India Empire September 2015

ConTEnTS

SEPTEMBER 2015

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nEW TEXTURE CMd P.C. Vaish has brought in a fresh approach to his textile PSU

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TRUSTEd STRATEgiST in the BJP’s political and administrative planning, Mr dharmendra Pradhan has a key role to play

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PM in USA nYC and Silicon Valley awaits PM, some indians in US spar over his visit

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dESihoPPERS TRiUMPh An indian dance troupe shows its class

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MiSTRiAL dECLAREd no verdict in Sureshbhai Patel case, yet

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JhUMPA honoUREd The famed author is honoured by the US President

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37 TEMPLES of AngKoR Beautiful heritage

17 KingdoM of LESoTho Stunning beauty beckons

PhotograPhs © siPra das

Cover Story: IntervIew wIth oIl MInISter

INTERVIEW WITH MR DHARMENDRA PRADHAN, MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE), MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS

“We want to boost private investment in oil industry” As Mr Dharmendra Pradhan goes about swiftly meeting with dozens of people at his house in the morning hours, with hundreds more waiting eagerly for an audience, one thing becomes clear—he is very much a part of the BJP’s A Team that has been pressed into service to strengthen the party politically and administratively in the short and medium term. In general, he is more action, than talk. As is amply evident, this 46-year-old Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas prefers to keep a reasonably low profile, and barring the odd interview, or the occasional press briefing, he is not seen or heard giving too many sound bytes to the Media. The high-profile ministry that he heads boasts of directly overseeing the activities of among others, three of India’s top 7 public sector undertakings—known popularly as Maharatnas, a testimony to the importance attached by the BJP to Mr Pradhan’s young shoulders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of course, also expects him to strengthen the BJP in Odisha, a state from which Mr Pradhan won the 14th Lok Sabha elections. Currently, though, apart from his regular ministerial work, it is Bihar that is keeping him pretty much occupied.

A Rajya Sabha MP from the state, Mr Pradhan is seen running a hectic schedule as Bihar goes into election mode, and BJP tries desperately to wrest back the initiative in the state after the fallout with Nitish Kumar. He is co-incharge of elections in Bihar. Prior to joining the NDA Government, Mr Pradhan has, at various points, overseen elections for his party in Karnataka, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhatisgarh. He opens up to India Empire’s Editor Sayantan Chakravarty on matters concerning his Ministry What is your vision for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas? In the long term we would like to boost domestic production. Presently we import about 75 per cent of our requirement of crude oil. There are plans to cut down on this import so that we can save the country valuable foreign exchange. But in order to augment and step up domestic production, plenty of exploratory activities need to be taken up. Production capacity has to be doubled. Plenty of additional infrastructure must be put in place. Geology in India needs new techniques and cutting edge technology. Besides, we are also focusing on conservation and production of al6

india empire | september 2015

ternative fuels. That means we are diversifying the energy consumption basket across sectors by trying to introduce more biogas, bio-diesel and ethanol. These are some of the key innovations, and new areas that need to be well planned and executed in the near future.

We would like our readers to consider investing in Exploration and Production in the Oil and Gas Sector.

Please let us know about some of the opportunities that exist…

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has given its approval to the Marginal Fields Policy

IN THE HOT SEAT: Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, entrusted with several vital political and administrative responsibilities, is a key member of BJP’s A Team

september 2015 | india empire

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Cover Story: IntervIew wIth oIl MInISter

ON CALL: Generally known to keep a low profile, Mr Pradhan is one of the key go-to men when crisis management is required

for development of hydrocarbon discoveries made by na- profit sharing. Under the profit sharing methodology, it betional oil companies. India will auction 69 small and marginal came necessary for the Government to scrutinize cost deoil and gas fields surrendered by state explorers like ONGC tails of private participants and this led to many delays and and Oil India. These discoveries could not be monetized for disputes. Under the new regime, the Government will not many years due to several reasons such as isolated locations, be concerned with the cost incurred and will receive a share small size of reserves, high development costs, technological of the gross revenue from the sale of oil, gas and other constraints, fiscal regime. At the same time India is the items. The second change is that the licence granted to the world’s fourth highest oil consumer and we need to augment successful bidder will cover all hydrocarbons found in the local production, as mentioned earfield. The new policy for these lier. We expect bidding to start marginal fields also allows the within the next 3 months for such successful bidder to sell at the The Union Cabinet chaired fields. They have reserves of about prevailing market price of gas, 89 million tonnes. Exploration rather than at administered prices.

by Prime Minister Mr companies will be able to submit The decision is expected to stimNarendra Modi has given its bids for exploiting these oil fields. ulate investment, and ensure approval to the Marginal These oil fields were not developed higher domestic oil and gas proFields Policy for developearlier as they were considered duction. ment of hydrocarbon discovmarginal fields, and hence received eries made by national oil low priority. With appropriate You have initiated some secompanies changes in policy, it is expected that rious measures, including surthese fields can be brought into prise checks and terminations, production. In keeping with the to check the quality of petrol principle of Minimum Government Maximum Governance, and diesel being supplied by retail outlets belonging significant changes have been made in the design of the pro- to public sector oil marketing companies. Kindly elabposed contracts. With private and foreign participation in this orate… sector, output from these fields can be to the tune of USD I firmly believe that the customer should get what he is 10.5 billion (about Rs 70,000 crore). paying for without any compromise on quality, as well as quantity. I have asked all the concerned officers that peoCan you tell us more on the design of the proposed ple’s faith in the system must be ensured at all costs. contracts?

The earlier contracts were based on the concept of Have you been able to make a complete assessment

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I think with global oil prices halving, India should aggressively scout for acquisition of oil and gas assets abroad, and create strategic reserves. India is a significant beneficiary of slump in oil prices from USD 115 per barrel to under USD 50 levels in the past one year

of what was going on in the corporate espionage case?

What corrective measures have been taken to ensure that there is no repeat of such incidents?

The matter is sub-judice. It will not be proper for me to comment. All I can say is that those who are guilty will not be spared.

We understand that about 15 lakh people have voluntarily given up their subsidy on LPG. This is a result of the successful GiveItUp campaign by the Government…

Our Honourable Prime Minister had appealed to countrymen that those who can afford LPG from their pockets and cook their own meals through non-subsidized gas, should do that. The appeal has caught the imagination of the nation, and over 1.5 million countrymen have given up their LPG subsidy. As you know, domestic LPG is heavily subsidized by the Government, and every cylinder in the kitchen carries a substantial subsidy. This translates into a huge annual subsidy burden on the Government, draining precious resources which could have been used in developmental activities, especially for the poor by providing them drinking water, sanitation and roads. The subsidy burden in 2013 – 2014 was over Rs 40,000 crore. In the next two years, we have a target of 10 million countrymen who will voluntarily give up their subsidy through this campaign. Going by the response, we should be able to achieve our target.

There has been a significant time lag between when international crude prices fall, and when actual reduction in prices of petrol and diesel is passed on to the

POLITICALLY ASTUTE: On the Minister’s young shoulders rests the tough responsibility of expanding BJP’s bandwidth in Odisha, his native state

consumer. Your comments…

The oil companies have delayed passing on the benefit of sliding oil prices to the consumer. Now as a policy, Government has linked prices to the market, which in any case is dynamic most of the time. In the past one and a half year period of the new Government, there has been a sliding trend, and people have benefited.

What are your views on India scouting for oil and gas assets overseas?

I think with global oil prices halving, India should aggressively scout for acquisition of oil and gas assets abroad, and create strategic reserves. India is a significant beneficiary of slump in oil prices from USD 115 per barrel to under USD 50 levels in the past one year. Since we import 80 per cent of our oil requirement, this has helped cut down India’s oil import bill, lower oil prices, and even reduce Government’s subsidy bill. Low oil prices have led to lowering of costs associated with services like drilling rigs which should be taken advantage of for increasing domestic exploration and production.

India’s oil imports from Saudi Arabia have gone down 8 per cent in FY 2014 – 2015. Do we see this trend continuing? Also will we at the same time get to see greater imports from Africa and South America?

India as a country has all the right to protect its interest.

