IndiaPost-07-09-2010 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Anand Sharma

India asks US to remove export control regime Details on page 10

VOL 15, No. 826

July 9, 2010

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Periodical Postage

NJ TECHNOCRAT KILLED IN BRUTAL ATTACK SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

US NSA to chalk out Obama's visit plan Details on page 7

India-US Health Initiative set into motion

Dr. Divyendu Sinha

NEW YORK: An Indian American computer scientist from Old Bridge, New Jersey who was brutally attacked by miscreants, while he was on a night stroll along with his wife and two sons near his home, died in hospital June 28. Forty-nine year old Dr. Divyendu Sinha, a brilliant technocrat, died at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick having succumbed to severe head trauma. In what investigators say is a “random attack”, three teenagers – all of them 17 years of age – have been arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit an aggravated assault. Details on page 6

‘LeT having global ambitions beyond India’ Details on page 8

WLP interns discuss leadership Details on page 8

USIBC, CII move for small enterprise Initiative Details on page 16

Details on page 44

6-yr-old Indianorigin girl on US terror watch list

Patel jailed for seven years by Oz court

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INDIA POST SURVEY

Allahabad man behind the US soccer success

survey@indiapost.com This week’s question

Is New Jersey safe for Indian Americans? Last week’s result

Will Nikki win Governor contest in November?

Details on page 10

YES 76%

FRIENDS INDEED: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meeting US President Barack Obama at the G-20 Summit in Toronto, Canada on June 26

NO 24%

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 24-25 Classifieds ------------------------- 51

DOCTORS FOR GREEN: Doctors from leading hospitals of Delhi led by AIIMS Faculty Association President Vinod Khaitan tying tricolor ribbons on a tree in support of the campaign for restoring Asiad Village Tower green area in South Delhi. Others in the picture are Dr Rajiv Gupta from Sir Gangaram Hospital, Dr Saroj Sagar (Retd) from Safdarjang Hospital and Dr Shikha Jain. (Details on page 8)

Obama calls Manmohan 'good friend'

Community Post -------------- 11-22

TORNOTO: Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama effusively praised each other during their meeting here, with the US President saying the Indian Prime Minister's extraordinary leadership has "helped us navigate through some very difficult times". Meeting for the second time in two months, Obama told Singh that he was "very much" looking forward to his visit to India in November this year.

Horoscope ------------------------- 48

Details on page 7

Date Book -------------------------- 50 Edit Page --------------------------- 53 HealthScience Post --------- 44-46 Immigration Post ------------- 36-39 India ---------------------------------- 41 Life Style ----------------------- 26-30 Philosophy ------------------------- 52 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 47 Sports Post ------------------------ 40 TechBiz Post ------------------- 42-43 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 31-33

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ne doesn't know what to make of instances such as the brutal killing of an Indian American computer scientist in New Jersey by a bunch of mean kids, but every once in a while when we hear of hate motivated crimes against Indian Americans especially in states where they are more concentrated, we express shock and outrage and then move on hoping that the next victim would not be one of us. New Jersey has historically been witness to racially motivated crimes against Indians - old timers still balk at memories of how they fought against the notorious dot buster gangs in the state in the '80s. One would think the sheer success of the community as entrepreneurs, businessmen and professionals, aided by community activism and the willingness of local administrations to sensitize the mainstream communities and security agencies would have by now found sufficient acceptance for South Asian communities in the state. Sadly, it is not so. The gentleman who succumbed last week was attacked by 17-year olds. Their age does not justify their crime, but more than them, I shudder at the thought of intellectuals who from time to time 'come out' with their bigoted sentiments through the media. I am talking about an article in the latest Time magazine. In the piece titled 'My Own Private India' the columnist bemoans the Indianization of his childhood's "mostly white suburban town" of Edison in New Jersey. More than the individual writer, it's unfortunate that a reputed magazine like Time would try to get away with publishing such offensive stuff. So okay, we cannot get touchy-feely about every satire and critique that comes out in mass media and a little stereotyping once in a while, but it gets dangerously complicated when such innate sentiments transform into deadly acts of violence that result in senseless deaths like that of the computer scientist. Whether we rave and rant about it or simply gripe and bear it, I am sorry to conclude that there is no way to exorcise inherent intolerance in a society.

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Cover Story: Technocrat killed An Indian American computer scientist from New Jersey died when he was brutally attacked by miscreants.

Community: BAPS Convention BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha hosted a National Convention in Chicago on June 17 for Indian American youth.

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“Polluting vehicles harm the air. So here’s an idea. Help people retire them for good.” Actually, the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) already does that. Owners may receive $1000 to retire a vehicle that fails its Smog Check. To learn more and get an application, go to DriveHealthy.com.

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NJ technocrat killed in brutal attack SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

knew the Sinha family. O’Neill further said that preliminary findings indicate the assault “was not racially motivated,” but rather was a random attack. A final determination would be reached only after the investigation is completed, he said. The three juveniles, who were not identified due to their age, have been remanded to the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center by Superior Court Judge Roger Daley in New Brunswick. After the investigation is completed, Prosecutor Kaplan will review all reports in the case and will decide whether to seek to try the three in Superior Court as adults. The two-and-half day ordeal Sinha, his wife Alka and sons Ashish and Ravi had stepped out

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan and Acting Chief Robert Bonfante of the Old Bridge Police Department said the three males, all Old Bridge residents, previously had been charged with conspiring to commit an aggravated assault and aggravated assault upon Divyendu Sinha. The homicide charges were filed after Sinha was pronounced dead aggravated assault. Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan and Acting Chief Robert Bonfante of the Old Bridge Police Department said the three males, all Old Bridge residents, previously had been charged with conspiring to commit an aggravated assault and aggravated assault upon Divyendu Sinha. The homicide charges were filed after Sinha was pronounced dead at 4 a.m. on June 28 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. An autopsy performed June 29 by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Divyendu Sinha died from blunt force trauma to the head and that the manner of death was homicide. The culprits had also attacked Sinha’s sons – Ashish, 16 and Ravi, 12 – who suffered minor injuries for which they were treated in hospital and released. Jim O’Neill, spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office told India Post, that as part of the investigations they would not be disclosing exactly how many persons were involved in the attack. Sinha family supporters, however, believe there were five culprits in all. O’Neill said it was a group of kids and all were residents of Old Bridge, but could not say if they

of their home to take a stroll on the night of June 25 in a perfectly safe neighborhood where they have lived for sixteen years. “This is a neighborhood where people do not lock front doors and cars are left unlocked in driveways,” as Gaurang Vaishnav, Executive Vice President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), and a friend of the family described it. Sinha was a life member of the VHPA. According to Vaishnav, as the Sinhas were returning from the stroll and were near their home around midnight, a car with five teenagers (two Caucasians, three African Americans) pulled up; the driver stayed in the car and rest of them came from behind and attacked Sinha and his two sons. Hit on the temple, Sinha fell down and hit his head on the pavement. The attacker(s) continued to kick him on the head and neck. After the attack they escaped in the car. Sinha was able to get up so his family tried to walk him to their home. However, after walking a few yards, he collapsed. At that point his son ran to a nearby house for help and the neighbor called 911. Sinha was transported to the nearby Raritan Bay Hospital. At that time (around 12.30 am) he was able to answer questions like his name, birth date, etc. though his

speech had begun to slur. Soon after he became unconscious and by 4 am he was transferred to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick. The children had bruises, swollen jaw, neck pain, etc. but they were treated at the hospital and released. According to the neurosurgeon who briefed the family and friends who accompanied Sinha to the hospital, there was severe cranial bleeding in the brain and brain had swollen so much that it had compressed the brain stem. The brain had also shifted because of the pressure within the enclosed chamber. According to the doctor, the compression of the stem is an irreversible process. Vaishnav said, “One thing that was disturbing was that this surgeon had not looked at the reports from the first hospital and was not even sure if the reports and scans had accompanied the patient. He was not even aware of the fact that Divyenduji had been beaten up. He said that the bleeding had a pattern of a stroke but when we asked pointed questions, he admitted that the stroke was likely the result of the beating and trauma caused by it.” VHPA volunteers from Staten Island and New Jersey chapters as well Sinha’s neighbors and friends were at the hospital by his side throughout the two and a half day ordeal. Sinha’s younger brother, Purnendu and his wife’s younger brother, Alok flew in from India and were able to reach the hospital on Saturday afternoon. Despite fervent prayers of family and friends, Sinha, who was on life support, was declared dead in the early hours of June 28. According to Vaishnav, Sinha’s family decided to donate his kidneys. A brilliant life snuffed out Dr. Divyendu Sinha was a brilliant technocrat who earned his B. Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology. He was working for Siemens Corporation. Before joining the College of Staten Island and the doctoral faculty of the City University of New York, he was a faculty member at Stevens Institute of Technology. He has also taught short courses for SPIE and IEEE. Sinha has over fifty publications in mathematical morphology, fuzzy set theory, and artificial intelligence. He chaired three SPIE conferences on real-time imaging and is an Associate Editor of the

The house of Dr. Divyendu Sinha who was fatally beaten by teenagers near his home Friday night, according to police

Journal of Real-time Imaging and the Journal of Electronic Imaging. Sinha has consulted for industry in the areas of efficient algorithm development, object-oriented software design, and machine vision. He spent his sabbatical year at Research Devices, Inc. where he was the manager of software development for flip-chip bonders. His last position was consulting for Robotic Vision Systems, Inc., where he was responsible for the specification and design of software and hardware architectures for wafer inspection system. He has also authored a book along with Edward R. Dougherty, called Introduction to Computer Based Imaging Systems.

Vaishnav said, ‘It is good to know that all five teenagers are now in police custody. Debate will go on about whether it was a random attack or one with racial overtones but the fact is that we have lost a colleague, a brilliant man; and the family has lost everything’ Community – shocked, outraged Community activist and media coordinator for VHPA, Prakash Waghmare, had known Sinha for 10 years and knew to be “a very gentle person”. “This incidence has galvanized and outraged the entire Indian Community in NY/NJ area reviving their fears for their safety,” Waghmare said. “New Jersey has a very dubious history when it

comes to ‘racial’ incidences. As the highly educated, entrepreneurial Indian community started realizing the ‘American Dream’ with economic success, there have been series of racial attacks on them, starting with the ‘dotbusters’ incidences in early’80s.” In the case of Sinha, Waghmare said, the community is demanding expedited, open investigation and for the culprits to be brought to immediate justice. Vaishnav said, “It is good to know that all five teenagers are now in police custody. Debate will go on about whether it was a random attack or one with racial overtones but the fact is that we have lost a colleague, a brilliant man; and the family has lost everything.” Vaishnav has urged the community to put continued pressure on the police, prosecutors and politicians so that the case is not watered down, the guilty are punished to the fullest extent of law and such senseless attacks on innocent, law abiding citizens may be prevented. He also urged the community to help support Sinha’s wife and children “as they put pieces of their life together”. “This will be a daunting task which will require long time commitment of genuine support – emotional, physical and financial. With the consent of the family, we would like to raise funds to support their legal as well as other needs,” Vaishnav said. Satyanarayan Dosapati, a community activist from Old Bridge has created a web site: www.justicefordivyendufamily.wordpress.com where well-wishers can leave messages and condolences. Also, anyone with information is asked to call Detective Greg Morris of the Old Bridge Police Department at (732) 721-5600, or Investigator Paul Miller of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4466.

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‘Govt to address concerns of Sikhs over riots’

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a group photo of the Heads of Delegations of the G-20 Summit, at Toronto, in Canada on June 27

Obama calls Manmohan Singh 'good friend' TORNOTO: Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama effusively praised each other during their meeting here, with the US President saying the Indian Prime Minister's extraordinary leadership has "helped us navigate through some very difficult times". Meeting for the second time in two months, Obama told Singh that he was "very much" looking forward to his visit to India in November this year. The 48-year-old American President called the 77-year-old economist-Prime Minister a "good

friend" and said he continues to believe that the "extraordinary leadership that Prime Minister Singh has provided not just to India, but to the world, has helped us navigate through some very difficult times." "Prime Minister, thank you so much for your friendship, and we look forward to working with you in the months to come, leading up to the (India) visit, so that we know that we're going to have a very productive stay when we're in India," he said. On his part, Singh told Obama

that he was a role model to millions and millions of people all over the world. "Your life history is a history which inspires millions of people everywhere where there are people who have risen by the sheer depth of their austerity, of their hard work, and their commitment to the values on which you have worked and you've stood for," he said. Singh said it has been his privilege to enjoy his "friendship" with Obama, which he will cherish forever. -PTI

US NSA to visit India to chalk out agenda for Obama's visit ON BOARD PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: US National Security Adviser Gen (retd.) James Jones will arrive in New Delhi in July to chalk out the agenda for President Barack Obama's maiden visit to India in November this year. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who met Obama in Toronto on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit and discussed preparations for his visit, said James will meet his Indian counterpart Shivshankar Menon in the second week of July and they would chalk out the agenda for the visit. "Our relations with the US are very good. We have a really ambitious agenda. We look forward to a very successful visit of Presi-

During his meeting with Singh, Obama said he was very pleased to have accepted an invitation to visit India. ‘It is a trip that I'm very much looking forward to’ dent Obama and so does the President," he said. To a question, Singh said he did not have the time to raise is-

sues like the proposed Sino-Pak nuclear deal with Obama. "It was essentially a discussion to explore the agenda of President Obama's visit. We will cross the bridge when we come to it." Obama will visit India in November this year and the US President had said he was "very much" looking forward to his visit. During his meeting with Singh, Obama said he was very pleased to have accepted an invitation to visit India. "It is a trip that I'm very much looking forward to, and I know that the Prime Minister and his gracious wife will extend great hospitality to us," he had said. PTI

TORONTO: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has admitted that there are possible "weaknesses" in the Indian legal system in dealing with the cases of 1984 anti-Sikh riots but said his government was trying to address them. "There are concerns about those who perpetrated these crimes must be brought to book. There are possible weaknesses in the Indian legal system, as there may be in the Canadian system. We are trying to address these issues," Singh said. "Our Government, the UPA Government, has opened up all cases for compensation, we are open to provide relief, succor to victims, the relatives so they can once again lead a life of dignity," he told Indo-Canadian MPs and provincial legislators at Toronto's Royal York hotel.

Singh described the 1984 antiSikh riots as "horrible" and said it should never have happened. "I have on behalf of the Government of India apologized, on behalf of the nation apologized for what happened in 1984." "We can't get away from our past but the challenge is to look ahead in a world increasingly globalize, integrated whether you are here or in India," he said. The Prime Minister assured the Indo-Canadian community that he has taken note of the concerns raised by them and promised to act on them. "I promise you that when I get back home, I will set up some mechanism to deliberate on the issues that have been raised here or raised elsewhere in the Indo-Canadian community," he said.-PTI

India to seek extradition of Anderson, says PM ON BOARD PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that his government will try to ensure that the US takes a "more favorable attitude" towards the extradition of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson to stand trial in India in the Bhopal gas leak case. Singh told journalists accompanying him on his way back home from Toronto that he did not raise the issue in his discussions with US President Barack Obama during his meeting with him on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. "Well, we are where we stand. We will try to ensure that US government takes a more favorable attitude towards the extradition. But we have not approached them yet.

I did not raise this issue in my discussions with President Obama. We will cross the bridge when we come to it," Singh said in reply to questions. Asked whether the government and the Congress establishment was not coming clean on who was responsible for letting Anderson go in December 1984, days after the worst industrial disaster that killed more than 15,000 people, Singh said, "What is the reality? We are not hiding anything." Singh's comments come in the midst of a raging controversy over who was responsible for Anderson's exit from India after his arrest in the Bhopal gas leak case and his decision not to return to stand trial in the case.-PTI

G-20 leaders agree to cut deficits, not stimulus TORONTO: Leaders of the G20 group of nations have decided against immediate withdrawal of economic stimulus, strongly pushed for by India, to preserve the "fragile" global recovery, while agreeing that countries should themselves decide on the contentious financial levies. Meeting against the backdrop of Eurozone crisis arising from government debts, which was compounded by the 2008 financial crisis, the Summit struck a balance by allowing advanced economies to adopt fiscal plans to at least

halve deficits by 2013 and gradual unwinding of stimulus. It will also help stabilise or reduce government debt-to- GDP ratio. Reflecting India's concerns, articulated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that any immediate exit from stimulus could lead to double-dip depression, the Toronto Declaration said: "To sustain recovery, we need to follow through on delivering existing stimulus plans, while working to create the conditions for robust private demand.-PTI

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Leadership program discusses political empowerment India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Interns of the Washington Leadership Program (WLP) had the exciting opportunity to hear from a distinguished panel of influential south Asian women during their annual Summer Speaker Series event held in Washington DC, June 30. While much of the discussion centered on the new generation of South Asians becoming more politically relevant, Vega Subramaniam, Director of Programs and Partnerships at South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT); and Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, spoke about their experiences as women of color. Subramaniam spoke about national initiatives to educate and empower the South Asian community; and of particular importance was her work on profiling in New York. This led to a spirited discussion of the linked fates of "Driving While Black (DWB)" and "Flying While Brown (FWB)." Ahuja has dedicated years to "building communities of color." Her recent work has focused around helping students of South Asian descent, especially those without legal status. She has promoted the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to afford all students in the United States, legal

or illegal, the ability to pursue higher education. During the questioning period the two panelists discussed their experiences being women of color. Ahuja elaborated on the presence of gendered groups in the nonprofit sector. Since salaries are undervalued in the non-profit world, women have been overrepresented in past decades. The director thinks that all South Asian

women need to "relearn themselves," before substantive strides in equality can be achieved. The panelists advocated for coalition building not only in our own community, but also with other communities. Ahuja spoke of her experiences at Spellman College, the oldest historically black college for women. She cited her shared experiences with many women at the school as an example of cultural bonding and association that is so important to the advancement of the South Asian community. When asked about what the students could do in their school communities to make South Asians more politically active, Subramaniam stated that they must "win over one person at a time." The sentiment was echoed by surprise guest, State Representative and Majority Whip Jay Goyal of the Ohio House of Representatives. He spoke of his

year-long effort of knocking on over 13,000 doors in his district during his campaign. He "outworked his opponent" to win over his electorate, he said. Anna John, co-founder of the Desi Blog Sepia Munity, moderated the panel. The panel was held at the Atlantic Council, which cosponsored the event along with NetSAP - DC. Established in 1995, the WLP

is a national non-profit organization that is developing the next generation of American leadership from the Indian American community. Our program takes promising college students and places them in a Congressional office for an eight-week summer internship accompanied by a structured leadership curriculum. Students then complete a leadership project applying their learning from the summer and are inducted into a leadership community currently made up of 170 alumni from the 15 years of the program. Since 1995, the WLP has given more than 170 South Asian American students the opportunity to intern in Washington, DC. In addition to the internship, participants attend special meetings and events to fully expose them to the Indian American political Diaspora. Past programs and events have included meetings with South Asian American elected officials, Ambassadors and South Asians who are working in Congress, the federal government and local and state agencies. The WLP 2010 internship, which began June 12, will run through August 6.

LeT having global ambitions beyond India: Mullen WASHINGTON: Lashkar-e- between terrorists and nuclear Taiba, which so far had focused weapons. primarily on India, having global "I think we all, globally, have aspirations and has spread its ten- to do all we can to make sure that tacles beyond Pakistan and Af- doesn't happen," Mullen said. ghanistan, as manifested by the Mullen said he has been raisDavid Headley case, a top US ing this concern of his with Pakigeneral has said. stan in every meeting he has with "Generally, LeT was east, fo- their leaders. cused on India. They're now in the "If I go back even a couple west. Actually, they're not just in years, when I first started going the west, focused on Pakistan. to Pakistan on a regular basis, it's There are LeT elements focused an area that I've raised with the on Afghanistan," Admiral Mike military leadership there from day Mullen, Chairman of the Joint one, and in terms of both concern Chiefs of Staff has said. and a desire to understand the "We've seen in our own coun- security level. try, recently -- with Detroit, with I come away from that, over a Times Square, with Headley, with period of time, with a belief that Zazi -- we've seen an increasing level of distributed threats, if you will, ‘I think al-Qaida continues to and an ability to expand this federated approach be the seminal threat and the which al-Qaida has had. leadership, obviously. While And al-Qaida is at the centre of this and al- they've had some challenges Qaida leadership re- in the last couple of years, but I sides in Pakistan. We know that and think that's really the heart of it’ that's why this strategy, from my perspective, is so important, in terms of getting these are the most important at al-Qaida leadership and making weapons in the Pakistani arsenal," sure they've got nowhere to go," he added. he said. That is both understood by "I think al-Qaida continues to their leadership and, in particular, be the seminal threat and the lead- their military leadership and they ership, obviously. While they've go to extraordinary efforts to both had some challenges in the last protect and secure them, he couple of years, but I think that's added. really the heart of it. "That said, I think we all are And their strategic goals in- limited -- in what we know. We clude, again, killing as many West- know a certain amount. We have erners and Americans as pos- invested in, over the last couple sible," he said. of years, a substantial amount of Al-Qaeda still seeks nuclear money, through the Department weapons and the US is increas- of Energy, specifically, to improve ingly concerned about the nexus their security," Mullen said. -PTI

Delhi doctors join ‘restore green’ campaign India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: For the last two weeks the residents of Asiad Village in South Delhi are engaged in a campaign to save and reclaim their green areas from encroachers. Known as ‘Park of Nations,’ the Asiad Village Park had been encroached upon by Asiad Tower restaurant owner who had been letting out the place for weddings creating noise nuisance and blocking the area roads with parking. The monitoring committee appointed by the Supreme Court sealed the park a few days back

on repeated complaints from the residents. In a novel ‘Gandhigiri’ style, hundreds of children, the elderly and young men and women are tying tri-color ribbons everyday on the tree in front of the park. On July 1, known as Doctors’ Day, prominent doctors of Delhi joined the campaign, personally coming and tying ribbons on the tree in support of the ‘Green campaign.’ Among those present were AIIMS Faculty Association President Vinod Khaitan, Dr Rajiv Gupta from Sir Gangaram Hospital, Dr Saroj Sagar (Retd) from Safdarjang Hospital and Dr Shikha Jain.

