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Vince Chhabria
Chhabria elevated as full time judge Details on page 5
'US working with India to boost counter-terrorism'
VOL 21, No. 1092
August 28, 2015
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MODI VISIT TO FOCUS ON DIGITAL ECONOMY WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to interact with technology and business leaders and focus on innovation, digital economy and renewable energy during his US trip next month, a top Indian diplomat has said. Modi is expected to travel to the US late September to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly. While no official announcement has been made yet, Modi is scheduled to travel to San Francisco to address
the Indian-American community in the Silicon Valley on September 27. More than 25,000 people have signed up for the event at the SAP Centre, which has a seating capacity of 18,000. Both in New York and in San Jose - hub of the Silicon Valley - Modi is likely to meet people, experts and corporate leaders to further his twin agendas of inclusive growth and fast-tracking economic development. Details on page 5
Details on page 5
No change in US position on Kashmir
Dr Romesh Japra with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Haryana CM woos investors; is feted Details on page 16
Priya Patel
Alabama girl is Miss India America Details on page 47
Rajan reassures markets on China woes
Details on page 6
Details on page 31
Kashmiri leaders not a third party: Sharif
CONTENTS
Details on page 6
Classifieds ------------------------- 52
Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Community Post -------------- 16-24 Date Book -------------------------- 39
INDIA POST SURVEY
Edit Page --------------------------- 54
survey@indiapost.com
HealthScience Post --------- 34-37
This week’s question
Horoscope ------------------------- 51
Should Gujarat government concede reservation to Patels?
Immigration Post ------------- 44-45 Life Style ----------------------- 47-50
Last week’s result
Enlisting UAE support on terrorism a big achievement? YES 85%
NO 15%
Philosophy ------------------------- 53
PATELS THREATEN BJP: Mass gathering of community members at the meeting and mega rally organised by the Patel
Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4
(Patidar) community to press for their demands of reservation, at the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad on August 25. (Details on page 7)
Real Estate -------------------- 13-15 TechBiz Post ------------------- 30-33 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43
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August 28, 2015
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Publisher’s Diary
E
lection campaign cycles invariably goad one to seek historical perspectives, an exercise which I personally think is pretty regressive consider ing that elections are supposed to be about change, and about the future. But since I have dug out some campaigns this country has witnessed in the past, I found that not much has changed in the last fifty years. Yes, this is 2016, which is part of the era that scientists of the old sci-fi thrillers fantasized about. But, a lot of what the current day presidential hopefuls are campaigning on is akin to the 1968 Nixon-Humphrey-Wallace battle for the White House. Yes, it is 2016, and we are still facing active race riots, questions about civil rights, irrational wars; we still talk about gender equality, gay rights, abortion, gun violence, minority poverty; healthcare and immigration are still burning issues with no candidate offering any decent ideas apart from threats to undo what has already been done. The world is marching ahead a la the fabled tortoise and the still-in-denial hare that the United States is, is pumping up a redoubtable leading candidate who talks of building walls to counter immigration and uses grade-school level name-calling to criticize his opponents. Leaping technological advances are transforming our lives by the hour and the minute, wearable devices, Internet of Things, designer babies, lab grown organs and such are already here, but the political language of the "leaders" of America is still stuck in the '60s. I haven't heard a single one of the 2016 presidential hopefuls use language that incorporates progressive ideas to harness a technologically interlinked globalized world where the US still has the potential to lead. The American media had roundly mocked Narendra Modi when he used technology in the form of holograms during his election campaign. What they refuse to accept is that at least this man gets the language of the future and that he is not afraid to change the rhetoric to reflect current realities and future possibilities. So why is it so hard for politicians in general to recognize the redundancy of their rhetoric and learn the language of the future? Romesh K Japra
rkjapra@indiapost.com
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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Age no bar English Vinglish fame Gauri Shinde has cast romance king Shah Rukh Khan and Highway star Alia Bhatt together
Cover Story: Modi’s US trip Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to interact with technology and business leaders during his US trip
Community: Warm reception Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar was given a warm dinner reception by Dr Romesh Japra in Fremont.
Fraud firms Washington state has taken action against companies accused of offering fraudulent legal services to immigrants.
Life style: Miss India America Priya Patel from Alabama & Saavan Patel of California were crowned Miss & Mr India America 2015 in Los Angeles
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Interest in Haryana The US has expressed to Haryana CM keen interest in expansion of defense and aerospace industry in Haryana
Kumarakom This pristine, tropical city, a cluster of small picturesque islands around the Vembanad Lake, is a perfect holiday spot.
44 49 30 40
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Modi visit to focus on digital economy WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to interact with technology and business leaders and focus on innovation, digital economy and renewable energy during his US trip next month, a top Indian diplomat has said.
scheduled to travel to San Francisco to address the IndianAmerican community in the Silicon Valley on September 27. More than 25,000 people have signed up for the event at the SAP Centre, which has a seating capacity of 18,000.
During his visit to California he would also interact with people representing the technology and business sector, wherein there would be emphasis on entrepreneurship, innovation, digital economy and renewable energy," Indian Ambassador Arun K Singh told PTI Modi is expected to travel to the US late September to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly. While no official announcement has been made yet, Modi is
Both in New York and in San Jose - hub of the Silicon Valley Modi is likely to meet people, experts and corporate leaders to further his twin agendas of inclusive growth and fast-tracking eco-
nomic development. "The Prime Minister is expected to be here in the US in September in New York and in California. During his visit to California he would also interact with people representing the technology and business sector, wherein there would be emphasis on entrepreneurship, innovation, digital economy and renewable energy," Indian Ambassador Arun K Singh told PTI. Ahead of Modi's visit to the US, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal is visiting India and Sri Lanka. In New Delhi, Biswal is expected to hold talks with her Indian counterparts on forthcoming prime ministerial trip and the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in September. Climate change and renewable
energy are the two issues that brings Modi and US President Barack Obama together. Climate change "will be at the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
fore front" of the leaders' agenda and that is dealing with its adverse consequences, said Peter Lavoy,
Special Assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs. "Prime Minister Modi has talked about the obligation he has to the earth into India and to the Indian people and has set very ambitious carbon reduction guidelines... And each leader has agreed to work together to seek a very strong conclusion to the Paris conference later this year," he said. "This is one example of the many examples that they have come together, where our cooperation can produce tangible results for dealing with important world issues," Lavoy said. -PTI
'US working with India to boost Chhabria elevated as counter-terrorism' full time judge WELLINGTON (Tamil Nadu): The US has said it is working with India to improve counter-terrorism cooperation as it stressed on the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt and degrade entities such as LeT, Jaish-eMohammad (JeM), 'D-Company' and the Haqqani Network. Noting that US and India have committed to making counterterrorism cooperation a key component of bilateral ties, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said that in recent years his country has led a global coalition to "degrade, disrupt and dismantle" terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL. "President Obama and Prime Minister Modi have also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and stopping their cross-border movement," he said, speaking at the Defense Services Staff College here. At the Defense Staff Service College, Verma held an interaction with faculty and students on 'Emerging Indo-US Strategic Ties'. Accompanied by US Consul General in Chennai Phillip Minh and US Air Attache Robert Capozella, the Ambassador also met two student officers from US Army and Navy who are undergoing the staff course at DSSC. "Our leaders have also affirmed the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt and
degrade entities such as LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), D Company and the Haqqani Network, and agreed to continue ongoing efforts through the Homeland Security Dialogue and the US-India Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism," he said. His comments came just two days after Pakistan called off NSA-level talks with India. In-
"Our counter-terrorism cooperation can become a model for the region and potentially for the world, and it is another factor that makes me genuinely optimistic about our future defense and security partnership together," he said. Verma stressed that US and India face a formidable set of international challenges, from the
US Ambassador to India Richard Verma at the Defense Staff Service College
dia had prepared an extensive dossier on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim who is believed to be based in Karachi under the patronage of ISI. Talking on the subject 'Growing US-India defense cooperation', he said both countries are also working on efforts to improve cooperation on UN terrorist designations and expand the sharing of information on known or suspected terrorists "no matter where they may be located".
freedom of access to shared maritime and air routes, humanitarian crises in an increasingly interconnected world, and the continuing threat from non-state actors and extremist groups. He made it clear that bilateral defense cooperation is not based on a limited set of strategic priorities, nor is it directed toward a particular country. Rather, it is rooted in our shared values. Cont’d on page 6
LOS ANGELES: A 46-year-old Chhabria was confirmed last Indian-American federal judge is year to a seat in San Francisco. among 11 people elevated as a He once clerked for US Supreme full-time judge in the third largest Court Judge Stephen Breyer, as US state California by President well as his brother, San Francisco Barack Obama. federal judge Charles Breyer. Vince Chhabria was appointed He has issued significant dethe Bay Area's first Indian-Ameri- cisions allowing cases, including can federal judge. that of labor laws, against transThe appointment was made as port companies Uber and Lyft's President Obama transformed models to proceed. most of the Bay Area's federal juPreviously, in a historic moment diciary, filling 11 of the 14 full- for the Indian-American commutime judgeships on the region's federal court the most dramatic He has issued significant makeover of a district court bench in the na- decisions allowing cases, tion, mercurynews.com including that of labor reported. The Bay Area laws, against transport Obama judges, appointed to lifetime ten- companies Uber and ure, are a generally Lyft's models to proceed young, demographically diverse group that will be deciding Silicon Valley nity, Obama had nominated tech showdowns, civil rights Chhabria, then 43, to serve as a challenges and major federal federal judge in the US District criminal law questions for the Court for the Northern District of foreseeable future, the report California. said. San Francisco-born Chhabria, The 11 Obama appointees whose father came to the US from sailed through Senate confirma- Mumbai on a college scholarship, tion hearings. is a graduate with honors from The group is ethnically di- University of California, Berkeley verse, with seven minority ap- (Boalt Hall) and the University of pointees, including the court's California, Santa Cruz. first Asian-American appointee, Prior to public service, he San Jose's Lucy Koh; first Latina, worked in the private sector, first Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers; and as an associate at Keker & Van first Indian-American, Vince Nest and later at Covington & Chhabria, it said. Burling. -PTI
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No change in US position on Kashmir WASHINGTON: The US has and the discussion and to try to said there has not been any come to some resolution," State change in its position on Kashmir Department Spokesman John which remains a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, as it ruled out any role for itself in the revival of Indo-Pak talks. "The tensions in the region are State Department Spokesman John Kirby significant. We recognize that, and we believe it's Kirby told reporters at his daily important for leaders of both news conference. "What we've said, particularly countries to resume this dialogue
with the tension in Kashmir, is that our position has not changed, that this is an issue that India and Pakistan need to resolve," Kirby said. He was responding to questions on talks between the national security advisors of India and Pakistan that were called off by Islamabad at the last moment. "We were encouraged by the constructive interaction. The early constructive interaction between the leaders of India and Pakistan earlier this year in Russia," Kirby said. "We are disappointed that the talks didn't happen. We just encourage India and Pakistan to resume a formal dialogue soon," he said. Kirby reiterated that it is for the leaders of the two countries to decide on the pace and scope of the peace talks. "These are issues for the two
to resolve together, and that's what we continue to encourage is a resumption of dialogue between the leaders of both India and Pakistan," he said. "We want both nations to sit down and hammer out the issues between them. Some of them have to do with violent extremism and some of them don't. We under-
the world remains the same, Kirby said the United States will stay committed to countering violent extremism using all the elements of national power and international cooperation that it can. "When it comes to countering terrorism around the world, obviously the United States plays a role and we want everybody to
‘We want both nations to sit down and hammer out the issues between them. Some of them have to do with violent extremism and some of them don't. We understand that, but these are issues that the two parties have got to work out’ stand that, but these are issues that the two parties have got to work out," he added. Making it clear that US' position about terrorism and the threat that it continues to pose around
play a role in that, but when you're asking me about these particular tensions, we're disappointed that the talks didn't occur and we would like to see them resume," Kirby said. -PTI
Kashmiri leaders not a third party: Sharif ISLAMABAD: Asserting that Kashmiri separatist leaders are not a "third party", Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that any dialogue process with India which does not include Kashmir issue will be futile. "Kashmiri leaders are not the third party but an important party to this issue. Any decision on their future cannot be made without their
opinion and consultation," Sharif said during a cabinet meeting. The prime minister told the cabinet that any dialogue with India without Kashmir issue would be futile, the Dawn reported. Sharif's comments came just days after Pakistan called off the National Security Advisers-level talks at last minute after India
asked it to give a commitment that it would not meet Kashmiri separatist leaders. Pakistan's National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz briefed Sharif and cabinet colleagues over the cancellation of talks. The cabinet also discussed the security situation in the country. Aziz was scheduled to travel to India on August 23 for the first-
ever NSA-level talks with his counterpart Ajit Doval but he
called off the visit hours before the proposed dialogue.-PTI
'US working with India to boost counter-terrorism' JuD, Haqqani network not banned in Pak Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Cont’d from page 7
He said that in today's dynamic and globally connected world, a deeper understanding of the maritime domain and the readiness to protect critical trade routes has never been more important. Verma said that through the Joint Working Group for Aircraft Carrier Technology, both countries have also forged a path that seeks to cooperatively improve India's burgeoning aircraft carrier development program and develop its carrier aviation expertise. "This program is one of the success stories borne of our Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, and is also symbolic of how far US-India defense cooperation has advanced as it wasn't too long ago that the American aircraft carrier was a symbol that divided the US from India," he
said. "Today it is a topic of cooperation that has brought us closer together," the US envoy underlined. He said that both countries are
The Indian Air Force will be participating in Red Flag air exercise next April, an event that Indian Air Force is ta also working to enhance cooperation and security of the skies. "We recently did an exchange on air defense where our two Air Forces brought together their experts to share best practices and ideas on defending critical areas
like the skies over our national capitals," he said, adding that it is through training and exercising together that one can practice these and other shared tactics, to hone skills. The Indian Air Force will be participating in Red Flag air exercise next April, an event that Indian Air Force is taking part in after a six-year hiatus. "However, it is not just well trained pilots and well- executed tactics and procedures that will ensure the security of the skies. To both our Air Forces advanced technology is a critical component, which is why under the DTTI we have set up the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group, where we will jointly be exploring and sharing the latest technology on jet engines and exploring possible co-production and co-development opportunities together," he said. -PTI
ISLAMABAD: Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Afghanistan-based dreaded Haqqani network are not banned in Pakistan, according to an official list of 60 proscribed outfits. However, the government has put the JuD on the list of groups being closely watched by the officials, which means that it can be banned if found guilty of promoting militancy. JuD is listed as a terror outfit by the UN and its chief Hafiz Saeed has a USD 10 million US government bounty against him, but he moves freely across Pakistan. The al-Qaeda-linked dreaded Haqqani network, blamed for several deadly attacks against West-
ern and Indian interests in Afghanistan including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul, is also not on the list. According to the list, there are 60 organizations banned by Pakistan for their involvement in militancy. Arranged in alphabetical order, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is on number 39 while Jaish-eMuhammad (JeM) is on 29. The list also includes top militant groups like al-Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The Islamic State or Daesh, which had made in-roads in the region, is also not included in the list. LeT and JeM were proscribed on January 14, 2002 in the wake of attack on Indian parliament.-PTI
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Massive Patel rally demands reservation AHMEDABAD: Gujarat's Patel community on August 25 organized a mega rally under the leadership of 22-year-old Hardik Patel in Ahmedabad to press for reservations under the OBC quota. Patel warned that if the Patel community is not made eligible for quota, the BJP government in Gujarat will face consequences in 2017 polls. "If you do not give our right (reservation), we will snatch it. Whoever will talk of interest of Patels will rule over Patels," he said. "In 1985, we had uprooted Congress from Gujarat, today there is BJP. 2017 (state election year) is coming...lotus will not bloom in the mud, it will never bloom. If you will talk about our interest then only we will nurture your lotus," said Patel, warning the state government. The numerically and economically strong Patel community of Gujarat converged in Ahmedabad in large numbers to take part in the rally, which brought the city to a grinding halt. The 'Maha Kranti' rally comes after a month-long agitation by the Patel community for their demand of reservation. Patels are unrelenting even
though chief minister Anandiben Patel earlier expressed her inability to include the community in the OBC category and requested
the leaders to end the agitation and come forward for negotiations. The CM had citied Supreme Court guidelines and judgments
Patidar community leader Hardik Patel with other leaders during their Kranti Rally for reservation at GMDC Ground in Ahmedabad on August 25
for her inability to include Patels in OBC category. "Some parties say you do not know about Supreme Court guidelines (of 50% cap on reservations), this cannot happen. If SC can open at 3.30 in the morning for a terrorist, then why not for the youth the future of this nation?" Hardik Patel said amidst cheers from the crowd. "If the country's youth come on the streets to demand their right and if they do not get those rights, some of them will become Naxalites, some of them will become terrorists," he said. Addressing the rally, 22-yearold Hardik said their agitation was apolitical. "Some said your agitation is supported by Congress, some said your agitation is inspired by BJP, while some others said it is sponsored by Aam Aadmi Party, but we are apolitical," he stressed. "We have elected representatives from Gujarat and we have sent representatives to the Centre, they are not there just to make laws or to amend the Constitution. We have sent you to serve our community...we only need our rights," he said. He said that they expect their
demand to be respected or they will "snatch" it. "One of the friends told me you have led agitation against our people (as the Chief Minister is also Patel), I replied we have started this agitation because they are our people. They should also understand we have come out with this agitation to demand for our right," he said. Holding that the community forms a major chunk, Hardik said, "We (Patel-farming community) are not in Gujarat only... We are 1.80 crore in Gujarat..., we also have a large presence in the country." "A person told me that you (Patels) have a political clout in Gujarat, I told him...have you just seen Gujarat don't you see Bihar...even Nitish Kumar is ours...Don't you see in Andhra Pradesh... Chandrababu Naidu is ours," he said. "In Gujarat we have six MPs, while in India we have 170 MPs...Nobody is aware of that...our seal will be there on dollars," he said. After the rally, Patel said he will sit on a hunger strike at the venue till the chief minister (Anandiben Patel) does not come to take a memorandum from them.-PTI
Holy mace of Lord Shiva joins Amarnath yatra SRINAGAR: 'Chhari Mubarak', the holy mace of Lord Shiva, has joined the annual Amarnath yatra, marking concluding phase of the 59-day pilgrimage to 3,880 meter cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, the saffron robed-mace was taken
out from its abode at Amareshwar Temple Dashnami Akhara by its custodian Mahant Deepindra Giri this morning. It left for base camp Pahalgam along the traditional 45-km route to the holy cave. On way to Pahalgam, it was taken to various temples en route,
including historic Martand Temple at Mattan and prayers were offered there, officials said. The sadhus will also offer special prayers to the 'Chhari Mubarak' at Pahalgam, 100 kms from here before leaving for the cave shrine tomorrow, he said. Accompanied by a group of
Sadhus led by Mahant Dipendra Giri leave for holy cave shrine of Amarnath with the Holy Mace (Chari Mubarak) of Lord Shiva from Dashnami Akhara Temple, Budshah chowk in Srinagar on August 25
sadhus and pilgrims, the 'Chhari Mubarak' will reach the cave on August 29 on the occassion of 'Raksha Bandhan' which marks the culmination of the annual
yatra. So far over 3.51 lakh pilgrims have visited cave shrine since beginning of the yatra on July 2. PTI
China to deploy 3 more radars along India border BEIJING: In a move that will have strategic ramifications for India, China will soon deploy three more unmanned radars in Tibet in addition to the one already installed there to strengthen air surveillance in the Himalayan region along the Indian border. China's first unmanned radar station has stood for eight years on top of Ganbala Mountain. This year another three unmanned radars are going to be installed in order to form a radar network with the previous ones, state-run People's Daily reported. China completed construction of Ganbala radar station in 1965 which is the highest manned radar station in the world at a height
of 5,374 meters above sea level. However, the percentage of oxygen in the air on Ganbala Mountain, located not far from Sikkim and Bhutan borders, is only 48 per cent of that at sea level. That is why the mountain is
viewed as a "life forbidding zone". For over 50 years, this radar station has been used to secure surveillance and provide civilian air navigation services in Tibet, the report said. -PTI
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India, Egypt to step up bilateral cooperation CAIRO: Seeking to inject new momentum in their ties, India and Egypt have decided to put in place a bilateral framework for enhancing cooperation in key areas of security, counter-terrorism, defense and investments. Both sides agreed to step up engagement in a range of potential areas while underlining the need to combat terrorism particularly the threat of dreaded terrorist outfit ISIS in an effective manner as visiting External Affairs
ing with the Egyptian President said a bilateral framework of cooperation in all fields, particularly in the fields of security, counterterrorism, defense and trade and investments are being put in place to step up engagement in these areas. "The President said, and External Affairs Minister agreed with him, that it is a question of encashing on the goodwill that the people of the two countries have with each other into some-
A bilateral framework of cooperation in all fields, particularly in the fields of security, counter-terrorism, defense and trade and investments are being put in place to step up engagement in these areas Minister Sushma Swaraj called on Egyptian President Fattah Al-Sisi. The Indian side suggested that the ISIS should be fought in a "determined and collective manner". Swaraj later met her Egyptian counterpart Sameh Hassan Shoukry during which both sides reviewed entire gamut of relationship and decided to diversify defense cooperation from training of personnel to defense production. Secretary East in Ministry of External Affairs Anil Wadhwa, when asked about Swaraj's meet-
thing concrete on the ground. He said Egypt and India should be working together visibly on issues of common interests to show to the world that we are together on certain issues," Wadhwa said. Later Swaraj had a one-on-one meeting with Shoukry before delegation-level talks. "We discussed the three pillars of cooperation which are political and security pillar, economic and investments and people-topeople contact. We have decided to deepen cooperation in all the
areas. There would be a joint commission meeting in January at the level of Foreign Ministers which will be preceded by a foreign office consultation in November," said Wadhwa. Egypt has traditionally been one of India's most important trading partners in the African continent. Trade between India and Egypt during the last financial year (April 2014-March 2015) has been recorded at USD 4.76 billion. Most importantly, India is the sixth largest trading partner of Egypt -the second largest export destination. India's imports from Egypt were worth USD 1.74 billion during 2014-15. Indian businessmen have invested nearly USD 3 billion in about 50 companies in Egypt and have given employment opportunities to around 35,000 Egyptians. In the meeting between Swaraj and Shoukry, both sides agreed to expand trade ties, holding that there are huge untapped areas for expanding the ties. Later, India and Egypt inked two MoUs to extend cooperation in key areas like hospitality and scientific research. The first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to extend cooperation in hospitality, tourism and human resource development between the two sides
Ex-President Nasheed sent back to jail MALE: Mohamed Nasheed has been forcibly taken back to jail by Maldivian police, a month after the former president's 13year prison term was commuted to house arrest, his party has claimed, describing the move as "arbitrary and illegal". Nasheed's party the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that policemen, without a court warrant forcefully entered his home, breaking the main gate of the house and pepper-sprayed those inside the house indiscriminately. The party strongly condemned Nasheed's arrest by the Maldives Correctional Service and Maldives Police Service, calling it "arbitrary and illegal". "The transfer of President Nasheed back to jail is a blatant violation of the Constitution," the party said in a statement. The correctional service, however, said that the 48-year-old expresident was "temporarily" transferred to house arrest for eight weeks due to health reasons
- in accordance with his doctor's advice to allow him to be in a "stress free environment". The eight weeks have ended. Despite rumors of a permanent
transfer to house arrest, no official decision was made public regarding the matter. And now, the ex-president has been taken back to prison, officials at correctional service were quoted as saying by Haveeru newspaper.
The paper said that various sources claim that a month back, the government forwarded a document stating that Nasheed has been transferred to house arrest to serve the rest of his jail term. But the claims always remained questionable since there is no law or regulation that can allow the executive to take such a unilateral decision pertaining to a judicial matter, it added. Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader who was arrested on February 22 over the detention of a judge in 2012, was charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1990 in a criminal court hearing in March. Immediately after the sentencing, Nasheed was incarcerated in a prison on a remote island. His conviction drew widespread criticism over the apparent lack of due process in the 19day trial. The fairness has been questioned by international governments, including India and the US, and rights organizations. -PTI
in which they will draw a roadmap for future cooperation. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Egypt's Natural Research Centre (NRC) signed the second MoU which will provide support and cooperation
cines, besides setting up of joint laboratories. In her meeting with the President, Swaraj renewed the invitation to him from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the India-Africa summit later this year. She said
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj calls on President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi in Cairo, Egypt on August 24
in scientific research and technology development. The CSIR and NRC will extend cooperation in common intellectual property right. They will also establish a joint committee to explore new areas of collaboration in the field of technology which include water deprivation, solar energy and medi-
Egypt has a special place for India. "They also had a discussion briefly on the Palestinian issue. They also discussed situation in the region and on all these fronts I think our stands are similar. We will support each other at the United Nations as well," said Wadhwa.-PTI
PM wants call drops to be fixed urgently NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked officials to address the issue of "call drops" on an urgent basis, saying it directly impacts the common man. The directions came at a highlevel meeting chaired by him in which he reviewed the progress of digital and rural infrastructure, besides connectivity. "The Prime Minister expressed serious concern over the issue of call drops and asked officials as to what steps are being taken to address this problem, which, he said, directly affects the common man. "He directed that steps be taken urgently to resolve the problem, and also to ensure that the problems in voice connectivity do not extend to data connectivity in future," an official statement by the Prime Minister's Office said. Modi was apprised of the status of mobile connectivity across the country. He also asked officials to ex-
plore the possibility of leveraging existing resources, including railway and other communication infrastructure, to provide mobile connectivity in remote, unconnected areas. "He emphasized that targets for digital infrastructure should be synchronized with the targets for the Digital India initiative," the statement read. Also, the Prime Minister sought details from officials on preparations for providing electricity to all unconnected villages in the country within 1,000 days, as mentioned in his Independence Day address. "He directed the departments concerned to monitor progress towards this goal on a real-time basis," the statement said. Taking stock of the progress of solar energy related projects, especially with regard to railway stations and airports, he wanted work related to setting up of railway universities to be speeded up.-PTI
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UN stops all trials against Italian marines HAMBURG: A UN tribunal has asked both India and Italy to "suspend" all court proceedings involving two Italian marines charged with killing of two Indian fishermen in 2012 and also refrain from initiating new ones that might "aggravate or extend" the dispute.
the dispute submitted to the... arbitral tribunal or might jeopardize or prejudice the carrying out of any decision which the arbitral tribunal may render." He further said, "Italy and India shall each submit to the Tribunal the initial report...not later
File photo of Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone
Hearing Italy's appeal in the case, the President of the International Tribunal on Law of the Sea (ITLOS), Vladimir Golitsyn asked the two countries to submit the initial report in the entire incident by September 24. The judge said pending a decision by the arbitral tribunal, "Italy and India shall both suspend all court proceedings and shall refrain from initiating new ones which might aggravate or extend
than 24 September 2015, and authorizes the President, after that date, to request such information from the Parties as he may consider appropriate." The 21-member UN-mandated court located in this German city issued the order with 15 in favor and six against. Unhappy over India's handling of the marine's issue, Italy took the matter to the ITLOS challenging Indian jurisdiction in the case.
