mean that he was resigning. Karnataka Governor H R
Bhardawaj, who had an uneasy relationship with the then BJP government in the state, also called on the President. Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva met Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was described as a courtesy call. Former Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit, who was made Kerala Governor hours before the model code of conduct of Lok Sabha polls came in to force, said she cannot comment on media reports (on the Centre wanting her to quit). Others who are in pressure to quit are Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal, her Punjab counterpart Shivraj Patil. MK Narayanan (West Bengal) and K Sankanarayanan (Maharashtra) may also have to quit Raj Bhavan. The Union Home Secretary had reportedly called up Governors of many states and suggested that they put in their papers. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also, reportedly, sought details of the tenures of at least eight Governors who are due to retire by the year-end. Joshi's resignation came hours after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that incumbent Governors should have resigned themselves as most of them were appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and not on merit. "With a new central Govt, it's an expected process, so BL Joshi ji (UP Governor) by resigning has
done the right thing," UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai said. The BJP has reasons to be in
Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj
a hurry as several senior party leaders like MM Joshi, Lalji Tandon, VK Malhotra, Kalyan
Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva
Singh, Shanta Kumar and BC Khanduri, who could not find place in the Modi cabinet are eyeing the gubernatorial assignment.Agencies
'Modi govt should look into visa India-born in White House 'Champions of Change' problem of Sikhs' WASHINGTON: India's new government should look into the issue of denial of visas to Sikhs who took political asylum in the US at peak of the militancy and in the aftermath of the 1984 riots, according to a top Sikh leader. Manjit Singh, president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (DSGPC) and a leader of the Akali Dal (Badal) which is part of the ruling NDA coalition at the Centre, told members of the Sikh community in the US that the new government is serious in resolving the issue. "The Indian government needs to have a second look at the issue, which was a creation of the previous Congress regime. I am sure that New Delhi would address the issue to the satisfaction of the large Sikh community in the
US," Singh, who was here on a visit, told PTI. Singh, who visited New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC, said this is
Manjit Singh
one of the major issues of concerns for the Sikh community in the US. At a community reception for Singh, hosted by Jasdip Jesse
Singh, Chairman of Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian Affairs, he was presented with a memorandum seeking a corridor from India into Pakistan, up till Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib which is five kilometers away from the border. At another reception held in Rockville, Singh said promoting education and excellence should be the top priority of the community in India and abroad. "A focused attention on the agenda of guiding our youth in the field of education will set the community on the path of a brighter future. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee is committed to have this as our primary mission besides spreading the message of Guru Nanak.� -PTI
WASHINGTON: An Indiaborn is among ten young adults selected by the White House as "Champions of Change" for their exemplary leadership in their communities, who were felicitated in a ceremony. All ten including New Delhiborn Pratishtha Khanna are also Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, who serve as success stories and role models in their academic and professional spheres. "These Champions distinguished themselves through their community involvement and the hard work they put into helping other members of their academic and professional communities succeed," the White House said in a statement. Pratishtha of Laurel, Maryland who migrated to the US at the age
of 10, is currently a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She will graduate with a BS in Biology. She is an active member of the API Youth ConveningDACA Collaborative planning committee and the Maryland Dream Youth Committee (MDYC). She is also a member of Dreamers for DREAMers student organization at UMBC. After graduation, Pratishtha will be working (thanks to DACA) as an emergency room medical scribe and will pursue a Certified Nursing Assistant Program at Howard Community College. She hopes to attend medical school in Fall 2017, the White House said. US government's DACA program is designed to shield young undocumented immigrants from being deported.-PTI
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Strong, prosperous India can help neighbors: Modi THIMPHU: India and Bhutan have decided to scale up their bilateral relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that a "strong" and "prosperous" India can help smaller countries in the region. Concluding his two-day visit to the Himalayan Kingdom, Modi gave an assurance that a change of government in Delhi will not affect their ties and past commitments will be fulfilled. Thimphu, on its part, promised not to allow its territory to be used against India, an assurance that comes against the backdrop of militants from northeast taking shelter there. Just before winding up his visit, Prime Minister Modi, who was given a rare honor of addressing the joint session of Bhutan's Parliament, agreed with Speaker of the National Assembly Jigme Zangpo that stronger India is, the better it is for Bhutan. Referring to the welcome re-
marks by Zangpo, Modi said the entire region, especially the SAARC countries, could benefit if India is prosperous. "Only a strong, prosperous India can help alleviate the problems that its neighbors face," he said. At the end of the visit, the first foreign outing since he took over three weeks ago, the two countries came out with a joint statement that reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the special relationship between the two countries. Here are some of the key points of Modi's visit to the Himalayan nation: 1. India and Bhutan reiterated their commitment to achieving the 10,000 MW target in hydropower cooperation and not to allow their territories to be used for interests "inimical" to each other. 2. Modi inaugurated one of India's assistance projects - the
pulses and non-basmati rice. . The two sides recalled the free trade arrangement between them and the expanding bilateral trade and its importance in further cementing their friendship. 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mooted the idea of an annual hill sports festival with India's northeastern states along with Bhutan and Nepal. 6. Modi announced doubling of scholarships being provided to Bhutanese students in India which will now be worth Rs 2 crore. 7. India will also assist Bhutan set up a digital library which will provide access to Bhutanese youth to two million books and periodicals. 8. Both India-Bhutan reaffirmed their commitment to extensive development cooperation and discussed ways to further enhance economic ties. 9. Modi described Bhutan as a
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing National Assembly in Thimphu on June 16
New ideas to strengthen ties with Bhutan THIMPHU: India has proposed new ideas for further enhancing cooperation with Bhutan while asserting that commitments made by the previous government will be fulfilled. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bhutan on his maiden foreign visit, told reporters here that the Indian side was "extremely satisfied" with the "extremely successful" visit. Swaraj said Prime Minister Modi gave some new suggestions
"We reiterated that the commitments made by the previous government will be fulfilled. These commitments are made by a country to a country and not by government to government," Swaraj said. "He reiterated commitments made by the previous government regarding the Five Year Plan by saying that such commitments are not made by government to government but by country to country. We will fulfill commitments in toto," Swaraj told reporters allaying fears that India would discontinue with subsidies on LPG.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Syed Akbaruddin during a press conference in Thimphu
to Bhutan. Prime Minister Modi proposed to hold a joint sports festival between Bhutan and northeastern states of India, establish e-libraries in 20 districts in Bhutan and set up a university on Himalayan studies, she said.
She said Bhutan was selected for the Prime Minister's first foreign visit as it is one of India's "important neighbors". The visit, Swaraj said, has reinforced relations between the two countries. Though it was a short visit, Modi was able to interact
with the members of the Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive. Referring to the power projects being implemented in Bhutan, Swaraj said Modi was of the view that these projects should be completed in a speedy manner. Swaraj said India wants to establish e-libraries in each of the 20 districts of Bhutan so that two million books become available to the youth of the country. Referring to Modi's speech at the Bhutan Parliament, she said while there is a thinking that Himalayas divide, the Prime Minister is of the thinking that the Himalayas unite. In his speech Modi had described the Himalayas as a shared legacy of the two countries and had stressed on the need to develop the ecology of the region, Swaraj said. The Prime Minister spoke from his heart to the Bhutanese leadership and said the name of the two countries start with the letter 'B' and "Bharat should stand for Bhutan and Bhutan for Bharat," Swaraj told reporters. "It has become a quotable quote," she said. Responding to a question, the External Affairs Minister said while a strong India was in the interest of its neighbors, strong and stable governments in the neighborhood were also in the interest of New Delhi.-PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling the plaque to inaugurate the Supreme Court of Bhutan, in Thimphu, Bhutan on June 15. Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay is also seen
building of the Supreme Court of Bhutan and laid foundation stone of the 600MW Kholongchu Hydro-electric project, a joint venture between India and Bhutan. 3. India also announced a number of measures and concessions including the exemption of Bhutan from any ban on export of milk powder, wheat, edible oil,
natural choice for his first visit abroad as the two countries shared a "special relationship''. 10. The fact that the Prime Minister chose Bhutan as his first foreign destination assumes significance since China has lately intensified efforts to woo it and establish full-fledged diplomatic ties with Thimphu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets people who lined up to say goodbye, waving flags, on way to the airport, in Thimphu, Bhutan on June 16
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3 Indian-Americans charged Not perturbed by growing India, Bhutan ties: China in trading scheme NEW YORK: Three IndianAmericans and their associate have been charged by federal regulator in an insider trading scheme where they reaped USD 12 million in illegal profits by trading in shares of a discount clothing chain. US Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that Saleem Khan was routinely tipped by his friend Roshanlal Chaganlal, who was a director in the finance department at Ross headquarters in California. Khan used the confidential information to illegally trade on more than 40 occasions ahead of the company's public release of financial results. The SEC's complaint charges Khan, Chaganlal, Mendonsa, and Akbari with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. The complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of illicit profits plus interest, financial penalties and an officer-and-director bar against Chaganlal. Besides trading in his own brokerage account, Khan traded in his brother-in-law's account as well as
an account belonging to another acquaintance. Khan also tipped his work colleagues Ranjan Mendonsa and Ammar Akbari so they too could trade in Ross stock options based on the nonpublic information. The insider trading resulted in collective profits of more than 12 million dollars, the SEC said. The SEC further alleged that at
Chaganlal regularly communicated the confidential details to Khan so he could trade ahead of impending monthly sales announcements by Ross. Khan generated USD 5.4 million in profits the outset of the scheme, Chaganlal gave USD 17,000 to Khan for the purpose of insider trading in Ross securities using the brother-in-law's account. Khan later funneled USD 1,30,000 of the generated trading
profits back to Chaganlal by using third-party intermediaries. According to the SEC's complaint filed in federal court in San Francisco, Khan separately made approximately USD 4,50, 000 in illicit profits by insider trading in stock options of a software company ahead of its 2012 acquisition by Oracle. The SEC alleges that the serial insider trading involving Ross securities began in August 2009 and continued until December 2012, when Chaganlal was terminated by the company. He had access to confidential sales figures on an internal webpage limited to a relatively small group of Ross employees. Chaganlal regularly communicated the confidential details to Khan so he could trade ahead of impending monthly sales announcements by Ross. Khan generated USD 5.4 million in profits, and USD 6 million in profits in his brother-in-law's account. Khan's supervisor Mendonsa made approximately USD 8, 00,000 in insider trading profits based on the nonpublic information that Khan in turn tipped to him. -PTI
83-yr-old Indian worker honored by British Queen LONDON: An 83-year-old Indian-origin businessman, who took early retirement to help the Indian community in the British city of Manchester, has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II. Hari Dutt Seth has been appointed the British Empire Medal (BEM) for founding the Indian Senior Citizens' Centre (ISCC) to care for the elderly in this year's Queen's Birthday Honors List released to mark her official birthday. He is also a founder-member of Manchester's Hindu Temple. "I'm very pleased," said Seth, who retired from a successful retail business more than 40 years ago. The father-of-two, who arrived in the UK in 1957, said his care centre is aimed at "elderly people in our community who feel isolated as there is a real generation gap with the young." A British Sikh, Gurcharan Singh Chatwal, has also been honored with a BEM for services to the community in the London Borough of Hounslow. Among the other Indian-origin
candidates on the honors list include Dharam Bir Lall for services to the community and businesses in Essex and in the London Borough of Newham and Yasvender Singh Rehill for services to policing and community engagement in Bradford.
The father-of-two, who arrived in the UK in 1957, said his care centre is aimed at "elderly people in our community who feel isolated as there is a real generation gap with the young." Among the list of MBEs this year is Dr Jayshree Bagaria, health adviser in the Department for International Development, for humanitarian services in south Sudan; Anjan Kumar Banerjee, honorary consultant surgeon at
Bedford Hospital for services to patient safety; and Amrik Singh Bhabra, president of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce for services to business and the community. Others honored with an MBE include Dr Kumarendra Das, associate specialist in Trauma and Orthopedics Friarage Hospital in North Yorkshire for services to trauma and orthopedic surgery; Dr Nirmal Chandra Dhar for services to community cohesion in the west of Scotland; Jaya Chakrabarti Gallemore, founder and chief executive officer of Nameless for services to the creative and digital industries and to the community in Bristol. Amrit Paul Kaushal, vice-president of the Association of Indian Organizations for services to community cohesion in the west of Scotland; Dr Jitendra Chottabhai Patel, cardiologist, and Milan Shah, director of Varani Food Products Limited and chair of the board of governors at University of Northampton for services to business and the community in the East Midlands. -PTI
BEIJING: Playing down its un- Wen Jiabao and his Bhutanese successful bid to establish diplo- counterpart, Jigmi Y Thinley met matic ties with Bhutan, China has on the sidelines of the UN Consaid it is glad to see New Delhi ference on Sustainable Developand Thimphu develop their rela- ment at Rio De Janeiro. tions further during the just-conDuring the meeting, the two cluded visit of Prime Minister leaders expressed their willingNarendra Modi. ness to establish diplomatic rela"With regard to China's rela- tions and discussed measures to tions with Bhutan, we have not speed up efforts to resolve the established diplomatic relations border dispute and to step up bibut our two countries maintain lateral ties. friendly exchanges and visits," But Bhutan did not pursue the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes- move apparently to avoid creatperson, Hua Chunying told a me- ing any misunderstanding in its dia briefing here answering a question on Modi's visit to Strategically placed Thimphu. "We respect the in- between India and Tibet, dependence, sover- Bhutan has remained aloof eignty and territorial integrity of Bhutan and we since 1951 after China took are willing to further firm control of Tibet develop good neighborly relations with Bhutan based on the five prin- ties with India. ciples of peaceful coexistence," China and Bhutan however she said. continue their exchanges with visStrategically placed between its by high level diplomats besides India and Tibet, Bhutan has re- a dialogue to resolve the border mained aloof since 1951 after dispute. China took firm control of Tibet, On Modi's visit to Thimphu which borders Bhutan. which was his first foreign visit Relations between Beijing and after taking over as Prime MinisThimphu remained traditionally ter, Hua said, "We are paying atstrained following a border dis- tention to the Indian prime pute. minister's visit. We are glad to see However in a surprise move in our neighbors develop friendly 2012, the then Chinese Premier ties with each other". -PTI
Modi may pursue Manmohan's foreign policy: China BEIJING: Prime Minister Narendra Modi may still not have unveiled his foreign policy but he may follow his predecessor Manmohan Singh's diplomatic initiatives, official Chinese media said. "After being sworn into office, India's new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared little about his foreign policy platform with the outside world. This generates increasing interest and speculation," state-run Global Times said. India's foreign policy has tremendous historical burdens. Modi's agenda will depend on how he perceives his predecessors' achievements and what vision he himself has for India, it said. In 2003, it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a BJP premier who picked up and carried forward a rapprochement policy with Pakistan, a platform started by his predecessor P V Narasimha Rao and interrupted by the Kargil crisis in 1999 and the terrorist attack on the
Indian parliament in 2001, it said. Singh inherited Vajpayee's Pakistan policy. He insisted on a largely calm and measured response to the Mumbai attacks in 2008 and kept overtures toward Pakistan. Since the 1990s, India's position on border issue with China witnessed a pragmatic improvement in Rao's time, a legacy Vajpayee maintained in his 2003 visit to China by departing from India's traditional approach and agreeing to negotiations based on "territorial give-and-take" rather than asserting China was the aggressor and must vacate disputed territories, it said. "Singh adhered to this principle and significantly improved India-China relations. In 2013, Singh made a historic visit to China with the signing of Border Defense Cooperation Agreement (BDCA), in which both countries pledged not to use force in case of face-offs.-PTI
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US sought immunity for Manmohan in court case WASHINGTON: The US sought immunity for Manmohan Singh in his capacity as the Prime Minister in an alleged human rights violations case against him filed by an American Sikh organization in a court here. In its fresh petition filed before the court, Sikh for Justice (SFJ) argued that since Singh is no longer the Prime Minister, the clause of immunity does not apply on him. It argued that because Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act (FSIA) does not cover acts committed by the foreign officials in their "official capacity" and because defendant Singh is not Prime Minister anymore, it opposes the suggestion of immunity. Last September, when Singh visited the US to meet President Barack Obama at the White House, the SFJ had filed a case of alleged human rights violations against him. The court had later issued summons to the Prime Minister. However, on May 2 this year, when Singh was the Prime Minister, the US Department of Justice told the court that he is immune from this suit.
The Department of Justice argument was supported by a letter from the State Department in this regard at the request of the Indian Government. "The Department of State recognizes and allows the immunity of Prime Minister Singh as a sit-
In its footnote, the Department of Justice said that US expresses no view on the merits of SFJ's claims against Singh. It informed the court that the department is approaching it at the request of the Indian Embassy in Washington ting head of government from the jurisdiction of the US District Court in this suit," Maty E McLeod, Principal Deputy Legal Advisor, said in a letter to the Department of Justice on April 15.