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USIBC, CII launch Small/Medium Enterprise Initiative India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Recognizing there is more to the US-India commercial relationship than just the Fortune 500 companies investing in the major, well-known cities in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai, an interactive discussion "Accelerating Inclusive Growth: The Future of the U.S.-India Commercial Relationship" was co-presented in Washington on June 29 by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA). In remarks by Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Francisco Sanchez, ITA unveiled its focus on developing engagement with India's Tier II cities. Simultaneously, the USIBC,

together with partner organization, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), launched a fresh initiative to enlist Small and Me-

USIBC President Ron Somers said as he announced the initiative. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It is now important to reach out to smaller companies across the United States and help them find their place in the extraordinary opportunity unfolding in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

dium Enterprises (SMEs) into India's global value chain, as well as introduce US companies to opportunities yet discovered in Tier II and Tier III cities throughout the Subcontinent. "Companies like GE and Citi have been long-term players in India for more than 100 years," USIBC President Ron Somers said as he announced the initiative. "It is now important to reach out to smaller companies across the United States and help them find their place in the extraordinary opportunity unfolding in India. USIBC and CII will serve as guides to illuminate the pathway to India for SMEs - leading these companies to India's Tier II and Tier III cities where opportunities are plentiful. Conversely, and just as important, we will enlist SMEs from India to invest in America -

Patel jailed for seven years by Oz court MELBOURNE: Indian-origin doctor Jayant Patel, dubbed as "Dr Death", was today sentenced to seven years in jail after being convicted by an Australian court of manslaughter that led to the death of three patients.. The 60-year-old, now a US citizen, was sentenced to seven years for each case of manslaughter and three years for grievous bodily harm, to be served concurrently. The sentence was handed out Justice John Byrne of the Queensland state's supreme court in Brisbane. Queensland law allows prisoners to apply for parole after they serve 50 per cent of their sentence. Ealier Prosecution had asked the jury to sentence Patel, dubbed as "Dr Death" to at least 10 years in jail for the manslaughter of three patients at Bundaberg's Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005. Prosecutor Ross Martin said Patel had a history of professional misconduct charges in the USA dating back to 1982 and asked for

a sentence of at least 10 years, less time Patel served in the US awaiting extradition. However, Patel's lawyer Michael Byrne said his client had been vilified and shamed and jail would be particularly harsh.

RDAQ spokesman Dan Halliday said about 50 per cent of doctors in rural and regional areas are from overseas and the extra checks on their credentials have made some doctors look elsewhere He said Patel should serve four to five years with the term wholly suspended or suspended after a short time. The case that has gained an immense interest across Austra-

lia has prompted Rural Doctors Association of Queensland (RDAQ) warning that the Patel trial has made it harder to attract doctors to the state. RDAQ spokesman Dan Halliday said one of the legacies of the case has been more stringent vetting of overseas-trained doctors. He said about 50 per cent of doctors in rural and regional areas are from overseas and the extra checks on their credentials have made some doctors look elsewhere. "I know of a couple of instances specifically where I believe suitably trained doctors have gone elsewhere, mainly due to the red tape that has been associated with them practising in Queensland," he said. "We believe that the processes that they've put in place on some cases are too onerous and too restrictive, which has prevented a number of medical owners and practitioners staying in, and coming to, Queensland. -PTI

17 years' jail for Indian who beat wife to death MELBOURNE: An Indian national, who brutally beat his wife to death after abusing her for years, has been sentenced to 17 years in jail by the Victorian Supreme Court. Sukhmander Singh, who pleaded guilty to murdering his wife Mohinder Kaur, was jailed for 17 years and was ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years and six months. While announcing the verdict, Judge Terry Forrest said the accused had no remorse for

his actions. Mohinder was beaten to death with a wooden stake by Singh on the Valley Lake Boulevard at Niddrie on May 7, 2009. The accused followed his wife Mohinder who came to Australia from India in 2008 because of years of physical abuse and being falsely accused of having affairs by him. The couple had four children and their daughter Sarabjit Kaur, 21, was studying in Melbourne. Sarabjit had arranged for her

mother to obtain a visa and five months later in March last year she also arranged for her father to join them after he assured of a good behavior. Justice Terry Forrest said that Singh's conduct towards his family improved significantly after he arrived in Melbourne in early March. However, his behavior deteriorated and last May he attacked his wife while taking a stroll on Valley Lake Boulevard in Niddrie suburb in Melbourne's northwest.-PTI

in places where jobs and opportunities are needed most. This SME Initiative presents a "winwin" opportunity for both sides,

There are 3.7 million manufacturers operating in the United States today. So far, only 27% of these manufacturers benefit from exports and enriches the global value chain to mutual advantage," Somers said. Echoing his sentiments, Kiran Pasricha, Deputy Director General, CII, noted "The next phase of growth in India-US bilateral economic relations will come from the SME sector. This platform will provide the much needed impetus." While engaging the SME sector will be vital to generating wealth amongst a new class of entrepreneurs, Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar noted the heavy burden currently borne by India's largest cities, particularly as a young and enthusiastic population continues to migrate to where commercial opportunity is concentrated. Unveiling his focus on unlocking the energy of the private sector in India's Tier II cities, Under Secretary Sanchez noted the opportunity for the American private sector to contribute, saying "The Growth in Emerging

Metropolitan Sectors initiative will support opportunities for trade and investment especially for small and medium-sized businesses, and it can lead to an India that is more self-reliant and increasingly self-assured and to an America that itself grows and prospers." By targeting Tier II and Tier III cities in India for American investment, pressures on primary urban centers in India will be alleviated while introducing US investment to new opportunities. The result will be inclusive growth - for both sides, according to the USIBC. There are 3.7 million manufacturers operating in the United States today. So far, only 27% of these manufacturers benefit from exports. The goal is to integrate more such American companies into India's global value chain, and vice versa, leveraging the US-India commercial link - already surpassing $40 billion in two-way trade. "With President Obama traveling to India in November, USIBC wishes to support this historic Presidential visit, helping new entrants from America to invest in India, supporting CII in their effort to enlist Indian companies to venture to the United States to make investments in America. The new USIBC-CII SME Initiative will be the conduit that strengthens our commercial ties," Somers said. "The aim of the USIBC-CII SME Initiative is to enhance exports for both countries, generating jobs in both countries in smaller urban centers where jobs are most needed," the USIBC President said.

6-yr-old Indian-origin girl on US terror watch list WASHINGTON: In a puzzling incident, a six-year-old Indian-origin girl's name figures on the US terror watch list and the Homeland Security Department has refused to make any changes in her status. Alyssa was barred from flying in the United States after her name popped up on Homeland Security Department's terror watch list when the Ohio-based family tried to board a flight from Cleveland to Minneapolis recently. "We were, like, puzzled," said girl's father Dr. Santhosh Thomas, according to a local Fox TV affiliate. "I'm like, well, she's 6-years-old and this is not something that should be typical." A ticket agent informed Tho-

mas that his daughter Alyssa's name was on the watch list. The parents contacted Homeland Security, but were told no changes would be made to the list, media reports said. "She may have threatened her sister," Thomas told CNN in a sarcastic remark. "But I don't think that constitutes Homeland Security triggers." Alyssa was still allowed to fly, but had to go through extra security. "The watch lists are an important layer of security to prevent individuals with known or suspected ties to terrorism from flying," a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration told Fox News. -PTI

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Bhangoo writes to Congresswoman & US Ambassador India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Barry Bhangoo, the US-based CEO who was beaten up by influential people in Greater Kailash market, South Delhi, over a month ago and is still awaiting justice, has now written to US Congresswoman Barbara Lee, representing the 9th Congressional District of Oakland and also to US Ambassador in India Timothy J. Roemer, giving details about his case. Bhangoo alleges police foul play in trying to destroy evidence in an effort to help the assailants

who belong to rich and influential families. In his letter he says that he contacted the US Embassy in New Delhi "several times now for assistance in the matter but have failed to obtain any concrete response, just the reply "It will take

phone call from the US Embassy to the Indian Home Minister's Office and/or other concerned government bodies showing concern and interest from the US Embassy for it's citizen would have gone a long way in my bid for justice." Bhangoo has also written to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Delhi alerting them about one of the assailants who has been identified and was arrested for a brief while. He has requested that Henry Wilfredo Senior Vega of Caltigena, Columbia be not allowed to leave India until the legal matter is concluded.

JUSTICE FOR BHANGOO time for our inquiries to trigger a concrete response ...". Seeking the support of the Congresswoman and the Ambassador, he said that a "letter or a

Pakistan to train Afghan military officers WASHINGTON: In a significant policy shift, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has agreed to send a group of military officers to Pakistan for training, a decision which could raise eyebrows in India. An agreement has been worked out confirmed Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Karzai's national security adviser, who said under it a "limited" number of officers would be sent for training. The new deal comes on the heels of recent highlevel contacts between the two countries. "The move is a victory for Pakistan, which seeks a major role in Afghanistan as officials in both countries become increasingly convinced that the US war effort there is faltering," The Washington Post reported. "This is meant to demonstrate confidence to Pakistan, in the hope of encouraging them to begin a serious consultation and conversation with us on the issue of [the] Taliban," Spanta was quoted as saying. Though the number of Afghan officers is said to be between a handful and a few dozen, but it has enormous symbolic importance as the first tangible outcome of talks between Karzai and Pakistan's military and intelligence chiefs that began in May, the daily said. "It is likely to be controversial among some Afghans who see Pakistan as a Taliban puppet-master rather than as a cooperative neighbor, and in India, which is wary of Pakistan's intentions in Afghanistan," the Post said. Some key US officials involved in Afghanistan said they knew nothing of the arrangement. "We are neither aware nor have we been asked to facilitate training of the Afghan officer corps with the Pakistani military," Lt Gen William B

Caldwell IV, head of the NATO training command in Afghanistan said. He said, Afghanistan "is a sovereign nation and can make bilateral agreements with other nations to provide training." US has spent USD 27 billion to train and equip Afghan security forces since 2002 and President Obama's war strategy calls for doubling the strength of both the army and police force by 2011 to facilitate the gradual withdrawal of the US troops.

The paper said fears of Pakistani military influence persist among Afghan ethnic minorities and some in Karzai's government, including one official who compared the training initiative to the Soviet education of Afghan officers in 1960s and 70s that he said was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the start of all evil in Afghanistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The surprise development comes after reports that top Pakistan army brass including Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI Chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha recently made a number of visits to Kabul and had meetings with President Karzai. More than 300 Afghan army officers are currently being trained under bilateral agreements in other countries, including Turkey and

India, the Post said. The paper said that Pakistan had been pushing for months for a training deal and a senior Pakistani government official said that the training program was expected to begin "soon". But, the paper said fears of Pakistani military influence persist among Afghan ethnic minorities and some in Karzai's government, including one official who compared the training initiative to the Soviet education of Afghan officers in 1960s and 70s that he said was "the start of all evil in Afghanistan". US officials, the post said were worried that Pakistanis' appeared wanting "a cleaning of the house" of Afghan army, which is currently dominated by ethnic Tajiks, whom Pakistan sees as hostile to its interest. Meanwhile in an interview to the PBS News Hour, Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke said that of late there has been high-level contacts between the two countries, which has significantly improved their relationship. "In recent weeks and months, almost unnoticed by the American media, there's been an increasing intensity of direct contacts between the governments of Pakistan and the governments of Afghanistan. "They haven't come to any final conclusion. Some of the reporting has been quite wild on this," Holbrooke said. "But the bottom line is that there's a more of a dialogue, encouraged by us. The US is working closely with President Karzai. And the Pakistanis understand what we're doing. I'm not here to say that something very dramatic and secret is going on. But it's out there in plain view. It just hasn't been reported," he said.-PTI

India asks US to remove export control regime India Post News Service

NEW YORK: India has asked the US to remove its export control regime against India, and has sought the US support for India's membership of multilateral export control regimes. The issue came up during discussions between Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and the US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in Washington DC recently. Highlighting the concerns on the US export control regime as applicable to India and seeking their early removal prior to the forthcoming visit of President Obama to India, Minister Sharma also emphasized the need for pruning of the US entity list to remove Indian government entities. Both leaders reviewed the progress in the India - US bilateral trade and investment relations and also discussed the outlook for the global economy. Significantly, Sharma raised the issue of visas for Indian professionals and skilled workers and

emphasized the need for an active dialogue with the end objective of launching negotiations on a Totalization Agreement. Sharma pointed out that due to the absence of such an agreement, Indian companies in the US were making double payments of social security, without getting any benefits. He highlighted the contributions of Indian companies in the US economy and invited the US companies to participate in Indian infrastructure development projects. The areas where both sides could cooperate include education and development of standards in smart grid for energy efficiency. The issues that the US Commerce Secretary raised include India's decision regarding local content requirements in connection with its National Solar Mission, mandatory transfer of technology in the telecom sector to Indian manufacturers within three years of selling equipment to any Indian operator and nuclear liability.

Allahabad native behind the success of US football team WASHINGTON: The American football team's success in the World Cup has an Indian connection. Sunil Gulati, an Indian-American native of Allahabad, who currently heads the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), is being credited for the team's rise. Winning a World Cup game was considered highly unlikely before the start of the tournament in South Africa this month. But the team made history and rejuvenated the entire country after it defeated Algeria 1-0 on Wednesday to qualify for the prequarters. And Gulati has been instrumental in preparing the right strategy for not only popularizing soccer in the country of baseball, but also developing the team. While the former President Bill Clinton lost his voice cheering for the team at the stadium, incumbent Barack Obama heard the jubilation and the loud cheer that erupted into the White House press room after that one goal while he was discussing the Afghanistan war with General David Petraeus. And Gulati, who was born in Allahabad on July 30, 1959, is being widely credited for football fever gripping America right now. He grew up playing football in

Sunil Gulati

Nebraska. Gulati, who served as USSF vice president for six years, was elected as its president in March 2006. "Across the past decade, a platform for this sport has been built that did not previously exist, and we now have an opportunity in the coming years to achieve more for soccer in the United States than anyone could have ever envisioned 15 or 10 or even five years ago," Gulati had said after being elected at the USSF President. Former USSF president and Major League Soccer founder Alan Rothenberg has called Gulati the "single most important person in the development of soccer" in the country. It is he who appointed the current US soccer coach Bob Bradley.-PTI

Desi News Maria Pappas honors ethnic business persons India Post News Service

OFBJP demands tax withdrawal on Hindu pilgrims in J&K India Post News Service

Spelling Bee Texas winners announced

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Details on page 20

BAPS Spiritual Quotient Seminar for youth SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) hosted a National Convention here on June 17 for Indian American youth living in North. Organized by volunteers from across the country, the seminar saw more than 1,200 young adults participating in sessions that focused on how our career-oriented generation can better channel their time and resources into developing a spiritual quotient. Faith, positive thinking, and pride in your culture cultivated through daily satsang, seva and efforts to lead a pure life were all avenues discussed in the three-day seminar. By concentrating on these efforts in our daily lives, it will lead to a spotless character and thus increase our spiritual quotient. The seminar involved an array of interactive workshops, lectures, and lighthearted recreation. The format of the seminar resonated particularly well with many participants. Swayamprakash Swami (Doctor Swami) also attended the seminar. A

Youth seeking blessings from BAPS Monks

medical doctor by education, Doctor Swami is one of Pramukh Swami Maharaj's senior sadhus (monks).

Blended into the spiritual theme of the convention were a set of team-building and recreational activities that not only provided refreshing breaks, but also fostered better understanding of the con-

of assimilating spiritual qualities into daily activities. BAPS provided a wide range of logistical support ranging from travel and accommodation arrangements to childcare services. Narayan

Blended into the spiritual theme of the convention were a set of team-building and recreational activities that not only provided refreshing breaks, but also fostered better understanding of the concepts

India Post News Service

DALLAS, TX: The 2010 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee continued its nine city tour with two events in the Dallas and Houston areas. With over 150 spellers participating, the bee attracted some top talent as well as young and new spellers that competed for the coveted prizes and titles. Details on page 17

Sant Rajinder Singh visiting California

Women activists at the convention

cepts taught during the morning sessions. Led by sadhus and youth coordinators from more than 67 BAPS mandirs across North America, the convention successfully delved into the importance

Khanna best described the wholesome experience of the seminar when he thanked BAPS for serving up such a delightful cultural and spiritual parfait. More pics page on 12

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BAPS Spiritual Quotient Seminar for youth

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OFBJP demands tax withdrawal on Hindu pilgrims in J&K India Post News Service

NEW YORK: On behalf of the Indian American community, the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA (OFBJP) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of taxes and fees on Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir. "The Indian American community is very much surprised and pained to learn that the government of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has levied a substantial fee hike on Hindu pilgrims who visit the Hindu shrines in J&K," said Dr. Adapa Prasad, OFBJP President. "This is akin to that of erstwhile Muslim ruler's Jijiya Tax imposed on Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists across Southeast Asia at various times in the history. It is shameful that this is happening in modern day democratic India. This kind of taxes or protection money is still being charged in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan." The organization has vehemently demanded that the Government of India (GOI)

intervene and instruct the J&K government to immediately withdraw "this communal" tax on Hindu pilgrims bound for Amarnath and Vaishno Devi shrines. The J&K government had recently revised the entry tax for vehicles carrying passengers/pilgrims headed for Vaishno Devi yatra and Amarnath Yatra. The vehicles carrying pilgrims to Vaishno

over, a ridiculous fee of Rs.25,000 will be collected from the volunteers who arrange 'langar' (free meals) for a bus load of pilgrims. Chandrakant Patel (OFBJP Secretary) says that this entire exercise of fee hike smacks of communal bias on part of J&K government. "Even free food is taxed? What kind of justice is that?" he asks.

The organization has vehemently demanded that the Government of India (GOI) intervene and instruct the J&K government to immediately withdraw "this communal" tax on Hindu pilgrims bound for Amarnath and Vaishno Devi shrines Devi are supposed to be charged Rs. 2000 at entry point for a period of 3 days and Rs. 2000 per day thereafter according to the latest notification. Vehicles carrying pilgrims for Shri Amarnath Yatra, would be charged Rs. 2000 at the entry point for a period of 7 days and Rs. 2000 per day thereafter. More-

OFBJP USA said in a statement that it has reliably learnt that there is a huge rush of pilgrims getting ready for the Amarnath Yatra this year. Over 150,000 people (as of June 22nd 2010) from across the country have reportedly already registered themselves for the pilgrimage which is set to

begin on July 1. This number may go up to half a million in another week. While OFBJP-USA understands the need to institutionalize and efficiently organize Hindu pilgrimages across the country, any rule or regulation which seeks to control or limit the freedom of a Hindu pilgrim will have to be immediately withdrawn, it says. Jayesh Patel (OFBJP President-elect) wondered how other religious minorities would like it if their religious sites in India are taxed and their entry is restricted. OFBJP reiterates that Hindus constitute 81% of India's population. Together with Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, it amounts to 86%. A sincere effort needs to be made to streamline the operations of all religious centers in India irrespective of religion, says the organization, adding that an independent Hindu body overseeing all Hindu pilgrim centers needs to be constituted immediately in the line of boards of the other religions in India.

Konkani Christians celebrate Konkan Fest 2010 VINESH VIRANI

Dr. R. K. Pillai of Indian Development Foundation displaying his "Humanitarian of the Year Award" bestowed upon him by MKCA, USA. (L-R) Dr. S. Franklin, Rita Saldanha, Francis Mascarenhas, Cecil Joseph, Dr. ARK Pillai, Fr. Walter Mendonca, Queenie Mendonca, Dr. Narayan Iyer, Stany D'Souza, Lawrence Mascarenhas, and Austin Prabhu.