It has pleaded that India must cease to exercise any form of jurisdiction over the Enrica Lexie Incident and the Italian Marines, including any measure of restraint with respect to Sergeant Latorre and Sergeant Girone. The two marines, who were on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', are accused of killing two Indian fishermen on February 15, 2012 off the Kerala coast. ITLOS is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention. Italy had requested the tribunal to make India refrain from taking or enforcing any judicial or administrative measures against the two marines in connection with the Enrica Lexie Incident, and from exercising any other form of jurisdiction over the case. It had also asked India shall take all measures necessary to ensure that restrictions on the liberty, security and movement of the Marines be immediately lifted to enable Sergeant Girone to travel to and remain in Italy and Sergeant Latorre to remain in Italy throughout the duration of the proceedings before the Annex VII Tribunal. Italy maintained before the tribunal that it was only in late May of this year that it became clear
beyond doubt that a negotiated settlement with India would not be possible. India on its part contended that nothing happened in May to change what had been the status quo over the previous 14 months and recognized that in the spring of 2014, it was apparent that a diplomatic impasse had been reached. The tribunal said that both parties agree that an extensive exchange of views has taken place and that this did not lead to an
dian courts' and that 'an Annex VII tribunal can only exercise its jurisdiction and rule on the claims of Italy once all remedies available to the two accused have been exhausted, it said. In the view of the Tribunal, since the very nature of the dispute concerns the exercise of jurisdiction over the Enrica Lexie incident, the issue of exhaustion of local remedies should not be addressed in the provisional measures phase.
n the view of the Tribunal, since the very nature of the dispute concerns the exercise of jurisdiction over the Enrica Lexie incident, the issue of exhaustion of local remedies should not be addressed in the provisional measures phase agreement between them regarding the settlement of the dispute by negotiation or other peaceful means. The tribunal said that India argued that although Italy "pretends to act in order to protect its own alleged rights, Italy in reality behaves as if it were espousing its nationals rights while clearly the conditions for exercising its diplomatic protection are not fulfilled." India maintained that Italy should have exhausted the local remedies available before the In-
It said India stated that under articles 95 and 96 of the Convention, immunity from the jurisdiction of any State other than the flag State is available only to warships and Government ships operated for non-commercial purposes. "Admittedly, the Italian marines were on board a merchant vessel, therefore, the Government of India was not obliged to recognize their claim of immunity under the Convention or any other principle of international law," the tribunal said.-PTI
Canadian firms keen to invest in Haryana: Khattar TORONTO: Leading Canadian companies have shown a keen interest in investing in Haryana with many firms looking to invest in the fields of solar power, medicare and services. At an interaction with visiting Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, representatives of top Canadian industries appreciated the steps taken by the BJP government to make the state a "business and investment friendly destination" and use the opportunity to invest in Haryana. "Our ultimate goal is to create maximum employment opportunities for the youth of the state. Haryana is fast growing and it would continue to march ahead," Khattar said at the meet organized by the apex Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. "Your contribution is required to maintain and accelerate this pace. We have created a congenial environment for entrepreneurs to invest in Haryana. If there is any scope for improvement, things will be reviewed and re-
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar with Indo- Canadian business executives at an interactive session from the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) at Toronto in Canada, on August 23. Industries Minister Capt. Abhimanyu is also seen in the picture
vised every quarter," he said. The Chief Minister highlighted the comparative edge the state enjoys as an investment destination and the regulatory reform measures undertaken by the government to promote business and industry in recent months.
Outlining the salient features of the state's 'New Enterprise Promotion Policy 2015' he said, "We in Haryana strive to attract both international and domestic business and investment. "Reflecting our commitment to put the state in a high-growth or-
bit and build a strong and vibrant industrial economy, the policy aims at establishing ease-of-doing business, giving a fillip to the existing units and taking industry to the hinterland," he said. Khattar also laid emphasis on "good governance and IT initia-
tives" in the state to quicken the pace of work. "The Single Window Clearance System, housed in the Chief Minister's Office, had been made operational. Apart from giving all clearances within two months, the new policy provides online platform for third party verifications and self-certifications," he said. The Chief Minister also invited business executives to 'Happening Haryana', a conclave planned in the state early next year. The Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne will be visiting Haryana in January or February 2016. Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister, Capt Abhimanyu highlighted the geographical and other advantages that would "attract foreign investors to become a part of the Haryana growth story". Leader of business delegation, Deep Kapuria, added, "We have never seen before such favorable environment for investment in the state". -PTI
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Indian charged with trying to bribe politician NEW YORK: An Indian-American businessman has been charged with attempting to bribe a local politician in exchange for support to get a license for his liquor store in the US state of Ohio. Mukundkumar Patel, 52, was charged in criminal information with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven Dettelbach said in a statement. According to the charges, Patel of East Cleveland had to seek a liquor license for his store. While Patel submitted a liquor license application, city officials told him they were
not inclined to endorse his application but would consider his request after speaking with community stakeholders. Patel met with an East Cleveland councilman in October last year and offered to pay him USD 2,000 if he signed the application. The councilman refused and Patel raised his offer to USD 3,000. After refusing again the businessman told the politician to name his price, a statement said. The councilman contacted the FBI to report the bribe solicitation. In another meeting with the councilman, Patel offered him USD 4,000 up front and USD 1,000 later in return for signing Patel's
beer and wine application, it said. Patel paid him USD 4,000 in cash and the councilman turned the money over to the FBI. "We will not tolerate individuals believing they can circumvent the law by bribing a public official," Special Agent in Charge
of the Cleveland Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Stephen Anthony said. "The FBI commends the public official involved for adhering to his ethical principles by not accepting the bribe made by this business owner." -PTI
TN announces big health check-up plans CHENNAI: Master health check-up plans, including a special one for women
and Rs 120 crore allocation for Adyar Cancer Institute here are among highlights of the Rs 500 crore worth of health schemes announced by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the assembly. Making a suo moto 22-point statement in the assembly, she said that as a pilot scheme, the Amma Master Health checkup plan and Amma Women Special Master Health check-up plan for women would be launched, towards which medical equipment will be bought at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Jayalalithaa said the Union government had accepted her request to accord the status of a Centre of Excellence to the Cancer Institute at Adyar here. "I had written to the Prime Minister to accord the Centre of Excellence status to Adyar Cancer Institute and the Union government has accepted it. I am happy to announce that the Adyar Cancer Hospital will be strengthened at a cost of Rs 120 crore," she said. The CM said she had first written to the then Prime Minister in 2013 on the issue. During the current year, 10 new Primary Health Centers will be set up at a cost of Rs six crore. Also, 10 PHCs will be upgraded into 30-bedded hospitals at a cost of Rs 12 crore. Residential quarters will be set up for nurses working in PHCs at a cost of Rs 6 crore in 60 such health centers, she said.
During the current year, 10 new Primary Health Centers will be set up at a cost of Rs six crore. Also, 10 PHCs will be upgraded into 30-bedded hospitals at a cost of Rs 12 crore Twelve new blood banks, 10 blood storage centers and 10 blood collection units will be set up at a cost of Rs 12.12 crore. Neo-natal intensive care units will be set up in five government hospitals in Tambaram, Tiruttani, Gudiyattam, Rajapalayam and Virudachalam at a cost of Rs 3.25 crore. In Rajapalayam, a 20-bedded Paediatric Intensive Care unit and a five-bedded Step Down Ward will be set up at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore. To strengthen an ongoing welfare scheme under which mothers who have delivered babies in state-run facilities are supported, 20 vehicles will be purchased at a cost of Rs.1.60 crore for 20 medical college hospitals.-PTI
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Kejriwal meets PM, seeks Dawood will be brought to book: Govt cooperation NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and took up a host of issues, including his government's tussle with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, as he sought the Center's cooperation irrespective of the differences in "political ideologies". The chief minister, who was accompanied by his deputy Manish Sisodia for the meeting with Modi, also raised the issue of "Delhi Police being at war with his government" and touched upon the row over the appointment of the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau. "We met the Prime Minister and told him that for the development of Delhi and benefit of its people, the Centre and the state government should work in tandem. "But it is important that the political ideologies of the two governments should not interfere with the work," Kejriwal told reporters after meeting the Prime Minister. "I asked him (Modi) that when he was the Gujarat chief minister, how many times was the state government's order declared null and void by the governor. That was the time when Congress was in power at the Centre, but how many times did the government declare their orders null and void? There is not even one example," he added.
The ruling AAP in Delhi has been locked in a power tussle with the Lt Governor in recent months. Kejriwal also raised the issue of "Delhi Police being at war with his government". "It looks like Delhi Police is at war with the Delhi government and that is dangerous for democracy. When there was a strike of transporters here, police was try-
Sources in the government said that during the muchawaited interaction, Kejriwal also discussed the land crunch for development projects and transfer and postings of bureaucrats ing that the protest should get escalated. "They are focused upon how to arrest the MLAs one by one. If the police itself creates problems, there will be chaos and the crime rate will increase," he said. Talking about the appointment of the ACB Chief, Kejriwal said, "I told him that the Anti-Corruption Bureau was working absolutely fine before June 8 and then a cor-
rupt officer was sent as ACB chief." "I told the PM, that we will fulfill your dreams of Swacch Bharat, Skill India and Digital India. We will do the work and you will earn fame when you go abroad. We will do all that but we need your cooperation," he said. Sources in the government said that during the much-awaited interaction, Kejriwal also discussed the land crunch for development projects and transfer and postings of bureaucrats. The Delhi chief minister had been trying to meet Modi for some time now. During the Budget Session of Delhi Assembly, he had said that he had sought an appointment with the prime minister, but had failed to get one. In an open letter in June, Kejriwal had also appealed to Modi to take steps to improve Delhi's deteriorating law and order situation or hand over control of the police to the city government. The chief minister had also expressed his desire to meet Modi when the latter had wished him on his birthday earlier this month. "@narendramodi Thank u so much sir for your wishes. I am touched. I look forward to meeting u soon to brief u on Delhi's situation," Kejriwal had tweeted in response to a post by Modi on the micro-blogging site.-PTI
UK groups write to Modi on 'Dalit massacres' LONDON: Some of Britain's largest Dalit rights groups have criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his lack of action against alleged massacres in Bihar, ahead of the crucial assembly elections in the state. In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, the Dalit organizations call on him to act upon the findings made in an undercover film by investigative news portal Cobrapost. The letter was signed by Meena Varma on behalf of the Dalit Solidarity Network, Arun Kumar of the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organization UK, Davinder Prasad of CasteWatchUK and Amrit Wilson of South Asia Solidarity Group. "We are deeply shocked by the recent horrifying revelations about the massacres of Dalit and
other oppressed- caste people in Bihar and are writing to you to express our dismay that you have so far neither spoken out against
"We are deeply shocked by the recent horrifying revelations about the massacres of Dalit and other oppressed- caste people in Bihar’ the killers and their accomplices nor taken any action against them," the letter reads. It goes on to spell out the findings of the film titled 'Operation
Black Rain', which claimed that Bihar's upper caste landlord army Ranveer Sena perpetrated a number of major massacres of Dalits between 1994 and 2000, "brutally murdering some 144 men, women and children simply for demanding basic rights and dignity and for supporting the Communist Party of India (Marxist- Leninist)". "Can such horrific violence be tolerated in a democratic country? Unfortunately your lack of action on this issue gives the shocking message that Dalit and oppressed caste lives do not matter in India. "We urge you therefore to act urgently," the letter concludes. The documentary lists the killings in Sarthua (1995), Bathani Tola (1996), Laxmanpur Bathe (1997), Shankar Bigha (1999), Miyanpur (2000) and Ikwari (1997).-PTI
HYDERABAD: NotwithstandHe expressed confidence that ing repeated denials by Pakistan Pakistan will have to hand over of his presence in that country, Dawood to New Delhi one day. Government would take steps to Pakistan consistently denies harbring terror mastermind Dawood boring the prime 1993 Mumbai Ibrahim to book, Union Minister serial blasts accused. of State for Home Haribhai Islamabad is in denial mode Choudhary has said. even after India caught a terrorist "Our work is on. The ad- (a Pakistan national) live and his dresses of his (Dawood) six father was interviewed by the houses (in Pakistan) have come. media in Pakistan, the Union MinWe have (details on) his tele- ister said. phone conversation also. But, PaAsserting that Kashmir is an kistan still says he is not there despite so much evidence being n evidence to show the given. But we say 100 fugitive gangster is hiding in per cent that he is in Pakistan. When time Pakistan, a dossier prepared comes, we will take by India listed nine resisteps that are needed to be taken (to bring him dences of the underworld to justice)," he told re- don in that country porters here. In evidence to show the fugitive gangster is hiding in integral part of India, Choudhary Pakistan, a dossier prepared by said there will be no compromise India listed nine residences of the on it. underworld don in that country The Minister would visit the and stated that he is known to fre- two Lok Sabha segments held by quently change his locations and Congress in Telangana as part of addresses there. the BJP's plan to explain to the The dossier was to be handed people the main Opposition party over to Pakistan's National Secu- and CPI(M)'s stance of not letting rity Adviser Sartaj Aziz during the the Parliament function during the NSA-level talks between the two just concluded Monsoon Session, countries but the proposed meet- which was a near-total washout. ing was called off by Islamabad. PTI
BJP to focus on package, development in Bihar NEW DELHI: Running an aggressive campaign in the high stakes Bihar assembly elections, BJP will focus on the Rs 1.25 lakh crore package in its second round of electioneering and hopes to cash on voters who it feels are no longer swayed by issues like caste to trounce the Nitish-Lalu combine. Highly-placed party sources said BJP would start its second round of 'parivartan rath' (campaign for change) highlighting its development agenda centered around the massive package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. During the first round, the 'parivartan raths' had covered all of over 43,000 villages in the state during which it focused on Nitish Kumar's "mis-governance" following his split with BJP in 2013. Pitted against the formidable JD (U)-RJD-Congress alliance, BJP feels that close to 30 per cent of voters in the caste-ridden politics of the state are no longer in-
fluenced by the identity politics. In an informal interaction with journalists, a top leader made light of reports about the ruling combine's social strength, saying it was more on paper than on ground. He added that Kumar had lost his USP of good governance by tying up with Prasad and the NDA's campaign about his "mis-governance" following his split with BJP in 2013 was generating a buzz. Asked if the alliance of JD (U), RJD and Congress had an edge as together they polled over 9 per cent more votes than the NDA in Lok Sabha polls last year, he said the arithmetic was unlikely to hold good now as many people who had voted for Kumar were unlikely to vote him due to his alliance with Prasad and vice versa. Asked about Kumar's campaign over "Bihar pride" against BJP over Prime Minister Modi's jibe at his DNA, he said mockingly that it was a campaign only in media.-PTI
Perspective
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India among ten worst expat destinations worldwide India put in an average 46.5 hours per week. Ultimately, these extra hours work against them in the rankings, though, MUNICH, Germany: Once more, Ecuador tops the list of as India does worst in the Work-Life Balance category, the best places to live abroad in the InterNations Expat which in turn heavily influences the Working Abroad InInsider 2015 survey, which is with more than 14,000 re- dex where India comes 51st out of 64 countries overall. The Quality of Life Index, where India holds the 58th spondents one of the most extensive studies ever conducted to explore the general living situation of expatri- place, also weighs the country down in the global ranking: ates. Conversely, India is in the bottom ten for the overall India does particularly badly in the subcategories of Leisure (59th), Health, Safety & Well-Being (59th), as well as Travel and Transport (54th). EviMexico has won the hearts of many expats dently, expatriates are finding it hard to explore the many things this vast and diverse country with friendly people, beautiful beaches, and has to offer. India Post News Service
tasty cuisine. Over four out of five expats say
that getting used to the local culture is gener-
Indians abroad stick together
The gender division among Indians who move abroad is clear-cut, with 80 percent male ally easy and they appreciate the friendliness versus 20 percent female. They usually do not go too far from home, as 43 percent of Indian ranking (55th out of 64 countries), but it performs rather expats are living in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and well when it comes to personal finance and cost of living, a further 13 percent live in Southeast Asia. For most Indiwith a ninth and an eleventh position in the respective ans, moving abroad is a financially sound decision, as close indices, shows the InterNations survey.
eral who say so. Close to three in ten Indians even say they have problems with the language barrier in their host country. The tendency of Indians abroad to stick with other expats from their own country might add to the language issues they are facing: nearly nine out of ten Indian expats are in a relationship with another Indian, but only three-quarters of couples actually live together in the host country. As in their relationships, in their social life Indians also like to spend time in the company of their own countrymen: 36 percent said their expat friends are mostly from India.
About the InterNations Expat Insider 2015 survey For its annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations asked more than 14,300 expatriates representing 170 nationalities and living in 195 countries or territories to rate and provide information on various aspects of expat life, as well as their gender, age, and nationality. The ratings of the individual factors were then used to draw up topical indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Family Life, Personal Finance, and Cost of Living. These were further
Ecuador, Mexico and Malta: Everybody's darlings The InterNations Expat Insider 2015 survey ranks countries by different factors such as the quality of life, personal finance, working abroad and making friends. In most of those categories Ecuador takes a leading position. For example, a stunning 94 percent of the foreigners in Ecuador are pleased with local leisure options, while 91 percent are satisfied with the local costs of living. Mexico has won the hearts of many expats with friendly people, beautiful beaches, and tasty cuisine. Over four out of five expats say that getting used to the local culture is generally easy and over 90 percent appreciate the friendliness of the local population as well. Also, almost every single respondent likes the weather in Mexico - which is generally one of the four most common considerations when it comes to moving abroad. Expats say that Malta is the best destination for working abroad. Job satisfaction is high and two-thirds of respondents or more are happy with their career prospects, work-life balance and working hours. Malta is also popular for its ease of settling in: 73 percent find it easy to make new friends.
Expatriate life in India: A short-term commitment Among the survey participants in India, four out of ten moved there for job-related reasons, with an assignment by their employer being the most common reason. Twothirds of all expatriates are currently working as employees or managers, and over 40 percent of these have a position in middle or upper management. Interestingly, expats in India are twice as likely as the global average to stay in their host country for less than one year.
Hard Work, Good Money Even though all other categories seem to leave expats in India wanting, personal finance and cost of living are more favorable. The household incomes of 59 percent of expats in India are significantly above the local average, increasing their purchasing power in a country where 29 percent of respondents describe the cost of living as very good. Indeed, 27 percent think that their disposable income is a lot more than what they need to get by. This comparatively high income can be considered a reward for their hard work: Expats working a full-time job in
to three-quarters of respondents declare their income to be higher than back home. Most likely due to the many languages spoken in India, only one percent of the Indian respondents speak only one language, whereas globally 12 percent are monolingual. In fact, Indians seem to be quite the linguists, as almost half of the respondents say they speak four or more
averaged in order to rank 64 expatriate destinations around the world. In 2015 the top ten were Ecuador, Mexico, Malta, Singapore, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Thailand, Panama, Canada, and Australia.
About InterNations
With 1.8 million members in 390 cities around the world, InterNations (http:// Even though all other categories seem to leave www.internations.org) is the largest global netexpats in India wanting, personal finance and work and information site for people who live and work abroad. InterNations offers global cost of living are more favorable. The house- and local networking both online and face-tohold incomes of 59 percent of expats in India face: At around 4,000 monthly events and acare significantly above the local average, in- tivities, expatriates have the opportunity to meet with other global minds. Online services creasing their purchasing power include country and city guides created by a team of professional writers, guest contribulanguages, including their mother tongue. They seem to tions about life abroad, and discussion forums to help have trouble learning the local language of their host coun- members with topics such as local housing and job searchtry, however. Only 16 percent report that they speak it very ing. To ensure the quality of the network, InterNations well, compared to well over one-quarter of expats in gen- membership is by approval only.
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Realty Tidbits
Rajan wants realty players to cut rates MUMBAI: Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan has exhorted realty developers stuck with high inventories to cut their rates even as the country's largest lender SBI sought RBI's nod for cutting home loan rates. "I do believe that if real estate developers who are sitting on unsold stocks bring down prices, that will be a very great help to the sector because once there is a sense that prices have stabilized, more people will be willing to buy," Rajan said at the second SBI economics and banking conference here. SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said that the realty stock is at a two-year high and sought to lend below the base rate, saying a similar move had helped the economy following the 2008 financial crisis. "I was thinking if it is possible for a little while could something of this (lower rates loan) kind could be allowed given the fact that this is one of the portfolios where NPAs are the lowest," Bhattacharya said, giving details of the past experience and how even the Economic Survey had congratulated it for the scheme. While responding to Bhattacharya's request, Rajan said that he does not have any data yet on the geographical pockets where the inventory levels are high. "I never say no to your ideas. We will have to look into it," Rajan was quick to quip.-PTI
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California home sales remain robust
SAN FRANCISCO: Sales of California homes remained robust in July, with the number of houses and condos sold hitting a nineyear high for the second month in a row, a research firm reported. CoreLogic Inc. reported an estimated 46,065 new and existing single-family homes sold in California in July. That's up 14.4 percent from last July, and maintains strong sales recorded in June, indicating that the state may well be climbing out of last decade's fiscal downturn. The statewide median sale price increased 6.4 percent from last July to $415,000, the same as in June, and the highest for any month since November 2007, when the median price was also $415,000. Andrew LePage, a research analyst with CoreLogic, said the three key factors for strong sales are job growth, consumer confidence and low interest rates, factors echoed by other analysts. -AP Cont’d on page 14
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LA to settle suit over homeless law LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles will pay $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit over the arrest or ticketing of homeless people for living in cars. City News Service says the City Council has approved the payment. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four homeless people who were cited or arrested during a 2010 crackdown in the Venice area. It challenged a law against staying overnight in a car parked on city streets or in public parking lots. -AP
La Colina Estates unveils 5 magnificent model homes India Post News Service
GLENDORA, CA: This Saturday, August 29th, homebuyers will experience the address of a lifetime at the Model Grand Opening of William Lyon Homes' La Colina Estates. Doors open at 10 am, offering guests their first opportunity to tour the five beautifully decorated models and explore the seamless blend of indoor and outdoor living areas, and estate-sized properties averaging 20,000 square feet. Set in the Glendora foothills, La Colina Estates' architectural magnificence will fulfill homebuyers' grandest aspirations with 7 distinctive 1and 2-story single-family detached plans that include 5 single-level designs, exquisitely appointed interiors and no Mello-Roos. Those interested in remarkable new-home grandeur are urged to attend this Saturday's momentous event. For immediate details, visit www.LyonLaColinaEstates.com. "We're looking forward to unveiling our gorgeous model homes and immersing buyers in truly breathtaking luxury," said Ben Blomdahl, Director of Sales for William Lyon Homes. "Join us this Saturday and be among the first
to experience La Colina Estates." Framed by the San Gabriel Mountain Range, the collection features 7 designs ranging from approximately 3,643 to 6,081 square feet with 3 to 6 bedrooms, 3.5 to 5.5 baths, modern kitchens with large islands, spacious living areas, and 2- to 4-car garages. Sprawling homesites
ban forest and water features, a 25-yard swimming pool, and several indoor and outdoor venues. Other advantages include proximity to the Eastland Center's retail and dining spots, including Albertson's, PetSmart, Target, and Starbucks, and nearness to the Plaza West Covina. The Sandburg Middle School Park and South Hills
grace each home, providing a dramatic backdrop for outdoor living. Priced from the low $1 millions. Located near I-210, 57 Freeway and the future Metro Gold Line commuter train makes the collection an ideal home base for commuting professionals. Residents will also appreciate the short distance to the private Glendora Country Club, which features a 113-acre golf course with an ur-
Park are also close, as well as Foothill Presbyterian Hospital and East Valley Hospital Medical Center. Homeowners with children will value inclusion in the highly rated Glendora Unified School District, including La Fetra Elementary, Sandburg Middle School, and Glendora High School. It matters who your builder is and William Lyon Homes is a company built upon a legacy of pride
and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1956. The company continues to expand its well-respected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes division in Colorado. William Lyon Homes' shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www.lyonhomes.com. To visit La Colina Estates, travel I-210, exit Citrus Avenue North, which turns into W. Foothill Blvd. Turn left on Barranca Ave., left on W. Sierra Madre Ave., left on Yucca Ridge Road and then right on Iris Lane. The Sales Gallery will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 626.969.1177, or visit www.LyonLaColinaEstates.com.
Flat sizes trimmed by up to 26% NEW DELHI: Average apartment sizes fell by up to 26 per cent in last five years across seven major cities as developers are making smaller flats to boost their sales in a sluggish housing market, according to global property consultant JLL India. To beat slowdown in the real estate market, particularly residential segment, builders are cutting the flat sizes but not reducing the housing prices. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, witnessed the maximum fall in apartment sizes on annualized basis, along with Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. Other cities - Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Pune - also witnessed varying degree of fall in median apartment sizes.
"Builders are exploring innovative ways to make residential housing across major cities more appealing to potential buyers at a time when it is increasingly becoming difficult to sell expensive apart-
In its latest research report 'Is Indian Real Estate Heading Towards A Tectonic Shift?', JLL India examined the transitions that India's real estate has undergone over the past decade.
ments. "Around the country, builders are emulating the famous sachet marketing strategy adopted by FMCG companies in the late 1990s," JLL India Chairman and Country Head Anuj Puri said in a statement.