"In light of his current status as India's head of government, the Republic of India has asked the Department of State to take the steps necessary to have this action against the prime minister dismissed on the basis of his immunity from jurisdiction as a sitting foreign head of government," the State Department said. As such, the Department of Justice in its May 2 affidavit urged the court that Singh enjoys immunity in the US as the Prime Minister of India. In its footnote, the Department of Justice said that US expresses no view on the merits of SFJ's claims against Singh. It informed the court that the department is approaching it at the request of the Indian Embassy in Washington. "The Office of the Legal Adviser of the US Department of State has informed the Department of Justice that the Embassy of the Republic of India has formally requested the Government of the United States to determine that Prime Minister Singh is immune from this lawsuit," the Justice Department said. -PTI
In touch with Indian nurses trapped in Iraq: Govt NEW DELHI: The government has said it was in touch with the Indian nurses stranded in violence-hit Tikrit town in Iraq and assured every possible help to Indian citizens in the trouble-torn country. Following a request by the Indian government, a team of International Red Crescent contacted around 46 nurses in Tikrit and reported back to the Indian authorities about their well being, sources said. The Indian Mission is also in touch with the Iraqi government and the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) to ensure the safety of all Indians stranded in the violence- affected areas of that country, they said. Asked whether the government was considering evacuating the nurses from Tikrit, they said the roads are not suitable for any movement at present. The government had asked Indians residing in Iraq to consider leaving the country in view of the "precarious" security situation. In an advisory, the government had
also asked people not to travel to Iraq. Strongly condemning the violence in Iraq, the government had said it was "deeply concerned" with the deteriorating security situation in that country resulting
concern for the Government of India," it said. Terming the attacks a "direct threat to the security and territorial integrity" of Iraq, the Ministry of External Affairs said India remained strongly commit-
Iraqi federal policemen watch as Shiite tribal fighters deploy with their weapons in the northwest Baghdad's Shula neighborhood, Iraq
from recent attacks and taking over of some cities, including Mosul and Tikrit, by terrorist outfits since June 8. "The safety and security of the Indian nationals currently in Iraq remains a matter of serious
ted to the "emergence of a stable, peaceful, united and democratic Iraq" which is in the interest of regional and global peace. Over 10,000 Indians are estimated to be currently living in Iraq. -PTI
Don't blame us for carbon emissions: India NEW DELHI: Sending out a earth below the globally agreed signal to the developed world on two degree temperature rise. the issue of climate change, India Noting that poverty is an "enhas said developing countries like vironmental disaster", Javadekar it have "a right to grow" and in said "unless we tackle poverty, the process "our net emission unless we eradicate poverty, we may increase." cannot really address the climate Environment Minister Prakash change." Javadekar underlined that the "To that end, we need to grow. problem of carbon emission has Our net emission may increase," not been created by the develop- he said while speaking as the ing nations and hence responsi- chief guest on the occasion of bility for addressing it should not "World Day to Combat Desertifibe solely put on them. cation" organized by the Environ"We have to reduce our carbon emissions. But I have not created the carbon emission problems, which have been done by others. But I am not into any blame game. The issue is that I have a right to grow. India and developing countries have right Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to grow. These are the emerging economies," the Minister said ment Ministry and Indian Counwhile addressing a function here. cil for Forestry Research and His statement assumes signifi- Education. cance in the light of a meeting of The statement is expected to 'governments, leaders from fi- further strengthen the BASIC nance, business, local govern- group of nations on climate - a ment and civil society' in New bloc of four biggest emerging York in September this year to countries - Brazil, South Africa, "bring bold and new announce- India and China - formed in Noments and action" to keep the vember 2009.-PTI
2 Indians jailed for riot in Singapore SINGAPORE: Two Indian workers have been jailed by a Singapore court after they admitted their involvement in the Little India riot last December, the citystate's worst street violence in 40 years. Moorthy Kabildev (25) and Mongan Anbalagan (41) pleaded guilty to rioting on December 8 in Singapore's Little India, a precinct of Indian origin businesses, eateries and pubs. Kabildev initially faced two charges - one for rioting and one for causing hurt by allegedly punching bus time-keeper Madam Wong Geck Woon, The Straits Times reported. He pleaded guilty to the former and the prosecution withdrew the other charge, said Deputy Public
Prosecutor Sarah Ong. Kabildev was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, backdated to his December 9 arrest date. Anbalagan admitted to throwing concrete pieces at a bus and in the direction of police vehicles. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, backdated to his December 8 arrest date. The riot was sparked by a fatal accident involving the bus and an Indian national who was working in Singapore. Some 400 migrant workers were at the scene of the riot during which 23 emergency vehicles were damaged and 54 police officers injured. Twenty-five Indian nationals, working in Singapore on permits, were charged for rioting. -PTI
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Delhi adjudged best destination for food & drink Indian-origin
Manish Chatrath, Chairman, Delhi Tourism along with Sudhir Sobti, Chief Manager (PR), DTTDC received the award from Lonely Planet
NEW DELHI: The national capital has been adjudged as the best destination for food and drink by a noted travel magazine. Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards, 2014 declared New Delhi as the 'Best Destination for Food & Drink' at a glitzy ceremony held in a Mumbai hotel. Chief Manager (Public Relations) of the Delhi Tourism, Sudhir Sobti received this award. The award is an exemplary recognition for Delhi and is a step forward towards making the city a preferred tourist destination, Sobti said in a statement issued here. This awards is widely acknowledged as the most prestigious award in the Tourism and Travel Industry. -PTI
Dakshina is 'Miss Marwadi Nepal'
Dakshnia Agrawal
KATHMANDU: Indian-origin Dakshnia Agrawal has won the 'Miss Marwadi Nepal 2014' title during the second edition of the pageant here. The 24-year-old model received the title at a ceremony held by Indian-origin 'Marwadi' business community. Dakshina beat 11 contestants to become the top beauty of the Marwadi community. Vishaka Agrawal (22) and Sanjoli Joshi (23) bagged first and second runner up titles respectively in the contest. The event marked the second edition of Miss Marwadi beauty pageant organized in Kathmandu. Deputy Chief of mission at Indian Embassy, Kathmandu Piyush Srivastava, was the chief guest of the function. -PTI
NYC man threatened Muslim advocate NEW YORK: A New York City man has been charged with sending emails threatening to kill a leader of a Muslim civil rights group. The man, Bernhard Laufer, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn. According to a criminal complaint, Laufer began sending the emails last year to the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. The group identified the recipient as its national executive director, Nihad Awad. Laufer, 56, was already facing attempted murder charges alleging he stabbed a man at a mosque in 2012 while yelling, "I will kill you Muslim." He was out on USD 200,000 bail when he sent an email accusing the Muslim group of framing him, warning, "CAIR will now be destroyed," court papers say. In an email to Awad, he wrote, "I am coming after you, you jihad bastard," the papers say. In a third, he called himself a "mad man" who would "stop at nothing to kill you, your body guards and anybody else that is around you," they say. In a statement, CAIR called the case "another incident demonstrating the actual, imminent harm that can result from Islamophobia."-AP
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India confident of rescuing worker in Afghanistan KABUL: Abducted Indian aid worker Alexis Prem Kumar in Afghanistan is safe and India is confident of getting him rescued unharmed soon, according to a top Indian diplomat here. "It's unfortunate that we have not been able to get him released. We have been tracking him and we have been told that he is with his abductors but he is safe. We are working with Afghan agencies to get him released unharmed," Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha told reporters here. Sinha said he is in touch with the Afghan authorities on the issue and indicated that 47-year-old Alex, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was somewhere close to the Herat province where he was abducted by the gunmen early this month. He refused to divulge further details, saying it was a sensitive matter but expressed hope of his coming out of the captivity of the abductors in a few days. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal intervention in securing the release of Kumar, who was working with an educational charity the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
as its Afghanistan Director for over three years. In the wake of unfortunate sequence of events that included an attack on Indian Consulate in Herat recently, security measure have been strengthened in Afghanistan to protect Indian assets in the war torn country. Sinha said Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the attack.
"Three months ago we enhanced manpower for Kabul and other consulates. Director-General ITBP and foreign secretary visited Afghanistan recently and we have had regular visit of security experts," Sinha said. "Local agencies have conveyed to us which was confirmed to them by international agencies that the attack was the handiwork of LeT who have also been involved in attacks on our Embassy in the past. We are alert and aware
of their plan and increased security in terms of procedure on deployment and coordination with the local agencies," he said. "Three months ago we enhanced manpower for Kabul and other consulates. Director-General ITBP and foreign secretary visited Afghanistan recently and we have had regular visit of security experts," Sinha said. Sinha also spoke about alerts received from Afghan and other agencies on militant threats. "They understand threat perception for India and take it seriously and they alert us," he said. He said that threat reports were coming in daily which were being tracked. "However, this does not mean that each threat is going to lead to attack. Vast majority of they are neutralized before they become lethal. There were 150 attacks around the country on the Election Day but the good thing was that 473 different plans of Taliban to disrupt the elections were neutralized by the agencies," he said. On recent media reports of terrorist groups going to Kashmir to wage war, Sinha said, "We know from which region terrorists come to Afghanistan and go to India as well." -PTI
Indian-origin physicist honored by Queen LONDON: Indian-origin physicist, Professor Tejinder Virdee, best known for his work on the Large Hadron Collider, was accorded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the field of science. Virdee of Imperial College London was named a Knight Bachelor for his services to science in the Queen's Birthday Honors List. His citation reads: "Professor Virdee is one of the UK's most distinguished physicists and, as one of the creators of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment he has made outstanding contributions to science. The CMS experiment, at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN, Geneva, has delivered seminal re-
sults in particle physics, including the groundbreaking discovery of the Higgs Boson, or the God particle, a particle that gives
Tejinder Virdee
mass to other particles. "Beyond his innovative work in particle physics, he is also a great campaigner for science, and promoter of science and education in Africa and India." -PTI
Indian wins photo competition in Australia MELBOURNE: An Indian-origin scientist has bagged first prize in a photo competition in Australia for his shot on deep red and orange colored autumn trees. Expressing his delight over his win, 54-year-old Vijay Koul said he won the award in his second attempt in 'The Canberra Times Autumn Photo Competition'. "I had participated in The Canberra Times winter photo competition last year but could not win it. However, that picture got into print in the newspaper," Koul said. "I am very happy to win it this time," he said. His shot on vibrant and deep red and orange colored autumn
trees at the time of sunset with Kangaroos grazing in a local park won the first prize.
The scientist's photo stood first among over 350 entries which were received during the contest that was open for three months "The beauty of this picture reminds me of my birthplace, Kashmir," he said.
"I'm now planning to collate my work on autumn in Canberra in a photobook," he said, adding that pictures of Kashmir would also be a part of that book as well. The scientist's photo stood first among over 350 entries which were received during the contest that was open for three months. He found the colors of autumn in Canberra so appealing and beautiful that he now had shot over hundred pictures. Koul, for whom photography became a passion after he started clicking on social events, said the competition was a fierce one as he was competing with many professional photographers Down Under. -PTI
US supports Pak steps against terrorists WASHINGTON: The US supports Pakistani efforts to extend its sovereignty and stability in the country, the Obama Administration said as Pakistan army continued its major military operation against terrorists in the restive North Waziristan. "This is a Government of Pakistan operation. We've long sup-
ported Pakistan efforts to extend their sovereignty throughout the country and stability throughout the country," State Department Spokesperson, Jen Psaki, told reporters. This is an entirely Pakistan-led and executed operation, she said. "We have long supported any Pakistani efforts to extend stabil-
ity and sovereignty in their own country," she reiterated. The Pakistan army has launched an all-out offensive using jets and tanks in North Waziristan, killing nearly 184 Taliban fighters including foreigners, while six soldiers were killed in an IED blast, the first military casualties in the operation. -PTI
DEDICATED TO NATION: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the deck of INS Vikramaditya, in Goa on June 14. The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R.K. Dhowan is also seen
Tech News 'Modi's victory positive for Indian firms' SINGAPORE: Narendra Modi's comprehensive win to become the prime minister should have a positive impact on Indian companies and the world's third largest economy could witness a very strong cyclical recovery, according to a Singapore-based portfolio manager. "Having a strong government definitely helps the case, but there's also cyclical recovery that was happening any way before the elections," said Sukumar Rajah, the Singapore-based portfolio manager of the Franklin India Fund. He pointed out that the Indian economy was already on an upswing before the general elections. "He (Modi) fought the national elections based on his track record," Rajah was quoted as saying by The Sunday Times. "It's only been a few weeks since he assumed power but it's very clear he has been working overtime to make a big difference," he said. The deterioration and growth of India's economy have been blamed on politics, but it may not necessarily be the case, he added. -PTI
Thomas Cook seeks rationalization of ent tax KOCHI: Welcoming NDA government's pro-tourism policy, Thomas Cook (India), which organizes inbound and outbound tour packages, has pitched in for rationalizing the entertainment tax to make India a more viable destination for travelers. "Tax rationalization and uniformity across state lines will play a vital role in creating an attractive value proposition for product Destination India," company's Managing Director Madhavan Menon said here. "We need to reduce the entertainment tax to make our hotels attractive. If you want to spur economic growth, there should be more efficient ways to tax people," he said. In Kerala, the entertainment tax is 40 per cent. Reducing the entertaintment tax before the next tourist season starts in November will have a 'positive impact' on inbound traffic and make India a more viable destination, he said. Praising the new government's pro-tourism policy, he said the fact that the powerful role of tourism in employment generation and as a growth driver had been recognized augurs well for the sector.-PTI
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Sanjay Warke (L), Country Head, Toshiba and Siva Kumar, VP, Sales and Marketing launch their latest laptop range, in New Delhi on June 17
June 20, 2014
China IT market a hard nut to crack, says Infosys official BEIJING: The Indian IT industry, which has of late been eyeing the Chinese market, will have to sweat to gain entry here, a top Infosys official has said. Penetrating into tier two banks in China, however, is possible as they are looking for alternatives beyond global companies, said
Rangarajan Vellamore
Infosys China CEO Rangarajan Vellamore. "The knowledge base of the Indian companies is strong, but the customer base of the Chinese companies is very strong in China. The question is how to penetrate the Chinese IT markets, which are
not enamored by the big names of India," he told PTI in an exclusive interview. In order to address the USD 35billion trade deficit, India has been insisting that China open its IT market more to Indian companies. Chinese officials have maintained that there are no built-in barriers and the Indian companies have to compete in the market. "There are some unwritten barriers in penetrating ... government projects. However, there is a lot more that can be done before hitting those barriers," Rangarajan said. Almost all top brands of Indian IT firms are present in China, but they mostly service the multinational companies. "Market entry strategy is about positioning as an alternative to global IT providers, which are well entrenched in Chinese markets," he said. Infosys China itself has been experimenting with various models with some success. "We have to build case examples. Records elsewhere do not hold good in China. You have to start step-by-step with required
investment and persistent campaign to demonstrate we can do better," he said. India's over USD 100 billion software industry is focused on the US as a major chunk of revenue comes from this market. Chinese IT market in comparison is far smaller and profit percentages are not high. "If you look at the Chinese IT industry per se, overall addressable market spending is about
expanded on hardware, he said. "A lot of homework has to be done to enter into the market. It could be acquisition, joint venture going on your own partnership. Find your own sweet spot and listen to the customer. Fame here does not matter. Prove and do well what he wants to accomplish. Then the customer will listen," he said "That is how we are making progress. By working with various
A lot of homework has to be done to enter into the market. It could be acquisition, joint venture going on your own partnership. Find your own sweet spot and listen to the customer. Fame here does not matter. Prove and do well what he wants to accomplish. USD 150 billion on the IT space. It is about USD 14 billion per annum addressable space which is not big for Indian firms," he said. The addressable market size of US market is about USD 600 billion and the Indian companies reaped more benefits there as they
Chinese companies we have created references," he said referring to Infosys work with top Chinese dairy firm Yily, which it got in a competitive bidding. Infosys is working with several Chinese brands leaving aside multinationals, Rangarajan said. -PTI
Xoom's instant deposit service to PNB, India India Post News Service
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Xoom Corporation, a leading digital money transfer provider, is offering instant deposits to Punjab National Bank accounts in India. This breakthrough service allows Xoom customers to instantly deposit money directly into their recipients' Punjab National Bank accounts in India in less than a minute. Instant deposit is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, except during a maintenance window from 8 am - 1 pm IST on Sundays. "Xoom is tirelessly working
towards providing a fast service for our customers and we are thrilled to announce this expansion of our instant deposit bank network in India," said Julian King, Senior Vice President of Market-
days or more to access their funds. Through our expanded instant service, NRIs can send money anytime, anywhere from their computer, mobile phone or tablet and their bank deposits reach their re-
This breakthrough service allows Xoom customers to instantly deposit money directly into their recipients' Punjab National Bank accounts in India in less than a minute. Instant deposit is available 24 hours a day ing and Corporate Development for Xoom. "This is great news for people who send money to Punjab National Bank accounts, who otherwise typically have to wait five
cipients' Punjab National Bank accounts in less than a minute." "This revolutionary service marks another milestone in our deep and long standing partner-
ship with Xoom and its subsidiary buyindiaonline," said K. Thyagarajan, General Manager, International Banking, Punjab National Bank. He added, "We are pleased to offer instant deposit to Punjab National Bank accounts for customers who send money from the U.S. to India and look forward to bringing a whole new world of convenience and flexibility to our account holders." Xoom provides great lockedin exchange rates for money transfers to India, and there is no fee when customers send more than $1,000 and pay with their US-based bank account. Cont’d on page 14
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ArcelorMittal opens steel plant in China NEW DELHI: NRI billionaire Laxmi Mittal-led ArcelorMittal has opened its first steel making facility in China through a joint venture, VAMA, aimed at catering to the local automotive market with USD 832 million investment. Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Steel Co (VAMA), in which Chinese firm Hunan Iron and Steel Co also has stake, has an annual capacity of producing 1.5 million tonnes high-strength automotive steels. China imports such steel to meet domestic need, the world's largest steel maker said in a statement. "VAMA will produce state-ofthe-art grade steels for safe and cost-efficient light-weight design, superior surface quality and coating technology, helping to meet
AirAsia India announces BengaluruKochi flights NEW DELHI: AirAsia India has announced flights between Bengaluru and Kochi from next month with a limited offer of an all-inclusive fare of Rs 500. The airline, which had launched its first flight between Bengaluru and Goa on June 12, would start daily operations from Bengaluru to Kochi and vice versa from July 20, an airline spokesperson said. In a statement, AirAsia India CEO Mittu Chandilya said, "We have done a complete analysis on our third destination and we are confident we will be able to reach out to more first time fliers." Announcing "our third destination Kochi, within a few days of our launch," he said "we will stand by our promise to deliver a quality product to our guests that promises value for their money. ... We are very encouraged by outstand-
ing reception to our product and service." AirAsia India will be operating twice-a-day flight on the Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore route from June 19, besides the daily flight between Bangalore and Goa. The no-frill carrier is a 49:30:21 joint venture involving Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia Berhad,
Tata Sons and Arun Bhatia's Telstra Tradeplace. AirAsia India would focus on connecting tier-II cities offering fares about 35 per cent lower than the prevailing market rates, Chandilya had earlier said. The other budget carriers are IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, besides Air India Express and JetLite. -PTI
Aviation minister cracks down on nepotism NEW DELHI: Days after taking over the reins of the ministry, Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju is learnt to have objected to the employment of relatives of several officials in the aviation sector and asked all departments to come out with details. In one of his first directives, Raju has asked heads of Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Air India, Airports Authority of India, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and the Indira
Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy to furnish details regarding relatives of their staff working in or-
Ashok Gajapathi Raju
ganizations connected with the aviation sector, official sources
said. He is understood to have told the chiefs of all these organizations that a serious view would be taken on the matter if the laiddown guidelines and norms are found to be violated. In his directive, Raju's office has said the Minister has observed that relatives of some of the officials working in the ministry, its subordinates offices and public sector units under the ministry were taking up jobs with organizations connected with the civil aviation sector "without obtaining prior approval of the competent authorities, in violation of the existing rules".-PTI
rapid growth in demand for advanced automotive steels in China," it said. "The annual production capacity will be 1.5 million tonnes, including 800,000 tonnes of cold rolled coils, 200,000 tonnes of aluminum-coated coils and 500,000 tonnes of hot-dip galvanized coils," it added.
International car makers such as Volkswagen, GM, Ford, DaimlerBenz, BMW, Honda Toyota, Honda, Renault, Fiat and Nissan have presence in China. Domestic manufacturers such as Geely, Chery, Dongfeng, Guangzhou Auto, Shanghai Auto and Changan are also to be targeted. "China has the world's fastestgrowing automotive market, recording a 16 per cent increase in car sales to 18 million units last year, and is expected to account for 35 per cent of worldwide automotive growth between now and 2020," the company said. Mittal, who was present at the inaugural ceremony, said completion of the major project with six million safe work hours, on schedule and within budget, was a "remarkable achievement which sets a new standard in our industry". VAMA is located in the economic zone of Loudi, Hunan province. ArcelorMittal has contributed the most advanced automotive steel production technology available and assisted with the completion of the quality control and R&D systems.-PTI
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Govt plans policy framework for missile exports HYDERABAD: Many countries have expressed interest in acquiring missiles developed by India and efforts would soon be made on laying down a policy framework to tap this export potential, according to Scientific Adviser to the Defense Minister Avinash Chander. The export of missiles is a new area that India is exploring, Chander, who is also Director General of Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), said even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pitched for making the country self-reliant in manufacturing of defense products and even capable of exports in the sector. "The new government is also keen on building up the export potential (of defense products).
There has been lot of interest shown by many countries on our missiles," he said delivering an invited talk at the Aerospace Luminary Lecture Series, organized by Aeronautical Society of Ind i a , Hyderabad, late last evening. Speaking on board India's largest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Modi had said, "Not
shown interest, he said. "Our future missiles that we are developing...that will have lot of (export) potential," he pointed out. DRDO is working on a program to extend the range of surface-air missile beyond 200 kms, Chander said. "We need to have shiplaunched, sea-launched, air-
Avinash Chander
only should we become self-reliant, we also should provide them (defense equipment) to small countries. The small countries should feel secure that they have India-produced defense equipment." "We have to lay down policy norms and methodologies how to work out (tap export potential of missiles)," said Chander, who also interacted with reporters. "We are confident we will be soon working on this," he said. India's Akash and Prahaar missiles can be easily exported, as also BrahMos (developed in a joint venture with Russians) for which a lot of countries have
Infosys diluted focus on meritocracy: Murthy BANGALORE: As he signed "...fairness, transparency, off his second innings at Infosys, meritocracy and accountability are industry icon N R Narayana the key to success for any enterMurthy said the nation's second prise. Somehow, the company had largest IT services firm Infosys had "diluted focus on meritocracy and accountability" in the past decade, forcing him to take "hard and tough decisions." Addressing shareholders for the last time Outgoing Infosys Executive Chairman N R Narayana Murthy as Executive speaking at the 33rd Annual General Meeting of the company Chairman, in Bengaluru on June 14 Murthy, who announced that he along with his diluted its focus on meritocracy son Rohan have decided to step and accountability during the last down full four years ahead of their decade," Murthy said at the 33rd term, said his "work was done" and Annual General Meeting (AGM) hoped that the new CEO Vishal here. Describing Sikka as a technolSikka would chart a new course without any interference from ogy visionary, Murthy said he had founders. carried out the mandate that the
Infosys board had accorded him about a year ago. Sikka, whose appointment was announced on June 12, was not present at the Annual General Meeting as he was on his way to the US. Thirty-three years since its inception, the Indian IT behemoth appointed its first nonfounder CEO in Sikka, who was roped in from outside. Analysts believe this could be the "fresh start" that Infosys needed as it has lagged behind peers like TCS and HCL Technologies. Murthy, who founded Infosys along with six engineers in 1981, bid adieu to the over USD 8 billion entity for the second time. He was called back from retirement last June. Defending his decision to bring in his son, Rohan, Murthy said he wanted to bring in a "fresh perspective to the field" and focus on the use of "technology and high quality people." Murthy will continue as nonExecutive Chairman till October 10, after which he will be designated as Chairman Emeritus. -PTI
launched, submarine-launched cruise missiles. India needs supersonic air-launched cruise missiles. India needs hypersonic transportation systems and these are the various segments in which we are operating (working on)," he said. "Of course, we are working on anti-radiation missiles," he said. PTI
30 lakh seedlings prepared at Centre of Excellence CHANDIGARH: About 30 lakh seedlings of vegetables have been prepared in the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables - an IndoIsrael project at Gharaunda in district Karnal. To improve the economic status of farmers, they are being encouraged to undertake protected farming in poly houses, an official spokesman said. He said by adopting poly houses for farming, the income of farmers is increasing by manifolds as compared to the conventional farming. He said a subsidy of 65 per cent was also being provided to the farmers for setting up of poly house. Efforts were also being made by NABARD to help those farmers who intended to do farming through poly house but even after getting the subsidy of 65 per cent from the state government were unable to share the remaining 35 per cent amount, he said. To facilitate such farmers, besides the Cooperative Banks and PACS Banks, a few nationalized
banks have also been contacted so that they could provide loan to such farmers for setting up of poly house. This would not only benefit the farmers but the business of banks would also flourish, he added. Subsidy has been given to the farmers to set up poly houses over an area of 100 acres in the district at a cost of Rs 17 crore, he informed. He said the setting up of Centre of Excellence of Vegetables at Gharaunda, the farmers are taking interest towards protected farming. Farming through poly house is free from pesticides and as a result of this farmers get remunerable prices of their produce in the market. He said that to encourage farmers, they were also being imparted training regarding farming through poly house. After getting training from this Centre of Excellence, the farmers of not only Haryana but also of other states are taking up protected farming through poly houses. -PTI
Xoom's instant deposit service to PNB, India Cont’d from page 12
Plus, Xoom continues to provide fast bank deposits within four hours to all other banks in India, including to NRE and NRO accounts, when sent during bank processing hours in India. Customers can also download the Xoom App for Android and iOS mobile devices for free. Visit https://www.xoom.com/india for more information. About Xoom Xoom is a leading digital money transfer provider that enables consumers to send money to 31 countries in a secure, fast and cost-effective way, using their mobile
phone, tablet or computer. During the 12 months ended March 31, 2014, Xoom's more than 1.1 million active customers sent more than $6.1 billion to family and friends. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and can be found online at www.xoom.com. About Punjab National Bank Punjab National Bank is a leading Public Sector Bank in India headquartered in New Delhi with over 6,200 branches and 7,000 ATMs spread across the country. It serves over 80 million customers. The Bank has developed an advanced computerized module for speedy payments of remittances received.