Whatever will be necessary to protect the interest of the nation will be done. All supply tie-ups from producers in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America will be done on favourable terms. ❐ september 2015 | india empire

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PSU head IntervIew

MR P.C. VAISH, CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL TExTILE CORPORATION

“We are focused on value addition, and modernization” Ever since the formation of NDA Government in May 2014, the National Textile Corporation (NTC) has made significant progress. After being under the purview of the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) for 22 years, the NTC emerged out its clutches in October 2014, having declared a positive net worth of Rs 1,602 crore as on March 31, 2014. The Textile Undertaking (Nationalization) Laws (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2014 was passed by Parliament in December 2014, thereby protecting the leasehold properties of 960.85 acres valued at Rs 5,825 crore vested with NTC. Also 3 new Green Field projects were set up by the NTC, and 20 mills were partially modernized. 12 mills are now in profit as on March 2015, as against 6 in March 2014. The turnover of Rs 1,214 crore in 2014 – 2015 clocked an increase of 10 per cent over the previous year. India Empire’s Editor Sayantan Chakravarty spoke to NTC’s Chairman and Managing Director Mr P.C. Vaish who took charge of this promising PSU in March 2015 There is much interest in the modernization story of NTC, and now that you have taken over as CMD, one of your prime focus areas would be modernization.

Please talk us through this...

National Textile Corporation was basically implementing the schemes that had been sanctioned by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction. The scheme was originally sanctioned in 2002, revisited in 2006, and once more revisited in 2008. The implementation of the scheme was extended till 2012. The process included shifting and reestablishing of three new mills, expansion of capacity at five locations, and essential filling the gap by the way of putting additional machinery, or modernizing, or replacing the machinery so as to reach certain levels of utilization. That has been completed. Now, it is a stage that NTC should think forward having completed what was originally planned. We have recently gone to the Board. We have put up a proposal for further modernization, capacity expansion, consolidation and integration. For example there are certain mills which are perennially loss making due to their location. We want to consolidate them and put up an integrated textile company. And if we are only manufacturing cloth then we add processing, 10 india empire | september 2015

value addition by way of bleaching, dyeing including yarn dyeing, and then we go into the finished products as well. So the margins that are there in the value chain, that is from spinning of cotton to the finished products, matches the vision of the Government. Also Honourable PM talks about 5 Fs. These are farmer, fibre, fabric, fashion and foreign exchange.

We are at the fibre and fabric stage. We want to add the balance components so that we become an integrated textile company and can proudly say that we are meeting the requirements of the country. Now, our board considered the proposal. They have initially agreed to Phase 1, which would entail almost Rs 900 crore for modernization.

NTC is planning to set up technical textile projects in JV mode with world leaders. Kindly give us some examples.

NTC has plans to set up technical textiles. We floated a global tender targeting those firms that can provide technology to India, and conduct JV mode business. The Board was of the view that NTC should first test waters by marketing the products of those firms. If the results are promising, then NTC can enter into JV model considering the

RISING FORTUNES: Mr Vaish’s induction as CMD has coincided with the growing fortunes of India’s premier textile PSU

scope of technical textiles. As of now, NTC has taken the MoU route for marketing the products of those companies.

There are 12 types of technical textiles. We are exploring which technical textiles to enter first. Once we freeze down, we would definitely like to get into that field.

Is NTC developing a Centre of Excellence?

So far we do not have one. We have plans, though, to set up one in Gujarat with the collaboration of the state Government. Our priorities changed midway, as we are in the process of modernizing. But such a Centre is definitely at the top of our mind.

Please let us know about the export market of NTC? NTC traditionally was not in exports. We only started exploring the market around 3 - 4 years back. In our maiden year, our exports touched Rs 20 crore. Last year we touched the Rs 100 crore mark. This year we are planning to increase up on that figure. The idea behind our exports is that we meet a certain benchmark and meet prevailing quality standards in the international markets. We are showcasing our yarn as well as fabric segments at many international textile fairs. We generated inquiries to the tune of Rs 200 crore at the last Heimtextil.

What is your long term vision for the NTC? I consider that cloth is an ever-increasing need of the country and Government is the largest buyer and consumer

of cloth for its different departments including military, paramilitary, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, hospitals and railways. NTC can be a preferred supplier to the Government based on its timely supply and quality parameters, which on one hand would meet the Government’s requirements, and on the other help the farmer who is at the lowest end of society. I believe there is scope for NTC. It has managed sick mills. NTC was given sick mills to begin with. From an annual support of Rs 400 crores in 2002, we have been out of budgetary support for past 5 years. Having gained those capabilities, NTC can now go ahead on a large scale not only in modernizing, but also in product diversification and expansion.

In order to penetrate this huge market within the Government sector, you would, of course, have to compete in the open market…

We have already started demonstrating our products and capabilities. Lot of this happens to be in the segment of extreme climate clothing, fire protection clothing, and specialized needs for the Army and Navy. We are entering into collaborations, importing technology and indigenizing it. The military and ITBP, and other paramilitary bodies are in dire need for the material before the onset of winter months. We have provided samples, they are under trial. Once our products are approved, we expect good orders through open channel.

NTC looks to nearly double its turnover by 2016-17, you wish to consolidate in power loom, handloom, and september 2015 | india empire

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PSU head IntervIew

Will institutional sales will be the thrust of NTC in coming years?

Yes, I see a great future in institutional supplies to various Government departments and institutions. All across, there is a need for janta dhoti, blankets for the poor, uniform supply for Government and schools.

The Government is focused on helping the lower strata of society. This is where NTC wants to pitch in by giving Government value for money.

handicrafts sector and bring indigenous products to its customers. Kindly elaborate…

NTC was formed to consolidate mills and take them to their optimum performance levels. Traditionally, NTC has been marketing the mill products. Having done that, NTC can definitely consolidate in the handloom and power loom segment. There are integrated mills which consume, and the power loom sector that buys yarn and converts it into cloth.

NTC is already feeding the power loom sector. NTC has not been in handloom sector because there is a dedicated corporation called NHDC (National Handloom Development Corporation). On the other hand, there are two specially created corporations, HHEC (Handloom and Handicraft Export Corporation) which takes care of hand loom exports, and the Central Cottage Industries Emporium. They are working on those levels. If need be NTC would definitely join hands with these corporations. We operate 86 stores.

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You wish to shift from being a production based organization to marketing oriented organization?

Yes, once I produce something I have to market it. Earlier, we were catering to the business to business model. But the value addition comes from branding.

Now that NTC is gaining considerable ground in manufacturing, it would be advisable for the organization to enter into areas where products can be made available to consumers, and brand is created. NTC already owns a lot of brands which are very popular even today, such as Shahzada, Shahzadi, Organdie of Tata Mr P.C. Vaish Mills and Finlay. These are CMD, National Textile Corporation the brands which have got immense value and it is the responsibility of NTC to see that these brands survive.

We have a focus on overseas Indians and we want to bring in more investments from overseas Indians. As you know the Government of India also spares no efforts in engaging with NRIs. How can NRIs collaborate in the NTC growth story?

We have units that are not viable for operations because of cost and other factors. If we consider at any point of time to use those assets for expansion and modernization in some viable business model, NTC may not be requiring cash resources or Government financial support but NTC would definitely like to be involved in technology import, as required. So we would collaborate with those people who can bring the latest technology for mass production to meet these Indian needs and support the Government of India’s ❐ ‘Make in India’ initiative.

PM In USa

Modi has digital

designs on

silicon Valley

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fter wowing Indian Americans on the East Coast and wooing US big business to ‘Make in India’ last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now out to win over the Silicon Valley for his Digital India initiative.

The first Indian leader to visit California in more than 30 years, Modi will go to Facebook for a town hall-style question and answer session and visit other top tech companies like Google and Adobe systems, as also electric carmaker Tesla.

As the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced, the town hall at the company’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters will “discuss how communities can work together to address social and economic challenges.” Modi, who has more Facebook fans than any politician except Barack Obama, is the first Indian prime minister to visit the Bay Area since Morarji Desai picked up an award at the University of California, Berkeley in 1978, and Indira Gandhi visited Los Angeles in 1982.

Besides meetings with Sundar Pichai and Shantanu Narayen, India born chief executives of Google and Adobe respectively, he is also expected to attend events with Indian American entrepreneurs and social investors.

At Tesla, more than the zero emissions cars that it makes, Modi may be interested in its “Powerwall”, a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, for India’s clean energy initiative.

Modi’s visit to the Bay Area, home to a large number of Indian techies, is designed to win support for his “Digital India,” initiative that aims to expand Internet access, boost electronics manufacturing and develop apps to improve the delivery of Government services.

“The visit allows Modi to build relationships with tech firms that want to invest in India, while also fostering sup14 india empire | september 2015

port from the Bay Area’s influential Indian-American community,” Venkatesh Shukla, president of the Silicon Valley branch of non-profit organization TiE, also known as The Indus Entrepreneurs, told the San Jose Mercury News.