CHICAGO: The Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association (MKCA), USA, celebrated "Konkan fest-2010" on June 26 at Courtland Square, Des Plaines, a northwest Chicago suburb, with quite fanfare and gusto. This program reflected unique Mangalorean cultural extravaganza. This is the fourth time this kind of mega-event was convened with several competition to pro-

mote rich Mangalorean cultural heritage. Welcoming members and guests, MKCA president Queenie Mendonca introduced the Chief Guest of the program Rev. Fr. Walter Mendonca, SVD, from British Virgin Islands where he serves the backward areas with quite a dedication. Speaking in Konkani, Fr Mendonca called upon all the Mangaloreans to unite and pre-

Fancy Dress Competition participants: L to R - Lloyd Quadros, Logan Quadros, Sarita and Godwin D'Souza, Sfhannon D'Souza and Angel D'Souza

Winners displaying certificates: L to R - Jason Mendonca, Angel D'Souza, Joey Mendonca, Shawn D'Souza, Shannon D'Souza and Chief Guest for the program Fr. Walter Mendonca, SVD

serve the Mangalorean culture. And complimented MKCA for conducting "Konkan Fest" The Association honored eminent personalities Dr. Pillai,

This program reflected unique Mangalorean cultural extravaganza. This is the fourth time this kind of mega-event was convened with several competition to promote rich Mangalorean cultural heritage founder president of Indian Development Foundation (formerly known as Indian Leprosy Foundation) along with CEO and National Coordinator Dr. Narayan Iyer and Dr. S Franklin. Dr. Pillai was awarded Humanitarian Award

Emcee for the program Dr. Austin Prabhu

of the Year - 2010. In his acceptance speech Dr. Pillai stated that India had 42 lakhs (4.2 million) Leprosy patients a few years back

and due to concerted efforts by the Indian Government and his foundation to eradicate the decease, the number has drastically come down to 60,000 which is close to eradication considering India's population of 1.2 billion. It was a feast of Mangalorean food, with huge variety of homemade items from contestants. There were four categories for the competition - appetizer, main course, dessert, and side dish. Winners of the competition were Main Course category - First place - Jossie Mendonca (Dukra maas) and second place Florine Rodrigues (Lamb biryani) Side Dish category - First place - Edna Mascarenhas (Chana sukka) and second place Vissia D'Souza (Pomphret masala fry)Appetizer category - First place - Vissia D'Souza (Mangalorean Buns) and second place Dorothy Rego (Ambade) Dessert category - First place - Vissia D'Souza (Mango Kulfi) Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

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Three-day UCCA convention attracts many

UCCA Executive board members, from left Babu Varma, Jude Israel Vaddepalli, Bro.Paul Sudhakar, Dr.Paul Devarapalli, Ravi Pulikuri, Ajith Eapen Asian Community Services

Chicago: Over 600 people attended the three-day convention of United Christian Cultural Association (UCCA) at Chicago Bible Church, Lincolnwood, Chicago, from May 28-30. Coordinated by UCCA executive committee, the event was successful with the active support of board of director, advisory board, volunteers and various churches. Emphasizing on code of conduct for Christians and to spread the message of Bible, Brother Paul Sudhakar was invited from Hyderabad, India to speak on

three days. The event was attended by many Christian and non Christian Indian community. Thanking the community for their active support, Heyer Devarapalli, UCCA, president said, "United Christian Cultural Association has been established by the pioneers of all groups, reverends and volunteers so that all Christians in Chicago can be united under one umbrella and take up spiritual, social and cultural activities." The other prominent members who played very active role in three days convention were Jude Israel, vice president of

UCCA and Renee Thogaru UUCA secretary. Board of director who were involved included - Abraham Meesala, John Sudesh Gera, Enoch Raju Pasumarthi, Vasanth Charles, Ravi Pulikuri, Frenny Christian and Ajith Eapen. Advisory board members included - Timothy Rathod, and Babu Varma. The three days convention had an opening prayer which was led by Jude Israel, who was accompanied by Frenny Christina, and other. A delicious dinner was provided to guests on all three days by Bro Praveen Nemali.

Education, employment major challenges for Indian Muslims Asian Community News Services, USA

CHICAGO: Education and employment are the major challenges facing Indian Muslims, said Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi, Member of Indian parliament from the city of Hyderabad. He was speaking at a public

basic cause behind the low educational status of Indian Muslim is social and economic deprivation. He said there are some hopeful developments in South India but overall a majority of Muslims living in North India are of low socio-economic status. Quoting Census of India statistics

Barrister Owaisi said that the basic cause behind the low educational status of Indian Muslim is social and economic deprivation. He said there are some hopeful developments in South India but overall a majority of Muslims living in North India are of low socioeconomic status

Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi (MP) (Pic courtesy Asian Community News Services, USA

meeting on the theme "Challenges Facing Indian Muslims" in Chicago organized by the Overseas Friends of Majlis Ittehad ul Muslimeen at the North Shore Banquets on Devon Avenue in Chicago, last week. About 1000 people attended the meeting. Owaisi was visiting USA as a member of the "India-Yale Parliamentary Leadership Program" at the prestigious Yale University. Barrister Owaisi said that the

Owaisi said that the literacy of Muslims is only 59% compared to 65% in the general population. This despite the fact that Muslims constitute more than 13% of India's population. He said that the latest statistics reveal that for every 100 there are only three Muslim graduates. He further stated that the socioeconomic status of Indian Muslims is worse than the tribals and dalits. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 16

Grand celebration of Mahakumbh Abhishekam Asian Community News Service, USA

MERRILLVILLE, Indiana: Over 5000 devotees, invitees and guests flocked to Merrilville Indiana last week to attend the threeday celebration of Maha Kumbhabhishekam ceremony organized by Bharatiya Temple of Northwest Indiana. The over two milliion Temple project was truly a Bharatiya affair. As observed by Rohit Joshi, a renowend Chicago priest and a senior member at North Eastern Illinois University, all members of Indian community with its huge religious and language diversities - Hindus, Jains, Christinas, Sikhs, North Indians South Indians, Gujaratis and others - were present to participate in this once in a decade affair. The temple itself wore a festive look with special illumination. The installation of idols of Hindu gods and goddesses - Lord Ganesha, Ma Durga, Rama Parivar, Krishna and Radha, Venkateswara,

Mahakumbhaabhishekam Puja in progress

Shiva Linga, Lakshmi, Saraswati as also of Jain Lord Mahavira - took place with the observance of sacred ritual as laid down in Shashtras. Shree Prabhakaran Namboodiri Kunnath of the Bharatiya Temple ensured that the Kumbhabhishekam was observed in strict observance of scriptures. A team of priests led by Shree Chandrasekhar Gurukkal, Shree

Following the vidhividhanas as per the scriptures, the ceremony began on June 18 with Ganapati Pooja, and was followed by Punyahavachanam

Mahaabhishekam Kumbh being carried to the temple

Vaidynathan, Shree Subhadrachari from Venkateswara Temple, Dr. C.L. Shastriji from Manavseva Mandir and the Resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission, Chicago, Swami Sharanananda, Rohit Joshi of North Eastern Illinois University and Pravinbhai Patel of Jalaram Temple, Chicago, had graced the event with their presence.

Following the vidhividhanas as per the scriptures, the ceremony began on June 18 with Ganapati Pooja, and was followed by Punyahavachanam, Ganapati Homam, Ankuraparnam, Suvasini Deep Pooja, Durga Pooja, Lakshmi Pooja, Saraswati Pooja and Prasadam Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 16

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Maria Pappas honors ethnic business persons India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Every year, the Cook County Treasurer's office led by Treasurer Maria Pappas honors leading ethnic business individuals, associations and organizations promoting good business from among Chicagoland's diverse ethnic communities. Last week the Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas honored A.Q. Siddiqui of Evia Travel Inc, the Midwest Business Alliance and Raja Razzak of Pak American Business Association for excellence in Business and recently founded Asian Community News Services USA. The award ceremony was held at the County Building in Chicago. "These organizations help keep ethnic heritage alive by supporting companies owned by members of their communities and encouraging their people to do business with them. Strengthening individual ethnic groups makes for a stronger Chicagoland, which we recognize and honor," Pappas said. Over 50 ethnic Chamber of Commerce's were invited to join together and all exchanged their business cards at this event. This was an open to public event, therefore,

Abdul Siddiqui gets Business Award from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (Pic: Maria Pappas office)

Gujarat wins UN Public Service award India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The state of Gujarat in western India has been named the second place winner of the 2010 United Nations Public Service award "improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the public service". The UN announced that the recipient of the award would be the Chief Minister's Office, Government of Gujarat. The Gujarat government has been recognized for its initiative of offering statewide attention on grievances by application of technology. The Gujarat government established the SWAGAT initiative as a transparent system through which citizens can air their grievances regarding government's provision of public services. It gives citizens direct access to meet the Chief Minister personally to present their case. Senior administration officers responsible for

the case are also present to provide case details and to advise on actions to be taken to resolve each case. Administrators are held accountable for responding to both the citizen and Chief Minister. This open and transparent system allows citizens to derive satisfaction from the fairness of the

The UN announced that the recipient of the award would be the Chief Minister's Office, Government of Gujarat process, even if the decision is not in their favor. Under the system, status tracking of applications can be viewed online and the updated status can be seen at any time. The first place winner in this category for Asian and Pacific countries was the Republic of Korea.

Konkani Christians celebrate Konkan Fest 2010 Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 13

The second part of the program was singing and fancy dress competition followed by Fancy Dress Competition. As a part of Mangalorean tradition in concluding the program, the entire audience took part in singing Laudathe Dominum. Santhosh Veigas proposed

vote of thanks. The program was concluded by singing of baila in Kokani, Kannada, Tulu, Hindi, Spanish and English by DJ Darrel Mascarenhas and his party. Dr. Austin Prabhu, effectively compeered the program. The program was well organized by a group of youth under the leadership of Rexon D'Souza, Darrel Mascarenhas and Santhosh Veigas.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;These organizations help keep ethnic heritage alive by supporting companies owned by members of their communities and encouraging their people to do business with them. Strengthening individual ethnic groups makes for a stronger Chicagoland, which we recognize and honorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

a large number of community members and friends of the community attended the event The Midwest Business Alliance, also known as MBA was formed in 1999. A few Ismaili Muslim business owners of Illinois and Wisconsin came together to form a trade association that now stands as a Business identity for the Ismaili community. Majority of its founding members were from fast food restaurant and convenient store business. In a short span of 11 years, MBA has become a key association for business owners from different type of businesses in Midwestern United States. Abdul Quadeer Siddiqui, CEO of Evia Travel Inc and ethnic media journalist representing India Post and Urdu Times in Chicago was honored for promoting Indian business within a short span of time. Evia Travel Inc started business in 2003. It was awarded IATAN/ARC approval in 2005. Suresh Bodiwala, chairman of Asian Community News Services said that Asian Media USA is non-profit, community organization. Raja Razzak is well-known for his community services. His medical clinic has acquired a distinguished status in Pakistani American community.

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Grand celebration of Mahakumbh Abhishekam Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

The second day started with Ganapati Homam was followed by Shiva Moolamantra Homam, Narayana Moolamantra Homam, Lakshmi Homam, Shree Rama Moolamantra Homam, Krishna Moolamantra Homam, Durga Moolamantra Homam were performed along with the Homams performed for all the vigrahas. This also included Netromilanam, Yantra Sthapanam, Dhanya, Shayana, Ksheera and Pushpa Adivasam, Ratnanyasamparo, Panchaloha and Navratna, Dasha Darshanam, Moorti Sthapanam, Ghrudha Shiroparnam (Tailabhishekam) Beemba Shuddhi and Prasadam at the end. On the same day in the evening from 5 to 8 pm, various programs like Kalasha Sthapanam, Dwaja Sthapanam, Yagya Shala Homam and after the Poornahooti, bhajans were performed. The third day began with Pranapratishtha and was followed by Ganapati Pooja, Punyahavachanam, Maha Poornahooti, Kalasha Udhwasanam, Yatra Dhanam, the procession of the Kalasham, Mahaabhishekam (Alankarama), Prarthana Archana, Prarthana Aarti, Mahaprasadam for all the vigrahas were performed and after that the Mandalabhisheka Pooja was begun. Prakash Makam, the chairman of the Trustee Board, Indian American Cultural Center says that we have preserved our

Rohit Joshi offering puja to the Deities (Pics courtesy Asian Community News Service, USA )

The clothes (vaghas) of God are specially prepared in a small village near Anand along with the embroidery, while all types of ornaments are imported from Harish Nagar, Mumbai. Elements of the Indian architecture inside and outside the temple are prepared by the famous architect Suhas Nadkarni, who has designed many temples in America

Dr. Bharat Barai, Dr. Panna Barai, Peter Visclosky, Lay Indiana, 1st district Congressman, Padmini Makam and Prakash Makam - Temple volunteers with guest Peter Visclosky

heritage and culture for our future generaThe clothes (vaghas) of God are spetion. Amala Reddy, the president of the cen- cially prepared in a small village near Anand ter, expressed her gratitude towards every- along with the embroidery, while all types body who had been helpful on making this of ornaments are imported from Harish historical program possible. She especially Nagar, Mumbai. Elements of the Indian arthanked Dr. Panna Barai, Suchita Shah, chitecture inside and outside the temple are Shakuntala Sharma, Dr. Shailesh Bhatt, Dr. Prakash Makam along with all the members and volunteers for their cooperation. S w a m i Jyotirmayananda said that the Hindus may worship any Ishtadeva but it should be remembered that all the deities represent only Devotees attending Mahakumbhaabhshekam Puja one divinity. Vigrahas or idols are nicely carved from the best makarana prepared by the famous architect Suhas marble by Pandey Exports of Jaipur, Nadkarni, who has designed many temples Rajasthan. While all the Sinhasan arches in America. around all the Gokhala (or, small niche) The work started in October, 2009 on the mandirs are carved from Burmese teakwood land of 11,330 square feet by Tonn and Blank by the fine artisans of Shree Hari Interna- Construction, got finished in June 29, 2010. tional in Sola, Ahmedabad and decorated The value of the complete project reached with gold by the painter Rohilio. to 2.6 million dollars approximately.

Education, employment major challenges for Indian Muslims Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

He said that the other challenge facing the Indian Muslims is security. He condemned terrorism unequivocally and said that any persons perpetuating it should be severely punished. But at the same time innocents should not be prosecuted. He said that the intelligence agencies of India are in the grip of communalist and biased individuals who blame the Muslim community for any and all terrorist incidents. "There is a dire need for a systematic overhaul of the intelligence bureaucracy..."he said. Program chair Wasifullah Quadri in his comments said that the All India Majlis

Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is a secular organization which works for the overall development of all communities. He said many people from the backward and depressed Hindu communities are members of AIMIM. This is evident from the fact that the AIMIM frequently fields Hindu candidates, he said. He said he hopes AIMIM would grow even further in the future elections and bring in effective representation. Khwaja Nazimuddin Saleem moderated the event. Veteran Andhra Pradesh journalist Chandra Srivastava, political analyst Ayub Khan, and others also spoke at the event.

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Spelling Bee Texas winners announced

(From L to R) Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee posing with First Runner Up Narahari Bharadwaj of Plano, TX; Regional Champ Akshay Raghuram of Amarillo TX and Second Runner Up Nikitha Samy of Flower Mound TX with SASB Regional Coordinator Sandhya Sarma.

India Post News Service

for the coveted prizes and titles. "This event is being recognized as the essential platform to get your first experience and also meet and interact with veteran spellers," said Rahul Walia, Founder - South Asian Spelling Bee. In Dallas, Akshay Raghuram from Amarillo, TX was the regional champ and Narahari Bharadwaj from Plano, TX was

(From L to R) Aditya Chemudupaty, South Asian Spelling 2008 & 2009 National Finalist and Scripps 2010 National Finalist; First Runner Up Syamantak Payra of Friendswood TX; Regional Champ Shilpa Saravanan of College Station TX and Second Runner Up Abhishek Routray of Katy TX posing with Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee

the first runner up while Nikitha Samy from Flower Mound, TX came in at third place. John Derbick, Assistant Vice President, Global Brand & Marketing Services, MetLife, said "MetLife's long history of serving the South Asian community has helped us to understand what matters most to families. We know the signifi-

Diwali as school holiday sought

cance of education, as well as the need for a plan to cover the rising costs of tuition. We're proud to once again sponsor the South Asian Spelling Bee, and to help families achieve their dream of attaining the best education for their children."

Hindus' plea to UN for equality in Malta PINKY KAUR India Post News Service

Rajan Zed, Madhu Patel and Nand Kapur India Post News Service

VERMONT: Welcoming the decision of Burlington School Board (Vermont, USA) to observe Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr as school holidays, Indian Americans, especially those following Hinduism, have pitched for including Diwali also as School holiday. Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism in a statement congratulated the Board for its wise decision and urged it to also add Diwali, the most important Hindu holy day, to the holiday calendar. Madhu Patel, president of NRI Foundation, also said in a talk to this paper that this would be a logical step on the part of the Burlington school Board to observe Diwali as a holiday, especially now that US President has done so at White House last year. Indian American population in US

is on an increase and many follow Hinduism, he said. Rajan added that creating awareness about other religions would make the Burlington School

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism in a statement congratulated the Board for its wise decision and urged it to also add Diwali, the most important Hindu holy day, to the holiday calendar District pupils well-nurtured, wellbalanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow besides bringing co-

hesion and unity in the community. It would also go well with the District "mission", which is "to ensure that all students achieve their highest intellectual and personal potential, and are prepared to contribute as global citizens in the 21st century". Echoing the same sentiment, Nand Kapur, former president o f Association of Indians in America Illinois chapter, said that Diwali is most secular Hindu festival in as much as it signifies the victory of "good and divine over evil and demonic elements in society. It is a festival of light and in essence stands for enlightenment which is what the ultimate aim of education is - Sa Vidya Ya Vimukatye - that is, true learning is that which leads to happiness and bliss through detachment. Cont’d on page 18

Cont’d on page 19

NEW JERSEY: In a bid to have all major religions in the world getting fair treatment, Jews and Hindus with the backing of other denominations have approached the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urging it to "ensure that Malta treats all the religions and denominations equally in front of the law".

equally in front of the law. FHA is a New Jersey based charitable organization devoted to awaken society to the unique spiritual science behind Hindu Dharma concepts and practices, to motivate people to live and preserve them and to facilitate the spiritual progress of humanity. Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA, in a statement on this issue, said that it seemed to imply that except Roman Catholic, other

In a statement he said that it seemed to imply that except Roman Catholic, other religions and denominations including Judaism were just one of the cults in the eyes of Malta Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening, in a communiqué to this Office, wrote: Malta Criminal Code reportedly makes one liable to imprisonment up to 6 months for publicly vilifying 'Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion', while committing such an act against 'any cult tolerated by law' makes one liable to imprisonment only up to 3 months." She pitched for Malta treating all the religions and denominations

religions and denominations including Judaism were just one of the cults in the eyes of Malta. OHCHR "represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity" and has a mandate to "promote and protect all human rights". Navanethem Pillay is the High Commissioner. Malta is a member state of United Nations since December one, 1964. Cont’d on page 19

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Spice of India Festival in Alameda County Townsend, Festival Square Director. "There will be representation from various non-profit organizations, community groups and

India Post News Service

CALIFORNIA: The Alameda County Fair will host the Second Spice of India Festival that celebrates the local Indian American communities and their culture, on July 10-11. In Festival Square, one will experience Yoga, Indian food delights, local artists, cooking demos, and rich dance forms from the various Indian states. A Bollywood extravaganza will be the main attraction of the event. Spice of India will be the main attraction of the Festival Square stage on the finale weekend of the 17-day Fair which was kicked off on June 23 with the theme "Come Out & Play". "Recently added to our destination attractions at the Alameda County Fair is our Festival Square. Here, along with fun and education, we celebrate history and a

variety of traditions we have represented in the Alameda County and beyond. We are honored to highlight the richness of India and Indian American culture through our second Spice of India celebration. We look forward to all of the joy it will bring," said Courtney

Haunting, mystical flute by Deepak Ram

In Festival Square, one will experience Yoga, Indian food delights, local artists, cooking demos, and rich dance forms from the various Indian states. A Bollywood extravaganza will be the main attraction of the event state level organization in our effort sample and showcase India and our culture," said Krishna Kumar, coordinator of the Spice of India Festival.

Deepak Ram on flute with Satish Tare on tabla India Post News Service

NOVATO, CA: An evening with world renowned flutist Deepak Ram was held at the Anubhuti Retreat Center, Bel Marin Keyes, Novato. This event was co-sponsored by the Point of Life Foundation, and the Anubhuti Retreat Center. This was a benefit concert for the J. Watumull Global Hosital, in Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India. To a full house and a charged atmosphere of quiet anticipation, Deepak Ram with Satish Tare on tabla, took the audience on a journey to a world of quiet beauty and gentle reflection. Ram played traditional North Indian classical music commonly called ragas. The music was both haunting and

mystical, but exciting enough to engage the brain in to gentle head nodding. After the first hour the mixed audience of the curious and the seasoned, both appeared satisfied. With a brief intermission, Dr. Partap Midha, Director of Global Hospital, spoke about the medical and holistic services being offered to underprivileged villages in the outlying areas of Rajasthan. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

Diwali as school holiday sought Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 17

Diwali, Rajan Zed added, is the festival of lights aiming to enlightening of lives. Hindus worship goddess of good fortune and beauty Lakshmi, god of wisdom and auspiciousness Ganesh, and mountain Goverdhan on this day. Also on this day, coronation of Lord Ram was held, Lord Hanuman was born, Lord Vishnu returned kingdom to monkey king Bali of Kiskindha, Lord Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi married, Lord Krishna killed demon Narakasur, and ancient king Vikramaditya was crowned. On this day of forgiveness, festivities, and friendliness; families and friends get together for worship followed by a sumptuous and elaborate feast. It is also considered a harvest festival. This year it falls on November 5. Children's Health Magazine rated Burlington the best place to raise a family. Burlington is the largest and most diverse city in Vermont, where 47 different languages are reportedly spoken. Jeanne Collins is the Superintendent of Burlington School District while Frederick S. Lane is its Board Chairman.

July 9, 2010

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Haunting, mystical flute by Deepak Ram

Multi cultural Fest at St. Louis Library

String chants of India at Multicultural fest at St. Louis Library

ASHWIN PATEL India Post News Service

ST. LOUIS: Asian Center of St Louis County Library hosted a Multicultural Revue on Saturday, June 19 at Daniel Boone Library in Ellisville Mo. Over two hundred and seventy people joined for a celebration of

Dr. Partap Midha from J Wattumal Global Hospital, Rajasthan presenting the services rendered to the rural areas Cont’d from page 18

Dr. Partap shared in depth about the programs presently being used at Global Hospital, and 3,000 surgeries being performed annually by local doctors. A priority of the hospital is the immediate needs and issues of women, and the ongoing care of the local children. Dr. Partap concluded that one of the main aims of the hospital is the need to honor the dignity of people and that health care should be available to everyone without discrimination or the worry of costs. For the second half of the musical evening, Ram was joined by 'Steps Jazz Quartet' including

Steve Roberts, Daniel Lewis and Bob Bassa who delivered another outstanding hour of perfect jazz. In the very successful recording "Steps," one of the musicians commented that "The idea of using an unconventional instrument like the bansuri on a jazz recording finds success in the hands of a master musician like Ram." A composition by Ram and tribute to the dance that Mandela, the Father of South Africa' does was both moving and touching. The evening concluded with another indelible piece called 'Space Time' which transported the soul to the unlimited with music that went beyond the stars.

