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Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in LA on Nov 14-15 Details on page 16

Jaitley accuses Cong, leftists of intolerance Details on page 6

Pak bans LeT outfit JuD's media coverage

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VOL 21, No. 1102

November 6, 2015

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Periodical Postage

INDIA AND RUSSIA TO BOOST MILITARY TIES

MOSCOW/NEW DELHI: India and Russia have decided to step up military ties as they sought to firm up a multi-billion dollar deal for the new generation Russian S400 Triumf anti-ballistic missile system and possible leasing of a second nuclear submarine besides other deals. Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is in Moscow for the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), signed a military-technical cooperation agreement with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. Defense Ministry sources said Parrikar's efforts are to

firm up major contracts that could be signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in December. While sources remained tight-lipped about the negotiations for the Triumf missile systems, they said a government to government deal could very well be signed during Modi's visit. If India signs the deal, it would be the second customer of the prized missile system after China which had struck a USD 3 billion contract earlier this year.

Mira Modi

Indian-origin girl sells secure passwords Details on page 5

Obama lauds soccer's IndianAmerican chief Details on page 6

Details on page 5

Details on page 6

US wants faster pace of reforms in India Details on page 15 See pages 36-47

Punjabi third language in Canada Parl

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 30-31 Classifieds ------------------------- 48

Details on page 8

Community Post -------------- 16-23 Date Book -------------------------- 28

INDIA POST SURVEY

Edit Page --------------------------- 54

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HealthScience Post --------- 34-35

This week’s question

Horoscope ------------------------- 12

Is Indian media guilty of selective outrage?

Immigration Post ------------- 52-53 Life Style ----------------------- 50-51

Last week’s result

Would you like to retire in India? YES 53%

NO 47%

Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP: Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, who turned 50 on Nov 2, acknowledges greetings of his fans by climbing on the balcony railings of his residence, Mannat in Mumbai.

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Real Estate -------------------- 32-33 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 25-27

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Publisher’s Diary

o okay, India has come a long way from being perceived by the West as a land of snake charmers and elephants roaming the streets. But I haven't seen a nation more implosive in its attitude (a la the Hindu mythological demon Bhasmasur) when it has so much going for itself in terms of talent, resources, and riches (yes, riches too) to give all of its populace a decent life. I would sweepingly attribute that tendency solely to the political class and its myriad minions in the community, but surely that malaise is far more widespread than one would like to believe. Here's a country that big businesses and elite governments are beginning to take seriously and pushing it into the realm of global powers, but narrow interests within are bent upon pulling it down to be condemned as a nation of intolerant and bigoted opportunists. On the one hand international metrics are placing India's economy at close to double digit growth and ranking its brand value in the top ten nations. And on the other hand, India routinely puts out news like mobs lynching persons suspected of eating beef; or dalits being burnt alive; or of rational litterateurs being assassinated; critics of individual state heads being booked for sedition (!); toddlers being raped; of movies and books being banned; and relentless rhetoric on Hindu-Muslim tensions. And just when the world starts to do some serious business with India considering its economic potential, street corner power centers aligned to political parties drag the benign cow center stage to make it an issue of civilizational threat. PM Modi, while busy taking selfies with world leaders or endlessly campaigning through every state assembly elections, is yet to state his stand on fringe elements fomenting communal disharmony. Moody's Analytics has warned him in so many words that he needs to reign in such elements within his party and outside if India has to keep its credibility from going down the drain. Perhaps it's not just the prime minister, but the nation collectively needs to ascertain where its priorities lie - whether in nation building or in sentiment building.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: 32 kg lehenga In a song in R. Balki's Ki And Ka, Kareena Kapoor Khan will be sporting a gorgeous lehenga weighing over 32 kgs

Cover Story: Parrikar in Moscow Manohar Parrikar signed a military-technical cooperation agreement with his Russian counterpart in Moscow

Community: Pravasi Divas in LA The 9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) is being organized in Los Angeles, California on November 14-15.

‘Illegal’ beliefs Illegal immigrant family units consistently point to a belief that they will be allowed to stay in the U.S. and receive benefits

Life style: Saree rocks A flash mob of 50 ladies dressed in their best sarees performed in a Delhi mall to revive the tradition of draping saris

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Aviation policy Fliers may have to pay 2 per cent more towards a regional connectivity levy proposed in the draft civil aviation policy

Hampi Hampi is far from what one would call ruins. Every bend in the road is punctuated by a 14th century, if not older, temple

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India & Russia to boost military ties MOSCOW/NEW DELHI: India and Russia have decided to step up military ties as they sought to firm up a multi-billion dollar deal for the new generation Russian S400 Triumf anti-ballistic missile system and possible leasing of a second nuclear submarine besides other deals. Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is in Moscow for the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), signed a military-technical cooperation agreement with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. Defense Ministry sources said Parrikar's efforts are to firm up major contracts that could be signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in December. While sources remained tightlipped about the negotiations for the Triumf missile systems, they said a government to government deal could very well be signed during Modi's visit. If India signs the deal, it would be the second customer of the prized missile system after China which had struck a USD 3 billion contract earlier this year. The S-400, an upgraded version of the S-300, had previously only been available to the Russian defense forces. Manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007. The air defense system is capable of firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defense, and can simultaneously engage 36 targets. It has the capability to destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km. Another key plan is the leasing of a second nuclear submarine.

In 2012, India had leased a 12,000-tonne Akula-class nuclearpowered attack submarine, the INS Chakra, for a ten-year period. Defense sources confirmed

Council of the Russian Federation, the Office of the Russian Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as federal service on military and

Both countries have shown readiness for effectively combating modern challenges and threats, Shoigu noted. Speaking about the military and

Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar exchanging documents after signing a military-technical cooperation agreement with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu

that talks have been on for leasing of a second nuclear submarine. Parrikar also set the stage for the inking of an agreement with Russia during Modi's visit for the manufacture of 200 Kamov 226T helicopters in India under the 'Make in India' initiative. India also raised the issue of serviceability of Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets and sought for a smooth and reliable supply of spare parts and systems. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Security

technical cooperation of Russia. "Consolidated position of our states has a stabilizing influence on the international situation," General of the Army Shoigu was quoted as saying in a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry. He added that the important constituent part of the Russian-Indian strategic interaction was the military cooperation. Shoigu said the most important aspect of this cooperation is the joint exercises. He called for an increase in the level of joint military training and exercises.

technical cooperation, he noted that Russia and India had achieved the level of close industrial cooperation. "Looking ahead there is the creation of multirole transport aircraft, a fifth-generation fighter as well as a number of projects in the military naval field," Shoigu said. On his part, Parrikar expressed condolences to Russia over the loss of lives in the air crash in Egypt. He stated that Russia had been and remained the leading partner of India in the field of defense.

Parrikar said the intergovernmental commission is the main mechanism of facilitation of cooperation between both countries. He stressed that cooperation in defense field played a very important role in such a strategic partnership and it was necessary to do everything in accordance to mutual profit and respect in order to develop the partnership. Parrikar said India wanted to develop the partnership in the way of participation of the Russian military industrial companies in the 'Make in India' initiative. He said India had taken several efforts to provide opportunity for external participation in 'Make in India' within the defense field. The Indian military industry department is ready to provide future assistance, Parrikar said. "The parties have positively assessed the course of works on designing of a forward-looking multirole fighter and multirole transport aircraft, licensed production of Su-30MKI and T-90S as well as implementation of the program aimed for creation and production of Brahmos complexes, modernization of MiG-29 aircraft and submarines of project 877EKM," the Russian statement said. The two leaders also noted the great potential of cooperation in the field of missile and naval technologies, aviation and ship industry as well as modernization of the military hardware of the land forces. "Moreover, the Ministers of Defense exchanged their points of view concerning the state and prospects of the Russian-Indian military cooperation...A Protocol aimed at further development of bilateral cooperation between Russia and India was signed," it said. -PTI

Indian-origin girl sells secure passwords NEW YORK: An enterprising 11-year-old Indian-origin girl in the US has started her own business selling cryptographically secure passwords generated by dice rolls. Mira Modi, a sixth grader in New York City, has her own website and generates sixword Diceware passphrases for her customers at USD 2 each. Diceware is a well-known decades-old system for coming up with passwords. It involves rolling a dice as a way to generate random numbers that are matched to a long list of English words.

Those words are then combined into a nonsensical string that exhibits true randomness and is therefore difficult to crack. These passphrases have proven relatively easy for humans to memories. "This whole concept of making your own passwords and being super secure and stuff, I don't think my friends understand that, but I think it's cool," Modi told 'Ars Technica'. Modi's mother, Julia Angwin, a veteran journalist and author of Dragnet Nation, employed her daughter to generate Diceware

Mira Modi

passphrases as a part of research for her book. That is when Modi had the idea to turn it into a small business. For every order, Modi rolls a physical dice and looks up the words in a printed copy of the Diceware word list. She writes down the corresponding password string onto a piece of paper and sends it by postal mail to the customer. "I think (good passwords are) important. Now we have such good computers, people can hack into anything so much more quickly," Modi said.-PTI

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Jaitley accuses Cong, leftists of intolerance NEW DELHI: Turning tables on Congress and left thinkers, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has accused them of practicing "ideological intolerance" towards the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to project India as an intolerant society through structured and organized propa-

atmosphere and obstruct growth. "While the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is trying to accelerate India's growth, there are many who have never intellectually accepted the idea of the BJP being in power. This obviously includes the Congress, many Left thinkers and ac-

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

ganda. Jaitley also appealed to "every well-wisher of India and the present Government" not to make statements that could vitiate the

tivists. Over decades they have practiced ideological intolerance towards BJP," the Minister said in a Facebook post. He further said that since 2002,

Pak bans LeT outfit JuD's media coverage ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has acknowledged for the first time that the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed- led Jamaatud-Dawah is a wing of Lashkar-eTaiba and asked broadcasters to refrain from covering such terror groups. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued a notification banning all TV channels and FM radio from coverage of 72 banned groups including LeT, JuD and Falah-eInsaniat Foundation (FIF) under UN restriction. "The Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation are the other wings of Lashkar-eTaiba," the notification said. This is for the first time Pakistan has admitted that JuD and FIF are "other wings of LeT". The move comes days after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's assurance to US President Barack Obama last month to take "effective action" against UNdesignated terrorist individuals and entities, including LeT and its affiliates, as per its international commitments and obligations under UN Security Council resolutions.

According to the notification, 60 proscribed organizations and 12 others have been placed under a watch list. It said the action has been taken against these organizations as part of the National Action Plan. "The Pakistani satellite TV channels and FM radios should strictly follow the direction and in case of breach of code of conduct fine may be imposed or li-

"the Prime Minister himself has been the worst victim of these ideological intolerance. "Their strategy is twofold. Firstly, obstruct Parliament and do not permit reforms which will bring credit to Modi Government. Secondly, create, by structured and organized propaganda, an environment that there is a social strife in India. They wish to project India as an intolerant society." The truth is otherwise, Jaitley said, adding the perpetrators of this propaganda had never allowed alternative viewpoints to grow in either universities, academic institutions or cultural bodies which they controlled. "Their intolerance extends to not accepting an alternative ideological pole." As regards alleged lynching of a man in Dadri, Jaitley said that it was a "stray incident". "It was both unfortunate and condemnable. The guilty will be taken to task." Notwithstanding such aberrations, the Minister stressed "India remains a highly tolerant and liberal society. Our cultural values have imbibed co-existence. India has repeatedly rejected intolerance. It does not respond to provocations. "It is, therefore, incumbent upon every well-wisher of India and the present Government to make sure that no action or statement of his provides a tool in the hands of those who want to obstruct India's growth story. The obstructers have a simple plan - if they can't fight politically, they fight with hostile propaganda," the Minister said. -PTI these three organizations for collection of funds "in the name of social work".

Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed

cense be revoked," it warned. The authority also has banned the electronic media from running any advertisement of

Meanwhile, some local channels quoting PEMRA officials said the interior ministry had not directed them to ban these three

Obama lauds soccer's Indian-American chief WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has hailed the key role of Sunil Gulati, US Soccer's Indian-American chief, as he welcomed the triumphant American women's World Cup team to the White House to celebrate their victory after 16 long years. "I want to recognize a lot of people who made these incredibly talented women put them in a position to be able to showcase their talent so effectively.

April 2013, he was elected to a four-year term on the FIFA Executive Committee. "Coach Ellis, I very much appreciate you allowing them to come to the White House during your victory tour. They've been playing a lot of "friendly" matches across the country," cspan.org quoted Obama as saying. The US women's soccer team, after a devastating loss in 2011 at

Sunil Gulati president of the United States Soccer Federation, poses for a picture with Carli Lloyd of the United States after winning the Golden Ball trophy in the FIFA Women's World Cup

"First of all, US Soccer President Sunil Gulati. Please give him a big round of applause. Your outstanding coach, Jill Ellis," Obama said at the White House. 56-year-old Gulati, who was born in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad, was unanimously re-elected to a record third four-year term as USSF president in March 2014. His family moved to Connecticut when he was five years old. In outfits. The order follows the introduction earlier this year of the "National Action Plan" aimed at reining in militancy in the wake of the Peshawar Army Public School massacre in which over 150 people, mostly school children, were killed. The UN declared JuD a terror organization and also individually designated Saeed as a terrorist in December 2008. The US has already put USD 10 million bounty on his head. Saeed, who orchestrated the November, 2008, Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed, roams around freely in Pakistan despite being a designated terrorist and has made many anti-India remarks and speeches. -PTI

the hands of Japan, dominated the World Cup final this year as it defeated Japan by 5-2. All 23 players, coaches and backroom staff filed in to the East Room, greeted by a loud ovation from the invited guests. Obama was joined by Vice President Joe Biden, Gulati and a 13-year-old girl Ayla from Massachusetts. Ayla shared a letter she wrote to President and the first lady towards the end of Canada 2015 with the crowd, explaining her anger after her brother told her that 'boys are so much better at soccer than girls', and that she wanted the White House's help to prove him wrong. Obama hailed young Ayla's courage and used her letter to frame his congratulatory remarks to the recent Women's World Cup champions. "Girls like Ayla (were told that) they weren't somehow supposed to be as good at sports as boys. And Ayla got mad, and she should be mad with those attitudes. "These champions deserve all the attention that they've been getting. After 16 long years, too many heartbreaks, they flew north to put America back on top of the soccer world. And they did it in style. It was a victory that took all 23 players," Obama added. -PTI

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India can't match China yet: UN report UNITED NATIONS: India has a "long way" to go before it matches China's role in the AsiaPacific region's trade and investment flows and the country's success will depend on its ability to speed up implementation of necessary structural reforms, a UN report said. The Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2015 by the UN

on its ability to accelerate the implementation of necessary structural reforms in order to improve its business and investment environment," it said. The report added that in 2014, India attracted FDI inflows amounting to USD 34 billion, a 22 per cent increase. While this development is encouraging, the amounts received

The improved growth momentum of India amidst China's economic slowdown leads to the expectation that India may offer a new hope for regional and global economy. IMF expects that India will overtake China as the fastest growing economy in the world in 2015 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said India faces various structural bottlenecks, including delays in project approval, ill-targeted subsidies, a low manufacturing base and low agricultural productivity, difficulty in land acquisition, weak transportation and power networks, strict labor regulations and skill mismatches. "India still has a long way to go to match China's role in the region's trade and investment flows. India's success will depend

are about a quarter of total FDI received in China in 2014, the report said. The Narendra Modi-led government has liberalized FDI in sectors such as defense, railways, construction development, medical devices and insurance since coming to power in 2014, it said adding that the government is pursuing simplification of the business environment by reducing excessive regulation and increasing predictability in the country s trade and investment re-

gimes. The 'Make in India' program could attract some new FDI in the manufacturing sector, the report said. FDI outflows from India picked up from very low level in 2013, bouncing back to USD 9.8 billion in 2014. In South and South-West Asia, India accounted for more than 50 per cent of trade by that region. The improved growth momentum of India amidst China's economic slowdown leads to the expectation that India may offer a new hope for regional and global economy. IMF expects that India will overtake China as the fastest growing economy in the world in 2015. It is expected that the growth momentum of India will be sustained by economic reforms, a consequent pickup in investment and lower oil prices. In addition, population growth adds to India's growth potential. The report cited IMF projections that India is expected to have the largest labor force in the world by 2030, with about one billion people of working age. However, India is still not in a position to support global and regional trade and investment flows as China did, it said. -PTI

Punjabi third language in Canada Parliament TORONTO: Four years after MPs represent all constituents Punjabi became Canada's third regardless of their party affiliation most common language; it has or ethnic origin. now attained the same status in "It speaks to our commitment the country's new Parliament af- to diversity and allowing inditer English and French following vidual [MPs] to play an important the election of 20 Punjabi-speak- role in our political institutions. ing candidates to the House of The main issue to understand is Commons. that we have a very clear mandate Twenty-three Member of Par- to execute our platform and we liaments of South Asian-origin also have a responsibility to repwere elected to the House of Commons, Parliament of Canada on Although 20 PunjabiOctober 19 parliamenspeaking MPs have been tary elections. Three of them, Chandra Arya - born elected, these MPs and raised in India; represent all constituents Gary Anandasangaree a Tamil and Maryam regardless of their party Monsef - of Afghan origin, do not speak affiliation or ethnic origin Punjabi, The Hill Times Online reported. resent our constituents, which are Of the 20 who speak Punjabi, very diverse," Bains said. 18 are Liberals and two are ConIqra Khalid, the Liberal MP who servatives. Among the newly- was born in Pakistan, said the dielected Punjabi-speaking MPs, 14 versity of the newly-elected are males and six are females. House reflects the true make-up Ontario elected 12, British Colum- of Canada. bia four, Alberta three and one is According to Statistics from Quebec. Canada's 2011 National House"The voice of the Indo-Cana- hold Survey, 430,705 Canadians dian community will now be very identified Punjabi as their mother well represented in the Parliament. tongue, making it the third most In the overall aspect of it, the common language after English South Asian community won," and French. MP Deepak Obhrai of ConservaThe 430,705 native Punjabi tive Party said. speakers make up about 1.3 per In an interview with the paper, cent of Canada's population. The Navdeep Bains, a Liberal MP, said 20 Punjabi-speaking MPs reprealthough 20 Punjabi-speaking sent almost six per cent of the MPs have been elected, these House of Commons. -PTI

#SRKDay unites Pakistan & India KAVI AGRAWAL

ICONS IN US: Cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne addressing the media at Times square in Manhattan New York on November 2

MUMBAI: With all the news about not letting artists work across the border and not letting Pakistani actors be followed in India and viceversa, actor Shah Rukh Khan's 50th birthday celebrations proved that artists are loved for their art, irrespective of their nationality. The Twitter hashtag created to commemorate the event

#?SRKDay trended in both countries at the stroke of midnight on Nov 2nd as fans took to Twitter to share their love for their favorite star! The Twitter hashtag also trended at various other countries including Russia and Germany. It was considered "hot" topic in Peru, Colombo, UK, UAE, Thailand and Malaysia.

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Modi not 'intolerant' but 'all inclusive': Sayeed SRINAGAR: Amid the raging debate on 'intolerance', Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has come out in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is "not at all intolerant" but "all inclusive". He also batted for dialogue with Pakistan and wanted the

join hands with me. He knows what for I stand," Sayeed, who is the leader of PDP, told reporters. To a question on Dadri lynching incident, he said "there have been ups and downs but he (Modi) is all inclusive." His defense of Modi comes amidst intense attack on the BJPled government at the Centre, with

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Prime Minister to break the ice during his upcoming visit here on November 7 like Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched the peace process in 2003 from the soil of Kashmir. "He (Modi) is not at all intolerant... He has tied up with Mufti Sayeed ... I have only three (Lok Sabha) seats. He is the elected Prime Minister of the country, elected by 1.2 billion people. He must be having some vision to

opposition alleging that there is "growing intolerance" in the country. On Modi's visit to the state, Sayeed said, "The Prime Minister is coming. He will have something to say. The Prime Minister's visit is long overdue." He said Modi is focused on development of Jammu and Kashmir and the state government is working in this direction. "Work is going on fast track.