For Modi, “it’s a very well thought effort to capitalise on the connection he has with the diaspora and involve them at a point in time when India is perceived to be on a positive track in terms of Governance,” Subimal Bhat-

DIGITAL DESIGNS: Prime Minister Modi will be looking to motivate his Silicon Valley audience in investing their knowledge and soft power skills in the Indian cyber terrain

tacharjee, a cyberspace policy analyst and former India head of General Dynamics, the US defence contractor, told the Los Angeles Times.

Modi, who last year got a rock star like reception when he gave a speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden, is expected to do it again on September 27 in San Jose.

An Indian American group organizing a community reception for Modi at the 19,000-seat SAP Centre says that

more than 45,000 people have registered for free passes.

After the San Jose event, Modi flies back to New York for a summit meeting with US President Barack Obama on September 28.

The Modi-Obama meeting in New York would cap a week long high level India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in Washington DC. ❐ —Arun Kumar september 2015 | india empire 15

PM In USa

Sparring over PM’s visit By arun Kumar

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head of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley, a war of words has broken out between pro and anti Modi academics of Indian descent spread over major American universities. The first salvo was fired by over 100 professors “who engage South Asia in our research and teaching”, asking US technology executives to be wary of supporting Modi’s Digital India initiative when he visits Silicon Valley on September 27, 2015.

The other group hit back with “a counter petition against the anti-Modi statement given by some faculty of South Asian studies” on Change.org, an American website providing a petition tool backed by nonprofits and political campaigns. By September 3 evening the counter-petition accusing the anti-Modi group of lacking “the slightest respect for facts and for academic integrity” had gathered 1108 supporters.

“The allegation that Narendra Modi ought to be viewed with suspicion, if not disdain, by business leaders in Silicon Valley because of surveillance implications in the Digital India initiative seems a desperate ploy rather than any genuine concern for India,” the counter petition said.

“Their attempt to invoke an admitted mistake on the part of the US government in denying Modi a visa as a ‘powerful signal’ is a stark case of false reasoning ...and a deplorable attempt to exhume ugly lies about Modi’s attitude towards Muslims,” it said.

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The “allegations that somehow academic freedom is under threat in India because of administrative changes at a couple of institutions are completely belied by the reality of what Indian citizens see in their news media every day,” the counter petition said. “On the contrary, for all their talk about assaults on academic freedom, the signatories of the anti-Modi letter have never admitted that the subject of the greatest censorship and distortion in South Asian academics in recent years has been Narendra Modi,” it said.

Rejecting “the faculty statement against Modi in its entirety,” the pro-Modi group asked the other “to introspect, change and for once seek to earn the trust and respect of the community in whose name they have been making a living all these years.” Responding on the Academe Blog, the anti-Modi group said “despite the intimidation and harassment we have received at this blog site and elsewhere” their numbers had swelled from 125 to 135. The group claimed that it “did not ask Silicon Valley companies not to invest in India; we asked them to consider carefully the terms of partnership with India.”

“The objective of our letter is to raise awareness and debate in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, of Mr Modi’s record on key issues related to ‘Digital India,’” it said.

Even as they raised questions about Digital India, the group in its original August 27 letter acknowledged that Modi, “as Prime Minister of a country that has contributed much to the growth and development of Silicon Valley industries, has the right to visit the United States, and to seek American busi❐ ness collaboration and partnerships with India.”

FACTS ABOUT LESOTHO Head of State Head of Government

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Official Name Capital City Independence Day

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Location Size Altitude Population Country Language Religion Literacy Monetary Unit Measuring System GDP Climate

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King Letsie lll The Rt. Hon. The Prime Minister, Dr. Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili The Kingdom of Lesotho Maseru 4 October, 1966 (Formerly British Protectorate) Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa 30,335Km² 1400m (Lowest point); 3500m (Highest point) 1.9 Million Sesotho & English(Official) Christian 80%, Indigenous Beliefs 20% 89.7% (Undp 2011) Loti, Plural Maloti; At Par With South African Rand (Zar) Metric System USD 2.09 billion (2014) Temperate; Cool To Cold, Dry Winters; Hot To Wet Summers

NATIONAL DAY

NATIONAL FLAG

NTIONAL EMBLEM

Formerly Basutoland, the Kingdom of Lesotho was formally granted its independence from Great Britain on October 4, 1966.

It had been a British colony since the 1860s. Before the flag-changing ceremonies at midnight to symbolize Lesotho’s new autonomy, a colourful procession took place as King Moshoeshoe II (b. 1938) paraded in full regalia leading 100 chiefs into the capital city of Maseru.

The current national flag of Lesotho, adopted on October 4, 2006, features a horizontal blue, white, and green tricolour with a black mokorotlo (a Basotho hat) in the centre. The design, introduced to honour the 40th anniversary of independence, is reportedly intended to reflect a peaceful orientation for the country.

The coat of arms of Lesotho was adopted on 4 October 1966 following independence.

Pictured is a crocodile on a Basotho shield. This is the symbol of the dynasty of Lesotho’s largest ethnicity, the Sotho. Behind the shield there are two crossed weapons, an assegai (lance) and a knobkierie (club).

To the left and right of the shield are supporters of the shield, two Basutho horses. In the foreground there is a ribbon with the national motto of Lesotho: Khotso, Pula, Nala (Sotho, to English: Peace, Rain, Prosperity). The crocodile on the shield has been retained from the arms of Basutoland, the predecessor to Lesotho.

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LESOTHO—THE KINGDOM IN THE SKY The impressive Thaba-Bosiu cultural village

BACKGROUND The Kingdom of Lesotho is a democratic sovereign and independent country which has an unusual geographical feature of being entirely surrounded by another country, the Republic of South Africa and well linked to each other by air, rail and road. The capital Maseru, is only 600km (6 hours drive) away from South Africa’s busiest harbuor, Durban, 400km (4 hours drive) from Johannesburg city and one hour’s drive from Bloemfontein, a judicial and academic centre in South Africa.

The country has a land area of approximately 30 355 km, making it similar in size to Belgium or a little larger than the American state of Maryland in the USA and has a population of about 2 million. The name Lesotho translates into “the land of people who speak Sotho”.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is one of three remaining monarchies in Africa situated between 28 and 31 degrees south, and between 27 and 30 degrees east, which makes it lie entirely outside the tropics, and is thus a bilharzias and Malaria free destination.

Lesotho - a land of heights and extremes is nestled between the Drakensberg and Maloti mountains ranges and makes it the only country in the world with all its land lying at altitudes in excess of 1 500m. Hence it is often referred to as the “Switzerland of Africa”, the Kingdom in the Sky or the Roof of Africa. The mountain, Thabana-Ntlenyana is, at 3482m, the highest in Southern Africa, while the highest single drop fall in the Southern Africa Maletsunyane is 192m, having the highest abseiling cliff in the whole world at 204m.

The Kingdom is home to the largest and most ambitious civil engineering project in the whole of Africa, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which has harnessed and commercialised her upstream surplus water resources - often referred to by Basotho as their “White Gold”

september 2015 | india empire 19

SCIenCe

MAGICAL SOUND WAVES Mr Sreekanth Chalasani

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In a first, an Indian American researcher from Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California has developed a new way to selectively activate brain, heart, muscle and other cells using ultrasonic sound waves. Dubbed as sonogenetics, the new technique has some similarities to the burgeoning use of light to activate cells in order to better understand the brain.

“Light-based techniques are great for some uses.

But this is a new, additional tool to manipulate neurons and other cells in the body,” informed Sreekanth Chalasani, assistant professor at Salk’s molecular neurobiology laboratory.

The new method - which uses the same type of waves used in medical sonograms - may have advantages over the light-based approach - known as optogenetics - particularly when it comes to adapting the technology to human therapeutics. In optogenetics, researchers add light-sensitive channel proteins to neurons they wish to study.

By shining a focused laser on the cells, they can selectively open these channels, either activating or silencing the target neurons. Chalasani and his group decided to see if they could develop an approach that instead relied on ultrasound waves for the activation.

“In contrast to light, low-frequency ultrasound can travel through the body without any scattering,” he noted.

“This could be a big advantage when you want to stimulate a region deep in the brain without affecting other regions,” adds Stuart Ibsen, post-doctoral fellow in the Chalasani lab. So far, sonogenetics has only been applied to C. elegans neurons. “The real prize will be to see whether this could work in a mammalian brain,” Chalasani pointed out.

