St Francis Xavier venerated in Sydney

Goans and the Catholic community celebrated the feast of their patron saint and the presence of his relic in Australia

Goan Overseas Association (GOA) NSW celebrated the feast day of St Francis Xavier on December 9 at St. Getrude’s Parish in Smithfield. Although the actual feast day falls on December 3, for the convenience of devotees, it is always celebrated on the following Sunday to coincide with the weekend.

Since its inception 35 years ago, GOA NSW has always celebrated the feast day of St Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goans, and the bond is even stronger considering that the Saint’s embalmed body lies in veneration in the Basilica of Bom Jesu in Old Goa.

Around 200 members attended the Mass which was celebrated by the Most Reverend Bishop Peter Comensoli, Auxilliary Bishop of the Diocese of Sydney, and concelebrated by Rev Fr Biju. The GOA NSW Choir group including musicians and vocalists, was led by Rachael Menezes and comprised of Konkani hymns dedicated to St Francis Xavier.

The GOA NSW youth group actively participated in the Mass by engaging with the readings and prayers of the faithful.

At the end of the ceremony, President of GOA-NSW Tony

Colaco addressed the attendees and thanked Bishop Peter Comensoli for celebrating the Mass and supporting the initiatives of GOA-NSW during the Sydney tour of the relic of St Francis Xavier. Following the Mass, members posed for a group photograph and then assembled in the Parish Hall for the cultural event and lunch. The Drego Brothers, Wendell and Gordon Drego entertained the audience with live music, while Cheryl Fernandes compered the event. The GOA-NSW Music group headed by Rachael Menezes entertained the crowd with Goan mandos and masala songs. The cultural event was graced by the arrival of Santa Claus who brought a cheer to all the children by distributing gifts and lollies. Traditional Goan Christmas sweets made by wives of the Executive Committee and various members were distributed to Goan pensioners who attended the event or lived in retirement homes. The event concluded with a round of Bingo and a final dance session to the music of the Drego Brothers. The celebration of St Francis Xavier’s feast day was particularly significant as it followed the conclusion of the Saint’s relic across Australia. The forearm of St. Francis Xavier, touted as ‘the most significant Jesuit relic to ever visit Australia’ arrived in Sydney on November 27 as part of a national tour. Safely secured in its own custom-built glass case, the 506-year-old right forearm of St Francis Xavier was taken across various churches in the Diocese of Parramatta and Sydney over a span of seven days, till it left for the return journey back to Rome on December 4.

To celebrate this event, the Most Rev Bishop Anthony Fischer, Bishop of Parramatta organised a special Mass on November 29 at St Patrick’s Cathedral for the Goan and Catholic community of Sydney. The theme of the Mass was to recreate the spirit and atmosphere of celebration as it would have been back in Old Goa at the Basilica of Bom Jesu. The Mass was well attended by over 600, with Rev Fr Clifford

D’Souza from the Diocese of Parramatta and a distinguished son of Goa as the Main Celebrant, along with co-celebrants Rev Fr Brendan, Rev Fr Edward and Rev Fr PJ.

Fr Clifford presented his homily in both English and Konkani, the native language of Goans, as he shared the life and works of St Francis Xavier to a profoundly touched congregation. The 20 strong GOA NSW Choir group sang Konkani hymns, while holy pictures were blessed by Fr Clifford and distributed during the Mass. The proceeds of the Mass collection of $3000 was donated to Sisters of the Cross Chavanod in Pune, India, to be used towards the construction of a Cancer Hospice in Sawantwadi, India. Following the mass, members of the Goan Community met in the adjoining Social Hall where Tony Colaco, President of GOA NSW proposed a vote of thanks to the Diocese of Parramatta, Rev Fr Clifford and the concelebrating priests, the Choir Group, Executive Committee, the Goan community and all those who worked behind the scenes to make this event a huge success.

Alwyn Henriques

India needs more infectious disease experts, says IndianAmerican doctor

Despite infectious diseases claiming over 20 million lives a year, India has just a handful of specialists in the field for its 1.2 billion population, says an Indian American expert pushing for the country to set up a specialist training programme to tackle this grave issue.

The US has 6,500 specialists in infectious diseases (ID) for its over 300 million population, says Navin Shah, specialist in urology and a diplomat of the American Board of Urology.

“India needs 15,000 ID specialists for its 1.2 billion people,” said Shah, who was the co-founder and past president of the American Association Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).

India has 50 million ID patients and 40 percent of them die due to the affliction, he said.

Infectious diseases are not just colds and coughs, Shah explained. Septicemia, or infection of the blood, and infections that chemotherapy and organ transplant patients catch are also clubbed under ID as well as tuberculosis (TB), he said.

“In India, 100 tuberculosis patients die every day. The right way is to first take a sputum test and then give the right drugs as per each patient,” Shah said in an interview in New Delhi.

Shah, who had met Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad earlier this week to discuss the training programme, said the Indian government is keen to start it.

“ID has become an emergency. I told the health minister and health secretary to make it compulsory for five government colleges to start the training programme,” he said.

He suggested this could start in three premier medical colleges - JIPMER (Jawahrlal Institute of Post-Gradutae Medical Education and Research) in Puducherry, AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in New Delhi, and PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) in Chandigarh - and be taken up later in another five.

Another project that Shah is pushing is to connect Indian specialists with their counterparts among the 62,000 Indian American doctors.