You can see the road work is going good. He (Modi) sent the Railway Minister here (last year)," the Chief Minister said. On the possibility of the Prime Minister announcing a package for victims of last year's floods, Sayeed evaded a direct reply, saying "it is up to him." Referring to India-Pakistan ties, the Chief Minister batted for resumption of dialogue amid his feeling that the Modi government wants good ties with the neighboring country. "If India has to become a big power, it is necessary that we have good relations with the neighboring countries. There have been some ups and downs in between but my feeling is that they (Centre) would want to have good relations with Pakistan," Sayeed said on the sidelines of a function. He said a breakthrough can only be achieved through a peace process as confrontation between the two countries has resolved nothing in the past 68 years. "It is important to keep (good) relations with Pakistan. It is in the interest of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire country. We have seen from 1947 till now that confrontation does not resolve anything. The breakthrough that took place at the time of (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, he started the peace process from here," said Sayeed, who was Chief Minister then also. -PTI

Some Mumbai cops work for Dawood: Chhota Rajan BALI: Underworld don Chhota Rajan has alleged that "some members" in the Mumbai Police have links with wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and said he will keep on fighting against him. "Some members of the Mumbai Police are working in tandem with Dawood. I will keep on fighting

against terrorism and Dawood. I am not scared of Dawood," said Rajan, a close confidante-turnedrival of Dawood, the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Rajan, who was arrested in this popular tourist town on his arrival from Australia on October 25, is ex-

Chhota Rajan in Bali Police custody

pected to be produced before a court soon where the Indonesian police will submit details of the cases for which he is wanted in India. He is likely to be deported to India soon. "The entire process is likely to be completed in next two-three days," an Indian official had said. "The government can keep me anywhere - Delhi or Mumbai. But there should be no injustice done to me. All cases against me are false," Rajan, who is wanted in over 75 heinous crimes ranging from murder, extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking, told reporters when asked whether he was afraid of returning to Mumbai. "Mumbai police has been unjust to me. Delhi government taking note of that should do justice to me," he said.-PTI

'Modi keeping silent just to win Bihar elections' NEW DELHI: Former Union not read a book in the last 20 years. Minister Arun Shourie has accused "Those who cannot write two Prime Minister Narendra Modi of paragraphs are sitting in judgment deliberately maintaining silence on over writers." incidents like Dadri lynching while Rejecting BJP leaders' oft-rehis ministerial and party colleagues peated statements that the Prime kept the issue "alive" merely to win Minister cannot be expected to Bihar elections. speak on any and every issue, He also agreed with the suggestion that Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah were pitting one community against another in Bihar and cited a Pakistani analyst to say that while the neighboring country was trying to get out of the pit, India was slowly going down its way. The former BJP insider attacked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's defense of Modi that he was the worst victim of intolerance since 2002, saying Arun Shourie this was the worst defense he had heard and Modi "in his mind will get the fullest justification for He cited a Pakistani being vengeful". Coming out in support analyst to say that while of writers, authors and the neighboring country artistes returning their awards against the "cli- was trying to get out of the mate of intolerance", he told Karan Thapar on In- pit, India was slowly going dia Today channel that they are "conscience- down its way keepers" of the country and their motives cannot be questioned. Shourie said he was exactly doPraising scientists like P M ing that and not speaking on isBhargava and Infosys founder N sues he should. R Narayana Murthy, who have "Prime Minister is not a secexpressed concern over these in- tion officer of the homoeopathy cidents, Shourie questioned how department. He is not head of a these people can be called rabid, department. He is the Prime Mina term used by Jaitley. ister. He has to show the country These people have contributed the moral path. immensely to the country and He has to set moral standards," those who attacked them have he said. -PTI

Chhota Rajan's aide arrested in Mumbai MUMBAI: Ahead of the deportation of Chhota Rajan who was nabbed in Bali last month, the underworld don's 'right-hand man' Nilesh Dinkar Paradkar alias Shatlya has been arrested by Mumbai police. Paradkar and another gangster Raghu Shetty, both associated with Rajan, had allegedly demanded Rs 15 crore from a suburban Bhandup-based Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) developer, police claimed.

In this connection, the Bhandup police arrested Shatlya, Mumbai's Joint Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti said. Both Shetty and Rajan are wanted in connection with the extortion case, he said. On September 5, Shatlya had allegedly made the extortion demand at the behest of Rajan. The money was demanded for a Wadala SRA project which the developer has taken up for construction, police said.-PTI

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2 Indian women in finals for New Zealand award MELBOURNE: Two Indian-origin entrepreneurs in New Zealand are among 18 finalists for the prestigious 2015 'Women of Influence Awards,' a media report said. Ranjna Patel and Pushpa Wood, founder of East Tamaki Healthcare Group, and director of Westpac and Massey University's Financial Education and Research Centre respectively have made it to the finals in the community and not-for-profit category, Stuff.co.nz reported. Ranjna founded East Tamaki Healthcare Group in 1977, which now includes 35 clinics in New Zealand and 14 in Australia and has become one of Australasia's largest primary providers.

She provides employment to more than 800 people, many of those in low socioeconomic communities and has various directorships including Bank of Baroda, Company of Women, New Zealand Asian Leaders Group, the report said. In 2009, Ranjna was awarded a Queen's Service Medal for services to the Indian community and in 2014 was inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs. Pushpa has worked across the school, tertiary and industry sectors to improve adult literacy and financial literacy. She has previously contributed to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's project advisory

groups developing and reviewing financial literacy and numeracy standards and developing qualifications for the adult literacy sector. She is regarded as one of the key academics involved in developing resources for financial literacy and building the capability of financial literacy educators. Her research interests include women empowerment through financial independence, culturally appropriate responses to violence at home, interfaith issues and Indian religions and languages. She acts as an expert witness for the Crown in the area of Indian culture, customs and beliefs. -PTI

Indian maid wins 50 gm gold in Dubai DUBAI: A 54-year-old Indian maid has won a 50-gram gold coin for traveling in the Dubai Metro as part of a campaign by local authorities to encourage people to use public transport system. Shanti Rabin, who won the gold coin, has been working as a caretaker for an Arab family in Dubai for the past 22 years. "I got this for traveling in the Metro. This is truly a blessing from God. I am very excited and happy about this victory," said Rabin, who hails from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. After finishing work at her sponsor's house, Rabin often travels to different places in the city to meet her friends. She would use the Dubai Metro, buses and other modes of public transportation to reach her destination. "In the process of traveling in and around the city, I collected several points on my No1 card. I am very grateful to my sponsors who gave me the freedom to travel across the city once I finished my work. I can proudly say that I know the Dubai Metro inside out," she was quoted as saying in the local media. As part of the Public Transportation Day celebrations, the Roads and Transportation Authority (RTA) of Dubai began a campaign two weeks back, enticing residents to use public transportation more frequently. Regular users of public transportation have been awarded prizes, including cash, gold coins, smart watches, headphones, and laptops. -PTI

Pak sets free Indian national after 7 years ATTARI, Amritsar: An Indian national, who was arrested by the Pakistani police around seven years ago, has crossed over to India after being set free by the neighboring country. Mohammed Waqar was arrested by Pakistani police while he was found without valid traveling documents, including passport and visa. Waqar, resident of Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarabad, expressed "happiness" on reaching India. He said that he remained in different jails of Pakistan during his seven-year jail term for illegal border crossing from India to Pakistan. Waqar crossed over to India on the basis of Emergency Travel Certificate issued by the Islamabad-based Indian High Commission in Pakistan. -PTI

November 6, 2015

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Horoscope

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November 6, 2015

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ealth will improve with change in diet and little exercises. Mercury in first will make you little hyper so control the excitement. New developments in career and in personal life will be the reasons to celebrate. You will buy some expensive gift for some one. You will be calling overseas more frequently this week.

here will be some interesting developments in career and soon you could be moving to next level. Some of you may be in touch with right people to publish your work. You will try to make good use of extra time on hands by helping spouse. Slowly you will be working towards a long distance trip for family reunion also.

Nov 6th - Nov 12th 2015

lanets in seventh will bring you close to an interesting personality. You will continue to make progress in your efforts to locate a better job. People in business will do better as one of the competitor may call it quit. Money wise you will stay comfortable and hope to make some money through investment made in the past.

t will be slightly hard to decide on a major issue so you may seek outside help. You will try to clean up your desk and find few letters that require immediate attention. Some of you may be away from home to attend some important business. Time spent on phone will not go waste at all. You will be working on a great idea in career.

fforts will not go waste and you will be able to dodge financial crunch this time also. A very favorable week for people in sales and communication. Travels and business trips will get instant results. Investing in property may not be a good idea at the moment. You will get to see many old friends at the party this week.

ou will have to be very careful with new relationship or will find yourself in trouble soon. You will be excited about the short term course you are going to start in near future. Yo u m a y d i s p o s e o ff stocks recently purchased for a small profit and wait. Business will be slow but you will make few new clients.

ou will be just lucky in all matters. Things will once again start moving in right direction. Soon the big contract will be in your hands. You will gain knowledge and learn trade secrets from a younger person. It will be another good week for people connected with finance industry. You will cut down on sweets.

alue of your stocks will appreciate and you may buy another car or make a bid on a nice property. This is the right time to make your claim with boss or approach a government official for favor. You may be thinking of going into partnership with successful people. A very interesting person will come in your life this week.

lanets in second can take you deeper into Red if you are not careful and so are other family members. You will make big change in business strategy in order to come way ahead of competitors. It will be better to stick to your plans as friends will give conflicting opinion. You will pay surprise visit to a sibling.

ou will receive help and lead from least expected places. You will continue to fight for the recognition in the office. Judgement in legal cases will come in your favor only. Some of you will be looking for another place to live. News of a new member joining family soon will cause lots of excitement.

ou will not only learn something new and useful but will have the opportunity to share the wisdom with close friends. Boss may add little pressure by reminding about upcoming deadline. A child will keep you busy at home with homework. Money wise you will be able to meet all commitments and still have some left.

ou will end up allowing some one take undue advantage of your generosity. Competition will be too much so you will need to come up with a fool proof plan. You may be able to get rid of property chewing up your savings for quite some time. Spouse may not agree on your ideas and have some better plans. There is no harm in listening.

Tech News IMF wants India to do more on fiscal stability WASHINGTON: India needs to take further policy action to support external and fiscal stability in coming years and should focus on revenue-side measures and adopt additional structural reforms to sustain its strong growth, the IMF has said. Observing that favorable policies and increased political certainty following 2014 election strengthened India's economic activity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said, "Since 2013, reductions in spending have fostered some improvement in the fiscal deficit, and the current account deficit has narrowed considerably more than expected." The IMF in its latest Staff Sustainability Assessments for G20 Mutual Assessment Process attributed this improvement to import compression associated with weak private investment, as well as a reduction in gold imports. More recently, economic activity has been strengthening, as business and consumer confidence have rallied in response to favorable policies and increased political certainty following the 2014 election, it said.

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BHUBANESWAR: To showcase Odisha's IMF potential in the micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, the state government has decided to organize the annual trade fair from January 8, 2016. The fair will continue till January 14, Chief Secretary G C Pati who presided over a meeting here, said. The fair, to be held at the IDCO Exhibition ground here, will provide a platform for MSME producers and will invite business delegation from foreign countries through their embassies in India for popularization of Odisha products. "Attempts will also be made to attract overseas entrepreneurs to invest in Odisha in sectors like engineering, chemicals, metallurgical processing, marine processing, agriculture, tourism and textiles," MS & ME secretary Surendra Kumar said. The seminars and workshops will be conducted on credit flow, marketing support and technology upgradation, he said, adding that buyers'-sellers' meet will also be organized to facilitate the marketing of MSME products in the exhibition.-PTI

November 6, 2015

Govt moots tax sops, levy on air tickets in aviation policy NEW DELHI: Fliers may have to pay 2 per cent more towards a new regional connectivity levy proposed under the much-awaited draft civil aviation policy, which

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 14

Odisha's MSME trade fair from Jan 8-14

Chennai: Maruti Suzuki India, Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) R S Kalsi launching the latest premium hatchback Baleno in Chennai on Wednesday. -PTI

Civil Aviation Secretary Rajeev Nayan Choubey

also proposes various tax sops and over 50 per cent FDI for the Indian carriers. Among other measures, the policy proposes setting up of nofrills airports and providing viability gap funding for airlines for regional connectivity. Further, fare would be capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flight under regional connectivity scheme for places that are unserved currently. In a possible game changing

move, the Ministry has also pitched for over 50 per cent FDI in domestic carriers in case open skies policy is implemented. Under open skies policy, overseas airlines can operate unlimited number of flights into and out of India. At present FDI limit is 49 per cent. The policy, which was unveiled here by the Civil Aviation Ministry and was described as 'progressive' by leading carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, however did not provide a finality on the fate of the contentious 5/ 20 norm that makes it mandatory for airlines to have minimum five years of flying experience and 20 aircraft to fly abroad. The Ministry has now sought comments on three options -- abolish the 5/20 norm completely, continue with it, or link the overseas flying rights with domestic flying credits. The Ministry said the policy, which has been in making for almost a year after issuing the original draft, is aimed at taking "flying to the masses". The proposed 2 per cent levy on all domestic and

international tickets can bring in Rs 1,500 crore a year that would be used to expand regional routes. The final policy is expected to be decided in a couple of months after looking into comments on all draft proposals. Public comments have been invited over the next three weeks, after which inter-ministerial consultations would be held. Noting that the revised draft policy has been rolled out after wide range of consultations which were "never done before", Civil

back." Civil Aviation Secretary Rajeev Nayan Choubey said, "The draft policy is in line with the Prime Minister's directives that it (policy) should promote aviation in a big way and take flying to masses." "The government expects about Rs 1,500 crore annually from charging 2 per cent levy" Choubey added. To make MRO (Maintenance Repair, Overhaul) cheaper, the government has proposed to exempt such activities from service tax net

Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said, "We have proposed. Let us get the feed

and not levy any VAT. The policy also envisages making India an Asia hub for MRO business. -PTI

Youngsters come up with innovative ideas MOHALI: The concluding day of Progressive Punjab Summit-2015 witnessed a session wherein young innovators presented their ideas from home kits for cervical cancer detection to managing the kitchen waste. As many as 17 such innovative ideas incubated during 3-day long startup accelerator held at IT Park Chandigarh, said an official release here. Yatin Thakur from Startup Weekend US said that the session Startups today was culmination of the Startup Weekend program organized on Oct 23 and Oct 24 startup activities and booster camps that were held across the Punjab in varied uni-

versities' campuses held in collaboration with the Startups Accelerator Chamber of Commerce (SACC). The ideas were churned out by the energetic youngsters who showcased their talent, which when implemented has the potential to change the way we think today, it said. The contest was won by Shwetika Kumar, who is trying to create self testing non intrusive cervical testing kit at a cost of USD 5, and she will now be mentored by the best people in medical equipment industry before they find venture capitalists to fund her project. Her innovation, based on ribonucleic acid testing, was

hailed as a major revolution in the field of medicine Swaypay team presented its novel idea of offline wallet that would transform the way we handle currency coins today.

The contest was won by Shwetika Kumar, who is trying to create self testing non intrusive cervical testing kit at a cost of USD 5

The jury of event suggested Swaypay team to get its idea patented. Bento Tiffin team presented the affordable way of getting access to homemade food or tiffin system at just a click of the button, while Ctrl P team talked about providing Xeroxed papers at less than 50 P per copy, it said. Team of young innovators presented ways to create wealth from waste by collecting and processing kitchen leftovers into organic manure and another team presented innovative business idea of using Helium propelled balloons for displaying advertisements in commercial settlements like malls. -PTI

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November 6, 2015

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Ranking should have been higher in WB index: FM NEW DELHI: Not fully satisfied with 12 position jump in India's ranking on ease of doing business index, the country's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the World Bank has not factored in all the steps taken by the government to improve business environment and ranking should have been "significantly higher". In the same breath, he also stated that there was a need to further cut down on the number of permissions required so that the time lag between the decision to invest and the actual investment can be shortened significantly. "States must realize that local laws which enable availability of land, environmental permissions, sanction of building plans need a relook," he said in a Facebook post titled 'The Ease of Doing Business'. Jaitley also posed a question if individual structures require separate approval once an industrial zone or new township has been cleared for environmental sanctions. "The World Bank has upped India's ranking in the Ease of Doing Business by twelve positions. Last month the World Economic Forum had similarly upgraded India. Even though the push up numerically is modest, it marks the reversal of an adverse trend. "Considering the number of steps taken in the last 17 months, India's position should have moved significantly higher. I un-

derstand that all steps have not been factored in since the World Bank criteria has a cut-off date and it also waits for announcements to translate into action before they can be factored," he said. The Minister said that to adjudicate quickly upon investment related matters, a commercial division is being constituted in all High Courts. This would improve the enforceability of contracts where India's ranking is relatively poor. "The obsolete Specific Relief Act which provides for damages as the normal remedy rather than enforcement, needs to be relooked," Jaitley said. A World Bank report ranked India at 130 out of 189 country on the ease of doing business, up 12 places from 142nd rank last year. In the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report in September, India's ranking moved up 16 positions to 55th on a global index of the world's most competitive economies. Jaitley attributed the jump in India's ranking to quicker decision making, faster policy changes, eliminating corruption at the top and smoother clearances. While the FIPB clearances and the environmental approvals are being routinely granted, investors no longer queue up before the ministries in Delhi lobbying for policy changes or approvals, he said. Highlighting that the present government has opened most sec-

tors to foreign direct investment, he said, "Time has come to examine whether some of the conditionalities on which FDI investment is permitted, have become anachronic". "We need to cut down on the number of permissions required so that the time lag between the deci-

will further improve India's ranking for ease of doing business," he said. Saying that an ease of opening business must also be accompanied by an ease in exiting, he said the framework of the Bankruptcy Law is being readied. "Dispute resolutions with re-

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

sion to invest and the actual investment can be shortened significantly," he said. He said many countries have switched to an architect's certificate as a substitute for building plans being sanctioned. "When you compulsorily need a completion certificate for a building, the permission required for start of construction should be replaced by a regulatory mechanism. These additional changes

gard to public projects require a quicker settlement mechanism. The same is being worked out," he said. Jaitley said it was encouraging that states have also altered their work culture. Investment is the starting point of all economic activity. An investment friendly State will be a natural destination. Stating that competitive federalism can be seen among states, he said the Gujarat model of Glo-

bal Investors Meet has been replicated in Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and in Punjab. Rajasthan, this month, would be wooing global investors. South Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been reaching out to investors globally. He said three states with a significant tribal population Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha - figure in the top six states in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business rankings. "The work culture is changing in most states," he said. Talking of initiatives taken, he said the government has issued two important ordinances - The Arbitration Law has been changed to make arbitrations cheaper, faster and free from judicial intervention and to adjudicate quickly upon investment related matters, a commercial division is being constituted in all High Courts. "This would improve the enforceability of contracts where India's ranking is relatively poor," he said. The Minister said much has been done to ensure that award of natural resources and public contracts are completely transparent. "To empower public servants to take simpler and bolder decision, many corrections are required in some obsolete provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act. The same have already been introduced in Parliament," he said. -PTI

IMF wants India to do more on fiscal stability Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 13

Going forward, this strong growth is expected to continue as a result of lower oil prices and favorable policy measures, though inflation expectations remain elevated despite relatively tight monetary policy and lower global commodity prices, IMF said. These positive developments notwithstanding, the IMF observed, further policy action is needed to support external and fiscal stability in coming years. "In particular, reforms should include more emphasis on revenue-side measures and the adoption of additional structural reforms to boost potential output," it said. The main risks stem from a

surge in global financial market volatility, slower-than-expected progress in addressing domestic supply-side bottlenecks, and a supply-induced spike in inflation, the I M F

said. According to the report, in coming years the current account deficit is ex-

pected to remain stable as downward pressure on imports associated with lower oil prices should be largely offset by stronger domestic demand and stronger external demand should buoy exports. Still, the recent welcome increase of private investment could imply somewhat larger future external deficits, particularly if national saving does not increase, it noted. The IMF said there are several risks to economic stability, from both domestic and external factors. "On the external side, risks stem from the normalization of monetary policy in advanced economies (the US in particular), which could increase global financial market volatility in the short term," it said. -PTI

TechBiz Post

November 6, 2015

India Post

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US wants faster pace of reforms in India WASHINGTON: The US is appreciative of the series of reforms unleashed by the NDA government but feels that it is not happening at the pace it wants, according to Union Commerce Min-

She interacted with the American business community at a reception hosted in her honor by the US-India Business Council (USIBC). "They (Americans) wanted it

Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

ister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Reform is happening but it is happening much slower than they would want it to happen," she said after concluding the 9th round of US-India Trade Policy Forum meeting which she co-chaired along with US Trade Representative Mike Froman.