His group has already begun testing the approach in mice. “When we make the leap into therapies for humans, I think we have a better shot with noninvasive sonogenetics approaches than with optogenetics,” he emphasised in a paper appeared in the journal Nature Communications. Chalasani obtained his PhD from University of Pennsylvania. He then did his post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Dr Cori Bargmann ❐ at the Rockefeller University in New York.

dIaSPora newS

da Vinci-Kirpal singh operations An India-American doctor has been training his peers in robotics-assisted surgery as part of a programme that draws surgeons from all over the US, a media report said. Mr Kirpal Singh, a surgeon at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital in Illinois, has so far performed about 450 operations using the USD 2 million da Vinci robot.

He is the driving force behind the Surgery 101 programme of the Indianapolis hospital, which is one of about 25 epicentres of training in robotics-assisted surgery in the US, the Tri-Valley Dispatch reported.

“Dr Singh is quite the expert in this field,” said Mr Anand Patel, a surgeon with Union Associated Physicians Clinic, Indiana. “He’s a very good teacher. He’s very patient.” Dr Singh himself started using the robot for surgeries about three years ago. “The robot is a tool to do the same thing that you did,” he was quoted as saying.

The Indian-origin doctor said that trainees were

not allowed to participate in any of the actual surgeries. Some of the benefits of robotics-assisted surgery include smaller incisions that significantly lower the chance of wound infections; shorter post-surgical hospital stays; and a significantly reduced chance of developing a hernia post-surgery, he said.

sustainability award From left Ryan, Isha and Perumal

A US-based company founded by a group of Indian-origin entrepreneurs which produces artificial milk has won a Dutch sustainability innovation prize of 200,000 euro, according to Media reports. An international jury chaired by Steve Howard, chief sustainability officer at multinational IKEA Group, awarded Ryan Pandya of Silicon Valley startup Muufri the runner-up prize of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge 2015. It is the largest annual international competition in the field of sustainability innovation, greenchallenge.info reported.

Muufri has identified the proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals in milk and is developing a blending process that has the potential to eliminate vast amounts of

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greenhouse gas emissions being generated by commercial dairy farming.

The biotech startup was founded in 2014 by bio-engineers Pandya, Perumal Gandhi and Isha Datar. The winner of the Dutch Postcode Lottery-organised award was Jurriaan Ruys (47), cofounder of the Dutch start-up Land Life Company. Ruys won 500,000 euro for his technology for nature restoration.

“It is inspiring to see how these green entrepreneurs are contributing to a better world... All of these ideas have potential for business success and to go to scale -- which is the only way we are going to tackle CO2 emissions,” Howard was quoted as saying.

Khattar’s appeal Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has urged the Indian-American business community to invest in his state in sectors like food processing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, automobile and defence production.

Mr Khattar, who led a 19member delegation of officials and businessmen on a 10-day trip to the US and Canada, made the appeal for investment while participating in the India Independence Day Parade in New York. The chief minister promised a conducive investment climate with ease-of-doing business and speedy decision-making for investors. He said the new industrial policy recently announced by his government was pitching for small and medium enterprises and there was big scope to invest in these sectors.

SPaCe SCIenCe PhotograPh © siPra das

Astronomy compels the soul to look upward, and leads us from this world to another —Plato PM Modi reaches out to the scientific community on Promoting Space Technology based tools and applications in Governance and Development, at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan

BeaUty PaGeant

sapna’s dream comes true Ms Sapna Raghavan has become the second Indian-American, after 2014 Miss America winner Nina Davuluri, to feature in “Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant”, the media reported. A Connecticut resident, Raghavan, 17, who was crowned “Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen 2015” in June this year, is now considering participating in the prestigious Miss America pageant, INDIA New England News newspaper reported. Winning the Miss Connecticut pageant gave her the opportunity to contest in “Outstanding Teen 2015”—a pageant open to teenagers aged between 13 and 17. She, however, did not win the competition but was awarded a USD 1,000 scholarship for participating in a Bollywood-themed dance.

Ms Raghavan is now eligible to contest in the Miss America pageant—a beauty competition that is open to the 18-25 age group. “It is an option but right now I am focusing on my Bharatnatyam dance and applying to colleges,” she was quoted as saying. A student at the Ellington High School in Connecticut, Ms Raghavan serves as an ambassador to an international non-profit organisation Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. She wants to work in the United Nations and continue to shape her career in Bharatnatyam. She is also member of the “Devel-

The new Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen Sapna Raghavan, center, with the rest of the top 5 from Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen pageant

oping Positive Youth Culture” group in Ellington, which strives for the well-being of the youth in the community.

Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen is an event of Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation for state-wide awareness of the Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen programmes. Miss America pageant is a sister competition of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant.

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IndIa In the USa: alaBaMa InCIdent

MISTrIAL DECLArED By arun Kumar A US judge has declared a mistrial in the federal trial of an Alabama police officer who slammed an Indian grandfather walking in his son’s neighbourhood leaving the 57year-old man partially paralysed.

The police officer, Eric Parker, 26, was charged with violating the civil rights under colour of law of Sureshbhai Patel during an incident on February 6, just six days after he had arrived from India to take care of his grandson.

US District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala declared mistrial after a 12-person jury trying Parker in a Huntsville, Alabama federal court informed her that they could not reach a verdict—one that necessarily must be unanimous, Al.com reported. Based on the final note the jury sent to Haikala, no jury changed their position since deliberations began anew after an alternate juror was added. Altogether, the new jury deliberated about 10 hours. Prosecutor Robert Posey said the US government will try the case against Parker again. “We plan to re-try the case and so another jury will get a chance to see this evidence and hear the testimony,” Posey said. “We will let them decide.”

The Patel family, through attorney Hank Sherrod, declined to comment on the mistrial in an email to AL.com. A re-trial won’t be far in the future. Posey said federal law mandates the trial begin within 70 days, unless one side asks for a delay and it’s granted by the judge.”Our team is going to go back and huddle up and review, as you might expect, everything that we’ve done and see if there’s anything we want to change,” Posey said. “We were able to introduce all of our evidence. The jury got a chance to hear from the defendant. We’ll just look forward to the next time,” he said.

“Obviously some of them saw things our way and some of them didn’t. At the end of the day, we come back and try it again. We’ll see how that goes,” said Parker’s attorney, Robert Tuten.

The case has drawn international attention after video of the take down of Patel went viral.Alabama Governor Robert Bentley issued an apology to the government of India for the incident. In his apology, the governor described the actions taken by Parker as “excessive force.”

Patel, the Indian grandfather, was slammed down to the ground by an Alabama police officer while walking in his 24 india empire | september 2015

Mr Sureshbhai Patel

son’s neighbourhood in February. He was called to the stand at the trial of former police Officer Eric Parker, 26, began in a Huntsville, Alabama federal court in September.

Parker is accused of using excessive force against an unarmed Mr Patel and charged with violating his civil rights.

Mr Patel told the jury he went for a walk around the neighbourhood every morning, but stayed on the same street as his son’s house and never went farther than ten or 11 houses away. He walked on the footpath next to the road and did not go to anybody’s house or into anyone’s yard on his walk. Mr Patel said on the morning of the incident, he stopped when he heard shouting from behind him. He recognized the uniforms the men wore as police uniforms. He added that he stopped when they shouted, but he could not understand them. He says he was only able to respond, “No English, no English.”

Mr Patel said when the officer put his hand on him, he

Chirag Patel helps his father, Sureshbhai Patel as they arrive outside the federal courthouse before start of the trial

videos in court. Throughout questioning, did not attempt to jerk or pull away. Shortly even in opening statements, Parker’s after that, the officer “put him on the lawyer, Robert Tuten, argued his client was grass.” He said officers tried to lift him, but doing what was necessary to “control the his hands and legs were numb. As a result situation,” which is a duty of a police offiof his injuries, he now has trouble walking cer in an uncertain situation. and cannot care for his grandson, he told Appearing as a prosecution witness at the jury. When the defence asked Patel why the trial of former police officer Eric he did not carry identification or a card Parker, 26, in a Huntsville, Alabama fedwith his son’s contact information on it, he eral court Captain John Stringer said that replied that he was simply going for a force is supposed to be proportional to the short-distance morning walk and that there Mr Eric Sloan Parker threat and circumstances.

Captain Stringer, was no need for identification.

Earlier, Officer Charles Spence who was called to re- who oversees special operations, including training, for the spond after Mr Parker arrested Mr Sureshbhai Patel, said Madison Police Department added that during controlled Mr Parker used a standard takedown move, the “front leg takedowns officers are supposed to decelerate the fall to sweep” taught in the police academy. Officer Spence said minimise injury. Captain Stringer said that he watched the that it’s used when a subject is being combative, but he did- video of Parker’s takedown of Patel that same day in Febn’t observe Mr Patel being combative. He also said this type ruary.