"Among the major trends is how developers have been decreasing apartment sizes to suit affordability of buyers," he added. Unable to sell expensive homes in a sluggish market, Puri said the builders across India are making smaller apartments without lower-
ing the price per square feet and compromising on the quality of product. "In the last five years, average apartment sizes are falling across all major cities of India." Mumbai, which already had smaller and compact apartment sizes compared to other cities, saw a decrease of 26.4 per cent in the past five years. Bengaluru registered a 23.7 per cent reduction in average apartment sizes, while Kolkata witnessed 24 per cent cut in flat sizes and Chennai by 22.2 per cent. Average apartment sizes have reduced by 9.7 per cent in DelhiNCR and 7 per cent in Pune. The report said that buyers are increasingly opting for homes that are closer to their workplace in order to reduce commuting time.-PTI
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Odisha first to launch Housing for All NEW DELHI: Odisha is set to become the first state to take up construction of houses for urban poor under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana', launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June this year. Odisha government will launch two housing projects under the Housing for All (Urban) Mission on September 1, Odisha Principal Secretary (Urban Development), G Mathi Vathanan, announced at a workshop organized by the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Ministry here. HUPA Ministry had organized a consultative workshop for the Northern, Eastern and North- Eastern States on Housing for All (Urban) Scheme. The Odisha government official informed that two housing projects would be launched in Bhubaneswar on government land under which about 700 houses would be built for urban poor under the "Affordable Housing in Partnership" component of urban housing mission. Addressing the states, HUPA Secretary Nandita Chatterjee urged them "to move fast on the mission as it offered the best opportunity to meet the housing needs of urban poor." Twenty two states from these three regions besides Telangana and Kerala attended the workshop for discussing various aspects of implementation of housing mis-
sion in urban areas. Chatterjee asked the states to ensure signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Ministry of HUPA regarding implementation of mandatory reforms and selection of cities for taking up housing projects by the end of this month. Odisha also became the first state to have submitted a comprehensive Housing for All action plan for the state which was appreciated by the HUPA Ministry and was requested to provide a copy of the plan to other states. Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, so far, came forward to sign MoA while others agreed to do so by the end of this month. Delhi government sought time to sign MoA stating that land was with Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and it needed to be made a party to the implementation of housing mission before the signing of MoA. Uttar Pradesh Government sought time till the end of next month stating that the State Urban Development Agency was only recently declared as the nodal agency for the urban housing mission. "The design architecture of the Mission accords full administrative and financial flexibility to the states and UTs, and it is the best time to move quick to seize the
opportunity. During the ten years of JNNURM, only 9 lakh houses were built for the urban poor," Chatterjee said. She said under the new Mission, 30 lakh houses need to be built every year till 2022. "You need to act quick and business as usual approach will not do." Housing for All (Urban) Mis-
'Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme' (CLSS) component, would remain same even if present interest rates come down. Under the 'CLSS Component', an interest subsidy of 6.50 per cent was being offered to eligible beneficiaries belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Low Income Groups (LIG) on a 15-
sion Director, Sanjiv Kumar informed the States that they have the flexibility of carrying over the central assistance, provided under the 'In-situ slum redevelopment' component, from one project to another to enhance their viability and also for diverting funds from the slow moving projects to fast moving ones. He also said interest subsidy of 6.50 per cent, available under
year bank loan up to Rs 6 lakh. Discounted net present value of Rs 2.30 lakh would be paid upfront to the beneficiaries there by substantially reducing the equated monthly installment (EMI), which makes this component attractive. Participating states, referring to the appeal of interest subsidy component, urged the Ministry to ensure that the banks do not insist on 'no objection' certificate from respective States for granting loans to the beneficiaries under
States to be involved in Housing-for-All NEW DELHI: For smooth implementation of the ambitious 'Housing-for-All' scheme, the Centre has proposed to decentralize the process by involving state governments in the planning and decision-making process. "Empowering states is the key to the success of Housing- forAll scheme," Joint Secretary in the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said at a conference organized by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). About two crore houses are to be built under the Housing- forAll scheme in urban areas by 2022. Five-hundred cities and towns are to be taken up in the first phase of the scheme. Among other measures, the government is also set to introduce global standards for building and construction process,
and facilitate easier documentation and approval procedures for projects falling under the scheme. "Skill upgradation will play a key role and the government,
The government is also set to introduce global standards for building and construction process, and facilitate easier documentation and approval procedures for projects falling under the scheme. along with the private sector, will work to train and upgrade skills
in real estate and construction sector," Mishra added. Under the Housing-for-All (Urban) Mission, the central assistance of Rs 1 lakh per unit under in-situ redevelopment of slums, Rs 1.50 lakh per unit under Affordable Housing in Partnership and Subsidy for Individual Beneficiary led Construction, and interest subsidy of 6.50 per cent under Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme will be provided. As per the plan, 30 lakh houses need to be built every year till 2022 to meet the target. The Centre has asked the states to ensure signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the HUPA Ministry regarding implementation of mandatory reforms and selection of cities for taking up housing projects by the end of this month. -PTI
CLSS till housing projects under other components of Housing Mission takes off. They said that other components take time to take off and there was no need for 'no objection' certificate to comply with the mission guidelines of beneficiaries not being allowed to benefit from more than one component of the scheme. Chatterjee assured that their suggestion would be seriously examined in consultation with all the concerned. North-Eastern states mostly favored implementation of housing projects under 'Subsidy for Individual Beneficiary led Construction' and 'Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme' components, stating that there were not many slums in the Region and land availability was an issue. Under Housing for All (Urban Mission), central assistance of Rs 1 lakh per unit under In-situ Redevelopment of Slums, Rs 1.50 lakh per unit under Affordable Housing in Partnership and Subsidy for Individual Beneficiary led Construction and interest subsidy of 6.50 per cent under Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme will be provided. About 2 crore houses are to be built under the Mission in urban areas by the year 2021 to meet the housing needs of urban poor. 500 cities and towns are to be taken up in the first phase of the mission. Similar workshop for Southern and Western Region States was organized last month. -PTI
California home sales remain robust Cont’d from page 13
``So we don't know what holes there are in the future, but this is evidence that the recovery is continuing and ongoing,'' said Christopher Palmer, assistant professor of real estate at the Haas School of Business. Home sales in June and July nearly hit a sales peak reached in September 2006, before the national housing bubble burst, when 46,464 homes were sold. Supplies, however, remained thin in July. The California Association of Realtors reported a 3.3month supply of single-family homes for sale, below a normal supply of five to seven months. There was only a two-month supply in the San Francisco Bay Area, where sales in the notoriously limited San Francisco and San Mateo markets actually de-
creased from the previous July. The median price in those counties, popular with Silicon Valley workers, hovers around $1 million. Overall, however, home sales in theBay Area hit a 10-year high for the month of July, increasing 10 percent from the previous year for a total of 9,245 condos and houses sold in the nine-county area. Growth was strong in inland counties where homes are considered more affordable. For example, Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco, saw a 19 percent increase in home sales; the median sale price is just under $500,000. Jennifer Branchini, an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Tri-Valley Realty, says demand is high among clients moving into parts of Contra Costa for jobs that are a tech shuttle ride away in Silicon Valley. -AP
August 28, 2015
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Boomerang home buyers poised to return with a roar TRINITY, Fla.: Tears still spring into Debbie Cooley-Guy's eyes when she thinks about her dream home, with its wide, sweeping porch. It overlooked a bayou filled with wading birds, a glittering blue pool and the space for not only a 12foot Christmas tree, but a grand piano as well. She bought the home in a suburb west of Tampa for $637,000 in 2002. Seven years later, after the economy tanked, she sold it for less than she owed on her mortgage to avoid foreclosure. She recalls the black moment when she was still caring for the lawn but not living there. A falling branch knocked down an outdoor staircase railing. ``It made the house look so sad. I was so sad,'' said Cooley-Guy, 60. ``I drove away crying. I just didn't think it was how the story would end with this house.'' On that dark January day, Cooley-Guy thought her home owning days were over. Just a few years later, she's back in a new, smaller home, one of America's growing ranks of ``boomerang buyers.'' Seven years after the real estate bust, many who lost their homes have rebuilt their credit and are back in the market. Experts say these boomerang buyers will be an important segment of the real estate market in the coming years. About 700,000 of the 7.3 million homeowners who went through foreclosure or short sales like Cooley-Guys' during the bust have the potential to get a mortgage again this
Debbie Cooley-Guy sits in the living room of her new home in New Port Richey, Fla.
year, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of Realty Trac. That compares to the 3 million people overall who got a mortgage between October 2013 and September 2014. A recent increase in loans from the Federal Housing Authority also shows first time homebuyers and boomerang buyers are helping drive the market, Blomquist said. It generally takes seven years for a foreclosure to drop off a credit report. Short sales take less time, generally three or four years. Greg McBride, a chief financial analyst at bankrate.com, said it's difficult to tell if boomerang buyers are affecting the market - at least this year. ``The prices are rising because of the limited inventory,'' he said. ``Boomerang buyers are part of the demand but not a huge component.'' In the coming years, though, as foreclosures continue to drop off credit reports, more people will get back in the market, analysts said. A Realty Trac report earlier this year predicts Phoenix and Miami will see the most boomerang buyers. The Tampa area is in the top 10 cities. In some markets, such as Las Vegas, as many as quarter of homes could be bought by boomerang buyers, Realty Trac predicts. John Councilman, president of the Association of Mortgage Professionals, said a wide swath of people with past credit problems are seeking mortgages, not only foreclosures or short sales. ``We have a lot of people with issues and many are coming back into the market.'' That describes Cooley-Guy. As a mortgage loan originator herself, she should have known the pitfalls, but she said she was caught up in the boom, in the possibility of living in her dream. ``I used to look at people like me and think, `How did you let this happen?''' she said. ``In hindsight, I had set myself up so well. Just because you can afford things, it doesn't
mean you should buy them.'' The boom was good to her. By 2002, she was making $250,000 a year and her husband made another $150,000. She had two vacation homes, $100,000 in a retirement account and $60,000 in cash savings. She qualified for a mortgage for the 3,500-square-foot Key West style home with just her income. During the closing, she handed over a $120,000 check. In hindsight, there were signs that her business, and the entire Florida real estate industry, were built on quicksand. Poorly paid waitresses were getting loans for investment properties. Realtors were buying six pre-construction prop-
erties at once. People were buying million-dollar homes, just to flip for a profit. ``I bought into the whole thing that my customers did,'' she said. In October 2005, she first noticed something was wrong. ``There was a real silence in the real estate office,'' she recalled. ``The Realtors were like, `What's going on? This is quiet.' I got nervous.'' But in 2006, Cooley-Guy took the biggest risk of all: she started her own loan origination company, taking out a $100,000 line of credit against her dream home, which had been reappraised at $1.2 million. -AP
Desi News Pak I-Day celebrated with Parade & Mela A.Q. SIDDIQUI India Post News Service
CHICAGO: The PakistaniAmerican community celebrated their 68th Independence Day in Chicago on Sunday August 16 at Devon Ave with a near day-long celebration. The colorful Pak I-Day parade was taken out from the East side of Western and Devon Ave. Illinois Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, 50th ward Alderman Debra Silverstein, Senator Ira Silverstein, Clerk of Cook County Dorothy Brown and Pakistan Consul General Faisal Niaz Tirmizi were among the Grand Marshals for the parade. They were accompanied by prominent Pakistani community leaders and Pakistan United Parade Committee members and were led by Chairman Jameel Khan. Details on page 18
Mahatma Gandhi Center celebrates 25th anniversary
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
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God's body is divine & nondifferent from Him
August 28, 2015
Details on page 24
Haryana CM woos investors, gets warm welcome in Fremont VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
FREMONT: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his team of 32-member officials and business delegation was given a warm dinner reception on August 20 by Dr Romesh Japra and Sunita Japra at their residence Japra Mahal, Fremont. Dr Romesh
proud of the reform efforts that have gone in to making public services more efficient," he said touching on several important topics that have dominated the bilateral commercial relationship in recent months. Land registration is now enabled through information technology, long-pending land acquisition cases have been resolved and infrastructure con-
ASHWIN PATEL & VIJAYA KUMAR
ST LOUIS: Mahatma Gandhi Cultural Center celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday, August 8 with the Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed coming from Chicago to grace the occasion, besides dignitaries from the St. Louis. This celebration was a fund raising event for the cultural center. The Center is a focal point for not only cultural activities of the people of Indian origin, but also for a variety of local ethnic groups. Dr Mahedra Partap, the president of the Board of Trustees stressed the importance of having such an organization in the center of the town. Details on page 19
Indians ask for 17 school holidays India Post News Service
BOSTON: Members of Indian American community at large have urged Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (MDESE) to add 17 more Indian festivals to its "Holiday Observances in Massachusetts" list, in view of substantial number of Hindu students. MDESE includes only Hindu holiday of Diwali under its "Holiday Observances in Massachusetts" list for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. Details on page 19
Dr Romesh Japra with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
Dr Romesh Japra with Capt Abhimanyu, cabinet minister from Haryana
Japra is an eminent Cardiologist and Convener of FIA of Northern California and has been conducting the Festival of India for past 23 years in Bay area. The CM's delegation visited New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. It held deliberations with leading industrialists in the US and Canada along with Non-Resident Indians. "The objective was to woo them to invest in Haryana in the key areas of food processing, information technology/ information technology-enabled services, solar energy and renewable energy, mass rapid transit, skill development, defense production-aerospace and defense, etc" said CM Khattar. He has highlighted to US investors the state's comparative edge as an investment destination and regulatory reform measures undertaken by the government to promote ease of doing business. "To achieve this end, I am
struction is faster. This was evidenced by the completion of the Delhi-Faridabad Metro project
and restarting of work on KundliManesar-Palwal Expressway. "We are pushing for policy reforms in a manner that will place Haryana as a business-friendly state and create jobs," he added. "I welcome American enterprise to be a part of our state's growth." Noting that since 2000, Haryana has emerged as a major investment hub in Northern India, USIBC President Mukesh Aghi said the city of Gurgaon is a key centre for the information technology and
automotive industries. "The state's Enterprise Promotion Policy 2015 aims at enhancing ease of doing business, promotes micro, small-scale and medium enterprises and encourages longterm investment in the state to flourish." The business delegation accompanying the chief minister includes top officials of various business entities located at Gurgaon, Yamunanagar, Faridabad, Karnal and Rohtak, the spokesman added.
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Over 300 attend Visa Camp in St. Louis ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: The Indian Association of St. Louis organized a visa camp, in coordination with the Indian Consulate General of Chicago and visa agency Cox & Kings Global Services (CKGS USA) at the Mahatma Gandhi Center, St. Louis on August 9. The services provided by CKGS included OCI, Visa, OCI in lieu of PIO and renunciation application acceptance. The consulate staff provided multiple services including attestation, power of attorney, marriage certificate and name change. CKGS sent all the accepted applications to the consulate office in Chicago for processing. Before the event started, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, the Consulate General, delivered the keynote address. He detailed services provided by the consulate office, the jurisdiction of his office and the differences of various visas and the fee structure. He stressed the importance of having an organization like the India Association of St. Louis which serves as the communicative arm for Indians with Indian officials and their offices for various services, including visas. The Consul General was available to answer queries along with his staff at the venue during the camp. Over three hundred individuals took advantage of the visit of CKGS and Consulate
officials to make it a grand successful event. India association extends thanks to Dr Ausaf Sayeed, the Consul General Mrs Negi
Anuradha, Vice-Consular Shailaja Hosaburg and R.K. Vahanwala of Chicago Consular Office for the consular services. India Association of St. Louis also extends thanks to Mr. Nambiar, Mr. Jerry Fernando and other staff of CKGS for the applications processing services. Volunteers from India Association of St.
Nitin Mukesh enthralls with Golden Era songs
VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
MILPITAS, CA: Pegged as a musical experience accentuated with state-of-the art
technology, the gala event on August 21 at the India Community centre, Milpitas, had legendary Nitin Mukesh enthralling the audience with his best offerings of over 60 songs for nonstop 6 hours. N i t i n Mukesh is an Indian singer best known for his work as a playback singer in Hindi films as well as bhajans. He is the son of legendary singer Mukesh. Cont’d on page 19
Louis provided complimentary refreshments, notary, copy and print services as well as Wi-Fi and computer services to fill
out the forms for those who needed help with applications. The current board members of IASTL who helped in organizing the visa camp included President- Sharath Rao, President Elect- Meera Jain, Secretary- Shailee Saran Varanasi, Treasurer- Vijaya Lakshmi Buddhiraju, Directors- Smita Parikh, Gayatri Chintakuntha, Vijaykumar Buddhiraju, Sendil Rathinasabapathy and Krishna Rao Moharir. Ashwin Patel provided the notary service. The Visa camp was very valuable for many people in the community. India Association of St. Louis was applauded and appreciated for the initiative by the local Indian community.
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Pak I-Day celebrated with Parade & Mela A.Q. SIDDIQUI India Post News Service
CHICAGO: The Pakistani American community celebrated their 68th Independence Day in Chicago on Sunday August 16 at Devon Ave with a near day-long celebration. The colorful Pak I-Day parade was taken out from the East side of Western and Devon Ave. Illinois Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, 50th ward Alderman Debra Silverstein, Senator Ira Silverstein, Clerk of Cook County Dorothy Brown and Pakistan Consul General Faisal Niaz Tirmizi were among the Grand Marshals for the parade. They were accompanied by prominent Pakistani community leaders and Pakistan United Parade Committee members and were led by Chairman Jameel Khan. The crowd on both sides of the street waved Pakistani and
American flags and chanted slogans as the Parade moved on till it reached the corner of Devon and Western. The reception committee host Bushra Khan welcomed the Parade Marshals and other dignitaries to the stage. Noor, a young Pakistani American, sang Star Spangled in a mesmerizing melodious voice, followed by Pakistani national anthem. As brief speeches were made, colorful and well decorated floats from local businesses passed on and were introduced from the stage. The festive look of Pak IDay parade was enhanced with enthusiastic youth dancing and chanting patriotic slogans. After the parade ended, the Pak community headed to the Warren Park on Western Ave. A food festival, entertainment program and Mela was arranged for the remaining half of the day. Many Pakistani American families visiting from far suburbs enjoyed
Pak Parade dignitaries
Pak Parade
the food and entertainment at the Mela. Pak TV celebrities Jawad Ahmed, Kashif Khan and Farah Anwer presented a musical entertainment program. Members of
Pak parade viewers
PUPC were present at the Mela and greeted many visiting families. While Pakistan Independence Day celebrations were also held
in other suburb areas, the Pak IDay Parade was taken out only at Devon Ave and symbolized the unity of Pak community in Chicago.
Telugus celebrate special women event ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: Telugu Association of St. Louis (TAS) celebrated "Sakhi" - an exclusive event for women for the first time in its history. The purpose of the event was to provide a fun filled and informative environment to all Telugu and non-Telugu women in St.
Louis. The highlights of the event were cooking and fruit/vegetable carving Competitions, talent show, expert discussion on women's health, emotional health and positive attitude. The attendees also enjoyed fun filled games along
Women gather at dinner table
St Louis Sakhi
with the shopping of ethnic collection of clothes and jewelry from many different exhibitors. Rama Vaddi, Smitha Anand, Vandana Kolluru and Rama Devi Thandrasatyanarayana were among the winners in the cooking and carving competitions. Sneha Dullapally, Madhuri Tirumalasetty, Swapna Vadhi & group and Himabindu Paladugu & group en-
tertained the audience with their dance and song performances. The audience felt enlightened listening to the speeches of Dr Sandhya Yanamanda a gynecologist on women's health; Dr Jyothika Manepalli a psychiatrist on emotional health and Rukimini Chilakamarri on positive attitude. Cont’d on page 21
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Mahatma Gandhi Center celebrates 25th anniversary ASHWIN PATEL & VIJAYA KUMAR
ST LOUIS: Mahatma Gandhi Cultural Center celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday, August 8 with the Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed coming from Chicago to grace the occasion, besides dignitaries from the St. Louis. This celebration was a fund raising event for the cultural center. The Center is a focal point for not only cultural activities of the
people of Indian origin, but also for a variety of local ethnic groups. Dr Mahedra Partap, the president of the Board of Trustees stressed the importance of having such an organization in the center of the town. Missouri Senator Scott Sifton was introduced by Ms Sreenu. Dandamudi, an attorney at Law, delivered the keynote address in which he commended the services of Mahatma Gandhi
Center and the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi to the world. Dr Dundoo Raghunandan, a founding member briefly presented the history of the center
Indians ask for 17 school holidays India Post News Service
BOSTON: Members of Indian American community at large have urged Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (MDESE) to add 17 more Indian festivals to its "Holiday Observances in Massachusetts" list, in view of substantial number of Hindu students. MDESE includes only Hindu holiday of Diwali under its "Holiday Observances in Massachusetts" list for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. This list contains total 32 holidays during each of these school years, including statewide legal holidays and some major religious holidays. The announcement on this MDESE webpage states: "State and federal law require schools to make reasonable accommodation to the religious
needs of students and employees." MDESE, headquartered in Malden, has about 956,000 students and one of its goals is: "Support the social, emotional, and health needs of students and
MDESE includes only Hindu holiday of Diwali under its "Holiday Observances in Massachusetts" list for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. families." Dr. Mitchell D. Chester is Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, while
Paul Sagan is Chair of Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Rajan Zed, a community activist, said that Hinduism is rich in festivals and festivals were very dear to Hindu families. Since families wanted to celebrate these festivals together, along with their school going children, we did not want our children to be deprived of any privileges at the school because of thus resulting absences on these days. He listed the festivals to be added to this list of religious holidays as: Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesha Chaturthi, Navaratri, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami, Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Yugadi, Naga Panchami, Guru Purnima, Goverdhan Puja, Pongal and Onam.
followed by the financial report by were recognized during the funcDr Vijaya Kumar Buddhiraju. A tion. The evening was very entervariety gourmet food was supplied taining. The main auditorium for by the local famous restaurants. the event was decorated by memThe master of ceremonies for the bers of Telugu Association. function was Dr Amit Chakrabarti The members of the Board of who along with Miss Aparajita trustees are: Dr. Mohinder Partap Chakrabarti entertained the pub- (President), Dr. Girdhar Gopal lic with old and new film songs. Sharma (Secretary), Dr. Vijaya Donations came from Gujarati Samaj, Telugu Association, Dandamudi, an attorney at Malayalee Association etc. Many individuals Law, delivered the keynote like Dr Kamal Yadav, address in which he comwho is also a founder like Drs Partap and mended the services of Dundoo, made contributions to sustain the Mahatma Gandhi Center center and its activities. Dr Sudhir Brhambhatt, who runs a school of Indian cul- Lakshmi Buddhiraju (Treasurer), ture, called Balvihar with over Dr. Dundoo Raghunandan (Resthree hundred children, elaborated ervations/operations), Satish on the role the Center played for Kulkarni (member), Kurichety the promotion of the school. Prasad (member), Prithviraj Thakur The main founding members of (member), Dr. Elly Bhuyan (memthe Center Drs Uday and Ira Dash ber), Dr. Ranjit Bagwe (member).
Nitin Mukesh enthralls with Golden Era songs Cont’d from page 17
He has worked with notable music directors like Mohammed Zahur Khayyam, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri, Rajesh Roshan, Nadeem Shravan, Anand Milind during the 80's and 90's. He perfectly filled the empty space created by legendary singer Mukesh and voiced for actors like Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and others. The show was organized by Bay Area's Instant Karma and Sanjay Mitra. Instant Karma is a premier Bay Area Desi party and event company. They have brought among others, Sridevi, Mika Singh, Shreya Ghoshal and
Mallika Sherawat to the Bay area. The organizers had arranged for an exclusive press meet on August 20 at the India Community center. Explaining his journey, Nitin spoke at length on his association with Lata Mangeshkar, his fond memories of his father and also his own son Neil Nitin Mukesh, who is a Bollywood actor. Mukesh was known for a melancholic quality that would move you to tears. Nitin echoed the same quality at the concert with most of Mukesh's evergreen hits. Overall it was an incredible and spellbinding evening that left the audience desperate for more. He sang over 60 evergreen hits which took the audience away to the golden era of music.
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Remove walls, build bridges: Nirankari Baba PRAFULL LANDE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh, head of Sant Nirankari Mission, along with Mataji Sawinder Kaur visited San Francisco, California from July 8 to July 10. On 8th July, a congregation was organized presided by Baba Ji and Mata Ji. The themes of 'Oneness' and 'A World Without Walls' were amplified by every speaker who
took the stage. The Mayor of Tracy and Tracy City council honored Babaji by presenting a proclamation which was read by Dr Rai (President, SNM, USA). A team of doctors also welcomed his holiness and honored him with "Ambassador of Peace" award and thanked him for the service mission is doing for entire human family.
During his address Baba Hardev Singh emphasized on building harmony, peaceful co-ex-
Art Institute to showcase Lord Krishna
istence by removing internal walls and building bridges. He said "All the divisions are there to separate human beings. All great saints gave the same message that all
from California but other places as well, one could feel that everyone was eager to contribute towards the vision of the 'World without Walls' by starting the work from
souls are from same source and all are made from five elements. Because of human ignorance, distances keep on increasing. Walls start growing up based on discriminations. All great saints spread the message of living under one sky one umbrella of Oneness." During interaction with various saints who were visiting not only
themselves and people that they connect with. There were thousands of devotees that attended this event. Various local churches participated as well and welcomed Babaji. Many cultural activities were performed by kids, and youth members, expressing their learnings of God realization and commitment towards World without Walls.
ARVIND PATEL
CHICAGO: The prestigious Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) is showcasing Lord Krishna in the "Gates of the Lord: The Tradition of Krishna Paintings" exhibition from September 13 to January three next. This first of its kind exhibition will include over 100 artworks from
touchscreen kiosks, religious manuscripts, an artist's sketchbook, a historic photo album, illustrated catalogue, concert, art activities, celebrations of Hindu festivals of Navratri and Diwali, costumed dancer, Garba, Dandiya Raas, community dance, etc., will
Curator of this exhibition. Lord Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu and subject of major Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) and BhagavadPurana. Commending AIC for plans to
Lord Krishna paintings at Art Institute of Chicago
India and USA, "including pichvais-intricately painted cloth hangings-celebrating Shrinathji, a form of the Hindu god Krishna" and displaying "art and aesthetics of the Pushtimarg sect of Hinduism", founded in the 16th century by Vallabhacharya. It will also contain drawings, paintings, miniatures and historic photographs. Festivals and devotional music, a shrine reconstruction,
also be associated with this exhibition. Founded in 1879, AIC, one of the leading fine-arts institutions in USA is housed in one million square feet, receives about 1.5 million visitors annually from world over and has about 300,000 artworks in its permanent collection and eleven curatorial departments. Douglas Druick is Museum Director while Madhuvanti Ghose is
exhibit Lord Krishna, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism in a statement in Nevada urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.
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Awakening consciousness through Nritya Yoga India Post News Service
MILPITAS, CA: San Jose's KalaAwishkar Dance School and Vasantha Yoga will jointly present "Nritya Yoga", a unique event demonstrating the synergy between Bharatanatyam and Yoga on August 30, 10:30 am -12:30 pm at the Shirdi Sai Parivar Theater, Milpitas.
Swati Daithankar
Telugus celebrate special women event Cont’d from page 18
A very well decorated and festive ambience was created by many volunteers who helped with stage decoration and event logistics. TAS cultural secretary Lahari Dasyam and TAS the event organizer could pull off the event successfully with the help of volunteers like Archana Upamaka, Nisha Maguluru, Sahiti Aluri, Bhargavi Katta and many more. TAS plans to make Sakhi an annual event based on the response received.
Through the medium of dance, renowned Bharatnatyam exponent, Dr Swati Daithankar from Pune, India, and through traditional Yoga techniques, internationally recognized Yoga instructor Mrs. Vasanthi Bhat, will showcase the common elements of the two disciplines and articulate the benefits to dancers as well as general public. Dance is a form of Yoga. It is said that Lord Shiva, who is considered as the originator of the classical dance form Bharatanatyam as well as Yoga, practiced Nritya Yoga and passed it down to humans so that they could achieve a divine state
Vasanthi Bhat
of mind through meditation. Dr Daithankar will elucidate how the energy created through dance brings the human soul to a meditative state for both the dancers and the viewers. Vasanthi Bhat will highlight the importance of Asanas, Pranayama, Mudras and Meditation for dancers and general public. Practicing these techniques will help achieve and maintain stamina, flexibility and inner peace. Dancers and athletes who challenge their bodies as well as those who are tied to their desks and computers can learn ways to avoid injuries and manage stress.