(reforms) to be much speedier, quicker," she said. At the same time, they concede that in India it is better to be steady and slow, she noted. During the meeting, both sides welcomed the substantive progress in promoting bilateral trade and investment since the last

TPF meeting in November 2014; and discussed future plans for continuing engagement at the technical and official level for deepening economic and commercial cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The discussions focused on four broad work streams including Agriculture, Trade in Goods and Services, Investment in Manufacturing and Intellectual Property. Sitharaman said the US now has a better understanding of India and its policies because the Indian government has actively engaged the American government and its private sector in various spheres related to their areas of concerns. "We invited their active participation even as we were forming the policy. We invited them to ask any number of questions whether to patents or copyrights. We have not left even one question unanswered. So the readiness to talk, the readiness to answer question has actually helped to remove any apprehensions that they would have had in their minds," the minister said. -PTI

Aircel to launch 3G in 61 towns by year-end PATNA: India's leading private telecom service provider, Aircel, has announced an aggressive expansion plan of its 3G network in Bihar by adding 61 new towns to its network by December this year, an official said. For expanding its 3G services, Aircel will set up 600 towers across Bihar to provide seamless connectivity to its constantly growing subscriber base, Aircel Bihar's business head Hitendra Kumar told reporters. In order to provide quality service to its customers, the leading private telecom operator will set up 600 new towers in addition to existing 3,300 towers, he said. The expansion to new towns is set to significantly benefit a large number of Aircel customers in Bihar and redefine their data usage experience with a maximum 3G speed of up to 7.2 Mbps, he said, adding that the Aircel customers in these towns soon will be able to consume live streaming videos, HD content, gaming, social networking and browsing at very high speeds. "The population of 3G users that expects a seamless experience

is dramatically increasing, especially as mobile handsets are increasingly being used for varied purposes. We have been working tirelessly to live up to this expectation of our customers and hence, we've redoubled our effort in expanding our 3G network all across Bihar. We are confident that by extending our 3G network to

these 61 new towns across districts in Bihar, the Aircel network will prove to be the most reliable data companion of our customers for their smart devices," Kumar said. The 61 new towns include Arrah, Buxar, Motihari, Sitamarhi, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Dighwara, Bettiah, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Purnia, Nalanda, Biharsharif, Munger among others, the Aircel Bihar Business Head said. -PTI

Desi News Strong feelings, strong individuals but no solution ARCHANA ASTHANA

haotic behavior exists in many natu-ral systems, such as weather, climate, and in human conditions. That seems to be the point that playwright, Anuvab Pal tries to get across in EnActe Arts' ninth theater production, "Chaos Theory" that played over the weekend in Palo Alto's Cubberly Theater. Aligning a mathematical theory that studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions to the unfulfilled love story of the play does seem a bit of a stretch. Pal leans on the correlation that is suggested by the unpredictability of future outcomes due to small differences in initial conditions of dynamical systems. Details on page 18

State Bank of Texas set to do better SURENDRA ULLAL

Chicago remembers Mahatma through his legacy SURENDRA ULLAL

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

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Natya Dance Theater celebrates its 40th year

November 6, 2015

Details on page 22

Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Los Angeles on Nov 14-15 India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has informed that the Government of India through the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and the Consulate General of India, San Francisco along with various community leaders is organizing the 9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD) - Regional Conference for Indian Diaspora, in Los Angeles, California on November 14-15. The RPBD, organized by MOIA attempts to connect the Indian Diaspora with India, bringing their knowledge, expertise, and skills together. It is being organized to allow participation of the Indian Diaspora who are unable to attend the annual PBD in India. The 2015 Convention will be the ninth such conference held outside India. So far, eight such Regional PBDs have been held in New York, Singapore, The Hague, Dubai, Toronto, Mauritius, Sydney and London. This year, the West Coast of the USA has been given the honor to host this prestigious event and the city of Los Angeles has been selected. The venue for the event is the Hotel Westin Bonaventure, in downtown, Los Angeles. External Affairs Minister of India Smt. Sushma Swaraj, other high level dignitaries from both Indian and US sides including top bureaucrats and senior elected representatives, CEOs of major US corporations, Indian business leaders, noted achievers from the Indian Diaspora, celebrities, etc.

would attend the event. Apart from the above, approximately 1000 NRIs and IndianAmerican community members are also expected to attend. This

tunities in various fields; and use of Soft power, Culture and Hollywood and Hollywood Connect. Indian Diaspora Business meetings are being organized by

conference will comprise three plenary sessions on Diaspora issues, Role of culture and youth, Government of India schemes on Clean Ganga, Smart Cities, Skill Development, Infrastructure Development, Waste Management and Clean India, Renewable Energy and Digital India. Further,

Overseas Indian Facilitation Center (OIFC) (a not-for-profit set up by MOIA in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), for sustained economic and knowledge engagement of the Overseas Indians with India) on Saturday Nov 14 which will focus on specific sectors in-

Hotel Westin Bonaventure, in downtown, Los Angeles

there will be sessions on Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Education, Skills & Vocational Training; Manufacturing and Make in India, Bilateral Business oppor-

cluding Digital India, Renewable Energy and Investments in Social Impact Enterprises in India, and include B2B and B2G meetings with Indian officials and business

delegations. Following this, the opening ceremony of RPBD will be held on 14th November evening at 6 pm. On Nov. 15, the RPBD will be held comprising plenaries in the morning and afternoon on the subjects given above. The closing ceremony would be held at 6 PM on Nov. 15. A cultural program will be followed with Gala Dinner hosted in honor of the External Affairs Minister of India. The objective of the Conference is to provide a platform for the Indian Community in the USA to contribute to the relationship between the two countries i.e. USA and India and explore the ways to give back to the mother country. The members of the Indian community will have opportunity to convey their concerns and aspirations to the Government of India. Registration for the event: The RPBD in Los Angeles is for the Indian American Community and any one who is interested in becoming involved in India's growing relationship with the US. They can register by visiting the www.RPBDLA.org. site, immediately. The tickets are nominally priced and the ticket holders can have full access to all the events on both the days. Community members may take advantage of Early Bird Pricing (Ending soon), while couples can attend at reduced price. Students have also been given 50% concession with the idea of encouraging their largescale participation in the event. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 17

Community Across America

November 6, 2015

India Post 17

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Verandah - Dream homes for Indian seniors SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Hoffman Estate will soon have the distinction of being the first Chicago suburb to house the first of its type senior retirement housing facility for people migrating from Indian sub continent Away from their home and hearth, many of these seniors find it hard to adapt or adjust to the way of living in the newly adopted Verandah - an affordable facility for seniors

land. Feeling isolated and lonely, they at times get dejected and depressed. A few senior centers set up by well meaning Indian community activists do help them to an extent but that amounts to, many feel, addressing the symptoms rather than treating the diseases as such - touching an outside of the problem and not the problem itself. Ideally a community living facility that underpins cultural homogeneity would really tackle the problem, a group of elite thinkers in the community have of late been advocating. That thought and idea is now getting translated into practice, thanks to initiative taken by a group of Indian American professionals and activists led by Dr Anuja Gupta of Chicagoland. Verandah, an affordable retirement community facility especially designed for Indians and other South-east Asian seniors in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, is the outcome. This facility is a 12-acre development based in Hanover Park, Illinois. The location is next to Schaumburg and about 25 miles from downtown Chicago. Hanover Park was selected, says Dr Ahuja, because it is centrally located and close to many other Indian services, places of worship and amenities. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Los Angeles on Nov 14-15 Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 16

Sponsorship for the event: The Community organizations/ member(s) are being welcomed to contribute generously for the success of this event. The donation levels are: 1. Diamond level sponsor - US$ 50,000 2. Platinum level sponsor - US$ 35,000 3. Gold level sponsor - US$ 25,000 4. Silver level sponsor - US$ 15,000 5. Bronze level sponsor - US$ 5,000. Sponsors will be suitably recognized for their contributions, since their support is crucial for the success of the event. They will be suitably recognized by giving an opportunity to be seated at the 'Head Table' during the dinner, along with the Minister. Further, their names, photographs and brief descriptions would also be mentioned on the website of RPBD and in the souvenir.

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November 6, 2015

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Strong feelings, strong individuals but no solution

haotic behavior exists in many natural systems, such as weather, cli mate, and in human conditions. That seems to be the point that playwright, Anuvab Pal tries to get across in EnActe Arts' ninth theater production, "Chaos Theory" that played over the weekend in Palo Alto's Cubberly Theater. Aligning a mathematical theory that studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions to the unfulfilled love story of the play does seem a bit of a stretch. Pal leans on the cor-

ARCHANA ASTHANA

relation that is suggested by the unpredictability of future outcomes due to small differences in initial conditions of dynamical systems. Young love is unpredictable, and young lovers are dynamic; not bound by traditional expectations, rendering long term prediction impossible. When you get past the implications of all this wordsmithing, "Chaos Theory" simply is a story of two headstrong individuals, who, as young college students squabble over the nuances of the English language, argue over the choice of music, and hotly debate selection of cuisine. Young Mukesh is decidedly "foreign" in his inclinations, disdaining "native culinary disasters" such as samosas, and preferring to quote multiple English authors at the drop of a hat. Young Sunita is more conservative in dress, likes all things Indian, and displays a strong command of the English language as she beats Mukesh at his own quotation game of guessing the author of the quotes. Love is not professed and the two depart when Sunita sets sail for the U.S where she expects to find freedom. The opening scene of the play, set in adult Sunita's living room picks up on the quotation game the two played in college, with Sunita once again having an upper hand. As the story unfolds, it traces their very different trajectory after leaving college. While pursuing a degree in Indian history, Sunita gets married to Amit, played by

Anurag Mairal, a playwright with interesting ideologies, who seems to have acquired the American dream, complete with two children. At some point, her divorce from Amit

Some very pleasurable aspects of the play were the deft rearrangements of the scenes, the flashbacks with quirky use of projected photographs, the skillful use of

is revealed, as she continues her friendship with Mukesh, who ended up as a Professor of English in a university in close proximity. Meanwhile Mukesh acquires a girlfriend, who is also his student, and, who he ends up marrying and subsequently divorcing. Each of them derides the other's choice of mate in some tragically comic moments on stage. The relationship between these two middle aged eccentric professors, shows them reverting to their old camaraderie and casual intimacy, while maintaining a stoic attitude about their mutual love. Through the clever use of snippets of flashbacks and tete a tetes, it becomes obvious that Sunita and Mukesh have merged to the same juncture whence they departed. Pregnant pauses, unsaid feelings, muted expressions convey the unspoken spark between them, however, the chaos reigns supreme, in that their ultimate destiny remains sensitive to initial conditions. When Sunita decides to return to India to teach young minds, it seems like a desperate cry to seek fulfillment which she was denied during her tenure in the US, and she is still searching for something to live for. "We've been too close for too long" a dialogue uttered by Sunita sums up that

the few pieces of furniture to simulate movement and period. Vishal Vimal and Geeta Rai as the Props team deserve special mention, as does Meghna Singhal for handling the

moment when undeclared feelings will decide their future. She wistfully quotes Rabindranath Tagore in her lectures where he talks about loving someone who loves you back.

lights. Witty dialogue and intelligent quips further stir up the imagination and add mirth to otherwise serious scenes. Overall, the play got the message across of strong feelings between strong individuals do not always result with them spending their lives together, however frequently they meet and remain in touch. Not knowing what could have been is their chaos. Much is also left unsaid about why Sunita and Mukesh choose the mates they do, or break up with them.... Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 21

Community Across America

November 6, 2015

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State Bank of Texas set to do better SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: An oft repeated banking maxim for lending is - lend to those whom you know and trust. For the State Bank of Texas headed by Chan Patel it is ingrained as one of its cardinal principles for its lending operations. Though regulators were a shade skeptical over the Banks heavily loaded loan portfolio in favor of hospitality industry, the Bank has not suffered in profitability right from the Black Friday - October 19, 1987 the day when the new York Stock market saw a big plunge with Dow Jones nose diving with 500 points Chan Patel with a Masters in engineering under his belt proved his business acumen running the bank as well. "There is not a single quarter", recalling the Bank's per-

formance since launch, "that we did not earn profit." The principle that the management follows is to lend whom you know with usual

Chan Patel

security considerations. The bank known often in jest as hotel bank had its hotel loan originate in 26 States. Regulators who had misgivings about the bank loan portfolio noted that the hotel book outperformed its other loan account. The $700 plus million dollar asset bank is now looking forward to do one better in coming years , especially in the light of improving general economic conditions. Chan Patel recalls that he got himself plunged into the banking field when a good number of hoteliers whom he knew really well found it hard to get commercial loans from financial institutions. He had his own motels too and he could easily understand the woes and problems faced by his fellow

Verandah - Dream homes for Indian seniors Indian restaurants and grocery stores are 5-10 mins away. There are more than 10 temples within 15 minutes driving distance in the surrounding communities of Bartlett, Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Itasca and Addison. There are two mosques

rooms are designed to be handicapped accessible. There is a covered front porch, front yard and patio and back yard in the back. The heart of the community will be the Clubhouse that has a dining facility, lounge room, gym, library and computer room. There is a big outside Verandah overlooking the pond. There are beau-

within 10 minutes drive and the Gurdwaras of Palatine and Wheaton are about half an hour away. The project has plans for 85 townhomes and a clubhouse. The townhomes are specially designed to suit the needs of 55 years plus age group. Each townhome has independent entry with 2BR/ 2BA and attached garage. All the rooms are on mail level with no stairs for second story or basement. Every townhome has a full kitchen, dining room, living room, master bedroom with attached bathroom and guest bedroom with separate full bathroom. The kitchen, hallways and bath-

tiful landscaped areas with a huge pond with fountain next to the clubhouse. The entire community is walkable with sidewalks along all streets, clubhouse and pond. The clubhouse will serve Indian vegetarian food for lunch and dinner daily. Verandah is designed to draw the people out of their homes and be together with other people. Seniors will not be lonely in this community, they can meet others of similar background, age and interests. The Clubhouse will be the daily meeting place for meals and activities. Volunteers groups formed within the community will offer group activities, watching

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 17

Bollywood movies and celebration of our great Indian festivals. Anyone more than 55 years of age can live at Verandah, whether they are retired or actively working. Verandah is also suitable for single seniors. The developers are a private group of investors. Dr Anuja Gupta is development partner and the spokesperson for the group. "It was my dream to make a meaningful contribution for our seniors. Many of them have given up a lot to leave their homes and come to this country. They have worked very hard and sacrificed their social and personal lives to provide a better future for their children and grand-children. In their golden years they deserve to have suitable retirement options to feel comfortable, secure and enjoy themselves. We designed Verandah community with that spirit in mind." Construction is anticipated to start in April 2016 and first set of townhomes will be ready by October-November 2016. Booking opens in January 2016.Please visit the website www.IndianRetirementChicago.com for detailed information and updates. Call 312 952 1802 or email IndianRetirementChicago@gmail.com for more information.

hoteliers. With his own $one million capital and raising another $one million from investor friends he launched what it is now known across the country as State Bank of Texas. It was Black Friday. The day was ominous in the sense that New York exchange painted a somewhat gloomy economic picture. But for Chan Patel his intuition and innate business sense proved more decisive in shaping the fortune of the Bank that he launched. In the very first year of the launch, 1987-88, it showed profit and there was not a single quarter since then that the Bank did not show profit Chan's background in hospitality industry and his close acquaintance with a number of hotel owners had an edge over others and he proved to the hilt that a relative more emphasis on one sector of economy for lending. About $500 plus million dollar loans involve hotels. SBT not only survived a periodic economic crisis that engulfed the nation economy in general during the course of past two and half decades, but it continued to show progress and expansion. In

the first half year of the current year the Bank is reported to have capped $20 million profit, a creditable achievement by any standard Many a financial institution tanked during an economic crisis that beset the country in 2008 to 2010 and went under water. Not SBT. In fact, it picked up two banks which ran into problems. One such

bank was Millennium State Bank of Texas in Dallas and the other National Republic Bank of Chicago which is now christened State Bank of Texas. By all account, the National Republic Bank of Chicago, now SBT, has turned a corner and is in green now, thanks to its overhauling and cost cutting measures. It has started in full scale entertaining applications for commercial loans. With a turn for better in general economic condition, the Bank is confidently looking for future growth and serving the community at large in this area.

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November 6, 2015

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Chicago remembers Gandhi through his legacy SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: It was second year in succession that the Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International celebrated the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi on October 23 under the leadership of Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of the City of Chicago, and Smita Shah, Chair of the Delhi Committee. This celebration coming close on heels of Mahatma's birthday on October 2 also in a way was a great tribute to the memory of this world leader whose thoughts and teachings inspired social, political and even economic activists across the globe. The event at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago was attended by over 250 Chicago elites, guests and community activists, including Sam Scot, Chair of the Chicago Sister Cities International, Alderman Joe Moore, Alderman Will Burns, City Treasurer Kurt Summers and Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Indian Consul General among others. Sam Scott welcomed the guests paying rich tribute to the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. Smita Shah, Delhi Committee Chair, said

mentioned the Devon Area avenue which houses a large number of Indian commercial establishments and a large Indian population. "Devon Avenue symbolizes the spirit of Chicago and its diversity," he said. The Mayor praised Indian CG Dr Sayeed for his role in cementing ties between Chicago and India. While Mahatma Gandhi did not believe in any publicity or memorialization of his name, it is important that he is remembered

of his own character, the purity of his actions, and the truthfulness in his words. Community leaders led by Niranjan Shah also appreciated Mayor Emanuel's commitment to remember and recognize Mahatma Gandhi, and they presented him with a model of the Taj Mahal. This was a gift handcrafted by workmen in Hyderabad using techniques craftsmen pass down from generation to generation to create an outstanding work of art

Sister City Chair Smita Shah welcoming Gandhi legacy guests

progress that India has made since its independence. He commended the huge contribution

The Mayor also commended the role played by Indian Americans in Chicago and specifically

Smita Shah with Mayor Rham Emanuel

Community leader Niranjan Shah seen presenting a Memento to Mayor Rham Emanuel

that in 2015, when the entire world is torn by violence, Gandhi becomes more relevant. The Sister Cities program, now under the auspices of World Business Chicago, has promoted cultural, social and economic exchanges between the two countries for over 50 years and this is a special opportunity to celebrate the relationship with Delhi and Chicago, she said She also hinted that Chicago would be more than happy to host a visit by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi whenever he wants to be here. Her sentiment was echoed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in his speech The Indian Consul General spoke about the harmony in independent India and the

that Mahatma made to the world advocating non violence means for resolving disputes. Mayor Emanuel certainly has the strength of determination like Gandhi in running the government. He is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, and when he visited India a few years ago with his family he felt it was his privilege to visit the land of Gandhi rather than simply another country. He mentioned that Mahatma was inspired by Henry David Thoreau and he in his turn was an inspiration for leaders like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. "It was in a way homecoming since Martin Luther King Jr put in practice what Mahatma learnt from Thoreau," he observed.

not only in India, but outside India as well. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his Psalm Sunday sermon in 1959, "Mahatma Gandhi proved to be the greatest conqueror that the British Empire ever faced. He was able to achieve, through love and non-violence, the independence of his people and break the backbone of the British Empire." With all the success that Gandhi had, the power behind the success was the guiding strength

Rham Emanuel greeting Indian Americans

using all local materials. It is somewhat significant because Mahatma Gandhi always wanted to promote not only industrialization, but also the handicrafts of the villages where people could utilize their skills, create outstanding art, and still make a living. Keerthi Kumar, Babu Patel, and Niranjan Shah presented the gift to the Mayor. The celebration included a slideshow of Gandhi, and some of his famous quotes were presented along with videotapes.