Asked for his opinion on the technique Parker emof takedown is “high risk” and he wouldn’t have handcuffed ployed, Captain Stringer testified “I thought it was imhim in this circumstance. proper.

I saw no indications of resistance, or active Prosecutors asked Officer Spence if he saw anything that would have caused him to lay hands on Patel. “No sir, resistance or aggressive resistance.” He also added that he I didn’t,” he replied. Mr Parker had responded on a report did not observe any signs of flight or attack by Mr Patel. A of a suspicious person. The jury heard a recording of the Madison dispatcher also testified that she searched through dispatcher’s call to police about a “black male” looking into records of past police calls that might have helped Officer garages there. Police dash cam video captured Mr Parker Eric Parker support a claim for probable cause to stop and slamming Mr Patel to the ground, and jurors watched those slam down Mr Patel. ❐ september 2015 | india empire 25

deSI MarrIaGe

Meet the Patels By arun Kumar

I

t all began when Ravi Patel, a 30year-old Indian-American investment banker turned Hollywood actor, pestered by his parents on a long flight to India to get married, agreed to search for his bride the “desi” way. And Ravi’s sister Geeta, just out of making a war zone documentary about Kashmir, now learning to handle the camera, started filming “half seriously” the “family affair” to find a desi partner for Ravi, who had just broken with his white girlfriend of two years. How what began as a family vacation video eventually turned into a hilarious romantic documentary about arranged marriages is an equally heartbreaking story as the sibling co-directors of “Meet the Patels” narrate it.

“When we got to India, Ravi realised that what he was going through is what so many people have gone through,” the duo said on phone ahead of the September release in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. It opens in additional US markets including Washington DC, Boston, New Jersey, Philadelphia, North Carolina, Detroit, and Tampa on September 18.

“He felt so many people were living that story and yet no one had told it properly,” said Geeta who was equally under parental pressure to get married. Many a film and media shows “depict arranged marriages and semi-arranged marriages in

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Indian culture more like a joke - like parents are weird, that kind of thing”.

“We didn’t see it that way. We felt like our parents (married through this ‘desi’ system) were the happiest people we knew,” Geeta said. “We were kind of torn because we wanted that happiness, but we didn’t know what process was really good for us to get there.” The conversion of the home video into a documentary “just happened by accident,” said Ravi. “It was just kind of natural evolution” with “Mom and Dad breathing down our necks as if a billion people in India care as much as they do about why we are not married.”

But despite some shaky camera work,

DESI BRIDE HUNTING: In a scene from the movie, Ravi receives advice on finding a girl from his father

they never thought of reshooting the film.

“The documentary is so authentic and real, what happened at the moment,” according to them. “The only stuff that we put a lot of effort into was in producing animated moments,” said Ravi. “The animation came essentially from the fact that we were making this film about our family,” added Geeta.”In reality TV, when somebody is emotional, they just film it.

But for us it’s just disrespectful to film our family going through a very difficult moment.”

But how come their parents did not appear camera conscious at all. “I know that’s crazy, right. It was so natural,” said Ravi.

“Part of it is that they never thought this project would really amount to anything - partially because of the casual way we were shooting it.”

The brother and sister team spent six years in making the film and at the end of it “nobody wanted it.” What kept them going was “Pride,” said Ravi. “I believed in it. Even if no body watches it, I am going to be proud that I made something I like and that mattered to me.” Geeta chipped in with, “we both believed in it.”

And it was “hard, very hard” working together, said Ravi. “You know with people you

love, you tend to be most vulnerable and sometimes the least respectful and least filtered. Geeta and I have all our crazy fits. But when you are working with your sister you can’t fire her. So you have to find a way to keep it going and make it work.”

“We have to make a commitment,” added Geeta. “As dad says in the movie, life is a commitment.” And after all the fights and disagreements “we have this incredible relationship we would never have dreamt of.” So what comes next? Are they planning another joint venture on one more desi issue? “Geeta and I are working on some projects together - some pretty exciting stuff,” said Ravi though he would not say what it was. “I don’t think I would have chosen to work with her if you had asked me even a year ago,” he said. “But it’s a testament to the story that our family is a million times more together.”

“Geeta and I decided to work together more. Mom and Dad are a part of the company now. My Dad works on this movie 10 hours a day to get every Indian in America marketing this movie. And Mom got every motel owner in America putting up pamphlets. It has become a Patel family business.” ❐

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dIaSPora newS

tomb of unKnown soldier In a first, a Sikh soldier has been appointed to watch over the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” at the National War Memorial here in Canada, a media report said. The tomb refers to a monument in dedication to the services of an unknown soldier and to the common memories of all soldiers killed in any war.

Mr Taj Aujla is one of the four Canadian soldiers of the 39th Brigade Group, Royal Westminster Regiment, who are currently in Ottawa for three weeks to guard the tomb, Ottawacitizen.com news portal reported. “The basis of Sikhism is service to your country and your community. Being here is a big honour because I am representing the way of life of a Sikh. But it goes back to the tomb, that is why we’re here,” Mr Aujla was quoted as saying. “This gentleman -- the unknown soldier -- whoever he is, was serving. He made the ultimate sacrifice, for our freedom, for our country for us. To be a part of this is exactly what I practise on a day-to-day basis. What he did was very human,” Mr Aujla said.

Mr Aujla joined the reserves of the Canadian forces four years ago. When he came to know about

the opportunity to join the ceremonial guard, he researched on the tomb and decided to offer his services. “If people had loved ones who did not make it home from World War I or World War II, this tomb is the place where they can come to pay their respects.

To be able to stand guard here is a privilege,” said Mr Aujla. “When I joined the forces and was sworn in, my unit welcomed me as a Sikh and said welcome to the family. There’s a lot of a brotherhood here,” he added.

Mr Aujla’s great-grandfather served in a Sikh regiment in India as did his great-uncle, the report said.

indian police chief An Indian American has been appointed the police chief of California’s Martinez city, a media report said. The Martinez city council officially approved the appointment of Richmond police captain Manjit Sappal as the chief by a 5-0 vote in August. Captain Sappal will be paid a base salary of USD 175,000 a year, news website reported. “I am truly honoured to be considered for the Mr Manjit position. Martinez is a great city and Sappal I appreciate the opportunity to work with the excellent Martinez Police department and serve the community,” Captain Sappal was quoted as saying.

Captain Sappal, who will take the charge on August 31, was among six finalists recommended by the city’s search consultant for the post. The city council then reviewed the candidates, interviewed them and chose him as the new city chief. “From a pool of very strong

28 india empire | september 2015

candidates we interviewed, it was clear that Captain Sappal possesses the credentials, passion and focus necessary to effectively lead our police force and continue the city’s commitment to make Martinez the best community it can be,” Martinez city Mayor Rob Schroder said.

Captain Sappal has over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He started his career with the Pittsburg Police department as a patrol officer. He has been serving the Richmond Police department since 1997 and currently leads the Southern Policing district of the City, the report said. Captain Sappal graduated from the FBI National Academy and has attended the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police and holds a master’s degree in the public administration from the Golden Gate University.

IndIanS In USa

t

Planned Parenthood vs Bobby Jindal Mr Bobby Jindal

he Obama administration is challenging Louisiana’s Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal’s attempt to terminate Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, a non-profit providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services, from the state’s Medicaid programme. Republican presidential contender Mr Jindal’s effort to terminate Planned Parenthood was launched following the release of a series of undercover videos by abortion opponents that have raised questions about clinic operations. Most of the others in the crowded field of 17 Republican presidential contenders have also vowed to stop federal funding for the programme if elected.

In a brief filed in the end of August in a Louisiana federal court, Justice Department lawyers said the state had not provided appropriate “justification” to strip the provider from the federally-subsidised Medicaid programme, USA Today reported. The action is ahead of a scheduled hearing where Planned Parenthood is moving to block Mr Jindal’s effort. The hearing was held in September in Baton Rouge before US District Judge John deGravelles, who was nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama. He was confirmed in January.

“States do not have unfettered discretion to determine that a provider is not qualified for purposes of federal Medicaid law,” according to the brief as cited by USA Today. “To conclude otherwise would not only strip the Medicaid Act’s free choice provider of all meaning, but also would contravene clear congressional intent to give Medicaid beneficiaries the right to receive covered services from any qualified and willing provider.”