He has launched a websitewww.apxamembers.com - to facilitate the interaction.

This would help Indian doctors visit the US to get acquainted with the newest technology and research there. Board, lodging and professional interaction for the Indian doctors would be free, said Shah.

In return, the Indian American specialists would visit their alumni in India at their own cost and work there.

According to Shah, even if one percent of the 62,000 Indian American doctors participate in the interaction, it would work out to 6,000.

“The goal is that 6,000 doctors from both sides should have reciprocal visits,” said Shah.

The US India Business Council has shown interest in hosting the website, he added.

Another venture that the noted specialist has been pushing is to establish emergency and trauma medical services in Maharashtra.

“In Mumbai, 12 people die every day either due to railway accidents or on the streets. In India, around 350,000 people die in accidents annually,” Shah said.

The emergency service, based on the US model, will see 24 major hospitals in Mumbai form a network of emergency and trauma care.

“Hospitals with neurology, cardiology, and surgery services round the clock will comprise Level 1 hospitals.

“The Level 2 hospitals will not have neurology, but cardiology and surgery services, while Level 3 hospitals will be where one can avail oneself of the services of a surgeon in half an hour. Level 4 hospitals will have only resuscitation services,” Shah said.

“Their ambulances will have on board paramedics to administer IV fluids and meet the requirements of patients en route to hospital,” Shah said, adding that the service will cover the entire city.

After the patient has been treated at the emergency services hospitals, he or she will then be transferred to a government hospital for follow-up treatment, he added.

Shah said he wants to work with Mumbai as a model for all other cities to replicate.

“After the emergency service kicks off, one Indian doctor will be taken from Mumbai for training to the US. The fully paid scholarship is by the American College of Surgeons,” he added.

“Eight Indian American trauma surgeons are willing to visit Mumbai at their own cost, over the period of one year, to work in Indian hospitals,” Shah said.

New visa norms make travel easier between India, Pakistan India and Pakistan recently operationalised the new visa norms, paving the way for easier travel for the people between the two countries.

The agreement to liberalise travel between the two countries was signed in September when the then external affairs minister S.M.Krishna paid official visit to Islamabad and signed the accord with Pakiastani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.

Under the new visa norms, the number of touristic destinations have been increased from three to five.

The provision has been made for the issuance of visas for two years in case the applicant is 65 years old or more and where both husband and wife are from India or Pakistan. Children below 12 years of age can accompany their parents where the national of one country has married the national of the other country.

The liberaliased travel norms for Indian and Pakistani nationals include visa on arrival at Atari and Wagah border check-posts for people who are 65 years of age or more. This visa on arrival would be for 45 days with a single entry clause. This provision would get operationalised from Jan 15, 2013.

Businessmen visiting India and Pakistan have been exempted from reporting to local police. This is with a rider that such businessmen should have an annual income of Pakistani Rs.5 million or its equivalent in Indian currency or an annual turnover of Pakistani Rs.30 million or its equivalent in Indian currency.

The group tourist visa for travel will be issued for 30 days. However, the group should not be less than 10 and not more than 50 people. Such group visas would be issued only if the visit is organised by an authorised tour operator or travel agent. This provision would get operationalised from March 15, 2013.

The visa regime provides that the entry and exit from different designated immigration checkposts can be allowed from the point mentioned in the visa application.

The exit from Atari and Wagah on foot can’t be accepted unless the visitor entered either country on foot.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has already issued circulars to Indian missions abroad, state governments, union territories and other authorities.

Fostering greater Indo-US engagement

How to encourage civic engagement between India and the US and other issues affecting Indian-Americans were highlighted at a recent briefing on the state of US-India relations for senior Congressional staff on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Arun Singh, India’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington and Rich Verma, former Assistant Secretary of State for

Legislative Affairs at the US Department of State, led the discussion. The briefing was organised by the office of Joe Crowley, Democratic member of the House of Representatives from New York and co-Chair of the House Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.

Other topics covered included furthering economic growth, improving international security, and the importance of protecting the civil rights of the IndianAmerican community, Crowley’s office said.

Meanwhile, Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao met the Minority Leader and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi recently, to discuss the present state of India-US relations and the global strategic partnership between the two countries.

Rao informed Pelosi about recent developments in the relationship and India’s perspective on regional and global issues of common interest, the Indian embassy said in a media release.

Speaking of the shared values and complementarities between India and the US and the broad spectrum of opportunities for the two countries to collaborate, Pelosi warmly recalled her visit to India in 2008 as speaker. Discussing the regional situation in South Asia, Pelosi welcomed India’s positive contribution to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and viewed the US-India partnership as having an important role to play in ensuring Afghanistan’s peace and prosperity.

Rao and Pelosi expressed admiration for the contributions made by a growing and dynamic Indian American community to the development of India-US relations and were agreed that the community is a crucial and important bridge between the two countries, the embassy said.

Trinidad to have allfaith celebration of Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary People of Indian origin in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago will join the rest of the world in paying homage to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary in January with a series of cultural and educational programmes involving people of all faiths.

Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra said the anniversary celebrations will be held Jan 1015 at several locations in Trinidad and Tobago. Representatives from Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, including Swami Ishtananda from Florida, will deliver speeches on Vivekananda. A health camp will also be organised at Lambeau, Tobago.