Cherupalla and his talented students. String Chants of India is an ensemble of violins and Indian percussion instruments, ranging from the classical to the contemporary forms. It also paints a picture of the rich cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent through this collection of soulful renditions.

Spelling Bee Texas winners announced Cont’d from page 17

In Houston, Shilpa Saravanan from College Station, TX was the regional champ and Syamantak Payra from Friendswood, TX was first runner up while Abhishek Routray, from Katy, TX was second runner up. Also, veteran speller Aditya Chemudupatty attended the Houston Regionals, gave a talk and in-

teracted with parents and spellers to give them tips on how to prepare as well as share his experience of being a top speller. It was very well received with the audience who asked questions about his experiences. The winners received cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 respectively. Children up to 14 years of age are eligible to participate and the

contest saw spellers of even 6 years of age compete and make it past a few rounds. There are six more cities on the anvil. The top two winners plus one parent each from every city will be given an all expenses paid trip to NJ on August 14 for the Finals. The contest will be telecast globally on Sony Entertainment Television-ASIA. Attendance to watch the finals is free.

Hindus' plea to UN for equality in Malta Cont’d from page 17

Maltese islands were first settled reportedly in 5,200 BCE. Few European countries have such concentrated architecture, history, and beaches in so small

Deepak Ram on flute in jazz music with Bob Bassa on guitar

diversity from 10 am till 1 pm to experience traditional dance, music, food and fun crafts from seven different countries. The countries represented were China, Germany, India, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, and Philippines. India was represented by the Violin Orchestra called String Chants of India led by Ramesh

an area as Malta. Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Rabbi Freirich, argued that it was perturbing to note that a country of Europe, which prided itself for its human rights initiatives, appar-

ently treated crimes against religious sentiment of "other" religions/denominations as less serious than against majority religion and described religions/denominations other than majority religion as cults.

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Sant Rajinder Singh visiting California India Post News Service

s an international spiritual leader and Master of meditation, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions, emphasizing prayer and meditation as building blocks for achieving peace. He will be on tour in San Francisco (July 4 -5) and Los Angeles (July 7- 8). Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's life and work can be summed up as a continuous journey of love and selfless service. He has helped people from all walks of life, from every corner of the earth, to connect to their true selves by learning the art of meditation on the inner Light and Sound of God. He takes nothing for himself, but gives freely of his time, compassion, and endless store of divine love. His well of inner peace is so deep and profound that he transforms the lives of those he meets. Born in India on September 20, 1946 and educated as a scientist in the United States, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj has a keen understanding of both mysticism and science. His training in both of these disciplines has helped him express the age-old mystical teachings in clear, logical language. He has said, "Science and spirituality make a great partnership. If those engaged in science spend time in the silence of their selves, inspiration will come and

lead them to the answers they seek. If those interested in spirituality apply the scientific law of testing a hypothesis in the laboratories of their own bodies, they will find results. Each person is capable of success in proving spiritual truths. Such pursuits can make the world a better place as well as uncover the purpose of our lives." Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's talks have been broadcast inter-

Publications; Inner and Outer Peace Through Meditation (Radiance Publishers); and Empowering Your Soul Through Meditation (Radiance Publishers). Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's consistent message-to establish human unity at the level of the soul thereby transcending racial, cultural, national, religious and economic differences-has led him to participate in conferences

He takes nothing for himself, but gives freely of his time, compassion, and endless store of divine love. His well of inner peace is so deep and profound that he transforms the lives of those he meets Sant Rajinder Singh

nationally on radio and television, and his publications include books in many languages and hundreds of articles on spiritual topics. His latest English books with corresponding Spanish and Hindi translations include: Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living (Radiance Publishers); Silken Thread of the Divine SK

throughout the world. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, he led an audience of thousands in meditation at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He received a peace award from the Interfaith Center of New York and the Temple of Understanding. He has spoken at a ceremony honor-

ing UN Secretary Kofi Annan and was a featured spiritual leader at the 2000 Millennium Peace Summit of religious and spiritual leaders held at the United Nations. In his interview with The New York Times, he said that world peace could be a reality when each person finds peace within through meditation. To further this end, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj convenes two annual conferences in Delhi, India-the Global Conference on Mysticism in September and the International Conference on Human Integration in February. During these events, tens of thousands of people come from all over India and many parts of the world to participate. Leaders from different faith traditions meet together on a common platform and share their ideas. Even those participants not aligned with a particular religion find in these conferences a wisdom that helps them deepen their relationship with the Divine. Since his mission began in 1989 at the direction of Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj (1921-1989), Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj has devoted his life to helping others realize the power of their souls and to relieving human suffering. His message is a practical prescription for global peace: Within us is a divine spirit from which our intelligence and wisdom is derived. The process of accessing that inner divine spirit, intelligence and wisdom is called meditation; if we transform knowledge

to wisdom by meditating and experiencing the driving force behind all existence then we have the key to human unity. This experience will transform our individual life and the lives of those around us. These individual transformations will ultimately bring unity and peace at the community, national and global levels. (From a speech on Leadership given to the United States Coast Guard Academy) As founder of Darshan Education Foundation, he has established seventeen Darshan Academies (K-12) in India and South America which integrate both meditation and a spiritual curriculum into a traditional academic environment. The Foundation's goal is to produce students whose spiritual potential is developed together with their intellectual quotient and whose world view is unobstructed by distinctions of race, nationality, religion or economic status. As head of Science of Spirituality / Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, he inspires the organization's humanitarian efforts throughout the world. To date, the mission has raised and distributed aid for tsunami victims by collecting and disseminating food and clothing and building new schools in disaster areas; raised funds for victims of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; rebuilt an entire village in India after the Gujarat earthquake; sent financial relief to earthquake survivors in Central and South America.

Spiritual dignitaries visit Summer Solstice Celebration RAM DAS PURI

ESPANOLA, NM: Two revered, spiritual leaders from India, His Holiness Sri Shankaracharya Swami Divyanand Teerth Ji and His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswati visited the beautiful mountains of New Mexico last week where they participated in the 3HO Foundation's Summer Solstice Celebration. Sri Shankaracharya is the head of the Bhanpura Peeth (monastery) in Central India, an important seat of Hindu thought. Pujya Muniji is the President and spiritual head of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh - one of India's largest spiritual institutions. Both leaders had a chance to address the nearly 2000 attendees of 3HO's Summer Solstice Celebration. The 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy) Foundation was founded by the late Sikh leader and master of Kundalini Yoga, Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, also known as Yogi Bhajan. Beginning in the 1970's,

Sri Shankaracharya Swami Divyanand Teerth Ji with Satpal Singh Khalsa

Yogi Bhajan started the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das ashram community in Espanola, New Mexico. Over time, this ashram has become the Mother Ashram for Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, as well as for the international Sikh Dharma movement inspired by him. Each summer, starting in June, the ashram community hosts sev-

eral yogic and spiritual events that bring people together from around the world. The annual Summer Solstice Celebration begins with Peace Prayer Day, which took place this year on June 19. Sri Shankaracharya attended Peace Prayer Day and shared an uplifting message of unity and peace

Swami Chidanand Saraswati with Satpal Singh Khalsa

during the event. He said he met Yogi Bhajan in 2000 at the UN world peace conference in New York City. He wished great success to the spiritual mission started by Yogiji. Later in the week, Sri Shankaracharya also spoke to the Solstice attendees about yoga. He said that yoga should not be considered religious and that any per-

son belonging to any religion could benefit from it. He particularly spoke about the power of Kundalini Yoga, and praised how well Yogi Bhajan taught Kundalini Yoga in the western world. Pujya Muniji also spoke to the attendees at 3HO's Summer Solstice event. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 22

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WomenNow TV celebrates its launch on TV Asia

(L-R) Jaya Gautam, Suparna 'Sippy' Vohra, Ena Sarkar and Harbir Bhatia India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Bay Area's first South Asian TV talk show, WomenNow's launch party was held on June 25 at the Taj Campton Place here. The talk show, produced by three local Bay Area

Thomas said that she extended her support to the show as the Indo-American community, especially the women, need such a platform to address some of the issues that are faced by the Indian Diaspora. WomenNow was started by

Attendees at the WomenNowLaunch

charity, beauty, body image, politics, health etc. the show has organically grown to new heights with a national launch on TV Asia, making it available to subscribers across the US and Canada. With a fourth co-host, Harbir Bhatia, an active member of the Indo-Ameri-

Conceptualized as a platform for South Asian women, especially those of IndoAmerican origin, the show aired last year on local channels in the Bay Area with the three hosts, Ena, Jaya and Sippy

Consul General of India, San Francisco, Susmita G. Thomas speaks at the WomenNow Launch

(L-R) Jaya Gautam and Ena Sarkar

women Ena Sarkar, Jaya Gautam and Suparna 'Sippy' Vohra, starts airing on TV Asia from July 4. With a cheering and whistling crowd of over 250 attendees, the exclusive launch party's inaugural address was given by the Honorable Consul General of India, San Francisco, Susmita G. Thomas. Ms.

Ena and Jaya, in early 2009 and Sippy joined in soon after. Conceptualized as a platform for South Asian women, especially those of Indo-American origin, the show aired last year on local channels in the Bay Area with the three hosts, Ena, Jaya and Sippy. Covering diverse topics ranging from

Watching the short WomenNow movie

can community, the show is blazing trendsetting paths. The WomenNow team hopes to welcome new members of the TV community soon as they believe that increased ethnic representation in the media will bring increased awareness of and about the community.

Women Now Launch poster

Priyanka Singha's, Miss India 2009-10, dance

Art by Neha Dadbhawala

Community/California

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July 9, 2010

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Summer camp for kids at LA Zoo India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Zoo's Summer ZooCamp is great for kids of all ages. Each day of ZooCamp brings new discoveries as youngsters have the time of their lives going ape over the Zoo's amazing animals. Through fun, safe, engaging activities, campers will trail blaze through the week. Each camp is led by specially trained, experienced staff. This adventure is one that a child will never forget. ZooCamp starts on July 5 and runs through August 27. "ZooCamp provides children with the opportunity to explore and learn about nature while making lasting friendships," says Curator of Education Heather Shields. ZooCamp is broken down into different, age-appropriate themes such as Lights, Camera, Animals!, Furrific Felines, and Positively Primates, among others. To learn more about ZooCamp, availability,

prices, extended hours and to register, please visit www.lazoo.org/ education/zoocamp. ZooCamp averages a 95 per-

ZooCamp is broken down into different, age-appropriate themes such as Lights, Camera, Animals!, Furrific Felines, and Positively Primates, among others cent fill-rate, which means approximately 840 campers attend ZooCamp each summer.

Sikh Coalition attends White House reception India Post News Service

WASHINGTON, DC: The Sikh Coalition was recently invited to attend a White House reception celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. President Obama addressed the attendees and recognized the importance of

engaging the Sikh community. The Sikh Coalition is a community-based organization that works for the realization of civil and human rights for all people. The Coalition serves as a resource on Sikhs and Sikh concerns for government, organizations and individuals.

CAIR protests FBI questioning of Muslim men India Post News service

LOS ANGELES, CA: The Greater Los Angeles Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) has called the FBI's early morning questioning of five Southern California Muslim men last week "outrageous" and is seeking answers as to why the men were questioned in the absence of any indication that they were engaged in criminal activity. The men questioned by the FBI were among seven detained for "suspicious behavior" last December by police in Henderson, Nev., after they prayed in a commercial parking lot during a stop on a road trip. One of the men questioned by FBI agents for an hour in his Los Angeles apartment said the agents produced a book containing information on war tactics, titled "Afghanistan." They allegedly told the man that Henderson police officers had found and taken photos of two of these books during the December search of the men's vehicle. FBI agents asked the individual whether he had any knowledge of the books, and reportedly told him they were there to follow up on the books. However, the men say there were no such books in the vehicle. Also, an officer with the Henderson Police Department told CAIR-LA that the department has no information that such books were photographed or taken by officers during the De-

cember stop. [The Henderson Police Department initiated an internal investigation into the December incident in response to a misconduct complaint filed by CAIRLA. That investigation is ongoing.] FBI agents further questioned the young man, a U.S. Army veteran, about his trip through Henderson and about the various stops made during the trip. He was

The men questioned by the FBI were among seven detained for "suspicious behavior" last December by police in Henderson, Nev., after they prayed in a commercial parking lot during a stop on a road trip allegedly asked if he and his friends had any weapons when they went hiking. The agents also asked who led the seven men on the road trip, who of his six travel companions he would consult for religious advice and if he became religious before or after active military duty. Toward the end of the questioning, the FBI agents allegedly told the man they were looking for people with military backgrounds who speak Arabic because they would be an asset for the FBI.

"It is outrageous that these young men continue to face government scrutiny for engaging in protected First Amendment activity," said CAIR-LA Staff Attorney and Deputy Executive Director Ameena Mirza Qazi. "They were not 'suspicious' when they prayed in a parking lot six months ago, and they're not suspicious now. It's worrisome that our intelligence resources are being expended to investigate what seems to be manufactured evidence or to assume a nefarious motive for the normal American activity of a bunch of guys going on a road trip." "This seems to be yet another example of faith moving from a personal choice to probable cause," said CAIR's National Legislative Director Corey Saylor. "The young men's simple act of worship -- something most Americans engage in routinely -- has now led to questioning by both local and federal law enforcement agents." In the past several years, Muslim community members have complained of FBI harassment, harsh interrogation and coercive tactics, and informant recruitment through FBI intimidation. Earlier, CAIR released a letter it sent to Attorney General Eric Holder calling for the return to the United States of American Muslim citizens barred from returning home from trips overseas and subjected to FBI pressure tactics that are being called a form of "extraordinary rendition."

Spiritual dignitaries visit Summer Solstice Celebration Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 20

He gave a tribute to Yogi Bhajan for his diligence and dedication in bringing Kundalini Yoga to the West. Pujya Muniji met Yogi Bhajan almost 30 years ago and was in constant touch with him throughout his life. Yogi Bhajan visited him many times at his ashram in Rishikesh. Pujya Muniji said Yogi Bhajan used to roar like a lion and that even today he could still hear him roaring. During their time in Espanola, Sri Shankaracharya and Pujya Muniji had a chance to meet with many long-time students and leaders in the Western Sikh and Kundalini Yoga communities. They were hosted in Espanola at the Estate of the late Yogi Bhajan by his wife, Bhai Sahiba Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, PhD. Yogi Bhajan's son-inlaw, Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa, introduced the dignitaries to the current heads of the organizations founded by the late Yogi Bhajan, including: the CEO of the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) Nirvair

Singh Khalsa; the CEO of 3HO Foundation, Bhajan Kaur; Chairman for the Board of Miri Piri Academy in Amritsar, Deva Singh Khalsa; The president of the Sikh Dharma Stewardship, Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa; and the Director of Amar Infinity, Jodha Singh Khalsa. Everyone shared aspects of the on-going work of Yogi Bhajan's mission with the dignitaries. Bhai Sahib Satpal also introduced the guests to famous Beverly Hills doctor; Dr. Soram Singh Khalsa and famous spiritual singer Snatam Kaur Khalsa. Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa, who is the Ambassador of Sikh Dharma held private meetings with both the spiritual guests and apprised them of the continued work to promote and preserve the teachings of Yogi Bhajan and his mission. Famous Kundalini Yoga teacher Gurmukh Kaur and her husband Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa of Golden Bridge in Los Angeles also spent time touring with the guests and hosted the spiritual guests. Panth Rattan Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib

Shankarcharya with Bibiji and Satpal Singh Khalsa

Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, popularly known as Yogi Bhajan came to the West in 1969 during the cultural revolution of the 1960's, sharing the ancient teachings of Kundalini Yoga and the universal spiritual path of Sikh Dharma. Over the course of the

next 3 decades, he taught hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Yogi Bhajan made Espanola, New Mexico his home. He died there on October 4, 2006. The organization he founded during his life-time continues to grow and flourish.

July 9, 2010

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1 Khili Re - Raavan

6 Bekarar - Paathshaala

2 Ghum Suhm Ghum Suhm - IAWA

7 Ranjha Ranjha - Raavan

3 Dont Know What To Do - Housefull

4 Mein Tenu Samjjawan - Virsa

9 Rang De - Bumm Bumm Bole

5 Chaska - Badmaash Company

India Post

Yaadan - Virsa

10 Ankahi Si - Chase

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July 9, 2010

aif avoided cameras and paparazzi pictures until his departure to Morocco in order to avoid giving away his Agent Vinod look. But man proposes, Aamir disposes. Aamir insisted that Saif make it to the party at his home recently, thereby blowing the whistle on Saif's carefully-concealed look. A friend of Saif says, "If Shahid Kapoor in his dad's film Mausam has modeled his look on Tom Cruise in Top Gun, Saif's role model for Agent Vinod is Matt Damon in Bourne Identity." With a completely revamped his look, Saif went into hiding until he left the country. Kareena Kapoor, his co-star in the film, however spilled the beans. "Saif has never looked cooler. He has lost 9 kilos in three months. He's all toned and rippling muscles now. He had long hair for so long that I had forgotten how dashing he looks in cropped hair. Saif has got his hair cropped really short, that's all I can tell you about his Agent Vinod look. He got it done a couple of days back. Since then he was reluctant to step out of his house. " So frightened was Saif of revealing his new look that he refused to show it even to his own parents. Only Kareena had the privilege of seeing Saif's made over avatar. Until Aamir's party. Kareena added, "he looks like a Hollywood star for the film. I can't take my eyes off him."

alman Khan's forthcoming film "Ready" is a romantic comedy, but the director has incorporated some good action sequences so as not to disappoint the popular actor's fans, revealed T-series honcho and film producer Bhushan Kumar. "'Ready' is a romantic comedy, a fun film, but we incorporated a few action scenes as well so that Salman's fans can enjoy and watch him do dare-devil stunts on screen," Kumar said. "Apart from the action sequences, 'Ready' is a complete entertainment package, where we will give special importance to the music, something that is usually not up to the mark in comedy films," he said. "Ready", also starring Asin Thottumkal and Paresh Rawal, is being directed by Anees Bazmee who is known for his hit comic capers "No Entry" and "Singh Is Kingg". The film is being shot in Sri Lanka. Besides this, T-series is producing a film called "Patiala House", directed by Nikhil Advani and starring Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sharma.

oena Mitra is one of those select few actresses in the industry, who has been an epitome of sensuality right from her foray into Bollywood. Announcing 'Khullam Khulla Pyaar Kare' pretty much loud and clear more than seven years ago in 'Road' (2002), Koena, has indeed come a long way. No wonder, her sensibility and maturity makes her feel amused about the entire hoopla that is created when actors kiss on the screen or expose for the camera. "I guess we should move out of this mentality and do it real fast. The way the media reacts to something as common as kissing is really strange", says Koena in an exasperated tone. "In Hollywood, kissing is no big deal at all. If Richard Gere kisses on screen, no one goes and pulls him up by saying that he is doing something odd because he is older today. But here in India, we end up making such a big deal about it even if a young couple is kissing. Come on, show me one couple that doesn't kiss? Not just that, I think we also make so much hoopla when someone wears a bikini", continues Koena who is quite pleased with the way she has been presented on the screen so far. Koena is particularly amused when actors themselves enjoy the mileage that they gain after doing a kissing scene for a film.

Bollywood

July 9, 2010

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ne of the most celebrated couples of the industry, Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan confess on the latest issue of Vogue magazine that they fight everyday. When asked how often they fight, Abhishek was quick to reply, "Oh, every day." Ash promptly interfered, "Not everyday baby. We didn't fight yesterday. Or the day before. They're more like disagreements, not fights. They're not serious, they're healthy. It'd be really boring otherwise," says the actress. And when they have any disagreements, Abhishek takes the initiative to settle up, "Women don't make up! In three years, she's made up like, four times. But we have a rule - we don't sleep on a fight. And in defense of all men, I want to say, half the time why we give in and say sorry is because we're just so sleepy and want to go to bed!" The couple quips about their most horrible dating after marriage, "So this is for men everywhere -don't believe that bit about a candlelight dinner on the beach being the most romantic thing in the world. I tried that for our anniversary last year in the Maldives, and it was a disaster. First, the wind keeps putting the candle out. Second, there's sand in your food so it tastes like crap."

Czech mate

Damage control

mtiaz Ali's search for an actress to star in his next, Rockstar, has finally come to an end. The Jab We Met director has finalized model Nargis Fakhri to play the role opposite Ranbir Kapoor. The 21-year-old half Pakistani, half Czech beauty grew up in New York but is an ardent follower of Bollywood. Earlier, Imtiaz had given a break to Brazilian model Giselle Monteiro in Love Aaj Kal. A source reveals, "Imtiaz has been auditioning girls for a while now. He discovered that the Anglo-Indian look of Nargis completely suited the character in the film. But she underwent several screen tests before Imtiaz took her on board. While Ranbir plays a rock star, Nargis will play a dancer in the film."

Desi singers in Holly

ur desi singers, it seems, are doing great. And one of them is making news in Hollywood. Singer-cum-music composer Mickey Narula, brother of Bollywood playback singer Jaspinder Narula, has composed music for a Hollywood movie titled Maple Heart that is directed by Kavi Raj (An Indian filmmaker from Los Angeles and winner of 15 awards in the best international category for his movie Gold Bracelet in 2005). The film is due for release by the end of this year. Mickey, who was recently on a short visit to the capital, says, "I have composed some Hindi tracks for this Hollywood movie. This will be a first of its kind where a Hollywood movie will include Hindi songs sung by singers like Sukhwinder, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Niigaam, Jaspinder Narula and myself," he grins, adding, "It will have a variety of musical compositions ranging from Bhangra to pop."

s Rajkumar Hirani had himself admitted around the release of '3 Idiots', when the master strategist Aamir Khan is at work for the marketing and promotion of a film, a director can afford to take a back seat after the film is canned and censored. Nothing succeeds like success and two back to back all time blockbusters in the form of 'Ghajini' and '3 Idiots' meant that not too many voices were expected to be raised, intentionally or unintentionally, when it came to an Aamir Khan film. However, one waits to see the kind of decisions that master strategist Aamir Khan would take when it comes to his next release - a production - 'Peepli Live'. There is some amount of damage which has been done, courtesy the news of the film's lead actor Raghuveer Yadav being arrested (and subsequently released) spreading like a wild fire. This was in relation to a complaint which had been filed against him by his ex-wife. For Aamir who has managed a clean all around record for years, this is something that he would have been least expecting, especially since 'Peepli Live' is also traveling the international film festival circuits.