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Feed the needy event by Gopio Chicago Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Chicago Chapter plans organizing a fundraising dinner on Saturday, November 13 at Viceroy of India Banquet Hall, Lombard. The "Thanksgiving/Feed the Needy" dinner event is being held to raise funds for GOPIO Chicago's 2016 charitable outreach programs. The primary objective of GOPIO Chicago is to mobilize the financial and professional resources of PIOs living in the Chicago area through networking activities to further the cause of the community at large. It would also work with other charitable organizations to help the needy both in India and in this country. The funds raised at this event will be used to help two charities 1) SKY from Nepal that builds shelters for Nepalese people displaced by the recent earthquake. A small donation will help to build a shelter for a family of four in the villages of Nepal. 2) Missionaries of Charity Chicago, run by Mother Theresa's sisters that help the poor and needy in Chicago. GOPIO Chicago is hosting this event near Thanksgiving holiday as it is best time of the year to give thanks and to promote charitable causes, observed Gladson Verghese, GOPIO Chief here. This fundraiser will help several homeless people in Nepal to get a shelter and several poor people in Chicago will get clothing and food. This is the first charity fundraiser for

Strong feelings, strong individuals but no solution

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 18

Most scenes are played out with two characters on stage, and Vinita Sud Bilani as Sunita, and Puneet as Mukesh carry this burden with aplomb and skill. Due to the quick succession of scenes, dialogue does not drag, and the play maintains a fast, albeit sometimes a hectic pace of moving between the past and present. We all continue to sort out our chaotic lives without paying too much heed to the chaos in the universe around us.

President Gladson Verghese addessing the GOPIO Meet

GOPIO Chicago and the plan is to make it a recurring annual event. GOPIO Chicago President Gladson Varghese and other board members invited all in the Indian community in Chicago area to come and participate in this Charity event and to make it a grand success. The fundraiser will start with registration and Social /Business networking. A brief inauguration meeting and a charity appeal will be followed by Dinner. The culmination will be with entertainment featuring Bollywood dances, D.J, and Bollywood songs. Key business and U.S. political leaders will attend the fundraiser.

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Natya Dance Theater celebrates its 40th year SUNTHAR VISUVALINGAM

CHICAGO: Natya Dance Theater (NDT) celebrated its 40th year with the world premiere of its "Varna: Colors of White" downtown at The Dance Center of Columbia College October 22 through 24. Conceived by NDT founder and artistic director Hema Rajagopalan and featuring daughter Krithika Rajagopalan as principal dancer, the full-evening

bringing to life the spectrum of feelings (rasa, bhava) delineated by Indian aesthetics. The October 24 gala performance featured a one-time-only solo by Hema and public reception. Lyrics were by Natya Shastra savant Pappu Venugopala Rao, original music by Rajkumar Bharathi, and rhythmic arrangements by mridangam player, G. Vijayaraghavan. Singer

Vinay Srinivasan and Vidya Govind (center) entwined as the primordial androgyne "Ardhanari" (Shiva-Shakti) to engender the colorful profusion (prapancha) of our universe

Artistic director Hema Rajagopalan depicts a doting mother's horror at discovering her fallen warrior-son, a spear plunged into his chest. -Pics Amitav Sarkar

Bharata Natyam performance was based on ancient texts and poems set to original musical scores,

Chitrambari Krishnakumar was accompanied by Kalaiarasan Ramanathan violin, Balakrishnan

Krittika Rajagopalan compresses the Ramayana into a breathtaking span of 25minutes through spurned Sita's poignant reminiscences

Muthukumar flute, with additional percussion from K.R. Venkatasubramanian. Vinay Srinivasan was the lead male dancer as both Shiva and Buddha. "Varna" (color) has for its dance-canvas the emergence of worldly multiplicity from an initial dualism, both cosmic and sexual, before reabsorption into the original unity. The opening "Ardhanari" invoked the primordial androgyne as the inseparable complementarity of masculine power and feminine energy through verses from Adi Shankara, Carnatic composer Muttuswami Dikshitar and the resonant Shiva Tandava Stotra attributed to sage Patanjali, author of the Yogasutras. Whereas Sankhya philosophy outlines a multiplicity of passive male (purusha) principles enmeshed within the all-encompassing web of mother-nature (prakriti), Shiva here was the single dominant male dynamically embracing his own pervasive Shakti (energy), as reflected in her surrounding kaleidoscopic field of multiple female danseuses. The following group dance further choreographed the 'profusion' (prapancham) of "the universe of colors" engendered by the endless interplay of this fertile duality. "Sita in Reflection" recalls her life with Rama as she pines their definitive separation and the cruelty of her tragic fate. Only some incidents, such as the initial encounter of their mutual gaze just before her swayamvara, were accompanied by sung lyrics, in this instance "who could she be?" (yaaroivaryaaro?) by Arunachala Kavi. However, Krithika succeeded in

vividly and economically conveying many other scenes through representation of both contrasting emotions and dynamic interaction, e.g., her abduction by Ravana. Transitions were also handled admirably, as when Sita lands listless, almost with a thud, from his winged chariot into her solitary confinement in Lanka. For the gala-night alone, Hema treated fans to a rare in person interpretation of an ancient poem expressing the intense attachment of a doting mother for her infant son destined to be felled on the battlefield. Hearing rumors that her warrior was killed while fleeing the

enemy, she indignantly vows to cut off her nurturing breast if true. She finally discovers his lifeless body with the spear plunged into his chest, vindicating her as the now proud mother of a hero. By sharply juxtaposing scenes of tender childhood with the savageries of war and by expressing her fears for his future, growing rapidly with his physical stature, Hema transforms this celebration of martyrdom in Tamil Sangam literature into an indictment of fratricidal violence. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 23

Dance critic Sunil Kothari (right), studiously attended the performance all three days before being conferred NDT's lifetime achievement award. The Dance Center's Bonnie Brooks (center) received an NDT "Distinguished Services to Dance Arts Award 2015."

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Charity medical camp in Tanda, Punjab THAKAR BASATI

FLORIDA: Maheshwar Charitable Foundation of Florida, USA is hosting Charity Medical Camp in Tanda (Urmer) Punjab, India from December 19 to 24 at Baba Balwant Singh Charitable Hospital. Main focus of this camp will be eye exams, cataract surgeries and lens implants. Team of expert doctors, nurses will be traveling from USA to Tanda. In addition to eye surgeons, family doctors and a plastic surgeon are also planning to serve in the camp to offer a wide range of medical services to the patients. The hospital already has 7 full time doctors on staff and has 24 hour operations. Baba Gurdial Singh is the chairman of Tanda Hospital. The foundation has previously organized several eye camps, heart and orthopedic camps where many heads of departments from universities participated and trained the local doctors. Maheshwar Foundation has also organized camps in Uttar Pradesh and other places in India. All the services including medical consultations, prescription glasses, prescription medicines, lab tests etc, surgeries, post op care and food for the patients and

At a medical camp in 2014, patient flanked by volunteers and medical professional

their accompanying family members are free. Patients are kept overnight to ensure that the surgeries are successful and that the patients and their family members have adequate medicines and training to take care of the patients. Volunteers pay their own travel expenses to India. The foundation is also working with doctors in Uttar Pradesh and has multiple charity projects from November 26 to December 3. The locations are Mahavir Eye Hospital, Bilaspur, several village level camps and the eye hospital Bissouli. All these projects will be to examine and treat eye patients and perform surgeries wherever needed. All the services will be completely free. The nearest major towns are Moradabad and Rampur. If anybody wants to volunteer his services may contact Dr Deepak Kapoor at drkapoorkd@gmail.com or Dr Daljit Singh Saini atdaljitsaini74@gmail.com or Thakar S at Basatit@aol.com or call Baba Gurdial Singh at 981595 9401.

Natya Dance Theater celebrates its 40th year Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 22

This is brought home when the mother frantically turns over corpse after corpse only to recoil in fearful disgust at the sight of untimely death, before she recognizes her son. "Mara" returned to the theme of multiplicity expressed now through the myriad emotional hues that cloud our ability to recognize truly both other and self. Their dance within is what impels the disguised Indra's carnal desire for Ahalya, her unsuspecting reciprocity towards her apparent husband, betrayed sage Gautama, whose own fury culminates in their being cursed. These unruly afflictions of the mind are eventually vanquished and reabsorbed, like a rainbow, back into the 'whiteness' of transcendental 'peace' (shanta) by the enlightened (Gautama) Buddha.

Paradoxical, though, was that Mara's daughters are depicted also as the seven musical notes and we, the audience, were participating in this reunification through the very seduction of their art. NDT awarded The Dance Center's Bonnie Brooks a "Distinguished Services to Dance Arts Award 2015." As renowned veteran dance critic, Sunil Kothari, who was conferred an NDT lifetime achievement award, observed: over the 40 years since NDT was launched, Hema has evolved a style of Bharata Natyam that remains true to tradition while opening out to contemporary concerns, such as women's rights, global peace and non-violence. Longtime partner Ensemble EspaĂąol, also celebrating its own 40th anniversary, entertained guests with flamenco music and dance during the gala.

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rom atop the Matanga Hill at day break, Hampi is every inch the capital city of a golden empire. Though what lies before are but the bones of an enchantress, who once had the whole world in her sway, Hampi is far from what one would call ruins. Once visited by the Portuguese, Arabs, Persians and Orientals, the capital city of Vijayanagara, has only grown in popularity across the centuries. And no surprise that! Every bend in the road is punctuated by a 14th century, if not older, temple; perched on nearly every hillock is a four-pillared canopy-like monument and its entire horizon, pixilated by huge gestalt-ish boulders. The regal 9-storey tall gopura of the Virupaksha Temple, where Siva is believed to have married Parvati, watches over the city like a specially-appointed god - its memory of magnificence and grandeur forever etched in stone. Hampi gives an impression of preserving itself for the past to resume. The wedding ceremony of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year at the Virupaksha Temple, as it has been for centuries. The long bazaar avenues stand in expectant silence, as if waiting for that kind of commerce to resume, where diamonds and precious stones were used as currency. In the evenings, like a zillions dusks before, the dying rays of the sun turn the en-

November 6, 2015

and the number of sculptures speak of a race of artisans that weren't quite done in their business of outdoing each other in craftsmanship. Monolithic structures carved out of a single rock the imposing Lakshmi Narasimha, the majestic Stone Chariot, the massive Ganesha statues, the Badavilinga are proof of the brilliance that was once envied.

tire Vijaya Vittala Temple to gold; a sight which is as much a wonder as the temple's 56 musical pillars that produce the sounds of 56 different musical instruments. The Royal Enclosure waits in readiness for its sandalwood halls to be returned, the massive elephant stables, the Lotus Mahal - shaped like a lotus blossoming in the sun, the Hazararama Palace temple with intricate stories carved over its every side and the Mahanavmi Dibba or the Victory Platform still majestic and proud await to fall back into routine. The sheer detail of the carvings

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 26

Travel & Hospitality Post

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Centre gives green nod to airport in Goa NEW DELHI: The Centre has given green nod for development of Rs 3,000 crore new international airport project at the Mopa village in western Indian state of Goa. The Greenfield airport, to be developed in four phases, will have annual passenger capacity of 13.1 million within 30 years, by 2045. It will serve both the tourism and business markets. "As per the recommendation of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), the Ministry of Environment hereby accords environment clearance (EC) for the project Greenfield international airport at Mopa," the Union Environment Ministry said in the EC

letter written to the Goa government. The environment clearance has been given to the project subject to the compliance of certain

specific and general conditions, the letter said. Among some conditions, the Goa government's Directorate of Civil Aviation has been asked to

ensure availability of adequate land at the junction of the Mopa airport road and Mumbai-Goa NH-17 for traffic circulation, and to provide all traffic interchanges and proposed clover. It has also been asked to get approval of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the approach and exit roads to the airport. The final green nod has been given after the Goa government submitted before the ministry's panel, EAC, the point-wise reply to issues raised by an NGO Federation of Rainbow Warriors that had alleged flaws in the recently conducted environment impact

assessment (EIA) process, sources said. In the first phase, the state government has proposed to develop one runway, with half parallel taxi-way, three runway exits by 2020 to accommodate annual passenger capacity of 4.4 million. The estimated cost of the project in Phase I would be Rs 1,500 crore. In July, the Goa government had said tenders for new airport at Mopa would be finalized by December 2015. The Mopa village is located in North Goa near Maharashtra border, approximately 35 kilometers north of Goa's capital city Panaji. -PTI

Gadkari hits out at obstructionist archaeologists MUMBAI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said archaeologists and activists will not be allowed to stand in the way of the government as it seeks to develop tourism potential in the country. "Archaeologists will not complain if a wall (of old heritage structure) erodes away but if you put a coat of paint, they will question. There is no dearth of such 'learned' people in our government," Gadkari said at a roadshow to get private investments for upgrading old lighthouses here. "We ministers are capable of silencing them. If such people come to us we will throw them out," he said. Shipping Ministry has decided to develop 78 of the total 189 lighthouses along India's coastline into tourist attractions on a public-private partnership basis. Under the scheme, private par-

ties can invest in upgrading the infrastructure and recover fee from tourists while sharing a part of the revenue with the government. Several lighthouses in Maharashtra and Goa - Sunk Rock, Kanhoji Island, Uttan Point, Korlai Fort, Jaigadh, Ratnagiri, Devgadh, Vengurla Rocks, Tolkeshwar Point, Fort Aguada and Sao George - are part of the project. The minister who also handles road transport portfolio, acknowledged the lack of infrastructure in the country but promised to enhance facilities for tourism. Gadkari, who is credited for pushing ambitious projects like flyovers in Mumbai and the Mumbai-Pune expressway when he was PWD minister in Maharashtra, also expressed his annoyance with the activism which obstructs development.

"Some people convert problems into opportunities and some con-

Nitin Gadkari

HAMPI

Every inch the capital city of a golden empire Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 25

Cross the Tungabadra River over to the ancient capital of Anegundi and there are leisurely roads to traverse, myths to chase and boulders to scale and dive off, into the waiting arms of the Sanapur Lake. Hampi has challenged time, survived the centuries and lived to tell the tale. And, they say, if you listen carefully enough, you might learn a thing or two on how to do the same. Tourist attractions in Hampi lie in its boulder-laden landscape and

rocky outcrop hemmed in a lush green surrounding. The ruins remind you of a mighty empire, which dominated large part of south India after the Mughals.

wards the west of Virupaksha Temple have shops and restaurants. The street is congested and therefore, most of the vehicles are restricted in the bazaar except for two wheelers.

Places to see Hampi Bazaar Located near the Virupaksha Temple, the Hampi Bazaar is also known as Virupaksha Bazaar. On either sides of this one kilometer long street near the temple, are pavilions which were once a part of the markets of the nobles. Most of these pavilions, particularly to-

vert opportunities into problems," he said, adding, he was at one

Matanga Hill Matanga hill is a well known tourist destination in Hampi. Its main attraction being the breathtaking aerial view of the Hampi landscape during sunset or sunrise. When on top, you can appreciate the sheer wisdom of the Vijaynagara rulers for selecting Hampi as their capital. The best

track for trekking enthusiasts is the one that begins from Hampi bazaar to the Achyutaraya temple. The picturesque sight from the top comprises the Tungabhadra River, the Kodanda Rama temple, the Veerbhadra temple and the Turthu

point "fed up" because of such activism when he was a minister in Maharashtra. "A microscopic minority of 125 had gone to the court against the flyovers...I was feeling like giving up the project," he reminisced. At the same time, he was in favor of protecting the ecology and is himself a "pro-environment" person, Gadkari asserted. The senior cabinet minister also advised Indians to visit domestic destinations rather than going abroad for vacation. "Our country has such a potential that rather than going to foreign land, if they come here, we will create big opportunity of employment and development here," Gadkari said. He said whenever he goes to a foreign country like Switzerland he sees tourists from Gujarat and Maharashtra.-PTI canal. Matanga hill is historically connected to the epic Ramayana as it was the hiding place for Sugriva, the ruler of Kishkinda. Vithala Temple Complex A unique architectural masterpiece, Vithala temple in Hampi is situated opposite the village of Anegondi. The temple is named after Vithala, an avatar of Vishnu worshipped by the Marathas. Vithala temple is built in the form of a complex with compound wall and gateway towers. The one thing that immediately catches attention is the stone chariot which has assumed iconic heights over the years for Karnataka tourism. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 26

November 6, 2015

Travel & Hospitality Post

HAMPI

Every inch the capital city of a golden empire Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 26

The pillared halls are intrinsically carved with sculptures that speak volumes about the glorious past of Hampi. Another feature that is worth mentioning here is the musical pillars that emanates the seven notes when tapped. Hazara Rama Temple The Hazara Rama temple complex in Hampi is located in the middle of the Royal Centre and was once used as a place of worship by the royal family members. Inscriptions inside the temple indicate that it was built by Devaraya I in early fifteenth century. This temple is renowned for its elaborate frescos extensively portraying scenes from Hindu mythology. There are about one thousand fantastically carved bas relief and inscriptions that illustrate the mighty

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prominent among these damaged and missing structures is the seated figurine of Narasimha's consort Lakshmi on his left lap. By entering inside the enclosure, one can see the land of Lakshmi on Narasimha's back with her fingers, nails and rings, all beautifully sculptured. Virupaksha Temple Amidst the ruins of the ancient

is still used for worship. The inside of the temple consists of a sanctum with a mandapam in front, three ante chambers, a pillared hall and an open pillared hall. Among the three towers the eastern tower is the tallest standing at a height of 160 feet and is nine tiered. Virupaksha portrays Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in their various avatars. The chariot festival is celebrated in the premises of this

epic Ramayana and the Mahanavami festival. Depiction of processions of elephants, horses with attendants, dancing girls and armored soldiers testify the expertise of the Vijayanagara artists. Lakshmi Narasimha Temple The Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Hampi attracts tourists specifically due to its monolithic structure and the sheer enormity of its size. It is the single largest statue in Hampi with a height of 6.7 meters. Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu is depicted as sitting on the giant coil of the celestial snake Adisesha. The seven heads of the giant snake shielding Narasimha, arched by a Kirtimukha Torana in the front, is an architectural masterpiece in itself. However, several features of the monolithic structure are missing and the most

India Post 27

A large dome shaped building was used as Elephant Stables to house the ceremonial elephants of the royal household. The architectural style of the building has a strong Indo-Islamic influence that gets reflected in its domes and arched gateways. The building consists of eleven chambers amongst which ten of these are crowned with domes. These chambers were used as elephant stables. The metal hooks that were probably used to chain the elephants are still visible in the ceiling of some of the rooms. Special manholes were constructed for the mahouts to facilitate their easy entrance to the elephant compartments. How to reach By Air Bellary is the nearest domestic airport, which is about 60 km away and Bangalore is the nearest international Airport, which is 350 km away. By Bus Hampi is well connected by KSRTC bus services with all nearby cities.

city Vijaynagar the Virupaksha temple stands tall with all its earlier structures still intact. The temple personifies Lord Shiva and

temple during the month of February. Elephant Stables

By Train Nearest railhead is Hospet, which is nearly 13 km from Hampi.