Vivekananda was born Jan 12, 1863, in an affluent family in Kolkata. His father was Vishwanath Datta, a successful attorney, and his mother was Bhuvaneshwari Devi.

Born Narendra Nath Datta, Vivekananda excelled in music, gymnastics and studies. By the time he graduated from Calcutta University, he had acquired a vast knowledge of Western philosophy and history. Born with a yogic temperament, he used to practise meditation from his boyhood.

In May 1893, Vivekananda left for the US to attend the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and although he was not a delegate, he forced his way and obtained permission. Rising above cramping creeds and dwarfing dogmas, Vivekananda spoke of harmony and universalism and his message came like a breath of fresh air to suffocated people and made him an instant celebrity.

Speaking in Port of Spain, Indian High Commissioner Mishra said: “The event will be inaugurated with the opening of an exhibition of books, photographs and posters of Swamiji at the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) auditorium in collaboration with the Vedanta Society.”

A film on Vivekananda will be screened at the City Hall, San Fernando, and will continue to be shown throughout the year, based on requests from various socio-cultural organisations, Mishra said.

Around 44 percent of the 1.3 million population of Trinidad and Tobago originally came from India’s Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states between 1845 and 1917. Around 148,000 Indians came to work on the sugar and cocoa plantations in the Caribbean at the time.

Obama won 71 percent of Asian vote

American President Barack Obama won the support of an estimated 2.3 million of Asian American voters to Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s estimated 900,000 votes, or 71 percent to 28 percent, according to a new poll.

However, the country’s fastest growing ethnic group is not wedded to either party, according to the survey released recently by the Asian American Justice Centre, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote and the National Asian American Survey. Obama’s biggest break came among voters whose top issues were immigration, the environment and civil rights, but the most important issue to all voters surveyed was “economy and jobs”.

According to the post-election survey, 46 percent of registered voters polled and 43 percent of those who voted in the 2012 election said they do not identify with either major party.

“Still, one of the persistent dynamics of the Asian American electorate is its continued potential for persuasion by candidates of either party,” the poll said.

In a raft of current and projected swing states - including North Carolina, Virginia and Florida - the Asian American population’s explosion in the last decade has outpaced the national average.

The poll notes: “In 2008, about 600,000 new Asian Americans entered the electorate, and we anticipate a similar increase in 2012, approaching 3 percent of all votes cast.”

The projected share of the Asian American vote in 2016 will continue to increase, the poll found. Asian American voters increased from 1.6 percent of the total vote in 1996 to 2.5 percent in 2008.

The poll was based on 2,785 phone interviews from Nov 7-25 with adults who identified themselves as Asian American, and the margin of error is plus/ minus 2 percent.

Rita Singh elected Federation of Indian Associations president

Rita Singh, an Indian American businesswoman from Bihar with close connections to Bollywood, has been elected the first woman president of Chicago-based Federation of Indian Associations (FIA).

A native of Saharsa district of Bihar and a graduate from Jamshedpur Women’s College, Tata Nagar (Jharkhand), Rita Singh was elected with other office bearers for 2013 by FIA member organizations at India House Banquet in Schaumburg in Chicago recently.

Other elected office bearers were: Monty Saiyed, executive vice president; J. V. Singha, Bharti Desai, Dhitendra Bhagwakar, Rita Shah and Syed Eraj Ahmed, vice presidents; Shanu Sinha, treasurer; Shahid Razvi, general secretary; Benazir Abidi, joint secretary and Mohd Fareeduddin Sabiri, joint treasurer.

Thanking all members of FIA and representatives of FIA member organizations, Rita Singh vowed to take the organisation to new heights during her tenure in 2013.

India lost $123 bn in black money in a decade

The Indian economy suffered a staggering $1.6 billion in illicit financial outflows in

2010, capping-off a decade in which it experienced black money losses of $123 billion, said a report from Washington. An official said: “It has very real consequences for Indian citizens.”

India is ranked as the decade’s 8th largest victim of illicit capital flight behind China, Mexico, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the Philippines and Nigeria in the report by Global Financial Integrity, a Washingtonbased research and advocacy organization.

Titled “Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2001-2010”, the report found that all developing and emerging economies suffered $858.8 billion in illicit outflows in 2010, just below the all-time high of $871.3 billion set in 2008 -- the year preceding the global financial crisis.

“While progress has been made in recent years, India continues to lose a large amount of wealth in illicit financial outflows,” said GFI Director Raymond Baker.

“Much focus has been paid in the media on recovering the Indian black money that has already been lost,” he said, suggesting policymakers should instead make curtailing the ongoing outflow of money priority number one.

“For the Indian economy, $123 billion is a massive amount of money to lose,” said Dev Kar, GFI lead economist and coauthor of the report with GFI economist Sarah Freitas.

“It has very real consequences for Indian citizens. This is more than $100 billion dollars which could have been used to invest in education, healthcare, and upgrade the nation’s infrastructure,” he said.

A November 2010 GFI report, “The Drivers and Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows from India: 1948-2008”, found that the Indian economy lost $462 billion to illicit financial outflows from 1948 through 2008.

Authored by Kar, the report measured India’s underground economy as 50 percent of GDP, with cumulative illicit outflows accounting for an increasing share of the total underground economy.

The new GFI study also estimates the developing world lost a total of $5.86 trillion to illicit outflows over the decade spanning 2001 through 2010.

The $858.8 billion of illicit outflows lost to all developing countries in 2010 is a significant uptick from 2009, which saw developing nations lose $776.0 billion.