India Post

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, while consistently delivering hit entertainers that keep his fans coming back for more, has in recent times been receiving unprecedented recognition for his celeb status in Canada. After being presented with an honorary doctorate of law by the University of Windsor, Ontario for his work in cinema and social work and being one of 14 international torchbearers in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, Akshay Kumar, the leading star of the Indian film fraternity, was personally invited by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to attend and host a special dinner in honor of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and Mrs. Gursharan Kaur who

visited Canada as part of the G20 Summit late last month. Also in attendance were Laureen Harper and Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The event took place June 27 in Toronto, post the G8 and G20 Summits held over that weekend in Canada where world leaders congregated to discuss issues such as economics, health and security. Akshay Kumar, who was extremely honored to be the host of the event, addressed both Heads of State in his speech. The actor, who shares close ties with Canada, has always considered the country to be his home away from home. He has filmed extensively there, more recently for Anees Bazmee's film 'Thank You' co-starring Sonam Kapoor. He also supports many Canadian causes and organizations including investing in a Cancer Ward at the Trillium Hospital of

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July 9, 2010

Toronto in memory of his father. "Canada has always been a home away from home for me and I am most fortunate to be associated with two great nations - India and Canada," Akshay said at the event.

Akshay Kumar, who was extremely honored to be the host of the event, addressed both Heads of State in his speech. The actor, who shares close ties with Canada, has always considered the country to be his home away from home

He went on to speak about the similarities both democracies share and their contribution to society. "Canada recognizes and respects the true potential and contribution of every citizen, no matter what ethnic background they have. India, the world's largest democracy, prides itself in many similar values." He also applauded the leadership and vision of both leaders. He commented on how through Prime Minister Harper's leadership he "continues to demonstrate to the world that Canada is a first class country with a strong moral foundation." He thanked Prime Minister Singh for his "leadership and guidance over the years." He said, "The

way in which you have fathered India culturally and economically is truly remarkable. Your vision and leadership is the reason that India has become a true global nation." The superstar then went on to dedicate his forthcoming film, 'Singh is Kinng 2', for which filming will take place in Canada, to Prime Minister Singh. Meanwhile, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has designated Akshay Kumar as its Ambassador for India to leverage his celebrity status in India to promote Canada as a premier four-season destination. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 27

July 9, 2010

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Astrology and beyond with Swami Veera Rudra PREM KISHORE India Post News Service

uman beings have always looked to the heav ens for answers concerning, Life, Happiness, Birth and other perplexing questions. Some have turned to prayer and unswerving faith. Others have stared at tealeaves and crystal balls. Many turn to soothsayers, and psychics. And in India millions consult astrologers and spiritual advisors. Can destiny be changed? Are birth planets relevant in the scheme of things? The first traces of an astrologer in India supposedly leads to Parshara Muni in 1500AD who cast horoscopes. Today some Indian universities offer advanced degrees in astrology. I scan the pages of the week's edition of three Indian magazines and newspapers in Los Angeles, and find no less that 20 advertisements advising readers to consult a diverse roster of astrologers. Last month, Swamiji Veera Rudra from Bangalore, Karnataka, arrived in Southern California with expertise in astrology, face reading, and palm reading. He firmly believes that he can find solutions to problems and will help anyone who is interested in empowering themselves and living their best life. Do you really believe that people can influence their destiny? Yes, with effort, will power, faith and the grace of God people can turn their lives around. Certain things are irrevocable but if we interpret celestial calculations we can determine the auspiciousness of an event or try to avoid making a wrong decision.

What is your purpose in advising people who come to you? Bringing harmony and peace of mind and making people understand their psyche. People feel bad things are happening to them, they have financial problems, legal problems, horoscope matching, or they are unhappy in their marriage and negativity is preventing them to realize their full potential. So they come to me and they benefit through astrological guidance. I also help them to reinforce their faith in God and become more self aware. Everyone wants to achieve success and happiness. How do you do that? Some people are afflicted by illness, or evil spirits and black magic

of the face and palm our family through the generations have reached out to love others and do good. We believe in doing everything with love. Love is infused in our work. I may not be the answer to everything but I can guide you on the right path. Can you suggest a simple ritual we can do to attain a certain amount of peace? Yoga, meditation. Just saying Om Nama Shivayam 108 times

Gemstones add good properties to a person's life. Next to the skin stones give off vibrations and align with the chakras and this alleviates stress and helps in well being

INTERVIEW and I help to resolve the situation by various methods. I read palms; I study their facial contours, the mouth, the nose, the ear. I study bone structure, the placement of bones of skull, muscles, skin...all this reveals personality. As a Vedic astrologer I can help give direction. I advise them to wear certain colors, or precious stones. Gemstones add good properties to a person's life. Next to the skin stones give off vibrations and align with the chakras and this alleviates stress and helps in well being. Our energies are balanced, we negate emotional problems, improve relationships with people, we can have more confidence, ward off sickness, strengthen our body, and prosper There are hundreds of stones, kunzite, quartz, ruby, coral, nephrite, sapphire and more. It re-

Swami Veera Rudra

quires a lot of study. How many years have you been committed to this profession? I started at a very young age, when I was a child. I have been involved in this work for 40 years. My father and grandfather have been in this profession. It is a family legacy and I am very proud to carry on the blessed tradition. Our mission is to create peace and harmony in the lives of people. There is too much suf-

Few art films these days: Mithun KOLKATA: Three times National award winning actor Mithun Chakraborty laments that very few producers and directors make art films these days. "I act in potboilers both in Bollywood and Tollywood as very few producers and directors make art film like Mrigaya, which gave me my first National actor award," Chakraborty told PTI at the premier of his latest Bengali film Shukno Lanka. Chakraborty, who shot to fame in Bollywood in 1980s with the blockbuster 'Disco Dancer', said, "If I get offers from producers and directors to act in art films like Mrigaya, I will certainly take them up. But such offers are few these days." About 'Shukno Lanka', he said, "Shukno Lanka has given me the rare opportunity to retrace my

Mithun Chakraborty

struggling days. It has taken me back closer to my roots." Chakraborty described the director of Shukno Lanka Gaurav Pandey as 'brilliant' and said, "I am happy that I am also in his next Hindi film Spaghetti 24x7." Chakraborty plays the role of a security guard in Spaghetti 24x7, which also stars his elder son

Mimoh and is slated for release in October this year. Speaking about Shukno Lanka, Director Gaurav Pandey said he had a wonderful time in making it especially working with Chakraborty. Chakraborty plays the role of Chinu Nandy, a junior artiste in the film, but he had to arrive at the shoot with police escort due to his huge fan following in Bengal, he said. Recollecting another instance while making the film Pandey said late actor Kunal Mitra, one of the cast, refused to shoot a scene with Mithun massaging his feet. Pandey's first full-length Hindi film 'Stumped' was released in 2003 featuring Raveena Tandon, Aly Khan and Salman Khan in lead roles. Subsequently he worked as the writer of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's 'Anuranan' (Bengali, 2006). -PTI

fering in this world and if we are blessed with powers to help, by examining the present, past and future, we must do the work gladly. My family has been endowed with many blessings. We have a house, security, family love, children and so we have to look beyond and help others to attain peace of mind. And with our skills and talents in studying the planets, numbers, and readings

first thing in the morning will foster good health of mind and body. What kind of people come to you for advice in America? Mostly businessmen. They are stressed out with financial problems or excess wealth. They want peace or they want to resolve issues. They want to know if they should proceed with a business venture. Others come with marital problems. Should they divorce? How can they make the marriage work? We give comfort, strength, and remove doubts. Above all we reinforce their faith in themselves.

Akshay Kumar is 'King' in Canada Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 26

"We're thrilled that Akshay Kumar has agreed to be the CTC's Ambassador for India," says Michele McKenzie, President and CEO, CTC. "Having a superstar like Akshay on board to boost Canada's profile within his country will help turn the spotlight on the extra-ordinary experiences that visitors can enjoy here." Kumar, who has enjoyed a strong relationship with Canada since his first visit in 1995, will act as the CTC's Ambassador for India until summer 2012. The partnership will involve familiarization trips ("fams") across Canada, which will be captured for local and Indian media in video and blog posts.

Says Akshay Kumar, "I am very honored and privileged to have been asked to represent the CTC as their Ambassador for India. Canada is my second home and I am truly proud to encourage and promote Canadian tourism in India. I have an extremely strong connection to this great land and its warm people." The CTC entered the Indian market in 2009 as part of its emerging markets strategy to inspire high-yield travelers to visit Canada. India is characterized by an aspirational lifestyle, fuelled by a growing middle class and sustained economic growth. In 2009, Indian leisure travelers injected $82 million into the Canadian economy.

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Breakthrough's Bell Bajao! wins the Cannes Silver Lion India Post News Service

NEW YORK: New York-based Human rights organization Breakthrough's acclaimed Bell Bajao! (Ring theBell) Campaign against domestic violence has received the prestigious SilverLion in the Film Category at the Cannes Lions 57th International Advertising Festival. Bell Bajao! is the only entry from India to win The Silver Lion in the Film category. The films were created pro bono by Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai and were directed by Bauddhayan Mukherjee of Little Lamb Films. Sharing her excitement, Mallika Dutt, President and CEO of Breakthrough says, "We are delighted at Bell Bajao's win at the Cannes Lions 57th International Advertising Festival. The Silver Lion provides us with a global platform to spotlight violence against women and to ask men and boys to become partners in ending it. Our partnership with Ogilvy & Mather is a wonderful example of the reach and success of public-private collaborations, which are essential to bringing an end to the abuse that women face all over the world." Bell Bajao! is a multimedia campaign that uses the power of pop culture, media and community mobilization to call on men and boys to end domestic violence. The award winning ads are inspired by stories of people who have joined the Bell Bajao! movement against domestic violence. Launched first in 2008 with the support of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and campaign ambassador, film star Boman Irani, Bell Bajao! has become a globally recognized, national movement. The campaign creates awareness on the issue of domestic violence and inspires the public to take action against it. Zenobia Pithawalla, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai says "What makes this win even more wonderful is the fact that this work was not created because one wanted to win an award. But because everyone from the client to the creative team to the filmmaker believed this was what it would take to put an end to Domestic Violence. As we celebrate this news, we would like to thank Breakthrough for always giving us a free hand and believing in our creative work as much as they believe in their cause." The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is the world's biggest celebration of creativity in communications. As the most prestigious international advertising awards,

more than 22,500 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the festival. More than 6,000 delegates from 90 countries attend seven days of workshops, exhibitions, screenings, master classes and high-profile seminars.

The award winning ads are inspired by stories of people who have joined the Bell Bajao! movement against domestic violence. Launched first in 2008 with the support of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and campaign ambassador, film star Boman Irani, Bell Bajao! has become a globally recognized, national movement Breakthrough is an innovative, international human rights organization using the power of popular culture, media, and community mobilization to transform public attitudes and advance equality, justice, and dignity around the world. Through initiatives in India and the US, this nonprofit focuses on issues like violence against women, HIV/AIDS, immigration, youth and community leadership and human rights education. Breakthrough also produced the very successful multi-media initiative to advance immigrant rights and racial justice, including the celebrated videogame, ICED (I Can End Deportation).

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A classical blend of Indo-Celtic music India Post News Service

NEW YORK: It would be beyond anyone's wildest imagination to envisage a connection between Appalachian music and classical Indian Sanskrit music from the early 1800s. At the National Press Club, Washington DC recently, Cincinnati based visionary musician, composer and musicologist Kanniks Kannikeswaran shared several interesting stories that brought out this eclectic connection that began with Muthuswamy Dikshitar, a saint composer who ruled the Karnatic music scene in the 19th century. "200 years ago, when the British colonized India, many tunes from Britain went to India with the bands of the East India Company. Muthuswamy Dikshitar, one of India's foremost composers in the Karnataka music tradition wrote Sanskrit lyrics to some of these tunes. The result is a genre of music that is neither Indian nor western yet both. Some of the very same tunes that went with the East India Company also arrived in the United States with the early immigrants. The musicians that play them on dulcimers and other western folk instruments are (justifiably) not aware of the fact that these tunes exist in India with Sanskrit lyrics," explained Kannikeswaran. "Very little is known about this genre of music, although there are 39 such

compositions that exist. Roughly one in 12 compositions of this 19th century composer is based on a Western tune." This topic has been at the core of Kannikeswaran's research for the last three years. He has painstakingly deciphered the tunes from various sources going back to the early 1900s and has re-

His (then) 7-year old younger daughter Sukhita sang the harmony on some of the tunes. "The Celtic instrumentalists were astounded that tunes such as Lord McDonald's reel were actually sung with Sanskrit lyrics in South India," chuckles

Kannikeswaran has shared his research on this topic at various venues in the United States, India and also in Singapore. His recent trip to Singapore featured him as the producer and director of 'Colonial Interlude', a musical theater production depicting the

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;200 years ago, when the British colonized India, many tunes from Britain went to India with the bands of the East India Company. Muthuswamy Dikshitar, one of India's foremost composers in the Karnataka music tradition wrote Sanskrit lyrics to some of these tunesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kanniks Kannikeswaran

corded each one of them with Indian voices and Western (largely Celtic) orchestration. The recording - 'Vismaya - An Indo Celtic Musical Journey' features Kannikeswaran's (then) 12-year old daughter Vidita accompanied by a fiddle, some flutes, the English horn, the dulcimer, a Celtic harp, a trombone and lots of keyboards, the Celtic bodharan and the Indian veena.

Kannikeswaran. Indeed, it is fascinating to know that O' Carolan's planxty, Rakes of Mallow and other such tunes have South Indian counterparts in the classical idiom. The lyrics of these compositions are in Sanskrit and are addressed to various deities adorning the temples that the composer Dikshitar visited.

life of composer Dikshitar in colonial India. Kannikeswaran passionately shares his knowledge regarding the life and times of Dikshitar, the wealth of his creations, the temples that he visited, the happenings on the Colonial front and more. Kannikeswaran, has earned awards for his research from the

Music Academy, Madras, India. His presentations have always elicited a great response from audiences. Some of the tunes revived in his album are now being taught in schools in Chennai, India. He now looks forward to sharing this knowledge with the rest of the world. "This legacy from the 19th century is a great illustration of Indian culture's ability to be open to ideas from around the world, absorb external influences and create something uniquely new and Indian in the process," says Kannikeswaran. Kannikeswaran is more than a musician and a composer. All of his musical projects are consistent with his vision of building community by celebrating commonalities across cultures. He is the pioneer of the Indian American choral movement and has founded Indian community choirs in several cities in the US. His magnum opus 'Shanti - A Journey of Peace' performed with a cast of over 250 was the talk of town in Houston for weeks and is to be performed in the near future in Tampa and Minneapolis. His full fledged musical theater production depicting the life story of Dikshitar was performed in Singapore recently. Kannikeswaran has been teaching Indian music at the University of Cincinnati as an Adjunct Faculty since 1994. He is also a visiting artist at the University of South Florida.

Now, M F Husain, Raza on carpets Vihir's dream run continues NEW DELHI: Select artworks by top selling Indian art masters S H Raza, M F Husain are now available as hand woven designer carpets in limited editions that would be sold to raise funds for building two new animal hospitals. A total of 25 artists along with seven fashion stalwarts such as Rohit Bal and Manish Arora have lent their works for the "Fly your carpet to your walls" fundraising project of Maneka Gandhi's NGO People for Animals (PFA). "We do something exclusive every year to raise funds for our NGO. This time all the best artists of the country have given us their works which have been reproduced on carpets," Maneka Gandhi, Chairperson, PFA told PTI during a preview here. A total of 40 artworks reproduced in limited editions of 20 carpets each begin at Rs 35,000 each and go up to Rs 5 lakh for works by Raza and Husain, the most expensive artists. The carpets would be exhibited in the capital between August 27-

August 29. "These carpets are hand-woven and each of them carry an authentication certificate from the painter. So you can get an original Raza which costs crores, for around 5 lakh," says Gandhi.

M F Husain

The money raised through sales would go to building two new veterinary hospitals one in New Delhi and another in Mysore. Presently the PFA operates a total of 26 animal hospitals and shelters in the country. "I call them floor art. The artists have given us their designs and we have worked with master

weavers on museum quality carpets that can also be hung on the walls. It could be said as a new form of art," says Sunil Sethi, President Fashion Design Council of India and Vice Chairman All India Handloom Board. "Only two works, one each by Husain and Manjit Bawa, with images of religious deities, are only to be hung on the wall," he says adding that Husain is the only artist who has not seen his paintings woven on the carpet. Fashion designer Madhu Jain whose traditional Andhra motif design "Dance of the bulls" along with model Milind Soman is featured among the carpets says, "We take up very unusual projects and this is like a museum masterpiece. The proceeds will go for a good cause." Featured artists in the initiative are S H Raza, M F Husain, Ram Kumar, Jehangir Sabavala and Manjit Bawa, T Vaikuntam, Chitravanu Mazumdar, Paresh Maity, Manu Parekh, Sujata Bajaj among others. -PTI

at international festivals MUMBAI: After being screened in over 10 film festivals world-wide, Marathi movie 'Vihir' would be shown at five more international film festivals this month. "The movie would be a part of Karlovy vary International Film Festival, Taipei International film festival, La Rochelle International Film Festival and London Indian Film Festival," director Umesh Kulkarni told PTI. 'Vihir' (Well) will be the closing film of the London festival, he said, adding it will be the inaugural movie for the Bollywood and Beyond International Film Festival to be held at Stuttgart in Germany. The Karlovy Vary Film Festival will be held from July 2 to 10 in the Czech Republic. The Taipei film festival would begin on July 4 and would conclude on July 12.

The La Rochelle International Film Festival to be held in France would begin on July 2 and end on July 9. The London festival would be a six-day affair commencing from July 15. Similarly, Bollywood and Beyond International film festival in Germany would begin on July 22 and would culminate on July 25. 'Vihir' has been screened in festivals like Berlin and Rotterdam. The movie is the first Marathi production of Amitabh Bachchan Corp Ltd (ABCL). The movie starring Madan Deodhar, Alok Rajwade, Jyoti Subhash, Amruta Subhash, Mohan Agashe and Sulbha Deshpande deals with questions regarding birth and death being faced by a teenager after the death of his cousin. The movie was released in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Kolhapur on March 19 followed by other cities in Maharashtra. -PTI

ubra Valley, once on the trading route that connected eastern Tibet with Turkistan via the famous Karakoram Pass, is the most recently opened area of Ladakh. Nubra invites you to a trip back in time into a nearly forgotten 'Shangri La'. With breathtaking views and delightfully hospitable inhabitants, it is quite an experience. Best time to visit: Ladakh's harsh winter makes this crossing possible only during the summer months-from June to August. The valley itself lies at a lower elevation than the Leh Valley, making it very fertile with cultivation of grains and fruits like peaches. Tourist attractions Diskit is the administrative center of the Nubra Valley. It nestles on the edge of a desert on the Shyokside valley, eight hours away, on the other side of the Khardong La (La means Pass). To reach this place one should carry along plenty of water, because the increase in height by over 2000 meters, can give anybody severe headache and nausea. The road is paved till south Pulu, a military check post, where the permits are checked and the details entered. This is an unforgettable excursion that makes Indiana Jones

look like a kindergarten excursion. Surrounded by majestic Himalayas, it has the distinct smell of smoky kitchens, goats, chang (local brew) and butter tea and the fatal edge of the 100meter sheer cliffs always closer than one really appreciates. One can spot various modes of transportation hundred meters below, at their final resting place. Surrounded by the rising mountains of Himalayas and superb views down the Leh valley, the thrill is replaced by a feeling of utmost beauty. Snow lingers all year round on the mountains with prayer-flag topped peaks. A breathtaking experience indeed. Descending into the valley, only the first few km are tricky. Soon, following a mellow stream, one would come into a surprisingly green landscape with rug-

31 India Post

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ged stone formations rising up into the sky with the peaks in the background. They look like they have been poured over with sugar. A real fairy tale landscape. As drastically as the landscape had changed from 'moon-land' on top of the Khardong La to a green oasis, one would enter a desert, easily comparable to the Thar in Rajasthan. Diskit seems like a ghost town, an oasis of tranquility. An enjoyable day's walk brings one to Somoor, half way to Panamik. Army trucks are the only means of transportation in the valley. A Ladakhi meal is served sitting around the massive black stove in the kitchen, the most important room in any Ladakhi house. It is the place to warm up on a freezing winter night, the place where the family meets, the homework is done and the prayers are said. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 32

July 9, 2010

Nubra Valley, once on the trading route that connected eastern Tibet with Turkistan via the famous Karakoram Pass, is the most recently opened area of Ladakh. Nubra invites you to a trip back in time into a nearly forgotten 'Shangri La'. With breathtaking views and delightfully hospitable inhabitants, it is quite an experience

India Post

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July 9, 2010

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Plusher 'Palace on Wheels' this season JAIPUR: With a new spa, gym, cuisines from around the world, latest upholstery and other modern amenities, one of the world's luxurious trains The Palace on Wheels - is all set to roll out in a plusher avatar to woo international and domestic tourists. The new look luxury train from Rajasthan would sport upgraded facilities and different and improved interiors along with other services which, according to official sources, were inevitable with other luxury trains like Maharaja Express, Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey and Golden Chariot plying in the country. Along with PoW a second luxury train from the desert state - 'Royal Rajasthan on Wheels' (RRoW) - is also being upgraded to attract tourists and make their experience most enjoyable.