Datebook

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NEW JERSEY Upcoming

NEW YORK Upcoming

Sat, Nov 14

Fri, Nov 6

• PBA Bhangras Sabhyacharak Mela

• Diwali Party

Venue: Melvin H.Kreps, Middle School, 5,Kent Lane, East Windsor, NJ 08520 Time : 05:00 pm Contact: 732-447-5879

Sun, Nov 15 • Rhythms NJ Presents A Fundraiser For SAGA 2015 Venue: Montgomery Upper Middle School Auditorium, 375 Burnt Hill Rd, Montgomery, NJ 08558 Time: 4:00 pm

Sun, Nov 22 • Kal Aur Aaj Bollywood Musical Journey Venue: Edison Hotel, 3050,Woodbridge Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 Time: 6:00 pm

Venue: The Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 Time : 07:00 pm Contact: 631-928-3800

Sat, Nov 7 • Biggest Bollywood Diwali Party with DJ Notorious!! Venue: PRANNA, NYC, 79 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Time : 10:00 pm

Fri, Nov 20 • Alka Yagnik Live in New York Venue: Colden Auditorium, Reeves Avenue, NY 11367 Time : 08:30 pm Contact: 7186392881

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Nov 6-7, 12-14, 19-21 • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Fri, Nov 13 • Diwali extravaganza with Golu Awards

Ohlone College Dept. of Theatre & Dance Production

Venue: Sakoon Indian Restaurant, Fremont,

Directed by Michael Navarra

94538, 39195 Farwell Drive, Fremont, CA

Venue: Smith Center at Ohlone College 43600 Mission Boulevard Fremont, CA 94539 Time: 8:00 pm Tickets: $12 General; $10 Students & Seniors Contact: www.smithcenter.com 510-659-6031

Time: 6:00 pm

Fri, Nov 6 • Bollywood Singers Club Party

Venue: Terrace Theater - Long Beach Con-

Venue: Aratani / Japan America Theatre, 244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Time: 6:30 pm

Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

Sat, Nov 7 • Bharatanatyam Dance With Leela Samson Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Time: 6:00 pm

Sun, Nov 8 • Bhuvnesh Komkali Live Concert in Milpitas Venue: Serra Theaters, 200 Serra Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 10:00 am Contact: 4084618390

Sun, Nov 15 •Melody Queen Alka Yagnik Live in Concert Venue: Windemere Ranch Middle School, 11611 E Branch Pkwy, San Ramon, CA Time: 06:00 pm Contact: 562-450-6790

Contact: 5103644271

Wed, Nov 25 • Atif Aslam Live In Concert Los Angeles - The Night Before Thanksgiving Day vention and Entertainment Center, 300 E Time: 07:00 pm

ATLANTA Upcoming Sat, Nov 7 • Diwali Milan Venue: Holiday inn 17W350, 22nd Street, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 Time: 11:00 pm Contact: 630-886-3106

Sat, Nov 7 • Diwali Bollywood Dhamaka Venue: Bombay Grill Indian Restaurant, 2165 Savoy Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341 Time: 07:30 pm

Sat, Nov 22 • Diwali Special Gujarati Natak Venue: Atlanta Event Hall, 3750 Venture Drive, Duluth, GA 30096 Time: 6:00 pm

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

November 6, 2015

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India Post 29

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Gulaabo : Shaandaar 2 Main Hoon Hero Tera: Hero 3 Shaam Shaandaar : Shaandaar 4 Prem Leela: Prem Ratan Dhan 30 India Post

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November 6, 2015

Payo 5 Matargashti : Tamasha 6 Tung Tung Baje : Singh Is Bliing 7 Bandeyaa : Jazbaa 8 Afghan Jalebi : Phantom 9 Singh & Kaur : Singh Is Bliing 10 Raitaa Phail Gaya : Shaandaar

areena Kapoor Khan, who is essaying the role of a go-getting businesswoman, will be sporting a completely new look in R. Balki's Ki And Ka. Her outfits in the film include smart casuals, suits and other outfits that reflect power dressing in sync with her role in the film but the actress hasn't forgotten her fans who love her the most in Indian attire. In a song choreographed by Bosco, Kareena will be sporting a gorgeous lehenga customized by her favorite designer Manish Malhotra. What makes this one interesting is that the lehenga weighs over 32 kgs and has heavy zardosi work and several layers of net. Kareena shot for the song in the heavy lehenga for over 2 days at a suburban studio. Says a source, "Shot in scorching heat for over 2 days, she wowed everyone with her ability to maintain her cool despite the challenging outfit and temperature". ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

fter impressing the audience with his danc ing skills in his debut film Heropanti, Tiger Shroff is all set to showcase some superhero tricks in Remo D'Souza's A Flying Jatt. The hero and his supervillain's (played by Mad Max: Fury Road baddy Nathan Jones) looks were unveiled recently. Remo revealed that he worked on 11 outfits before zeroing down the perfect one for Tiger. The final outfit was made in Las Vegas by a company that has designed costumes for some big league Hollywood superheroes. "Our superhero is Punjabi so my idea for the costume came from the warrior clan of the Sikhs called the Nihangs. Every detail in the costume right from the color, has a meaning which you will find out only when you watch the film," the 43-year-old filmmaker says, adding that he showed the film's script and the costume to Sikh religious leaders and began shooting for the film only when he had their approval. Tiger, who is kicked about his new film, says, "The precision involved in the designing and the scale at which Remo sir has envisioned the film is amazing", the 25-year-old actor says.

fter featuring in films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Yeh Saali Zindagi, actress Chitrangada Singh was seen grooving to 'Kundi mat khadkao raja', a raunchy song in Gabbar Is Back. She says there was no strategy behind choosing an item number. Before 'Kundi mat khadkao raja', Chitrangada had done another song for Shirish Kunder's Joker. "I didn't make any strategy that I would do item numbers. It just came my way. Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali (producer) called me for the song in Gabbar is Back and Akshay Kumar was also a part of it. We came together, I heard the song and I took it as a part of job. So I did it," said Chitrangada, who will perform in Dubai as part of 'Asia's biggest New Year bash'. Chitrangada wants to perform on veteran actress Helen's songs at the event. "It's very difficult to choose one song to perform from so many of her songs. I like to groove on any song of hers. But I would especially like to perform on Piya tu ab toh aaja," she said here. The actress has been seen in films like Desi Boyz, Inkaar, I, Me Aur Main.

November 6, 2015

Bollywood

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anbir Kapoor has been approached for a light hearted film by his director-friend Binoy Gandhi. Gandhi, who is making his directorial debut "Jee Bhar Ke Jee Le", is working on a script for his childhood friend. "I have discussed the idea with Ranbir and he has liked it. It is a light-hearted film where the character of Ranbir believes in spreading happiness. It (film) is on the lines of what Rajkumar Hirani makes," Binoy told PTI. "Ranbir and I were childhood friends. The great thing about him is that he has not changed even a bit after achieving so much success," he said. Ask him if he has thought of any female lead romancing Ranbir, he says, "There would not be a romantic angle in the film but the main character would have a best friend." Binoy is launching filmmaker J P Dutta's daughter Nidhi with "Jee Bhar Ke Jee Le".

"Ranbir and I were childhood friends. The great thing about him is that he has not changed even a bit after achieving so much success"

t has been over half a decade since she got her mega launch oppo site none other than Salman Khan in Veer (2010). While she was much criticized for her bulky frame, she attributed it to the need of the script which required her to eat a lot of chocolates and sweets, and appear on screen as a well-rounded princess from the era gone by. Circa 2015 and Zareen Khan, who has featured in a 100 crore success Housefull 2 and enjoyed a Punjabi hit in Jatt James Bond earlier this year, is all set to change that persona with an erotic musical thriller Hate Story 3. A couple of sizzling promos have already been unveiled and since the film belongs to the erotica genre, it requires Zareen to indulge in skin show for screen, something that she is not minding at all. "I never had any apprehensions around this to begin with as well. However, Yes, I did carry this whole image with me for five years that of a princess from Veer who was all covered up. Industry as well as audience always saw me in that light. Somehow, no one offered me anything that required me to step into an ultra-glam avtar," says Zareen.

il Dhadakne Do actor Anushka Sharma has refuted rumors that she is tying the knot with cricketer boyfriend Virat Kohli. Anushka, 27, opened about her relationship with Virat last December and since then they have been facing marriage rumors. The latest grapevine suggested that the 26-year-old cricketer was planning to move in with the actor in Mumbai. "There is no truth to the stories/rumors about Anushka Sharma's impending wedding. Currently she is busy and happy with her work commitments," read a statement on the behalf of Anushka. "She has always been open about her life and would appreciate it and request everyone to wait for her to make announcements about her life instead of speculating," the statement added.

Â&#x201E;

Realty Tidbits

Oberoi Realty launches 'Sky City' in Mumbai MUMBAI: Real estate player Oberoi Realty has launched a multi-tower residential project 'Sky City' in Borivali in suburban Mumbai and expects to gain Rs 10,000 crore revenue from it. Spread over 25 acres, the project would consist of 10 towers of 60 storeys each, with a saleable area of over 5.5 million sq ft. The project would comprise expansive three bedrooms in various configurations with prices starting from upwards of Rs 2.5 crore. "This is one of our ambitious projects. Going by the current market rates, we expect to earn nearly Rs 10,000 crore from this project," company's Chairman and MD Vikas Oberoi told reporters. He said the revenues generated from this project would be used for new projects and buying land parcels. Also, it would be used to repay its debt of around Rs 500 crore. "Last year, we had raised Rs 750 crore through non-convertible debentures (NCDs). We have so far repaid Rs 250 crore and the remaining Rs 500 crore, we plan to repay in the next 18 months," he said. -PTI

Real Estate

MUMBAI: To achieve its target of providing 11 lakh affordable homes, the Maharashtra government may consider utilizing nondevelopment zones for this purpose, state Housing Minister Prakash Mehta said. The government has set an ambitious target of constructing 11 lakh affordable houses in Mumbai and its metropolitan area and seven lakh outside. "We want to develop affordable homes on a large scale. We are considering using salt pan lands, defense zones and 350 acre land at the Mumbai Port Trust. However, if we need more land, we will also consider utilizing NDZ land for creating mass housing," he said at the four-day property exhibition organized by MCHI-Credai. Assuring full support to the developers' community, Mehta said the government is working towards providing approvals for housing projects within 30 days. "Developers' another concern is environment clearance. I will be meeting Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar next month to discuss about the environment norms and how approvals can be received in less time," Mehta said adding, "Developers will have to focus on creating affordable housing stock." -PTI

to create a real estate trust

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November 6, 2015

Details on Page 33

Raheja cuts price for housing project in Sohna, Gurgaon NEW DELHI: To boost sluggish sales, realty firm Raheja Developers has said it has launched a housing project in Sohna,

Â&#x201E;

Maha may use non-development zones for housing

MGM Resorts

Gurgaon, at a price of Rs 2,500 per sq ft, about 30-35 per cent lower than the existing rate in the location. The company will develop 114 independent floors in this project, which is part of 200-acre township 'Aranya City' in Sohna, South of Gurgaon, Raheja Developers said in a statement.

Real estate sector is facing a huge slowdown for last 2-3 years particularly in housing segment, resulting in delay in completion of projects by up to 5 years. "Actual market depends on demandsupply and also customers' ability to pay. Lately, the prices have gone up so much that it has affected the customers' affordability. So, we have decided to bring down the prices to move the market," Raheja Developers Chairman Navin Raheja told PTI. He said the prices would be around Rs 2,900 per sq ft under the construction-linked payment plan. "At present, the prices in this location is about Rs 4,000 per sq ft," Raheja said. Raheja Developers said that construction major L&T is doing the infrastructure for the township.

The Gurgaon-based firm is developing various housing and commercial projects, largely in Gurgaon area. Recently, as many as 11 realty developers came together to promote Sohna, located at the southern end of Gurgaon, and jointly coordinate with the state govern-

Homes, Ashiana Housing, Supertech, Central Park, Eldeco, ILD, CHD Developers, Silverglades, MKS Ventures, Gold Souk and Nimai Developers. The region offers housing projects in a price range of Rs 4,000-4,500 per sq ft. The Haryana government has given license for

ment for the infrastructure development of the region. These developers are Ashiana

325-acre group housing and 295 acres of townships in Sohna under Gurgaon district. -PTI

Jaitley tells developers not to depend on sops MUMBAI: Terming the real estate sector as an important engine for faster growth, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said developers should not depend on government subsidies but learn to survive in the market economy. "The essence of the real estate industry cannot be that you can only survive on subsidies. Developers will have to survive on the strength of the market economy itself and on the ability of our banks to finance them," Jaitley said at the CredaiBankcon summit here. Promising to help the industry tide over its problems, Jaitley said, "We will certainly examine the issues raised by the industry. I believe the age of slowdown of the realty sector in the last few years should now come to an end and we should look for far

greater economic activity and better housing for all." Apart from delays in approvals and land acquisition, real estate players have been raising con-

realty projects, and developers complain private equity is expensive. Stating that the real estate sector is going to be the next big

cerns over lack of cheaper funds as most banks are reluctant to fund

mover in the economy, Jaitley said, "While we need to create more

townships and smart cities, at the same time, we need to link suburban areas with good infrastructure and connectivity." Admitting that there are difficulties in getting land for large realty projects, the minister said it is a state issue and expressed that hope that states which want progress will make enabling changes to ensure easy availability of land and affordable housing. "High interest rates had impacted the real estate sector adversely, but it is a pre-requisite that we keep inflation under control for a sustained period of time to so that the entire economy grows faster for long time," he said. The minister also reiterated the government's commitment to make affordable houses for all by 2022. -PTI

November 6, 2015

Real Estate Post

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MGM Resorts to create a real estate trust LAS VEGAS: MGM Resorts International plans to shift some of its casino-resort real estate into a separate company that will lease the properties back to MGM to boost value for shareholders and give both companies more flexibility to grow. The Las Vegas-based casino giant announced it would create a real estate investment trust, or REIT, called MGM Growth Properties LLC that would own 10 of its casinoresorts and assume $4 billion in debt. In a conference call with analysts, MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren said his company would own a substantial interest of about 70 percent in the new one after the company goes public with trading expected to start in the first quarter of 2016. "We're in it together. We want to see (MGM Growth Properties) grow, and grow rapidly," he said. Meghan Repko, a spokeswoman for MGM Resorts, said the deal structure differed from a spin-off since it was creating a new wholly separate company that would offer shares to the public, rather than giving shares to current investors. On the conference call, the company reported stronger than expected third-quarter results including a $66.4 million profit, a turnaround from a loss a year ago. MGM said it earned 12 cents per share in the latest quarter due to what it described as a robust recovery in Las Vegas and a healthy convention calendar. A year ago, it lost $20.3 million, or 4 cents per share. The company said its recently expanded convention center at Mandalay Bay is already fully booked for 2016. The new company would own Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur, The Park pedestrian mall that's under construction between New York-New York and Monte Carlo and three regional properties in Michigan and Mississippi.

MGM Growth Properties would effectively become the landlord with MGM Resorts its renter responsible for the cost of capital improvements, under a long-term master lease with an initial 10-year term and four five-year extensions at MGM Resorts' option. The company took pains to say the deal wasn't a spinoff since it was creating a new wholly separate company that would offer shares to the public, versus the shares going instead to current investors. MGM Resorts says it will still own and operate the Bellagio, MGM Grand and Circus-Circus properties in Las Vegas and its stakes in Las Vegas Strip City Center complex of casino-hotels and retail, MGM China, Borgata casinoresort in New Jersey and the under construction 20,000seat Las Vegas arena. Murren said the company looked at its options, including spinning off all its properties as suggested by a small investor earlier this year, but he said that idea "was ill-conceived on almost every front." The company, instead, wanted to ensure MGM Resorts would still have enough cash flow left behind that it could continue developing current projects and consider new developments. As for keeping Bellagio, MGM Grand and Circus-Circus,

Murren said all three have a lower property tax base than others MGM Resorts owns making them more attractive to retain. The deal would leave MGM Resorts with less debt, about $7 billion not counting the amount it is responsible for in its MGM China partnership, Murren said. The new company will also have the option to add MGM Resorts' future casino-resorts in Maryland and Massachusetts to its portfolio. As for capital improvements, Murren reiterated plans to rename and reposition the Monte Carlo casino-resort near

its new arena and said the company is looking at adding sidewalk retail to the front of the Excalibur casino-hotel and expand convention space at the Luxor. "These properties were designed in a different era when land was literally dirt cheap," he said, adding that the focus is no longer on sprawling horizontal development but designs that appeal to pedestrians. The company, its shareholders and analysts have long thought MGM Resorts was undervalued and the company had been researching shifting to a real estate investment trust structure for several months.-AP

Â&#x201E; Health

Line

Fortis to double bed capacity in Punjab MOHALI: Fortis Healthcare has said it would double its hospital bed capacity to 1,500 with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore in Punjab, besides setting up a medical university in the state. "We will increase our bed capacity in Punjab to 1,500 beds with an investment outlay which has already happened and which is happening at Rs 1,500 crore," Fortis Healthcare, Executive Chairman, Malwinder Mohan Singh said while addressing Progressive Punjab Investors Summit here. Fortis Healthcare has launched its multi-specialty hospital and woman hospital in Ludhiana in 2014. "We have also expanded our specialty oncology centre at Mohali 2015. We have also bought additional land in Mohali to double its capacity," he said. "We have started expansion of our facility in Amritsar and adding oncology in every single hospital in Punjab," he further informed. "We need to do a lot more in the state... For best medical health care infrastructure, we are delighted to announce a medical university in Punjab which is an additional expansion to what we are doing beyond existing businesses," Singh said. -PTI

Â&#x201E; Common heartburn drugs may harm kidneys NEW YORK: Certain common medications used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, researchers including one of Indian-origin have found. The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications in the US. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise, with more than 20 million Americans burdened by the disease, researchers said. Diabetes and hypertension are common risk factors for CKD; however, certain medications can also play a role. Two new studies show that increased use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), medications that treat reflux and stomach ulcers, may be contributing to the CKD epidemic. In one study, Benjamin Lazarus of Johns Hopkins University and his colleagues followed 10,482 adults with normal kidney function from 1996 to 2011. -PTI

Health Science

President lauds Arunachal's insurance scheme

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Details on Page 35

NY to require training for doctors who OK pot for patients ALBANY, N.Y.: New York State will require physicians to complete an educational course before they can authorize medical marijuana for patients - an unusual mandate not applied to other new drugs or seen in other states with medical marijuana programs. State officials say the 4.5-hour, $250-online course will inform doctors about a complex drug treatment not covered in medical school. But while the investment of time and money is modest, some patient advocates worry the inconvenience could discourage physicians from participating, ultimately limiting patient access. Medical marijuana is expected to be available beginning in January, 18 months after lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved what they intended to be a relatively cautious program balancing patient need with concerns about abuse. While many of the other 22 states with medical marijuana programs offer physicians free, voluntarily resources about the drug, they haven't required physicians to pay for training before they can authorize cannabis. Only one other drug is subject to a similar training requirement a potent narcotic used to treat opiate addiction - and those rules come from the federal government. ``Doctors recommend medications all the time for which they are not required to undergo spe-

cial training,'' said Julie Netherland, deputy state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that supports medical marijuana. ``Obviously it is good for doctors to be educated about medical cannabis, but the concern is whether this will serve as a deterrent. How many doctors will choose to go through this training?'' Under the state's law, cannabis will be made available to patients with certain qualifying conditions such as cancer, AIDS, Parkinson's

sign up for the training. ``The vast majority of doctors are not going to do it until their patients start asking about it,'' said Blinderman, who supports medical marijuana. ``If you live in upstate New York and there are a handful of doctors, this is going to be an issue. It may have been a little too much to mandate.'' Eric Voth disagrees. The Topeka, Kansas, physician and chairman of the Institute on Global Drug Policy opposes wide-

and epilepsy if approved by a physician. In addition to the training, physicians must register with the state's health department. In an effort to prevent misuse, only tinctures, oils and other nonsmokeable forms of cannabis will be available. Craig Blinderman, a physician who directs adult palliative care at Columbia University Medical Center, predicted that only ``the most motivated'' physicians will

spread use of marijuana as a medicine and said too many states have approved programs with few controls. ``We are totally bypassing the FDA. It's just the Wild West,'' he said, adding that he supports mandatory training for physicians interested in authorizing the drug for patients. ``It needs to go beyond that. There should also be ongoing oversight of their practices.''

Voluntary training courses are available in many states, including California and Washington, where medical marijuana classes are offered as part of a physician's normal continuing education requirements. In New York, the requirement was added by Cuomo during negotiations with lawmakers, according to the bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, DManhattan. He noted physicians must already complete required training in drug abuse prevention and infection control. ``I would have been comfortable without such a requirement,'' Gottfried said. ``We generally trust physicians to learn about medications they haven't prescribed before without special legal requirements. But I don't see it as a problem and I think it could be helpful.'' Meanwhile, patients and their loved ones are growing tired of waiting 11/2 years after the program was approved. Maryanne Houser's 11-year-old daughter, Amanda, has a form of epilepsy that the Suffern woman hopes can be treated with cannabis. She said she's not opposed to the training requirement - but believes the state has delayed for long enough. ``My daughter is suffering,'' Houser said. ``She had 11 seizures before school. I'm frustrated and I want to get her the right medicine. I want my daughter better.'' -AP

Mammograms haven't cut rate of cancer BOSTON: A new report raises fresh questions about the value of mammograms. The rate of cancers that have already spread far beyond the breast when they are discovered has stayed stable for decades, suggesting that screening and early detection are not preventing the most dangerous forms of the disease. The report, in New England Journal of Medicine, is by three prominent cancer specialists and is based on federal statistics going back to the 1970s.