GFI advocated that world leaders increase the transparency in the international financial system as a means to curtail the illicit flow of money highlighted by Kar and Freitas’ research.

Slumdog Pele: Football with a social cause

If a slumdog can be a millionaire why can’t he be a star footballer?

Yes, a Nagpur-based NGO has successfully tried to wean the slumdwellers from the evils they are easily attracted to by keeping them on a football field so that can get out of the clutches of slumlords who only initiate them to crime, bloodshed and drugs. In a novel enterprise, Slum Soccer-Krida Vikas Sansthan from Nagpur is making the youths learn skills of the game and to be meaningfully competitive.

These youngsters may not have heard of Nani, who like them was raised as underprivileged child in Portugal and is today a winger of repute playing for English Premier League giants Manchester United, or of Carlos Tevez who has had a much worse childhood before becoming a star striker of United’s city rivals Manchester City.

But like these two, they too must dream big and there is not a better place for that than a sports field. The concept of slum soccer is catching on and the Nagpur initiative is giving the underprivileged youngsters a chance to stand toe-to-toe with the rest of the community and dream of becoming a star footballer one day.

The tournament is held only for the underprivileged youths in the country with the best eight players in the tournament selected to represent India in the Homeless World Cup, where 63 nations participate every year.

For the wide-eyed wonderstruck kids football has become a way of life, a vehicle to break the social prejudices and forget life’s hardships. Their immediate goal is the 2013 Homeless World Cup to be played in Poland.

Take the case of Shurojit Bhattacharya, it symbolises the hard work ethic the 100-odd players playing in this edition being played at the Ambedkar Stadium in the New Delhi.

“I played in Bangalore in the last tournament. I saw Italy lifting the World Cup in 2006 beating France. From then on football has taken over my mind. My aim now is to play for India’s national team and I hope that dream comes true one day,” said the 17-year-old.

Shurojit’s mother works as a sex worker in Sonagachi, one of Asia’s largest red-light districts, while his father works in a furniture shop.

“Through football I have become popular in my hostel and I have also made a lot of friends.

I have become more disciplined and my life is more streamlined.”

“Earlier people used to avoid me and call me names, now they use the names of legendary footballers to address me. I am happy with the transformation.”

“Last year I went to see an I-League match between East Bengal and Churchill Brothers at Salt Lake Stadium and never have I had so much fun.”

Captain of the Karnataka team, Revanna, said that his aim was to give back to the society whatever he has got from it.

The 21-year-old, who took part in the Mumbai half-marathon in January, is not just a football enthusiast, but a sports fanatic with rugby and running being his favourite pastimes.

Revanna, a graduate from Vivekananda College, Bangalore, hasn’t had it easy in life. He lost his parents at a young age and with no immediate family, the

Bangalorean has had to fend for himself.

But against all odds and a little help from NGOs, he has overcome adversity and now is a sports facilitator in the same NGO that gave him the chance to come up in life.

“I want to give back to the community. I have been given a lot of opportunities to perk up my life and I want other underprivileged children to get the same opportunity,” Revanna said.

“Sport has made me a better person and because of it I am standing here and talking.”

Most players here participating in the tournament have come from a similar background -slum dwellers, rehabilitated drug addicts, children of commercial sex workers.

In all 10 teams participated in the tournament.

IANS

Google takes Delhi’s iconic Chandni Chowk market online

Google India recently unveiled a special project intended to make Chandni Chowk, the iconic market of old Delhi, easily accessible to users worldwide.

The project is part of Google’s unique initiative to offer free websites and domains to small and medium businesses in India through the ‘India Get Your Business Online’ campaign launched a year ago.

As part of this special project, Google India and HostGator went to each shop in Chandni Chowk and built over 2,500 free websites for businesses operating from the market.

In addition to creating these websites for businesses, Google India also launched a common website ‘www. chandnichowknowonline.in’, which provides an easy to navigate directory of all businesses from Chandni Chowk that now have a website.

“The Internet is becoming an engine of economic growth and is expected to contribute over US $ 100 billion (Rs.5 lakh crore) by 2015 to India’s GDP. Due to initiatives such as these, small and medium businesses are embracing the Internet to increase their competitiveness in the global economy,” said Union Minister of Communications and IT and Chandni Chowk MP, Kapil Sibal in New Delhi, while launching the initiative.

said Karim, adding that his country was making refrigerators and bicycles and other commodities which it wanted to export.

He stressed that bilateral trade routes should not be restricted to either one or two ports or border entry points.

Increasing connectivity, encouraging trade, removing trade barriers and increasing Border Haats, he said, would help unlock the potential.

He also stressed on the need for a relook at the ‘Gujaral doctrine’ and for concrete measures that would strengthen relations and expand trade.

Mentioning the EU, he said when the bloc was coming up, the “biggest steps came from the biggest powers and they stepped back and gave support... After 40 years, EU has won the Nobel as an entity”. He recommended that the testing of goods at the borders should be random and quick, the number of Border Haats should be increased, port restrictions should be reduced, and ease of visas should be there to facilitate cross-border travel.

Indian army personnel show their skills in the art of Malkhamb, a traditional Indian sport during an Army fair at Khasa Military Station, on the outskirts of Amritsar, India. According to a press release, some 15,000 veterans and students from across the Punjab state attended the fair.