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Desi News Juned Qazi named INOC (I) USA chief PM SWAMY
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
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Juned Qazi
NEW YORK: Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee of All India Congress Party has communicated his acquiescence on the appointment of Juned Qazi as the new INOC (I) President effective June, 11, 2014. Upon receiving the notification, George Abraham, Chairman of INOC(I) congratulated Qazi on his appointment and offered support and wished him every success in the exercise of his mandate. Juned Qazi has thanked Dr Karan Singh for his show of confidence and pledged to work hard in accordance with the established rules and procedures.
Technology overuse can affect safety, health MANASI MAHESHWARI India Post News Service
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eenagers today can barely go more than a couple of hours before giving in to the urge to go online. In recent years, people have come to depend on technology in nearly every aspect of their lives. While technology use obviously has many benefits, without moderation its impact can be very detrimental to teenagers' safety, social skill development, and health. Details on page 23
Terry D'Souza, first Indian woman Gov of Lions Club HARISH RAO
CHICAGO: Terry D'Souza has bagged the honor of being the first ever Indian origin woman Governor for Lions Clubs International. She was inducted by Past International Director Daniel Reilly at the Crystal Sky Banquets here in McCook on June 8. She is the charter member of The Forest Kala Sampath Lions Club established in 1996. Details on page 20
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June 20, 2014
Sonu enthralls LA, with hit songs Details on page 25
All Brahmin convention coming to Chicago after a decade RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: After ten years this august city of Chicago will be hosting again an annual convention of Brahmins from all over the world. By all accounts it would be a bit unique as it seeks to lay more emphasis on youth (second generation of Indians abroad) and back home. The three-day convention hosted by Brahman Samaj of Greater Chicago is slated to be held at Best Western in Hill Side, a southwest suburb of Chicago from July 4 to July 6. It is expected to be attended by over 600 members, guests and attendees not only from Chicagoland but from USA, Canada, UK, Africa and India. "It will be a grand affair by all accounts as the organizers have planned program and activities that will meet the expectations of all, especially the second generation Indian. The biggest attraction would be Single to Mingle that seeks to provide a platform to the young generation of Indians across the world to meet their counterparts to know each other and seek forging common values and
Chicago Brahmo Samaj Planning Committee members
Single To Mingle- a special program for Youth
possibly lifelong partnerships," said Dr Ravi Trivedi, president of the host association. Raj Trivedi, vice president, said that one of the great attractions for the youth would be a key note address from a renowned motivational speaker Bhupendra Pandya who is specially coming from India. He is a very impressive speaker
and has motivated youth and adults alike for leading a purposeful life. "We have also chalked out entertainment program and activities for children who would not feel left out while their parents and adults are busy elsewhere. It will be a convention for one and all, and will be a lifetime experience." Cont’d on page 19
GOPIO honors achievers & Congressman Himes India Post News Service
STAMFORD, CT: The Connecticut Chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) honored five Indian American achievers and Congressman Himes as a friend of India during last week at a packed Stamford Italian Center in Stamford, Connecticut. Several dignitaries attended the event including India's Consul General in New York Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Rep Jim Himes (D, CT 4th District), Stamford Mayor David Martin, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, New Jersey State Assembly Speaker Upendra Chivukula and Connecticut Assemblyman Dr
GOPIO-CT award recipients, L-R Prasad Chirnomula, Congressman Jim Himes, Dr Subbarao Bollepalli, Arati Sureddi, Meera Vasudevan and Ashok Vasudevan
Prasad Srinivasan. The program started with a welcome by GOPIO-CT President Shelly Nichani who said the chapter initiated several new programs including a cancer walk fundraiser, participation in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Stamford, interactive sessions with elected officials in addition to the regular program such as sponsoring and volunteering in soup kitchens, India Independence Day flag hoisting and Diwali. Stamford Mayor David Martin extended a warm welcome to everyone and complimented GOPIO-CT for its outstanding community work. Cont’d on page 20
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Washington waking up to minorities' plight in Bangaldesh NEELA PANDYA
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Congressman Brad Sherman
Congressman Brad Sherman with HAF leaders after being honored with Award
WASHINGTON DC: The plight of religious minorities in Bangladesh was brought to the attention of Washington authorities last week who were asked to support a bipartisan Congressional letter, spearheaded by Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Aaron Schock (R-IL), that urges US Secretary of State John Kerry to make human rights and
the protection of minorities in Bangladesh a priority in USBangladesh relations. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) marked its 11th Annual D.C. Advocacy Day with its across the country delegates meeting nearly 80 Congressional offices bringing to their attention the miseries heaped on minorities in Bangladesh. Cont’d on page 19
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Father's Day celebrated in Hindu way SURI SWAMY
CHICAGO: Enthusiastic Lake County Indians celebrated 'Father's Day' in a Hindu way with all the religious rituals when people in different countries were cel-
offering them tilak, pushpakshata, Aarti, uttariya, fruits and a special poem 'Our Gratitude to Fathers' written by Geetha Patil. The motive of the temple is to celebrate
event. Devi and Sankat Haran Chaturthi Abhishekam to Lord Ganesh were performed by Pandit Joshi with all the rituals and mantras. Later Satyanarayana Katha
Aarti during Father's Day celebration at Grays Lake Temple
ebrating it in their own way by giving gifts, spending quality time and having sumptuous lunch or dinner with fathers. A group of young boys and girls honored more than one hundred fathers as living gods on this earth by washing their feet and
all events in a traditional way so that the younger generation can learn and preserve our age old culture, values, and traditions. Colorfully dressed devotees with their young children gathered in the temple with a special spirit on this fatherhood celebration
Pujan was performed by Temple secretary Natesiyer with his family, relatives, friends, and temple devotees to obtain the blessings of Jagatpita Vishnu under the direction of Pandit Ganesh. Melodious bhajans were sung by Anu Gupta, Rita Patel, and
other devotees created a spiritual God. atmosphere in the temple. All chilHere Atithi, meaning guest, indren and fathers felt happy and cludes every other person in the jubilant on this occasion. This cel- world. This sloka suggests that ebration gave an opportunity for oneness and equality comes into children to recognize and appreci- existence by regarding every indiate the social, economic, cultural, vidual as the supreme power. and spiritual contributions that Those who practice this mantra in fathers and father figures make to their lives obtain happiness, comtheir lives. Both priests blessed Kumar Natesiyer and his wife Madhumati for their Silver Jubilee wedding anniversary. Pt. Joshi in his Ashirvachanam to devotees and especially to youngsters stated that Fathers' Day is not the one day of the year when Dad gets to be Father of the Puja in progress during Father's Day celebration Year or Star of the House for a day. He said a mantra fort, and a contented life. Pt. Joshi from Taittiriya Upanishad, "maatru thanked profusely all devotees and devo bhava, pitru devo bhava, children who participated in this aachaarya devo bhava, atithi devo meaningful event to develop pabhava" which conveys the "code ternal bonds, and recognize the of conduct" for Hindu society. It influence of fathers in society. means everyone should pay re- Maha Mangalarati was followed spects to mother, father, guru and by delicious Maha Prasadam to all guest since they are all forms of devotees.
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Washington waking up to minorities' plight in Bangaldesh Cont’d from page 17
"Promoting a stable and democratic Bangladesh is important to US economic, political and security interests in the South Asia region," wrote Reps. Gabbard and Schock in a message circulated to their colleagues. "Under domestic law, the Bangladesh government is obliged to enforce minority land rights, provide restitution for illegally seized land, and protect religious and ethnic minorities
eign Affairs Committee (HFAC) and member of the Congressional India Caucus, was honored at the Capitol Hill reception with HAF's Friend of the Community Award for consistently calling attention to the plight of Bangladeshi Hindus and for his work in strengthening relations between the US and India. Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), a Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and
Chairman Ed Royce of the House Foreign Affairs Committee with Suhag and Samir Kalra, HAF Director and Senior Human Rights Fellow
Amb Neil Parsan of Trinidad and Tobago, Jay Kansara of HAF
against violence and discrimination." "To date, the Bangladesh government has taken no significant steps to compensate individuals, primarily Hindus, who lost their land under the 1974 Vested Property Act. Moreover, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission has been largely ineffective, thereby denying fundamental rights to indigenous people in that region." Besides this issue, the delegates also sought support for the Freedom of Faith Act (H.R. 4460) which permanently reauthorizes the special immigrant provision for non-minister religious workers. HAF meetings culminated in an evening gala reception attended by more than 200 people, including Members of Congress, Congressional staffers, interfaith and religious freedom advocates, and leaders of the Hindu American community. Congressmen Ed Royce (RCA), Chairman of the House For-
Trade, was similarly awarded with the HAF Friend of the Community Award for promoting awareness of human rights violations against religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), member of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, was presented with the Pride of the Community award for inspiring young Hindus as the first Hindu American elected to Congress. Among the evening's other awardees, were Dr DC Rao, Board Member of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, who received HAF's Dharma Seva Award, and Steve Spreitzer, Director of Programs at the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, with HAF Mahatma
Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism. Finally, HAF's Award for the Advancement of the Dharmic Arts and Humanities went to Manjari Sharma,
Harsh Voruganti, HAF's Associate Director for Public Policy said that "from Capitol Hill, to strategic meetings with foreign embassies, the U.S. Department of State,
"To date, the Bangladesh government has taken no significant steps to compensate individuals, primarily Hindus, who lost their land under the 1974 Vested Property Act. Moreover, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission has been largely ineffective” an internationally acclaimed artist, who has educated the public about Hindu beliefs through her most recent project, Darshan, on Hindu gods and goddesses.
and influential think tanks, HAF is playing a leading role in addressing a number of critical domestic and foreign policy issues facing our country."
All Brahmin convention coming to Chicago after a decade Cont’d from page 16
Manjari Sharma (white Kurti) recipient of HAF's artist award and Sheetal Shah (golden kurti), HAF Senior Director in NY
John (Janardan) Trivedi, chair entertainment committee, mentioned that the convention would not be a tedious affair as there are two great entertaining programs by talented artists from India Yadon Ki Barrat which will take those present down the memory lane with beautiful rendering of Bollywood songs and live program by Smriti Pandya in film songs and rendering in semi classical mode. "On top of that we have planned Blue after Dark cruise for Single to Mingle candidates and informative architectural tour for those interested in Chicago's history and architecture," he said Dr Ravi Trivedi added there will
be sessions for health, fitness, Yoga, emotional well being and specific health problems faced by women during two days of the convention. There would be a panel of six doctors practicing internal medicine, different specialties and a dietician on the first day while the second session will be only for women who could bring up their specific problems without any reservation. "Let me assure one and all that this Convention would be an Affair to Remember with organizers making all efforts to celebrate, educate and cultivate our values, customs traditions, culture and history leaving no stone unturned for its all round success," he said in a talk to this paper.
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Terry D'Souza, first Indian woman Gov of Lions Club HARISH RAO
CHICAGO: Terry D'Souza has bagged the honor of being the first ever Indian origin woman Governor for Lions Clubs International. She was inducted by Past International Director Daniel Reilly at the Crystal Sky Banquets here in
McCook on June 8. She is the charter member of The Forest Kala Sampath Lions Club established in 1996. With Terry being installed as the Governor of District 1A, she and her husband Dr Austin Prabhu became
the First 'Couple Governors' from this prestigious district of Lionism in the world. Lionism started in Chicago in the year 1917 and in 2017 Chicago will be celebrating its centennial celebration and 100th Interna-
Emirates’ non-stop ChicagoDubai from Aug 5 Boeing 777-200 LR series with a capacity of 8 First class private suites, 42 Business class with flat bed and 216 in economy class with a configuration of 3-4-3 in a row.
mand, 350 movies from around the world and 100 TV channels and 100 video games plus audio channels. In addition to carrying CHICAGO: Expanding its passengers, the aircraft will also wings over US skies, Emirates a carry up to 17 tonnes of cargo that world class airline, will fly daily will further boost trade ties between Dubai and Chicago. Andrea also screened Emirates lounges at Dubai and detailed about Emirates Skywards award-winning frequent flyer program. There was another video presentation on Dubai, a tourist attraction and world fame duty free Alexander Houston, Regional Sales Director Central USA, shopping Sales Manager Andrea Smagacz and Ali Kazmi, Senior Sales Executive hub. Soon afAndrea made a video presen- ter presentation the guests were non-stop from Chicago to Dubai from August 5 connecting passen- tation of Emirates on board facili- led in for dinner and many congers to over 140 destinations ties and in-flight service. Once on tinued to line up for the First Class board the First Class passengers Simulator experience. worldwide. Currently Emirates operates 70 Chicago will become the will enjoy luxury and privacy of airline's ninth gateway in the USA an 82" long suite with sliding US weekly flights including 2 soon after Boston it started from doors and leather seats that form daily flights with iconic A380 and March this year. This was an- a full flat-bed, a complimentary in- a third with 777 leaving New York nounced at a glittering "launch" party event held at Radisson Blue Chicago will become the airline's ninth gateHotel downtown Chicago on June 11. The star attraction of the party way in the USA soon after Boston it started was a First Class Private Suite from March this year. This was announced at simulator expo. "Feel the luxury" a glittering "launch" party event held at slogan invited the guests to beeline the simulator and experience Radisson Blue Hotel downtown Chicago on it personally. June 11. The star attraction of the party was a A large number of Emirates approved travel agents and busi- First Class Private Suite simulator expo. ness persons were invited for the gala dinner. The program was seat mini-bar a desk and dine on for Dubai via Milan. The other emceed by Emirates local Sales demand. The Business class full destinations are Los Angeles, Manager Andrea Smagacz. Ali flat bed seats are privacy adjust- San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Kazmi Senior Sales Executive and able. On board all passengers get Washington and Boston. The Alexander Houston Regional choice of multi course meals and Chicago operation will carry pasSales Director Central USA wel- a range of complimentary drinks. sengers for smooth transfer to For entertainment, sky is the destinations in India, Pakistan, comed the guests. The daily nonstop service will be operator by limit; up to 1800 channels on de- Africa, Middle East and Australia. A.Q. SIDDIQUI
India Post News Service
Dr Austin Prabhu, Terry D'Souza and Daniel O'Reilly
tional Convention at McCormik Place, in the heart of Chicago. In her acceptance speech, Terry spread out her goals for the year - recognize, encourage, mentor and support the huge contribution made by District 1A-Mother District of Lionism's female members including young adults. Currently about 23% of District membership is of women. Terry created a 10 member Governor's Advisory Board consisting of Cabinet Secretary,
Cabinet Treasurer, Global Leadership Team, Global Membership Team, 4 Past District Governors and finance committee chair to monitor, administer, communicate, encourage, mentor and support her goals for the coming year. Jerry Mascanguay and Princess Santos entertained the crowd with their singing. Dr Austin Prabhu emceed the program and the event was organized by chairperson Gail Anton.
GOPIO honors achievers & Congressman Himes Cont’d from page 16
This year, GOPIO-CT had selected U.S. Representative from Connecticut 4th District Congressman Jim Himes as Friend of India. A member of India Caucus, Jim had traveled several times to India while he was working for Goldman Sachs. As a Congressman Himes is committed to providing all children in America access to a first-rate public school, affordable and effective health care, a decent and safe home, and a supportive community. An undergraduate from Harvard, Jim earned a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Oxford University in England. There Indian Americans were honored for their achievements in business and profession. Dr. Subbarao Bollepalli, MD FAPA, a leading psychiatrist in the State of Connecticut, was honored for his achievements in medicine. A husband-wife team in business, Ashok and Meera Vasudevan, were selected to receive entrepreneurship award.
Ashok, a 'corporateur' turned entrepreneur, co-founded with his wife Meera, Preferred Brands International, which makes Tasty Bite. Arati Sureddi, the Founder of Lotus Alliance, a social enterprise addressing human trafficking and forced labor, received an award for young achievers. She is a graduate of Boston University's School of Management. P r a s a d Chirnomula, an avid restaurateur, received a special award for promoting India cuisine to American society by helping community groups through media. Chef Prasad leads tasting tours of India, hosts private tasting dinners, teaches cooking classes and offers his services at multiple charity events. Connecticut Senator Blumenthal lauded GOPIO-CT for its outstanding community service and presented certificate of appreciation to all award recipients. The program ended with an entertainment by Bollywood dancers and a dinner.
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June 20, 2014
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'Hanuman' beer withdrawn following strong protests SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: Odd13 Brewing, Inc., of Lafayette (Colorado) has withdrawn "Hanuman" beer following protests from across section of Indian community in the country On the brewery's website, all the references to Hanuman have been removed.
Single Hop IPA seems to have taken the place on the website where "Hanuman" beer once existed. Single Hop Australian Summer shows up where once Hanuman Australian Summer was mentioned. The protest was spearheaded by Raja Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism. Decrying efforts to denigrate Hindu gods and goddesses by a number of commercial corporations marketing their consumer products, he said the beer with Lord Hanuman picture was "highly inappropriate" and had hurt sentiments of devout Hindus across USA. Sohan Joshi, president of National Federation of Indian Americans, said it was really demeaning on the part of any individual or company to use and misuse the name and pictures of deities whatever religions they may represent. They are revered figures and are representing in a way the Omnipresent Supreme power. "We have to take up this matter with the top layer of administration in this country and the lawmakers as well to ensure that anybody resorting to this tactic needs to be criminally persecuted. We will not take this lying down anymore" he said. Madhu Patel, president of NRI Press Club observed that Odd13 Brewing has withdrawn Hanuman Beer following "our protests" but it has already done the damage.
Rajan said that such trivialization of Lord Hanuman was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus are for free expression and speech as much as anybody else, if not more, but faith is something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees. Zed says that businesses should be respectful to various faith traditions. In Hinduism, Lord Hanuman is known for incredible strength and was the perfect grammarian. He however, thanked and commended the "Odd13 Brewing" for appreciating hurt feelings of Hindu community and for showing responsibility, respect and maturity by taking quick action in withdrawing "Hanuman" beer. Before the protest, "Odd13 Brewing" described Hanuman beer as: Hanuman is an American IPA with a light malt character that showcases robust hopping. Giving the "story" behind "Hanuman", which was styled as "Single Hop IPA", it then stated: "Hanuman is a kind shape shifting super-monkey". Ryan Scott, brewery's co-founder, was quoted in the media today: We didn't mean for it to be offensive‌ the name for the beer originally came from a Facebook contest.