"Tourists would have option of a Dubailike desert safari when the train halts at Jaisalmer. More varied food including Mexican, Thai and seafood will be served. The bar is also being upgraded and some of the world's best wines would be made available

Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels are undergoing major revamp at cost of around Rs 2 crore. The PoW will start its journey this season from August while RRoW will be on track again from September," says Singh.

Along with PoW a second luxury train from the desert state - 'Royal Rajasthan on Wheels' (RRoW) - is also being upgraded to attract tourists and make their experience most enjoyable on the train, while interiors have also been upgraded to give a fresh look besides improving quality of existing services," Manjit Singh, Chairman and MD, Rajathan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), told PTI. "Currently both the trains - Palace on

Facilities of spa and gym and upgraded interiors would also be present in the RRoW. "We are planning an aggressive marketing campaign to promote both the trains and make these the most preferred by tourists,

worldwide. There is competition with rising number of luxury trains in the country in recent times, but we hope our distinguished trains would get good response," he says. At present reservations on the luxury trains are being done online with some tourists preferring to do so via tour operators. The RTDC however, is looking to make distribution channel more viable and systematic by appointing more agents and thereby increasing group and charter bookings. The Palace on Wheels, which was adjudged recently as the fourth best among the top ten luxury trains of the world by the prestigious travel magazine Conde Nast, is in profit of around Rs 9 crore. However, the RROW introduced in 2009 has incurred a loss of around Rs 2 crore and Singh hopes that the RRoW would also register profits in the 2010-11. -PTI

India adds to Singapore tourism boom SINGAPORE: India has become the second largest tourist market for Singapore, with the arrival of a record 116,000 Indian visitors in the city state in May. The Singapore Tourism Board data showed that 28 per cent more Indians traveled to

Singapore in May than a year ago. Comparatively, Indonesia was the top tourist generating market with 186,000 visitors (up 43 per cent), Malaysia was third with 82,000 (up 49 per cent), followed by China 72,000 visitors

(up 38 per cent), and Australia with 64,000 visitors (up 7 per cent). Total May tourist arrivals in Singapore increased by 30.3 per cent to 946,000, said the board. Average hotel occupancy rate was 85 per cent, an increase of 17.1 per cent from a year ago. -PTI

Nubra Valley: A nearly forgotten 'Shangri La' Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 31

Tiger is only another three km towards Panamik. It makes an easy afternoon stroll, inhaling the beauty and the calmness of the impressive, stimulating countryside. Coming across a local, one can be sure to be greeted with a warm smile and a joyful Julee.

The 250 years old Ensa Gompa, nestled on top of a rock overlooking snow-peaked mountains across the valley is much further away than it looks. It takes at least a sixhour walk to reach, which involves crossing the river at Hargam The furthest place the permit allows one to visit in the valley is Panamik, the last settlement of any size before the Tibetan border. It's not very wise to proceed further than the provided barrier at the northern edge of the town since

Diskit gompa

this is a rather sensitive border area. It is completely controlled by the Indian Army, usually with very friendly soldiers. The 250 years old Ensa Gompa, nestled on top of a rock overlooking snow-peaked mountains across the valley is much further away than it looks. It takes at least a six-hour walk to reach, which involves crossing the river at Hargam. The hot springs on the outskirts of Panamik invite one for a literally sizzling bath experience, which will most probably be the first contact with hot water since one leaves Leh. The Nubra Valley is one of the

last treasures of our planet, living in sheer isolation for most of the year in the heart of the great Himalayas. A real Shangri La, with no 'Baywatch', no mobile phones and no Ray Ban sunglasses. How to reach Road: There are regular buses run by the Jammu and Kashmir State Transport Corporation to cover the distance of 150 km from Leh to Diskit, the administrative headquarters. The roads are maintained by the army and sudden changes in weather are common. One should be prepared to face natural hazards when visiting Nubra Valley.

Travel & Hospitality Post

July 9, 2010

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Hop-on hop-off bus service during Games NEW DELHI: Come September, the national capital will have its own hop-on hopoff bus service, modeled on the lines of best of such facilities in European countries. The service is being launched mainly to offer the visitors of the Commonwealth Games a better experience in exploring the city - be it Delhi's famous monuments or its authentic food. The hop-on hop-off bus service will take tourists to not only the historical monuments, museums and other places of importance but also to authentic Indian restaurants and popular markets. "We are trying to make it a wonderful experience for the visitors of the Games. Most likely the service will be launched on September 15," said Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta.

However, tourists will have to wait a little longer for experiencing Delhi from the rooftops of the hop-on hop off buses as such a facility will be offered at a later stage.

fer the tourists a great experience while exploring the city," Mehta said adding buses will be made available at selected monuments, shopping complexes and at eateries

Mehta said initially 15 to 20 air conditioned low floor buses will be pressed into service and all buses will have well trained guides besides other facilities like digital video screen. "Welltrained guides will also be deployed at historical monuments to offer the tourists a great experience while exploring the city Mehta said initially 15 to 20 air conditioned low floor buses will be pressed into service and all buses will have well trained guides besides other facilities like digital video screen. "Well-trained guides will also be deployed at historical monuments to of-

at an interval of 15 minutes. Mehta said there will be common ticketing for the service and tourists can spend as much time they want at a particular venue and then get into any of the buses. He said already, several flexible packages

were finalized to offer the visitors various options for the service initiated by Delhi Government's Tourism Department. The Chief Secretary said the service will be operated by Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC) and Prasanna Transport Company of Indore. The UMTC is a unique public private partnership of Ministry of Urban Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS). UMTC was formed to facilitate the design, development and implementation of sustainable road transport projects. Delhi is expected to receive over one lakh tourists during the Games to be held from October 3 to 14. -PTI

Virtual tour of dream destinations in Tamil Nadu CHENNAI: Vacationers from across the globe can now explore and visit several tourist spots and UNESCO monuments in Tamil Nadu through a virtual tour. Initiated by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) recently, a click on the mouse gets one all tourist spots live on screen with very real effects. "The aim of launching a virtual tour is an attempt to enable not only the local people, but also those abroad have a real kind of experience about various tourist spots of Tamil Nadu", TTDC IT incharge Justin Jose told PTI. TTDC plans include a virtual walk through 32 destinations, with another 24 famous spots to be added soon, he said. Jose said those who have not visited Thanjavur to see the famous Brahadeeswarar temple could pay a virtual visit to the site, enabling them see it in all its glory, including all the beautiful sculptures. He said these tours can be viewed on the website www.tamilnadutourism.org. "This website will also provide life to popular as well as lesser known spots in the state. Most often, visitors do not get proper information or guidance and are not able to visit the spots in its entirety", he added. . "The virtual tour will enable travelers to have an enchanting experience and also tell them what

to expect during their visit", Jose said, adding, TTDC expects their new initiative to be a hit and also bring in more tourists to the state.

‘The aim of launching a virtual tour is an attempt to enable not only the local people, but also those abroad have a real kind of experience about various tourist spots of Tamil Nadu’, TTDC IT in-charge Justin Jose told PT TTDC officials said the website had captured and displayed the natural beauty of spectacular tourist hotspots, including

Udhagamandalam, Kodaikannal, Valparai, Kolli hills, Yercaud and Yelagiri, among others. The user friendly website, developed in just a month, also offers a 'walk' through the Vandalur zoo, world famous Iravadeeshwarar temple at Darasuram, Rameswaram temple, Courtallam falls, Tiruvalluvar statue, Bhagavathi Amman temple and Vivekananda rock memorial in Kanyakumari. Several new features like medical tourism fairs, package tours, tourism policy announcements, medical tourism, honeymoon tour, online reservation system are available through this virtual tours for the benefit of domestic and foreign tourists. Officials also claimed that Tamil Nadu would be the first state to create virtual tours for more tourist spots. "More than two lakh people have already visited virtual tour portal within a span of three months", they said. -PTI

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In Brief One judge to consider all challenges to law PHOENIX: All five constitutional challenges to Arizona's controversial new immigration enforcement law will be heard by one federal judge in Phoenix. US District Judge Susan Bolton already was assigned two of the cases. She ordered the other three transferred to her. The cases at least for now remain separate, but Bolton says it's clearly in the ``interest of judicial economy'' to have one judge preside over all five. She also notes that all five cases remain in early stages of consideration. The Arizona law takes effect July 29 unless blocked by a court. Its provisions include a requirement that police officers enforcing another law to question a person's immigration status if there's a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally. -AP

Limits sought on filings on Ariz. immigration law PHOENIX: Gov. Jan Brewer's lawyers are asking a federal judge to put limits in filing of some briefs and motions in one of the legal challenges to Arizona's new immigration enforcement law. A motion filed in U.S. District court requests limits on so-called ``friend of the court'' briefs and motions because of what it calls the ``sheer volume'' of filings by interested parties. It says that volume is due to the high level of attention garnered by the law. The motion says many of the filings do nothing more than restate the original lawsuit's arguments or speculate about the potential impact of the law. -AP

Guilty verdict in NY beating death of immigrant NEW YORK: A New York City jury has convicted a man of murder as a hate crime in the beating death of an Ecuadorean immigrant. Jurors deliberated for about seven hours before convicting Keith Phoenix in the December 2008 death of Jose Sucuzhanay. Phoenix also was convicted of attempted assault as a hate crime in the attack on Sucuzhanay's brother. He was retried on the charges after the first jury ended in a mistrial. Prosecutors say Phoenix and Hakim Scott mistook the brothers for gay men and yelled slurs. -AP

Immigration 36

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Md. immigrant group leader meets Obama ANNAPOLIS, Md.: The leader of a Maryland immigrant advocacy group who met with President Obama says ``time is running out'' for positive signs from his administration. -AP

Tough state law revives dormant immigration issue TUCSON, Arizona: With the scrawl of a pen, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer awakened a dormant but politically explosive issue of illegal immigration, sending shock waves across the political spectrum in an election year when both parties had hoped to sidestep the topic. Two months after Brewer signed a new Arizona law instructing police to demand proof of a questionable person's legal status, voters have refocused on a topic that had faded into the background after Congress failed to overhaul the contentious immigration system in 2007. Protests have flared. Lawsuits have been filed. Arizona boycotts are under way. And more than 20 states are discussing similar efforts. Polls again put border security and immigration among voters' top concerns. ``It's not just a problem in Arizona, it's a problem everywhere. People are just furious,'' Gary Widemann says of illegal immigration. ``Something needs to be done.'' He would know. Widemann, 59, splits his time between Arizona, a big gateway for illegal immigrants

with an estimated 460,000 living here, and South Dakota, which has a small Hispanic population but relies on immigrants, legal or not, to fill jobs at its meatpacking plants. ``What the Arizona law did tap into was the idea that we've got to control our borders. This law really galvanized public opinion on that one aspect of this issue,'' said

an important issue. Every spoke in the wheel of American life is touched by it. Porous borders and undocumented people have national security implications. Foreign workers become an important part of the economy, filling low-paying jobs and possibly depressing wage scales in higher-paying

‘It's not just a problem in Arizona, it's a problem everywhere. People are just furious,’ Gary Widemann says of illegal immigration. ‘Something needs to be done’ Andrew Kohut, director of the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Politicians from President Barack Obama down find themselves again wrestling with a topic that is politically perilous for Republicans and Democrats alike, particularly in an election year and as both parties seek to court Hispanics, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group. They have little choice. An Associated Press-GfK poll this month showed that 85 percent of people now rank immigration as

ones. Schools, businesses and most other entities are forced to adapt to immigrant-swelled populations. Family, race and social norms also are at play. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who faces a fierce re-election fight in Nevada, pushed for legislation this year to provide an eventual path to citizenship, what critics call amnesty, for many of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Reid was accused of pandering and he shelved the plan when other Democrats refused to jump aboard.

In Arizona, Attorney General Terry Goddard opposes the law in a state that overwhelmingly supports it. The Democratic nominee for governor, he is trying to figure out just how to challenge Brewer on the issue. Republican candidates also find themselves in tough spots. Social conservatives want a get-tough policy on illegal immigrants; agriculture operations fear it will be too tough, and businesses want more visas for immigrants with high-tech skills. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican champion of comprehensive immigration reform when Congress last debated the issue, now advocates securing the border first. ``Complete the dang fence,'' McCain says in a TV ad in his party primary race against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a staunch border-security advocate. ``Would I have written the bill? Probably not,'' McCain said in a recent interview. ``But the fact is people in Arizona are frustrated because the federal government did not act. People feel very passionate about it, here and everywhere.'' -AP

Using different experience requirements CORA-ANN V. PESTAINA

e've pretty much gotten used to (but not accepted!) the vast inconsistencies that exist in degree-equivalency requirements with regard to filing an H-1B, a PERM or an I-140. We've been forced to cope with (though we will never understand!) the fact that the degree-equivalency regulations that govern EB-2 and EB-3 professionals are inconsistent with the degree-equivalency regulations that govern H-1B specialty occupations and that USCIS degree-equivalency regulations and the DOL's SVP scheme applied to labor certifications widely differ. We've come to understand how vital it is that we map out the entire green card process

prior to filing a PERM application and that we anticipate every potential pitfall and make early strategic decisions to prevent them. Yet, despite all our hard-earned knowledge and efforts, most of us will, at some point, be forced to deal with an unanticipated snag

degree-equivalency, has written a new article, The Nth Degree - Issues and Case Studies in Degree Equivalency: Crossing the Borderland Between DOL and USCIS Requirements, 15 Bender's Immigr. Bull. 863 (June 15, 2010). The article addresses the dif-

The PERM program established a ‘substantially comparable’ standard when considering whether prior experience gained on-the-job with the same employer may be used to qualify a foreign national for the job offered on an equivalency issue especially when the government changes its interpretation on a particular foreign degree. Ronald Y. Wada, who many of us turn to for guidance through the frustratingly obscure law of

ferences between the reviewing practices of the DOL and USCIS. While we've always focused on degree-equivalency requirements, the article highlights a different issue - experience. The PERM program established

a "substantially comparable" standard when considering whether prior experience gained on-the-job with the same employer may be used to qualify a foreign national for the job offered. Specifically, under the PERM regulations, a sponsoring employer is permitted to consider experience gained with that employer in instances where it establishes that the position in which the alien gained the qualifying experience is not "substantially comparable" to the job for which labor certification is being sought. Substantially comparable is defined by the regulations as a job or position requiring performance of the same job duties more than 50 percent of the time. Cont’d on page 39

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Immigrant farm workers' challenge: Take our jobs from federal overtime provisions, and small farms don't even have to pay the minimum wage. Fifteen states don't require farm labor to be covered by workers compensation laws. Any takers? ``The reality is farm workers who are here today aren't taking any American jobs away. They work in often unbearable situations,'' Rodriguez said. ``I don't think there will be many takers, but the offer is being made. Let's see what happens.''

Three out of four farm workers in the US were born abroad, and more than half are illegal immigrants, according to the Labor Department To highlight just how unlikely the prospect of Americans lining up to pick strawberries or grapes is, Comedy Central's ``Colbert Report'' plans to feature the ``Take Our Jobs'' campaign on July 8. Requests to Comedy Central and Colbert for comment on the nature of the collaboration weren't immediately answered. Another way of tackling the issue is to strengthen immigration enforcement, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports strict immigration laws. It's an idea that might not end up on Comedy Central, but reducing the pool of farm workers would force growers to improve working conditions and raise wages. ``They're daring the American people to get by without farm workers,'' he said. ``What I'm saying is, 'Let's take them up on that and call their bluff.''' The campaign is being played for jokes, but the need to secure the right to work for immigrants who are here is serious business, said

Michael Rubio, supervisor in Kern County, one of the biggest ag producing counties in the nation. `Òur county, our economy, rely heavily on the work of immigrant and unauthorized workers,'' he said. `Ì would encourage all our national leaders to come visit Kern County and to spend one day, or even half a day, in the shoes of these farm workers.'' Hopefully, the message will go down easier with some laughs, said Manuel Cunha, president of the California grower association Nisei Farmers League, who was not a part of the campaign. `Ìf you don't add some humor to this, it's enough to get you drinking, and I don't mean Pepsi,'' Cunha said, dismissing the idea that Americans would take up the farm workers' offer. California's agriculture industry launched a similar campaign in 1998, hoping to recruit welfare recipients and unemployed workers to work on farms, he said. Three people showed up. ``Give us a legal, qualified work force. Right now, farmers don't know from day to day if they're going to get hammered by ICE,'' he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ``What happens to my labor pool?'' His organization supports AgJobs, a bill currently in the Senate which would allow those who have worked in U.S. agriculture for at least 150 days in the previous two years to get legal status. The bill has been proposed in various forms since the late 1990s, with backing from the United Farm Workers of America and other farming groups, but has never passed. Politicians' and advocates' perspectives on the matter might change if they were to take up the farm workers' offer, said Rubio from Bakersfield. “The view and the temperature is much different from a row in a field than from inside an air conditioned office,'' he said. `Ìs it a challenge? Most certainly, yes. Come on down.'' -AP

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SAN FRANCISCO: In a tonguein-cheek call for immigration reform, farm workers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs. Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy, said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America. So the group is encouraging the unemployed - and any Washington pundits who want to join them - to apply for some of the thousands of agricultural jobs being posted with state agencies as harvest season begins. All applicants need to do is fill out an online form under the banner ``I want to be a farm worker'' at www.takeourjobs.org, and experienced field hands will train them and connect them to farms. Three out of four farm workers in the U.S. were born abroad, and more than half are illegal immigrants, according to the Labor Department. Proponents of tougher immigration laws have argued that farmers have become used to cheap labor. The problem with the UFW's proposition, they argue, is that growers don't want to raise wages and improve working conditions enough to attract Americans. In either case, those who have done the job have some words of advice for applicants. First, dress appropriately. During summer, when the harvest of fruits and vegetables is in full swing in California's Central Valley, temperatures hover in the triple digits. Heat exhaustion is one of the reasons farm labor consistently makes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' top ten list of the nation's most dangerous jobs. Second, expect long days. Growers have a small window to pick fruit before it is overripe; work starts before dawn and goes on for 12 or more hours. And don't count on a big paycheck. Farm workers are excluded

Immigration Post

India Post

July 9, 2010

www.indiapost.com

GOP gov hopefuls talk tough on illegal immigration ATLANTA: With rhetoric about immigration intensifying nationwide, Georgia's Republican candidates for governor are taking every chance they get to reiterate their tough stances on illegal immigration. At debates and forums, on their websites and in television advertisements, the four top contenders in the seven-person GOP primary say they'd support a tough immigration law like the one that recently passed in Arizona. And they're calling on state college administrators to make sure no illegal immigrants attend state schools. ``The competing Republican gubernatorial candidates are simply trying to show that they are very much committed to tougher immigration policy,'' said University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock. ``There's probably not a whole lot of difference between what they would do but, you know, it plays well.'' With a comprehensive immigration reform plan seeming unlikely to make it onto the congressional agenda this year, immigration might have lost footing this election year to pressing issues like health care and the economy. But the passage of a strict new law in

Arizona in April sparked months of heated debate. ``The reality is illegal immigration is a big problem nationwide, and it's a big problem in Georgia,'' said Stephen Puetz, campaign manager for Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, the GOP money leader. ``Our state needs to do more if the federal government isn't going to enforce their laws.'' The Arizona law, which goes into effect next month, requires police investigating another incident or crime to ask people about their immigration status if there's a ``reasonable suspicion'' they're in the country illegally. It has been widely decried by civil liberties and immigrant rights activists, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently said the federal government planned to sue over the issue. The four leading contenders for the Republican nomination for governor in Georgia have all said they would like to see a law here that mirrors the Arizona law. ``Nathan would put into law legislation similar to what passed in Arizona,'' said Brian Robinson, a spokesman for former congressman Nathan Deal. ``Immigration reform will be part of his mandate in his first session at the Legisla-

ture as governor.'' The high-profile case of an illegal immigrant student at Kennesaw State University who was arrested in the spring after being stopped for a minor traffic violation and was nearly deported before the federal government deferred action on her case for a year has also fueled the immigration debate in Georgia.