India lowers 2012-13 growth forecast to 5.7 percent

The Indian government recently lowered the economy’s growth forecast for the current financial year to 5.7 percent, down sharply from an earlier projection of 7.6 percent announced in March, owing to unfavourable global and domestic conditions.

In the mid-year economic analysis tabled in Parliament in New Delhi, the finance ministry, however, said it was on track to meet the fiscal deficit target of 5.3 percent.

Growth has slumped in recent quarters due to the lingering uncertainties in the global economy and domestic policy inaction. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has expanded by just 5.4 percent in the first half of 2012-13.

The finance ministry said in the report that growth was likely to improve in the second half the current financial year and it would remain between 5.7 and 5.9 percent.

“It should be possible for the economy to improve the overall growth rate of GDP to around 5.7 percent to 5.9 percent for the year 2012-13,” the report said.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram Rajan said the Indian economy had bottomed out and the growth was likely to improve in the second half of 2012-13.

He said a series of reform measures taken by the government would help propel economic growth above 6 percent in the second half of the current financial year. The economy grew by 5.5 percent in the first quarter and 5.3 percent in the second quarter of 2012-13.

“This is not the growth rate that we feel comfortable with,” Rajan said.

In the report, the finance ministry said the slowdown were due to a combination of domestic and global economic conditions.

“The slowdown in growth in advanced economies and near recessionary conditions prevailing in Europe resulted not only in lower growth of international trade but also lower capital flows,” it said.

Turning to domestic factors, rainfall in the monsoon season of 2012-13 has been below normal, particularly in the key months of June and July. This affected sowing and resulted in a lower growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors, the report said.

High cost of borrowings due to the tight monetary policy of the Reserve Bank of India has also negatively affected the economic growth.

“The cost of borrowing remains at elevated levels and this has had an impact on investment and growth in the economy, particularly that of the industry sector,” it said.

“Bottlenecks in project implementation have made financing more difficult and investors more cautious,” the ministry added.

“This initiative from Google has provided all Chandni Chowk businesses with a professional website, which will now make it easier for customers to find us online and help us to grow our businesses,” said Pradeep Jain, spokesperson of the Kinari Bazaar Gota Zari Association of Chandni Chowk.

“With over 137 million Internet users in the country, the Internet is taking off in India and more and more users are looking for local information online, and efforts like these will go a long way in helping small and medium businesses get started on the Internet and gain from the Internet economy in the next few years,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Sales & Operations, Google India.

India, Bangladesh need to unlock full potential of economic ties: Envoy

India and Bangladesh have made remarkable strides in their bilateral relations, which are now near to 1971 levels, but there is much that the two countries can do to unlock the full potential of their trade relations, said the country’s envoy in New Delhi recently.

“We have made remarkable strides in our bilateral relations... It has never been as good... and is almost at the level of 1971 stage,” said Tariq Ahmad Karim, the Bangladesh envoy addressing the CII session in New Delhi on ‘Strengthening Bangladesh-India Trade’.

He said it was essential to unlock the potential of the South Asian region “to create an interlocking grid of symbiotic dependencies”.

Karim said India’s landlocked NorthEast region can hold the key not only to India’s accelerated growth but also of that of the entire North-East region, including Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has much more to offer the world than Jamdani saris and hilsa fish,

Pankaj Tandon, vice presidentTransmission SAARC & Myanmar, KEC International Ltd, spoke of the need to strengthen economic ties. He said: “We need to look at issues such as repatriation of profits, long-term multiple business visas among others. He stressed there was tremendous potential in sectors such as textiles, garments and that CII’s various Centres of Excellence could provide training and skill development to Bangladesh.”

Sanjay Kathuria, lead Economist, Regional Integration, World Bank, spoke of the potential that could be unlocked and shared findings of the study titled ‘Unlocking Bangladesh-India TradeEmerging Potential and the Way Forward’ which explored the benefits that would accrue from enhanced market access for Bangladesh in India, and improved physical connectivity between the two countries. The study was released at the event.

India for closer integration among SAARC nations:

Ranjan Mathai

India stands steadfast for integration among the SAARC countries, but is clear that “non-economic considerations” should not be allowed to affect the functioning of commercial entities in each other’s countries, said Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai recently in New Delhi.

In an apparent reference to the Maldives, which has scrapped its airport deal with Indian infrastructure major GMR, Mathai said: “We are clear that policies are made in each country, based on that countries’ law.

“But once such policies are in place, in line with international practices, we should not allow non-economic considerations to affect functioning of commercial entities in each other countries,” he said in his inaugural address at the ‘Driving South Asia Economic Integration’ conference, organized by CII.

He said India stands “steadfast in its support to SAARC and all its related processes” and will “continue to take the lead in pushing for greater integration of our economies”.

He stressed on closer regional integration, with a focus on connectivity, among the South Asian countries as a must to tap the full economic potential of the region.

He said SAARC has “emerged as premier vehicle to carry forward regional economic plans… It has sought to build on what is feasible”.

He said efforts are on to boost connectivity, including extending railway and ferry services through sub regional networks among SAARC countries and also in air connectivity and telecom.

“We need to recognize each other’s requirements and utilizing capacities within the region,” Mathai said.

He said over the years, the regional integration among the South Asian countries has “gained in importance... to fulfil dreams and aspirations”.

He mentioned the SAARC preferential trading agreement, in which he was involved during its formulation.