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Science & Sanatan Dharma scholarship awards India Post News Service
The Coalition of Hindu Youth (CHY), a project of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), has announced the 2015 Science and Sanatan Dharma Scholarships. The essay topics for this year fo-
cus on blood and bone marrow drives organized by your mandir. All complete applications must be submitted before August 31 at http://hinduscholarship.org/ . The website also displays examples of work being done on this front. Eligibility for the scholarship is extended to any currently enrolled student in the United States/ Canadian education system or the Caribbean Countries at the middle school, high school, and college/ university level. Winners will be announced at HMEC-10 in Trinidad on 2-4 October. This will enable the students to give a talk on their essay submission. This year's objectives are: • To encourage volunteerism among youth for Hindu organiza-
tions. • To foster Hindu values of seva in students. The 2015 Essay Topics for College Students: Conducting, growing and / or educating Hindu-temple devotees
about blood and bone marrow drives in your Mandir. How did this event affect the community, you personally and why would you do this type of service again? High School Students: Seva/Volunteering at blood and bone marrow drives in your Mandir." How did this event af-
fect the community, you personally and why would you do this type of service again? Middle School Students: Describes the following Avenues of Seva / Volunteering • Seva through Action • Seva through Emotion Sup-
Religious leaders back Hanuman statue in Arkansas BABU TANGEWALA
LITTLE ROCK: In a remarkable interfaith gesture, religious leaders of diverse traditions have supported the request of Indians to erect a statue of Hindu deity Hanuman in Arkansas Capitol grounds in Little Rock. Some Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha'i and other faith leaders have extended support of Hindus led by Rajan Zed, president of Universal Sociey of Hinduism, to have the Hanuman statue to be constructed, designed and paid for by private funds at no expense to the state. The religious leaders supportive of this Hanuman statue include Greek Orthodox Christian priest Father Stephen R. Karcher, well known Buddhist priest Reverend
port • Seva through Knowledge • Donation 2015 Awards 1 College Scholarship award of $750 2 High School Scholarship awards of $350 each. 3 Middle School Scholarship awards of $100 each.
Eligibility for the scholarship is extended to any currently enrolled student in the United States/ Canadian education system or the Caribbean Countries at the middle school, high school, and college/university level.
SOS to celebrate Grandparents' Day THAKAR BASATI
CHICAGO: Sikh Outreach Services (SOS) of Chicago will celebrate Grandparents' Day on Sunday September 13 as a Senior Citizen picnic at Deer Grove East Grove no 4 in Palatine, a northwest suburb of Chicago from 11am to 5pm. "The program is primarily the brainchild of Sikh youth and they are planning it from beginning to end," said President, Dr Amarjit Singh. The Sikh youth have been meeting in hopes to connect with one another as mentors and discuss social issues they face as Sikh Americans. Bullying, peer pressure and choosing a career path are issues they would like to expand on for future topics. Sikh Outreach Services/Society would like to reach out and hold programs to benefit Sikh women. Help is
available and all of us at some point need some guidance. SOS plans a Senior Citizen Picnic Day every year on Grandpar-
The Sikh youth have been meeting in hopes to connect with one another as mentors and discuss social issues they face as Sikh Americans. ents Day. Vendors will be available to cater to the needs of Senior Citizens. Activities, such as a keepsake activity book that Grand-
parents will help Grand-kids prepare and other fun activities are being planned for the picnic. Seniors want their kids to know who they are, what they have achieved and where they came from. Last year, SOS took the Senior Citizens to Chicago Botanical Garden. The purpose of the picnic for Seniors, Sept 13th, is to connect grandparent, parents and kids at a community level. Connecting generations provides many mental, economic and social benefits to the seniors, parents as well as grandchildren. Another objective is to connect Sikhs with services and resources available, but may not realize exist, such as services for newly arrived immigrants, for seniors, for women with family issues, and for youth. No one should suffer silently and alone.
Jikai' Phil Bryan, Reverend Stephen L. Child of American Clergy Leadership Conference, Bahá'í teacher Justin V. Deverse, American Indian spirituality scholar Brian E. Melendez, Dharmakaya Buddhist Center Director Trey Ligon, Children of Temple Earth priestess Ellyn Darrah and Church of Inner Light Founder Laura A. Peppard. ElizaBeth W. Beyer, Jewish rabbi in California and Nevada, stated: "The United States of America celebrates freedom of religion, religious pluralism and freedom of speech. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another. In the event that the current monuments in Arkansas represent religion, rather than being of a historical nature, then each religion with a substantial stake in
Arkansas should have an opportunity to pursue the placement of a culturally appropriate monument. This includes the request by the Universal Society of Hinduism to construct a monument of their choosing to best represent their religion." Roman Catholic pastor Father Charles T. Durante said: I think that the government should remain neutral on matters of religion, as our Constitution so states. Arkansas Secretary of State Office, however, recently denied Rajan Zed's request of erecting privately funded Lord Hanuman statue in Arkansas State Capitol grounds in Little Rock. Zed has said that they were now thinking of sending the Lord Hanuman statue on Capitol grounds request to Arkansas Governor A s a Hutchinson. Hutchinson h a d signed into law a bill on April eight allowing a privately funded Ten Comm a n d m e n t s monument on Arkansas Capit o l grounds. It could reportedly go up in the next few months. Zed pointed out that Arkansas had now substantial number of Hindu residents and students who would love to see a statue of Lord Hanuman, a greatly revered and worshiped for incredible strength. Zed indicated that besides honoring the Arkansas Hindus, this statue would raise awareness of Arkansans about Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought. The Arkansas State Capitol, constructed between 1899 and 1915 on the site of the old state penitentiary using prison labor, already has multiple monuments on its grounds. Lonely Planet describes Arkansas as "America's overlooked treasure" and "nature lover's Shangri La"; and Walmart is headquartered here.
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The great significance of daily prayer
T
he term prayer is derived from the Latin word precari which means ask earnestly or beg or entreat. In that sense, a prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through a deliberate communication. In Sanskrit, the word Prarthana means prayer or seeking. The word has a deep religious connotation. Hindu philosophy says that prayer is one of the methods of being in communication with God. For a Hindu, it is a form of religious practice performed either individually or collectively and takes place in public or in private. It may take the form of a hymn, chant, formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance from the praying person or involves the use of words, bhajans, songs, or complete silence. People pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the welfare of others. Sometimes, sacred prayers are held for the wellbeing of a particular community or country or world in general.
PT ANIL JOSHI
God. Hindu prayers can be broadly classified into four types. Firstly, Mental or Manasa Prarthana that refers to staying in the deep thought of the Divine. That is, making an appeal or expressing desire to God though at lower level but completely forgetting oneself. In our daily life, it also refers to keeping in mind or thoughts our ancestors and asking them for their blessings. 2) Verbal or Vacha Prarthana denotes chanting of mantras, verses or verbal appeals and requests for our progress and welfare. In this Prarthana several mystical syllables are used since these syllables have the power of conveying the Grace of God quicker and also cleansing the aspirant both physically and mentally. 3) Physical or Karmana Prarthana signifies offering of oblation to fire, making mystical gestures, circumambulation/ Pradakshina of a temple, prostrating/Sashthanga Namskar in front of god, lighting and waving the
It indicates that the best gift anyone can give to humanity is pray for the welfare of all the living creatures in the world and let them live peaceful and quiet lives in divinity and religiousness. This act pleases our Lord Prayers are usually used to address the God, or spirit, or deceased person, or Lordly ideas with the purpose of petitioning, praising, worshipping, confessing transgressions (sins), pouring out one's emotions, thoughts, or requesting guidance or assistance or even complaining to the chosen deity. The main objective of a prayer across all religions and cultures is seeking solace, relief from this worldly life, and peace. Among Hindus, prayer forms an important component of life. Every action, event, any ensuing circumstances, success or failure is filled with prayers. In Hindu culture, there are different and numerous prayers, worships, rituals and ceremonies compared to other cultures. They involve whole spectrum of life from dawn to dusk but the objective or motive of the prayers remains the same. To name some: Hindus pray while waking up, going to bed, bathing, eating meals, starting studies, traveling, having birth, naming a child, performing marriage, funeral, taking medicine and commencing a new venture. Prarthana is not merely requesting or praising or confessing or complaining for any particular thing but communicating with
lamps, offering food to god, going on a pilgrimage, etc. In our daily life, this includes respecting and helping our living elders, teachers, and Gurus and seeking their guidance and blessings for our progress and protection. 4) Prayer of others' welfare or Sarvahit Prarthana is the most remarkable prayer of all the prayers. Every Hindu sings this universal shloka every day. It indicates that the best gift anyone can give to humanity is pray for the welfare of all the living creatures in the world and let them live peaceful and quiet lives in divinity and religiousness. This act pleases our Lord who wants us acknowledge the ultimate truth-"Let all beings live in happiness." The Hindu Universal mantra from the Upanishad says: Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhina? Sarve santu niramaya? Sarve bhadra?i pasyantu Ma kashchit du?kha bhagbhavet O? Shanti?, Shanti?, Shanti? The meaning of this mantra: May all be prosperous and happy May all be free from illness May all see what is spiritually uplifting May no one suffer Om peace, peace, peace
Hindu prayers are not only made to God or Deity and the im-
Pt Anil Joshi
ages representing them, but also to many holy and sacred manifestations of the Ultimate such as
sages, saints, preceptors, ancestors, elders and teachers, the mountains, the rivers, stones, animals, birds, and even the trees. There are set of prayers that a Hindu sings every day spiritualizing and energizing one's every day existence. There are prayers that are chanted on certain occasions. And there are some prayers that are meant for special occasions. Prayer is the vehicle for daily dialog with the One who created us and worship Him with great reverence and obey His wishes. Daily prayer is important for several reasons as it gives us an opportunity to share all aspects of our lives with God and express our gratitude for the things He provides. It also provides us a platform for confessing our sin and asking for help in overcoming that sin and acknowledge the God who
is really in control of our lives. Prayer makes a difference. Adverse circumstances change when people pray. Due to prayers, diseases are sometimes healed, strength is imparted, guidance is given, hearts are softened, needs are met. When anyone honestly prays for others it helps them we earn their blessings obtain happiness for doing so. So, do daily prayers for your and others welfare. When you pray, you transcend your body and mind and become a part of the cosmos. Chanting prayers daily helps you to get lots of benefits and good qualities. They help to suppress one's ego, pride, ignorance, arrogance, wrath, vanity and become a friendly, kind, considerate, compassionate person, and gain mental stability, will-power, and discipline in life.
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God's body is divine & non-different from Him
I
n the last article, we saw that both God and souls are unborn and eternal, and both God and souls take janm - or appear - and have done so uncountable times. We still need to understand why Shree Krishna's janm is considered to be Divine, while souls' janm is considered material. Firstly, when Shree Krishna appears, He doesn't have to come from anywhere else. This is because He is omnipresent. In other words, He exists everywhere, even in His personal form. Therefore, when He appears, He isn't coming from another place to appear in this place - He simply manifests Himself on the physical plane in that one location. Even having manifested Himself visibly in that one place, He still remains omnipresent in the universe. Let us take the specific example of His appearance before Devki and Vasudev. According to the Bhagwatam, He appeared in His full grown form before them, and they paid their obeisances to Him. Before He appeared, where was He? He was every-
SWAMI NIKHILANAND
where, including in the jail cell - but He was not visible to anyone. Once He appeared, where was He? He was still everywhere, but He could be seen at that one place in the jail cell. In contrast, a soul is not omnipresent and can only exist in one place at one time. Therefore, when a soul appears in its mother's womb, it had to first leave the previous place where it was. This is one of the ways that Shree Krishna's Divine janm differs from a soul's material janm. Secondly, Shree Krishna's body was not formed in His mother's womb. God's body is eternal, so it does not have to be formed or created. In fact, there is no duality between God and His body. Whereas we souls inhabit our body, and are separate from our body, God actually is His body. Whereas the Divine soul inhabits a material body, there is a total oneness between Shree Krishna and His body. This may be difficult to understand initially, so let us discuss situation in more detail. Souls are said to incarnate, because hav-
ing left our previous body, we take a new body. There is no permanent relationship between a soul and its material body. In God's case, He doesn't change bodies. He eternally exists in uncountable forms, and
He is simultaneously omnipresent in uncountable forms and can be appearing in uncountable places simultaneously, while maintaining His omnipresence. all those forms are Divine and are simultaneously omnipresent. He can appear in any of those forms anywhere, anytime. He can even appear in uncountable places simultaneously with the same form. For example, Shree Krishna could be appearing in uncountable places in the universe right now. He could also be appearing in uncountable places in the universe as Shree Ram, or Vishnu, or Shiv, etc. In other words, He is simultaneously omnipresent in uncountable forms and can be appearing in uncountable places simultaneously, while maintaining His omnipresence. This is possible because He has a Divine body and that Divine body is not separate from Him. To understand this concept more deeply, let us clarify that the word incarnation should never be used to describe God's appearance in the world. 'Incarnation' applies to when a soul leaves its previous body and takes a new body. It doesn't apply to God, Who is omnipresent with His Divine body, and simply makes Himself visible in one place while remaining omnipresent. We should use the word 'appearance' ('prakatya') or 'descension' ('avatar') for God, not incarnation. This gives you some idea as to why Shree Krishna told Arjun that His janm is Divine and ours is material. Another point to consider is that God's body is not born, and can never die, since it is synonymous with Him. When He came into this world, He came with His body, and when He left this world, He left with His body. In other words, He just made His body appear, and then disappear. Then why do we consider Devki to be Shree Krishna's mother? Devki was a devotee of Shree Krishna in her previous life. She became God realized. When Shree Krishna appeared before her, she asked for the boon of having a son like Him. Since there is no one "like Him", Shree Krishna told her that He would become her son in her next birth. Shree Krishna was already planning to take avatar, so He decided to simulate a material birth. This type
of pre-planned Divine event is called a leela. In His appearance leela, He appeared before Devki and Vasudev in the jail cell in His full grown form. After paying their obeisances to Him, Devki requested Him to become a baby so that she could experience the joy of having Him as her child. To fulfill her desire, Shree Krishna then transformed Himself into a one-day old baby and began His 'bal leelas' or childhood pastimes. Then how do we explain the fact that Devki appeared to be pregnant for 9 months? And did Shree Krishna, having become a baby, then cease being all-powerful God? These questions will be answered in the next article. Disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and prac-
Swami Nikhilanand
ticed meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming nam sankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential. To stay in touch with Swami Nikhilanand Ji, like his Facebook page at h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / SwamiNikhilanand or follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/Swami_Nikhil.
August 28, 2015
Perspective
India Post
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Pakistan's deceitful gamble on Gilgit Baltistan
G
ilgit Baltistan (GB; also known as Balawaristan or Bloristan) is a landscape adorned by abundant reserves of highly valuable natural re sources. Towering snow-clad mountains (eight out of the world's top ten tallest mountains lie in the region), including the world's second tallest- the K2, grace the land with beautiful and deep criss-crossing valleys throughout the region, giving rise to a habitat with a moderate weather in summers and a chilly cold climate in winters. Roaring rivers and chilled springs, emanating from the region's high-altitude glaciers, decorate the tips of these valleys, providing an abundance of fresh water resource not only to GB but also to a vast land section of Pakistan, fulfilling its irrigation needs. In addition, several metal deposits, including gold and other precious mineral reserves have been identified in great abundance throughout the region. Surrounded by Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and India on its sides, home to a diverse and thriving cultural and linguistic heritage dating back to time immemorial, Gilgit Baltistan covers a total area of 72,000 sq km. The region generates a substantial chunk of revenue for Pakistan directly from its natural resources as well as
SHAFQATULLAH CHILASI
determined along with the rest of Jammu & Kashmir. Speaking in this context, the historic inclusion of Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian union is indisputably supported by the Instrument of Accession signed by the honorable Maharaja of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, on 25th Oct. 1947. The rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir was settled by India long ago, first by agreeing to sign the Instrument of Accession and later by the constitutional safeguard it upheld for the people of J & K. In contrast, however, no king or any ruling authority from the people of Gilgit Baltistan had ever made an agreement with Pakistan to grant them any legal ground, whatsoever, to enter the territory, not to speak of ruling over it.
In addition, Pakistan further went on to concede a humongous 7,000 sq km area of Shimshal, part of Hunza (North East of Gilgit) to China, as a one-time payment settlement, in return for construction of the Karakoram Highway (KKH).
Forcible colonization
Notwithstanding a complete lack of such an agreement, in a deliberate move to forcefully colonize the region, Pakistan entered GB on November 16, 1947, illegally and stealthily (neither the general public of Gilgit & Baltistan, nor any J & K state representatives from India were made aware of this move). In a deliberate move to forcefully colonize the Pakistani troops were allowed to temporarily region, Pakistan entered GB on November 16, enter the region without resistance by the local people on the basis of a deceitful promise 1947, illegally and stealthily (neither the genmade by Pakistan that it would pull out its troops within 90 days in compliance with eral public of Gilgit & Baltistan, nor any J & K UNCIP resolutions. state representatives from India were made But, unfortunately, a whopping 67 years after this fraudulent incursion by Pakistan, those aware of this move). Pakistani troops were 90 days have not yet come to pass for the reallowed to temporarily enter the region gion. It is worth pointing out here that some Pakistanis subsequently claimed to have obfrom the throngs of foreign tourists it attracts every year. tained an agreement of accession - a whole two years past The only physical road link between China and Pakistan, the deceitful takeover of the region - from a pair of its own the strategic Karakoram Highway (KKH) passes through stooges in POK, having no relationship with GB. this region. Interestingly enough, for reasons yet unclear to us, the belated date of this fabricated agreement happens to fall An Overview of Pakistan's Occupation exactly on the very day the UN passed its historic resoluof Gilgit Baltistan tion on Gilgit Baltistan - on 28th April 1949. On the other hand, it is a historically established fact Gilgit Baltistan has, unfortunately, remained under illegal occupation ever since Nov. 16, 1947, thanks to Pakistan's that the instrument of accession signed by the Maharaja deceitful tactics and its oppressive policies at work, made of J & K was drafted before India's actual movement into easier in part by long observed silences from Indian au- the area, not afterwards. It may also be worth noticing that thorities or perhaps their lack of interest/awareness in instead of withdrawing its military forces and civilians from GB as well as from other occupied parts of J & K within a the matter. The UN had declared this region as a dis- period of three months, as mandated in the terms of the puted territory in its resolutions UNCIP resolution of 28th April 1949, Pakistan has, on the adopted on 13th August 1948, 5th contrary, breached every single term stipulated by the resoJan 1949, and 28th April 1949, lution ever since, by further strengthening its military bases according to which the in the region to a thousand folds, has built hundreds of fate of this region weapons depots and thousands of bunkers, illegally settled is still to be hundreds and thousands of Pakistani as well as Chinese and Afghani citizens in the region, in order to permanently alter the millennia-old demography of the land.
In spite of committing all these atrocious moves against the terms of the UN resolutions, the strangest irony todate is that, Pakistan persistently wails and clamors in favor of conducting a free plebiscite in Kashmir according to the very UN resolutions it openly flouts. It's beyond my sane comprehension to make any sense of how does Pakistan even qualify to raise a single question on the rights of the Kashmiri Muslims who already enjoy a full Indian citizenship status under the constitutional guarantee afforded to them ever since 1947? Whereas, when it comes to Gilgit Baltistan, the supreme court of Pakistan itself has publicly ruled that the area doesn't come under the legal purview of Pakistan's constitution (ruling of Pakistan Supreme Court in 1999). In addition, not even a single soul hailing from Gilgit Baltistan has ever represented the region within the Parliament of Pakistan. In total contrast, India has not only granted full universal right of representation to the people of J & K, it has also entitled the people of GB with the same rights as an integral part of its union under the Indian Constitution.
The true face of Pakistan seen in GB During the first two months of Kargil war in 1999, Pakistan carried out an operation that had no precedence in any form whatsoever. Pakistan used soldiers exclusively recruited from Gilgit Baltistan in its attempt to occupy Kargil and Ladakh by making them carry out an all-out assault on the civilian territories in Kargil and Drass sector. Cont’d on page 26
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Pakistan's deceitful gamble on Gilgit Baltistan Cont’d from page 25
The indiscriminate loss of our soldiers belonging to poor and downtrodden families of Gilgit Baltistan, did not seem to matter so much to Pakistan. Apparently, this was due to the ruling of its own Supreme Court, in the same year, stating that Gilgit Baltistan did not belong to Pakistan. Hence, soldiers exclusively recruited from G B under the Northern Light Infantry (NLI) regiment, were dispatched to the treacherous mountain terrains of Kargil in an intentional suicidal tactic to fight and stand against India's superior retaliation. As a consequence of this heinous act of the Pakistan Army, thousands of soldiers from G B were eventually murdered while fighting for a conflict that only served the greedy territorial pursuits of Pakistan. In the meanwhile, frantic attempts were made by Pakistan, during and until many years after the war, to make the Kargil operation appear as merely an act of "aggression against India by Jihadi groups". The Pakistani authorities feigned an open indifference to this whole episode of warcrime acted out not only against India, but also against the people of Gilgit Baltistan, under the aegis and auspices of the Pak Army. Their Army even refused to collect our fallen soldiers in the battle to avoid accepting their role in the war. As a consequence of Pakistan's detestable double-standard behavior displayed in the Kargil war, anywhere from several hundreds up to a thousand soldiers from GB are missing till date. Moreover, in their hasty bids to counter potential uprising in the region, Pakistan has never hesitated from taking extremely brutal measures by regularly fueling and funding communal clashes between the majority Shia inhabitants and the Sunnis. The bloodiest of these communal clashes was instigated in Gilgit city, during 1988 by Pakistan Army. Exact figures are difficult to arrive at but according to an estimate from the International Human Rights Observer's (IHRO) chapter in Gilgit-Baltistan, over 3,000 innocent local residents have been indiscriminately killed. The 1988 genocide as well as other communal clashes since then have been carried out especially targeting the majority Shias, with the willful aid and abetment of Pakistani Rangers deployed in the region. Pakistan army even sends their trained jihadists on regular recruiting missions to government schools in the region, soliciting young children to join their "holy" fight in liberating Kashmir from India.
Behind the scenes of frequent reforms and other sham polls
tionalist party that struggles for restoration of dignity and human rights for the 2 million people of Gilgit Baltistan with the means of peaceful dialogues and negotiations) were publicly tortured and arrested mere four days prior to the June 8 election date. The arrests were made after the leaders announced boycotting the polls and just when they were peacefully marching to the UN Military Observer's office in Jutial, Gilgit, to lodge their formal protest against the recent illegal Pak-China Economic Corridor agreement
and against the illegal elections. BNF is one of the few growing nationalist parties, including the All Party National Alliance (APNA) chaired by Wajahat Hassan Khan. BNF was co-founded and is led by its exiled chairman, Mr Abdul Hamid Khan, who now struggles for the political rights of G B under political asylum offered by the European Union in Belgium. These arrests of peaceful political nationalists and countless other such arrests and hundreds of brutal torture incidents in the past are a hallmark of the nature of Pakistan's forceful stronghold on the region. Nationalist supporters in G B are frequently harassed and taken into custody. Many of these supporters and leaders of BNF are currently being illegally held in jails across Gilgit and are being tortured under sedition and anti-terrorist laws imposed on them. When the UNCIP and even the supreme court of Pakistan itself has declared this region as disputed, hence its residents as non-citizens, on what ground then Pakistani laws could be justifiably imposed on these nationalist political leaders of GB? So, why still the unnecessarily long polling drama then? The obvious short answer is: of course it helps prolong Pakistan's illegal occupation over this resource-rich and strategically situated region by serving to delude the international community, including the EU and UN. Pakistan has already flaunted many such fraudulent elections to the international community as a cover-up for its unabashed episodes of human rights violations in the area.
The June 8, 2015 polls held in the illegally occupied territory of Gilgit Baltistan are not the first of their kind in the area. This was just an- Several peaceful nationalist leaders of BNF other sequel by Pakistan in a series of relent- (Balawaristan National Front, a nationalist less displays of carefully orchestrated scams party that struggles for restoration of dignity carried out in the guise of democracy. The subsequent objection to the polls ex- and human rights) were publicly tortured and pressed by India's Ministry of External Affairs, within its full constitutional legitimacy, was the arrested mere four days prior to the June 8 least-obstructive measure India could have election date. taken against illegal external occupation and illicit practices on a territory which has been However, a not-so-obvious intent behind these polls in G actually afforded a rightful place in the country's constituB, as well as several other long-winded political shenanition itself. No such rights are warranted to the people of G gans currently put into motion by Pakistan, is to be able to B in Pakistan's constitution. ultimately use Gilgit Baltistan as a strategic trump card in One may naturally ask, what does Pakistan actually the likely settlement of the Kashmir dispute. achieve by conducting phony elections in a region where An obvious clue for this conclusion comes from the it is not even warranted by its constitution in the first place? way Pakistan has consistently attempted to position itself After all, the elections are a total gimmick, the winners are in the international community with regard to the entire pre-selected and appointed at the behest of Pakistani offiKashmir matter. Whenever they throw Kashmir into discials way before the polls. cussions in international forums, including any dialogues Predictably, the majority winners in these polls turned held with India, Pakistani officials fervently cite the terms out to be precisely those who were pre-handpicked by the offered by UN resolutions in favor of conducting an imISI with the consensus of the current political party in partial referendum in Kashmir. To this effect, Pakistan also power, PMLN. On the other hand, several peaceful nationleaves no stone unturned to maintain before the internaalist leaders of BNF (Balawaristan National Front, a national community that G B is also a disputed territory pend-
ing such a referendum to be conducted in the entire region comprising of Gilgit, Baltistan, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. On the other hand, in a routinely blatant show of doubletalk, in all political matters directly addressing the people of G B, Pakistani politicians consistently try to feed us verbal sweeteners by repeating that they consider Gilgit Baltistan as an integral part of their country just like Pakistan's other provinces to which they belong. Such a behavior only reinforces the conclusion i.e., Pakistan holds G B as a strategic trump card to be used in the Kashmir dispute. Faced with a series of stern criticisms issued in recent years by activists from the European Union regarding human rights violations in the region, as well as the inevitable rise of several nationalist groups demanding full autonomy, Pakistan is stumbling to offer bubbly promises in the form of pseudo-legal frameworks/ packages and make-shift reforms with a hope to lure the people into favoring Pakistan's side. Moreover, by promoting an illusion of self-governance and representation through the formulation of such pseudolegal frameworks (such as, the induction of Legal Framework Order of 1994, and Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009), through the frequent conduct of such sham polls, as well as through various different ploys in the form of reforms and fraud-ridden polling schemes, Pakistan's aim is to not only perpetuate its stronghold on the region, but also to advertise itself as the do-gooder to the Kashmiri community in general, and to the international community in particular.