While immigration has been a much-discussed topic for Republicans in the gubernatorial primary, it's barely been a blip on the radar on the Democratic side ``Karen thinks we should check the legal status of students, and that those who are not here legally should be removed from school and should, frankly, be sent back to their country of origin,'' said Dan McLagan, a spokesman for former Secretary of State Karen Handel. Handel and the other three leading Republican candidates have all called on the Board of Regents, which oversees the state's public

universities and colleges, to come up with a way to verify that applicants are in the country legally. Former state Sen. Eric Johnson earlier this month unveiled a proposal that would require elementary and secondary schools to collect citizenship data on enrolling students and also would require public hospitals to find out which patients are in the country legally. Deal has publicly sparred with Johnson over that proposal, saying teachers and hospitals shouldn't be dragged into enforcement of immigration laws. Oxendine has said he will work with the state's next attorney general to sue the federal government to recoup prison and other costs incurred by the state for the detention of any illegal immigrant. His reasoning for that, said Puetz, is that states wouldn't have to bear those costs if the federal government had effectively done its job of keeping illegal immigrants out. In his role as insurance commissioner, a seat he's held since 1994, Oxendine hasn't dealt much with the issue of illegal immigration. The other three leading Republicans all tout their past records as indicators of future toughness. Johnson notes that he was

president pro tem in the state Senate when Georgia passed one of the toughest immigration laws in the country. Handel implemented the use of the federal SAVE database to verify the immigration status of applicants for professional licenses when she was secretary of state, McLagan said. Deal's campaign notes he consistently pushed for stricter enforcement of federal immigration laws while he was in Congress. While immigration has been a much-discussed topic for Republicans in the gubernatorial primary, it's barely been a blip on the radar on the Democratic side. But Bullock, the UGA professor, thinks it's a topic the Democratic nominee won't be able to avoid. ``I think it will continue on into the general election,'' he said. ``It's going to be an issue that I think we're going to see Republicans using across the nation.'' That wouldn't be a new tactic. When Gov. Sonny Perdue was running for re-election in 2006, GOP ads depicted him as tough on illegal immigration after he signed a strict immigration bill into law and accused Democratic challenger Mark Taylor of failing to show leadership on the issue. -AP

Teen shot by Border Patrol had Top GOP candidates focus on immigration reform smuggling arrests EL PASO, Texas: A 15-year-old Mexican boy shot and killed by a US Border Patrol agent was among El Paso's most wanted juvenile immigrant smugglers, according to federal arrest records reviewed by The Associated Press. The records show Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca had been arrested at least four times since 2008 and twice in the same week in February 2009 on suspicion of smuggling illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Hernandez was repeatedly arrested along the U.S. side of the border near downtown El Paso, not far from where he was killed, but was never charged with a crime by federal prosecutors. A Border Patrol agent shot and killed Hernandez June 7 while trying to arrest illegal immigrants crossing the muddy bed of the Rio Grande. Some witnesses said a group of people on the Mexican side were throwing rocks at the agents. Agents are generally permitted to use lethal force against rock throwers. The records show that in at least one case Hernandez was to

be paid $50 a person for smuggling four people into the U.S. The records also show that in one case, federal prosecutors declined to charge Hernandez because there were no ``extenuating circumstances or endangerment.'' Daryl Fields, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Antonio, said he could ``neither confirm nor deny that information.''

A Border Patrol agent shot and killed Hernandez June 7 while trying to arrest illegal immigrants crossing the muddy bed of the Rio Grande Border Patrol officials have declined to comment on his criminal record, citing an ongoing FBI investigation into whether the shooting was justified under Border Patrol rules and whether the agent, who remains unidentified, violated Hernandez's civil rights. FBI Special Agent William Weiss also declined to comment.

Mexican authorities have called the killing a murder and some demanded that the agent be extradited to Mexico to face criminal charges. U.S. officials have said that is highly unlikely. A grainy cell phone video capturing the shooting shows several illegal immigrants trying to scramble back to Mexico after a bicycle-mounted Border Patrol agent arrives in the riverbed. The agent detains one man on the U.S. side of the border and fires two audible shots toward Mexico after putting the man on the ground. The video shows what appears to be a body underneath a nearby railroad bridge spanning the border. Border Patrol officials have said the agent told the rock throwers to stop and back off, but they persisted and he fired several times. A federal official familiar with the investigation said there is evidence that Hernandez was throwing rocks at the agent at the time of the shooting. The official, who has been briefed on the case and reviewed some evidence, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about the case publicly. -AP

JOHNSTON, Iowa: Republi- lar in Arizona. can candidates for attorney genFindley and Matt Schultz, the eral and secretary of state said GOP nominee for secretary of they'd use the offices to focus state spoke during a taping of on illegal immigration, including the Iowa Public Television proa tweaked version of a contro- gram ``Iowa Press.'' Schultz, of versial Arizona law. Council Bluffs, is challenging Brenna Findley, of Dexter, who Secretary of State Michael is running for the Mauro, a Democrat state's top law en- Though many seeking a second forcement job, term, in November. said she'd push criticize the law, ``When it comes the Legislature to claiming it ento jobs and elections, toughen immigraillegal immigration courages racial tion laws. She can play a huge role,'' praised the Ari- profiling, polls Schultz said. zona law that al- indicate it's very Besides requiring lows police to devoters to have a popular in mand proof of citiphoto ID at the polls, zenship from any- Arizona Schultz said he one they suspect would set up a link of being in the country illegally. for businesses on the office's ``They certainly acted in order website that would connect them to get their state more resources to federal agencies that can verify to fight the illegal immigration citizenship. problem,'' Findley said. ``Then we would propose to She said she supports ``what's the Legislature to create some kind behind the law.'' of requirement to have businesses ``I think it should be tailored for verify their work force,'' he said. Iowa's circumstances,'' Findley The two are making their first said. ``We're not a border state.'' run for statewide office. Schultz is Though many criticize the law, a Council Bluffs City Council claiming it encourages racial pro- member. Findley is a former top filing, polls indicate it's very popu- aide to US Rep. Steve King. -AP

Immigration Post

July 9, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Using different experience requirements Cont’d from page 36

20 C.F.R. § 656.17(i)(5)(ii). Then, there is the USCIS rule, established in Matter of Wing's Tea House, 16 I&N Dec. 158 (Acting Reg'l Comm'r 1977), a precedent decision, which holds simply that the foreign national must possess the qualifications specified on the labor certification as of the priority date. In his article, Mr. Wada writes, "Since the AAO has stated in numerous nonprecedent decisions (and federal courts have affirmed) that USCIS has the authority to determine whether the beneficiary meets the job requirements shown on the PERM application, once the labor certification is approved by the DOL the rule regarding what experience can be counted shifts to the USCIS rule." This circumstance could provide the escape from the snare of a badly designed PERM, provide another option when the foreign national presents new information at the I140 phase ("Sorry, I guess I can't get all those experience letters after all!") or even help in instances where the USCIS attempts to revoke a previously approved I-140. The Wada article presents the case where a PERM was designed with a Master's degree requirement and was certified. At the I-140 phase, the USCIS refuses to accept the foreign national's Master's degree deeming his credentials equivalent to only a U.S. Bachelor's degree. If the foreign national is able to demonstrate five years of progressive, post-degree work experience prior to the priority date of the PERM application, then under the USCIS policy in Matter of Wing's Tea House, the foreign national may yet qualify for the offered

position and for EB-2. Importantly, the foreign national may even utilize experience gained on the job with the sponsoring employer - something he could not do during the labor certification phase especially if the two positions with the same employer were not more than 50% different! He may combine experience gained with a previous employer and experience gained with the sponsoring employer to arrive at the requisite 5 years of postdegree experience. It is only necessary that the foreign national

If the foreign national is found not to possess the degree or the experience listed on the PERM, which is not being used consistently at the time of the I-140, could it be held that the certification was not justified? meet the job requirements prior to the priority date, which is established when the labor certification is filed. USCIS does not set forth any "substantially comparable" standard à la the DOL. Matter of Wing's Tea House could also work in instances where, whether it's an EB-2 or an EB-3 I-140, the foreign national belatedly discovers that her previous employer still harbors ill-will toward her and thus refuses to issue her an experience letter. If the foreign national is left short 1 year of experience and she had been

employed with the sponsoring employer for at least 1 year before the labor certification was filed on her behalf, under Matter of Wing's Tea House, the foreign national could combine experience gained with the sponsoring employer and her previous experience to qualify her for the offered position despite the fact that her on-the-job experience would not have qualified her for the offered position at the labor certification phase due to the DOL's "substantially comparable" rule. But will it actually work? Having said all that, we should bear in mind that the USCIS is afforded grounds in 20 C.F.R. §656.30(d) to invalidate a labor certification based on a finding of fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact involving the labor certification application. While the scenarios outlined above would not compel such a finding, is there a chance that the USCIS could request that the DOL revoke the labor certification? Under 20 C.F.R. §656.32(a) the DOL may revoke an approved labor certification, based on a finding that the certification was not justified. If the foreign national is found not to possess the degree or the experience listed on the PERM, which is not being used consistently at the time of the I-140, could it be held that the certification was not justified? It is interesting food for thought. However, Matter of Wing's Tea House indeed presents an innovative path that could possibly be used to save an I-140 in trouble.

* Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

India Post

Sports Track Sharad Pawar becomes second Indian to head ICC NEW DELHI: A man who has earned his stripes as an astute politician, Sharad Pawar has became only the second Indian -after his one time adversary Jagmohan Dalmiya -- to occupy the top post at the International Cricket Council. Pawar's taking over as ICC President means it took 10 years after Dalmiya had quit as ICC Chairman that another Indian rose to the coveted position. A seasoned politician, 69-yearold Pawar is not new to sports administration, being the president of the Maharashtra Olympic Association and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), besides heading the state kho-kho, kabaddi and wrestling associations.-PTI

SPORTS 40 India Post

www.indiapost.com

Milind Rege appointed World Cup tournament manager

July 9, 2010

MUMBAI: Former Mumbai Ranji Trophy captain Milind Rege has been appointed as the 2011 World Cup tournament manager, it was learned here. "He would be the World Cup tournament manager to oversee the readiness of all eight venues (in India) to conduct these matches like preparing the dressing rooms, the umpires' rooms etc," according to Cricket Board sources. -PTI

Saina Nehwal confident of becoming world's No. 1 "I only pray that I will be injuryfree now to focus on World Championships and also the other two big events coming up - Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in China," Saina said. "There are areas like my defence, which I need to improve in the days to come. The fitness level has to be really good.

Afro-Asian bloc thwarts John Howard SINGAPORE: The powerful Afro-Asian bloc has thwarted former Australian Prime Minister John Howard's bid for the ICC Vice-President's post, prompting the governing body to seek a new candidate from the Australian and New Zealand cricket boards. "The ICC Executive Board met to discuss the nomination of the Honorable John Howard AC for the role of ICC Vice-President for the period 2010-12," the International Cricket Council said in a statement. "Following lengthy consideration it was recognized that the nomination put forward by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket did not have sufficient support within the ICC Board. No vote was taken. -PTI

American coach for Indian team in WSB NEW DELHI: A little-known American Ronald Simms and Dronacharya awardee Jagdish Singh have been roped in as coaches for the Indian team, comprising the likes of Olympic medalist Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar, for the World Series of Boxing starting this November. Vijender, Akhil, Jitender Kumar, Jai Bhagwan and Dinesh are the Delhi-based franchise's Indian picks and it also signed up nine international boxers at an auction held in London earlier this week. All these boxers will have to make some adjustments to their weight categories to participate in the event which starts November 19. -PTI

HISTORIC TRIUMPH: Saina Nehwal addressing Media at Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad along with her father and coach Gopichand. Saina Nehwal scripted history on June 21, 2009, becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament after clinching the Indonesia Open. She repeated the feat this year after lifting the Singapore Open Super series and the Indian Open, all in three weeks. -Pic snapsindia

HYDERABAD: After notching up an incredible hat-trick of international titles, ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has said she is confident of becoming the world's number one player soon. Saina, who rounded a hat-trick of titles by defending her Indonesia Open Super Series trophy in Jakarta, said she would now have to work harder to improve her ranking from number three to one. "Now it is important for me to work harder and win the next in-

ternational events rather than concentrating on the ranking. If I can become number three, then I can also become number one," Saina said at a press conference. "I enjoyed all the matches in the three tournaments. I was a little tired but was confident that I could do it. Finally I am happy that I have won three titles in a row. Now I want to win the upcoming tournaments," she added. Before winning in Jakarta, which was the 20-year-old's third

Super Series title overall, Saina had won the Indian Open Grand Prix at home and the Singapore Open Super Series Tournament. "Last year it was tough for me to win the Indonesia Open and it was something special as it was my first super series title. But the recent one is special because I have won three tournaments in a row," said Saina. Saina said she now wants is to steer clear of injuries so that she can give her best in the Commonwealth and Asian Games later this year.

'Last year it was tough for me to win the Indonesia Open and it was something special as it was my first super series title. But the recent one is special' I think, the challenges are bound to be tougher especially after winning these titles," said Saina. The Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association presented her a cheque for Rs 1 lakh for the rare achievement. Saina's father Harvir Singh, who was also present at the occasion, appreciated his daughter for proving her mettle in the international circuit. -PTI

US Carrom championship winners announced India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: United States Carrom Association has announced the winners of the 2010 National Championship supported by TV Asia. The event concluded on Sunday, June 27 and was held at the TV Asia Auditorium in New Jersey. Players from California, Virginia, Chicago, Texas including New Jersey and New York competed in the Singles and Doubles category. TV Asia 2010 Trophies were distributed to all the Winners and the Runner Ups and especially embroidered TV Asia T shirts were distributed to all the participants. The trophies were handed over by Mr. H R Shah Chairman of TV

our community in United States and Canada. TV Asia has always supported and will stand by its side in narrating the success and integration of our community in North America."

The US National Winners will now go to the World Carrom Championship where 20 countries will be participating

Asia who congratulated the US Carrom Association and all the players and their families for popularizing Carrom a family fun filled

game for all ages. Mr. Shah said "This effort by TV Asia is part of our core mission to encourage and highlight

The US National Winners will now go to the World Carrom Championship where 20 countries will be participating this year is being held in Richmond Virginia in September this year.

Briefs

Rohtang Tunnel work begins MANALI (HP): The drilling of a tunnel through the Himalayan ranges began here to facilitate laying out of an alternative all-weather road route to strategically important areas of Ladakh and providing a year-long connectivity to the remote Lahaul-Spiti valley. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her capacity as the National Advisory Council chief, declared open the tunnel drilling at South Portal, 30 km north of here, in the presence of Defence Minister A K Antony, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal and Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh. Gandhi unveiled a plaque signalling the inauguration of the drilling. Priests belonging to several religions chanted hymns before the inauguration. -PTI

'Demand for changes in AFSPA for political gains' NEW DELHI: Amid moves by the political leadership to make the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) "more humane", Army Chief Gen.V.K.Singh has voiced his opposition to any change, saying demands for dilution of the Act were being made for "narrow political gains". Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has promised amendments to the Act that gives sweeping powers to the Army in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East, to make it more humane. Home Minister P Chidambaram is also known to be in favor of diluting some of the provisions of the Act. -PTI

3-day Sindhu Darshan festival concludes in Leh JAMMU: The three-day Sindhu Darshan festival, in which pilgrims from different parts of the country took part, has concluded in Leh town of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir. The function marking the end of the festival was held at Pologround in Leh town. The former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundara Raje was the chief guest at the cultural function in which artists from Ladakh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh enthralled the audience with their performance. The Sindhu Darshan festival is organized by Sindhu Darshan Samiti every year drawing a large number of people from different parts of the country. -PTI

India News 41

India Post

www.indiapost.com

July 9, 2010

Capt of detained ship quizzed KOLKATA: The captain of the Karachi-bound ship, laden with military hardware, ammunition and explosives, was quizzed after the papers provided by him were found "inconsistent", even as officials were contemplating taking the vessel to Kolkata Port under escort. Papers and documents furnished by the captain of the ship, Aegean Glory Kingstown, to police and customs teams were inconsistent and it (the ship) will be escorted to Kolkata Port by the Customs, if necessary, Director General of Police (DGP) Bhupinder Singh said. -PTI

SP Mookerjee Martyrdom Day observed in Kashmir NIDHI SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

MUMBAI: History was created when Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who had attained martyrdom in a Srinagar jail on June 23, 1953 for demanding complete merger of Kashmir with rest of India, was remembered by select intellectual elite at a national seminar dedicated to his memory in Srinagar. The seminar was on the theme 'Rising India-Challenges of a troubled neighborhood.' It was inaugurated by former Army Chief Gen. V. P. Malik. Among the distinguished participants were eminent editor M.J. Akbar, Prof. Riyaz Punjabi, Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, India's former Ambassador to France and Germany, TCA Rangachari, Lt. Gen. Aditya Singh and Maj. Gen Vinod Saighal. A galaxy of leaders from various walks of life in Srinagar, faculty and students from Kashmir University and Islamic University, intellectuals and officers attended the seminar which was hugely decorated with pictures of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The program began with light-

ing of the lamp before the pictures of Bharat Mata and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee by all dignitaries and singing of the National Anthem. It was pointed out by local participants that even the national

Gen. Ved Malik said that challenges of China and Pakistan can be met with a strong India - which is strong economically, socially and militarily. M.J. Akbar spell-bound the audience with his sharp remarks and said that India can't be said to be rising unless Muslims also

Ambassador Rangachari gave details of the present status of India-China relations and underlined the need to learn Chinese

Shyama Prasad Mookerjee

anthem was sung perhaps for the first time after many years at a public function in Srinagar. Bal Apte, President of Dr. Syama Prasad Research Foundation welcomed the guests and Tarun Vijay, Director gave a vivid introduction to Dr. Mookerjee's illustrious life and underlined the significance of the day being observed in Srinagar.

get into the mainstream of progress. He said, like Hindus had reforms from within, Muslims must also change for a better social dynamics. He said that India is secular not because of the fifteen percent Muslim minority but because of the Hindu majority. He also said that Muslim women's progress alone can define Islam's progressive face. He said that Koran says 'to each his own', meaning freedom of thought. Prof. Riyaz Punjabi, Vice Chan-

cellor of Kashmir University, welcomed the idea of such a high level seminar in Srinagar, and said that only youth can take India ahead with a secular, non-sectarian vision and modern outlook. Lt. Gen Aditya Singh and Maj. Gen. Vinod Saighal spoke about creating awareness regarding challenges from China and Pakistan and stressed the need to create awareness about China amongst people. Ambassador Rangachari gave details of the present status of India-China relations and underlined the need to learn Chinese and get acquainted with the latest Chinese affairs creating an atmosphere of mutual trust. The program has been hailed as a milestone in creating bridges and removing fear psychosis regarding Kashmir. Amongst the luminaries who attended the seminar were Ashok Bhatt, Speaker Gujarat assembly, K.G. Bopiah, Speaker Karnataka Assembly, Ram Lal, All India Gen. Secy. (Organization) BJP, Shamsher Singh, President J&K state BJP and a large number of students and teachers. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Secretary of the Foundation and Arun Singh, trustee welcomed the guests.

BJP protest against JK govt in Jammu region JAMMU: The BJP held demonstrations in the Jammu region accusing the state government of attempting to demoralize the security forces operating in the border state. The protesters burnt effigies of the state government at all the 10 district headquarters -Kathua, Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar -- in the region. In Jammu city, over 1,500 activists led by BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas marched through market places raising anti-government slogans.

Later they burnt effigies of the state government at city's Chowk area. In Samba, the state highway was blocked by over 500 activists led by senior BJP leader S P Ganga

ment in tackling the security situation in Kashmir valley, where the security force personnel are being targeted, attacked and mercilessly beaten by the mobs and demoralized by the ministers of

'The security forces have been doing a commendable job in the valley during all these decades of militancy and deserve appreciation for creating a congenial atmosphere,' he said for over half an hour as part of the demonstration. "We are concerned over the total failure of the state govern-

the ruling NC-Congress coalition," Manhas told reporters here. "We will also held demonstrations on July 2 and July 3 at town,

tehsil and block levels in the region," he said. Manhas alleged that security forces were being unnecessarily defamed and demoralized because of the incompetence of the state government to deal with the situation in Kashmir. "The security forces have been doing a commendable job in the valley during all these decades of militancy and deserve appreciation for creating a congenial atmosphere," he said. The present trouble in Kashmir has been manipulated by anti-national elements to jeopardize the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra, Manhas said. -PTI

Tech News Kerala tribunal to get compensation from Coke THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF Government in Kerala has decided to set up a special tribunal to realize compensation from multinational soft drinks giant Coca Cola for the "serious losses" caused to people, environment and agriculture by its plant at Plachimada in Palakkad District. The state cabinet took the decision based on the report of a government appointed high-power committee which quantified the losses inflicted by the plant of the Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of Coca Cola, at Rs 216.26 crore, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan told reporters.

Delhi govt signs pact with UIDAI NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has signed a pact with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for smooth implementation of its ambitious project to issue identification numbers to the city's residents. Delhi Revenue Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said Delhi government will whole heartedly provide all assistance for successful implementation of the national project. Officials said Delhi is likely to be one of the first states to get the Unique Identification Numbers. As per the MoU, the UIDAI will develop standards for recording biometric data of residents and prescribe standards and criteria for verification of residents to be eligible for the UID and the city government will put in place an institutional mechanism and provide human resources for data collection. -PTI

TechBiz 42 India Post

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July 9, 2010

Pak hints India 'pulled out' of IPI because of US pressure ISLAMABAD: Three months after signing a USD 7.6 billion pact for a gas pipeline with Iran bilaterally, Pakistan has hinted that India had "pulled out" of the trilateral project under US pressure and said it could still join. "We never stopped India to be part of it (Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project). India, on its own, accord pulled out," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told PTI in an interview here. He contended that India "pulled out for obvious reasons" but did not elaborate despite being asked repeatedly, saying "you know it". -PTI

L&T Infotech joins global mobile phone alliance India Post News Service

NEW YORK: India's Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd. (L&T Infotech), one of the fastest growing IT Services companies - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the $9.8 Billion Larsen & Toubro - has joined the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). The OHA has developed Android, the first open and free Mobile Platform, and is a partnership of more than 65 global mobile industry leaders who have come together to accelerate innovation in mobile technology and to offer consumers a unique, simplified, less expensive and better mobile experience.

L&T Infotech is a leading provider of IT & engineering services offerings, solutions and Intellectual Property components in the Telecom Domain. L&T Infotech

tions; device testing and support services. "We are very excited to join the OHA. We have a very strong engineering team that adds value to

Android, developed by the OHA, is a complete, open mobile phone software stack. It includes everything a manufacturer or an operator needs to build a mobile phone provides services to handset OEMs, ODMs, telecom service providers and platform vendors. L&T Infotech's services portfolio includes platform & application development; middleware solu-

our clients in the Telecom domain on a continuous basis. By joining OHA, we will continue to demonstrate our focus and commitment towards the Android platform." said Mr. Sudip Banerjee, Chief Ex-

ecutive Officer of L&T Infotech. Android, developed by the OHA, is a complete, open mobile phone software stack. It includes everything a manufacturer or an operator needs to build a mobile phone. Android is not just a blueprint for the faraway future, but a complete platform that will give mobile operators, handset manufacturers, and developers everything they need to build innovative devices, software and services. All the OHA members are committed to commercially deploy handsets and services, using the Android Platform. Android and Open Handset Alliance are trademarks of Google, Inc.