He said intra-SAARC trade has crossed $2 billion, but it is less than 10 percent of the total trade. “It is well below potential as compared to intra-Asean and EU trade.”

Mathai stressed that achieving full economic potential would require attention to the trade imbalances.

He also said India has offered its market to lesser economically developed countries of the region by reducing tariff lines.

“We are ready to provide anchorage… the prime minister has said that our prosperity is linked to that neighbours,” Mathai said.

Mentioning the SAARC Development Fund, he said it has a corpus of $243 million, in which India has provided $90 million. Now in addition, India has made a voluntary contribution of $100 million for projects under social window for projects outside India.

He also said that India is spearheading efforts to finalise an agreement for SAARC central banks, for “establishing a currency swap arrangement as a baseline measure to provide funds when faced by exigencies”.

He mentioned the SAARC trade fairs and cultural events as other factors in integration, as well as a food bank. The SAARC food bank is to provide food security during emergencies and by solving regional food shortages.

Mumbai children dressed as trees create world record

Over 2,000 students from various schools in Mumbai participated in a runathon aimed to spread awareness about energy conservation, a statement said recently. Over 300 students were dressed like trees for the event and thus entered the Guinness World Records.

Organised by Reliance Infrastructure Limited, the children, popularly known as RInfra’s Young Energy Savers (YES), came together to support the cause.

Of these, 308 students were dressed like trees, thereby creating a Guinness World Record. The event was flagged off by actress Karisma Kapoor.

The event titled “Run-to-Save” was a 4.5 km runathon. It was followed by the felicitation of the YES champions and schools for their energy conservation initiatives.

“RInfra’s YES initiative has created a history by setting up a new Guinness World Record. It has created unparalleled momentum and excitement around the noble cause of environment-energy conservation,” said an RInfra spokesperson.

YES is among RInfra’s many energy conservation initiatives that drives the important message among children and entrusts them with the responsibility of carrying forward the mission into their family and friends.

With reinforcement of the initiative, this year the company has achieved its targeted goal of reaching out to almost 125,000 students through 170 schools in four years to spread awareness regarding energy conservation.

NGOs come together to save street children

Twenty-year-old Saddam Hussain became a drug addict at the tender age of seven.

Disowned by his family, Hussain took to crime in order to earn a quick buck to satisfy his craving. At 15 years, he was sent to a juvenile home for theft and had lost all hope until an NGO came to his rescue, and gave him a new lease of life.

“My life was ruined because of drugs. I started off with smoking ganja and later consumed tablets and injections. My craving for a stronger drug grew with my age,” Hussain said.

Hussain and many other like him were part of a seminar held in New Delhi recently to bring together street children as well the NGOs working for them to spread awareness on the various issues challenging the lives of street children, to share experiences and above all to motivate them.

“They (NGO) provided me with counselling, legal support and even got me a job,” added Hussain who is a staff member at the NGO - Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses - the NGO that helped him get back on his feet.

The seminar was held in collaboration with NGOs and organisations like Save the Children Fund, WHO, Prayas, Salaam Baalak Trust and many others.

According to P.N. Mishra, executive council member of Salaam Baalak Trust, there are over 50,000 street children in Delhi who live alone and around four lakh who live on the roads with their families.

“The government (Delhi) just wants to send these kids back home to their respective states not bothered about the fact that some of them have alcoholic, abusive parents while others are extremely poor. They will return again,” he said.

As per Mishra, their teams are stationed at the various railway stations and everyday “droves” of kids land in Delhi. Some are trafficked here while others come on their own after running away from home.

However, Nasruddin Saifi, research assistant at ministry of women and child development said that the government was taking “enough steps to take care of street children” and that “no one is forcefully sent back home”.

User-friendly software to access census data launched CensusInfo India, a new user-friendly database software to help people access, use and understand the statistical data of India’s latest population and housing census, was launched in New Delhi recently.

“The CensusInfo India software is an innovative and flexible database technology. It helps the public to easily access, use and understand the statistics provided in the population and housing census, 2011, and reduces the burden of statistical drudgery,” Register General and India’s Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli said.

He added that data from other censuses would also be incorporated in the CensusInfo India module.

The software was developed by United Nations’ statistics division in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA).

“The software helps to disseminate their census results at any relevant geographical level like state and district level.

“The user is able to extract information quite easily with the help of descriptive charts and maps depicting the data. They can also compare the census 2001 statistics. Searching for census statistics is not monotonous anymore, but a enjoyable experience,” an official said.

CensusInfo India provides access to consolidated data on indicators like total number of houses, household amenities and assets at state as well as district level.

“The house listing and housing census has immense utility as it provides comprehensive data on the conditions of human settlements and housing deficit. So the easily available data can be used by departments of the central and state governments as well as NGOs,” Chandramouli said.

Play as long as you enjoy, Anand tells Tendulkar

Amid calls for his retirement, out-of-form Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar recently got support from five-time world champion chess Grand Master Viswanathan Anand, who felt the cricketing icon should continue playing as long as he wished.

Speaking at an event organised by computer education company NIIT in Kolkata, Anand said notwithstanding criticism, it would be “crazy” to stop if a player enjoyed his game.

The chess great said while sports generally favoured young people, “I really want to play chess still. I am lucky to have the chance to play and I intend to use it. I imagine the same for him (Tendulkar)”.