Aggressive lobbying The perceived advantage for Pakistan in keeping the support of a favorable GB can be understood in the likely event of an UN-enforced plebiscite actually materializing in future, for which Islamabad so aggressively lobbies at every International forum. A supportive G B may potentially shift results in favor of accession of the entire Kashmir into Pakistan - the ultimate win-win outcome for Pakistan but a highly unacceptable one for India. To this effect, Islamabad has been constantly shifting and changing its stance in frequently making various extra-constitutional announcements for the area, devising several illegal packages and schemes under shoddy ordinances. Fumbling against India's strong condemnation of the so-called polls, Pakistani authorities, yet again, invoked the call to conduct a free plebiscite in the state of J & K by acting on the UNCIP's resolution. This has been perhaps more than a hundred times so far that Pakistan has responded to India with exactly the same ready-baked and groundless response, trying to refute India's constitutionally warranted claim on Jammu & Kashmir as well as on G B for that matter. However, in their typically identical calls for a plebiscite in Kashmir, Pakistan consistently and methodically feigns an air of ignorance to the very precursor that underlies the same UNCIP resolutions which Pakistan so fondly invokes at every turn. The terms of the UNCIP resolutions state that, "‌an impartial plebiscite shall be conducted pending the complete withdrawal of Pakistani troops as well as its civilians from all the areas of Jammu & Kashmir, including G B". While these terms also require India to withdraw "bulk" of its forces following Pakistan's complete withdrawal from the region, India is, however, not mandated by the terms of the resolution for a complete withdrawal. Habitually demonstrating an outright disregard to this important precondition for a plebiscite, perhaps Pakistan has likened the idea of hacking its own tempered clauses into the UN's official resolution on the dispute. The writer is a student and a nationalist activist from Gilgit Baltistan
August 28, 2015
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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Selfie Le Le Re : Bajrangi Bhaijaan
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2 Sun Saathiya : ABCD 2 3 Tu Chahiye : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 4 Bhar Do Jholi Meri : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 5 Hamari Adhuri Kahani : Hamari Adhuri Kahani 6 Bezubaan Phir Se : ABCD 2 7 Mera Naam Mary : Brothers 8 Chaar Shanivaar : All Is Well 9 Banno : Tanu Weds Manu Returns 10 Baaton Ko Teri : All Is Well
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nglish Vinglish fame Gauri Shinde is all set for her next film that will be produced by Karan Johar. And guess who are the lead actors? Gauri has cast romance king Shah Rukh Khan and Highway star Alia Bhatt together in her next. KJo, who will be co-producing the film under his Dharma Productions along with Shah Rukh's Red Chillies Entertainment and Hope Productions, announced the news on microblogging site Twitter. Her directorial debut, the 2012 entertainer English Vinglish, which also marked the comeback of Sridevi onto the big screen, found critical acclaim as well as the audience's love for telling a poignant tale of a woman who learns English in the quest of
'fitting in' the life of her husband and children. This will be Shah Rukh's first film with Alia. It will be interesting to see the duo star together as while SRK turns 50 in November, Alia is less than half his age.
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riyanka Chopra's debut American drama series 'Quantico' will also be aired in India on English entertainment channels Star World and Star World HD. The 'Mary Kom' actress is very much thrilled about it. "'Quantico' is my first international TV venture and I'm truly proud of it. I'm equally excited that the Star Network will showcase 'Quantico' as part of its prime time line-up on Star World and Star World HD in India, and I couldn't think of a better launch pad in India for my TV debut," Priyanka said in a statement. "What makes it even more special for me is that it will be realtime‌'Quantico' will be available to Indian audiences almost immediately after its US airing. Audience's response to our first trailer has been fantastic and I'm looking forward to working with the Star TV team to create a memorable launch campaign for the show," she added.
angana Ranaut, who is riding high on the success of her recent films 'Queen' and 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' has reportedly signed an upcoming film for a whopping Rs 11 crore. With this, she has left behind her contemporaries Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra to be the highest paid actress in the industry. The National Award winning actress who is currently promoting her soon-tobe-released film 'Katti Batti' said it is justified to ask for more remuneration as she deserved it. "I think the kind of films and roles I do take a whole year. I think it is justified. At some point, we have to come to that place where we are equally paid. It is a small step. We are headed in that direction," Kangana said during a promotional event. Ta l k i n g about 'Katti Batti' in which she stars opposite Imran Khan,
Kangana said, "It unfolds like a thriller though it is basically a love story.
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here has been a mystery about them from the start. However, at the trailer launch of producer Sangeeta Ahir's Calendar Girls, director Madhur Bhandarkar lifted the veil of secrecy and officially introduced his five leading ladies to the world.
The filmmaker has fictionalized poster girls from the glossy pages of fashion calendars. Ever since their identities were revealed in a scintillating teaser, the debutantes - Ruhi Singh (Miss Universal Peace and Humanity 2014), Satarupa Pyne, Avani Modi, Akanksha Puri and Kyra Dutt - have become head-turn-
ers. The director said, "This movie is an emotional journey of the five girls narrated from a judgment-free perspective." Sangeeta added, "The struggles of its protagonists is inspiring. I'm glad the film's ending depicts a bold woman. It ends on a positive note and shows how these girls succeed and find happiness in what they achieve. The film is not about sex and bikinis.''
Mishti for adults M
ishti Chakraborty, who is busy shooting Indra Kumar's adult comedy Great Grand Masti, says she is blessed to get a chance to work under a big director like him. Mishti, who made her cinematic debut in Subhash Ghai's Kaanchi: The Unbreakable in 2014, said of Great Grand Masti: "We have just completed the second schedule of the film. So far, everything is going superb.
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n her ten year-long ca reer in Bollywood, Radhika Apte has had a mixed bag of big small budget films, but she believes at the end of the day an actor needs commercial viability. Apte, 29, who started her Bollywood career with "Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!" in 2005, before turning heads with this year's boxoffice success "Badlapur", feels commercial movies provide actors with a reach which is necessary. The actress was praised for her performance in the Varun Dhawan-starrer and followed it up with the adult comedy "Hunterrr" and garnered acclaim for her mysterious turn in Sujoy Ghosh's short film "Ahalya". Apte is elated with the response and is hoping that the love stays, bringing along some criticism too.
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kshay Kumar says though it is hard to make people laugh, comedy genre is looked down upon by them. Akshay, who is making a comeback to his favorite genre with choreographer-director Prabhudheva's "Singh Is Bliing", feels comedy is yet to get its due credit. "Singh Is Bliing" is an upcoming action-comedy film which also features Amy Jackson, Lara Dutta and Kay Kay Menon. Akshay said "Singh is Bling" is not a sequel to "Singh is King", it is a different film and in the genre of "Rowdy Rathore". "In the film, my character is scared of his father... He follows, does things what his father asks him to do," the actor said. Explaining the meaning of the film's title, he said, "Bling means shine. It is about how I shine in front of my parents and the world."
Tech News Challenging times for banking sector: RBI KOLKATA: Indian banking sector is going through challenging times, characterized by low credit, impairment of assets and low profitability, RBI deputy governor H R Khan said here. "The last two years had been challenging for the banking sector. Low credit growth, impairment of asset quality and lower profitability were the main issues," Khan said at the inauguration of Bandhan Bank here. He said return on equity and assets were falling while bad loans were rising. "On top of that, Indian banks are to meet the global capital requirements. The government's Rs 75,000 crore capital infusion program will help towards that," he said. Khan said that the banking space would become more competitive adding that RBI will give license to small finance banks later next month. RBI recently awarded in-principle approval to 11 entities to launch Payments Banks within 18 months. -PTI
Trying to bring back Maggi by year end: Nestle NEW DELHI: Bolstered by the Bombay High Court order overturning ban on Maggi, Nestle India plans to bring back the popular instant noodles back in the market by end of this year subject to certain clearances. The company, which h a s taken a hit of Rs 450 crore, including destroying over 30,000 tonnes of the ins t a n t noodles since June when it was banned because of alleged excessive lead content, says it will continue with the existing formula of the product and not change the ingredients. "We will try and target something that is better than that. My desire is to do it before that but let's see," Nestle India Managing Director Suresh Narayanan told PTI in an interaction when asked whether Maggi noodles could be back in the market by start of the next year.-PTI
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India's US securities holdings touch new high WASHINGTON: Continuing to increase its exposure to US government bonds, India's holding of such securities touched a new high of USD 117 billion in June, amid mixed global economic trends. India has purchased nearly USD 45 billion worth such securities in the first six months of this year. In June, China continued to have the maximum exposure with holdings worth over USD 1.27 trillion, followed by Japan (USD 1.19 trillion). Since start of this year, India has been steadily hiking its exposure, which stood at USD 91.2 billion in January.-PTI
US keen on defense, aerospace industry in Haryana WASHINGTON: The US has expressed keen interest in expansion of defense and aerospace industry in Haryana with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on a visit to the country to seek investments for his state. In a meeting with Khattar, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal also has affirmed deep interest of US companies in making investments in the state. Expressing keen interest in expansion of defense and aerospace industry in the state, Biswal said she would visit Haryana during her next tour to India. During the meeting, Khattar said he was very much concerned about the issues industry had faced in Haryana during the last few years. Now his government has launched its new Entrepreneur Promotion Policy 2015 which emphasizes on ease-of-doing business, enhancing competitiveness of industry by reducing cost of doing business, and single-window clearance, Khattar said according to a media release. The new policy also has the provision of no enhancement once the cost of land is fixed. He said that the insurance sector is also being strengthened to ensure stability of industry. Haryana, he said, has locational advantage as it surrounds national capital Delhi on
three sides. Opening a broad window on Haryana, Khattar said that a vibrant and fast growing industrial powerhouse and a veritable hub of knowledge, the state offered tremendous scope for investment
Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister, Capt Abhimanyu said that the state had already witnessed presence of 200 out of 500 Fortune companies. "We are leading in automobile manufacturing sector besides the
based global network of Indian American entrepreneurs and professionals has agreed to act as a conduit for channelising investments in the field of Information Technology start-ups and IT projects into Haryana.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal in Washington DC on August 19
in several fields. The state government has signed an MoU with Pratt and Whitney of United Technologies in Connecticut state. "We would also support your efforts towards making more investments in Haryana," the chief minister said.
strategic advantage of Delhi market. The KMP expressway, whose work was pending for over last decade would be completed in next 2.5 years. It would be a sixlane expressway that would open new avenues of industrial growth in Haryana," he said. Meanwhile, a Silicon Valley-
Following a meeting with the visiting Haryana Chief Minister Khattar and his delegation, TiESan Francisco said it will work in tandem with the state government in such areas as e-education, ehealthcare and skill development. Cont’d on page 38
Google to promote digital literacy in Haryana WASHINGTON: Search engine giant Google has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the government of Haryana to promote digital literacy in the state. Google will undertake a digital literacy drive covering internet safety in government schools, and also conduct a similar exercise for government officials. The MoU in this regard was
signed in Silicon Valley in the presence of visiting Haryana Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who is leading a high-level delegation on a tour to the US and Canada to attract investments to his state. "It will not only give a decisive push to our drive to digitize Haryana but also help pace up work," the chief minister said. "The MoU takes us closer to realizing our objective of spreading digital literacy and
awareness among the people of the state. I am confident that citizens of Haryana are now close to an exciting and empowering digital dawn," he said. Google India's policy country head Chetan Krishnaswamy said they hope the joint initiatives will bear rich dividends for the state and its citizens as they embrace the internet and help the government achieve its vision. Cont’d on page 38
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Red tapism in India poses hurdle to red carpet: US WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made "remarkable" progress in his first 15 months in office by rolling out a red carpet for foreign companies, but the infamous red tapism of Indian bureaucracy continues to pose hurdles to investments, the White House has said. "You can say that," Peter R Lavoy, Special Assistant to US President and Senior Director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council said when asked if his assessment of the Modi government means that both red carpet welcome and red tapism are running parallel to each other. "I have never seen any Indian government made such quick progress on so many issues, in such a short time. So it is truly re-
the post of the Prime Minister - is in an excellent position, he said. "This is by far the strongest the relationship has ever been. Not only that, our leaders President (Barack) Obama and everyone else, Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet look at the future - both sides here see a very very bright future where we see a deep opening and expansion of bilateral cooperation and working together to solve regional problems and international problems. We think the relationship is excellent," he said. Lavoy, who joined the National Security Council early this year, is the White House's point person for entire of South Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. The wide ranging interview, on various issues of India-US ties,
During the interview, Lavoy praised Modi Government's outreach to its neighbors to resolve outstanding bilateral and border issues and in particular mentioned the recent resolution of the border dispute with Bangladesh. markable," Lavoy told PTI. "That said your bureaucracy has a certain worldwide reputation. I think, it has its own standards that are really unparalleled worldwide. Even though India continues to make this progress, we are confident that as the entirety the whole of government recognizes their opportunities to move much more quickly to achieve the potential and the vision of the Prime Minister," he said replying to questions on new government's policies. India-US relationship now - after May 2014 when Modi assumed
policies of the NDA Government and India's role in the region and the world was held in the historic War Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House. During the interview, Lavoy praised Modi Government's outreach to its neighbors to resolve outstanding bilateral and border issues and in particular mentioned the recent resolution of the border dispute with Bangladesh. "We still have a situation where we have unresolved border disputes between India and few of its neighbors.
Fortunately India has resolved its dispute with Bangladesh that was a very positive and a very sudden development. But it still has tensions with China. It still has tensions with Pakistan. So if you look at the overall regional situation. I think there are a lot of positive trends, but there are still some challenges that need to be worked out," he said. Lavoy said a significant majority of the 70 deliverables announced during Obama's historic trip to New Delhi has been achieved. "I think, the great majority (of the 70 deliverables announced in January) have been concluded. Some of these issues that were addressed and came out in the joint communique are ongoing issues. In many of these cases, we see significant progress, but more work needs to be done," he said in response to a question. "In many of the areas there has been successful achievements of the actions or the tasks that were designated by the heads of states. And that is creating more opportunities for further deeper cooperation. So that as a critical historic event of the President to India and his meetings with the Prime Minister and the action plan that they agreed upon is historic," he said. "The successful conclusions of all these actions further deepen and expand our relationship. But that's not enough. We and the Indian Government have great ambition for partnership to go even further. So as we complete these actions, we are constantly looking at new things to do together," Lavoy said. Refraining from making announcement on a possible Modi-
Rajan reassures markets as China woes spread MUMBAI: As stocks and rupee hit new lows, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has allayed fears citing strong macroeconomic fundamentals of the country which are much better than many others. "I wish to reassure the markets that our macroeconomic factors are under control as the economy is in a much better position relative many other economies," Rajan told the national banking summit organized by the IBA (Indian Banks' Association) and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) here. Rajan said the country has USD 380 billion in forex reserves to be
used as and when the need arises. The Governor also hinted at lower rates, saying the RBI will look at emerging room for more accommodation on the back of lower commodity prices, astute food management by the government and strong anti-inflation policy stance of the central bank. "Falling commodity prices and astute food management by the government should help RBI (lower rates)", said Rajan. He also said he sees oil prices remaining at low levels at for a year or two. The RBI Governor said that turmoil in currency market has been long-coming and China is only the last step in it.
Rajan however said rupee has strengthened against yen and euro, and RBI has resources to deal with rupee volatility. Asian markets were also in deep red with Shanghai shares crashing 8 per cent on concerns that the Chinese economy was slowing more than previously thought. Brokers said sentiments suffered a jolt following a sell-off in other Asian markets with over 8 per cent plunge in Shanghai index. Meanwhile, crude prices fell after slipping below USD 40 barrel for the first time in six years after weak Chinese manufacturing data. -PTI
Obama meeting in September when the Prime Minister travels to the United States to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly, Lavoy said the US is very excited about the Prime Minister's forthcoming trip to New York and California.
Peter R Lavoy
"We love when Prime Minister Modi comes to the United States. I know that both the Indian Diaspora and the rest of the community out there is looking forward to this visit. I can't tell you, what meetings Prime Minister Modi would have with US Government officials. They have not yet been formally announced. But I am sure Prime Minister Modi would be received in a very appropriate way when it comes to New York," he said. According to Lavoy, President Obama has set an ambitious
agenda for deepening and expanding his partnership with India. "If you look at what our partnership with India was at the outset of his administration and where it is now, six and half years later, the progress is really remarkable in every sector," he said. "I expect, what the President would say, that he wants to see this progress continue, wants to see this as a very quick pace, rapid trajectory of deepening and expanding cooperation to continue so that we and India can work together to improve our bilateral coordination and collaboration, to help deal with regional problems in South Asia and advance global issues," the top White House official said. Climate change is one area of such co-operation, he said. "Each leader has agreed to work together to seek a very strong conclusion to the Paris conference to take place later this year. This is one example of the many examples that they have come together, where our cooperation can produce tangible results for dealing with important world issues," he noted. -PTI
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Swaraj invites Diaspora to invest in India CAIRO: Noting that India's economy has rebounded strongly after NDA came to power, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has invited the Diaspora to invest in the country as she listed steps taken by the government to boost trade and make India a global manufacturing hub. In an address to a select gathering of Indian community, she said a "unique transformation" is taking place in India in both economic and political fronts and that the Narendra Modi govern-
as the government are ushering into an era of rapid eco development. There is a positive and upbeat business sentiment in our country." The External Affairs Minister said the mood and the perception about India had changed because the Modi government has shown "will and determination" in the last 15 months to ensure rapid economic development. "We have achieved great success in the field of foreign office as well. The greatness of India
"Welfare of our citizens outside India, particularly in this region is a top priority of our government. We have been proactively engaging with all the stakeholders to address the concerns of our overseas community," she said. ment was determined to take the country to "new heights". Appealing to the Diaspora community to be part of the 'India growth story' she said, "We are committed to good governance, transparency, inclusive and sustainable growth and we
now has a stronger resonance and our circle of friends has grown," Swaraj said at the gathering last evening. Calling the overseas Indian community an "inalienable" part of India's transformation, she appealed them to join hands with
Indian government to take forward its developmental agenda. Swaraj highlighted various initiatives of the government including the 'Make in India' program to boost manufacturing with the help of world's best technology. "Welfare of our citizens outside India, particularly in this region is a top priority of our government. We have been proactively engaging with all the stakeholders to address the concerns of our overseas community," she said. She expressed happiness over Egyptian authorities' decision to transfer back to India two prisoners who have served 22 and 16 years in Egyptian prison. "They will now be able to return home soon," she said. Swaraj said the Gulf and the North Africa were crucial for India's energy security and complimented the Diaspora community for their contribution in ensuring stronger ties between countries of the region and India. Talking about the last general election, she said it has given a "huge mandate" to the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and his government is now working tirelessly to fulfill the aspirations of the people.-PTI
8-10 pc growth rate achievable, says Jaitley KOLKATA: Amidst global slowdown, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has expressed confidence that 8-10 per cent growth rate is achievable on the back on increased investment and right mix of policies. "I do believe it is (8 per cent and above growth) achievable... if we take right steps in right direction and hopefully we don't have too many adverse global trend. It could be reasonably achievable. In order to achieve it is extremely important that we open ourselves for investments," he said. In his address at the Indian Chamber of Commerce event here, Jaitley said roadmap for phasing out of exemptions to corporate will be announced soon. India has to accept that higher direct taxes are not in larger interest of the economy, he said. "I have announced in Budget with effect from next year over next few years I will bring down the rate of corporate tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. I stand by that commitment. Simultaneously,
even though the rate is 30 per cent the effective rate is 22. The reason is there are a large number of exemptions, he said. So, slowly a number of these
"Very, shortly I will be putting the first set of exemption to be phased out in public domain for discussion. And therefore returns will become simpler," he said. O n growth potential he said, even between 6-8 per cent growth, the thinking India believes that this is not our potential. The entire battle in terms of policy battle is to evolve Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting Arun Jaitley addressing an interactive ourselves session on Vision 2020, organised by the Indian Chamber of from this 6Commerce, in Kolkata on August 23, 8 per cent growth to exemptions are going to be 8 per cent growth upwards tophased out, he said. wards a double digit." -PTI
External Affairs Minister at the Indian Community Reception in Cairo, Egypt on August 23
Google to promote digital literacy in Haryana Cont’d from page 36
"We are delighted to be collaborating with the government of Haryana in furthering its objective of digitizing Haryana through state-wide digital literacy campaigns and helping the different departments in optimizing their web assets for mobile platforms," he said. The Haryana government signed another MoU with Applied Materials, a leading material engineering solutions global in providing to shore up solar skill training and expand the use of solar energy in the state. Later at a news conference, the chief minister said his government is creating world class infrastructure in Haryana. "Earlier, there were only four
national highways in the state. Now, nine additional National Highways have already been approved. Besides, we shall have a special purpose vehicle for all clearances related to the Railways," he said. To achieve these objectives, Khattar said the state government recently announced its Entrepreneur Promotion Policy 2015 with key features like ease-of-doing business and single-window system to ensure speedy clearances. A cluster has been created for each kind of industry. As Panipat is home to textile industry, the state government is going to provide special rebate in taxes to ensure sustainability of such units and every grievance of industry will be redressed, he asserted. -PTI
US keen on defense, aerospace industry in Haryana Cont’d from page 36
According to a statement by the Haryana government, TiE has also evinced interest in universities of Haryana for giving applied material research a leg-up. It has agreed in principle to engage NIT Kurukshetra for promoting research and development efforts in the field of material engineering. Materials utilized in solar, display panel and semi-conducive chips will form bulk of the research and development efforts, it said. Welcoming the chief minister and the industries minister, TiE President Venkatesh Shukla emphasized TiE's focus on accelerating the success of tech companies
in India. TiE has 61 chapters in 18 countries. Conceived in 1992, it has a base of 13,000 members. In his interaction, Khattar assured them that the state government would facilitate membership program in consultation with TiE on its innovation campus in Gurgaon. Besides, the state government will create a special dispensation for speedy disposal of commercial disputes involving start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises. It has also agreed to provide special dispensation in public procurement policy for sourcing services from Information Technology/ITES start-ups. -PTI
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'Blue-painted' West Bengal provides a new bank KOLKATA: With Bandhan from West Bengal becoming India's newest full-service bank to begin operations, Finance Minis-
Now painted blue a new institution is born today, indicating the birth of a Bangla entrepreneur," Jaitley said as he inaugurated op-
Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Arun Jaitley lighting the lamp to inaugurate the Bandhan Bank, in Kolkata on August 23
ter Arun Jaitley said here a 'bluepainted' city has given birth to a new institution which was not the case when it was 'painted red' referring to the past Left rule. "When the city was painted red, new institutions were not born, but the existing ones shifted.
erations of Bandhan Bank. Bandhan Bank launched its operations with 501 branches in the country. The company, which started operations as a micro finance institution, got final approval from RBI in June to launch commercial banking operations.
Referring to the shift in regime in West Bengal from a long-running Left rule to Mamata Banerjeeled Trinamool Congress government, Jaitley said there has been a change of color of the city from red to blue. "In my younger years, I saw the city painted red. Now the whole city has been painted blue", he said. Jaitley added that some of the policies of the past should be done away with and realization of the potential was important. Stating that the state would get all financial benefits as announced earlier as well as the proceeds of coal auctions, he promised that political differences would not come in the way of development of West Bengal. "Political differences will continue. But that will not matter for the development of West Bengal." Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that growth of India would not happen unless the eastern part of the country also grew, Jaitley said, "Growth of eastern states is important for the growth of India. There has to be more economic activity in eastern UP, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal." "Cooperation between the Centre and state will work towards that", he said. -PTI
List of 100 smart cities by Sept 1 HYDERABAD: The Government is set to announce by September 1 the names of urban centers that would figure in the list of 100 smart cities, a flagship scheme of the Narendra Modi administration. "By September 1, the list of 100 cities will be announced officially.
It is almost ready," Union Minister of Urban Development and Housing M Venkaiah Naidu has said. "Initially, only 20 cities will be taken up on priority. These 20 cities will be selected on certain parameters, which have already been
communicated to the 100 cities. Not only 100 cities, those guidelines had been sent to other aspirant cities also," he said. Naidu was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of 'National Conclave on Smart Technologies' organized by Smart Cities Council India.
Explaining further, he said the competition among cities will be in terms of providing better amenities to citizens and administration, including accountability and transparency, based on which ranking would be provided. He said the implementation of
the mission will be done by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The SPV will plan, appraise, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the Smart City development projects. Each smart city will have a SPV which will be headed by a full time CEO and have nominees of Central and State Governments and Urban Local Body on its Board. "Initially, the Government will provide Rs 100-crore fund to the SPV and there will be a matching fund from state governments and local bodies," the Union Minister said. According to him, the local bodies should be "bold enough" to take tough decisions such as increasing user fees wherever required. Taking a dig at political parties, he said regardless of party in power, no civic body is willing to increase charges fearing a backlash from the public. "Smart city requires smart leader, vision and should be able to take tough decisions, and ensure people's participation. -PTI
Jain Irrigation in Fortune's 'Change of World' list NEW YORK: India-based micro-irrigation firm Jain Irrigation Systems is the sole company from the country named in Fortune magazine's inaugural 'Change the World' list of companies making significant progress in addressing major social problems as a part of their core business strategy. Jain Irrigation ranks 7th on the list of 50 companies on Fortune's new "Change the World list" that has been topped by UK-based Vodafone and Kenyan telecom Safaricom and includes Bangladesh-based Grameen Bank and Afghan telecom company Roshan.