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PCS honors graduates and recognizes artists HARISH RAO
CHICAGO: The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) hosted its fourteenth annual "Punjabi Youth Graduation and Scholarships Awards Night" on Sunday, June 8 at Viceroy of India Banquet Hall, Lombard, honoring Punjabi graduates. More than 250 guests attended the event. The guests of honor were about 25 Class of 2014 graduates from the Punjabi community. The celebration included keynote address by Dr Birinder Singh Marwah, Chief of Geriatrics at Advocate Masonic Medical Center. His eight point thoughtful and inspiring speech hit home with the young graduates and the other audience alike.
The motivational student speaker was Dr Jaswinder Pal. His key message was persistence and resilience, never to give up in adversity and eventually success will kiss your feet. The participants of "Rangla Punjab 2014," a PCS Annual Vaisakhi cultural program, received appreciation awards. PCS president Pardeep Singh Deol welcomed the gathering The celebration included recognition awards, certificates, scholarships, keynote address, cake cutting ceremony, DJ music, dancing, networking, and delicious Indian cuisine. Rajinder Singh Mago coordinated the scholarship award ceremonies and the keynote
Student speaker and Keynote Speaker Dr Birinder Marwah at Annual Punjab Cultural Society Graduation Nite
speeches. The keynote speakers Dr Birinder Singh Marwah and Dr Jaswinder Singh were honored with plaques. All the performing artists and emcees of "Rangla Punjab 2014" the PCS Vaisakhi cultural show were recognized and awarded trophies for their hard
work. A special cake cutting ceremony honoring all the class of 2014 graduates was also held. The upcoming PCS events are: Punjabi Sports Festival Basket Ball Tournament 2014 on July 27 at Falcon Park, Palatine, IL and PCS Chicago International Bhangra and Gidha Competition on November 8.
Telangana formation celebrated in St Louis ASHWIN PATEL
Graduating Class 2014 seen cutting cake
Grand celebration for Telangana in Dallas PRASAD THOTUKARA
Celebrating Telangana Day in St Louis
Gathering celebrating formation of Telengana as 29th State of India
DALLAS, TX: The Telangana Peoples' Association of Dallas organized a grand celebration in Dallas-Texas to mark the formation of Telangana as the 29th state of India. The event was aptly named 'Dhoom -Dhaam' and was set in a Mela environment, attended by well over 2500 people. TPAD Interim Advisory Board Rao Kalvala, Mahendar Kamireddy and Updendar Telugu invited Dallas-Fort Worth Indian community at-large to celebrate the event in an
inclusive manner. Several Telugu organizations provided their support and attended the Telangana Formation Day on June 7. The event started with Lord Ganesha and Lord Venkateswara pujas conducted for the well-being and prosperity of the new state. A colorful procession took place with Telangana Talli photo and young girls carrying bonalu with dholak drum beats. MCs for the event Swapna Udimella. Ashwin Kowtha energized the
audience throughout the evening. Mela environment was set with food booths to serve authentic Telangana cuisine, including various types of Hyderabadi Biryanis, Khubani Ka Meeta, Double Ka Mita, Haleem etc. Vendor booths were set to sell sarees, jewelry and other items, face painting for kids and mehendi for women. Mahendar Kamireddy gave vote of thanks and called TPAD Event Executive committee on the stage.
ST LOUIS: Greeting and con- the state K. Chandrashekar Rao, gratulating each other, the Saint everybody wished for the better Louis Telangana people jubilantly future of all Telangana people and celebrated the Telangana Forma- expressed their strong confidence tion Day on June 8 at Mayuri Res- that the new government will fotaurant. The function was orga- cus on education, employment, nized by local Telangana Group Telangana martyrs were Along with the "Jai Telangana" slogans, remembered and respects friends and family mem- were duly paid on the ocbers shared the Telangana formation casion as Telangana's birth events joyfully. came after years of struggle Telangana martyrs were remembered and respects were electricity generation, new indusduly paid on the occasion as tries and agricultural growth to Telangana's birth came after years live up to the people's expectaof struggle and sacrifices by sev- tions. eral people. The event was concluded with Congratulating the new CM of cake cutting and tasteful dinner.
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Technology overuse can affect safety, health MANASI MAHESHWARI India Post News Service
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eenagers today can barely go more than a couple of hours before
giving in to the urge to go online. In recent years, people have come to depend on technology in nearly every aspect of their lives. While technology use obviously has many benefits, without moderation its impact can be very detrimental
to teenagers' safety, social skill development, and health. Overuse of technology can compromise safety. All over the nation teenagers are so addicted to looking at their phones that
keeping their eyes off their devices for even a few minutes gets to be difficult. This has led to an epidemic of texting while driving, which kills 11 teens each day and accounts for about a fourth of car accidents a year. In fact, drivers
who text behind the wheel have an equal chance of causing a crash to those who drink four beers before driving. Texting while driving puts not only the culprit at risk, but also endangers the lives of innocent people on the road, highlighting the risk associated with inappropriate use of technology. Technology is in no way inherently bad or dangerous, as it obviously helps people stay connected and provides easy access to help if necessary. It is, however, important to moderate technology use to ensure safety, especially on the road. Another huge issue is how overusing technology affects teens' social skills. As they use technology more often, they have started becoming less socially inclined. Melissa Ortega, a psychologist at the Child Mind Institute in New York, says teens use their cell phones as an avoidance
strategy by checking them constantly during conversations. Rather than engaging with new people in unfamiliar scenarios, teenagers can usually be seen just looking at their phones because they find virtual communication easier than dealing with people. This overdependence hinders their adjustment into society and their personality development. Neuroscientist Gary Small states that young people are not
ever, when used appropriately, technology can break down communication barriers. For example, my brother, who studies at UC San Diego, can keep in touch with my parents and me through instant messaging. This makes it easy for all of us to communicate without making the long trip over or having to schedule meetings. While technology can definitely bring people together, it is important that it is not the only
Rather than engaging with new people in unfamiliar scenarios, teenagers can usually be seen just looking at their phones because they find virtual communication easier than dealing with people. This overdependence hinders their adjustment into society learning how to read body language and nonverbal cues due to their reliance on technology. For example, most find it so much easier to break up with someone over text than to do it in person and deal with the ensuing emotions. But teens need to learn how to think on their feet to prepare for the inevitable difficult situations that they will come across. How-
means of conversation as it can never be as effective as personal interaction. Using technology too often can have a profound effect on teen health. It has been shown that children who spend over 3 hours a day in front of a screen have a 17 to 44% increased risk of being overweight. Cont’d on page 25
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Sonu enthralls LA, with hit songs
India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES: On May 31, the "Klose to My Soul" concert arrived at the Nokia Theater in L.A. Live. This was part of a month long, multinational tour Sonu Nigam performed in an effort to raise money for Sankara Eye Foundation, the host of the event. The show was opened by Jonita Gandhi from Toronto, Canada who is raising vocal star in Bollywood. She has had hit tracks such as "Chennai Express", "Dil Chaspiya", and "Kahaan Hoon Main" (from Highway). Jonita during the opening sang some of these hits as well as performing some oldies. Shortly thereafter, Sonu Nigam made a grand entrance and had the crowd enthralled with his performances of songs such as
"MaahiVe", "Dil le ja le ja", "Bijuriya", "Kya hua tera vada" and "Kal ho na Ho". During thee concert, Sonu Nigam also educated the audience how a song is really made. He was joined on stage by his father Agam Kumar Nigam and the audience also saw pictures and video of Sonu with his mother, who passed away in February 2013. The concert was a great success and filled with high energy performances as well as touching moments. The audience was entertained brilliantly by all the performances throughout the three and half hour concert and all the proceeds from
this concert will benefit a wonderful organization, Sankara Eye Foundation, in its goal of eradicating preventable blindness in
India. The Sankara Eye Foundation is
a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide 20/20 vision for the people of India by the year 2020. The organization's goal is to initiate and drive community eye care activities in India through their partner, Sankara Eye Care Institutions (SECI). SECI operates and manages eight eye care hospitals all over India. During a break in the concert, Sankara Eye Foundation's chairman Murli Krishnamurthy spoke to the audience about the goals and mission of the organization. The majority of the money raised at the concert will be used to help build a new SankaraEye Care Foundation eye hospital in Jodhpur, India. The organization has a further goal of establishing 20 hospitals by the year 2020.
Technology overuse can affect safety, health Cont’d from page 23
With the lure of the instant and convenient entertainment that technology provides, teenagers are much less likely to leave the comfort of their beds and couches to go out and exercise. While before, teens used to go outside to the park and hang out with their friends, now they usually just stay inside and watch TV or play video games. Furthermore, prolonged screen time can cause eyestrain and can even adversely affect ears and wrists due to the use of earphones and keeping hands stationary for too long. Bal-
ancing technology use and physical activity is a good way to maintain optimal weight and stay healthy. To conclude, technology can be a bane or boon, depending on how it is used. In order to stay safe, social, and healthy, teens must depend less on technology and manage their screen time better. With this in mind, they will be able to reap all the benefits technology provides without the possible harmful impact. Do you have an interesting teen topic to share? Send your comments/ feedback to FiaYouthOnline@gmail.com
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35 Muslim students complete social justice program India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES: The Council on American-Islamic Relations Greater Los Angeles Area office (CAIR-LA) congratulated the first graduates of its new Muslim Gamechangers Network (MGN). On Sunday, June 8, 35 Muslim high school students celebrated the successful completion of the fourmonth social justice training program at a graduation ceremony hosted at the Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI). "I'm very proud of the first graduating class from the Muslim Gamechangers Network," said Zienab Abdelgany, youth development coordinator at CAIR-LA. "The journey has just begun as we set out to apply the things we've learned from each other throughout the course of this program." Friends, family and community
members attended the graduation ceremony. Student participants hailed from high schools across Irvine and neighboring cities including Beckman High School, Northwood High School, University High School, Woodbridge High School, and Fountain Valley High School, among others. From January to June, students attended weekly interactive sessions hosted at ICOI to learn the tools that would equip them to become better community advocates and leaders. They delved into subjects including: understanding American Muslim history, learning how to deconstruct and combat stereotypes, examining their family histories, learning about economic justice and injustice, organizing a political campaign, building coalitions, and engaging government and media bodies effectively. During the program, partici-
pants shared reflections of how it transformed their worldview and
Nasoordeen, a Fountain Valley High School student.
opened their hearts to service and engagement with the greater community. "One of my favorite parts of MGN was the field trip that we took to Manzanar," said Salma
"We broke out into discussion groups and through our conversations with former relatives of Japanese American internees, I dis-
covered that we as Muslims are not alone and other people are willing to support Muslims and Muslims are willing to support other communities." The graduation ceremony's keynote speaker and MGN guest facilitator was Yousef Baker, a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California Santa Barbara. Baker facilitated one of the MGN sessions in which students learned about the global economy. In his keynote address, he talked about the value of fostering a sense of community through good works. "Home is the community we build through service that is based in solidarity, compassion, and empathy," said Baker in his keynote address.
Sri Sri to visit Bay Area June 26 technique based on ancient Vedic knowledge. "Sri Sri has created waves of SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a global humanitar- happiness across the globe. His ian and founder of the Art of Liv- visit offers a rare opportunity to ing Foundation, will visit the Bay experience profound meditations Area June 26-July 1. A world peace and peace with the skillful use of leader and a happiness expert, Sri the breath," said Ashwani Dhall, Sri's travel marks a unique oppor- Chairman, US Art of Living Fountunity for the Bay Area residents dation. Named one of the five most to take the reputed Art of Living powerful people Happiness in India by Program. Forbes, Sri Sri Sri Sri's vihas inspired a sion of a vioglobal phenomlence-free and enon of comstress-free sopassion and ciety has service through united millions his initiatives of people. To which have imfollow up on pacted the lives his March of an estimated 2013 launch of 300 million the Stresspeople worldfree, ViolenceSri Sri Ravi Shankar wide. free campaign The Bay in the Bay Area, he is now coming to lead Area has six Art of Living centers several workshops to strengthen that serve community upliftment the local community. The Happi- through its breathing, meditation, ness Program teaches practical yoga, and knowledge programs. About the Art of Living Fountools to manage the mind and emotions so that one can live life with dation An icon of non-violence and greater purpose and fulfillment. This dynamic workshop allows an universal human values, Sri Sri individual to tap vast possibilities Ravi Shankar seeks global peace within and discover one's unlim- through service and dialogue. ited power and freedom. The cen- Founded in 1981, his Art of Living terpiece of this program is the Foundation is an international Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful tech- nonprofit which offers programs nique that uses specific, natural designed to eliminate stress and rhythms to get unstuck with foster a sense of well-being. It has events of life. It is a time-tested presence in 152 countries. India Post News Service
June 20, 2014
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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Mast Magan: 2 States 2 Locha-E-Ulfat: 2 States 3 Party With The Bhoothnath: Bhoothnath Returns 4 Whistle Baja: Heropanti 28 India Post
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5 Galliyan: Ek Villian 6 Raat Bhar: Heropanti 7 Dard Dilo Ko: The Xpose 8 Fugly Fugly Kya Hai: Fugly 9
Baby Doll: Ragini MMS 2
10 Caller Tune: Humshakals
Bipasha says that Alone is a very challenging film, because it's an emotional journey wherein the characters are layered and complex
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t's a given for any star to be accompanied by an entourage when he goes visiting other cities - be it for work or to catch up with friends. However, Ranbir Kapoor, it seems, avoids getting caught in the trappings of stardom. The young superstar, one hears, isn't enamored by high-end luxury cars. "When a fancy sedan was sent for him on his recent visit to Delhi, Ranbir sent it back saying a car like that would attract attention and people would become aware of a celebrity
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amir Khan couldn't curtail his excitement when he recently unveiled Dilip Kumar's autobiography 'The Shadow and The Substance' along with veteran ac tors Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. Aamir was seen kissing Dilip Kumar's hand lovingly while he was resting his head on his wife and veteran actress Saira Banu's shoulder. Aamir first read out a poem written by his friend and writer-poet Prasoon Joshi amidst huge round of applause. "I wish Prasoon was personally here to read out," said Aamir, claiming that he was the biggest fan of Dilip Kumar in the industry. "There is no bigger fan of Dilip Kumar than me in the industry. I have seen every film of his many
in it. He asked for popular multi premium car, where he took the rear seat, hiding under his trademark cap and dark glasses," says a source. "He also didn't want too many bouncers around him, instead he preferred to only have a sole bodyguard accompanying him. That way, he could also stop at a roadside dhaba to savor street food in the car, without attracting attention of people around," added the source.
times and he has had a huge influence on me. The best part is that I rediscover him with every film and continue to learn." Aamir further accompanied senior Bachchan on the stage to unveil the autobiography. Singers Shaan and Javed Ali along with composer Lalit Pandit recreated magic and took people down the memory lane with some of Dilip Kumar's hit songs like Suhana Safar, Madhuban mein radhika, Nain lad jai hain, Ude jab jab zulfien teri and many more.
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ipasha will be playing the role of twins who are conjoined at birth in the film Alone (ten tative title), which is being produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak and Pradeep Aggarwal, and directed by Bhushan Patel. The film is about how one (of the twins) becomes an evil spirit, while the other one is sweet and protective of the other. Bipasha says that Alone is a very challenging film, because it's an emotional journey wherein the characters are layered and complex. She added that she is also studying the subject a n d watching documentaries on conjoined twins. Popular TV actor Karan Singh Grover, who makes his Bollywood debut with this film, will be seen playing Bipasha's love interest in this film.
Bollywood
June 20, 2014
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ftab Shivdasani has been dating Nin Dusanj, a British-Indian girl, who was working in Hong Kong for six years as a consultant in the luxury brand industry before relocating to India in 2012. She met Aftab through common friends at an event. It is learnt the couple has tied the knot at a private ceremony attended only by their families. Of course, they also plan to have an elaborate celebration at the end of the year. In fact, our source tells us that the star and his bride will check out multiple locations across India where they can hold the various functions. And they intend to invite their close friends from India and overseas. At the moment the couple is on their honeymoon at an undisclosed destination.
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f the 'Hate Story' content was bold, the second in stallment is bolder and now adult star and Bollywood actress Sunny Leone is set to spice it up further with her item number. According to a source, the trailer featuring lead actors Surveen Chawla and Jay Bhanushali's love scenes in the recreated version of the song "Aaj fir tumpe pyaar aaya hai" is already scorching the web space. And Sunny's item song 'Pink Lips', composed by Meet Bros, will be like a cherry on director Vishal Pandya's 'Hate Story 2'.
ajid Nadiadwala launched his friend Jackie Shroff's son Tiger with his production Heropanti directed by Sabbir Khan. After a superhit debut, many people want to know, what film Tiger Shroff will do next. We have learnt from sources that his second film will again be a romantic action film with Sabbir Khan. What is interesting is that apparently Shraddha Kapoor has been spoken to pair with him in this film and principally, she has agreed. Tiger is being sent for a month-and-a-half abroad to train in action in the style of his hero Bruce Lee and the film is slated to go on the floor this August.
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US man sues docs after removal of wrong kidney HOUSTON: A 55-year-old US man has sued his doctors and sought USD 1 million in damages, claiming that surgeons mistakenly removed his healthy kidney instead of a cancerous one. Glenn Hermes and his wife Bernadette from Fort Worth, Texas, filed suit against his urologist Robert Stroud and radiologist David Fenyes, for malpractice and gross negligence. When Hermes learned that he had cancer in one kidney early last year, he agreed to have surgery to remove his left kidney before it had a chance to spread. He checked into Plaza Medical Centre in Fort Worth and his left kidney was removed. Hermes thought it was a crisis averted. But then Hermes soon learned that a CT scan had been misread and that the wrong kidney was removed - it was his right kidney that was riddled with cancer, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Hermes, chief executive officer for a wound care and hyperbaric medicine management company, was looking forward to retirement and spending time with his grandchildren. Now, he deals with an uncertain future wondering if he will face dialysis, a transplant or the possibility of taking expensive drugs.- PTI
Police officer saves stabbing victim ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: An Albuquerque police officer who was at the center of one of city's costliest wrongful death lawsuits is being credited with saving a woman's life. Police say Officer Brett Lampiris-Tremba helped a stabbing victim outside a motel. Police spokeswoman Tasia Martinez says the woman had at least nine stab wounds and collapsed in front of LampirisTremba's vehicle. Martinez says LampirisTremba applied two tourniquets to the victim's arm and put pressure on other wounds. Emergency responders say the officer kept the woman from bleeding to death. Officers later arrested 33-yearold Freddy Granger, who had fled the scene. In 2010, Lampiris-Tremba fatally shot Kenneth Ellis III, an Iraq War veteran. The city was ordered to pay more than $10 million in damages to Ellis' family. AP
Health Science
Vardhan promises blood banks in each dist Details on Page 34
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Senate bill doubles spending on veterans' health care WASHINGTON: Spending on veterans' health care could double in three years under the U.S. Senate's solution to the long waits experienced by thousands seeking medical care at government-run veterans' hospitals and clinics, according to congressional budget experts. Analyzing a bill the Senate passed overwhelmingly, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the measure would add $35 billion over the next three years to the $44 billion the government now spends annually on medical care for veterans. Both the Senate bill and a House version also passed this past week would dramatically expand government-paid health care. They would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay private providers to treat qualifying veterans who can't get prompt appointments at the VA's nearly 1,000 hospitals and outpatient clinics or who live at least 40 miles (65 kilometers) from one of them. Once the program was fully in place, the budget office said it expected that veterans ``would ultimately seek additional care that would cost the federal govern-
ment about $50 billion a year'' double the current spending, the report said. The bills are Congress's response to a growing uproar over patients dying while awaiting VA treatment and mounting evidence
sign two weeks ago. An audit showed that more than 57,000 veterans have had to wait at least three months for initial appointments. An additional 64,000 veterans who asked for appointments over the past de-
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. speaking to reporters about veterans health care on Capitol Hill in Washington after public outcry over lax care at Veterans Affairs health facilities. Spending on veterans’ health care could double in three years under the Senate’s solution to the long waits experienced by thousands seeking medical care at VA hospitals and clinics.
that workers falsified or omitted appointment schedules to mask frequent, long delays. The resulting election-year firestorm forced VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to re-
cade never got them. The VA has confirmed that at least 35 veterans died while awaiting appointments at VA facilities in the Phoenix area, although offi-
cials say they can't say whether not getting VA treatment caused any of the deaths. More than 8 million of the nation's 21 million veterans are now enrolled in VA health care although only about 6.5 million seek VA treatment every year. The CBO analysts said the VA now covers about 30 percent, or an average $5,200, of those veterans' annual health care costs, excluding longterm care. The Senate bill would open up VA health care to as many as 8 million veterans who now qualify for VA health care but have not enrolled, the budget office said. By making it easier to get outside care, the Senate bill and a companion measure in the House also would encourage veterans to seek VA coverage for a bigger portion of their health care, the report said. Both bills would make it easier to fire or demote senior agency officials, and both would end bonuses to regional VA officials and other administrators based on meeting patient scheduling goals - a practice investigators say led some officials to create phony waiting lists to ``game'' the system. Cont'd on Page 35
Innocent's cancer memoir now part of textbook THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After winning the Lok Sabha polls as an LDF-independent, actor and humorist Innocent has earned another credit with Kerala Government including in a school textbook excerpts from the memoir he penned when he underwent treatment for cancer. Innocent, who survived cancer just a few months before he plunged into the electoral arena, jotted down his experiences as a patient in the memoir titled "Cancer Wardile Chiri" (Smile at the Cancer Ward). Portion of this book has been included in the Malayalam textbook for fifth standard of the Kerala state syllabus from this
academic year. The memoir, replete with humorous undertones, narrates how bravely he fought cancer and sur-
vived the most painful phase of his life without discarding positive outlook. The selection was made by S t a t e Council of Educational Research and Training, the R and D wing of the Education Department. T h e portion is included in Actor and humorist Innocent the section "Chiriyum
Chinthayum" (laughter and thought) in the textbook. Innocent's lucid and simple narration provides an insight into the trauma faced by him and how he overcame that painful phase in his life by persistently refusing to be despondent. The textbook also has a caricature of the 69-year-old actor, who got elected to the Lok Sabha defeating Congress heavyweight P C Chacko in Chalakkudi seat. His memoirs, published by Mathrubhumi Books last year, has become an instant best seller book running into fifth impression. -PTI
Health Science Post
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Report will expose more problems at VA OKLAHOMA CITY: A U.S. senator from Oklahoma claims that a new report will expose more weaknesses at Veterans Affairs Department hospitals, including disappearing doctors and staff members. In a national Republican radio address, U.S. Sen Tom Coburn focused on the problems encountered by the nation's veterans in getting treatment, or even appointments, according to The Oklahoman. ``But the problems at the VA are far deeper than scheduling,'' Coburn said in the weekly GOP address. ``Getting to see a doctor, after all, does not guarantee quality care. Just like the VA is cooking the books to make wait times appear shorter, the department is also glossing over the growing number of hospitals with poor medical outcomes.'' Coburn co-authored legislation addressing a wide range of problems at VA hospitals and in the health care system. That bill cleared the House and Senate recently. Among the provisions championed by Coburn are ones that would allow veterans to see any physician or visit any hospital if they live more than 40 miles from a VA hospital or cannot get a timely appointment at one. ``VA hospitals serve an important and unique role but veterans should be allowed to choose where, when and from whom they receive treatment,'' Coburn said. Coburn faulted Congress for not conducting proper oversight of the VA even after investigative reports exposed sys-
temic failures. And he called on President Barack Obama to nominate a Veterans Affairs secretary ``who possesses the management skills, leadership ability and determination to correct the failings of the VA.''