To 43-year-old Anand, 40 was just a number. But he conceded that it always leads to some public discussions about when a sportsperson was going to hang his boots.

“The first question people ask is when are you going to retire? It’s a little bit funny. In my case, I don’t think there is any fundamental change from Dec 10, 2009 to Dec 11, 2010. But it seems to affect the way people see you,” said Anand. He turned 40 Dec 11, 2009.

He said that chess players got more time than those in other sports.

“There is a certain wear and tear in those sports which are physical in nature like football and tennis, where people would be amazed if you continue beyond 32-33. But I don’t think being 40 years in age has any particular significance in chess, where you definitely get more time.”

But Anand made it clear he would not play beyond 50 years of age.

“I think 50 is a kind of a barrier. For me, I don’t expect to be playing top chess when I am 60. But still there are a few years left. In the meantime, I want to enjoy as much as possible,” he said.

RBI maintains status quo, hints at rate cut in January

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept key policy rates unchanged but hinted at cutting rates in January, saying the focus of the monetary policy would now shift to spurring growth as inflationary pressures are easing.

“In view of inflation pressures ebbing, monetary policy has to increasingly shift focus and respond to the threats to growth from this point onward,” RBI Governor D. Subbarao said in Mumbai in the mid-quarter review of monetary policy.

The central bank has kept repo rate, the rate at which it lends to the commercial bank, unchanged at 8 percent. Reverse repo rate, interest rates the central bank pays to the commercial banks on their money kept, remains unchanged at 7 percent.

The RBI also kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR), proportion of money commercial banks have to park with the central bank, unchanged at 4.25 percent, after lowering it the previous two policy reviews.

The central bank’s action means there would be no change in lending and deposit rates by the commercial banks. Overall cost of borrowings, equated monthly instalments (EMIs) and interest rates on fixed and other deposits will remain unchanged.

Reacting to the central bank’s move, State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Pratip Chaudhuri said the commercial banks are unlikely to cut rates unless there easing in the monetary policy.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the RBI needed to cut rates to boost economic growth.

“Over a longer period of time, steps are needed to bring down the interest rate. RBI looks at these things independently and we should give them freedom to decide on interest rates,” Ahluwalia said.

In the second quarter review of monetary policy Oct 30, the RBI had lowered the CRR by 0.25 percent, but had kept unchanged the repo and reverse repo rates, which determine lending and borrowing rates by commercial banks.

As per latest data released recently, the annual rate of inflation based on wholesale price index declined to a 10-month low of 7.24 percent in November against 7.45 percent in the previous month, according to the government data.

However, wholesale price-based food inflation increased to 8.50 percent in November this year from 8.32 percent recorded in the corresponding month of previous year.

This was largely due to an exponential rise in the prices of cereals, rice, wheat and pulses, according to data released by the ministry of commerce and industry.

“The new combined (rural and urban) CPI (consumer price index) inflation increased in November, reflecting sustained food inflation pressures, particularly in respect of vegetables, cereals, pulses, oils and fats,” the bank said.

Meanwhile, the growth in the country’s gross domestic product in the second quarter of this fiscal at 5.3 percent was marginally lower than the 5.5 percent logged during the first quarter -- which has been a matter of concern for all stakeholders.

But the Reserve Bank relented in giving in to demands for a rate cut citing inflation as a key reason. However, in its future guidance the RBI said there is a possibility of policy easing in the fourth quarter, if the core inflation continues to decline.

“In view of inflation pressures ebbing, monetary policy has to increasingly shift focus and respond to the threats to growth from this point onwards. Liquidity conditions will be managed with a view to supporting growth as stated in the SQR (second quarter review), thereby preparing the ground for further shifting the policy stance to support growth,” it said.

Slumdog Pele: Football with a social cause

If a slumdog can be a millionaire why can’t he be a star footballer?

Yes, a Nagpur-based NGO has successfully tried to wean the slumdwellers from the evils they are easily attracted to by keeping them on a football field so that can get out of the clutches of slumlords who only initiate them to crime, bloodshed and drugs. In a novel enterprise, Slum SoccerKrida Vikas Sansthan from Nagpur is making the youths learn skills of the game and to be meaningfully competitive.

These youngsters may not have heard of Nani, who like them was raised as underprivileged child in Portugal and is today a winger of repute playing for English Premier League giants Manchester United, or of Carlos Tevez who has had a much worse childhood before becoming a star striker of United’s city rivals Manchester City.

But like these two, they too must dream big and there is not a better place for that than a sports field. The concept of slum soccer is catching on and the Nagpur initiative is giving the underprivileged youngsters a chance to stand toe-to-toe with the rest of the community and dream of becoming a star footballer one day.

The tournament is held only for the underprivileged youths in the country with the best eight players in the tournament selected to represent India in the Homeless World Cup, where 63 nations participate every year.

For the wide-eyed wonder-struck kids football has become a way of life, a vehicle to break the social prejudices and forget life’s hardships. Their immediate goal is the 2013 Homeless World Cup to be played in Poland.

Take the case of Shurojit Bhattacharya, it symbolises the hard work ethic the 100-odd players playing in this edition being played at the Ambedkar Stadium in the New Delhi.

“I played in Bangalore in the last tournament. I saw Italy lifting the World Cup in 2006 beating France. From then on football has taken over my mind. My aim now is to play for India’s national team and I hope that dream comes true one day,” said the 17-year-old.