“President Obama is so committed to protecting Planned Parenthood’s baby harvesting operation that he sent his lawyers from the Department of Justice all the way to Baton Rouge to sue me and try to stop us from cancelling these contracts,” Mr Jindal said in a statement issued by his campaign. “President Obama won’t watch the videos but he’ll take time to file a lawsuit. Well, I’ve got news for him. We are not backing down.” The dispute between Mr Jindal and Planned Parenthood has escalated outside the courtroom in recent weeks. Last month, as Planned Parenthood staged protests outside the governor’s mansion, Mr Jindal responded by playing the undercover videos on an outdoor screen. ❐ september 2015 | india empire 29

dIaSPora: PerForMInG artS

Desihoppers

triumph By sugandha rawal

Desihoppers, an Indian dance troupe, emerged victorious at the World of Dance competition here, beating 34 competitors from 14 countries. Indian classical dance moves on fast-paced western music became a hit here when the Desihoppers group of dancers from different parts of India took to the stage here. Initiated by trio Mr Shantanu Maheshwari, Mr Macedon’D’mello and Mr Nimit Kotian, the race to clinch the trophy was not easy for the Desihoppers.

Cries of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Ganpati Bappa Morya” rent the air and the Indian tricolour was waved at the venue, the Los Angeles Convention Center, as the group was announced the winners on August 17, 2015 evening. They received a trophy along with a cheque of USD 5,000. They also got the ‘Crowd Favourite Trophy’ at the event - which since 2008, has united the dance community from the US, Europe, South America, Asia, and Canada - to celebrate the lifestyle and culture of urban dance and music.

“I still can’t believe that we won the first prize. There were so many tough competitors, who performed with about 50-70 people while we were just seven. We don’t know what we will do with the money,” Mr Nimit said after registering a win in the competition. Mr Shantanu, who hails from Kolkata but is now based in Mumbai, dedicated the win to “the “citizens of India”.

India’s spirit of “unity in diversity” was very much in evidence as the Desihoppers - men in their early 20s—wore white outfits with tricolour handbands and gyrated to ‘desi’ beats at the finale of the global competition, which was judged by ace inDESIHOPPERS: Classy dancing

30 india empire | september 2015

ternational dancers Mr Matt Steffanina, Ms Galen Hooks, Mr Arnel Calvario, Mr Jun Quemado and Mr Beau Fournier.

The Desihoppers staged an energetic performance by starting off with a formation of Lord Ganesha and then providing a glimpse of Indian classical dance. After the “Ganpati Bappa Morya” religious chant, the troupe switched to fusion mode with international hits like “I got the power”, “Turn down for what” and “Old McDonald had a farm”. The performance also saw a blend of western music on dhol beats. ❐

doMeStIC newS PhotograPhs Š siPra das

POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Congress Vice President Mr Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi (centre) and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh at a Kisan Rally at New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan in September. In the background is former Haryana CM, Mr B.S. Hooda

Mr A.K. Jha, the new Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC Limited addresses his first Press conference in Delhi in September

september 2015 | india empire 31

IndIan dIaSPora In UK

COSTLY EMAIL Lord Lieutenant Paul Sabapathy

I

ndia-born Paul Sabapathy, Britain’s first nonwhite Lord Lieutenant who represented Queen Elizabeth II in the West Midlands for almost eight years, has resigned after his personal e-mail containing controversial remarks about the British-Pakistani community was leaked, media reports said.

“Pakistanis are lovely people individually but there is a lot of work to do to teach them basic common courtesy and civility,” The Guardian reported on Friday, citing an e-mail Sabapathy wrote after attending the celebrations of Pakistan’s Independence Day in Birmingham on August 14. “They talk to themselves and do not engage with the wider community. They are living in the UK not Pakistan,” the leaked e-mail further read.

“Whilst being rightly proud of their Pakistani culture and heritage they need to explain better and engage more with their non-Pakistani brothers and sisters if they

32 india empire | september 2015

want their children to succeed as British Pakistani citizens,” wrote Sabapathy in his e-mail.

In a statement that he issued, Sabapathy, who was born in Chennai and moved to Britain in 1964, said he had decided to stand down and wanted to offer an unreserved apology. “I wish to apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly for the offence I have caused to the Pakistani community and others, by the contents of my private email. I have today written to all those who received my original email to express my sincere sorrow and regret,” his statement read.

Lord lieutenants are the representatives of the crown for each county in Britain.

They are appointed by Queen Elizabeth on the advice of the prime minister. The main duties of lord lieutenants include arranging royal visits to their respective regions, and present medals and awards on behalf of the Queen. ❐

dIaSPora lIteratUre

Obama hOnOurs

Jhumpa their own experience, but because they’ve told rare truths about the common experiences that we have as Americans and as human beings,” Obama said. “They span mediums and methods.

We have artists, actors, writers, musicians, historians, a landscape architect, and a chef,” he said.

“Without them there would be no Edible Schoolyard, no Jhumpa Lahiri novels, no really scary things like Carrie and Misery,” said Obama amid laughter.

Obama then proceeded to present the medals to each of the recipients as their citations were read by his military aide. “The 2014 National Humanities Medal to Jhumpa Lahiri for enlarging the human story. In her works of fiction, Dr. Lahiri has illuminated the Indian American experience in President Barack Obama awards the 2014 National Humanities Medal to author beautifully wrought narraJhumpa Lahiri of New York, during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House tives of estrangement and in Washington, Thursday, September 10, 2015 belonging,” read the aide as President Barack Obama presented the 2014 National Lahiri received the award amid applause.

Medals of Arts and Humanities to Pulitzer Prize winning The humanities medal honours an individual or organizaIndian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri and 20 other dis- tion whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of tinguished persons at a White House ceremony. the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with his“I always do good with writers and scientists. Those are tory and literature or helped preserve and expand Americans’ my crew,” said the president in a grey suit and violet tie as access to cultural resources. Lahiri’s novel “The Lowland” was he addressed the audience starting with a quote from Emily among the books Obama took with him while vacationing in Dickinson followed by his own joke on the political class.

Martha’s Vineyard, an island summer resort in Massachusetts, “One of our great poets, Emily Dickinson, once said last month. “The Lowland” is a story about two brothers who that ‘truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it.’ The grew up in Calcutta in the 1960s. After one is killed, the other truth is so rare, it is delightful to tell it—and that’s espe- marries his pregnant widow and moves to the US. The New cially true in Washington,” he said amid laughter.

York Times calls the premise of this novel “startlingly operatic”.

“The men and women that we honour today, recipients Other awardees included artists, historians, writers, a of the National Medals for the Arts and the Humanities, are philosopher, scholar, preservationist, food activist and an here not only because they’ve shared rare truths, often about education course. ❐ september 2015 | india empire 33

CarIBBean: danCe and MUSIC FUSIon

Rainbow

Dance Festival

Kaizan Shakti dance group take to the air

By Paras ramoutar in Port-of-spain The Wasafoli Dance Group shared the stage of Divali Nagar with several performances as the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) hosted its Rainbow Dance Festival to mark the 53rd anniversary of Independence in August. The Group performed African dance, drumming and limbo.

President of the NCIC, Mr Paras ramoutar Dr Deokienanan Sharma said that it was time that, “East Indian culture was given serious attention.” He called for greater tolerance in the participation of East Indian culture in both national and international representation.

“This Rainbow Dance Festival continues to attract overflowing audience as evidenced by tonight’s participation,” Sharma noted. Special guest was Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador of China, Mr Chandradath Singh and his wife.

In his address, Singh hailed the creativity of the participants which included dances by Nalini Akal and the N9 Dancers, Chinese Dragon Dance, Trinidad Multicultural Dance Group, Kaizan Shakti Dance Group, Prema Shakti Dance Group, Radha Krishna Dance Group, chutney, nagara, tassa and steelpan by Lennore Singh.

“From what I have seen here, the NCIC continues to enhance the multicultural and national diversity of our country. NCIC continues to provide that energy, creativity and the balance of our cultural strength,” Singh added.

Public Relations Officer of the NCIC, Surujdeo Mangaroo said that the Rainbow Dance Festival has become one of the mainstays of the NCIC to celebrate our Independence.

“The NCIC is about strengthening the cultural stocks of our land. Every culture continues to perform at Divali Nagar because we believe in the concept of multicultural❐ ism and national diversity,” Mangaroo added.