Tom Coburn
Obama's first VA Secretary, Eric Shinseki, resigned last month amid an uproar over long wait times and falsified data about those wait times at some VA hospitals. Coburn and his staff have been digging into VA problems for years. The senator said s report will be released by his office next week that ``exposes a culture within the VA where vets are not always a priority and in which administrators manipulate both data and employees to give the appearance that all is well.'' -AP
600 doctors to be recruited for paramilitary forces NEW DELHI: Faced with a critical shortage of doctors to aid troops undertaking anti-Naxal operations and border guarding duties, the government has announced a fresh recruitment drive to hire over 600 such professionals. The maximum of these vacancies are in
Last year, these forces recruited close to 250 doctors, against the double number of vacancies they had advertised
country's largest paramilitary force CRPF with 123 posts vacant for specialist medical officers in various important disciplines like
Medicine, Surgery and Orthopedics. The forces, according to a senior paramilitary officer, have been wanting to fill a number of vacant posts in this domain for a long time, essentially for troops deployed in operations. The Union Home Ministry, in the latest drive, wants to recruit a total of 218 specialist medical officers, 390 medical officers and one specialist Dental Surgeon. The total vacancies are 609. "The paramilitary forces, especially those in anti-Naxal and border guarding tasks, have a critical shortage of doctors on field. The new drive is expected to bring some relief from the point of view of providing quick medical aid to troops," the official said. The new recruits will be given combat ranks of Deputy Commandants (specialist doctors) and Assistant Commandants (medical officers) in forces like Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and Assam Rifles.-PTI
Fasting may ward off diabetes WASHINGTON: Fasting can reduce cholesterol levels in prediabetic people over extended period of time, according to a new research. The research on periodic fasting has identified a biological process in the body that converts bad cholesterol in fat cells to energy, thus combating diabetes risk factors. Researchers at the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, noticed that after 10 to 12 hours of fasting, the body starts scavenging for other sources of energy throughout the body to sustain itself. The body pulls LDL (bad) cholesterol from the fat cells and uses it as energy. "Fasting has the potential to become an important diabetes intervention," said Benjamin Horne, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and lead researcher on the study. "Though we've studied fasting and its health benefits for years, we didn't know why fasting could provide the health
benefits we observed related to the risk of diabetes," Horne said. Prediabetes means the amount of glucose, also called sugar, in the blood is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Prior research done by Horne and his team in 2011 focused on healthy people during one day of fasting and showed that routine, water-only fasting was associated with lower glucose levels and weight loss. "When we studied the effects of fasting in apparently healthy people, cholesterol levels increased during the one-time 24-hour fast," said Horne. "The changes that were most interesting or unexpected were all related to metabolic health and diabetes risk. "Together with our prior studies that showed decades of routine fasting was associated with a lower risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease, this led us to think that fasting is most impactful for reducing the risk of diabetes and related metabolic problems," Horne said.-PTI
Health Science Post
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Vardhan promises blood banks in each dist NEW DELHI: Expressing con- I will talk to the states and civil cern over the high rate of mater- society organizations about this. nal mortality in the country due The Centre will do all it can to see to want of safe blood during preg- that this is implemented soon," nancy, Union Health Minister said the Health Minister. Harsh Vardhan has said that the He also launched a National government will work to ensure Plasma Policy on the occasion that each district soon has a which is aimed at optimizing the blood bank. use of plasma recovered by blood "Almost 88 per cent of preg- banks which are tested safe for nant women in this country suffer from anemia, which is a major contributor to the high maternal mortality rate in India. "Of these, 13.5 per cent women come under the grip of acute anemia, often leading to death," Vardhan said here at an event organized to mark World Blood Donor Day. He said that as many as 80,000 women die in the country due to want of safe blood during pregnancy. About 87 per cent of pregnant women suffer from anemia of which 13.5 per cent suffer from acute anemia, which can be life threatening. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan If there are more safe blood banks in the country, the clinical use. number of women dying during The policy aims at making pregnancy due to loss of blood available high-quality proteins of can be significantly reduced, immense clinical significance, deVardhan said. rived from human plasma, which "We will see that each district otherwise goes to waste. in the country has a safe blood While attempting to bridge the bank in the coming one-two years. gap between demand and supply
of such life-saving plasma-derived proteins, it seeks to ensure adequate regulatory and legislative steps for monitoring of activities related to plasma-derived products. The policy, drafted by the Department of AIDS Control, is an addendum to the National Blood Policy, 2003. Stating that, "every two seconds, someone in India needs blood transfusion", Vardhan urged people to donate blood and spoke about the positive aspects of blood donation on health -- from significant reduction in hypertension to reduced chances of cardiac diseases. "Four state-of-the-art blood banks are going to be set up in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai while giving special focus to 40 selected districts where services need to be reached immediately," he said. Earlier, Vardhan launched a blood donation drive organized by the blood bank of RML hospital. He also felicitated several individuals who are regular donors along with organizations working in this field. Among those honored on the occasion was the 44-year-old visually-impaired Vijay Negi, who has donated blood 25 times till date. State Blood Transfusion Council of Maharashtra and the State AIDS Societies of Maharashtra and Uttarakhand were awarded for their "commendable work towards making safe blood available". -PTI
VA clinic takes steps to correct problems EL PASO, Texas: The Veterans Affairs health clinic in El Paso, pinpointed as having some of the longest wait times in the country for veterans to meet with a mental health specialist, is moving on its own to fix some of the problems instead of waiting for a national plan, the agency's local director said. John Mendoza, El Paso's VA director, told the El Paso Times the clinic will begin getting patients help from private caregivers, create new appointment times and increase staff numbers in some departments. ``I know that right now when you take a look at the numbers and you see the wait times you may say, `Why bother?''' Mendoza said. ``My response is,
please give us that opportunity.'' He talked to the newspaper after an extensive audit of the Department of Veteran Affairs found that more than 64,000 veterans
The audit also found that 331 veterans in El Paso have been waiting 90 or more days for their first medical appointment, and more than 1,100 have never received an appointment nationwide have been unable to get a doctor's appointment. The
El Paso center was found fourthworst nationally in the mental health arena, with veterans waiting an average of 60 days to get an appointment with a specialist. The audit also found that 331 veterans in El Paso have been waiting 90 or more days for their first medical appointment, and more than 1,100 have never received an appointment. Significant problems also have been found in other Texas VA clinics, including in Harlingen, which has a worstin-the-nation, 145-day average wait for new patients seeking specialist care. Mendoza said the El Paso clinic has already started making calls to those on its wait list. -AP
Brain activity explains why kicking the butt is hard WASHINGTON: Researchers have identified an aspect of brain activity which may help explain why for some cigarette smokers, strategies to aid quitting work well, while for many others no method seems to work. Researchers from Penn State observed the brains of nicotinedeprived smokers with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and found that those who exhibited the weakest response to rewards were also the least willing to refrain from smoking, even when offered money to do so. "We believe that our findings may help to explain why some smokers find it so difficult to quit smoking," said Stephen J Wilson, assistant professor of psychology, Penn State. "Namely, potential sources of reinforcement for giving up smoking - for example, the prospect of saving money or improving health - may hold less value for some individuals and, accordingly, have less impact on their behavior," Wilson said. The researchers recruited 44 smokers to examine striatal response to monetary reward in those expecting to smoke and in those who were not, and the subsequent willingness of the smokers to forego a cigarette in an effort to earn more money. "The striatum is part of the socalled reward system in the brain.
It is the area of the brain that is important for motivation and goaldirected behavior - functions highly relevant to addiction," said Wilson. The participants, who were between the ages of 18 and 45, all reported that they smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day for the past 12 months. They were instructed to abstain from smoking and from using any products containing nicotine for 12 hours prior to arriving for the experiment.
Those who exhibited the weakest response to rewards were also the least willing to refrain from smoking, even when offered money to do so. Each participant spent time in an fMRI scanner while playing a card-guessing game with the potential to win money. The participants were informed that they would have to wait approximately two hours, until the experiment was over, to smoke a cigarette. -PTI
Portea in-home health care network in 50 cities KOLKATA: By investing USD 30-40 million, in-home healthcare services provider Portea Medical plans to expand to 50 Indian cities over the next two years. "We are by far the largest and
'We are by far the largest and fastest growing home healthcare provider in the Indian market today. Our target is to be in 50 Indian cities which have a population of above 1 million' fastest growing home healthcare provider in the Indian market today. Our target is to be in 50 Indian cities which have a population of above 1 million) in the next
24 months," said Meena Ganesh, CEO and co-founder of Portea Medical. Six months ago, they had raised USD 8 million (around Rs 48 crore) in series A funding from Accel Partners and Ventureast. "We are aiming to raise our series B funding of USD 30-40 million in the next 12 months and are looking at all options, including the PE route for these funds," she said. Started last year, the Bangalore-based company has already expanded to 18 cities using their proprietary technology platform. Their Kolkata chapter started recently while they are already present in other cities like Hyderabad, Pune, Coimbatore, Lucknow and Vizag. The company CEO said Bangalore and the Delhi/NCR region followed by the other metros accounts for the bulk of their patient base. -PTI
June 20, 2014
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UNL health center to be managed by UNMC LINCOLN, Neb.: Within weeks, the Uni- Gold said. versity of Nebraska-Lincoln will transfer UNL officials said it's common to have management of its on-campus health cen- university health clinics run by the ter to the University of Nebraska Medical university's medical schools. Center. The plans do not affect any current The transfer will take place on July 1, health center staff, UNL officials said. the Lincoln Journal Star reported. UNMC will form a long-range plan on how to operate the health center after getting input from students, faculty, staff and the health center's advisory board. UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman informed the health center staff about the management transfer. The school had worked with a Lincoln hospital system, Bryan Health, to take over operations of the center and build a new $14.4 million building by December 2014, but the University of Nebraska Board of Regents rejected that contract. Perlman reached out to UNMC to manage the health center, Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.: "We are excited about UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey Gold ensuring that this clinic best meets the health needs of said in a news release. UNMC UNL students." plans to build a referral network with specialty partners in Lincoln and Omaha. The concept to build a new UHC facility ``We are taking on this responsibility remains in place, UNL spokesman Steve because we have expertise in the areas of Smith said, but no timeline has been set to health care management and delivery, complete a final plan or begin construction. which have grown increasingly complex,'' -AP
Senate bill doubles spending on veterans' health care Congress's expansion of Medicare in 2003 to cover prescription drugs for seniors. But the Senate bill also would devote at ``We can't just write a blank check and least $1 billion to leasing 26 facilities in 17 think it will solve these problems,'' said states and Puerto Rico for use as new VA Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of three hospitals or clinics and $500 more million senators who voted against the bill. He said for hiring more VA doctors and nurses. ``veterans deserve better than that.'' Declaring the long appointment waits an Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, the emergency, the Senate averted having to chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs raise taxes or find spending cuts elsewhere Committee, said the bill was expensive, but to cover the bill's costs. so were the wars that veterans have served in. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone will have cost at least $3 trilWars in Iraq and Afghanistan lion, he said. alone will have cost at least $3 ``If we can spend that kind of trillion. ``If we can spend that kind money to go to war ... surely we can spend (less than) 1 percent of of money to go to war ... surely that amount to take care of the men we can spend 1 percent of that and women who fought those wars,'' he said. amount to take care of the men The CBO did not provide a and women who fought those wars complete cost estimate on the House bill, which includes no proThe Center for a Responsible Federal visions for new hospitals or clinics or hirBudget, a bipartisan policy group devoted ing more VA doctors and nurses. to cutting federal deficits, criticized the House Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate's bill in a lengthy blog post after it Chairman Jeff Miller said there would be passed, saying it would swell the negotiations with the Senate over final leggovernment's debt by creating a new un- islation. ``We're not just accepting the Senfunded entitlement program bigger than ate bill,'' he said.-AP Cont'd from Page 32
Summit puts limits on doctor offices SUMMIT, Miss.: Summit officials have declared a moratorium on new doctor offices along the town's main business thoroughfare. The Town Council's decision came after Dr. Jennifer Gholson bought the former Golden Hushpuppy restaurant building at the corner of Robb Street and U.S. Highway 51 to comply with an ordinance requiring doctors to have five parking spaces per employee. Since Gholson's office has seven employees, she needs 35 parking spaces to comply with the law - far more than what's available on Robb Street. Seeing a potential for doctors' offices to take parking spaces from retailers - a source of sales tax dollars - the council decided to limit medical facilities on Robb Street and review ordinances covering them. The Enterprise-Journal reported the parking issue is at the heart of the moratorium. ``Street parking is not an option'' for doctors' offices, Mayor Percy Robinson said. ``My merchants downtown, they need that. We're not going to give leeway so their patients can park downtown. Doctors' offices have to have so many parking spaces, and there's no way you can get them down-
town.'' Robinson said the moratorium will only affect new medical operations, not Gholson's office. ``She's already there, so this moratorium is not about her. It's to prevent any other doctors' offices from coming in the down-
Seeing a potential for doctors' offices to take parking spaces from retailers - a source of sales tax dollars the council decided to limit medical facilities on Robb Street and review ordinances covering them. town business district,'' he said. Local real estate agent Debbie Stovall said that from an economic standpoint, the town would be better served by having retailers along Robb Street. ``We really need the revenue of retail stores, so that's what we're hoping to fill up with these other businesses,'' she said. -AP
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Realty Tidbits
PE funds invests Rs 4,800 cr in realty NEW DELHI: Private equity funds pumped in about Rs 4,800 crore in the realty sector mainly in corporate land deals in the January-March quarter, property consultant CBRE said. These investments came at a time when sector faced liquidity crunch, high land acquisition costs, and stringent due diligence from the banking sector which continues to perceive real estate as a high-risk domain in India, CBRE added. "For the quarter ended March 2014, nearly USD 800 million was invested into India's real estate sector. This translates to almost Rs 4,800 crore having been injected into the sector through the private equity route over the past few months," CBRE said in a release. More than 60 per cent of the realty investments observed during the quarter under review were seen to be the sale of land parcels by corporate entities, primarily in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR), to realty developers for housing development projects, CBRE said in a release. -PTI
„ Private firms exit real estate with good returns BANGALORE/MUMBAI: At a time when the Indian property market is showing sluggishness, some private equity firms have exited their investments in real estate companies and locked in good returns too. Of the total institutional PE capital deployed until March 2014, nearly a fifth, amounting to $6.9 billion, has been exited by PE funds, according to a recent report by Brookfield Financial. This is in contrast to the perception that private equity funds are stuck with their investments and are finding it difficult to make a profitable exit.
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Omaxe eyes 20% rise in sales booking NEW DELHI: Realty firm Omaxe is expecting about 20 per cent increase in sales bookings this fiscal at over Rs 2,500 crore. The company's sales bookings fell by 11 per cent during last fiscal to Rs 2,107 crore against Rs 2,373 crore in the year before. In terms of volume, sales bookings fell by 31 per cent to 7.83 million sq ft in 2013-14 fiscal. However, the average realization grew by 29 per cent to Rs 2,692 per sq ft. -PTI
Colorado warns real estate agents about listings DENVER: Colorado regulators are warning real estate agents not to keep listings away from the market in an effort to boost their pay. The state's hot real estate market is boosting the practice of brokers putting up signs saying listings are ``coming soon,'' The Denver Post reported. The Colorado Real Estate Commission issued the warning because the practice can be bad for consumers. Because the full market can't bid, sellers might not get as much as they could. Agents are able to take a commission from both the buyer and the seller. Selling property off the market is OK if sellers realize the risk they're taking, the commission wrote in its opinion issued last week. If not, that ``endangers the interest of the public.'' Marcia Waters, director of the
Department of Regulatory Agencies' real estate division, said the practice has become ``fairly widespread'' for the last six to eight months. No agents have yet been punished for using such tactics, but they could face reprimands or
fines. Consumer harm can be substantial, said Marcia Cotlar, an agent at 8z Real Estate in Boulder. She said sellers could stand to lose as much as 25 percent of their homes' value by going under contract before hitting the market.
``I think sellers these days are, `Oh my god, I can get that much? I'll take it,' where really the seller can get even more than that,'' Cotlar said. The market is ripe for such offthe-market deals, because there are far more buyers than sellers, making for a more aggressive, fastpaced environment. Within a day of listing an Aurora home last week, Steve Danyliw, an agent in Littleton, had shown it to 23 potential buyers and had six contracts - all above full price. ``If we didn't have it on the market - exposed to all of those potential buyers - might've we sold that for less?'' said Danyliw, a Denver Metro Association of Realtors board member. ``You've got to make sure your seller is completely informed of any positives or negatives.'' -AP
Affordable options limited for renters BEND, Ore.: Brittney Sweeney has less than a month left to find a new home for her family to rent in Bend, and the pickings are slim. ``The hard part about it now, there is a shortage of houses, but (also) just the amount of money they're wanting for these houses,'' Sweeney said. Sweeney, 26, lives with her boyfriend, daughter and two nephews in a four-bedroom house in southeast Bend. The couple pays $1,200 a month in rent, but the
owner of the house plans to sell it and the family must move out by July 6. Sweeney noticed other houses in the neighborhood for rent at $1,700 to $2,000 a month, but said, ``We can't afford that because our wages haven't gone up.'' Bend Mayor Jim Clinton has heard a lot of similar concerns from
Melissa Heil, 34, wrote in an email to Clinton that she runs a small counseling private practice in addition to working full time for a state agency, and her husband has a real estate appraisal business. They pay $1,295 a month for a 2,200-square-foot home, plus installments on a large student loan and other monthly bills.
City officials might be able to increase the supply of reasonably priced rental properties in the future, if Bend changes some zoning laws and comes up with an expansion plan the state will accept. distressed renters, who have been emailing him to complain about the high cost and scarcity of rental housing in the city. In April, a survey by the Central Oregon Rental Owners Association of its members revealed a vacancy rate of just 0.4 percent for rental apartments in Bend and 1.2 percent for houses in the city.