The company also branched into solar water pumps, financing and food processing - for the likes of Coca-Cola and Unilever? so that there is a ready market for these farmers' wares. The company, the world's second-largest seller of drip-irrigation systems with revenues of USD 990 million, now does business in 116 countries. The list also includes global giants Google, Facebook, Toyota, Walmart, MasterCard, Novartis, Alibaba, IBM, Starbucks, Ikea and Nike. Fortune said the list is meant to "shine a spotlight on companies
In its profile of Jain Irrigation, Fortune said the company, headed by Anil Bhavarlal Jain, has built its business by improving the livelihoods of five million small farmers in India. The Maharashtra-based company began selling micro-irrigation systems in 1986, when it recognized that the technology, commonly used in industrial agriculture, could be adapted for local growers, whose tiny landholdings were traditionally watered by rain or blunt flooding techniques.
that have made significant progress in addressing major social problems as a part of their core business strategy." It is based on the belief that "capitalism should be not just tolerated but celebrated for its power to do good. At a time when governments are flailing, its powers are needed more than ever." The list includes some of the "most thoughtful leaders" in the corporate and nonprofit realms, as well as a number of scholars who bring both perspective and insight
Yields increased dramatically from 50 per cent to 300 per cent, depending on the plant along with farmers' incomes. "Jain continues to boost both in other ways as well: It has introduced more-viable crop varieties and trained farmers on more productive growing techniques, such as high-density planting for mangoes," Fortune said.
to the public discourse on business. On Grameen Bank founded by Muhammad Yunus, Fortune said the bank has demonstrated that "microcredit" could be self-sustaining and even profitable. Grameen has loaned USD 17.4 billion to 8.7 million borrowers since 1983, most of them impoverished women.-PTI
„ Health
Line
Barnabas hopes to buy bankrupt hospital TRENTON, N.J.: The largest hospital chain in New Jersey intends to submit a bid to buy one of its competitors, which has filed for bankruptcy. NJ.com reports Barnabas Health hopes to purchase Saint Michael's Medical Center of Newark, which currently has an asking price of $49.1 million. An Aug. 10 bankruptcy filing
was intended to spur Gov. Chris Christie's administration to rule on whether Prime Healthcare Services of California would be granted permission to buy the struggling hospital. An attorney representing Barnabas Health sent a letter to bankruptcy court identifying the chain as ``a possible bidder and party in interest.'' A St. Michael's spokesman said Prime has signed an asset purchase agreement and has been committed to making the deal while awaiting state approval for over two years. -AP
„ Health chief move toward needle exchange BLOOMINGTON, Ind.: A south central Indiana health officer has taken a step toward gaining a needle exchange program. Monroe County Health Department Administrator Penny Caudill says Health Officer Dr. Thomas Sharp submitted the declaration of a public health emergency to the county commissioners. It's the first step a county health department must take before a needle exchange program can be approved by the Indiana State Department of Health. The Herald-Times reports the declaration cites an epidemic of new hepatitis C cases primarily contracted through injection drug use. State health data says hepatitis C cases in the county where Bloomington is located grew by 83 percent from 2009 to 2014. Caudill says cases are continuing to grow. The state so far has approved needle exchanges in Scott, Madison and Fayette counties. -AP
Health Science
Health system looks to lifestyle changes
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Antibiotic-resistant 'superbug' found at California hospital PASADENA, Calif.: A Los Angeles-area hospital says that some of its patients contracted an antibiotic-resistant ``superbug'' that has been linked to a type of medical scope and infected dozens of people around the country. Huntington Memorial Hospital said in a statement that it notified public health authorities after several patients who had procedures using Olympus Corp. duodenoscopes were found to have the resistant pseudomonas bacteria. The hospital said it has quarantined the scopes while it investigates whether they may be linked to the infections. The statement made no mention of the total number of infected patients or their conditions. However, the Los Angeles Times said the problem was discovered in June and three patient infections have been reported to health officials. Drug-resistant bacterial infections around the country have
been linked to contamination of the reusable scopes, which are used for a procedure known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The fiber-optic scopes are placed down a patient's throat and used to diagnose and treat gallstones, blockages and cancers of the di-
before they underwent the scope procedure, and the risk of the procedure was explained to each patient and family,'' Huntington Memorial's statement said. A dozen infections were reported earlier this year at CedarsSinai and UCLA's Ronald Reagan medical centers in Los Angeles.
gestive tract. ``The patients who experienced the bacterial growth were very ill
Three patients died. The hospitals said the infections occurred even though the
US top medical body collaborates with Apollo WASHINGTON: The American College of Cardiology (ACC), a top medical body in the US, has collaborated with Apollo Hospitals to expand medical education in India by providing new opportunities to cardiovascular physicians to improve their skills. As part of the collaboration, ACC will provide its guidelinedriven educational content to physicians participating in Apollo's Medvarsity e-learning program. Medvarsity participants will have access to the ACC's valvular heart disease education module, which focuses on training healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of adult patients with valvular heart disease. This content exchange is the first in an ongoing bilateral exchange of professional health education content between the ACC and Apollo, a statement said.
"With this partnership, we're making possible a knowledge exchange between physicians and other health care professionals
that may not interact under normal circumstances," said ACC president Kim Allan Williams. "It's opening up brand new
opportunities for physicians in India to improve their skills, expand their knowledge and, ultimately, provide the best possible care to their patients," he added. Sangita Reddy, joint managing Director of Apollo Group, said, "The world is seeing an alarming increase in cardiovascular disease burden. It is important that the health care industry stakeholders join hands to ensure that we have the required number of clinicians skilled enough to deal with the situation while ensuring readiness on other fronts." The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. -PTI
devices had been cleaned to the manufacturer's standards. They have since implemented more stringent disinfection procedures. Olympus is the market leader for duodenoscopes in the U.S., accounting for about 85 percent of sales, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA posted a warning letter online that said Olympus waited three years to alert regulators to a cluster of 16 infections in patients who underwent procedures using the scope in 2012. Additionally, FDA inspectors found that the company has no standard procedure for promptly reporting serious problems with its devices, a requirement for medical device companies. The company said it was reviewing the FDA's warning. The FDA also posted warning letters to two other scope manufacturers citing problems with the testing, design, reporting and quality control of their devices. AP
Ohio's uninsured rate falls after health law COLUMBUS, Ohio: A new survey shows that Ohio's uninsured rates for children and adults have each dropped by about half since 2012. According to the 2015 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey, the state's uninsured rate for adults fell to 8.7 percent in 2015, while the rate of uninsured children was 2 percent. The survey was released by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, in partnership with the state's Medicaid department. It examines access to health care along with characteristics of the state's Medicaid and non-Medicaid populations. Medicaid provides health coverage to low-income and disabled people. It serves nearly 3 million Ohioans. The survey showed half the state's Medicaid enrollees or their spouses work. -PTI
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'Depression doesn't spread, happiness does' LONDON: Having a friend who suffers from depression does not put you at risk of becoming depressed, a new study has found. Researchers found that having friends can halve the probability of developing, or double the probability of recovering from, depression over a six to 12 month period. The findings are the result of a study of the way teenagers in a group of US high schools influenced each others' mood. The academics used a mathematical model to establish if depression spreads from friend to friend. "The good news is we've found that a healthy mood amongst friends is linked with a significantly reduced risk of developing and increased chance
of recovering from depression," said Frances Griffiths, head of social science and systems in health at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick. The researchers looked at
used to track the spread of infectious diseases. The mathematical model used suggests that adolescents who have five or more mentally healthy friends have half the
The mathematical model used suggests that adolescents who have five or more mentally healthy friends have half the probability of becoming depressed compared to adolescents with no healthy friends. more than 2,000 adolescents in a network of US high school students. They examined how their mood influenced each other by modeling the spread of moods using similar methods to those
probability of becoming depressed compared to adolescents with no healthy friends. And teenagers who have 10 healthy friends have double the probability of recovering from de-
pressive symptoms compared to adolescents with just three healthy friends. "In the context of depression, this is a very large effect size. Changing risk by a factor of two is unusual," said lead author Edward Hill, a mathematics researcher at the University of Warwick. "Our results suggest that promotion of any friendship between adolescents can reduce depression since having depressed friends does not put them at risk, but having healthy friends is both protective and curative," Hill said. Social factors such as living alone or having experienced abuse in childhood are already linked to depression. Also social support, such as having someone to talk to has been cited as
important for recovery from depression. "It could be that having a stronger social network is an effective way to treat depression. More work needs to be done but it may be that we could significantly reduce the burden of depression through cheap, low-risk social interventions," said Thomas House, senior lecturer in applied mathematics from the University of Manchester. "As a society, if we enable friendships to develop among adolescents (for example providing youth clubs) each adolescent is more likely to have enough friends with healthy mood to have a protective effect," House said. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. -PTI
Nadda for PPP to improve Delhi meeting on prevention of dengue health care NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister J P Nadda has pitched for greater public-private partnerships to improve health care services in the country and said that it was a major focus area for the government. Calling for overall improvement in teaching and training of doctors as well as para-medics, he said there is a huge scope for participation of private players in the health sector and government would welcome PPP projects. "The government is working both in secondary and tertiary medical sector and I believe that we need to work out a module in PPP mode to lessen the healthcare burden of common man," Nadda said while inaugurating a Liver and Digestive Diseases Institute (FELDI) at the Fortis Escorts hospital here. Dr Ajay Kumar, Chief and Executive Director of FELDI, said the key to provide better healthcare services is a combination of good infrastructure, latest techniques and expertise of the medical professionals. "The institute that has been developed with world class infrastructure, state of art equipment and backed by the leaders in the profession will provide care and cure to patients suffering from g a s t r o i n t e s t i n a l , pancreaticobiliary and liver disorders," Kumar said, while talking about the new institute. He said the centre will offer treatment for mundane disorders
like diarrhoea to pancreatic diseases, cancers and liver transplant. The 120-bedded department, that includes transplant ICU and ICU dedicated to Liver and Digestive diseases, has an extensive
at much higher, speed, scale and skill and above all there should be better communication," he added. The Minister also said doctors are experts in their respective fields but they are not good com-
J P Nadda
framework of specialized medical programs and team of specialists. Lauding the establishment of the specialized institute, the Health Minister said the real challenge in the sector is to provide healthcare services to the poor and the needy. "How will we be able to give the healthcare facility to helpless is one question that is unanswered... "All stakeholders should answer this question. Enhance the teaching, the training should be
municators and the medical fraternity needs to address the issue. "I have always seen that doctors are experts in their specializations, they work with full precision but they are not good communicators. I don't know if that is temperamental or there are other reasons but the communication part needs to be improved," he said. The Minister said both Ayush and Allopathy should have interdisciplinary interactions and same should be communicated to public to deal with these diseases. -PTI
NEW DELHI: Union Health Ministry held a review meeting of various agencies including municipal bodies and local government to check preparedness for preventing any outbreak of dengue in the national capital. "Municipal bodies and Delhi government officials were urged to be alert over next two months and to gear up activities and measures to be taken for awareness generation, prevention and control of dengue so as to effectively address the situation, and not allow it to escalate," Health Secretary B P Sharma said in an official release. Due to reporting of high density of vector breeding from various areas across Delhi, source reduction activity to eliminate mosquitobreeding was identified as a priority activity to reduce the risk of transmission as no vaccine is available for dengue, the release said. The Directorate General of Health Services was asked to ensure availability of adequate stock of test kits for dengue in all central government hospitals. Sharma also suggested to conduct training of doctors of private hospitals on dengue case management. "Creating awareness among
the communities for prevention and control of dengue emerged as a focus area during the meeting. It was suggested that targeted multi-media Information Education Communication campaigns need to be undertaken to highlight the need for prevention from dengue," the said. The officials from Delhi government mentioned that special
awareness programs are being held in the schools, such as rallies, etc., to educate the children on dengue. It was suggested that activities such as these could be replicated all over to create widespread awareness. The number of cases of the vector-borne disease has shot to an alarming 277 till August 14, with over 220 of them being reported in the first two weeks of August. Two deaths have been reported due to dengue this year. -PTI
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Scientists find how obesity gene works
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cientists have finally figured out how the key gene tied to obesity makes people fat, a major discovery that could open the door to an entirely new approach to the problem beyond diet and exercise. The work solves a big mystery: Since 2007, researchers have known that a gene called FTO was related to obesity, but they didn't know how, and could not tie it to appetite or other known factors. Now experiments reveal that a faulty version of the gene causes energy from food to be stored as fat rather than burned. Genetic tinkering in mice and on human cells in the lab suggests this can be reversed, giving hope that a drug or other treatment might be developed to do the same in people. The work was led by scientists at MIT and Harvard University and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine. The discovery challenges the notion that ``when people get obese it was basically their own choice because they choose to eat too much or not exercise,'' said study leader Melina Claussnitzer, a genetics specialist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. ``For the first time, genetics has revealed a mechanism in obesity that was not really suspected before''
and gives a third explanation or factor that's involved. Independent experts praised the discovery. ``It's a big deal,'' said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a scientist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute and an associate editor at the medical journal. ``A lot of people think the obesity epidemic is all about eating too much,'' but our fat cells play a role in how food gets used, he said. With this discovery, ``you now have a pathway for drugs that can make those fat cells work differently.'' Several obesity drugs are already on the market, but they are generally used for short-term weight loss and are aimed at the brain and appetite; they don't directly target metabolism. Researchers can't guess how long it might take before a drug based on the new findings becomes available. But it's unlikely it would be a magic pill that would enable people to eat anything they want without packing on the pounds. And targeting this fat pathway could affect other things, so a treatment would need rigorous testing to prove safe and effective. The gene glitch doesn't explain all obesity. It was found in 44 percent of Europeans but only 5 percent of blacks, so other
genes clearly are at work, and food and exercise still matter. Having the glitch doesn't destine you to become obese but may predispose you to it. People with two faulty copies of the gene (one from Mom and one from Dad)
weighed an average of 7 pounds more than those without them. But some were obviously a lot heavier than that, and even 7 pounds can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy weight, said Manolis Kellis, a professor at MIT. He and Claussnitzer are seeking a patent related to the work. It was done on people in Europe, Sweden and Norway, and funded by the German Research Center for Environmental Health and others, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Obesity affects more than 500 million people worldwide and contributes to a host of diseases. In the U.S., about one-third of adults are obese and another one-third are more modestly overweight.
The FTO gene turns out to influence obesity indirectly, as a master switch that affects two other genes that control thermogenesis, or burning off energy. It's long been known that brown or beige fatty tissue _ the so-called ``good fat'' _ burns calories, while the more common white fat stores them. The body constantly makes fat cells, and the two genes determine whether they become brown or white ones. In one experiment described in the medical journal, researchers blocked the faulty gene's effect in mice and found they became 50 percent leaner than other mice despite eating a high-fat diet, and burned more energy even when asleep. In other tests on human cells, blocking the gene's effect increased energy burning in fat cells. Editing out the problem gene in human cells in the lab also restored normal metabolic function. Researchers don't know the impact of having just one faulty copy of the gene but think it has less of an effect than having two copies. Several companies are trying to develop treatments to stimulate brown fat, and the new research suggests a novel approach. ``It's a potential target'' for drug development, said Dr. Sam Klein, an obesity researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. He called the work ``an amazing study'' and ``a scientific tour de force.'' Dr. Rudolph Leibel, an obesity expert at Columbia University in New York, used the same term _ ``tour de force.'' Still, some earlier research suggests the FTO gene may influence other aspects of obesity such as behavior and appetite. ``It's possible there are several mechanisms being affected,'' and that fat-burning is not the whole story, he said. -AP
Smartphones can help track flu on campus WASHINGTON: Wearable devices or smartphone apps can provide personal health and lifestyle data which may help identify college students at risk of catching the flu, researchers have found. With help from a mobile app that monitors who students interact with and when, epidemiologist Allison Aiello of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and statistician Katherine Heller of Duke University have developed a model that enables them to predict the spread of influenza from one person to the next over time. Unlike most infection models, which focus on population-level changes in the proportion of people likely to get sick, this approach gives a personalized daily forecast for each patient, Heller said. Close living quarters, low flu vaccination rates and busy social calendars make college students particularly prone to catching the virus, researchers said.
Of the 18 million undergraduates in US, more than one in five are likely to get the flu this year, researchers estimated. That could mean up to two weeks of fever, chills, muscle aches, scratchy throat, runny stuffy nose, congestion and sneezing, not to mention missed classes and extracurriculars. To test the model, the researchers applied it to a study of roughly 100 students at the University of Michigan. For 10 weeks during the 2013 flu season, the students carried Google Android smartphones with built-in software, iEpi, that used Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS technology to monitor where they went and who they came in contact with from moment to moment. The students also recorded their symptoms every week online. Students who reported coughing and fever, chills or aches provided throat swabs to determine whether they had a cold or the flu. -PTI
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Health system looks to lifestyle changes SOUTH BEND, Ind.: People in Nicoya, Costa Rica, are twice as likely as Americans to reach a healthy age 90. In 2004, author Dan Buettner and National Geographic teamed up with longevity researchers to find out why certain pockets of people in the world reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States. They discovered that these pockets - or Blue Zones, as they call them - had nine shared lifestyle characteristics that might explain longevity. They called these the Power 9. Now, Beacon Health System is hoping to apply some of those factors to South Bend and Elkhart. The hope is that the communities' health will improve and that they will attract workers who want to live a healthier lifestyle. But in order to become official Blue Zones Project-certified communities, the cities have to demonstrate that enough community leaders will support the effort.
percent. Health care claims for city workers dropped 49 percent and participating businesses saw a 21 percent decline in absenteeism.
Local process Currently, South Bend and Elkhart are in the assessment phase, which means that Healthways is conducting focus groups to gauge community interest and researching the area's institutions, economy, current initiatives and health issues. An expert is also brought in to assess the environment and identify areas for improvement. ``We look at what things are already in place, what challenges might exist and what opportunities there are,'' said Chris Liberto, organization lead for the Sioux City (Iowa) Blue Zones Project. In early September, Healthways will provide Beacon with a copy of its assessment, at least part of which Beacon plans to make public. Whether one or both of the communities takes the next step depends on the assessment, local support and funding. In a Blue Zones community, ``People are very receptive,'' members - schools, employers, Zeeff said, explaining that many community organizations and restaurants, grocery stores and leaders have signed a pledge of community leaders - collaborate commitment. ``The pledge allows Beacon to tell Healthways that on policies and programs that these community leaders are bemove the community toward hind it.'' better health and well-being. Elkhart Community Schools, which signed the pledge, already folWhat is a Blue Zones community? lows many of the Blue Zones' suggested ``It goes beyond diet and exercise,'' said healthy practices for schools, said Shawn Rick Zeeff, community well-being coordina- Hannon, superintendent for communication tor for the Blue Zones Project at Beacon. In and data for the school system. It has sura Blue Zones community, members - schools, passed the healthy food requirements for stuemployers, restaurants, grocery stores and dents, has revised school policy to incorpocommunity leaders - collaborate on policies rate more movement into the school day and and programs that move the community to- has an agreement with Activate Healthcare, ward better health and well-being. which offers screenings and incentives for The communities try to incorporate the employees meeting healthy goals. Power 9 traits, including moving naturally, Hannon sees a lot of potential in eating more plant-based foods and having partnering with the project. Other Blue Zone a strong support system. The project's goal is to lower obesity and smoking rates, increase vegetable consumption and daily physical activity levels, generate medical cost savings and improve overall well-being. Other communities have reaped benefits from participating in the project, according to data collected through the GallupHealthways Well-Being Index. Healthways, a health management organization in Franklin, Tenn., implements the Blue Zone Project. In 2009, Healthways applied the Power 9 principles to Albert Lea, Minn. Over the next several years, the city built and rented 46 new community gardens. About 44 percent of the adult population participated in walking groups, grocery stores reported a 46 percent sales gain in 36 healthy foods and smoking rates declined from 23 percent to 19
communities' schools have done some interesting things, she said, which the Blue Zones team could help local schools examine. For example, some of the Blue Zones communities have walking school buses, where a school employee walks children to
prearranged stops in the manner that a regular school bus would. ``Those aren't things that we're starting tomorrow, but I like the idea of collaborating with people in the community that support each other,'' she said. -AP
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August 28, 2015
NEW JERSEY Upcoming Aug 21, 22 and 31 • 10th South Asian Theater Festival 2015 Venue: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingstone Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 201-320-4617
Sun, Aug 30 • Kanj Onam 2015 Venue: Montgomery High School, 1016 County Road 601, Montgomery, Nj 08558 Time : 12:00 pm Contact: 732-910-7413
Sun, Sep 13 • Jayaram Show 2015 – NJ Venue: Felician College Auditorium, 262 S Main St, Lodi, NJ 07644 Time: 4:55 pm Contact: 908-222-2811
NEW YORK Upcoming Fri, Aug 28 • 68th Indian Independence Day Celebrations Venue: Croton Lounge, 108 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018 Time : 10:00 pm
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
CHICAGO
Upcoming
Upcoming
Aug 28 to Sep 28 • "Paramnesia," Photo Series by Naomi Vanderkindren Venue: Louie-Meager Art Gallery
Fri, Aug 28 • Anarkali Disco Chali Bollywood Ladies Night Time: 07:30 pm
Smith Center at Ohlone College
Venue: Athidhi Indian Cuisine, 727 S Wolfe
43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
• Jayaram Show 2015
Time: M/W 11am-4pm, T/Th 10am-3pm
Contact: 925-261-8682
Venue: Colden Center Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 Time : 06:00 pm Contact: 845-269-1445
Contact: www.ohlone.edu/org/artgallery
Sat, Sep 12
Sun, Sep 27 • An Evening Of Indian Classical Music & Dance Venue: Queen Of Angels Church Parish Center, 44-04 Skillman Ave, NY 11104 Time : 06:00 pm Contact: 8482191079
510.659.6176
• Ramesh Chindam’s solo art show on 'Untold Expressions' Venue: 2801 Leavenworth San Francisco, CA 94109. Contact: 415-699 5442 rameshchindamarts@gmail.com
Aug 28-29-30 • Vesavi Vennela By Padmasree Dr.shobha Raju Venue: Sri Datta Sai Temple, 1901 San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon, CA 94583 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 925-353-6464
Sat Sep 5 • MCE Alumni Reunion Venue: Crowne Plaza Silicon Valley N Union City, 32083 Alvarado-Niles Rd, Union City, CA 94587 Time: 9:00 am Contact: 571-282-1133
Sun, Aug 30 • Paatasala Telugu School registration Venue: Telugu Times, 68 S Abel St, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 8:00 am
ATLANTA Upcoming Sun, Aug 30 • Kishan Vs Kanhaiya Reloaded Venue: Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, GA 30332 Time: 5:30 pm
Mon, Aug 31 • MITHAS 2014 Membership Venue: Wong Auditorium, MIT, 70 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142 Time: 07:00 pm Contact: 857-205-9731
Sat, Sep 12 • Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha Venue: City National Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 650-771-0933
Sun, Sep 13 • Sunidhi Live In Atlanta Venue: Cobb Energy Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 404-576-8909
ILLINOIS Upcoming 1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's 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
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Swami Ishatmananda • Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662
• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822
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et another jewel in the crown of God's Own Country - Kerala - is the pristine, tropical city of Kumarakom. This cluster of small picturesque islands around the Vembanad Lake, with its beautiful landscapes and scenic environs is a perfect holiday spot. This small town was established by the Indian government as part of its special preservation effort. The soil found in the region is fertile, the numerous paddy fields, mangrove forests, and coconut groves found stand testimony. The lush greenery is an amazing sight and is a treat for the eyes. The island is popular among honeymooners looking for peace and solitude. Thousands of migratory birds flock to this area every year. Bird watchers flock here each year to catch a glimpse of the various birds visiting the island. This beautiful island has numerous small fishing skiffs throughout the town. With both salt water and fresh water surrounding Kumarakom, there are several varieties of fish found here. Excellent marine and freshwater fish including tasty karimeen (also known as pearl spotted fish), shrimp, and prawns are available in the area making it perfect to enjoy a lip smacking sea food platter when on honeymoon in Kerala Experience the backwaters and rejuvenate your senses with an Ayurvedic massage which is popular in the region. You can also include
Munnar tour packages when holidaying in Kumarakom. TOURISTATTRACTIONS Bay Island Driftwood Museum: Located around 14 km from Kottayam in Kumarakom, this museum showcases a sole collection of quality driftwood articles which hold high artistic values, prepared through an innovative modern art technique.
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Taj Mahal among world's top 5 hotspots
LONDON: The Taj Mahal has made it to the top five of a prestigious new list of the world's best tourist attractions. Lonely Planet's "Ultimate Travelist" ranks the historic mausoleum built in Agra by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the fifth most attractive travel hotspot in the world and describes it as a "magnificent Mughal masterpiece". According to the list, the architectural perfection is reached beginning with "acres
of shimmering white marble. Add a few thousand semi-precious stones, carved and inlaid in intricate Islamic patterns. Take a sublime setting by a sacred river, in jewel-like formal gardens. Apply a little perfect symmetry, and tie up the whole package in an outlandish story of timeless love. And there you have the Taj Mahal". It notes that there's no other building in India that so perfectly encapsulates the attitudes and atmosphere of its era.
Taj Mahal 'first' to debut on Twitter LUCKNOW/AGRA: With the launch of Taj Mahal's twitter account, the 17th century mausoleum became the "first historical monument" to have an official handle on the micro-blogging site. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched the official twitter account of the monument @Taj Mahal at his residence in the state capital, Director General of UP Tourism Amrit Abhijat said. "With this Taj Mahal has become the first historical monument in the world to have its own twitter account," Principal Secretary Navneet Sehgal told PTI. He said that while visiting the official account, a tourist could share his picture on #MyTajMemory, which would be included in the main account.
After launching the account, the Chief Minister also shared a picture with his MP wife Dimple Yadav and son in front of Taj Mahal and hash tagged it #MyTajMemory. In fact immediately after its launch the twitteraties started hash tagging pictures of their visit to the monument of love. Within an hour of its launch, the Taj Mahal account got more than 2000 followers. "There are two kinds of ppl in the world. Those who have visited me and follow me here and those who haven't seen me and yet follow me here," the official handle tweeted after its launch. According to sources, initially, it was proposed to launch the handle from Taj Mahal itself, but Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) denied permission.-PTI
Centre to develop Haridwar, Rishikesh DEHRADUN: Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma has said the central government would develop Haridwar and Rishikesh as twin cities to boost tourism. Sharma called on Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat at his residence here, during which he said the Union government would develop the pilgrim cities Haridwar and Rishikesh as twin cities, an official release stated. Large number of foreign tourists can be attracted to Haridwar and Rishikesh if the
Centre helps develop the ghats on the bank of the Ganga River, the Chief Minister said. Rawat said that Uttarakhand can be developed as a major tourist destination of south-east Asia to which the Union Minister also "agreed", the release said. Sharma, who was on a day-long visit to the state, also assured the state government of the Center's support in developing Kedarnath and Tehri as popular tourist destinations, the official released stated. Tehri lake would be a famous tourist spot soon, the Union minister said.-PTI
The Temples of Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Cambodia, tops the list as a complex of more than 1,000 temples, shrines and tombs which attracts more than 2 million visitors annually. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia comes in at number two, the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru at number three, and the Great Wall of China at four. Travel writers and Lonely Planet staff were invited to submit ideas before voting
on their favorites. Voters were asked to consider which sights enthused, inspired, and excited them the most. The one UK entry was the British Museum, which came in 15th on the wish list. To celebrate the release of the new book, some of the world's finest sand sculptors will recreate five sights from around the world on Peter's Hill near St. Paul's Cathedral in central London.-PTI
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Kumarakom Small picturesque islands around a lake
birds can be found at the sanctuary at any given time. Numerous migratory birds even from places like Siberia visit the sanctuary. It is common to see golden-backed woodpeckers, night herons, kingfishers, paradise fly-catchers and egrets. The entire area was established by the government of India in an effort to preserve the natural habitat of both native plants like mandrakes and coconut trees and various birds. Local people can be hired to canoe you through the entire sanctuary. BEST TIME TO VISIT Kumarakom experiences a tropical climatic condition and the
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The museum also houses various root and tree trunk sculptures in unique forms and designs. It is founded by Raji Punnoose, a dynamic school teacher in Andaman and Nicober Islands. The sculptures in the museum are the transformed driftwood pieces, comprising twisted tree trunks, stumps, roots etc., which she had collected from the seashores during her professional tenure in Andaman and Nicober Islands. Many of the sculptures or pieces resemble birds, animals, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. Backwaters: Various canals, lagoons, and waterways surround
houseboat here. Each houseboat commonly contains a living room, one bedroom, a bathroom, and a deck too. A local oarsman will pole the houseboat for you as you explore the beautiful scenery in the region. Numerous types of flora and
even let you tether several houseboats together to house a larger tourist group. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary: A birdwatcher's haven, the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary covers an impressive expanse of 14 acres. A large variety of different
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
best time for visiting the place is from September to March. Bay Island Driftwood Museum
Kumarakom's small cluster of islands. These numerous waterways make up what is known as the Backwaters. Tourists love to rent a
fauna can be seen against the mirror like lagoons as you sail across the picture perfect backwaters. Large houseboat companies will
HOW TO REACH By Train: Kottayam is the nearest railway station which is about 16 km away from Kumarakom. By Air: The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery, nearly 85 km away from Kumarakom. Cochin is well connected to many major cities in India and abroad, especially connected directly to gulf countries. By Bus: KSRTC buses are plenty from Kottayam to reach Kumarakom. Kotatyam is connected to all cities in Kerala by KSRTC buses. By Boat: One can reach Kumarakom by boat from Muhamma, near Alleppey. State owned boat services and private houseboats ferry form Muhamma to Kumarakom Jetty.