It comes a week after the American Cancer Society scaled back its mammography advice, saying most women should start annual screening at age 45, not 40, and switch to every other year at 55. A government task force recommends even less _ every other year starting at 50. ``We're undergoing what I think for the public is a very confusing debate'' about screening, but it's really ``a course correction'' prompted by more awareness of its risks and benefits to various groups of women, said Dr.

H. Gilbert Welch, a health policy expert at Dartmouth Medical School. ``All they heard for years was, `there are only benefits.''' He is the lead author of the report, co-written with Dr. David Gorski of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and Dr. Peter Albertsen of the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. ``Screening offers hope that cancer can be detected in an early, localized phase when it's more amenable to treatment,'' they write,

but that assumes that cancer starts in one place, grows and then spreads. If that was always true, screening would reduce the rate of advanced cancers. And that has not happened. The rate of breast cancers detected at an advanced stage has been stable since 1975, despite wide use of mammography since the 1980s. The average age of women diagnosed with cancer also has remained around 63, another sign cancers are not being found sooner. Cont'd on Page 35

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President lauds Arunachal's insurance scheme ITANAGAR: President Pranab Mukherjee has lauded the Chief Minister's Universal Health Insurance Scheme launched in Arunachal Pradesh and termed it as one of the most benevolent ever launched. Mukherjee, who was apprised of the scheme by Chief Minister Nabam Tuki during a courtesy call at Rashtrapati Bhavan, said it could be replicated by other states successfully to help the needy and the poor,

1,61,000 families have been enrolled till date. The main objective of the scheme is to provide free medical and surgical treatment, except outdoor patients facility, in government and private hospitals in cashless manner using biometric embedded smart card. The enrolment of beneficiaries was started on July 1, 2014 and distribution of smartcard is almost complete in all the districts. The President congratulated Tuki, who elaborated other schemes taken by his government for the development of Arunachal and welfare of its people, for the effort and sincerity in putting into place a seamless health delivery system. Tuki also updated Mukherjee on the progress of Prime Minister's special package in the state besides implementation of all central and state government flagship programs, the communiquĂŠ said. Chief Minister Nabam Tuki called on the President of India Tuki invited the PresiPranab Mukherjee dent to visit the state, to an official communiquĂŠ said here. which Mukherjee agreed in principle and The Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister's assured to visit the north eastern state Universal Health Insurance Scheme was sometime later this year, the communiquĂŠ launched on September 16, 2014 and a total added. -PTI

Mammograms haven't cut rate of cancer Cont'd from Page 34

ing is good. Shifting the stage at which a disease is diagnosed is ``only the first step for successful screening,'' which also has to save lives to be worthwhile, Welch said. ``Just because you find something earlier doesn't mean you can change its course.''

The trends suggest that some breast cancers are already ``systemic'' or widely spread from the start, and that finding them sooner has limited impact. ``Screening mammography has been unable to identify those bad cancers, destined to become metastatic, at an earlier stage. That doesn't say mammography doesn't help less aggressive cancers,'' but those are less likely to prove deadly, Welch said. Dr. Barnett Kramer, a screening expert at the National Cancer Institute, said the report shows the limitations of mammogA radiologist compares an image from a 2-D raphy. technology mammogram to 3-D Digital Breast ``I wouldn't want to say it has had no Tomosynthesis mammography in Wichita Falls, Tex. effect but it certainly has not lived up to the anticipated effect,'' he said. For every Again, Kramer agreed. Prostate screening, tumor detected early because of mammog- ``when put to a definitive test, did not show a raphy, ``you would hope to see ... an equal clear reduction in prostate cancer mortality'' reduction in metastatic disease, and that in large, rigorously done trials, he said. has not occurred.'' The government task force recommends The situation is very different with pros- against PSA testing, and says its risks outtate cancer. The rate of advanced cases of weigh its benefits for most men. that disease has been cut in half since ``Screening is a close call,'' Welch said. screening with PSA blood tests came into ``My guess is few people are helped'' by wide use around 1988, and the average age prostate or breast cancer screening while at which men are diagnosed has fallen - from many are harmed by false alarms that trig72 to 70, the authors write. ger unnecessary tests and treatments, he However, this does not prove PSA test- said. -AP

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BUOYANT MOOD Hopes soar as Indian & American economies improve

SURENDRA ULLAL

iwali Phir Agayee Sajna. The festival of Diwali is round the corner and every Indian whatever part of India he/ she comes from will celebrate this festival with lot of enthusiasm and also devotion. This is especially in the context of an upbeat note about the economy here and back home in India mingled with other positive factors Indians throughout the world await this festival stretched to five days in a joyous mood, with zeal and enthusiasm. The festival is dominated by colorful display of lights, and bursting of crackers. The festive spirit brings people of different communities closer, to celebrate the vibrant festival in a happy and lively way. Like most of the festivals in India, Diwali too has its base in mythology and there is a very interesting history about this festival. The consensus among Indian Americans here is that the coming year should bring more cheer and happiness in India and USA for sure in as much

as the US economy scene has changed for better and the momentum is likely to be picked up coming year. India too has many a positive factor - political stability, the government that has ceased to be dormant and has begun functioning, constructive measures for spurring economic growth and removing of infrastructural bottlenecks, and a global downtrend in oil prices. The most disturbing factors are the creeping inflation and still eroding corruption at middle and lower levels of government. Five Days of Celebrations The first day of this festival begins with 'Dhan Trayodashi' or 'Dhanteras' or Laxmi Puja. After the Dhanvantari Trayodashi, the second day of Diwali is called 'Narak Chaturdashi', which is popular as 'Chhoti Diwali'. The third day of Diwali, is the main day of celebrations of the festival of Diwali. Cont’d on page 38

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Hopes soar as Indian & American economies improve Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 36

The fourth day of the festival is devoted to Govardhan Pooja. The fifth day of the festival is Bhai Dooj, the time to honor the brother-sister relationship. Shri Ram Legend The most famous legend behind the celebrations of Diwali is about the prince of Ayodhya, Lord Rama. The king of Lanka,

as well as Ayodhyaa, by lighting tiny earthen lamps, in order to welcome their beloved prince Ram and Sita. It was the day of 'Kartik Amavasyaa' when they also celebrated the victory of Shri Ram over the King of Lanka, Ravan. Ram is considered the symbol of good and the positive things and Ravan represents evil. Therefore, Diwali is considered the festival which establishes the victory of good over evil. On the night of Diwali, people light diyas, which is again an icon of positive energy to conquer darkness, which is symbol of negative energy. Govardhan Puja History 'Govardhan' is a small hillock situated at 'Braj' or Gokul, near Mathura. People of Gokul used to worship and offer prayers to Lord Indra for rains because they believed that it was he who was responsible for rainfall for their welfare. However, Lord Krishna told them that it was Mount G o v a r d h a n (Govardhan Parvat) and not Lord Indra, who caused rains. Therefore, they should worship the former and not the latter.

Lord Rama

Ravan, kidnapped Lord Ram's wife (Sita) from the jungle, where they were staying in order to fulfill the o\promise he made to his stepm o t h e r Kaikeyee. Then Ram attacked Lanka, killed Ravan and released Sita from his custody. He returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshamana after fourteen years. Therefore, the people of Ayodhyaa decorated their homes

The Dooj History According to the legends, Lord Yamraj, the God of Death, visited his sister Yamuna in the Hindi month of 'Kartik'. When Yamraj reached Yamuna's home, she

Bhai Dooj

Govardhan Puja

welcomed him by performing his aarti, applying 'Tilak' on his forehead and by putting a garland around his neck. Yamuna also cooked varieties of dishes, prepared many sweets for her brother and offered all those to Him. S i k h Community's Diwali In the Sikh community, Diwali celebrations have special importance as for them it is popular as the day when their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind came back from the captivity of the fort of Gwalior city. The people illuminated lamps in the way to Shri Harmandhir Sahib, which is known by the name of 'the Golden Temple', to honor and welcome their beloved Guru. J a i n Community's Diwali For the Jain community, the festival of Diwali has special significance. It is the day when Bhagvaan Mahaveer, attained 'Nirvana'. Therefore, the people

of Jain community celebrate the festival of Diwali in remembrance of Lord Mahavira. Thus members of Indian community across the world celebrate Diwali making it one of

Sikh Diwali

the most popular festivals. Friends and relatives visit each other wishing them happiness and prosperity.

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India Post November 6, 2015

Lovable Diwali Recipes Namak Pare Prep Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins Savory and fried flour crispies for four usually had with Indian chai. Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) • 1 cup atta/wheat flour • 1 cup maida/white flour • 1 tsp ajwain/carom seeds • 1 tsp crushed black pepper (optional) • 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera (optional) • tsp baking soda • 2 to 3 tbsp oil or ghee (i used sunflower oil) • ½ to cup water • salt to taste • oil for frying Instructions 1. Sieve the wheat flour, white flour, baking soda and salt together. 2. Add the ajwain. mix the carom seeds with the rest of the sieved flours. 3. Add the oil or ghee. add water and start to knead the dough. 4. The dough should not be soft, but firm. 5. Take medium sized balls from the dough and roll them on a dusted flour. 6. With a serrated knife make criss cross patterns on the rolled dough. 7. Remove the diamond shaped patterns and deep fry them in hot oil till crisp and golden browned. 8. Drain the namak pare on paper napkins to remove excess oil. 9. Once they cool down, then store namak pare in an airtight box.

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Aurora celebrates Diwali with dance, music, fireworks ASHOK EASWARAN

Aurora team (L-R):Paul Anderson; Dr. Christine Sobek - President of Waubonsee Community College; Scheketa Hart-Burns - Aurora Alderman; Girish Kapur - Board Member; Krishna Bansal Chairman ICO Board and Chief Organizer; Tom Wiesner - Mayor City of Aurora; Shabbir Shikora Board Member; Ted Masiacos - Aurora Alderman Ward 3. -Pics Asian Media USA

AURORA: More than 4000 people, many in traditional attire congregated at the Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora on October 24 to celebrate Diwali with music, dance, food and fireworks.

together by the Cultural Committee of the IACOAB comprising of Roopa Anjanappa, Anu Setty, Sharon Garcia and Sundog Aul who was also the MC for the event and kept the audience members glued to their

A cultural presentation from local artists

The Indian-American Community Outreach Advisory Board members and a few key volunteers with Aurora Mayor and Alderman's President of College representatives from different groups

Organized for the second consecutive year by the City of Aurora's Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board (IACOAB) the event was attended by several dignitaries including Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, US Congressman Bill Foster, Consul General of India Dr Ausaf Sayeed , State Representatives Linda Chapa Lavia and Stephanie Kifowit, Alderman Mervine, Alderman Johnson, Alderman Bugg, Alderman Hart-Burns, Alderman Mesiacos, DuPage County Board Member Tony Michelassi and 204 School District Board Members Lori Price, Mark Rising and Michael Raczak. Mayor Weisner paid rich tributes to the Indian American community and its contribution to various professional fields and the culture of Aurora. "The community adds music and dance and makes Aurora a more enjoyable place to live," he said. Members of the audience were especially appreciative of the cultural show which consisted of a mix of vignettes from the Ramayana, semi-classical dances, music and Bollywood dances, which was put

Setty, Ashok Easwaran, Deepak Mehta, Gautam Bhatia, Kunal Majmundar, Krishna Bansal, Prasad Garkhedkar, Roopa Anjanappa, Sanjeev Panday, Sharon Garcia and Shabbir Shikora. The volunteers who contributed to make the event a success are Ashfaq Syed, Deepali Aul, Girish Kapur, Jyotsna Shah, Reshma Jain, Sajog Aul and Shammi Mittal. The groups who took part in the cultural part of the event were: Asha Acharya Performing Arts, Bollywood Rhythms, Ghunguru, The Grizzlies, Preetish and Lalasa Venkat, Tarana Dance Academy and Zara Zara dance team. It was veritably a 'mini-India' with food vendors offering a range of cuisine from different parts of India. Other booths had a range of ethnic jewelry, handicraft and ethnic apparel. The grand finale was a spectacular fireworks show which mesmerized all, especially the children.

seats with pithy comments and a quiz about various facets of Indian culture. Congressman Foster said, "Since man discovered fire, every culture has celebrated the triumph of light over darkness in one form of another. That gives me hope for a better future for all of us". Consul General Sayeed said that because of its universal message, Diwali has emerged as a universal festival celebrated around the globe. The Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board members are Anu

A section of the audience with Indian CG Dr Ausaf Sayeed

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Lovable Diwali Recipes Here are a few Diwali Recipes which are a favorite with the readers of veg recipes of India and will be a hit in your homes for the Diwali festival. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

SAMOSA PREP TIME: 45 mins COOK TIME: 45 mins TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 mins Punjabi samosa for twelve - a classic & popular indian snack stuffed with spiced potato peas filling. Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) for the samosa pastry: • 2 cups maida or all purpose flour • 4 tbsp ghee or oil • 5-6 tbsp water (i added 5 tbsp + 1 tsp water) • 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain) • salt as required ( i added tsp salt) • oil for deep frying For the samosa stuffing 1: • 3 medium sized potatoes/aloo • to 1 cup green peas/matar, fresh or frozen • 1 green chili + ½ inch ginger crushed to a coarse paste in a mortar and pestle • ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera) • tsp red chili powder (lal mirch powder) • a pinch of asafoetida (hing) • ½ tbsp oil • Salt as required • whole spices to be ground: • inch cinnamon (dal chini) • 2 black peppercorns (kali mirch) • 1 clove (laung) • 1 green cardamom (hari elaichi or choti elaichi) • ½ tsp cumin (jeera) • ½ tsp fennel seeds (saunf) • 1 tsp coriander seeds • 2 tsp dry pomegranate seeds/anardana or 1 tsp dry mango powder/amchur * check notes for mango powder For the samosa stuffing 2: • 3 medium size potatoes • to 1 cup peas/matar, fresh or frozen • 1 green chili and ½ inch ginger made in a paste or chopped finely • tsp garam masala powder • or ½ tsp red chilli powder • 1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur) • 1 tsp fennel powder (saunf powder) • 1 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder) • tsp cumin seeds (jeera) • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta) • 2 to 2.5 tsp oil • Salt as required Instructions Preparing the samosa pastry: 1. Take the flour, carom seeds, salt in a bowl. mix well and add ghee or oil. 2. With your fingertips rub the ghee/oil in the flour to get a breadcrumb like consistency. 3. The whole mixture should clamp together when joined. 4. Add 1 or 2 tbsp water. 5. Begin to knead adding water as required. 6. Knead to a firm dough. cover the dough with a moistened napkin and keep aside for 30-40 mins. Preparing stuffing 1: 1. Steam or boil the potatoes and peas till are cooked completely. 2. Peel the boiled potatoes and chop them into small

cubes 3. Dry roast all the whole spices mentioned in the above list till fragrant. 4. Once cooled, grind them in a dry grinder or coffee grinder to a fine powder. 5. Heat oil in a pan. 6. Add the cumin seeds and crackle them.

7. Add the ginger-green chili paste. 8. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away. 9. Add the peas, red chili powder, the freshly ground spice powder and asafoetida. 10. Stir and saute on a low flame for 1-2 minutes 11. Add the potato cubes and saute for 2-3 minutes with frequent stirring. 12. Keep the filling aside to cool. Preparing stuffing 2: 1. Boil or steam the potatoes & peas till they are cooked completely. 2. Peel the potatoes and chop them into cubes. 3. Heat oil in a pan. 4. Crackle the cumin first, then add the ginger-green chili paste and saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away. 5. Lower the flame and add all the dry spice powders one by one. 6. Stir and then add potato cubes & peas along with salt. 7. Saute for 2-3 minutes. 8. Switch off and add the chopped coriander leaves from top and stir well. 9. Keep aside. Shaping, stuffing and frying the samosa: 1. After keeping the dough for 30-40 mins. knead the dough lightly again. 2. Divided the dough 6 equal pieces. 3. Take each piece and roll in your palms first to make a smooth ball. 4. Then roll it with a rolling pin keeping the thickness neither thin nor thick. 5. Cut with a knife or a pastry cutter through the center of the samosa pastry. 6. With a brush or with your finger tips, on the straight edge of the sliced pastry, apply some water. 7. Join the two ends bringing the watered edge on top of

the plain edge. 8. Press the edges so that they get sealed well. 9. Stuff the prepared samosa cone with the prepared potato-peas stuffing. 10. Apply some water with your fingertips or brush on the round samosa cone circumference. 11. Pinch a part on the edge (check the video & pics). this helps the samosas to stand. 12. Press both the edges. be sure there are no cracks. 13. Prepare all the samosas this way and keep covered with a moist kitchen napkin. 14. Now heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. once the oil becomes hot (test by adding a small piece of dough - it should come up quickly once added to the hot oil) gently slide the prepares stuffed samosas & quickly reduce the flame to low. 15. You can also fry the samosas twice 16. Turn over in between and fry the samosas till golden. Drain samosas on paper towels to remove excess oil. 17. Fry the samosas in batches. 18. For frying the second batch, again increase the temperature of the oil. 19. Add the samosas and then lower the flame, thereby decreasing the temperature of oil. 20. This way fry all the samosas in batches. Baking the samosas: 1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degree C. 2. Brush oil lightly on the prepared samosas. 3. Place them in a baking tray and bake for 30-35 mins or till light golden at 180 degrees C. Serving suggestions: 1. Serve samosas hot or warm with coriander chutney, saunth (tamarind chutney), tamarind-dates chutney or tomato sauce. 2. They can also be served with a yogurt dip or a plain raita. another way is to serve the samosas with punjabi chole (a spiced chickpea curry). 3. A chaat can also me made from the samosa. we usually have samosa with masala chai or ginger chai. 4. Even bread or pav (indian bread rolls) can be served with the samosas. 5. Whatever you serve samosas with, remember to have hot masala chai along.

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AAM KA MURABBA Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 25 mins Sweet, tangy preserve (450 grams) made from raw unripe green man-

goes. Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) • 2 large raw unripe green mangoes, 400 grams mangoes or 250

BENGALI MATAR KACHORI PREP TIME: 45 mins COOK TIME: 30 mins TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 mins Fried bread with a mild and sweet green peas stuffing (to serve 4). A popular Bengali breakfast as well as snack. Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) for the Kachori dough: • 2.5 cups maida or all purpose flour • 2 to 2.5 tbsp ghee or oil • Water as required • Salt as required For the green peas stuffing: • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas or matar • 1 tbsp besan/gram flour • 1-2 green chillies, chopped • ½ inch ginger, chopped • 1 tsp cumin powder • tsp red chili powder • 1 green cardamom • One or two pinches of garam masala powder • A pinch of asafoetida or hing • 1 to 1.5 tsp oil • Sugar as required • Salt as required • Oil for deep frying Instructions 1. In a bowl add the flour, salt and ghee or oil. 2. Mix everything so as to incorporate the ghee or oil through the whole flour. 3. Add water in intervals and knead to a smooth and soft dough. 4. Cover the dough with a wet napkin and keep aside for 3045 minutes at room temperature. 5. Rinse the shelled or frozen peas. 6. Take them in a grinder or blender. 7. Grind to a semi coarse consistency without adding any water. 8. If not able to grind in your mixer or grinder, then add 1 or 2 tsp of water. 9. Peel the cardamom and powder the seeds in a mortar-pestle till finely ground. 10. Heat oil in a small pan. 11. On a low flame, add all the spice powders one by one cumin powder, cardamom powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida. 12. Fry for 2-3 seconds. 13. Then add the ground peas, sugar and salt.