The home they rent is being sold. ``For us to move into a home with similar (square footage) and in the same area (NE) of town to keep our kids in the same school, we would pay $1,695 to $2,400 per month and a deposit of approximately $2,000,'' Heil wrote. ``That means we must come up with an
extra $400 per month at least to stay in Bend and about $4,000 to move.'' Heil said she would like to purchase a home, but she has been unable to get approved for a mortgage because of $80,000 in student loan debt. Clinton said there is little the city government can do to control rents or provide more affordable housing in the short term. City officials might be able to increase the supply of reasonably priced rental properties in the future, if Bend changes some zoning laws and comes up with an expansion plan the state will accept. City Manager Eric King said one question the city might explore is how many bank-owned homes are sitting vacant and whether the city can do anything to encourage institutions to make them available more quickly to renters or buyers. Other options would be more long term, and King asked the city Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to begin vetting ideas to increase the supply of affordable Cont’d on page 39 rentals.
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Investments rising in real estate sector
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nvestment in the real estate sector in January-March, 2014, has more than doubled to $800 from the previous quarter of only $317 million, mainly driven by corporate land sales. Around $597 million was invested in the sector a year ago. More platform deals and equity stake acquisitions can be expected. "Although India is not yet
a significant player in the regional real estate investment market, going forward, we expect the entry of real estate investment trusts (REITs) to provide alternative funding channels to the sector and trigger strong growth in its investment volumes," said Anshuman Magazine, chairman and managing director, CBRE South Asia. For the quarter ended March
Affordable options limited for renters Cont’d from page 38
``We are starting to look at what are some policy things we can do to incentivize more affordable housing to be built,'' King said. City Affordable Housing Manager Jim Long said possibilities include selling surplus city-owned properties at a discount to affordable-housing developers and creating a ``density bonus'' that would allow developers who include af-
Clinton, the Bend mayor, said he views the rental housing shortage as a symptom of a national problem of wages lagging while the cost of living increases. fordable housing in a project to build more houses, on smaller lots, that otherwise would not be permitted in a zoning area. The city could also change its code to allow larger accessory dwellings, such as apartments above garages, to make them more economically feasible to develop, and create a ``cottage code'' to allow projects with smaller houses
clustered around a central parking area. ``At any one time, there's 18 units available for rent (in Bend),'' Long said. ``That's not enough.'' One reason for the shortage of affordable housing is that investors pay cash for many single-family homes that come on the market, Long said. ``The other is we just didn't build multifamily (housing) for a while,'' Long said. Kenny LaPoint, housing director for local housing authority Housing Works, said the region is headed toward a painful correction in rental prices in the next couple of years because many people cannot afford the rising costs. If these people choose to remain in the area and pay higher rates, any emergency such as a car repair or medical care could put them at risk of homelessness. ``This isn't Southern California,'' LaPoint said. ``You can't have a two-bedroom apartment at $2,000 a month. . Our incomes don't match up with that in Central Oregon.'' Clinton, the Bend mayor, said he views the rental housing shortage as a symptom of a national problem of wages lagging while the cost of living increases. ``I doubt if a lot of this is unique to Bend,'' Clinton said. ``It's just a manifestation of this income stagnation that has been the case for the last couple decades in this country.'' -AP
2014, nearly $800 million was invested into India's real estate sector. This translates to almost Rs 4,800 crore having been injected into the sector through the private equity route over the past few months, the CBRE report said. "This couldn't have happened at a more opportune time for a sector faced with liquidity crunch, high land acquisition costs and stringent due diligence from the banking sector-which continues to
perceive real estate as a high-risk domain in India. It is this selective attitude towards lending to particular assets and markets which has provided opportunities to non-bank lenders such as pension funds and insurance companies to begin to consider funding India's realty industry," said Magazine. One of the first foreign pension funds to invest directly in an Indian company is the Canada pension plan investment board
(CPPIB) and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) in partnership with Oman's state general reserve fund (SGRF). The entity invested Rs 2,000 crore. Around Rs 1,000 crore was invested in phase I while the remaining amount will be funded within a period of 12-18 months in Larsen & Toubro's infrastructure development arm, L&T Infrastructure Development Projects (L&T IDPL), during the first quarter of 2014.
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markantak is a pilgrim town in Anuppur Dis has it that Lord Shiva blessed Narmada with unique puritrict in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India fying powers. Whereas to purify himself, a devotee resituated at an altitude of 1065 meters. A rela quires to take one dip in the Holy Ganga, seven days' tively off track destination, Amarkantak is a prayers on the banks of Yamuna and three days prayers veritable paradise, with a salubrious climate and picto- on the banks of Saraswati, the mere sight of Narmada is rial environs. Its ever-pervading air of composure, the enough. A charming folk tale describes the superiority of grassy hills, woody backgrounds and the bewitching Narmada over Ganga. Once every year, after she herself cascades make it a popular destination. is polluted beyond tolerance, Ganga visits Narmada Also called "Teerthraj" (the king of pilgrimages), dressed like a dark woman and takes a cleansing purifyAmarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and ing dip in its waters! There are other rivers too, popular, is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum. This is where the Narmada Amarkantak is a place of worship for all the three River, the Sone River and Johila River worlds. Gods and Gandharvas (celestial beings), emerge. While the Narmada flows westwards Asuras (demons). Saints and Sages have achieved from Amarkantak, the Sone flows towards the East. Amarkantak is indeed blessed great spiritual powers here. It is believed that who by Nature. Holy ponds, lofty ever dies at Amarkantak is assured a place in heaven hills, forested surroundings, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls and an ever-pervading air of romantic and life sustaining, each glamorized in the folk serenity make Amarkantak a much lore and history but none can match the mystique of sought-after destination for Narmada. the religious-minded as The temperate climate and the equitable distribution well as for the nature- of rain make Amarkantak an ideal plateau for dense veglover. etation cover. SACRED RIVER RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE Among all the saAmarkantak is a place of worship for all the three worlds. cred rivers of India, Gods and Gandharvas (celestial beings), Asuras (demons). the Narmada oc- Saints and Sages have achieved great spiritual powers cupies a unique here. It is believed that who ever dies at Amarkantak is place. Legend assured a place in heaven.
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India to be No 1 for growth in wellness tourism DUBAI: India could be number one for growth globally in the wellness tourism sector in the next five years, clocking over 20 per cent gains annually through 2017, according to a recent study. Wellness tourism is a USD 439 billion industry worldwide within the USD 3.2 trillion global tourism
industry, representing 14 per cent of all tourism spending, it said. The study conducted by SRI international projected India to be number one globally for growth in wellness tourism over the next five years, clocking over 20 per cent gain annually through 2017. Wellness tourism is travel for
the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activi-
Chinese, foreign cities to develop Silk Road tourism BEIJING: Nineteen Chinese and foreign cities along the historic Silk Road have signed a declaration to jointly develop tourism along the ancient trade route. The cities will promote tourist itineraries and explore tourism re-
sources to rejuvenate the areas along the route and seek mutual benefit, said the declaration, issued at the opening ceremony of the fourth Silk Road International Tourism Festival in Zhangye City of northwest China's Gansu Province. The 19 cities include some in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Taiwan, as well as in Belarus, Ukraine, Bahrain, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Nepal, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The initiative comes under China's strategic vision of the Silk
Road Economic Belt, a strengthened set of trade infrastructure along the ancient Silk Road. China will cooperate with countries along the Silk Road for more tourist-friendly policies, set up promotion platforms and boost interconnection along the route, Shao Qiwei, head of China's National Tourism Administration said. The 19 cities will hold tourism expos and forums in 2014. The Silk Road Economic Belt was first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping last year. Strengthening economic ties
along the route is seen as an opportunity for China to continue its opening up to the world and maintain economic advances. The Silk Road connected China and Europe from around 100 BC. PTI
ties. The study predicted that India's total wellness market to surpass USD 18 billion in the next four
years. Luxury Wellness Tourism segment is estimated to grow nearly 50 per cent faster than global tourism by 2017, it was reported on the sidelines of a three-day exhibition 'Royal India We l l n e s s 2014' here. SRI International is a USbased nonprofit, independent research and innovation centre serving government and industry. "India has wealth of knowledge
and medical systems to treat people and maintain their health through natural means and therapies," said Paras Shahdadpuri, President of Indian Business and Professionals Council. "India must come forward and give its gift of naturopathy to the mankind. It has a hidden treasure which should be discovered," he said at the exhibition. "Unfortunately, we got used to quick fix through allopathy which treats only the manifestations rather than the cause," he said. The exhibition on Indian wellness brands with their packages on rejuvenation, holistic healing and prevention and reversal of lifestyle diseases was organized here to reach out to the health conscious people. -PTI
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AMARKANTAK King of pilgrimages & origin of River Narmada Cont’d from page 40
If a woman makes offerings of fruits and flowers, she will gain the respect of her husband, and no doubt she will achieve a place in heaven.
gion were full of mango (amra) trees. ATTRACTIONS Dudh Dhara Falls: Dudh Dhara falls lies in the western edge of the Amarkantak valley in the midst of thick woods. Dudh literally stands
Kabir Chabutra
When Lord Shiva destroyed Tripura (the three cities) by fire, the ashes of one fell upon Mount Kailash, the ashes of another fell upon Amarkantak, and the ashes of the third were saved by Lord Shiva and kept in heaven. The ashes that fell upon Amarkantak turned into crores of Shivalingas. Only one is visible at Jwaleshwar in Amarkantak. Amarkantak is a Sanskrit word the literal meaning of which is immortal (amar) obstruction (kantak). The place was abode of gods but was disturbed by the hindrances of Rudraganas and hence called Amarkantak. The poet Kalidas has mentioned it as Amrakoot, which later became Amarkantak. Myth is that the dense forests of this re-
Mai Ki Bagiya
for milk and the name itself suggest the nature of the gurgling streams of this pretty cascade. Kabir Chabutra: Kabir Chabutra, which ideally means the platform of Saint Kabir, is situated 5 km from Amarkantak on the way to Bilaspur. This is one of the sacred places where Saint Kabir is said to have achieved salvation. Pilgrims coming to this place can also see the footwear of the saint kept inside a small temple near the chabutra.
This chabutra is mainly a small pond, where every morning between 9 am and 10 am, tourists can see white smoke screen spreading over the water. The Kabir Chabutra is the meeting place of three districts of Madhya Pradesh, namely Bilaspur, Anuppur and Dindori. Travelers can also see the Kabir Waterfalls in this region. Sonemuda: Sonemuda is considered to be the place of origin of the Son River, which is located at a distance of around 1.5 km from the Narmadakund Temples. The Son River flows down from the Maikal Mountain in the form of waterfall that descends hundreds of feet. Tiny granules of gold can be found in this river, due to which, it is named as Son River. Mai Ki Bagiya: Mai ki Bagiya is one of the prettiest locations in Amarkantak. Literally Bagiya means orchard
and Mai ki Bagiya is a lovely stretch of trees, which is believed to be the playground of River Narmada. Legend has it that mother Narmada used to pluck flowers from this garden A natural garden with wide varieties of shaded trees, this orchard
Kapil Dhara
proffers a nice walking trail in absolute serenity. The garden contains endless varieties of mangos, bananas and so many other fruit bearing trees along with a long stretch of flowery plants. Mai Ki Bagiya encompasses shrines, trees, a rain- fed kund and the banks of this holy kund is quite famous for large varieties of medicinal herbs and plants. K a p i l Dhara: Kapil Dhara, which is also known as Kapil Waterfall, is located just 6 km towards the northwest of the Narmadakund Temples. This waterfall is around 100 ft tall and is surrounded by dense forests and mountains. Kapil Dhara is named after the sage Kapil Muni, who is believed to have meditated at this place. Narmadakund and Temples: Narmadakund is the place of ori-
gin of river Narmada, which is surrounded by 16 major stone temples. This place covers around 6 acres of land and comprises over 23 statues of various deities. In the central position, there is an eleven corner kund, which is around 500 ft long. This eleven cornered kund is also known as Narmada Udgam or Bisha Yantram. BEST TIME TO VISIT Best season to visit Amarkantak is all through the year. October to March is cool and pleasant. March to September is good for all kinds of tourist activities. HOW TO REACH By Train: The nearest railhead to Amarkantak is Pendra Road at a distance of 17 km from the heart of the city. Anuppur at distance of 48 km from Amarkantak is also convenient. By Air: The nearest airport is at Jabalpur, 245 km away. Pre-paid taxi services are available from airport to Amarkantak By Bus: There are state owned transport buses from Pendra Road, Shahdol and Bilaspur. Amarkantak is connected by buses to Jabalpur (245 km), Rewa (261 km) and Shahdol (67 km).
Dudh Dhara Fall
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'Segway Lady' takes visitors around Fairbanks FAIRBANKS, Alaska: Trina Jeannet has lived in Fairbanks for more than three decades, but she's managed to carve out a new identity in the community in the past few years. When Jeannet, 54, runs errands around town, she's now often recognized as ``the Segway lady'' - the person who leads downtown Fairbanks tours each summer on the two-wheeled electric vehicles. Although she was once someone who mocked the geek factor of a Segway ride, Jeannet has grown to enjoy her new moniker. ``It's funny,'' she said. ``I like it it's kind of sweet.'' Jeannet started EcoSeg Alaska four years ago, offering visitors a chance to see Fairbanks while riding the quirky self-propelled devices. Pioneer Park manager Jason
Trina Jeannet, owner and operator of EcoSeg Alaska Segway tours, leads a tour
Avery said Jeannet has become a perpetually upbeat presence in the
park each summer while leading her Segway tours. After watching
2018 Cup offers ticketed fans free ground travel RIO DE JANEIRO: Fans with game tickets will be offered free ground transportation between host cities at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. ``Free travel is a guarantee which we signed at the highest level during our bid,'' Alexey Sorokin, head of the organizing committee, said in Rio de Janeiro. He said the free travel would be by train or bus. Though games will played only in the western part of Russia, it still could mean some long trips. Travel has been challenging and expensive - at the last three major football tournaments, including this World Cup in Brazil, the 2012 European championship, and South Africa's 2010 World Cup. ``We'll come up with a very complicated system of using tickets to the game as tickets to a certain means of transportation,'' Sorokin said. Russia will use 11 cities - and
the north to Sochi in the south and Yekaterinburg in the east.
Alexey Sorokin
Sorokin acknowledged he had never traveled vast distances on a bus or train in Russia. He esti-
Sorokin said Russian organizers proposed to FIFA that teams play their three group games in two adjoining clusters of venues, which would eliminate the kind of countrywide travel prevalent in Brazil. He said no times for starting matches had been proposed yet to FIFA. 12 stadium venues - ranging from Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg in
mated a train trip between Moscow and Sochi would be about 18
hours. He said several high-speed trains were currently operating in Russia, and said more might be ready in four years. ``We'll see how it will be implemented and what might be on time for the World Cup,'' he said. Sorokin said Russian organizers proposed to FIFA that teams play their three group games in two adjoining clusters of venues, which would eliminate the kind of country-wide travel prevalent in Brazil. He said no times for starting matches had been proposed yet to FIFA. He said hotel prices would be controlled, which is a problem Brazil has failed to control. ``The government of Russia has the power to interfere with hotel prices once it sees that the situation is getting out of control,'' Sorokin said. ``We used that in Sochi (Winter Olympics), and we will use that in the World Cup.'' Sorokin deflected questions about Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. He said tourists would be ``well informed and not afraid to come'' to Russia. ``Tourists will come to Russia to see the matches of the World Cup,'' he said. ``They will not come to discuss political developments, which by then will be all in the past.'' -AP
her groups pass by enough times, Avery even decided he needed to take one of the tours himself. ``She's always super friendly, has a smile on her face,'' he said. ``She's a great tour guide and representative of Fairbanks.'' Becoming a local tour guide has been an unexpected chapter for Jeannet, who moved to Fairbanks from Oregon with her husband Charlie in 1980. She spent the next 30 years home schooling their four children through high school. But as they began leaving home, Jeannet said she started to wonder what she'd find to do next. The answer came unexpectedly from her son, Sayre. He and his future wife, Leslie, would often spend dates riding Segways together, leading to plenty of mockery from back home. Then they convinced Trina to ride along on an excursion. And like that, the spark for her future career was born. ``We loved it,'' she said. ``I thought, `My gosh, we're all nerds.''' Wearing an EcoSeg T-shirt - it shows a salmon, bear and moose riding Segways - the energetic, petite Jeannet led a pair of novice riders through an obstacle course. Her enthusiasm for the job was evident as she patiently explained the various techniques for riding the self-balancing gyroscopic vehicles. Passengers propel the Segway
by leaning forward or backward, with a steering handlebar that is pushed to the right or left. It can spin in 360 degrees with no turning radius. The Segway company states that after 15 minutes, every rider feels like an expert. Jeannet said it's not far from the truth, which makes some novice riders feel like they're better than they really are. ``I have a saying, `After 15 minutes, I have to start watching,''' she said with a laugh. ``They say, `This is so fun,' and start doing lessthan-smart things.'' Segway tours don't always go perfectly - Jeannet said there's the occasional wipeout or speed-obsessed 14-year-old boy to contend with - but she's thrilled with her career choice. It's led to a love of Fairbanks history, as she devours books and lectures about the community to include on her tour. ``Now I'm a little bit of a junkie that way,'' she said. ``You're always listening and keeping your ears to the tracks.'' She's also made a new set friends through her tours, with clients stretching from Fairbanks' Aurora neighborhood to Australia. The seasonal job has become everything she'd hoped - a way to enjoy an Interior summer while meeting people from all over the world. ``This is not a direction I would have thought,'' she said with a small shrug. ``You make your plans, and life happens.'' -AP
In Brief DNC head urged to take lead on immigration AVENTURA, Fla.: Florida immigrant youth activists are urging Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to take a stronger lead on the immigration issue. Two of the Congresswoman's staffers met with United We Dream activists, after they staged a protest outside her South Florida office. United We Dream spokesman Tim Eakins said after the meeting that they hoped Wasserman Schultz would make her voice heard on immigration reform. Her office employees said the congresswoman could not speak with the activists because she was in Washington. United We Dream activists want leaders like Wasserman Schultz to urge President Obama to stop deportations of their parents and other immigrants who have been in the country for decades, paid taxes and avoided runins with the law. -PTI
„ Homeland Security chief visits detention center CHICAGO: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said his visit to a Chicago-area immigration detention center will help him as he reviews federal deportation policy at President Barack Obama's direction. Johnson made the visit to Broadview Immigration Detention Center after an invitation from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate. Speaking to reporters after the tour, Johnson described meeting families about to be separated by deportation, saying the interaction ``brings home some of the heartbreak'' for him. Minutes after talking to one man on the verge of deportation, Johnson said, ``we walked out to the family visiting area and spoke with his mother who was trying to catch a glimpse of him before he was deported.'' Johnson called on Congress to pass an immigration reform bill. But he added that he's looking for ways to reform the system ``within the confines of existing law.'' Durbin and two Democratic congressmen, Luis Gutierrez and Bill Foster, accompanied Johnson on the tour and spoke to reporters afterward. Gutierrez and Foster said the surprising election defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., has been misinterpreted as a death knell for legal changes to existing immigration laws. -AP
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USCIS limits validity period medical record Details on page 46
Immigration a political quandary for Republicans' future DENVER: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's startling primary loss to a tea party-backed opponent illustrates how the GOP finds itself paralyzed by immigration reform. The policy most party leaders agree is best for the Republican Party's future is risky for most House Republicans seeking re-election in the fall. Almost all represent districts that are home to few minorities and they are in greater danger of losing to a primary challenger than to a Democrat in the general election. That leaves little incentive for the GOP-controlled House to even touch an immigration overhaul that would grant citizenship to many of the 11 million people living in the country illegally. Economics professor David Brat hammered Cantor, R-Va., for purportedly backing ``amnesty'' for people in the U.S. illegally during his primary challenge. He called his unexpected victory a wake-up call that ``immigration reform is DOA.'' After Cantor's defeat, Republicans are left in a quandary before the 2016 election what to do about an issue that's often a winner in primaries but could cripple the party in a White House race before a more diverse electorate.
``Pain can be a good teaching tool sometimes,'' said Mario H. Lopez, a Republican and executive director of the Hispanic Leadership Fund. ``It may take another White House beat-down before some folks understand what kind of cliff they're walking over.''