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Wasa Foli dance group go through their usual energetic performance

Left: Nalini Akal, of N9 Dance group makes her own rainbow with this fabric. RIGHT: Stephanie Kalloo, does belly dancing

dIaSPora In MaUrItIUS

THOSE WHO SPOKE

Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Tourism, Government of India

H.E. Mridula Sinha, Governor of Goa, India

Mr J R Dayal, Environment Minister of Mauritius

Mr Santaram Baboo, Tourism and Culture Minister of Mauritius

INTErNATIONAL

rAMAYANA

CONFErENCE Photographs by Premchand Ramlochun Consulting Editor Ramlochun with India’s Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Tourism, Dr Mahesh Sharma.

Dr Sharma is also Minister of State for Civil Aviation

A cross section of the audience

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lonely Planet

Temples of Angkor “Temples of Angkor” in Cambodia have topped the Ultimate Travelist compiled by Lonely Planet (LP), which it described as “Hindu heaven on earth”.

According to an LP release, “this complex of more than 1,000 temples, shrines and tombs that form a virtual city of spires in the jungles of northern Cambodia, takes the crown” and it “was the undisputed champion by quite some margin… it was a complete landslide”.

Others in the top ten of the 500 best places to see on the planet, ranked by this Travelist “in order of their brilliance”, include: Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Machu Picchu (Peru), Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal (India), Grand Canyon National Park (USA), Colosseum (Italy), Iguazu Falls (Brazil-Argentina), Alhambra (Spain), Aya Sofya (Turkey).

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Hindus world over, numbering around one billion, were very proud and delighted on Hindu Temples of Angkor topping the Ultimate Travelist.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that a lot needed to be done to safeguard the Angkor temple complex and its surroundings and

deteriorating bas-reliefs; save it from vandalism and looting; put some controls on unchecked tourism; check the demand for water table which could undermine the stability of sandy soils under the temples.

Rajan Zed also urged UNESCO World Heritage Convention and Cambodia government to provide more funding for the upkeep of the temple complex and spend more than half the ticket revenue on the temples.

As the world’s greatest temple of Lord Vishnu …this magnificent monument is the greatest treasure of a Hindu kingdom that once stretched as far as Burma, Laos and southern China… Angkor is something out of the ordinary – a literal representation of heaven on earth, hewn from thousands of sandstone blocks and carved floor-toceiling with legends from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas.

Angkor Wat itself is the undisputed highlight, a massive representation of Mt Meru, the mountain home of the Gods of Hinduism, executed in stone blocks adorned with bas-reliefs of such delicacy and grace that they could almost have been carved in the presence of the divine…

Angkor isn’t just an interesting ruin – it’s a Spiritual epiphany in stone. ❐

september 2015 | india empire 37

dIaSPora newS

diwali festiVal in fiji The Fijian Indian community in California organised a multi-cultural “Diwali Festival” attended by more than 500 people from various communities, according to media reports. The festival organised by the Norfolk Sports Cultural Events, was held at the Hayward High School, Hayward, California recently. It featured an array of food stalls, clothing boutiques and a heena artist.

A local band enthralled the audience with Bollywood hit numbers. Indian-origin dancer Ms Radhika Tilak and local comedian and singer Mr Hemkumar Joshi entertained the audience. Ms Pamela Singh, one of the organisers of the festival, said this was the third year Norfolk Sports Cultural Events held the festival.

“It is a kick-off to Diwali,” she was quoted as saying.

“The Fiji and Indian communities should support each other. This is a cross-community event.” Master Salesh, Vice President of Norfolk Sports Cultural Events, said the organisation is involved in promoting community spirit and help the new generation

connect to their culture. Hayward councilman Francesco Zermeno talked about the importance of diversity, the commonality of the immigrant experience and of being proud of one’s culture.”Hayward is the third most diverse city in the US and you are a part of that richness,” he said.

tourism down under India is among the top 10 countries which have helped Australia record its strongest tourism year since the Sydney Olympics Games in 2001, according to media reports. India was reported as one of the fastest growing source markets for the year ending June 2015, according to the latest survey report by Tourism Research Australia (TRA). More than 200,000 Indians visited Australia during the period under review -- up 20 per cent from the previous year -- with their spending surpassing 1 billion Australian dollars (about USD 700 million) for the first time, TR Business portal reported.

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The TRA report said that India has moved up three places to become Australia’s eighth largest tourism market. China led the rest of the countries in terms of Australia’s top five markets by spend with Chinese visitor-numbers increasing by 22 per cent. Visitors from China contributed around 1 Australian dollar in every 5 Australian dollar spent by international visitors, according to TRA. The boom in Australia’s tourism industry saw more than 33 billion Australian dollars pumped into the economy, as international visitor numbers rose by seven percent to a new record high of 6.6 million.

canadian pm hails indian diaspora

papadoms, bollywood style

Mr Stephen Harper

Indo-Canadians are the largest and most successful Indian diaspora anywhere on this earth, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. On a visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto, Mr Harper said: “In this uncertain and dangerous world, it is most comforting to know that Canada has certain friends like India.”

“Canada’s relationship with India is special because despite the enormous differences between our two countries, we have a growing economic relationship,” said the prime minister, the Toronto Sun reported. The Conservative Party leader said Indian immigration to Canada increased 35 percent since his government took office in 2006. “We have welcomed over 300,000 permanent residents from India. At the same time, nearly 200,000 Indian immigrants have gone on to become Canadian citizens - nearly double the number under the previous government,” Mr Harper said.

The prime minister praised the temple as “one of the greatest pieces of architecture in our land”. It was Mr Harper’s third visit to the temple since becoming the prime minister.

Inspired by roadside dhabas dotting the national highways in India, an Indian-origin chef has opened a Bollywood-themed restaurant in Britain, a media report said. Called Papadoms, the restaurant is offering Indian street food at High Street West complex in the city of Sunderland, Sunderland Echo news portal reported. According to executive chef and owner Mr Sanjeev Sanghara, Sunderland is the perfect place to launch the restaurant that created at least 30 part-time jobs in the city.

“Most of the menu which also features handi and tiffin options is inspired by a trip to India,” Mr Sanghara was quoted as saying. “We launched the Papadoms pilot here to test new ideas in the market. There is a lot of competition from other Indian restaurants at this site,” Mr Sanghara added, saying that he plans to soon launch a chain of Papadoms restaurants. It is a great opportunity for us and a chance to bring a new style of cuisine to Sunderland, he noted. Sanghara’s family owns two traditional Indian restaurants in Scotland.

mydaftar At least 8,000 Indian-origin people have been issued identity documents in Malaysia through a government programme launched more than four years ago, Malaysia’s Health Minister S. Subramaniam said in August. The 8,000 Indians to have obtained their identity documents, including that of births, marriage and citizenship through ‘MyDaftar’ programme, were part of 10,000 applications processed, The Malaysian Insider reported citing Mr Subramaniam.

Mr Subramaniam is also chairman of the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF)

of the Cabinet Committee on Indian Community. “This (MyDaftar) programme is an ongoing effort to help Indians who do not have identity (documents) despite residing in the country for so long,” the minister said after presenting citizenship certificates to 40 applicants in Putrajaya. MyDaftar programme, a collaboration between SITF, the home ministry and the national registration department, helps Indians who do not possess any document to prove their Malaysian citizenship.

september 2015 | india empire 39

ColUMn: yoGI aShwInI

MInd and Body

THE POWEr OF GAYATrI MANTrA

By Yogi Ashwini Yogi ashwini

T

he term ‘Gayatri’ has two parts “Ga’ has come from the word ‘gayan’ which means that this is one mantra for which vedic uccharan is not compulsory rather it is chanted in a particular chand. The second part ‘tri’ signifies 3 vedas or 3 loks – the nether worlds or the lower dimensions, our present dimension of existence and the lok of higher dimensions. The mantra which has the essence of the three vedas is called the Gayatri and for that you need not know the Vedic uchharan, only that chand is required.

There are 3 vedas, not 4 – Rig, Yajur and Sam Veda. Rig Veda is to make you rise above whichever level of existence you are at. The first mantra of Rigveda is the Gayatri Mantra, it was given by Rishi Vishvamitra who was akshatriya. Due to a clash between brahmans and kshatriyas, the order of veda was changed and agni became the first word. Gayatri, which is the janani (mother) of every mantra, often called the mahamantra was featured later in veda because of conflicts in the society.

It is the same conflict because of which we are losing out our culture, we can no longer think above the physical aspectscaste, position, status etc.

That said, there is no denying the fact that agni was of prime importance in the vedic culture, because of which it was chosen as the first word.