14. Saute for 3 minutes. 15. Stir continuously. 16. Add the besan or gram flour and saute for a further 2-3 minutes with continuous stirring. 17. Take the stuffing in a bowl or plate and let it cool. 18. Prepare small balls from the stuffing and keep aside. 19. Before making the kachoris, heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. 20. Make lemon sized balls from the dough and cover with a wet kitchen napkin. 21. Take one ball and flatten it with your palm. 22. Apply some oil to it on both sides. 23. Place the ball on the rolling board and roll to a 3 inches diameter circle. 24. Keep the stuffing in the center. 25. Bring all the edges of the dough and press them together. 26. Apply some more oil if required and roll the stuffed kachori to a circle of 4 to 5 inches circle. 27. If the dough tears, then patch that spot with a small piece of dough and roll on that part gently to even it. 28. Drop a small piece of dough in the oil and if it comes steadily from the bottom to the top, then the oil is hot enough for the kachoris to be fried. 29. Gently drop the kachori in the hot oil. 30. With a slotted spoon, apply gentle pressure on the kachori to help it to puff up, like we do while frying pooris. 31. When one side is done and all puffed up - you will see that the oil has stopped sizzling. 32. Turn over and fry the other side. 33. You can turn over twice and fry for a few seconds too. 34. When the matar kachori appears crisp and pale creamish golden, remove from the slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels. 35. Serve motor shutir kochuri plain or with yogurt or any chutney or with aloor dum or cholar dal.

grams grated or shredded mangoes or 1.25 cups tightly packed grated mangoes • 1.5 cups organic unrefined cane sugar or 300 to 350 grams, add as required • 4 to 5 green cardamoms/hari eliachi and 1 to 2 cloves/ lavang, crushed finely in a mortar-pestle • A few strands of saffron/kesar, crushed Instructions 1. Rinse and wipe dry the mangoes. Then peel them. 2. Grate or shred the mangoes. 3. Powder 4 to 5 cardamoms and 1 to 2 cloves in a mortar-pestle. keep aside. 4. In a pan take the grated or

shredded mangoes along with sugar. Addition of sugar depends upon the tartness of the mangoes and your taste. I added 1.5 cups sugar.

5. Switch on the flame. Stir this sugar+mango mixture very well. 6. On a low flame or sim, cook this mixture. initially the sugar will melt and consistency will be watery. 7. Stir often so that the sugar does not crystallize and keep on simmering the mixture. 8. Keep on stirring and cooking till you get a 2 thread consistency. switch off the flame. if you cook more then the murabba gets a thick sticky hard consistency. 9. Add the cardamom+clove powder and a few strands of saffron (crushed). mix very well. 10. Cool Aam Ka Murabba completely and then spoon in a clean sterilized glass jar or bottle. 11. Serve Aam Ka Murabba as a side condiment with a north Indian meal or you can also have with chapatis or rotis.

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Celebrating the special brother-sister relationship

n the entire world, the bond be fire-crackers, is a five day long tween brother and sister is glo- celebration. Bhai Dooj comes evrified with magnificence only ery year on the fifth and last day in Bharat and Nepal. Hindus cel- of Diwali, which falls on the secebrate this special relationship ond day of the bright fortnight or twice every year, with the festi- Shukla Paksha of the Hindu lunar vals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai month of Kartika. Dooj. These festiIt is referred to vals are celebrated as "Bhaiyya-Duj" with great fervor in the Hindiand gaiety. speaking belt, Sisters adore "Bhav--Bij" in the their brothers in a Marathi-speaktraditional way ing communities, and pray for their "Bhai fota" in protection. BrothBengal and "Bhaiers and sisters Tika" in Nepal. make their relation The name very strong by 'Dooj' means the Pandit Anil Joshi meeting in person second day after Priest, Hindu Mandir of Lake on these days and the new moon, County, Grayslake, IL exchange nice and 'Bhai' means gifts and shower love for each brother. After celebrating a bright other. and cheerful Diwali, sisters all Diwali, the festival of lights and over India get ready for 'Bhai Dooj'.

PANDIT ANIL JOSHI

Sisters express their love in a ceremony by putting an auspicious tilak or a vermilion mark on the forehead of their brothers and perform aarti for them. Aarti is showing them the light of the holy flame as a mark of love and protection from evil forces. And it is a day that signifies the sisters' sincere prayer for the long and happy life of their brothers and in return, they are lavished with gifts, goodies and blessings from their brothers. Legends that support 'Bhai Dooj' This festival, like every other festival, has a beginning and socio-cultural and familial logics as well that help people to revive and strengthen their relationships. Hindu mythologies narrate different stories as how this festival is celebrated in the past. Ac-

cording to one ancient religious scripture, Yamaraj, the God of death and the Custodian of Hell, went to visit his sister's house after a long period of separation. His sister, Yami was very happy to see him and welcomed him by putting an auspicious mark on his forehead for his welfare and prayed for his safety. Yami and Yamraj then had a delicious meal together. He was so pleased with his sister's reception, he proclaimed that every year, on the Dooj day, if a sister puts a tilak on her brother's forehead, then no one can harm her brother and he would never be hurled into the hell. Since then the custom of celebrating Bhai Dooj started and this is why it is also known as 'Yama Dwitiya'. This tradition is followed devotedly to date. Sisters perform puja for their brothers' safety and well being. Brothers in return give gifts to their sisters as a token of love. According to another legend, on this day, Lord Krishna went to his sister Subhadra, after slaying the Narakasura demon. She welcomed him with the holy lamp, flowers and sweets, and put the holy protective spot on her brother's forehead. This legend states that sisters, no matter what, will pray for the well being and long life of their brothers. Yet another story behind the origin of Bhai Dooj says that when Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, attained Nirvana, his brother King Nandivardhan was distressed because he missed Mahavir and was comforted by his sister Sudarshana. Since then, sisters have been revered and respected by brothers during Bhai Dooj. Underlying Significance On the day of the festival, sisters invite their brothers for a sumptuous meal often including

their favorite dishes. Every brother eagerly awaits this occasion that reinforces the bond between brothers and sisters and their affectionate relationship. It's an opportunity for a delightful feast at the sister's place, coupled with an enthusiastic exchange of gifts. Brothers and sisters look forward to the occasion with immense eagerness. Women who do not have a brother/s worship the Moon God instead. The sister, whose brother lives far away from her and cannot come to her house, sends her sincere prayers for a safe, long and happy life of her brother through the Moon God. She performs aarti for the moon. This is

the reason why Hindu children affectionately call the moon Chandamama (Chanda means Moon and Mama means mother's brother).The whole ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister, as well as a sister's blessings for her brother. Bhai Dooj is a time for the family reunions as all brothers and sisters in the family get together. Close relatives and friends are also invited to celebrate Bhai Dooj in many families. The festival of Diwali is incomplete without Bhai Dooj celebrations. The essence of this festival is that it is celebrated to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters. It is a day of food-sharing, gift-giving and reaching out to the innermost depths of the hearts and souls of their loved ones.

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More Diwali Gift Ideas

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ere are some great Deepavali/Diwali gift ideas to make your preparations for this event a little easier. There are gift ideas for your family including your husband or wife and your children. It is also possible to order and send Diwali gifts online by using one of the online retailers such as Amazon.com in the USA/Canada/ UK and its counterpart Flipkart in India. To send Diwali gifts to USA/India/Delhi or elsewhere check with your local freight companies first to avoid potentially high shipping costs. Generally speaking it is mostly cheaper to use the official government-run ○

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DIWALI GIFTS FOR WOMEN/WIFE • Kaju Katli • Favorite sweets • Crockery or glassware items • Dinner/Coffee/Tea sets • Stylish cutlery • Wall clock • Swimming pool • Ornamental or Decorative Items • Paintings • Sculptures • Lingerie • Handy crafts • Shoe shop voucher • Flower vases • Chandeliers • Lamps • Golden Necklace • Sari/Kurti/Shawls/Stoles • Wall hangings • Male stripper • Hanging bells • Silver idols of deities • Table runners • Kitchen Appliances • Mixer grinder • Microwave oven • Cooking set • Pots & Pans • Flower pots • Another child • Fridge/Freezer • Dishwasher • Washing machine • Broom

DIWALI GIFTS FOR MEN/HUSBAND

or our strong & powerful, handsome & smart, hardworking men and husbands the best presents are those that actually serve a certain purpose or meet their genuine interests or dreams. What are his hobbies? Is he good with his hands and a technically skilled person? Here are some suggested items: • Time Pieces/Watches • Pen Holders • Electronic gadgets • Digital camera • Video camera/Handy cam • Mobile phone • CD/DVD player • iPod/iPhone/iPad • PDA / Blackberry • Scotch Whiskey • Laptop • Sports car • Electric shaver (rechargeable) • Drilling machine • Satellite Dish/Receiver • Kaju Kalash • Golden bracelet

• Vacuum cleaner • Toilet bowl (Western style for comfortable business)

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postal services, as specialized freight companies such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, GLS and others charge high premium rates. Also remember that the more urgent the item for shipping is, the more the price for shipping will increase. Better send your Diwali gift parcels early to avoid high express fees and surcharges. If you are in the US, check shipping cost with US Postal Service first. If you are in India, check rates with India Post instead. Enjoy great Diwali Gifts 2015! ○

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or our beautiful women and loving wives we should consider gifts that resemble their beauty, tenderness and elegance. Most women enjoy feeding their round bellies or being fed with sweets by their husbands so we can think of their favorite sweets and

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foods. Does she have any hobbies or is she reading any books? About what? If she is reading about pregnancy you better hurry up now! But if your wife is more into cooking, cleaning and washing however, think of ways to make her life easier. Here are a few suggestions:

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Philosophy

November 6, 2015

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis DEEPAK CHOPRA, M.D.

efore I began meditating I felt that I had two advan tages: I came from India, and because of my medical background, I had looked into the health benefits of meditation. So when I think of five things that I wish I'd known 30 years ago, I would amend the topic to "things I wish everyone knew." 1. Meditation is natural. It's not an exotic import from the East and the cultural values of the East. 2. Meditation is about mind, body, and spirit as one continuous whole, not three separate things. 3. The benefits of meditation probably go deeper than we imagine. At the very least, genetic activity responds very quickly and substantially to meditation. 4. Meditation uncovers the true self that lies at the core of every person. 5. The state of pure awareness that is reached through meditation is the ground state of everything. I wasn't completely unknowing about these things. Three decades ago, the mind-body connection was quickly emerging, with research to back up experiences that had previously been dismissed as subjective, religious, alien to Western values, or pure fantasy. But I did assume, wrongly, that meditation was somehow in my genes as an Indian, and this would make me a "natural," while my Western friends JAMES JOHNSON

unyata's most 'Himalayan' and transforming experience came through Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. On three occasions, Sunyata (born Alfred Julius Immanuel Sorenson in Denmark) traveled south from his home in the mountains to Tamil Nadu to visit Sri Bhagavan briefly during the cool and pleasant winter. He spoke only once to Sri Ramana, on their first meeting in 1936, in answer to some cursory questions put by Sri Bhagavan. Thereafter, he always sat silently in the back of the Hall, intuitively aware that Sri Bhagavan's power is in His silence. After he had left for the north, on that first visit, Paul Brunton, whom he had met at the Asramam, wrote to him that Sri Bhagavan had stated that Sunyata was a 'rare born mystic', one in whom the ego never really developed and who was, therefore always very close to Realization. One day on a subsequent visit, while meditating with eyes closed, Sunyata, then still Immanuel Sorensen, suddenly felt the full power of the Maharshi fixed on him. Sri Bhagavan's voice spoke to him

who meditated were driving with a learner's permit, so to speak. There is a hidden reality in human awareness. I use a fairly neutral term, the true self, so that this hidden reality doesn't get confused with various religious traditions. In the world's wisdom traditions, there is always the contrast between two states of consciousness. The first is the state of duality or separation. The second is

no matter how good, pure, and well-intentioned you are. Therefore, for thousands of years there have been wisdom traditions that say, "Separation is a given if you choose to remain in a certain state of awareness. It feels natural because you accept that the mind is the same as the contents of the mind, all the thoughts, images, desires, and sensations that fill your head. But this activ-

has a choice between an "I" that is at the center of constant activity or an "I" that is consciousness itself. The five things I listed are entry-level realizations, one might say, that allow your mind, even though it is steeped in duality and the play of opposites, to see another facet of itself. That's the first and most precious thing, to see an opening to wholeness. Meditation is mysterious in its

5 things I wish I had known when I began meditating This activity takes place against a background that is silent, whole, and free of suffering. This is your true self, and when you arrive here, wholeness is just as natural as separation. Deepak Chopra, M.D.

the state of wholeness or unity consciousness. From all appearances, separation is natural, because the reality we confront on a daily basis consists of opposites: good and bad, light and dark, pleasure and pain etc. Our minds are conditioned to "solve" duality by choosing the preferable side of each opposite. Therefore, we try to be good, moral people who abide by humane values. But somehow the state of separation perpetuates suffering,

ity takes place against a background that is silent, whole, and free of suffering. This is your true self, and when you arrive here, wholeness is just as natural as separation." In every tradition, this promise of a higher state of consciousness is central. In modern language, consciousness is like a movie screen on which any movie can be projected. No matter what happens in the movie, the screen isn't affected. Therefore, each person

ability to transform someone because no matter how much harm the state of separation has created, both personally and for society, each of us is inseparably whole. How can we be whole and not know it? Meditation presents the answer to the mystery: Wholeness is the silent ground of existence and therefore cannot be known as a thing. Excerpted from chopra.com. The 68th birth anniversary of Deepak Chopra was observed on Oct 22.

telepathically and with power: 'We are always aware, Sunyata.' From that locution, he took his initiation and his spiritual name. Though he was never looking for a Guru, he recognized at that moment the crucial point in his life. He always kept a large picture of Sri Bhagavan in a place of honor

through this body, what a variety of experiences I had then! I thought there was a distinct shakti residing in me and guiding me by issuing commands from time to time. Since all this was happening in the stage of sadhana, Jnana was revealed in a piecemeal fashion. The integral wisdom (vijanana),

manifestation. Partial knowledge then gave place to the integral, inherent wisdom, and I found myself face to face with the Advaita One that appears as many." He further states that during this period many vibhuti (powers) were manifesting, though, to anyone's knowledge, he told no one about

A distinct shakti was guiding me: Sunyata I again heard the voice within myself which told me, 'Whom do you want to bow down to? You are everything.' At once I realized that the universe was, after all, my own manifestation. and praised his precepts as the highest Truth, Truth that he, now Sunyata, was discovering through his own awareness of the One Self. He had darshan of Sri Bhagavan only one more time. After his passing, a few paragraphs were found in Sunyata's writings which offer some insight into his Awakening process, about which he had been silent all his life. "When different stages of sadhana were being manifested

which this body possessed from the very beginning, was broken into parts and there was something like a superimposition of ignorance." "In my sadhana I was told by the invisible Monitor, 'From today you are not to make obeisance to anybody.' Later on, I again heard the voice within myself which told me, 'Whom do you want to bow down to? You are everything.' At once I realized that the universe was, after all, my own

Alfred Sorenson

this during his life. Sunyata seems to have had, among others, the siddhi of healing by touch. Sunyata describes how he found that whenever he touched a patient, that individual would be immediately cured. He says he tested this on a number of people and found it to be invariably true. Excerpted from Mountain Path, Jan. - Mar. 2011.The 125th birth anniversary of Sunyata was observed on Oct 27

Problems or successes, they all are the results of our own actions. Karma. The philosophy of action is that no one else is the giver of peace or happiness. One's own karma, one's own actions are responsible to come to bring either happiness or success or whatever. -Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Karma brings us ever back to rebirth, binds us to the wheel of births and deaths. Good Karma drags us back as relentlessly as bad, and the chain which is wrought out of our virtues holds as firmly and as closely as that forged from our vices. -Annie Besant Karma is not just about the troubles, but also about surmounting them. -Rick Springfield A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode. -Chanakya Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate. -Albert Schweitzer

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an you dance to the tune of the latest rumbustious Bollywood number dressed in a saree? You bet. 50 ladies dressed in their best sarees came together and performed as a flash mob in one of the most famous malls in Delhi (Select City Walk) to prove you can. And the sarees looked beautiful. The ladies rocked to the beats of Bollywood chartbusters such as London Thumakda, Sari Ke Fall Sa, Girls Like To Swing, Indiawaale, and Galla Goodiyaan as the audience cheered them on. The flash mob, conducted to sensitise people from India and all over the world to revive the tradition of draping saris, was indeed a big hit. An initiative by Devditi, an organisation that serves as a platform to rediscover the Indian woman while celebrating India's glorious culture through interactive and entertaining media, has started a campaign to encourage women to wear sarees. Devditi had set up an online group

called India Saree Challenge six months ago and more than 3,000 women from all over the country joined it and connected on the saree. "We wanted to revive the culture of draping saree in a fun way so that the

weaves get the kind of attention they deserve," says Vandana Gupta, co-founder, Devditi. She adds, "All those who have performed today are mostly homemakers, doctors and lawyers, not a single person is a professional dancer here. We all are

doing this for the common love of sarees." To foster the cause a Facebook community was set up six months ago called the India Saree Challenge and it has been receiving a tremendous response from women all over. "We don't want the saree to suffer a common fate like the Japanese Kimono. We want to make sure that we don't go the Japanese way where they did away with their kimono culture, making it almost obsolete in current times," says Sapna Khandelwal, co-founder, Devditi. Khandelwal adds, "For every occasion we conduct online contests. We recently concluded one for Karva Chauth." "In December 2015, we have planned a grand event called Saree Saga, which will be a culmination of numerous online campaigns and a series of events, all leading to women from diverse cultures celebrating the saree," informs Gupta and adds, "The event will include a ramp walk showcasing the evolution of the saree through the ages, a talent show, dance performance, quiz sessions and an exhibition of sarees from weavers across the country."

November 6, 2015

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For Here Or To Go? takes jury prize SEATTLE, WA: The 10th Seattle South Asian Film Festival closed Sunday with a screening of The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim (2015) from first-time director Raghav Murali and starring Bangladeshi-American actor Rashaan Islam, both of whom were in attendance. After a filmmaker Q&A and before the festive Closing Night Gala that followed, the SSAFF 2015 Jury Award and SSAFF 2015 Audience Awards in three categories were announced: Raves and accolades for Rucha Humnabadkar's For Here Or To Go? (2015) bracketed the Festival - it played to a sold-out crowd on Opening Night and was awarded the SSAFF Jury Award at Closing Night ceremonies. The SSAFF 2015 Jury, comprising local and

international filmmakers, writers, and academics said, "For Here Or To Go? explores the immigrant experience from a unique perspective. We get to be inside the protagonist's head as he tries to build a life for himself. He is at the same time a vital part of the American experience while also an outsider trying to get in." For Here Or To Go? takes on the many personal challenges faced by immigrants in America with a lighthearted and thoughtful story of one young Indian set against the 2008 economic recession. "This recognition is truly humbling," says Humnabadkar. "I was overwhelmed with the enthusiastic audience response. Thank you for recognizing the value of strong, original ideas that carry an

important message. The SSAFF team welcomed us with open arms and the festival was an inspiring and heartwarming experience." Adds Producer Rishi

SSAFF 2015 Awards Bhilawadikar, "We are honored to be recognized at such a diverse festival as SSAFF. Your hospitality and encouragement are crucial to independent filmmakers like us trying to bring our stories to the world." For Best Documentary, SSAFF audiences chose Among The Believers (2015) by co-directors Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Naqvi, who worked for three years to cultivate access to Pakistani cleric Abdul Aziz Ghazi and the uppermost levels of the famed and dogmatic Red Mosque in Islamabad. Their documentary explores the intersections of education, poverty, and radicalization

Leonardo DiCaprio's secret date with Taj AGRA: Avoiding media glare and limelight, Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio paid a quiet visit to Taj Mahal here in the early hours of Oct 31. The 40-year-old "Inception" star, who was in India to shoot an untitled documentary on climate change, wore a grey Tshirt and sported a golf cap. A tourist guide Ved Gautam said, "We learnt a little later about his visit and missed him by inches. But security

guards told us that he was spotted by another foreign tourist, who instantly recognized him. "His beard actually prevented his early recognition. But he left the Taj Mahal around 9 am, before holiday crowd could come." Sources in the Archaeological Survey of India said his private guards did not let anyone get closer to him. Tourists, who recognized him, were asked not to take pictures. CISF guards, maintaining internal s e c u r i t y, said they failed

to identify him but had heard of his role in the Oscar-winning classic "Titanic". The actor, who starred alongside Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in 2013 film "The Great Gatsby", spent around two hours and showed keen interest in the fascinating history of the 17th century white marble mausoleum, a world heritage site, according to sources. DiCaprio left the monument in a golf cart. -PTI

SSAFF 2015 Jury Award Winner For Here Or To Go? Director Rucha Humnabadkar, Producer Rishi Bhilawadikar, Producer CC Chainey

in Pakistan. Trivedi comments, "Ultimately, the fight against militant Islamists has to be led by Muslims themselves. Terrorism must be diffused by helping children gain skills that will make them employable in the future. It is through books and not bombs that Pakistan can emerge out of its current precipice." The trophy for Best Narrative went home with Marathi-language family film Killa (2014) from Indian director Avinash Arun. Killa takes on the universal topic of change through a child's eyes and with great compassion, and won audience hearts at SSAFF 2015 with its combination of earnestness and charm. The sobering Mister Come Tomorrow (2015) from director

Shamas Nawab Siddiqui is the SSAFF audience's choice for Best Short Film. Director Siddiqui was in attendance at his screening on Closing Night and stayed for a heartfelt Q&A on the Muslim practice of Halala, the requirement that a divorced woman consummate marriage with another man before she can be rejoined to her ex-husband. Audiences turned out in force to celebrate the 10th iteration of the largest South Asian film festival in the United States, with ticket sales more than doubling over 2014. A symposium on the politics of filmmaking in South Asia played short and feature-length films and presented panels of international filmmakers and activists to a packed room over two days at the University of Washington.