Many people involved in the immigration debate have similar predictions about what will happen next: The House takes no action on an immigration overhaul, President Barack Obama makes good on his promise to ease deportations by executive action later
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va. arriving to meet with fellow Republicans the day after his defeat in the Virginia primary. Emboldened conservatives are promising to make themselves heard on Capitol Hill like never before in the wake of Cantor's surprise defeat to an unknown with tea party backing.
this summer, and that inflames the GOP even more, dooming any bill in 2015. When the next presidential race gets underway, a broad field of the GOP's presidential candidates will be competing for the support of primary voters who are far more opposed to an immigration overhaul than most Americans. To some Republicans, that brings back memories of 2012, when Republican Mitt Romney adopted tough-on-illegal-immigration rhetoric to win the Republican presidential primaries. On Election Day, Hispanic and Asian voters overwhelmingly backed Obama. The lone policy recommendation of GOP's post-mortem on Romney's loss was to pass immigration reform. While 14 Republican senators voted for an immigration overhaul that chamber passed last year, the measure was declared dead on arrival in the House. Republican lawmakers, many of whom were focused on the midterms, sought to avoid angering their base. Immigration skeptics argue that's the right way for the party to appeal to the working class. Cont'd on Page 46
California migrant kids shelter could soon fill PORT HUENEME, Calif.: The converted warehouse on a Southern California military base that once housed sailors preparing to deploy overseas is now plastered with posters of X-Men and Green Lantern and filled with migrant teens eating applesauce and chatting about World Cup soccer. The cavernous facility at Naval Base Ventura County known as ``Building 267'' is one of three shelters set up by federal government officials to house hundreds of Central American children caught entering the country illegally following a surge in border crossing. And while beds
in the sleeping quarters are still crisply cornered, the blankets are now pink and turquoise, with teddy bears on top of some of the
pillows. During a tightly controlled tour in Port Hueneme, a government official said the number of teens
Migrant children exercise at the Naval Base Ventura County Temporary Shelter in Port Hueneme, California in this Department of Homeland Security handout
housed at the 42,000 square foot facility could more than triple to 575 soon. The official could not be named as a condition of the visit, and no photos or video were allowed. Federal authorities have also set up a shelter at a military base in Texas and are planning another for Oklahoma to cope with what they have described as an ``urgent humanitarian situation.'' More than 47,000 children, mostly from Central America, have been apprehended at the Mexican border since the start of the budget year in October. Cont'd on Page 45
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India Post 45
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Obama delaying on immigration despite Cantor loss WASHINGTON: To the frustraJohnson's options were narrow huddled with top Democrats in tion of many of his supporters, and would affect only small House Minority Leader Nancy President Barack Obama is back- groups of immigrants facing de- Pelosi's Capitol suite to assess ing away from immigration portation, the official said - a far whether that was true and to plot changes he could make on his cry from the across-the-board their path forward. Joining the own. He is kicking the issue to freeze many immigration advo- session were Senate Majority House Republicans instead, de- cates are demanding. Leader Harry Reid and the Demospite mounting evidence they Even so, Obama directed cratic half of the ``Gang of 8'' that won't address the millions of im- Johnson to hold off. Republicans wrote and passed a bipartisan migrants living illegally in the were arguing that if Obama acted immigration overhaul last year. United States. unilaterally, he would prove he Obama sent his legislative liaiLawmakers from both parties can't be trusted to enforce immi- son, Katie Fallon, and his domessummarily declared immigration- gration laws and would doom tic policy chief, Cecilia Munoz, overhaul efforts dead after House prospects for the legislative over- across town for the meeting, acMajority Leader Eric Cantor suf- haul he so badly wants. So Obama cording to several Democratic fered an unexpected defeat at the decided to wait until it was certain officials. hands of a fellow Republican who House Republicans wouldn't act Over Capitol-shaped cookies criticized him as too soft on the during a narrow summertime win- and chocolate mousse left over issue. But Obama still voices hope dow before the midterm elections. from a reception honoring Congress will act. For many lawmakers, that win- Kathleen Sebelius, the former ``Our strategy has Health and Human not changed,'' says Services secretary, White House commuthe Democrats nications director Jenagreed to stay the nifer Palmieri. ``The imcourse, the officials petus for action resaid. The assumpmains on the House.'' tion was that Cantor, It's an approach who had hardened that's drawing friendly his immigration fire from immigration adstance after being atvocates who say Obama tacked by his oppohas been sitting on his nent, actually had hands long enough. For been more of a hinstarters, they want imdrance than a help in mediate action to slow getting a bill to the deportations. House floor. But the White The Democrats' President Barack Obama speaks on the South Lawn of the House wants to ensure White House in Washington, Friday, June 13, To the frustration hopes have been that if and when an of many of his supporters, President Barack Obama is backing bolstered now that away from actions he could take unilaterally on immigration. overhaul ultimately it's increasingly likely dies in Congress, Rethat Majority Whip publicans can't claim it was Obama dow has closed. Cantor was Kevin McCarthy will succeed who pulled the plug. Instead, trounced in his Virginia primary by Cantor as speaker-in-waiting. Obama hopes his strategy will al- an obscure, under funded profes- His two main potential challenglow Democrats down the road to sor who had accused him of sup- ers for the post bowed out as put all the blame on Republicans porting ``amnesty'' and open bor- support began coalescing befor failing to deal with immigrants ders. Cantor denied that, but no hind McCarthy, although a third in the U.S. illegally. matter. Members of both parties challenger has entered the race. It's not as if Obama could legal- said Republicans would draw a McCarthy's California district is ize an estimated 11.5 million clear lesson: GOP voters will pun- more than a third Hispanic, and people with a wave of his hand. ish anyone who doesn't take a firm he has been supportive in the Last month in the Oval Office, stance on immigration - even the past of the idea of changing U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh House's No. 2 Republican. immigration laws. Johnson presented him with a bas``I think immigration is dead for Still, McCarthy's own inclinaket of options he'd developed af- the rest of the year,'' said Rep. John tions on immigration could prove ter the President personally or- Fleming, a conservative Louisiana less than decisive if rank-and-file dered a review of how he could Republican. ``I wouldn't be sur- Republicans decide that after make deportation policy more hu- prised if it ends it for the entire what happened to Cantor, it's too mane, said a senior White House term of President Obama.'' risky to be perceived as soft on official. The official spoke only on On the night after Cantor's immigration by the tea party and condition of anonymity to de- shocking defeat, White House other conservative parts of the scribe a private meeting. chief of staff Denis McDonough Republican base.AP
California migrant kids shelter could soon fill Cont'd from Page 44
In California, bunk beds and extra dining tables await the newcomers. Dirt soccer fields were created for outdoor play, and many are excited to watch World Cup matches on television, a shelter supervisor said. Reporters were not allowed to speak with the children, who range in age from 13 to 17. During their stay, the teens were learning long division in math class and drawing in art. Lunch was pizza bread, Caesar salad and applesauce served on brown disposable plates and eaten under white tents outdoors. Each child is assigned a bunk bed and locker. Girls and boys are housed separately in sparsely decorated quarters hung with pictures made by the children or of superheroes. In the classroom ar-
eas, posters feature the president and American icons such as Rosa Parks. The facility has air conditioning but officials haven't needed to use it yet, and children bathe in individual showers. After their arrest on the border, the children are transferred to HHS' custody and placed at a shelter until case workers find a relative or sponsor to care for them and ensure they attend immigration court hearings on government efforts to deport them. Martha Arevalo, executive director of the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles, said children fleeing dire situations and enduring a perilous journey to the United States should be housed in warm, personal settings where they feel safe _ not a detentionstyle or military environment. -AP
PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law
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Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc. 1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1
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2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659
Immigration Post
46 India Post
June 20, 2014
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USCIS limits validity period medical record
A
s of June 1, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now limiting the validity period for Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, to one year from the date of submission to USCIS. Applicants must also submit the I-693 to USCIS within one year of the immigration medical examination. USCIS said it will provide additional ways to submit an I-693. This updated policy applies to any I-693 supporting a benefit application that USCIS adjudicates.
CYRUS D. MEHTA
order an additional immigration medical examination at any time if he or she has concerns about an applicant's inadmissibility on health-related grounds. The medical examination report may be submitted to USCIS concurrently with the immigration benefit application, or at any time after filing the application but before adjudication. If not filed concurrently with the application, USCIS "encourages applicants to wait until USCIS requests the medical examination report before submitting it." This includes a request to
The medical examination report may be submitted to USCIS concurrently with the immigration benefit application, or at any time after filing the application but before adjudication. If not filed concurrently with the application, USCIS "encourages applicants to wait until USCIS requests the medical examination report� USCIS permits filing of a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, without the medical report. USCIS will issue a request for evidence for the report, which will be valid for submission within one year of the civil surgeon's signature and valid for one year from submission. Although the medical examination report is generally valid for adjudicatory purposes up to one year after filing, the officer may
bring the medical examination report to the interview. DHS proposes rule to extend work authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants As part of the Obama administration's efforts to attract highly skilled workers, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed extending the availability of employment authorization
to certain H-4 dependent spouses of principal H-1B nonimmigrants. The extension would be limited to H-4 dependent spouses of principal H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking lawful permanent resident status through employment. The proposed rule includes such spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are either the beneficiaries of an approved Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Form I-140) or who have been granted an extension of their authorized period of admission in the United States under the American Competitiveness in the TwentyFirst Century Act of 2000 (AC21), as amended by the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. DHS said this regulatory change is intended to lessen any potential economic burden on the H-1B principal and H-4 dependent spouse during the transition from nonimmigrant to lawful permanent resident status, furthering the U.S. goals of attracting and retaining highly skilled foreign workers. The lack of employment authorization for H-4 dependent spouses often gives rise to personal and economic hardship for the families of H-1B nonimmigrants the longer they remain in the United States, DHS noted. In many cases, for those H-1B nonimmigrants and their families who wish to remain permanently in the United States,
Immigration a political quandary for Republicans' future Cont'd from Page 44
``There aren't enough rich people and there aren't enough businesspeople to elect people to office,'' said Roy Beck, president of Numbers USA, which advocates for less immigration and believes those in favor of an overhaul are catering to financial elites who want to import cheaper workers into the U.S. ``They have to have wage-earners.'' Immigrant rights groups complained that Cantor was part of the reason the overhaul died in the House, but as majority leader he opened the door to narrower measures that would grant citizenship to people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. That was enough to fuel his primary challenger. It wasn't immigration alone that doomed Cantor. The Virginia congressman sowed resentment by spending too much time focused
on national issues as majority leader and not enough tending to his district. Others note that South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, a chief architect of the Senate's immigration overhaul,
“Perception is reality in politics, and the perception among Republican members of Congress is going to be that (Cantor) lost because he took a somewhat squishy stance on immigration'' easily won his primary against a batch of tea party challengers. And yet, the message appears clear to Republicans in Congress. House Speaker John Boehner said
a bill probably wouldn't be possible this year. ``Perception is reality in politics, and the perception among Republican members of Congress is going to be that (Cantor) lost because he took a somewhat squishy stance on immigration,'' said Republican pollster Glen Bolger, who expects similar caution among 2016 hopefuls. ``You'll see the volume turned way down on that,'' Bolger said. ``You're going to see a lot more caution and a lot less risk-taking.'' Among the 2016 prospects taking care with the issue is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who has received a tepid reaction from some Republican activists for a proposal that would let some people living in the U.S. illegally receive citizenship. He told reporters the immigration debate has become too charged. ``We're trapped in this rhetoric and we have to get beyond that,'' Paul said.''-AP
the time frame required for an H-1B nonimmigrant to acquire lawful permanent residence through his or her employment may be many years. As a result, DHS pointed out, retention of highly educated and highly skilled nonimmigrant workers in the United States can become problematic for employers. "Retaining highly skilled persons who intend to acquire lawful permanent residence is important to the United States given the contributions of these individuals to the U.S. economy, including advances in
employment incident to status with a specific employer, to clarify that H-1B1 and principal E-3 nonimmigrants can work in the United States without having to apply separately to DHS for employment authorization. DHS also is proposing to provide authorization for continued employment with the same employer if the employer has timely filed for an extension of a nonimmigrant's stay. DHS proposes this same continued work authorization for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
DHS believes that this proposal would further encourage H-1B skilled workers to remain in the United States, continue contributing to the U.S. economy, and not abandon their efforts to become lawful permanent residents because their H-4 nonimmigrant spouses are unable to obtain work authorization. entrepreneurial and research and development endeavors, which correlate highly with overall economic growth and job creation," the agency said. DHS believes that this proposal would further encourage H-1B skilled workers to remain in the United States, continue contributing to the U.S. economy, and not abandon their efforts to become lawful permanent residents (to the detriment of their U.S. employers) because their H-4 nonimmigrant spouses are unable to obtain work authorization. DHS said this proposal also would remove the disincentive for many H-1B families to start the immigrant process due to the lengthy waiting periods associated with acquiring lawful permanent resident status. DHS seeks public comments on the proposed rule. The agency noted that the most useful comments will reference a specific portion of the proposed rule, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include data, information, or authority that support the change. DHS proposes rule to enhance opportunities for H-1B1, CW-1, and E-3 nonimmigrants and EB1 immigrants In another Obama administration effort to attract highly skilled workers, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed updating its regulations to include nonimmigrant high-skilled specialty occupation professionals from Chile and Singapore (H-1B1) and from Australia (E-3) in the list of classes of those authorized for
(CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) nonimmigrants if a Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker, Form I129CW, is timely filed to apply for an extension of stay. In addition, DHS is proposing to update the regulations describing the filing procedures for extensions of stay and change of status requests to include the principal E-3 and H-1B1 nonimmigrant classifications. These changes would harmonize the regulations for E-3, H-1B1, and CW-1 nonimmigrant classifications with the existing regulations for other similarly situated nonimmigrant classifications. Finally, DHS is proposing to expand the current list of evidentiary criteria for employment-based first preference (EB-1) outstanding professors and researchers to allow the submission of evidence comparable to the other forms of evidence already listed in the regulations. This proposal would harmonize the regulations for EB-1 outstanding professors and researchers with other employment-based immigrant categories that already allow for submission of comparable evidence. DHS said it is proposing these changes to the regulations to benefit these highly skilled workers and CW-1 transitional workers by removing unnecessary hurdles that place such workers at a disadvantage when compared to similarly situated workers in other visa classifications. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com
June 20, 2014
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India Post 47
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48 India Post
U
S President Barack Obama and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan have emerged as the most admired dads in a new survey. Matrimony website Shaadi.com conducted an online survey with over 5,500 respondents to find out who the most popular father is. When Indian women were asked about the country's most popular father, SRK, who has three children, got the lion's share of votes, while Obama topped the charts when the ladies were asked about famous fathers of other nationalities. Interestingly, 42.5 percent of the women surveyed voted for Shah Rukh as 'India's Most Popular Father', followed by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who got 36.9 percent votes and then Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who received 20.6 percent votes. When the women were asked to vote for 'Most Admired Dad' from famous fathers of other nationalities, 40.3 percent of them chose Obama, followed by musician Will Smith (31.4 percent), former football ace David Beckham (15.2 percent) and tennis champion Roger Federer (13.1 percent). The respondents were also asked to choose 'India's Most
Admired Father-Daughter Relationship'. As many as 43.2 percent of them voted for the camaraderie that Shah Rukh shares with his daughter Suhana. The duo was closely followed by Mahesh Bhatt and Alia Bhatt (27.3 percent), Prakash Padukone and Deepika Padukone (17.2 percent) and Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor (12.3 percent). When it came to the 'Most Ad-
The respondents were also asked to choose 'India's Most Admired Father-Daughter Relationship'.
June 20, 2014
mired Father-Son Relationship', 33.4 percent Ind i a n w o m e n voted for R i s h i Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, followed by
Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan (31.2 percent), Shah Rukh and Aryan (23.3 percent), and Sunil Gavaskar and Rohan Gavaskar (12.1 percent). Commenting on the survey results, Gourav Rakshit, chief operations officer, Shaadi.com, said in a statement: "The survey highlights that people adore and idolize celebrities who spend quality time with family despite their celebrity status."
June 20, 2014
India Post 49 www.indiapost.com
Dastangoi - charm of fantastical storytelling NEW DELHI: On a recent afternoon in Delhi's fiery heat, a group of people sat huddled under an Amaltas tree listening to a story in rapt attention. Barring the occasional spurt of chuckles there was a stoic silence. Even the generally restless mobile phones went silent under the spell of the young raconteur. As the evening descended, the spell broke in a series of claps at the end of a session of 'Dastongoi' as the young raconteur, or the 'Dastango', donned in a white kurta pajama and a muslin cap, took a polite bow and left the stage. 'Dastangoi', explains Mahmood Farooqui "is an art of improvised storytelling where the roles of author, narrator, performer and poet are all fused into one."
Critically acclaimed writer-director Farooqui, who directed the 2010 film "Peepli Live" is the point man behind attempts to revive the ancient art of storytelling, presenting it in a very contemporary fashion. Elaborating on the nature of this art form, Farooqui says, "It doesn't require any props other than the performer's expressions and voice, no music, no visuals, nothing." Derived from Persian word Dastan, which means a story, and goi, meaning to tell a story, Farooqui says he came across this art form at a fairly young age, owing to his uncle, renowned poet and leading Urdu theorist, Shamsur Rahman. Farooqui owns an entire collec-
tion of one of the most popular dastans, Dastan-e-Amir Hamza. Running into 46 volumes, it deals
eBay zooms in on fashion & lifestyle NEW DELHI: Online marketplace giant eBay is sharpening focus on the fashion and lifestyle segment in India saying that buyers are looking beyond electronics and gadgets to shop on e-commerce sites. eBay India, which started operations nine years ago, also said that with growing awareness among people from tier II and III cities about online shopping, the trend to buy clothes and accessories online will further gain momentum. "We have a razor sharp focus on fashion and lifestyle on our platform. One reason is that while a shopper will usually buy an electronic item or gadget once in a long time, say a year or so, those who purchase clothing and accessories would be doing this more frequently, like every month," eBay India Managing Director Latif Nathani told PTI. Analysts attribute growth in e-commerce to increasingly young crowd going online to shop for products, not just travel tickets and mobiles, but also fashion accessories, clothing and household items. Besides, the growth is also
being fuelled by a surge in consumption of fashion and lifestyle products, primarily driven by increasing women shoppers in the country, he added. Already, the US-based firm is seeing 50 per cent of its business coming from the tier II and III cities in India with growing Internet use, smartphone penetration and rising income levels helping small
cities to rise on the e-commerce roadmap. "To cater to the growing fashion-centric consumers across 4,306 cities, towns and villages in India, we have sharpened our focus on fashion by offering over 200,000 products across 1,000 fashion brands," Nathani said. According to the eBay India Census 2012, 41 per cent of its transactions happen in the Lifestyle category, while 48 per
cent happen in the Electronics category. Quoting analyst figures, he said India is witnessing growth in e-commerce and this is expected to continue. According to digital research firm ComScore, e-commerce industry attracts 30 million unique visitors to online shopping websites every month in India, Nathani said. Another research firm Forrester expects the market to touch USD 3.2 billion in 2014 with a growth rate of 60 per cent year-on-year, he added. Besides, offering popular brands such as United Colors of Benetton, Biba, Remanika, AND, Stop, PUMA and Chemistry, eBay India also gives space to regional brands to reach out to its 2.1 million strong active consumer base. "We have over 500 regional brands like Do Bhai, Ishta, Shree, Pehran, Pothy's, PN Gadgil, Roopkashish to name a few. We are offering an unmatched selection of fashion and lifestyle products across national brands and regional specialties," Nathani said. -PTI
with the life and adventures of Amir Hamza, believed to be the largest fictional narrative in Urdu.