Agni is the only element out of the five, which cannot be polluted and agni is the only element which is not completely tied by gravity and hence it rises up. Thus, agni has the capacity to elevate you, make you rise up by increasing your purity levels. Have you ever wondered why a person is put to fire upon his death? It is for the liberation of the body. While the soul leaves the body on the 13th day and gets liberated, the body is liberated by the fire which transforms and directs the 5 elements which takes the body to their respective dimensions. The elements that make your body are the same elements, which would have once made Lord Ram’s and Krishna’s body, the same elements which constituted the body of Hitler as also of a dog or an ant.

The body is just the 5 elements, it is formed because of an impurity or dosha in the elements. Ayurveda talks about tridoshas of vata, pitta and kapha. These doshas constitute a body, at any point one dosha predominates over the other two, determining your prakriti. When all the 3 doshas come into balance, then the person leaves the body and gets liberated from that body. There are two things to take note of 40 india empire | september 2015

- imbalance of doshas and kriya-sheelta (action tendency) of that imbalance. An imbalance may not push you to do anything, or it may push you to do the wrong thing. This decides what kind of a person you are and what will be your next yoni. The traits of a being and his nature (prakriti) get defined in the womb itself. The prakriti of the first cell which is formed determines the prakriti or predominant dosha of the being and then it cannot change throughout your life (unless you are in yog and want to rise upwards).

When the body is cremated, the agni removes the doshas and the body gets liberated. That is the significance of shamshan (cremation ground), the body (5 elements + doshas) gets liberated (and not destroyed) there.

All the mantras in Rigveda are for atmic utthaan, evolving out of the physical and impure body with the power of agni.

Thus the only purpose of any mantra in Rigveda is evolution.

These days, these mantras are chanted in the hope of improving financial condition, coming out of business losses, etc, but that is not their purpose. Besides evolution there are two other requirements of a human being – enhancing physical life and indulging in creative pleasures. These are dealt with in the Yajurveda and Samveda respectively. Yajurveda covers all the aspects of physical life – politics, arts of war, social networking etc and describes in detail how to lead life.

Samveda contains all the dance and music forms. Whenever swarglok is depicted on the television shows, it is projected as a place where apsaras are dancing with sitar playing in the background, that is a depiction of the Samveda only. The artistic and creative people who have their higher chakras more developed than the lower chakras, prevail in Samveda – music, dance, art forms.

Thus, there were three requirements of the human being and hence the three vedas. But with the change of yug, at the onset of treta yug, a need was felt for a fourth veda. With the change of times human’s desires were becoming more and more physical. Whenever there is bhog (physical indulgence), it is accompanied with a rog (disease). Hence came the Atharva veda with all the healing sciences and tantric mantras for wish fulfilment - and mind you, the wishes are not to have Shiv darshan but your wishes are centred on improving ❐ health, power, position, relationships and appearance.

—The writer Yogi Ashwini Ji is the head of Dhyan Foundation, Delhi. For details contact: ashwiniyogi@yahoo.co.in

SPeCIal ColUMn

defininG God A VediC interpretAtion

By Gauri Shankar Gupta (Continued from August 2015 issue)

HE Gauri Shankar Gupta High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago

Let us now consider another facet of time. Time is static, still it moves. If we meditate for a moment we will find that time has no movement of its own. Imagine the Universe without anything, simply vast empty space. Can we imagine the movement of time? No, we cannot. We calculate the movement of time based on the movement of physical universe. Relative movements of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon define the day, the month and the year (solar year, lunar year, solar month and lunar month). Even light-year (spatial distance) is calculated on the basis of speed of sunrays. Thus time, in itself does not move yet we cannot imagine any movement without time. Our lives move with time.

With time we ceaselessly grow from childhood to adulthood, from adulthood to youth, from youth to old age and from old age to death. We cannot imagine any physical existence without movement whether it’s a galaxy, a planet, a plant, an animal or a human being. Life and existence themselves are defined in terms of movement. Since no movement is possible without time, time moves. Therefore, time is static, still it moves. Similarly, Brahman is static, still it moves.

Let us now consider the beginning of time. Can we imagine the origin of time? No, we cannot, because if we take point X as the origin of time, immediately a question will arise: what existed before X? This means we are going into time before the origin of time. How can that be possible? This is illogical.

Therefore the very thought of the origin of time is fallacious.

This is equally true for the end of time. Similarly, the Brahman has no beginning, no middle and no end. He is beyond creation and destruction. Time is also infinite in its expanse. It cannot be confined to any defined area. Wherever there is space there is time, so is the expanse of Brahman. He is everywhere. No existence can be imagined or defined without Him. Nevertheless, there is a significant difference between time and Brahman. While both are all-pervasive, infinite and without any beginning and end; Brahman is universal consciousness, time is not. That’s why time is also called as the shadow of Brahman.

Therefore the description of Brahman in the Vedic writings is not self-contradictory but a reflection of the reality. This reality cannot be explained through intellect or lab tests but could only be experienced by the individuals. If the world is to be what we perceive with our senses, then there would be no riddle or mystery. The hidden, non-sensible and omnipresent existence of Brahman in all appearances and forms is what makes it mysterious.

Conclusion It is therefore apparent that Brahman is the only reality behind the ever changing universal manifestation. He is infinite, eternal and irreducible pure consciousness with no attributes.

Since He is the only source of all that exists and seed of all seeds, everything rests in Him. Simultaneously, He rests in everything; moving or non-moving, conscious or non-conscious for He is the only cause and source of all existence.

Hence according to Vedic writings the Universe is nothing but a mere manifestation of invisible Brahman. When the visible manifestation is annihilated it returns to the invisible Brahman.

Everything in the Universe rests upon Brahman as the beads made of thread in a necklace are strung on a thread. Like thousands of sparks appear from fire and then dissolve back into fire, like a large variety of plants and herbs originate from earth and then they return back to earth and like millions of waves appear in the ocean and then dissove back into the same ocean, like millions of thoughts appear and then they dissove back into the same mind; everything in this universe appears from the Brahman and returns back to Him. The one Being of whom all existences are Becoming. Precisely for this reason in the Vedic writings Brahman (God) self-extended in time and space has been defined as the Universe. Thus, the Universe and all that exists in the Universe is nothing but Divine and must not be abused. It is a single unified entity with multiple ever changing manifestations. â?? september 2015 | india empire 41

dIaSPora newS

dolls bring sonia fame An Australian-Indian woman, who recycles and repairs forgotten and discarded dolls, has won a US award for inspiring people worldwide to restyle their old toys, according to a media report.

Sonia Singh, from Tasmania’s capital Hobart, has won the Etsy Design Award for her project “Tree Change Dolls” by beating 52 other finalists selected by a panel of Etsy.com, an online marketplace for handmade goods, Herald Sun reported.

Singh started the doll project at the beginning of this year after losing her job as a science communicator. “My sisters and I grew up playing with secondhand dolls and home-made toys in the beautiful Tasmanian natural environment. I love the satisfaction of repairing and re-using discarded items to give them a new lease on life,” Singh said.

Her effort has received an overwhelming support from across the world and the Tree Change Dolls Facebook page has now more than 440,000 fans.

Singh has started selling downloadable knitting patterns for the dolls and each month she auctions off one hand-crafted doll for charity. She makes about 20 dolls a month and “they always sell so quickly”.

Singh will visit the Etsy headquarters in Brooklyn.

Ms Sonia Singh

1 Kilo earrings An Indian jewellery firm’s outlet in Dubai has revealed three pairs of earrings weighing one kg each in the run-up to a record attempt, a media report said.

Headquartered in India, GRT Jewellers recently opened a branch in Karama, Dubai and showcased the mini gold chandelier-like mammoth earrings pegged at around 200,000 Dirhams (USD 54,450) each, Khaleej Times reported. The company claims that these are perhaps the largest gold earrings in the world and wished to apply for the Guinness World Records for the world’s largest gold earrings.

“To my knowledge, nobody has made such big earrings so far. We are thankful to south Indian actor Nayantara for unveiling them to the enthusiastic crowd here and making it a success,” group’s managing director G.R. Anand Ananthapadmanabhan was quoted as saying. As Nayantara unveiled the monumental pieces of jewellery, the crowd scrambled in the store to get a glimpse of the earrings. “Designed in the traditional Indian ‘jhumka’ style, the handcrafted 22-carat earrings have been displayed to pay tribute to the city of Gold and to commemorate GRT’s successful journey of 50 years,” Ananthapadmanabhan said. “We wanted to impress Dubai with something special and big,” he added. The firm said it is open to selling the earrings as collectors’ pieces.

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