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Hoover Dam and Lake Mead worth the trip BOULDER CITY, Nev.: Las Vegas is a must-see destination, luring visitors from around the world with its bright lights, gambling and flamboyant shows. But even the most die-hard revelers can get worn out from the never-ending party on The Strip. Two of the top destinations for Vegas visitors who need a break from the action are just 30 minutes to the southeast at the ArizonaNevada state line: Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. A rundown of what you'll see at these popular tourist destinations: HOOVER DAM Built between 193136, Hoover Dam is an architectural marvel, considered one of America's seven modern civil engineering wonders. The dam spans 1,244 feet (379 meters) across Black Canyon and rises 726 feet (221 meters) from the Colorado River.
But like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls, Hoover Dam is a sight - albeit man-made - where descriptions or pictures don't do it justice; it's something that has to be seen to truly appreciated. The view from the road is unimpressive, but once you look over
Hoover Dam
the edge to the sliver of river below, expect your breath to be taken away. The view from the O'Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge above the dam - accessed from a parking lot on the road to
Hoover Dam - also is spectacular and looking back toward the deep blue water of Lake Mead isn't bad, either. The visitor center offers interesting details about the dam's history, but to get a true appreciation, take the tour to see the inner workings. A quick warning: The large elevator can be crowded and there are warnings about claustrophobia. The trip is short, though, and the friendly guides tend to ease the tension during the 530-foot (161-meter) ride down. The 30-minute guided power plant tour includes viewing the 30foot (9-meter) penstock pipes, which control the flow of water, along with massive generators and access to the visitor center. The hour-long dam tour has the same elements, but visitors also get to explore the various tunnels throughout the dam and peer out the air vents facing the downstream face. Tickets: Dam tour, $30 (no one under 8 permitted, not accessible for wheelchairs). Power plant tour, $15 adults, $12 children 4-12. Visitor center, $10. Parking: $10 in the parking garage, but there are free spots across the dam if you're up for a short walk. Hours: Visitor center is open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., tickets must be purchased by 4:15 p.m. Last dam tour is at 3:30 p.m., last power plant tour is at 3:55 p.m. Open daily except Christmas and Thanksgiving. Online: http://www.usbr.gov/ lc/hooverdam
Air traffic grew 29%; airlines carried 67.45 lakh NEW DELHI: The number of passengers ferried by domestic carriers climbed 29 per cent to 67.45 lakh in July as discounts and fall in fuel prices made airfares more affordable. While no-frills carrier IndiGo continued to dominate with the highest market share of 35.8 per cent, SpiceJet remained on top in terms of passenger load factor that touched 93.4 per cent in July, according to latest official data. Aviation regulator DGCA said passenger load factor declined in July compared with June mainly on account of tourist season coming to an end. Last month, local carriers ferried 67.45 lakh passengers, a growth of 29.3 per cent compared
with 52.16 lakh passengers seen in July last year. Many carriers had come out with discounts in July and fuel prices had also declined. Both these factors to some extent helped in reducing airfares. In June, local airlines carried 66.01 lakh people.
The cumulative figures are for Air India and nine other private carriers, including Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo. As many as 24.17 lakh people traveled in IndiGo last month, the highest for any carrier. Air India ferried 10.94 lakh while Jet Airways and Jet Lite together carried 15.37
lakh people during the same period. In terms of passenger load factor or occupancy rate of seats, SpiceJet continued to be on top at 93.4 per cent, while rival IndiGo clocked 78.4 per cent in July. Compared with June, SpiceJet saw a marginal improvement from 93.2 per cent whereas IndiGo witnessed a decline from 86.6 per cent. Air India's passenger load factor rose to 77.8 per cent last month from 73.5 per cent seen in June. Last month, Jet Airways' passenger load factor touched 81 per cent, Jet Lite (80.1 per cent), Go Air (81.2 per cent), Vistara (60.3 per cent), Air Asia (80.2 per cent), Air Costa (81.7 per cent) and Air Pegasus (71.5 per cent).
LAKE MEAD At full capacity, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It hasn't been at capacity in decades, though, with water levels dropping more than 60 percent due to drought conditions in the Southwest. Even with low levels, Lake Mead is still one of the largest manmade lakes in the country - and there's plenty to do. ``Once you get to the water, nothing has changed,'' said Kevin Turner, Interpretation and Educa-
areas, though the boat ramps at Las Vegas Bay, Government Wash and Overton Beach are closed due to low water levels. Las Vegas Boat Harbor, Callville Bay Resort and Temple Bar Resort & Marina have boat rentals, stores and restaurants. The park has nine wilderness areas and numerous campgrounds dotting the shoreline, including some that back right up to the water. Though most of the nearly 7 million visitors to Lake Mead come
During the summer, the main attraction is the water: Boating, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, fishing, house boating. A warning here, too: This is the desert, so it gets very hot during the summer. tion Operations Chief at Lake Mead National Recreation area. ``The water is still just as fun to be in and there's a lot of it out there. Even though we're down, it's still a huge reservoir. It's not like a trickle of water out there.'' During the summer, the main attraction is the water: Boating, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, fishing, house boating. A warning here, too: This is the desert, so it gets very hot during the summer. Park rangers urge people not to hike after 8 a.m. and to bring along plenty of drinking water. The lake has nine developed
during the summer, other times of year offer activities like hiking, biking, off-roading, camping and fishing. The low water levels have revealed new beaches and coves, along with a few new sights, including the ruins of St. Thomas, an Old West town that previously had been submerged. Divers also can see the remnants of a B-29 Superfortress that crashed into the lake in 1948. Fees: Cars, $10 for a week. Camping $15 per night. Boat launch, $16 per vessel for a week. Online: http://www.nps.gov/ lake/index.htm
Topless women in Times Square breaking the law NEW YORK: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says women posing nearly naked for photos in Times Square are breaking the law and undermining efforts to keep the tourist area family friendly.
and often wear only body paint and a thong. Cuomo says the activity is interfering with ``legitimate'' businesses. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he believes the practice is ``wrong'' and
Cuomo said on NY1 that the situation is beginning to remind him of the seedy days of the ``bad old Times Square.'' The women pose for photos with tourists in exchange for cash
that the city will take action. The governor says he also has concerns about performers dressed as cartoon characters who harass tourists into purchasing photos.-AP
In Brief Mexico dismisses Trump border, migration plan MEXICO CITY: Mexican government has criticized Donald Trump's policy proposals on immigration, border security and U.S.-Mexico relations, saying they were tainted by bigotry. The Foreign Relations Department said in emailed comments that the GOP candidate's stances ``reflect prejudice, racism or plain ignorance.'' Trump last week outlined proposals to deny citizenship to U.S.born babies of immigrants living in the United States illegally as part of a plan emphasizing border security and millions of deportations. He also says he would build a wall along the U.S. southern border and force Mexico to pay for it. ``Anyone who understands the depth of the U.S.-Mexico relationship (realizes) that those proposals are not only prejudiced and absurd, but would be detrimental to the well-being of both societies,'' the Foreign Relations Department said. -AP
'Underground railroad' assists Iraqi refugees
SAN DIEGO: Southern California nonprofit is running an ``underground railroad'' to assist Chaldean Catholics fleeing the turmoil in Iraq. Thirty-two year old Mark Arabo tells The San Diego Union-Tribune that he founded the Minority Humanitarian Foundation out of impatience with Washington's inability to deal with the crisis created by Islamic State militants. He tells the newspaper the group runs an ``underground railroad'' that transports Iraqi refugees into San Diego. He says the group also seeks to help other persecuted religious minorities. The newspaper said 27 Chaldeans are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego. -AP
Four Indians arrested in SL's east COLOMBO: At least four Indians have been arrested in Sri Lanka's eastern province for allegedly abusing visa conditions, police said. The four were arrested at Kalmunai in the east as they were doing business having arrived on tourist visas. They were in possession of herbal oils and other herbal products, police said. -PTI
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Issues of Indians in Gulf to be addressed Details on page 45
Wash AG cracks down on unauthorized immigration aid OLYMPIA, Wash.: Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced that he has taken action against four companies accused of offering fraudulent legal services to immigrants. Ferguson, speaking at a press conference in Seattle, said his office has stepped up enforcement against the companies and owners of companies in Lakewood, Tacoma and Everett. He said that unlicensed immigration consultants who refer to themselves as ``notarios'' or ``notarios publicos'' are misrepresenting themselves to consumers as having advanced legal training. Victims face losing their immigration status if a deadline is missed or paperwork is filled out incorrectly, he noted. ``The consequences for fraud can hardly be more significant than that,'' Ferguson said. A measure signed into law in 2011 in Washington state made it illegal for unauthorized consultants to work on immigration processes that can only be provided by attorneys or other qualified representatives. Ferguson's office has taken the following action: • A $235,000 lawsuit against EC
New Horizons and EC Horizons and their owners Edwin Cruz and Maurice Terry of Lakewood. Ferguson said that they have violated an earlier 2011 agreement with the attorney general's office
tion for victims. When reached by phone, Cruz refused to comment, but said that his business was closed. • Imposing $16,995 in penalties and fees against Rosi Immigra-
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announcing crackdown on fraudulent immigration services.
to stop providing unauthorized legal advice. Since then, Ferguson's office says they have ignored the order and provided legal services to more than 400 people. The $235,000 action includes about $150,000 in restitu-
tion Services in Tacoma. Ferguson said that the business has closed. • Imposing $8,000 in civil penalties and $1,500 in costs and fees against Servicio en Espanol LLC in Everett and enjoining them from
further illegal conduct. • Assessing $8,000 in civil penalties and $1,500 in costs and fees against Orona & Associates also in Everett and enjoining them from further illegal conduct. Ferguson said that there were ongoing investigations into other companies around the state, but said he could not give details at this point. He also announced a $125,000 grant to the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project to help deal with unauthorized practice of immigration law. Executive director of the group, Jorge Baron, said that it's difficult to determine how many people might be affected by immigration services fraud, because oftentimes victims are too afraid to alert authorities if they've been scammed. ``They may get a deportation order and not seek help,'' he said. Ferguson and Baron said that consumers seeking immigration help should always ask to see the person's bar license, and should use online resources to check and see if the group or organization is authorized to practice law or authorized under federal law to provide immigration services. -AP
Impact of Donald Trump's Immigration proposals
R
epublican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently proposed a detailed platform of immigration reform. Some of the more controversial plans include having Mexico pay for a wall across the US-Mexican border, plans to triple the number of ICE officers, to ending birthright citizenship, and to require employers to test the labor market prior to filing any H-1B petitions. According to Trump, Mexico must pay for the wall and, until they do, the United States should take several sanction measures to otherwise force the country to pay. What the reform proposal, which can be found at https:// www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform, does not say is how much such a wall
HASAN ABDULLAH
will cost. The estimated cost to build such a wall would be upwards of $20 billion and it would require patrols and maintenance
Donald Trump
costs to sustain it. Cost aside, the
wall would also put a great strain on US-Mexico relations. Plans to increase ICE would also cause substantial negative collateral effects. In a January 28, 2015 article in the Wall Street Journal, it was reported that the Justice Department reserved the day after Thanksgiving Day in 2019 as a special date reserved for non-priority cases involving thousands of immigrants awaiting their day in court. This is reflective of a severely underfunded court system with too few judges, especially since caseloads began skyrock-
eting in 2009. Increasing the number of ICE officers would only further clog up immigration courts with non-priority cases. Finally, H-1B petitions already have safeguards in place where companies already have to recruit US workers prior to filing petitions, if they have exceeded certain limits making them H1B dependent. Targeting H-1B workers who are hired mostly in the high tech industry where there is a reported shortage, therefore, does not make sense, especially considering that H-1B workers only make up a tiny fraction of the workforce. Time will tell how these proposals will affect Trump's campaign. Hasan Abdullah is Attorney at Law
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Judge orders immigrant families released SAN ANTONIO: A federal judge in California has ordered the government to release immigrant children from family detention centers ``without unnecessary delay,'' and with their mothers when possible, according to court papers. California U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee refused the government's request to reconsider her ruling in late July that children held in family detention centers after crossing the USMexico border illegally must be released rapidly. Calling the government's latest arguments ``repackaged and reheated,'' she found the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in breach of a longstanding legal agreement stipulating that immigrant children cannot be held in
unlicensed secured facilities, and gave agency officials until October 23 to comply. Lawyers for Homeland Security had asked the judge to reconsider her ruling, arguing that the agency
Attorneys for the government are reviewing the order, said Nicole Navas, a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice, said. This is the second time Gee has ruled that detaining children vio-
In her order, Gee countered that immigration officials ``routinely failed to proceed as expeditiously as possible to place accompanied minors, and in some instances, may still be unnecessarily dragging their feet now.'' was already doing its best to move families through detention quickly and that the facilities had been converted into short-term processing centers.
lates parts of a 1997 settlement from an earlier case. The settlement requires minors to be placed with a relative or in appropriate nonsecure custody within five days.
Issues of Indians in Gulf to be addressed NEW DELHI: Issues pertaining to living conditions of Indian laborers working in the Gulf countries, who are contributing in the form of remittances, "need to be addressed", Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Secretary A K Agarwal has said. Agarwal was speaking on the benefits of international mobility and impact of immigration on local labor market at an event organized by industry body FICCI in association with Cambridge University Press here. "People talk a lot about white collar, blue collar, but the fact is that the laborers in the Gulf countries are contributing a lot through remittances and issues pertaining to their living conditions and work process needs to be addressed," Agarwal said. A book, 'India-EU People Mobility: Historical, Economic and Regulatory Dimensions', which
consists of a representative collection of research studies carried out under a European Commission funded project was launched on the occasion. Speaking on the issue of social
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
security for migrants, Agarwal said that India already has in place social security agreement with many EU nations and some other are in the offing and added that the need was to operationalise these agreements in the right earnest.
Maurizio Cellini, First Counselor and Head of Trade and Economic Affairs, Delegation of the European Union to India, said that a "well-managed" migration policy and regulatory framework is bound to lead to economic and social growth of India and the EU. Rupa Chandra, co-editor of the book, emphasized the need for "policy focus" and "immigration policy framework" and stressed on the necessity to reform visa issues. "We did a survey and tried to understand the constraints that the students are facing...it came out clearly that they are looking at market in terms of staying on there and work, so obviously visa issues matters. The cost of education is a major issue so providing financial scholarship is also very important." -PTI
Perry questions Trump's border wall plans DES MOINES, Iowa: Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has said that simply building a wall is not the best way to secure the U.S. border and halt illegal immigration. Speaking at the Iowa State Fair, the Republican presidential hopeful said he would secure the border through more guards, fencing and air patrols. His comments came several days after 2016 GOP front-runner Donald Trump released an immigration plan that includes a permanent border wall
and a plan to end citizenship rights for children born to families living illegally in the country. ``The idea that some would say, `Let's just build a wall.' That may be good political rhetoric, but the real focus is on how are you going to secure the border," Perry said. He later questioned the logistics of building a wall, saying: ``How long is it going to take? How much is it going to cost? What are you going to do about tunnels under it?''
On the issue of birthright citizenship, Perry noted that changing citizenship rules would require amending the Constitution and said he would prefer to focus on border security to prevent illegal immigration in the first place. ``I have to live with reality. Reality is it takes at best years, probably decades to deal with this 14th amendment issue,'' said Perry. ``You get the border secure, the 14th amendment thing becomes inconsequential.'' -AP
If there is a large influx of minors, times may be longer, but children still must be released as expeditiously as possible, under the terms of the law. In her order, Gee countered that immigration officials ``routinely failed to proceed as expeditiously as possible to place accompanied minors, and in some instances, may still be unnecessarily dragging their feet now.'' Peter Schey, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, said that the court's order ``will protect refugee children and their mothers from lengthy and entirely senseless detention.'' The government poured millions of dollars into two large detention centers in Texas after tens of thousands of immigrant families, mostly mothers with children from Central America, crossed the Rio Grande into the U.S. last summer. Many have petitioned for asylum after fleeing gang and domestic violence back home.
The centers in Karnes City and Dilley, both south of San Antonio, recently held more than 1,300 women and children combined. A third, smaller facility located in Berks County, Pennsylvania, held about 70 people. All three are overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the two centers in Texas are run by private prison operators. Between September 2013 and October 2014, some 68,000 family members - mostly mothers with children in tow - were caught at the border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Between last October and July of this year, less than 30,000 have been apprehended, a drop authorities say is a result of better enforcement in both the U.S. and Mexico. In her order, Gee challenged Homeland Security's claim that drastically limiting or ending its family detention policy could spark another surge in illegal border crossings, calling this ``speculative at best'' and ``fear-mongering.'' -AP
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The Elite Award recipient Hollywood Producer Adi Shankar on stage with Supermodel Katie Cleary and model_TV host Jessa Hinton
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Miss India 2015 winners
actor Ravi Patel (Grandfathered), model & TV host Jessa Hinton, model/actor Sam Asghari, Screenwriter Bill Kelly (Premonition), actor Asif Ali (Mr Robinson) Australian singer Katja, actress Nishi Munshi (CW's The Originals), actress Wedil David (Valentine's Day), and many others. The event was also graced with all the former winners. Miss India America 2014, punjabi singer and college student from Arizona, Maya Sarihan expressed her happiness about passing down her crown. "Miss India America introduced me to the world of glamour, and as my reign comes to an end, it's bittersweet. A wonderful year is over, yet I'm so excited to be able to
share this gift with another young lady tonight, this is just the beginning." That lucky young lady was Alabama native Priya Patel. Priya, a medical student at St George's Medical School in the Carribean, is a beautiful young lady who danced her way into the hearts of all the judges and audience members. Confident, striking, and elegant, when Priya was asked how she felt as the new Miss India America 2015 she exclaimed "I'm in shock and so excited!!" With many of the pageant's past winners making it in Hollywood, its no surprise that Priya was thrilled. Melanie Kannokada, former Miss India America, can be seen on HBO's 'The Brink' with Jack Black and
Tim Robbins, and soon on CBS new TV Series 'Code Black' in September. Nishi Munshi, former Miss India California, can be seen on CW's 'The Originals', and Hasan Minaj, former Mr India California, is seen as a regular on 'The Daily Show' with Jon Stewart. Cont'd on Page 50
Mr and Miss India America 2015 Joseph Berg Mr South Asia 2015 and Anisha K Miss South Asia 2015
India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES, CA: The star studded beauty and entertainment gala extravaganza saw the crowning of Priya Patel from Alabama & Saavan Patel of California as Mr & Miss India America 2015 held at the Renaissance hotel in Los Angeles, CA on August 8. This year marked the 23rd anniversary of the international phenomenon, Miss India America beauty pageant, presented by South Asia Magazine, Mera TV, JINmodels.com, Bodvar of Sweden. Created by Jinnder Chohaan
who is known to have been the first to create a Mr India pageant in the world (five years before India). The evening began with an amazing group of prominent personalities from all over the world walking down the red carpet, these included: actress Annett Mahendru (The Americans), actor Tyler Olson (The Prince, Vice, Jarhead), Supermodel Katie Cleary (cover girl for South Asia Magazine), Hollywood producer Sunil Perkash (Salt, The Enchanted), actor Ken Davitian (Borat), Bravo TV's Asifa Mirza (Shahs of Sunset),
Mr India 2015 winners
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Celebrity chef to open India eatery NEW DELHI: British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is set to launch his famous Italian restaurant chain in Delhi, the first in the country with plans to expand to cities across India. The high-street Jamie's Italian, which has over 30 restaurants across the world and Jamie's Pizzeria two sustainable eating restaurant brands would open this autumn, promoters said. "I can't tell you how excited I am to be bringing Jamie's Italian and Jamie's Pizzeria to India. Delhi is a vibrant, colorful, buzzing city with an already incredible food scene, so to be opening two restaurants there is a huge honor," Oliver said in a statement. Both the Jamie brands are promoted by a joint venture between International Market Management a London investment and Management Company and Carnation Hospitality, a Delhi based business. The promoters also control a range of other well-known brands in India including Wendy's and Barista. "We chose Delhi because we found a great launch site and feel that we can offer something new to the market, this is to say highly accessible, affordable restaurants serving great quality Italian food sourced with the greatest care," Jasper Reid, an entrepreneur and the founder of International Market Management Ltd (IMM) told PTI. Jamie's Italian is a 120-130 seat restaurant serving a full Italian menu "priced at a very affordable level." "We'll serve fresh pasta
made in the restaurant, grills, healthy salads, cold cut planks, innovative sides and starters, pizzas and of course desserts. The restaurant design is modern, beautiful, comfortable and in keeping with Jamie's restaurants around the world in London, Hong Kong, Sao Paolo, Moscow etc," Reid said.
the world. The chef has 63 restaurants in 11 countries. "But we haven't developed anything specific for India...Just chosen Jamie's dishes which tend to work all round the world. "Of course we've increased the vegetarian range and focused on crowd-pleasing dishes like cold-
Chef Jamie Oliver
Jamie's Pizzeria is a 50-60 seat restaurant that serves innovative and delicious thin crust pizzas, salads, sides and desserts. "It's a fun and easy-going place offering customers the highest quality but at amazing value. The plan is for customers to get a yummy pizza and a drink for around Rs 400 to Rs 450. We feel there may be a gap in the market for this quality and this price," Reid said. The menu for the restaurants will remain true to that of "bold, big flavored and full of familiar tastes" served everywhere else in
cut veg and non veg planks, risotto, prawn linguine, tagliatelle Bolognese, fresh baked bread, a lamb burger, grilled pork chops, superfood salad, ice cream, tiramisu, brownies and much much more," Reid said. While the menu of the pizzeria is being kept under wraps until the launch, the range promises to be "imagination grabbing" including a super-hot pizza with five different types of chilli. The Jamie Oliver restaurants are set to come up in Ambience mall, Vasant Kunj and Ambience mall in Gurgaon. Oliver who is pas-
Film festival on cancer survivors NEW DELHI:: The story of 17year old Priti who overcame all odds and ploughed ahead with life after losing an eye in her battle with cancer is now included in a film festival on cancer survivors. "This year we would be creating a film festival with the videos of the cancer survivor that we receive. These videos will be judged by a jury from the film fraternity and the best ones will be selected for the festival," says Dinesh Madhavan, Director Healthcare Services, HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG) Self V Film Festival, a one-ofa-kind celebration for cancer survivors was started by HCG - the Specialist in Cancer Care along with Pink Hope - a cancer support group. All cancer survivors need to shoot a 60 second video showcasing the story of their struggle
and conquest over cancer. "The stories will be aired across India as a part of the 'SelfV Film Festival' in PVR theatres across Mumbai, Bangalore,
‘One of the purposes of sharing my story is that I find lots of cancer patients in the hospital who require help in terms of counseling.’ Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hubli, in 92 auditoriums," says Madhavan. The campaign has already received about 100 videos from India and 50 videos from across the
world like Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. "We not only need to fight for ourselves but for the loved ones as well. One of the purposes of sharing my story is that I find lots of cancer patients in the hospital who require help in terms of counseling. Such a disease takes a lot from you not only physically and mentally but emotionally as well," says Sidharth Ghosh, a cancer survivor and last year's winner. Ghosh was detected with a rare type of cancer in the right kidney. As a part of this campaign, a ride with the Harley Owners Group of Bangalore was also organized. 70 Harley Davidson bike riders participated to support the cause. The ride was flagged off at HCG in July in Bangalore and the bikers rode to Chikballapur.PTI
sionate about standards of welfare, sustainability, healthiness and safety had several years ago initiated a campaign among British schoolchildren towards eating healthy foods and cutting out junk food. "It has taken us almost two years to assemble our ingredients and we feel that we are offering our customers the best possible assurance that the ingredients and food is of the highest quality and integrity. This really matters to people now," Reid said about the upcoming restaurants in Delhi. Senior chefs and all the managers of the two new restaurants have been trained in the UK by Jamie Oliver's team for many months and been inducted in to the "Jamie's way of service". Asked about the association of Pizzas being junk food Reid said, "There's no junk in our pizzas! Of course we know the associations but we feel that the mood is changing and customers want to see better, healthier options." Reid said "dough is hand-
made every day in the restaurant, tomatoes are best Italian; cheeses are from superb local and dedicated suppliers; seasonal veggies are from across India; cold cuts are fine-dining standard." Explaining the approach to his restaurants, Oliver said, "Since I was a teenager, I've been totally besotted by the love, passion and verve for food, family and life itself that just about all the Italian people have, no matter where they're from or how rich or poor they may be. And that's what I'm passionate about - good food for everyone, no matter what". Oliver's India restaurants are keeping in tune with expansion plans of the chef in Brazil, India and China. The chef known for over 30 food-focused TV shows, such as "The Naked Chef" which is a reference to the food being stripped down to essentials. He has sold 37 million cook books to date and has restaurants in operation in England, Ireland, Hong Kong, Australia, Russia, Singapore, Dubai and Toronto among other places. -PTI
'Heidi' will appeal to both kids and parents NEW DELHI: Swiss author Johanna Spyri's beloved children's novel "Heidi" is getting a big screen adaptation. Sheetal Talwar of Vistaar Entertainment is producing the movie with Simon Wright of Big Tree Productions. Paul Watson has written the script. Talwar, who had produced the 2007 National-Award-winning film "Dharm", said Heidi as a character is relevant even today though the novel was written in 1881. "Heidi is undoubtedly one of the most loved children's' books. When Simon and Paul came to us with the story and the wonderful adaptation of it, we knew this was something that just had to be made. "Heidi as a character is so relevant in our current times and we believe the audiences, both kids and parents alike will get this opportunity to discover and rediscover the character and the ethos of it all," Talwar told PTI. "Heidi" is about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps and was written as a book "for children and those who love children". The novel has had multiple film, TV and theatrical adaptations. The new movie will be shot on
location in the Swiss Alps later this year. Talwar is building the movie as an independent project without hampering the subject. "We are way into setting up this film. Although it is an inde-
pendent film, it is being set up in a scale that will not compromise the film. We will make announcements of the same shortly and some exciting ones at that." Besides "Heidi", Talwar will also be producing filmmaker Onir's upcoming movie "Veda". "We are committed to backing good quality content, irrespective of its language or geography. We are looking at some very interesting projects and are currently also producing Onir's 'Veda', a wonderful feature adaptation to the classic 'Hamlet'. -PTI
August 28, 2015
India Post 49 www.indiapost.com
Teen creates award-winning Vietnam War documentary HATTIESBURG, Miss.: While plenty of teenagers post videos to their social media accounts, one local teen created her own video documentary based on an event of the Vietnam War. Abigail Wiest, 13, of Hattiesburg, entered the National History Day competition for Mississippi this past March with her project focusing on the USS Kirk. ``The USS Kirk was a ship off the coast of Vietnam as Saigon fell in 1975,'' said Abigail's father, Andrew Wiest, a history professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. ``It was supposed to guard incoming and outgoing helicopters. Instead it was there as hundreds of Vietnamese helicopters carrying refugees flew away from the failing country.'' ``I learned about it in school and I thought it was such an interesting story that I decided I wanted to do my project on it,''
Abigail Wiest said. National History Day is a nationwide competition for middleand high-school students. It encourages students to use their creativity to develop original historical research focused on an annual theme. Students who participate in the state National History Day contest compete for the opportunity to attend the national competition in College Park, Maryland, and have the opportunity to win scholarships and other awards. To participate, students create a project (group or individual) in one of five areas: video documentary, exhibit, paper (individual only), performance and website design. Wiest, who just started eighth grade at Sacred Heart Catholic School, decided to enter a video documentary because she felt it was the best medium for the subject matter.