It is a fantastical tale characterized by the copious presence of magic, sorcery, chicanery and seduction. The glory days of Dastangoi in India, at its zenith during Akbar's reign, came to an unceremonious end with the death of legendary Dastango, Mir Baqar Ali in 1928 followed by the onset of new forms like the novel and new media like the modern stage, the Parsi theatre, and cinema and radio. But Farooqui holds the "disparaging attitude of modern Urdu writers and critics" most responsible for the gradual loss of its status and popularity. "Indians everywhere learnt to disparage their own cultural heritage because of the colonial encounter in the nineteenth century and to uphold a narrow view of morality. It was this narrow view of morality and literature that led
to these traditions being cast aside," he says. Originally meant to entertain, the political undertones in Dastangoi in its present form adds to its contemporary relevance. As Farooqui makes it clear, "It is political to bring back a marginalized form, marginalized stories and a relatively marginalized language like Urdu to the centre stage. Then we also do explicitly political stories on banning of books, partition or on the life of Saadat Hasan Manto." Farooqui denies having faced any form of fundamentalist backlash till date. The journey that Farooqui embarked upon back in 2006, under the leadership of S R Faruqi, along with Anusha Rizvi and Danish Husain might have a long way to go in terms of achieving its objective of reviving the art form but Farooqui is hopeful. "I think it has now acquired a firm grounding and a fairly good recall in several cities in India. Over the next decade I would like to have Dastangos in as many cities of India as possible and dozens of more stories in our repertoire," says Farooqui. Although social media's ripples were yet to be felt when Farooqui started out almost a decade ago, today his team is making extensive use of the social media in popularizing the art form. "We use it quite extensively; we have a presence on Twitter, a Facebook page and a Blog. Plus most of our team members have their own visibility and spread. It is very important to our work," says the writer director. -PTI
Datebook
50 India Post
NEW JERSEY Upcoming Sat, June 21
• Swaranjali 2014 Venue: New Senior Center, 12 Halsey Reed Rd, Monroe Township, NJ 08831 Time : 05:00 pm Contact: 732-547-2809
Sat, July 12
• Papon Featuring Bollywood Music Venue: Edward Nash Theatre, Raritan Valley Community College, 118 Lamington Rd, Branchburg, NJ 08876 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 609-865-9698
Sun, July 20
• Padma Bhushan Dr K.J. Yesudas Venue: Raritan Valley Community College Edward Nash Auditorium, 118 Lamington Rd, Somerville, NJ 08876 Time: 4:00 pm
NEW YORK Upcoming
June 20, 2014
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
Upcoming
ILLINOIS Upcoming
Sat, Jun 21 • 17th Annual Event by Asavari
Sun, June 22 • Halo Ne Apna Malak Ma
Sun, Jun 22 •Halo Ne Apna Malak Ma
Venue: Valimar Clubhouse, 166 Valimar Blvd, White Plains, NY 10603 Time: 03:00 pm Contact: 9149488969
Venue: Jain Temple, 722 South Main Street,
Venue: Jain Temple, 722 South Main Street,
every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of
Milpitas, CA 95035
Month
Time: 4:30 pm
Chicago Satsang Information:
Contact: 408-646-0330
J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda
Sat, July 12 • Hema Malini as Durga Venue: Colden Center Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 Time : 8:00 pm Contact : 718-639-2881
Sat, Aug 9 • Kumar Sanu Live In Concert Venue: Colden Center, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 Time: 08:00 pm Contact : 718-639-2881
Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 4:00 pm Contact: 408-646-0330
Sat, July 12 • Devi Sri Prasad Live In Concert Venue: San Jose State University Event Center, 290 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA
Sat, Jun 28 • Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty Sanskriti Music
• J K Yog Satsang and Bal Mukund Hindi Classes are held
Venue: Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets, Board Room, 933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm
95192
Venue: Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita
Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok
Time: 7 pm
Rd, Pleasanton, CA 94566
@ 630-561-4807
Contact: 972-655-8849
Time: 05:00 pm
Website: www.jkyog.org
Sat, Jun 7 • Papon and The East India Company Venue: Chabot College Performing Arts Center, 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545 Time : 4:00 pm Contact: 408-892-9907
Sun, July 13 • Bombay Jayashree And Shubha Mudgal Live In Bay Area Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 450 Persian Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Contact: 510-565-9518
July 26, 27, Aug 2, 3 • BATA-Cricbay Cup - Proceeds will go to Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) Venue: Fremont and Sunnyvale Cricket Ground Time: 9:00 am
Contact: 408-887-5948
ATLANTA
1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's
Upcoming Tue, Jun 24 • Aakriti - An Evening of Indian Classical Dance Venue: Joe Mack Wilson Auditorium,Southern Polytechnic State U, 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060 Time: 4:30 am
Sun, June 29 • Bollywood Dream Girl Hema Malini As Durga
Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807 Website: www.jkyog.org/bal-mukund
Venue: Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 Time: 6:30pm
Mondays and Fridays
Fri, Jul 11 • Tamil Kondattam
Where: Metropolitan Asian Family
Mega
Stars
Venue: Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, GA 30313 Time: 6:30 pm
• Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Horoscope
June 20, 2014
India Post
51
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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar
JUNE 13 TH - JUNE 19 TH , 2014 (March 21 to April 20)
M
oney wise it looks like a very promising week. People in business will be successful in recovering some past dues. Stocks and other speculation will be profitable. Decision on legal issues could also come this week and in your favor only. You may also travel to a nice area with family to meet an old friend. Boss will put you on an important project.
(September 23 to October 22)
Y
ou have all the chances of hitting it in a big way. Week very promising for all financial matters. Money can roll in from all directions. Most of your plans will work out fine. Boss will call you and discuss an important issue and ask for your opinion. You may arrange a small get together at your place next week and start calling close friends. (October 23 to November 22)
(April 21 to May 20)
Y
ou will be tempted to take some hasty decisions about career. Hold on as another better offer is few weeks away. You will have an opportunity to make some quick money this week. It will be a favorable week for people working as brokers. A close friend will call to seek your advice. Bachelors will be introduced to a nice person by another friend.
Y
ou will have almost no difficulty in getting the job done from a government agency or people in power this week. Some of you may be traveling to a nice and warm area for business purpose this week. Final commitment is also just around the corner. You must continue working on your plans as they are perfect and so are your calculations.
(November 23 to December 22)
(May 21 to June 20)
D
o not let fresh obstacles change your mind. Continue and stick to your plans, success is just around the corner. Your expenses towards to child will increase and you may even make a short trip to meet your child who moved away for educational purpose. You will help spouse clean up and get rid of things piling up dirt in the house this week.
P
lanets are still in right place to help you achieve your goals easily. You may be called for second interview this week. You may also receive some kind of clearance from a government agency. There is no harm in being aggressive but it should not reflect anger when on phone. One of vehicle may need minor repairs this week.
(June 21 to July 22)
S
pouse may make some fresh and big financial commitments. You may call a real estate agent and start exploring the possibility of buying another property for investment purpose. You may completely drop or change your travel plans. You will get to meet few well known people at the party this week. You may also finalize some important paper work.
(December 22 to January 19)
I
f you are not careful, you may end up making big commitment and increase your liabilities. Try to take all decisions with a calm and rational mind. Children will be the source of happiness this week. There will be progress in your efforts to locate a better job. Do not let a strong competitor change your mind and all earlier plans.
(July 23 to August 22)
D
o not be disheartened by minor setback and look at the achievements. Strong Mars in second will be helpful in locating a nice property. Weather may have some negative affect on spouse and over the counter medication will be enough to resolve the issue. You may change some electric gadgets in the house and may start shopping for another car.
(January 20 to February 18)
Y
ou may take money out of savings and reinvest in your business. People prone to litigations should be careful and complete all paper work. You will be looking to expand or looking for another franchise location. Some of you may start going to club to come back in shape. There is absolutely no harm in listening to spouse completely.
(August 23 to September 22)
P
resence of strong Mars in first will help you gain an edge over your opponents. Legal matters should also take a favorable turn with a quick decision in sight. Money wise you will continue to make progress, as liability and expenses will come down a lot. You may call few old friends and invite them for a small get together at your place.
PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com
(February 19 to March 20)
D
o not stretch your limits when making any financial commitment this week. Money will come and disappear fast. Some of you will be making a smooth switch in career in near future. You may go out to a mall and buy some new cloths for your self. You will get to learn a lot from one of your strong competitor. Do not take a chance with weather.
510-886-4370 www.parashar.com
52
India Post
Classifieds
June 20, 2014
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MATRIMONIALS BRIDE-GROOM WANTED LOOKING FOR BRIDECITIZEN OR GREEN CARD HOLDER
For a New Jersey based Jain boy, 25, 5’11” well built, graduated in computer science from NIU university-near Chicago, presently working as a senior software engineer in I-GATE solutions in NJ. Good family backgroundfather a journalist and mother a former bank employee in Mumbai. Contact: Pratima at 98212 61134 or e mail : pratimadshah@gmail.com or Madhav at 815-793-7277 or e-mail
smadhav88@gmail.com
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Philosophy
June 20, 2014
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T
he mystic saint Kabir refers to the true guru as Avadhoo, the one who bestows higher wisdom and unravels the inner intricacies. Those who have dared to walk the spiritual path fearlessly have always been intrigued by the maverick mystic Kabir's life as well as his revolutionary and succinct expression of truth. Simple, yet mysteriously profound, soft, yet hardhitting, Kabir's teachings are in common dialect but their esoteric meanings are way beyond common perception. They have always challenged the status quo, awakening seekers to realize the transience of life as opposed to the magnificence of the eternal being. Over the years, his piercing wisdom, courage, sheer audacity to voice the truth amidst vociferous opposition and heartfelt depths of love have endeared Kabir to aspirants and mystics alike. Kabir coined an exquisite term Avadhoo to call upon the guru. There was a time when the word 'guru' used to be spoken with immense reverence and honor but then it came to be bandied about in a most casual way, mainly due to the proliferation of run-of-themill individuals - from conmen to pseudo gurus and charlatans. And thus, the beauty and depth of this pristine word got blemished. Jean-Paul Sartre
S
artre introduces Being and Nothingness, his single greatest articulation of his existentialist philosophy, as "an essay in phenomenological ontology." Essentially, it is a study of the consciousness of being. Ontology means the study of being; phenomenological means of or relating to perceptual consciousness. He rejects Kant's concept of noumenon saying it is not inaccessible-it simply isn't there. Appearance is the only reality. From this starting point, Sartre contends that the world can be seen as an infinite series of finite appearances. Such a perspective eliminates a number of dualisms, notably the duality that contrasts the inside and outside of an object. What we see is what we get (or, what appears is what we know). After dispensing with the concept of the noumenon, Sartre outlines the binary distinction that dominates the rest of Being and Nothingness: the distinction between unconscious being (en-soi, being-in-itself) and conscious being (pour-soi, being-for-itself). Being-in-itself is concrete, lacks the ability to change, and is unaware of itself. Being-for-itself is conscious of its own conscious-
Kabir calls guru as avadhoo which means infinite, vast, expansive, 'boundaryless', and as profound as ether; that which is boundless, unfathomable, indivisible and impeccable. It is usually perceived that the one who doesn't wear any garment is an avadhoota. But in reality, it is the one who has stripped off all the layers of his mind - the layers
forgotten this true identity are guided back by avadhoo, and such a one is most dear to me, for it is he who brings the wandering ones home, says Kabir. It is a fallacy to assume that external pleasures can ever truly satisfy, but that is exactly what everyone is doing - running after scraps of sensory gratification, be it via husband or wife, job, bank
person usually begins with outward renunciation. However, Kabir says that one doesn't become a true seeker merely by abandoning his family or house. It's only when he knows the way to turn inward that he becomes a seeker in the true sense. Yoga, pranayama and mantra japa are all tools given by masters to tame the wayward mind and help
Kabir calls guru as avadhoo which means infinite
Kabir
One even travels far and wide to exotic locations seeking this very pleasure, which is like the eternal mirage in the desert that can never quench the thirst of a traveler. Whereas the irony is that the ocean of bliss is ever present within.
of delusions, ignorance, attachment and aversion - becomes resplendent, self-effulgent, unswervingly established in his true Self. Kabir boldly proclaims that what we ignorantly believe to be our real home - this body - is not our true abode. The body is ephemeral and so are its relationships, which we mistakenly consider to be real. Only the Self is real - truth, consciousness, bliss and all-pervasive. Those who have
account, food, wealth and the like. One even travels far and wide to exotic locations seeking this very pleasure, which is like the eternal mirage in the desert that can never quench the thirst of a traveler. Whereas the irony is that the ocean of bliss is ever present within. It is only the avadhoo, the true master who can inspire the turning within and initiate the inward journey. It is then we realize that this bliss is our own swarupa. When it comes to seeking, a
it become one-pointed and concentrated. It is the integrated mind that can cut through the clouds of inertia and ignorance, the greatest obstacles to awakening. Steady progress on the spiritual path comes with dedicated practise, self-effort and discipline - the culmination can only happen with the grace of the master. Kabir Jayanti was celebrated on June 13. Anandmurti Gurumaa, born in Amritsar, Punjab, is a modern day spiritual master.
ness but is also incomplete. For Sartre, this undefined, nondetermined nature is what defines man. Since the for-itself (like man) lacks a predetermined essence, it is forced to create itself from nothingness. For Sartre, nothingness is the defining characteristic of the for-itself. A tree is a tree and lacks
might describe him as now. For example, if he is a teacher, he is not a teacher in the way that a rock, as a being-in-itself, is a rock. In truth, the man is never an essence, no matter how much he strives at selfessentialism. The way he interprets his past and foresees his future is itself a series of choices. As Sartre ex-
tivity. The for-itself is consciousness, yet the instance this consciousness makes its own being a question, the irreconcilable fissure between the in-itself and the foritself is affirmed. Sartre explains that as a conscious being, the for-itself recognizes what it is not: it is not a being-in-itself. Through the aware-
Man is never an essence, no matter how much he strives Being-in-itself is concrete, lacks the ability to change, and is unaware of itself. Being-foritself is conscious of its own consciousness but is also incomplete. For Sartre, this undefined, nondetermined nature is what defines man. the ability to change or create its being. Man, on the other hand, makes himself by acting in the world. Instead of simply being, as the object-in-itself does, man, as an object-for-itself, must actuate his own being. Sartre next introduces the related truth that the being-for-itself possesses meaning only through its perpetual foray into the unknown future. In other words, a man is not essentially what one
plains, even if an individual can be said to have a certain physical nature, as a chair does (e.g., "he is six feet tall, and the chair two"), the individual nonetheless projects himself by ascribing meaning to, or taking meaning from, his concrete characteristics and thus negating them. The paradox here is great. The for-itself, desiring to become one within the in-itself, imposes its subjectivity on the other's objec-
Jean-Paul Sartre
ness of what it is not, the for-itself becomes what it is: a nothingness, wholly free in the world, with a blank canvas on which to create its being. He concludes that the for-itself is the being through which nothingness and lack enter the world, and consequently, the for-itself is itself a lack. Excerpted from website Sparknotes. The 109th birth anniversary of Jean Paul Sartre will be observed on June 21.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. - Buddha Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. - Lao Tzu You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. - Epicurus In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. - Albert Schweitzer All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. - William Shakespeare
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India's Northeast: An agenda for DoNER
India Post
RUHEENEOG
I
n interviews conducted post his appointment as the head for the Ministry for the Development of the Northeastern Region (DoNER), General (Retd) VK Singh identified certain areas for the "overall development" of the Northeast. This article will seek to discuss and give substance to two of these areas, which have thus far been mentioned preliminarily, and suggest a third. The very first priority, which is probably already in the works, must of course be a review of the performance of the ministry whether it has been able to fulfill its remit, and most crucially, where it might have gone wrong. This is primarily because the goals of the ministry are going to roughly be the same as before, and the
enthusiasm for the LEP's success, the Northeast would merely be a spectator of the development that would pass through it without necessarily doing any good to the region itself. The dual role that General Singh has taken on is therefore a welcome move, and it is hoped that this would lead to the DoNER and the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) working complementarily where required. In terms of cross-border trade, the trade conducted at Moreh in Manipur and Tamu in Myanmar is instructive. It is noted that while the essential institutions are in existence, their performance leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, Moreh has both Land Customs and Currency Exchange Centers, but they are under-staffed
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang with DoNER Minister VK Singh and others
changes will most likely be in the processes employed - not the 'what' but the 'how'. An assessment therefore will be of immense help in identifying how past mistakes can be avoided and in structuring the list of priorities.
Connectivity and Economic Growth Connectivity is essential for trade, and trade for economic growth. For this, comprehensive backward and forward links with the rest of India and across the region's massive international borders are essential. Currently, connectivity on all three counts - between the Northeast states, with the rest of India, and abroad - is dismal. General Singh also holds the portfolio of Minister of State of External Affairs, which is very interesting because the development of the Northeast necessitates to a large part the proper implementation of India's Look East Policy (LEP). There have long been complaints about how, in the
and do not function well. Additionally, despite there being a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between Myanmar and India, which is meant to ensure that taxation occurs only in a company's country of permanent residence, tax irregularities continue to persist. Business is therefore sought to be conducted through seaports in Kolkata, Mumbai and Singapore, even though a land access point with (theoretically) hugely reduced transport costs is available. Another major problem is air connectivity. Proposals for Greenfield airports in the Northeast have been bandied about but come to naught, with the exception of the airport at Pakyong, Sikkim, and the future of an Open Skies Policy as introduced by the ASEAN-India Aviation Cooperation Framework, which could be a trade multiplier, is uncertain.
Infrastructure facilitation and investment promotion
The problem here is not of insufficient funds but that of funds not funneling through to their targeted beneficiaries. The most practicable investment model for the Northeast is the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. However, it is difficult to chart a clear trajectory in the advancements that have apparently been made, and political imperatives often mean that these projects extend indefinitely beyond their deadline or come to a halt altogether with declarations of being revived at some point in the future. The lethargic implementations of ambitious plans and inter-state politicking have held these projects back.
Image management and accountability The popular perception of DoNER in the Northeast is more negative than positive. It is seen as a region-specific ministry whose perspective is unfortunately informed more by the Centre, from which it emerges, rather than the region whose interests it seeks to represent. Added to this is its lackluster performance and apparent inaction, which has much to do with the lack of public dissemination of information. The deficiency in public knowledge of the DoNER's activities becomes especially important in light of the reactions to DoNER's new avatar. In particular, much has been said about the appointment of a former Army man, General (Retd) VK Singh, as the Minister in charge of this portfolio. Many have expressed their concerns about the practice of looking at the Northeast through a 'combative', military lens. To quell such misgivings, it becomes imperative for the ministry to corroborate its work to safeguard the interests of the region through active and regular dissemination of information. Controlled transparency would allow accountability, which in turn would help inspire regional confidence in DoNER's workings. What can be most unambiguously said about this change of guard is that above all else, DONER needed an injection of fresh blood. Whether this will be to the detriment of the region or its gain cannot be deduced in the first few days of the new ministry's existence. The writer is Senior Research Officer, NSP, IPCS
Facing challenges
I
t is interesting to watch how Narendra Modi will be able to deal with the increasing challenges that he now faces on the na tional stage. His intent is convincing. He has put his ministers and bureaucrats on their toes by demanding cleanliness and delivery. He keeps a check on them. A minister in a hurry to return from his constituency to his post in Delhi confessed that Modi rings up on his landline to know if he is there in his office. On the economic front Modi has promised tough steps which will earn him unpopularity. He is willing to take that bitter pill for the sake of the country as he says the UPA left the exchequer empty. He has made great promises and his critics are already ready to pounce on him for failure to deliver. The power shortage in the country has reached even the capital of India. The Congress and AAP parties have started burning his effigies for failure to solve the power problem of Delhi. And he has promised 24-hour electricity. How is he going to manage it? In his first speech in Parliament, Modi said similar questions were asked of him when he had promised 24-electrircity in Gujarat. Nobody would believe him. But he has been able to provide 24hour electricity in the State which approved of his governance ability to give him four election victories in succession. But tackling the power situation in Gujarat may be child's play compared to India's problem. Here you have to deal with individual States managing power resources and the ubiquitous corruption. The minister he has put in charge of power is a whiz kid who managed the technology of his election. So everyone is watching how this issue will be resolved. On defense he made a dramatic foray by visiting India's prestigious aircraft carrier Vikramaditya to dedicate it to the nation. While watching the impressive naval and aerial display laid out for him, he sent out a message that he is going to take a personal interest in defense matters. There is criticism for him for not having appointed a full-time defense minister. How could defense of the country matter to him when he has not been able to name a minister capable enough to manage the difficult portfolio? There is suspicion that this may have been a deliberate, clever move of Modi. He is keen to look after defense himself but this will be seen as over-burdening himself and also send alarm in some quarters. So he has decided to take de facto decisions himself while keeping the ministry ostensibly under Arun Jaitley who is already saddled with the heavy portfolio of Finance. As Prime Minister, Modi can look into the work of any ministry. So he has decided to keep a tab on it which he may not freely be able to do once a proper defense minister is appointed. Indeed, defense is too important a portfolio to imagine that he has not given due thought to it. So this could be a ploy to remain his own defense minister while not appearing to be so. His actions may appear abrupt but below the surface there is deep planning and meaning behind them. His decision to make his first foreign visit to the small neighboring state of Bhutan leaves a message to China which is trying to cosy up to this state which borders both India and China. His visit comes before another round of dialogue between Bhutan and China which is said to be keen on establishing diplomatic ties with Thimpu. Under the UPA government last year, India had annoyed Bhutan by temporarily rolling back subsidies on LPG and kerosene supply to the land locked country. Conscious of this ill-advised move, Modi went on a charm offensive, making full use of India's soft power and its historic ties with the country.
June 20, 2014
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