In Brief Sheriff faces lawsuit over immigration holds SAN ANTONIO: A Texas sheriff who faced criticism from Gov. Greg Abbott for not complying with federal immigration holds is being sued by people who say they were detained for unconstitutionally long periods. The lawsuit was filed the same day Abbott made public a letter to Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez threatening to penalize the county over her revised policy to no longer honor all federal immigration detention holds. Valdez said in September that the county jail would no longer hold immigrants believed to be in the U.S. illegally and suspected of minor crimes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has access to fingerprint data taken at jail bookings, asks local jails to hold immigrants for up to 48 hours after their planned release dates to allow its agents to pick them up. But the suit alleges that during the past two years - before Dallas County changed its policy on immigrant holds - 16 people were held for extended periods even after bond was set. In some cases, the lawsuit says, the long detentions lasted months. Anthony Garza, a lead lawyer in the case, said the detentions were unconstitutional, though he insisted the lawsuit is not seeking to challenge policies on detention holds. Garza said one man was held for three months for a misdemeanor, of which he was later acquitted.

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Cont'd on Page 53

Gov. McCrory signs legislation targeting IDs GREENSBORO, N.C.: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has signed legislation that targets ``sanctuary cities'' and immigrant identification, turning back pleas from advocates to veto a bill that they say harms immigrants and businesses that rely on immigrant labor. McCrory used a room inside the Guilford County Sheriff's Office in downtown Greensboro as a backdrop to sign the measure. He was flanked by Sheriff BJ Barnes and other local law enforcement and political leaders. ``Public safety officials must have the flexibility and tools to investigate crimes and sanctuary city policies deprive law enforcement of those tools,'' McCrory said. McCrory passed out pens and shook hands, then left the 20minute ceremony without talking with reporters who crowded into the room. -AP

Immigration

Ryan rules out immigration overhaul with Obama

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November 6, 2015

Details on page 53

Illegal immigrants caught at border believe they can stay in US

llegal immigrant family units consistently pointed to a be lief that they will be allowed to stay in the U.S. and receive public benefits as a reason for illegally migrating north to the U.S., according to internal Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by the Associated Press. The AP reports that while the Obama administration has argued for months that the spike in Central American families illegally coming to the U.S. is due to "push factors" in the region, hundreds of illegal immigrants themselves point to a belief they can stay and collect benefits. The Associated Press obtained copies of the interview summaries, which were compiled in reports by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Intelligence. They said hundreds of people traveling as part of families consistently cited opportunities to obtain permission to stay in the U.S., claim asylum and receive unspecified benefits. Immigrants spoke of "permisos," or a pass to come into the United States. The interviews of 345 illegal immigrants in family units were conducted by federal agents between July 7 and September 30.

Over the past two years the southern border has seen a surge in illegal immigration by Central Americans family units and unaccompanied minors. Since October 2013, more than 108,000 adults and children in "family units" were apprehended while entering the U.S. When the surge reached an initial fever-pitch last summer, the Obama administration

year; however, the results of the interviews the AP has uncovered suggest that the campaign has not been particularly effective. The AP also notes that the policy of releasing illegal immigrants into the U.S. while they await their deportation hearings has also contributed to the perception that these family units may stay in the U.S. Although the Obama administra-

Immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally stand in line for tickets at the bus station after they were released from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility in McAllen, Texas.

launched a media campaign aimed at persuading Central Americans not to make the journey north. The administration reinvigorated the media campaign this

tion has explained that immigrants who cross the U.S. border illegally can be deported, lengthy backlogs of more than 456,000 cases mean that immigrants can effectively re-

main in the U.S. for years before a judge decides whether they should leave the country. Also, recent court rulings have complicated the government's plans to hold families in immigration jails pending deportation proceedings. Immigrants living in the U.S. illegally generally are not eligible for public benefits, except that children may receive free or reduced meals in public schools. DHS spokeswoman Marsha Catron told the AP that the interview report "is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis of the situation," and that the "push factors" in the illegal immigrants' countries of origin also played a part in the migration. Republicans have blamed the Obama administration's failure to enforce immigration law as a key component to the ongoing run at the U.S.-Mexico border. The latest report adds more fuel to their perspective. "This internal Border Patrol document shows that the Obama administration's lax immigration policies are the culprit for the ongoing surge at our borders," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) told the AP. -AP

Challenges for second-generation immigrants India Post News Service

ecades of mass immigra tion has created a diverse demographic of people from a range of ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds on both sides of the Atlantic. But what happens when the second, and even third, generation of immigrants reach adulthood and begin to enter the labor market? A recent study, published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, considers the challenges and opportunities created by ethnic integration in the 'Wealthy West'. The authors introduce the study by addressing the reasoning behind their research - that a growing population of lessadvantaged minority backgrounds will increasingly be look-

ing to enter the job market - and that they may be at a disadvantage to those who have lived within Western social constructs and hierarchies for generations. The authors write "leadership posts in the political world and stable and well-numerated jobs are dominated by the members of l o n g - e s t a b l i s h e d majoritiesâ&#x20AC;Śtaking more or less for granted the advantages they hold over immigrant-origin newcomers". To give evidence to this study, the authors consider the backgrounds of a number of immigrants who have integrated into North American and Western European societies. Focusing particularly on low-status families in four critical European countries - France, Germany, Great Britain and the Neth-

erlands, and across the Atlantic in the US, they analyze their progress into an array of institutions - particularly focusing on education and the job market.

The study deduces that "on average, its members finish their educational careers with substantial deficits compared to their counterparts in the native majority population". By surveying educational statistics of second generations in five countries, the study deduces that "on average, its members fin-

ish their educational careers with substantial deficits compared to their counterparts in the native majority population". This conclusion inevitably raises the question of how these people of the second generation will fare in the world of work. The authors deduce that each case of ethnic minorities needs to be considered differently - part of the study uncovers the effect of intermarriage in the US, for example, which affects the way second generations of immigrant parents fare against the long-established majorities. It is a pivotal study of its kind - at once acknowledging the challenges faced by mass immigration, while shedding light on the opportunities that interracial communities can provide.

Immigration Post

November 6, 2015

India Post 53

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Plan to ask status at health checks criticized WICHITA, Kan.: Kansas health officials raised concerns about a proposal from a top official of the state's second most populous county to ask about the immigration status of people seeking immunizations and disease screenings at the county health department clinics, fearing such a move would discourage immigrants from seeking help and jeopardize public health. Supporters of the proposal before the Sedgwick County Commission say they simply want to collect data to see if immigrants who are living in the country illegally are getting taxpayer-funded services, and said no one would be denied immunizations or other medical care regardless of their legal status. But its opponents contend the practice would scare people away from seeking services from a public health program whose purpose is to prevent the spread of diseases. No other public health department in the state asks about immigration status, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments said.

Two national advocacy groups _ the Immunization Action Coalition and the National Immigration Law Center _ as well as The National Association of County and City Health Officials said they were unaware of any other public health department in the country that questions people about their legal status. ``It's just not a serious strategy for improving public health, which should be (and generally is) a county health department's primary objective. Rather, it would undermine it,'' Jenny Rejeske, health policy analyst for the National Immigration Law Center, said in an email. Kansas does not have any state restrictions on asking for citizenship status, said KDHE spokeswoman Sara Belfry. However, the federal government may have such restrictions and KDHE's policy says local health departments need to be in compliance with federal policies. The agency's attorneys are now looking into whether the move by Sedgwick County would jeopardize federal funding for health programs. ``KDHE does not want to deter

people from getting the services needed to protect the public health of Kansas,'' said spokeswoman Sara Belfry. ``KDHE encourages local health departments to follow federal guidelines.'' Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Richard Ranzau, who proposed the idea earlier this

which encompasses Wichita, is second in population only to Johnson County in suburban Kansas City. ``We made it very clear we wouldn't deny services, OK? That being said, supporters of illegal immigration will come up with all sorts of reasons why we shouldn't

In fact it is a public health issue and people are coming here illegally from countries with diseases and they are spreading it, do we not have an obligation to find out? I mean, does the public have a right to know or no?'' month, said preliminary discussions show commissioners are now split 3-2 in favor of asking people about their immigration status. The commission expects to have more discussions on it within a few weeks, but Ranzau said he does not know when the commission might take a final vote to implement it. He insisted the county is just interested in gathering data. Sedgwick County,

Ryan rules out immigration overhaul with Obama

even ask the question. It is irresponsible not to ask the question,'' Ranzau said. ``... If in fact it is a public health issue and people are coming here illegally from countries with diseases and they are spreading it, do we not have an obligation to find out? I mean, does the public have a right to know or no?'' He suggested that anyone concerned about it can open their own private clinic that doesn't ask about legal status.

Sheriff faces lawsuit over immigration holds Cont'd from Page 52

WASHINGTON: House Speaker Paul Ryan has ruled out a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system while President Barack Obama is in office.

portation millions of people living here illegally. "I don't think we can trust the president on this issue," Ryan said on NBC's "Meet the Press" and

House Speaker Paul Ryan says Obama is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;president we simply cannot trust on this issue.â&#x20AC;?

The new leader of the Republican-controlled House said in several interviews that he will not work with Obama because the president went around Congress with an executive order to shield from de-

other programs. "I do not believe we should advance comprehensive immigration legislation with a president who has proven himself untrustworthy on this issue." The decision puts off any pros-

pect of addressing a comprehensive immigration overhaul until at least 2017 - after the presidential race and Obama's departure from office. It leaves the legislation stalled in the House and without a chance of being revived in the Senate. For Ryan, the move removes the prospects of a clash with the same House conservatives who made John Boehner's life difficult and helped push Boehner into retirement. Ryan was a proponent of the stalled comprehensive immigration bill, and conservatives had been concerned that he would try to revive it as speaker. But in several interviews, Ryan stamped out any such possibility. He said it's possible to get smaller immigration-related policy passed. "If we believe and have consensus on things like border enforcement and interior security, then fine," he said on ABC's "This Week." Obama issued directives a year ago that gave temporary relief from deportation to about 4 million immigrants in the country illegally, along with permits authorizing them to work in the U.S. -AP

``Quite frankly, the people are fed up with having to subsidize illegal immigration,'' Ranzau said. But Michelle Ponce, the executive director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, said the purpose of public health programs to promote the health of the entire community. ``While immunizations are provided to individuals, the purpose is to prevent transmission of communicable diseases,'' Ponce said. Some countries are still dealing with preventable diseases such as measles and rubella that are rare are in the United States, said Diane Peterson, associate director of the nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition. Travelers as well as immigrants, legal or not, coming from these countries could be harboring the disease and spreading it to others. ``There are enough barriers in the system already for people who don't come in for needed vaccinations _ if they don't speak the language, if they don't have insurance coverage, if they don't have transportation services and then, if they know they will be queried about immigration status, that is just one more barrier to getting services,'' Peterson said. -AP

``For that whole time he was held pretrial by Dallas County and that is what we are trying to prevent,'' he said. A spokesman for the Dallas County sheriff's office said Valdez would not comment while the suit is pending. The suit, which also names Dallas County, seeks unspecified damages. In his letter to Valdez, Abbott said the state could pass laws

against ``sanctuary cities'' that shield residents from federal immigration authorities or find other ways to penalize Dallas County. Several hundred cities and counties adopted policies in recent years limiting or prohibiting cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. The communities cited concerns about damaging ties with immigrants and fears of lawsuits after a federal judge ruled last year that detaining inmates solely on ICE's request was unconstitutional. -AP

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India Post

November 6, 2015

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Myanmar poser in New Delhi's Naga riddle

India Post

WASBIR HUSSAIN

y abrogating a 14-yearlong ceasefire and turning its guns once again on the Indian security forces, the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) has robbed New Delhi of its happiness over the signing of an otherwise vague 'framework agreement' with the rival Isak-Muivah-led NSCN group (NSCN-IM). Not only has the NSCN-K emerged as a spoke in the Naga peace process, it is also threatening to sour IndiaMyanmar relations, pulled back on track by New Delhi with much difficulty in the past few years. Currently, Myanmar is actively engaged in peace talks with the NSCN-K whose cadres straddle the densely wooded international border at a time when New Delhi has clamped a ban on the rebel group. Naypyidaw's decision to hold talks with the NSCN-K - the last round held as recently as 16 September - is part of President Thein Sein government's bid to

Northeast. The Naga civil society, as well as others, immediately realized that there was a need to reserve the euphoria because the NSCN-K, a key Naga insurgent group, and perhaps the most heavily armed at the moment, was already out of the peace process, having abrogated the rather long truce with New Delhi in March. What cannot be missed is the fact that New Delhi made no effort whatsoever to prevent the NSCNK from calling off the truce or to address the issues that led the outfit to take such a decision. This is rather surprising because everyone knows there cannot be permanent peace in the Naga areas unless the major Naga insurgent factions are part of the peace process or the eventual peace deal. According to one school of thought, the Centre wanted to sideline the NSCN-K at the behest of the NSCN-IM which argued that it would not be prudent for New Delhi to involve a group headed

The NSCN-K already has a bilateral understanding amounting to a truce with the quasimilitary government, reached in April 2012, but if the outfit now comes to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement, along with other ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar, it would lead to a tricky situation for India clinch a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with more than 15 ethnic rebel armies ahead of the 8 November national elections in Myanmar. The NSCN-K already has a bilateral understanding amounting to a truce with the quasi-military government, reached in April 2012, but if the outfit now comes to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement, along with other ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar, it would lead to a tricky situation for India. It is now clear the Government of India is not keen to include the NSCN-K in the overall Naga peace process that got a boost when, on 3 August, New Delhi's interlocutor RN Ravi signed a 'framework agreement' with the NSCN-IM in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Coming after a dialogue process that began 18 years ago, the 'framework agreement' led to some euphoria in government circles, and was seen as the beginning of a new era in the Naga areas in the

by a Burmese Naga in any formal peace agreement at any point in time. SS Khaplang, the chairman of the NSCN-K, is a Myanmar national, and so are hundreds of other cadres of the outfit. One would be surprised if this were to be the reason because the truce with the NSCN-K survived 14 long years and Khaplang's nationality was known to all. When voices from among the Nagas started getting shriller, with arguments in favor of fresh efforts to get the NSCN-K back on ceasefire mode, New Delhi gave the impression that it had no problem. So, in end-August, a four-member delegation of the Naga Mothers' Association (NMA), a frontline Naga women's group, walked across to Myanmar from Pangsha, in Nagaland's Tuensang district, and held talks with the NSCN-K leaders. NMA Adviser Rosemary Dzuvichu said after the meeting that the NSCN-K was not averse to reconsidering its decision. But,

the turn of events preceding the NMA delegation's Myanmar visit and after their return clearly indicated that an influential section within the Government of India wanted to pursue a zero-tolerance policy towards the NSCN-K. This naturally gives rise to the question, is New Delhi talking in more than one voice on the Naga peace issue? Forty-eight hours before the NMA team was to cross over for the talks, Assam Rifles personnel opened fire on a group of civilians and 'unarmed NSCN-K cadres' at Pangsha, killing 9 people. The NMA provided details of the incident during a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The shootout on the eve of the NMA team's peace mission did vitiate the atmosphere. But, soon after the NMA team returned, the Union Home Ministry sprung another surprise. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which reports to the MHA, announced a reward of INR 7 lakh on the head of the 75year-old NSCN-K chief Khaplang, and another INR 10 lakh on the head of Niki Sumi, another top leader of the outfit. The NIA declared Khaplang and Sumi 'wanted terrorists' for killing soldiers in Kohima and later in Manipur's Chandel district on 4 June where 18 troopers were shot dead. New Delhi, as per the NIA notice, wanted "reliable information from people about the whereabouts of these hardcore terrorists." This is funny to say the least because Khaplang is based in Myanmar and his representatives are talking to the Myanmar government on the issue of signing a broad ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw. So far, the NSCN-K has only had a bilateral understanding with the Myanmar government. Now, if the group comes to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement, it would enter a stronger bond with Naypyidaw. In such an event, the Myanmar government too would be required to stick to the ceasefire ground rules and not indulge in military action against the NSCN-K. In this backdrop, can the Indian Army make forays into Myanmar as it did a few times recently to neutralise the NSCN-K bases inside that country? The writer is Executive Director, CDPS, Guwahati, and Visiting Fellow, IPCS

Consensus building

he BJP may have won a famous victory in 2014 but it is now becoming increasingly clear that India is a rainbow of many colors and that the color of BJP can survive only in cooperation with others and not by maligning "others." PM Modi has staked his all on the Bihar election. In the last phase of electioneering, his tone had become much shriller and instead of development he has been talking caste and religion and also scare mongering about terrorists being shielded by Nitish government. He seems to have abandoned his development theme and come down to the Bihar level of rhetoric. Even BJP president Amit Shah has been telling scare stories about Pakistan celebrating if BJP loses. Does that mean BJP has surmised it is not going to win? There is a dichotomy about a prime minister taking on the burden of a state election. All politics, as they say, is local. And in the local politics Modi doesn't figure. The attempt to project a larger than life presence of Modi can only overwhelm the Bihari voter. But he would be right to ask, where is your Bihar leadership? Is it because of the lack of competent local leadership that Modi had to be projected as a rival and no candidate was thrown up as a possible chief minister? The Biharis fully understand that Modi is not going to rule from Bihar. Then who will, they want to know. Modi will be able to win a national election any day riding on his personality. But State and municipal elections are a different ballgame altogether. Here local factors matter. He failed in Delhi because of the same reasons - lack of credible local leadership. Recent civic elections in States have confirmed the sway of regional parties. In the recent civic body polls in Kalyan Dombivli, a satellite town of Mumbai, the Shiv Sena has come out as the dominant party although the BJP has also made significant gains. In the UP civic polls Mayawati's BSP has made major gains to the chagrin of ruling Samajwadi Party. In Varanasi, the parliamentary seat of Prime Minister Modi, the BJP has fared very poorly. This only shows that days of the dominance of only one party in India are over. Modi should know it well as he is having such difficulties in getting crucial legislation passed in Rajya Sabha. If the Congress as a block is proving a roadblock he has not made any headway with other political parties. India can be ruled only by consensus. Believing that a majority in Lok Sabha entitles it to have its way all the time has been the mistake of the BJP. Unless it broadens its appeal, moderates its rhetoric and brings in other parties into the NDA fold, it will not be able to govern India. Modi has preferred to go it alone so much that he failed to mention in his speeches in Bihar the success of BJP governments in BJP ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. This could have been more credible as it is a state election. In fact the Center can do only so much. The real action has moved to the States. Modi needs to learn from his mentor Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was a great consensus maker. BJP as an isolationist Hindutva party will not appeal to the people for long. He needs to secure alliances with regional parties like Navin Patnaik's Odisha and AIDMK of Jayalalitha. Modi's enemies have succeeded in blowing up the intolerance issue. In fact, much of the blame goes to the media also for broadcasting selective outrage. There have been many successes of the Modi government but day in day out the media has chosen to highlight negative issues only to malign Modi. That shows the dire need for Modi to win friends and influence people in other parties.

November 6, 2015

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