``I thought about doing a paper, but with the video you can really see the emotion of the men I interviewed and actually see the helicopters in the water and people on the USS Kirk,'' Wiest said. ``It just wouldn't have been as powerful in a paper or exhibit.'' As part of filming her documentary, Wiest traveled with her father to New Orleans to a retirement home for Vietnamese Americans. There they found Kiem Do, who served as a captain in the South Vietnamese Navy, and Toan Nguyen, who was a colonel in the South Vietnamese Air Force. ``Mr Do was one of the men who led the flotilla carrying nearly 30,000 refugees to safety as the war ended. The USS Kirk helped get those people to the Philippines and safety,'' Wiest said. ``Mr Nguyen was a pilot who tried to land his helicopter on the USS Kirk but was turned away. After toss-
Orem woman evolves into caretaker for husband PROVO, Utah: Eighteen years ago, Filomena and Jay Bown met on a dance floor. ``It was a beautiful western waltz,'' Filomena recalled of the moment. They both loved to dance. The start to their relationship was filled with months of LDS Church firesides, singles activities and dances together, all leading up to their first date, a mountaintop picnic. Though Jay was 79 at the time, he hiked the entire way with the picnic basket. With his spry nature and active lifestyle, their 26year age difference was unrecognizable to Filomena. ``Neither of us were looking for a mate, but a companion to enjoy our life with,'' Filomena said. After months of dating, Jay was dropping off Filomena at her home when she asked him about one day getting married. He dropped her off and told her to wait for him to return. Minutes later, he came back toting a single red rose and asked her
to marry him. Filomena points to a dried rose hanging on the wall of their Orem home. ``Is that the same one?'' asks Jay. Filomena nods in response.
Filomena and Jay Brown
``I didn't know she kept it all this time,'' he responds, with a smile upon his face. The two have since been married for 16 years. ``When we first married, I told
him if you require a lot of female attention, I'm not the woman for you,'' Filomena said. As the years went by, Jay's active lifestyle began to slow, and his health started to decline. It was a process neither fully recognized until three years ago. On a cold December night, Jay was driving back to Orem alone from southern Utah County when he became confused. After a police call from two worried strangers about his driving, the police pulled Jay over in Tooele County. When he told them he was looking for Orem, they decided to take him to the hospital to be checked over. Jay was diagnosed with the early stages of dementia. Little by little, Filomena began to take on more responsibility for her husband. A year after the diagnosis, Jay decided it best that he not renew his driver's license. Filomena became his full-time driver. One year later, she also became the full time head of household. -AP
ing family members to safety on the ship, he landed his chopper in the water, trying to avoid the chopper blades (when he jumped from
Abigail Wiest, 13, submitted her documentary for National History Day and won first place in the state of Mississippi in March. From there she moved to the national competition.
the chopper) so he could make it to the ship.'' One of the things Wiest was most proud of in doing her documentary was getting to the stories of the men she interviewed. ``They were so happy to talk to me and tell me about what they experienced,'' Wiest said. ``They just were glad that their story was getting out there and people would learn about what happened out there.'' Wiest won first place in the National History Day competition
for the state of Mississippi, and moved on to the national competition in College Park, Maryland, but did not place. ``While there, Abigail's work caught the eye of Charles Chadbourn, a professor at the Naval War College,'' Andrew said. ``He loved the project and took it to the main publisher of Naval History in the world, the International Journal of Naval History, the leading journal in the field.'' Jan Herman, the producer of the first PBS documentary on the USS Kirk, also wrote Wiest to comment on the technical skill of her documentary. ``It is heartwarming to learn how the story of USS Kirk has inspired a younger generation of scholars such as yourself,'' Herman wrote to Wiest. ``I was not only touched by the content of your creation but marvel at how skillfully you presented the story. Creating a successful documentary, balancing interviews with visual content is formidable enough for an experienced filmmaker. That you achieved success at such a young age is even more remarkable. Your scholarship, maturity and dedication set you apart. Should you choose to become a professional historian, I have no doubt you will be a very successful one.'' Wiest, who worked on the project independently, said she has found great interest in filmmaking as well as history. ``I've always liked history, but doing this project made me realize how much I really liked editing the video and putting it all together,'' Wiest said. ``I think I would really like it if I could do something like that when I grow up.'' -AP
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August 28, 2015 www.indiapost.com
Alabama girl is Miss India America science major at USC. When asked what was the first thing she was going to do as Miss South Asia Ravishing Anisha Winning the Miss South Asia 2015 she exclaimed "Hug my 2015 title was none other than the mom!!" In the Mr India American 2015 ravishing Anisha Kurukulasuriya. portion, we saw accomplished This beauty not only is already an Bharat Natyam dancer Saavan Patel take first with Mr India America 2015 and the very handsome Joseph Berg grab the Mr South Asia 2015. The other Miss India title winners that night were: Heart Hayes (Miss India Globe 2015), Mayuri Bhandari of Nevada (Miss India Global 2015), Gurleen Kaur (Miss India Galaxy 2015), Jasmine Mann (Miss India North America 2015), and Neeru Sehgal (Miss India California 2015), Tamana Khan (Miss South Asia USA 2015), and Parul Berry (Beauty of India 2015). For the Mr India winners: Rohit Agarwal of Saavan Patel Mr India America 2015 and Minnesota (Mr India Priyal Patel Miss India America 2015 Globe 2015), Prem Rahman accomplished dancer in the Bollywood Dance Circuit, but also of Georgia (Mr India Global 2015), has worked with Youtube sensa- Saksham Ghai (Mr India Galaxy tion SuperWoman during her most 2015), Dilip Reddy of Pennsylvarecent world tour and is a neuro- nia (Mr India North America 2015), Cont'd from Page 47
and Paul Perumal (Mr India California 2015). Along with the pageant, The Elite Awards were held that honored those that have excelled in the entertainment industry and have inspired others. The Elite Awards 2015 honored today's top Hollywood producers: Randall Emmett (Lone Survivor, 2 Guns, Escape Plan, Rambo) and Adi Shankar (Broken City, Killing Them Softly, The Grey). When asked how they felt about the evening, Randall expressed
hits included: Lone Survivor w/ Mark Wahlberg, 2 Guns w/ Denzel Washingon, Empire State w/ Liam Hemsworth, Escape Plan w/ Sylvester Stallone, 16 Blocks w/ Bruce Willis, and Rambo w/ Sylvester Stallone. Adi Shankar's blockbusters include: Killing Them Softly w/ Brad Pit, Broken City w/ Russell, and The Grey w/ Liam Neeson. While all the contestants and guests made the event spectacular, it was truly made possible by event sponsors: Robert Mondavi winery, PrintLife, Belvedere Vodka, People Water, Brain Toniq, Domaine Chandon, Patron, Scala, Top Priority Media, and Cloud 21. The show will be aired on Star Plus TV. Email info@SouthAsiaInc.com to get details on the show's airing date and time. Judges for the pageant were: actress Annett Mahendru (The Americans on FX & The Following on Creator Jinnder Chohaan with Hollywood Fox), Supermodel Katie producer Sunil Perkash of Salt and Cleary (cover girl for South Premonition fame Asia Magazine issue revealed that it was truly, "Magical", while that night), actor Ken Davitian Adi Shankar stated, "I'm having a (Borat), Bravo TV's Asifa Mirza great time". (Shahs of Sunset), actor Ravi Patel Randall Emmett's blockbuster (Grandfathered), model & TV host
Creator Jinnder Chohaan with supermodel Katie Cleary-cover girl of South Asia Magazine latest issue
Jessa Hinton, model/actor Sam Asghari, actor Asif Ali (Mr. Robinson) actress Wedil David (Valentine's Day), Sony Pictures VP David Ducar. South Asia Inc. is a prestigious production company in Bollywood and Hollywood with over 23 years in the entertainment industry. The organization has simple goals: to provide young South Asians an opportunity to display and enhance their talent, to heighten their self-esteem, and to enhance the image of the South Asian community all over the world.
My sister's wedding was perfect: Paris Hilton LONDON: Socialite Paris Hilton says her sister Nicky's wedding was like a fairytale. Paris Hilton thought her sister's wedding was "perfect". The 34-year-old heiress was bridesmaid when Nicky and James Rothschild tied the knot in L o n d o n ' s Kensington Palace last month and she felt proud to be a part of her sister's big day, reported Hello magazine. "It was fabulous. It was the first wedding in our family, Nicky being the first of our siblings to get married. Seeing my sister in her wedding gown, knowing she was so happy and so in love, was amazing. "We all had a great time and are really happy to have a new member of the family. Nicky's wedding was definitely a fairytale. Every little detail was perfect."
Paris was particularly moved when the couple exchanged their vows. "It was very moving when they said their vows. The beginning of a life together, a celebration of love, commitments, friend-
Paris Hilton
ship and loyalty. And that has a special meaning in our family. "My parents have been together for 35 years, which is unusual these days. I hope we follow that tradition, as we all start to marry," she said. -PTI
Horoscope
August 28, 2015
India Post
51
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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar Aug 28th - Sept 3rd 2015 (March 21 to April 20)
B
achelors will find a very suitable match, but some one from a different caste and culture. People involved in research and development program will see the finally breakthrough. Mind will be full of bright ideas and you will quickly jump on implementing them. Some religious activities performed in the past will help you overcome a major obstacle.
(April 21 to May 20)
Y
ou will be help a child prepare for his upcoming big move to another state. Extra money in bank will make your mind wonder how to make good use of it. Some of you may travel this weekend to meet an important person in your life. Things will keep improving at work and boss will extent an helping hand. You will be out most of the evenings for good reasons.
(May 21 to June 20)
E
xtra expenses will not cause any dent in your finances. It will be a very fruitful week. You will take your chance and the rewards will be more than expectations. You may successfully negotiate with a government agency or official and get the job done, making room for big improvement in career. You will get to see many old friends at the party this week.
(June 21 to July 22)
P
lanets are in great shape and again this new opportunity will not be less than a jackpot. Do not hesitate to try your hand at lottery for next few weeks. Al your financial gambles will pay off with rich rewards. Right eye may stay red and over the counter ointment will be helpful. You will take time of busy schedule and enjoy life to max.
(July 23 to August 22)
(November 23 to December 22)
C
ombination of Sun and Jupiter is very favorable. Your past actions will help you gain popularity in social as well as professional circle. You have very strong chance of making quick bucks this week. Just be little careful when signing any contract or making any verbal commitments. There is an overseas trip also in the air. You will visit close relatives.
(August 23 to September 22)
S
ome one will try to test your patience. Stick to your guns if you want the right deal. You may buy some fine items for the house. People in business will need more investment to add new inventory. Some of you may start preparing to move to another location. A close relative will pay a visit. Chances of addition of another member in the family are strong.
(September 23 to October 22)
G
etting tired of stale life, you will make some extra ordinary attempts. Help from an influential person will make target easy to achieve. Strong planet Sun in house of gains can help you make money through stocks and lottery even. Some of you may be slowly working on an upcoming long distance trip. Try to maintain a distance from the new colleague.
(October 23 to November 22)
H
ard work will finally pay off in shape of much awaited improvement in career. Assignment will be accompanied with authority and right team and of course financial benefits. Do not ignore health related issue and get the right help. And this may be the right time to start new relationship also. You may also get some major work done with a government agency.
PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com
P
resence of Jupiter and Sun in ninth gives you the Midas touch. Do not hesitate to take your chance, the world is yours. gambling instincts will pay off in a big way. Some one lot younger in age will show you the right ropes. Some of you may sign up a contract to buy another running business. One of your child will need help and guidance from you.
(December 22 to January 19)
A
big and long overdue payment or refund will arrive during the week. The other claim you file, will get accepted quickly. Some of you may start an interesting relationship with a person from totally different caste and culture. A big family reunion this week will clear some misunderstanding. You may be exploring business opportunity with a friend.
(January 20 to February 18)
R
ecently changes will make you think again and you may start exploring opportunity outside organization. You will spend an evening with some famous and successful person. Spouse if employed, will be in line for a big promotion. Some of you may try to cut down on caffeine or nicotine from now.
(February 19 to March 20)
Y
ou may be calling people overseas more frequently. Expect big improvement in project going on overseas. People looking for better opportunity, will be called for second interview. Money wise you will continue to stay in safe zone. You will receive some valuable advise and assurance from an experienced person. You will stretch your limits and buy beautiful gift for someone.
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Philosophy
August 28, 2015
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Page Sponsored by Sahanis JEAN KLEIN
Y
ou know moments in your daily life when you are completely absent as a person. You cannot think this absence, you are it. If you consider yourself to be a person, then you make an object of yourself, and as such you are connected as an object with objects. Then you occupy a part of yourself, and a part can only be a part. By seeing only one part nothing else can arise except reactions, and reactions can only create conflict. But if you are free of yourself, free of the idea of being a person, in this absence of yourself, you are actually presence, all-encompassing presence. Then you see the surroundings without reference, out of your totality, out of your all encompassing oneness. There is no reaction anymore, there is only action. There is no entity in the cosmos. There is only functioning. There is not anyone who functions. How is it possible to free yourself of the past by only observing? See how observing in the right way changes the patterns in your body-thought-feeling. See what effect it has in you to be the observing. When you think of the past, it is the present, a thought in the now. Thus, in reality there is no psychological past. There is a chronological past, but this is only a very small percentage of ANANDA WOOD
M
y mother was a disciple of Shri Atmananda's, and in 1952 she took my sister and me to see him. I was then a five year old boy, troubled by a fear of death. When my mother told him of this, he asked me: "Were you not a small baby, some years ago?" I had of course to answer yes. He asked again: "Where is the baby now?" I answered: "It is gone." He asked if I could bring it back, and I had to agree that this was impossible. He went on to say, the baby I was once had gone for ever, and it could never come back again. It had thus died away, while I stayed undeniably present and alive, quite unaffected by the natural dying of this now passed babyhood. Shri Atmananda then pointed out that this boy would also die, and I would become a young man. The young man too would die and I would become an old man. All these deaths keep succeeding one after the other, in the natural course of the body's journey through the world. Then why be afraid of the old man's death? Is it not also like the many deaths that will have passed already?
what we call 'the past'. Ninety percent of the so-called past is therefore fictive. The psychological past is there only to preserve the 'I concept', and the 'I-concept' is built up exclusively from memory. Most of our so called memory is psychological. If you really see that the 'I' as such has no existence, that it is a thought, then the psychological past is given up. Enormous quantities of energy
never know what we are, because we are the knowing. See at the moment itself how understanding this affects you; that you can never know it, you cannot represent it, you can only be it. Then there is a natural, unavoidable giving up. It is a transformation of energy. Something happens in your body, in your brain cells, and there comes a moment that you feel that you are
the standpoint of the thinking, of the I, you are never in good company. You are continuously in: I want, I must, I shall. Out of that you can never have or be good company, because good company begins with yourself. A teacher does not see himself as a teacher. He or she gives without asking anything in return. He considers himself to be nothing, and in that way he sees to it that
We can only know what we are not When you think of the past, it is the present, a thought in the now. Thus, in reality there is no psychological past. There is a chronological past, but this is only a very small percentage Jean Klein
and tension are invested in thinking about and maintaining a psychological past. If we see that it is only daydreams we give it up, and then suddenly there is a deep letting go, a deep relaxation, that brings us to a state of openness. Free of the 'I-idea' and psychological memory we are open for intelligence, open for pure functional memory, a cosmic memory, a universal memory. We can only know what we are not; we can
nothing, and you feel yourself in this nothing. In this nothing there is fullness.
And then he said: "Why were you not sorry when the baby in you died? Because you knew that the baby alone dies and that you do not die. Similarly, it is only the old man in you that will die. You know that you will never die. You know your many deaths from your babyhood onwards. Similarly, you are the knower of the
later on.
Would you please tell us about that which is called satsang? Tell me first what you mean by satsang. Commonly the word means that you are in good company, in the vicinity of someone who is blessed. But that depends totally on the point of view that you take. From
What does the Sanskrit word "Sadhaka"mean? Ananda Wood: A "sadhaka" is one who strives towards achievement, in particular towards a spiritual achievement of plain truth beyond all compromise. That achievement cannot
the nothing in you wakes up when he says: you are nothingness. That is real togetherness. That is perfect company. I listen to your question and I listen to the answer. The answer comes out of silence. Jean Klein (1912-1998) was a French author, spiritual teacher and philosopher. Excerpted from 'Open to the Unknown' talks in Delphi, Greece in 1990. left obscure, there's always some remaining ignorance confusing what the picture shows. There's always some contaminating cover-up, which somehow taints our understanding of what's plain and simply true. In order to achieve plain truth, a sadhaka must keep on striving to reflect all questioning back in.
Why be afraid of the old man's death? die, and I would become a young man. The young man too would die and I would become
death of your old age also.... Now you are deathless, the Eternal. That is God. Do you follow me?" I found this simple explanation deeply comforting, and I think that my sister did as well. Our mother was very much a devoted disciple; and we too came to accept Shri Atmananda as our "karana guru" or in other words our "spiritual teacher". So too did my father, though somewhat
take place outwardly. In all our picturing of an external world, there is a taint of compromise. Such picturing is always compromised by the limitations and partialities of our bodily and sensual and mental personalities. As we perceive and think and feel, we build up pictures that are never quite complete or fully accurate. In all our picturing of world, there's always something
That with the help of which we can know the truth, control the restless mind, and purify the soul is called knowledge. -Mahavira It is true what they say, "You are what you think." If you think you are bound you are bound. If you think you are free you are free. -Ashtavakra Gita Only the ignorant speak of Karma-Yoga (Yoga of Action) as being different from the Sankhya-Yoga (Yoga of Knowledge). Those who are actually learned say that he who is truly established in one obtains the fruits of both i.,e.God Realization. -Bhagavad Gita If you dig into yourself, you will discover how much of yourself is an amalgam of egoism and conventionality. -Jina Sutras
He then pointed out that this boy would also
an old man. All these deaths keep succeeding
The fool who knows his folly becomes wise by that fact. But the fool who thinks he's wise - He's called 'a fool' indeed! -Buddha
Ananda Wood
The questioning must turn back down: from different objects shown in space, through changing thoughts which come and go in mind, to underlying consciousness beneath all change and difference. Ananda Wood (born 1947) is a disciple of the Sage Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon. His mother was Indian and father Irish. He lives in the city of Pune.
'The Supreme Being' manifests himself in the innermost chamber of our hearts, all that which move or not move and all living creature have wholly taken shelter in Him. -Atharva Veda
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Myanmar Polls: Test for Suu Kyi and democracy India Post
WASBIR HUSSAIN
I
t is time for fresh national elections in Myanmar. The muchhyped polls to the 664-member Parliament - finally fixed for 8 November 2015 - will be a test for both democracy in the former pariah state ruled by a military dictatorship as well as for the icon of democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi. This is expected to be a landmark general election because the exercise is being held under the military-backed quasi-civilian government which is engaged in restoring a semblance of democracy in the nation of 51 million people since it assumed office in 2011. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), by all accounts, is expected to bag a large bloc of seats, but whether the military-influenced ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) of President Thein Sein is going to wholeheartedly accept the people's verdict is left to be seen.
would contest the upcoming polls to "continue the unfinished democratic reform process of the country." The NLD had kept away from the 2010 elections because of rules barring Suu Kyi from contesting. But even today, Myanmar's military-drafted Constitution has a provision that prohibits any person from becoming president if their family members are foreigners. Suu Kyi's late husband was British, and her two sons hold British passports. Myanmar has been claiming it has made good strides on the road to democracy, but actions of parliamentarians or the military speak otherwise. In recent weeks, MPs voted down a motion to amend the clause barring Suu Kyi to run for presidency on the ground that some of her immediate family members are foreign nationals.
Aung San Suu Kyi
It is this lurking doubt over the military's intent that has prompted many, including some key American Senators, to go on record to say the US should not provide trade benefits to Myanmar until after the November elections that will indicate the state of political reform. The USDP or the military itself will be under the scanner this time because the international community has not forgotten how the unpopular military junta refused to accept the verdict in the first multi-party elections in 1990 where Suu Kyi's NLD won a convincing victory. Western governments pushing for true democracy in Myanmar are more than happy that the NLD, that had boycotted the 2010 national elections, is in the fray this time, but are keeping their fingers crossed over possible electiontime or post-poll political combustions. Suu Kyi confirmed on 11 July after a party meeting that the NLD
The parliamentarians also voted in favor of the army's veto over constitutional change, dealing a blow to hopes for fuller democracy. The verdict of the MPs has not come as a surprise because the army holds 25 per cent of the seats in the Myanmar Parliament and as per current provisions, changes to the Constitution require more than 75 per cent of the votes. Everything, including Suu Kyi's future, as also the future of democracy itself in Myanmar, depends on the NLD's performance at the polls. Suu Kyi and her party are not without hurdles in the run-up to the elections. In fact, during the past year, democracy icon Suu Kyi has maintained near silence on several issues concerning the masses. For instance, she and her party had backed the controversial Education Bill last year that prohibits student politics by not letting the formation of students unions in
educational institutions. She had also remained largely silent on the issue of Rohingya Muslims that concerned most in South Asia. This has been a big irony that has either upset or surprised the common masses. But, Suu Kyi had obviously adopted such a stand because she was seeking the support of the Government in revising Myanmar's Constitution, a move blocked by the MPs recently. The NLD would like to win as many seats as possible but there are doubts if it could perform as well as it did in 1990 in Myanmar's ethnic regions where fighting between the rebels and Government forces have intensified, of late. Suu Kyi has said her party's key agenda would be to bring about Constitutional amendment, pursuing the rule of law, and bringing about a national ceasefire with ethnic insurgents. Aside from this broad promise, the NLD has not spoken out its mind on how it plans to deal with ethnic aspirations in the nation. A Buddhist monk movement with a sharp nationalistic fervor has threatened to reduce the NLD's influence among the Buddhists. Besides, a plethora of political parties drawn from ethnic groups have sprung up in the troubled regions, challenging the dominance of the NLD. These will be factors which Suu Kyi and her party cannot ignore, making their fight with the USDP or the military itself all the more difficult. President Thein Sein has promised a 'free and fair' election in the presence of international observers. But, with reports of large-scale irregularities in the voters' list that have been published, things may not be smooth sailing. Suu Kyi, obviously, is aware of the odds, and at the same time knows this is possibly her final chance to wrest control in Myanmar. Whether that can speed up the march towards total democracy in a nation dominated for decades by the military is left to be seen. The polls also presents New Delhi with an opportunity to try and test its 'neighborhood first' policy by way of convincing the key players in Myanmar on the strength and benefits of a form of governance based on democratic ideals. The writer is Executive Director, Centre for Development & Peace Studies, Guwahati, & Visiting Fellow, IPCS
Pak duplicity
P
akistan doesn't want to talk terror. Obviously, because all evidence, secured from whatever source, overwhelmingly points, like a selfie, to itself. And the picture may not be to its liking. The picture that India was about to present to Pakistan during the now cancelled NSO talks would have depressed it. So it wanted to avoid talking terror at any cost. And the invitation to the Kashmir separatists to meet Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's National Security Advisor, was just the ploy to have the talks cancelled. Pakistan knew the new Modi dispensation in India would not tolerate his meeting the separatists. So it has managed to save face before domestic audiences claiming that India "killed" the talks. It is certain that if the Pak NSO had been allowed to talk to the separatists, he would have found some other excuse to avoid talking terror. The opinion in India about the approach of the Modi government about talks with Pakistan has been divided. Some commentators have called it petulant response to have objected to Pakistan talking to the separatists because they have been talking earlier also. It has also been revealed that UPA's Manmohan Singh government was also not happy to see a string of terrorist sympathizers and separatist elements wining and dining with the Pakistani envoy and the interlocutor from Pakistan in earlier attempts at talks. But like a weak administrator, Manmohan Singh swallowed it all. Should Modi also have countenanced a bevy of secessionists cocking a snook at him in his own capital? Would it have suited his hardline image? At their meeting in Ufa in Russia, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif had agreed to hold meetings of two NSAs on terrorism. The idea was to address security issues. But back home Sharif was severely criticized for not mentioning Kashmir in the joint statement. Under pressure of the real power in Pakistan, the Army, an attempt was made to scuttle the talks. Inviting the Kashmiri separatist for talks before meeting his counterpart, the NSA of Pakistan succeeded in creating an atmosphere where talks could not be held and the blame could be laid on India's doors. It is now certain that the Pakistan Army will escalate tensions on the LOC and there will be more incidents of the type recently witnessed in Gurdaspur and Udhampur. Security expert Praveen Swami, writing in Indian Express, says, "Modi will then need to speak to the hidden hand (Pak Army) in a language it understands, but his options aren't good. Even though a limited war would have high costs for Pakistan, a crisis would frighten away the investors he needs to realize his economic vision." But can he continue in the manner of UPA and allow the Pakistan Army to continue its terrorist campaign in India? The pattern always in the attempts at India Pakistan dialogue has been Pakistani duplicity. Even as top dignitaries meet and decide to have talks, the Army starts orchestrating incidents so that India would refuse to talk. It is well known now how when Atal Behari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif were signing the Lahore declaration for peace, Pakistani troops were being trained to push their way across the line of control to Kargil. There is more historical evidence how Pakistan talked peace on the eve of the 1965 war. So Modi is not going to accept the pinpricks approach that Pakistan has so far perfected to harass and ties down India. Commending his hardline approach, British peer Lord Meghnad DesaI writes in Indian Express, "A paradox in politics is that often it is the hardliner who succeeds in making lasting peace, facing no worry that there would be criticism about being soft. Richard Nixon could go to China and Ronald Reagan could work with Mikhail Gorbachev. Not this week nor next year, but it is very likely that Modi will get the prize he covets - peace with Pakistan."
August 28, 2015
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