Shurojit’s mother works as a sex worker in Sonagachi, one of Asia’s largest red-light districts, while his father works in a furniture shop.

“Through football I have become popular in my hostel and I have also made a lot of friends. I have become more disciplined and my life is more streamlined.”

“Earlier people used to avoid me and call me names, now they use the names of legendary footballers to address me. I am happy with the transformation.”

“Last year I went to see an I-League match between East Bengal and Churchill Brothers at Salt Lake Stadium and never have I had so much fun.”

Captain of the Karnataka team, Revanna, said that his aim was to give back to the society whatever he has got from it.

The 21-year-old, who took part in the Mumbai half-marathon in January, is not just a football enthusiast, but a sports fanatic with rugby and running being his favourite pastimes.

Revanna, a graduate from Vivekananda College, Bangalore, hasn’t had it easy in life. He lost his parents at a young age and with no immediate family, the Bangalorean has had to fend for himself.

But against all odds and a little help from NGOs, he has overcome adversity and now is a sports facilitator in the same NGO that gave him the chance to come up in life.

“I want to give back to the community. I have been given a lot of opportunities to perk up my life and I want other underprivileged children to get the same opportunity,” Revanna said.

“Sport has made me a better person and because of it I am standing here and talking.”

Most players here participating in the tournament have come from a similar background -- slum dwellers, rehabilitated drug addicts, children of commercial sex workers.

In all 10 teams participated in the tournament.

Maharashtra’s only palace hotel to go under hammer

The imposing Hotel Shalini Palace in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, a heritage structure steeped in debt, will soon go under an auctioneer’s hammer, a top official said.

The palace hotel has been taken over by Mumbai-based Saraswat Cooperative Bank Ltd, and its operations shut Dec 13, bank chairman Eknath Thakur confirmed.

“We had given the hotel management time to clear dues, along with interest and penalties, but they could not do it,” Thakur said.

Two years ago, the hotel management was similarly threatened with auction for defaulting on dues which are currently pegged at Rs.35 crore, Thakur revealed.

Spread over 12 acres of lush greenery on the edge of the Rankala Lake, the structure is currently owned and managed by the Chougule Group, said an official who requested anonymity.

Saraswat Bank and United Bank of India are understood to have extended a loan of Rs.60 crore to the hotel management, which has defaulted on repayment.

Thakur said that the auction proceedings will be initiated within a fortnight.

Hotel Shalini Palace was built by the Chhatrapati clan, who ruled large parts of Maharashtra. Construction work lasted four years, and the palace was ready for use in 1932.

The final cost was a king’s ransom in those days: Rs.8 lakh.

The palace was named after Princess Shaliniraje, daughter of then rulers of Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahaji II Puar Maharaj and Queen Pramilaraje.

Princess Shaliniraje was the mother of Chhatrapati (Dilipsinh) Shahu Maharaj, the present royal resident of the town, which once served as the capital of the family’s erstwhile kingdom.

The four-km long picturesque Rankala

Lake was used by tourists for boating.

The palace is marked with breathtaking arches and a prominent clock tower, all carved black stone.

Its massive wooden doors and windows are decorated with Italian stained glass, and floor has smooth Italian marble, and there are chandeliers big and small in the different rooms.

In the 1960s, the erstwhile rulers who owned the palace decided to hand it over to Mahatma Phule Education Society (MPES) which started a college. The MPES, with its meagre resources, could ill-afford the huge maintenance expenses.

In 1971, the Kolhapur Municipal Council (KMC) explored a bail-out package, including clearing Rs.14 lakh due to the Kolhapur District Cooperative Bank.

This would have given the KMC control over the palace premises, plus another three acres of land adjoining the building.

Unfortunately, old timers said that for over a year, there was no consensus on the proposal. While some groups wanted the palace to be taken over by the KMC and converted into a museum, others said it would be a white elephant, eating civic body resources.

In 1972, the KMC was upgraded to a municipal corporation, and the palace proposal went into cold storage.

In the late 1980s, the well-known Chougule Group of Maharashtra bought the property and started the state’s first - and only - heritage luxury hotel; the college shifted to a suitably modest building.

Hotel Shalini Palace, which once offered business travellers a taste of regal life, now stands at a crossroads.

Kolhapuris wonder what might become of the building. Will it stay a luxury hotel or will it become private property?

Cyrus Mistry appointed Tata Sons chairman

Cyrus P. Mistry will take over as chairman of Tata Sons Dec 28, 2012, when current chairman Ratan Tata retires, the holding company of the Tata Group announced recently.

“The board of directors of Tata Sons today (December 18) announced the appointment of Cyrus Mistry as the chairman of the board after Ratan Tata retires on December 28,” the company said in a statement.

According to the statement, the company’s board conferred on Ratan Tata the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus.

Mistry has been serving on the board of Tata Sons since 2006, and was appointed in November last year successor to Ratan Tata, who has been chairman since 1991.

Tata Sons Limited is a promoter of the key companies of the Tata Sons and holds the bulk of shareholding in these companies like Tata Industries, Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Teleservices, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Motors, Tata Global Beverages and Indian Hotels.

Mistry, 44, is the younger son of construction magnate Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, who holds an 18.5 per cent stake in Tata Sons, making him the single largest shareholder. He is married to Rohika Chagla, daughter of eminent lawyer Iqbal Chagla.

Cyrus’s one sister is married to Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother.

IANS