India joins global club against financial frauds NEW DELHI: India has finally gained membership to the Financial Action Task Force, a global body that chalks policies to counter financial frauds and provides members access to information on suspicious transactions in countries including Switzerland, China, the US and the UK. The decision to include India

as the 34th member country was taken during a FATF plenary session in Amsterdam from June 2325 and marks the end of India's nearly decade long wait for admission. During this period, India

nancial enforcement and intelligence agencies of the country like the Financial Intelligence Unit, Enforcement Directorate, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau and Directorate of Revenue Intelli-

The membership will also bring increased responsibility on Indian financial institutions and banks to comply with better business practices served as an observer at FATF. "India is now a full member of the FATF. The step is a major development for India and the tax enforcement authorities in dealing with terror financing and combating money laundering," a senior Finance Ministry officer said. The Union government and fi-

gence would be able to exchange financial information from member countries, the officer said. Other agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Intelligence Bureau would also be able to route their requests of information for suspicious transactions and individuals through

proper channels, he added. Present members include Switzerland, the United States of America, China and the United Kingdom. The membership will also bring increased responsibility on Indian financial institutions and banks to comply with better business practices and strict adherence to reporting of financial transactions including suspicious ones. "The FATF discussed and adopted the mutual evaluation reports assessing compliance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India and Brazil, against the international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing? the 40+9 Recommendations," an FATF statement during the Amsterdam session said. -PTI

Diesel prices to go the petrol way: PM ON BOARD PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said diesel prices too will be freed from government control as part of "muchneeded reforms" but LPG and kerosene will continue to be subsidized. He also rejected the Opposition criticism of last week's decision to hike fuel prices, which saw petrol prices being pegged to market

rate. "The fact that petrol prices have been set free, the same is going to be done to the diesel prices. (These are) muchneeded reforms," he told journalists accompanying him on his way back home from Toronto where he attended the G-20 Summit. The government on June 25 decontrolled petrol prices, resulting in a Rs 3.50 a liter increase in

rates in Delhi, and raised diesel prices by Rs 2 a liter in preparation for an eventual decontrol. Diesel rates, at current prices, will rise by another Rs 1.50 if it is freed from government control. The Prime Minister did not say by when the diesel prices will be decontrolled but said domestic cooking gas LPG and kerosene prices will continue to be regulated by the government. -PTI

July 9, 2010

TechBiz Post

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Fuel price hike justified, Opposition being hypocrites: Deora

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NEW DELHI: As Opposition parties braced up for a nationwide strike against the hike in fuel prices, Oil Minister Murli Deora has justified the decision, saying the increase translated to less than Re 1 per day on domestic LPG and 26-27 paisa a day on kerosene. "No benefit will accrue with this kind of adventurism. We want people and Opposition parties to understand the compulsions under which we took this decision and what impact it will have on people," Deora told reporters here. Describing claims made by critics of the June 25 decision as "exaggeration", he said the Rs 35 increase in the price of LPG cylinders translated into an additional burden of less than a rupee per day, considering a bottle of domestic gas lasts 30-35 days. The Rs 3 a litre hike in kerosene translated into an additional burden of 26-27 paisa per day. "We have kept the burden on the poor man the minimal. The talk of the hike breaking the back of the poor and common man is nothing but exaggeration. The facts are before you," he said. BJP and Left parties have separately given a call for a nationwide strike on July 5 against the fuel price hike. Deora refused to answer questions on a rollback, saying, "I do not know anything (on that)." Alongside the hike in LPG and kerosene rates, the prices of petrol were freed from government control, leading to an increase in the rates by Rs 3.50 per litre in Delhi from June 26. Diesel prices were also deregulated, but the rates increased by Rs 2 per litre only, in preparation for an eventual freeing of prices. "The NDA government raised price of PDS kerosene from Rs 2.52 per litre in January, 1998, to Rs 9 per litre in March, 2002. This hike was 258 per cent, even though crude oil prices rose by just 147 per cent during the period," he said. The Congress-led UPA government did not increase kerosene prices for the past six years, despite the price of crude oil (the raw material for making petrol, diesel, domestic

LPG and kerosene) more than doubling from USD 36 a barrel in May, 2004, to USD 78. "We raised kerosene rates by Rs 3 per litre against the required increase of Rs 18.07 per litre," he said. "We have ensured that the poor are not unnecessarily burdened." "We will continue to subsidise LPG and kerosene, which are the common man's cooking fuels. Even after last week's price increase, kerosene price is Rs 15.07 per litre below cost and LPG is under-priced by Rs 226.90 per cylinder," he said. . The United Front government, of which the Left parties, TDP and Samajwadi Party were constituents, in November, 1997, notified full deregulation of the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene by 2002. According to this schedule, the rates of

Alongside the hike in LPG and kerosene rates, the prices of petrol were freed from government control, leading to an increase in the rates by Rs 3.50 per litre in Delhi from June 26. Diesel prices were also deregulated, but the rates increased by Rs 2 per litre only, in preparation for an eventual freeing of prices. kerosene and LPG should have been at least double the revised price of Rs 12.32 per litre and Rs 345.35 per cylinder respectively. Deora said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated that the government had taken care that the poorest sections of society are not impacted and so, kerosene and LPG prices would continue to be regulated. "We want support of the people and the Opposition (on the issue of fuel price hike)," he said. "The increase in kerosene price will also help stop adulteration and diversion of PDS kerosene to open market."

May exports jump 35 pc; European crisis may affect demand NEW DELHI: India's exports rose 35.1 per cent in May to USD 16.1 billion yearon-year, but the trouble brewing in some European economies may weigh on future demand. The seventh straight month of rise was registered on a low export base of USD 11.95 billion in May 2009, when shipments had plunged by over 29 per cent from the previous fiscal under the impact of the recession in the US and several other advanced economies. For the April-May 2010-11 period, exports grew by 35.7 per cent to USD 33 billion against the year-ago period, according to official data. President of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations A Sakthivel said that the crisis in some European countries is a cause for concern. "We hope the growth trend will continue but the only worrying aspect is the crisis in the euro zone, which is likely to affect India's exports in that area," he said. He also said the depreciation of euro would provide fierce competition to Indian products in countries where they are facing competition from Euro nations. The Euro has depreciated by about 17.5 per cent against the rupee since November last year. Of the USD 176.50 billion exports last fis-

cal, Europe accounted for 23 per cent. Ministry officials said that labor-intensive sectors like engineering, gems and jewellery, leather and man-made fibers have registered healthy growth rates in May. Imports also surged 38.5 per cent in May to USD 27.4 per cent, indicating a rapid pace of domestic economic activity and leading

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We hope the growth trend will continue but the only worrying aspect is the crisis in the euro zone, which is likely to affect India's exports in that area,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said to a trade gap of USD 11.29 billion during the month under review. Imports during the first two months of this fiscal grew 40.9 per cent to USD 54.7 billion against USD 38.85 billion in the same period last year. Oil imports in May were valued at USD 8.8 billion while the non-oil import bill was about USD 18.6 billion. -PTI

Health

Line

Probe widens in use of unauthorized birth control

PROVIDENCE, R.I.: Rhode Island health officials are expanding an investigation into the distribution of unauthorized birth-control devices. OB-GYN Associates, an obstetrics center, was censured by the state health department last week for implanting intrauterine devices in women that were not approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. Health officials say they can't vouch for the devices' effectiveness, but that there's no urgent need for women to have them removed. Health department spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth says a handful of other practices have since come forward to say that they also have been distributing unauthorized IUDs. She would not name the centers. -AP

Ark Health Board looks at synthetic marijuana LITTLE ROCK, Ark.: The Arkansas Board of Health has called a special meeting to discuss whether to enact an emergency ban of synthetic marijuana products. The board announced that it will consider a proposed emergency regulation that would prohibit products marketed as K2, Zohia, Spice and under other names. A number of Arkansas cities and counties have made the product illegal. The synthetic compound is chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Users smoke in cigarettes or pipes, just as they would real marijuana. -AP

No cancer cluster at Carlsbad school CARLSBAD, Calif.: State epidemiologists have told concerned parents that they can't find any evidence of cancer clusters in the neighborhoods surrounding a Carlsbad elementary school. State public health officials studied several Carlsbad census tracts near Kelly Elementary School and the Encino power plant, comparing them to the state's cancer registry. Parents are concerned about contamination in the air, water and soil. But Dr. Donald Lyman said epidemiologists found no evidence of excess cancer. Researchers studied more than 8000 cases of cancer between 1996 and 2008. -AP

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July 9, 2010

North General Hospital in Harlem to close NEW YORK: Just two months after St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village closed, Harlem's North General Hospital says its filing for bankruptcy and shutting its doors July 2. -AP

India-US Health Initiative set into motion India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The dialogue on the India US Health Initiative was set into motion when India's Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad met with US Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius in Washington DC June 25. This initiative reflects the continuing partnership between the two countries with health as the fulcrum. This is the second meeting between the two leaders within a short span of one month. At the meeting, Azad raised the following issues from the Indian side: a. The need for an oversight mechanism to review all collaborative partnerships between USA and India. b. The need for a strong US position in support of the 'One World One Health' concept in the context of Avian & Pandemic Influenza. c. With India emerging as a global provider of health manpower, the need to upgrade nursing and paramedical education in India to international standards and for introducing into India, the institutions of nurse practitioner and emergency paramedic. d. The need to explore the possibility of a tie between US medi-

Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad meeting US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius at the Health and Human Services Department in Washington, DC on June 25. Also seen is Ambassador Meera Shankar.

The American side suggested the setting up of four working groups that will serve to engage all relevant parts of each government to advance cooperation and to establish common goals cal institutes of excellence and the six AIIMS like institutes being set up by the Govt. of India. The American side suggested the setting up of four working groups that will serve to engage all relevant parts of each government to advance cooperation and to establish common goals. The Health Minister welcomed the proposal and also suggested that mental health be included in the

working group on non communicable diseases and further that issues of nursing and paramedical education, quality assurance and health informatics also needed to be included in the mandate of these working groups. Secretary Sebelius acknowledged the efforts being made by India for Polio Eradication and expressed the desire to work together for achieving this goal. The estab-

lishment of the Global Disease Detection Centre also came up for discussion and it was agreed that both sides needed to expedite finalization of the MOU on this issue. Minister Azad also invited Secretary Sebelius to visit India for the next round of discussions under the India US Health Initiative. Later in the day, Azad addressed the annual convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). Addressing the well attended convention Azad outlined the reforms process being implemented in the health sector in India and highlighted the fertile opportunities for public private partnerships that were now emerging in the Indian health sector. During his week-long tour to the US, the Minister also visited the Centre for Disease Control Atlanta where he held discussions with the top management of CDC about strengthening epidemiological surveillance systems in India. The Minister also visited the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC which he described as Centers of research and academic excellence. During discussions with the top scientists of these institutes areas for possible collaboration in the future were also identified.

It is your birthright to be thin! not fat, so why do humans suffer from this? Where lies the problem? At age 50, I weighed 168 lbs. and had really given up on myself. I was absolutely certain I would never lose another pound. In fact, the weight just kept creeping up each year. I had lost interest in myself and did not feel very happy about the way I looked. Still, I was really not interested in losing weight, because I was not going to put myself on a diet. I had accepted my fate of being fat. So what happened? How did I manage to lose 28 lbs. and keep it off without dieting?

VIBHOOTI KUMAR

ow many of you look for ward to dieting? What comes to your mind when you hear this word? Are you jumping for joy to get started? Or are you like me and want that word to be removed from the dictionary. Diet or Dying, what is the difference? For me it means Deprivation - not being able to eat what I love, Regimen - following some insane mix of foods, Control - something that is going to require a lot of willpower on my part. Before I get started, I am already looking to get off it. Does weight loss have to be so painful? Animals in nature are

Before 168 lbs

Now 143 lbs

Cont’d on page 46

July 9, 2010

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9 in 10 docs blame lawsuit fears for oversetting CHICAGO: Ninety percent of physicians surveyed said doctors overtest and over treat to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits. That sentiment is more common among male doctors than female doctors, according to the survey published in Archives of Internal Medicine. The findings echo a recent Associated Press story in which many emergency room doctors said lawsuit fears are the main reason for over treating in the ER. The Archives survey of 1,231 physicians nationwide included ER doctors and other specialists, surgeons and primary care doctors. The survey asked two questions: ``Do physicians order more tests and procedures than patients need to protect themselves from malpractice suits?'' And, ``Are protections against unwarranted malpractice lawsuits needed to decrease the unnecessary use of diagnostic tests?'' Overall, 91 percent of doctors surveyed agreed with both statements. Survey co-author Dr. Tara Bishop, an internist at Mount

Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said the results jibe with what she hears from colleagues. ``When you sit around at a dinner party with doctors, malpractice fears and a kind of hatred of the malpractice system really comes up as a common theme,'' Bishop said.

'When you sit around at a dinner party with doctors, malpractice fears and a kind of hatred of the malpractice system really comes up as a common theme' Paul Perantinides, a medical malpractice attorney in Akron, Ohio said most of his cases involve doctors failing to test _ a point that Bishop said emphasizes why doctors sometimes order so many tests. Bishop said lawsuit fears sometimes play a role in her own decisions to order tests, ``particularly if it's a high-risk patient.''

Bishop noted that defensive medicine is estimated to cost the U.S. health care system billions of dollars each year, and said many doctors worry they could be sued even when they follow standardof-care guidelines. Patient advocate Helen Haskell of the group Mothers against Medical Errors said she isn't surprised so many doctors say they overtest because of malpractice concerns. ``I think they certainly believe that, but at the same time the oversetting is both easy and profitable for them rather than spending time with the patient ... to get to the root of things,'' said Haskell, of Columbia, S.C. Her 15-year-old son died in 2000 from a medical error after elective surgery. Doctors agreed to a hefty settlement without a lawsuit being filed. Bishop and colleagues randomly selected doctors for the survey from an American Medical Association list of U.S. doctors. A total of 2,416 were mailed surveys starting in June last year; half sent in responses and data collection ended in October. -AP

High court won't review San Fran health care plan SAN FRANCISCO: The US Supreme Court has rejected a business-led challenge to a universal health care program in San Francisco that has enrolled more than 53,000 people who lacked health insurance. The justices denied an appeal from the Golden Gate Restaurant Association of an appeals court ruling upholding the program's requirement that employers help pay the bill or give their workers health coverage. The decision allows the program to maintain its emphasis on sharing the financial responsibility for health care - a cost borne by the public, employers and employees, said Tangerine Brigham, director of Healthy San Francisco. ``If they don't contribute funds for health care services and their employee comes to a public or community-based organization for care, the cost is borne by the public,'' Brigham said. Kevin Westlye, executive director of the restaurant association, said his group has no disagreement with Healthy San Francisco, but questioned whether employers should have to pay for what they consider an overpriced mandate.

The mandate is already costing jobs and making dinning out in San Francisco more expensive, Westlye said. The restaurant association said the city cannot require employers to pay the fee because a federal law generally prohibits state and local interference in the area of benefits that are offered to employees.

The restaurant association said the city cannot require employers to pay the fee because a federal law generally prohibits state and local interference in the area of benefits that are offered to employees Healthy San Francisco was created in 2006 to provide health care for residents who lack private insurance but are not eligible for other public programs. The city says the program has resulted in a drop of almost 70 percent in emergency room visits at San Francisco General Hospital. -AP

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July 9, 2010

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Planned Parenthood challenges Neb. abortion law LINCOLN, Neb.: Planned Parenthood of the Heartland filed a lawsuit challenging a new Nebraska law requiring mental health screening for women seeking abortion. The new law would require women wanting abortions to be screened by doctors or other health professionals to determine whether they were pressured into having the procedure. Those women also would have to be screened for risk factors indicating they could have mental or physical problems after an abortion. Planned Parenthood, which runs one of two abortion clinics in Nebraska, has been critical of the measure, saying it could be difficult to comply with and could give women irrelevant information. ``The act would ban abortions in Nebraska by imposing, as a condition to performing lawful abortions, impossible, unintelligible, and unprecedented so-called 'informed consent' requirements on abortion providers that vastly stray from accepted and, indeed, good medical practice,'' Planned

Parenthood said in its lawsuit. Supporters of the screening law say it could help prevent medical problems after the abortion is performed and would put the preabortion reviews in line with those used in other medical procedures. Doctors would have to tell patients if they had any risk factors indicating they could have mental or physical problems after an abortion, but could still perform it in those cases. The scope of the information a doctor would have to provide a woman seeking an abortion would amount to tens of thousands of articles and studies, many of them out-of-date or debunked, according to Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President Jill June and the group's attorney, Mimi Liu. Liu noted that a doctor would have to discuss a study linking abortion and breast cancer, even though leading medical organizations including the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society have rejected that study as flawed and point to subsequent studies that say there is no link.

The Nebraska law also would require an abortion doctor to document every article and study shared with the patient, Liu said, meaning the process of informing a patient under the law could take months longer than the pa-

Supporters of the screening law say it could help prevent medical problems after the abortion is performed and would put the pre-abortion reviews in line with those used in other medical procedures tient would have to legally seek an abortion. Liu said the only way a physician can be certain of not violating the proposed law ``is to cease providing abortion care. That amounts to a ban on a woman's right to choose to terminate her pregnancy, and that is unconsti-

It is your birthright to be thin! Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 44

This story starts in August of 2009. I am a big fan of the Bodhi Tree in West Los Angeles and its inspirational speakers. That day, I went to listen to a dialogue on Krishnamurti and had arrived early to hang out and smell some books. I happened to pass their events room and saw a lecture finishing up. That is when I met Alfonso De Rose. He caught my eye as I walked in, and he told me straight off, "I see sadness in your eyes." Of course, that caught my attention. "What? What do you mean by that?" "Come to my seminar," he said. "But I don't like diets, and I'm not going to follow any crazy routine." He assured me that would not be the case, and I could eat till I was full and eat whatever I loved, even chocolate cake. I signed up immediately for his next three day workshop in Los Angeles. In order to change the outer reflection of yourself you need to address what is happening on the inside. This is where weight is stored, in your emotional body. Working from the inside out, finding out why you need to fill yourself with food when you really are not hungry. What are the real issues behind why you eat? This is what we looked at. Alfonso guided us using different techniques, each one taking us deeper

into ourselves. Your body is a storehouse of knowledge and emotions. Its natural state is to be healthy and thin. Become aware of your body, and learning to listen to it will take you back to your natural state. "It's your birthright to be Thin," he said. We started day one by looking at our earliest memory of gaining weight, and what significant events happened around that time that lead to our weight gain. We

In order to change the outer reflection of yourself you need to address what is happening on the inside. This is where weight is stored, in your emotional body looked at what fat was doing in our lives, what was the purpose we gave it, and what it was protecting us from. Alfonso feels that Fat is a protection we use to hide ourselves from our pain. Then we looked at who or what we thought was responsible for our weight gain. Learning to take responsibility for ourselves was part of the journey. We looked at why we wanted to lose weight, our life values, health values, and what our ideal body looked like. Then we signed a contract with ourselves

to make a commitment to make that change. Your body yearns to be loved. Yes, there is a part of you that wants to be nurtured and craves positive attention. What are you doing to take care of yourself? Women are the biggest culprits of self neglect. They are so busy taking care of others that they forget themselves. We were given simple techniques on how to nurture the inner child. This I found to be very important for our emotional bodies. Most of us know that the size of our stomach mirrors the size of our fist, but because of eating for all the wrong reasons, we have enlarged it so much that we are able to down huge platefuls of food. Part of the program was to work on bringing the stomach back to its natural size. We learned about how to really enjoy immense pleasure from the food we eat, watching for the signals our body is giving us of when it is satisfied. I have attended two Thinner Journey workshops each one was a different experience as I went deeper into the issues that were causing me to hold onto the fat on my body. Being fat is not our natural state, and we can return our body to its natural state of being thin simply by self care and self love. Diets are not in my dictionary.

tutional.'' The new law says if a screening was not done or was performed inadequately, a woman with resulting mental or physical problems could file a civil suit. Doctors would not face criminal charges or lose their medical licenses. The screening law is set to go into effect on July 15, but Liu said the group will seek an injunction to keep it from going into effect until the lawsuit is decided. The mental health screening law is one of two controversial abortion laws passed by state lawmakers last spring and signed into law by Gov. Dave Heineman. The other new law would ban abortions starting at 20 weeks, and that is set to go into effect in midOctober. That ban is based on assertions from some doctors that fetuses feel pain by that stage of development. It, too, had initially drawn threats of a legal challenge, but attorneys on both sides of the debate have recently theorized that the law might be allowed to stand over fears that losing a challenge to it would change the legal landscape for abortion. If opponents challenge the law and lose, the court could redefine the measure for abortion restrictions, throwing out viability when the fetus could survive outside the womb in favor of the point

when a fetus can feel pain. If future medical advances were to show a fetus can feel pain at an earlier stage, abortions could be restricted earlier. ``Anybody who wants to challenge the laws is going to have to assess whether the strategic risks of bringing a lawsuit outweigh the likelihood of a victory,'' said Caitlin Borgmann, a law professor at The City University of New York. A challenge ``could be seen by some people as too risky,'' said Borgmann, who testified against the ban during a legislative hearing in February. Asked whether Planned Parenthood intended to challenge Nebraska's ban on abortion at 20 weeks, Liu noted that her group has some time yet to make that decision. ``We're still weighing our options,'' she said. Dr. Leroy Carhart, who has a Bellevue abortion clinic and is one of the few doctors in the country to offer late-term abortions, lauded Planned Parenthood's challenge. ``The legislature is so consumed with pandering to the antichoice lobby, they have passed legislation that is vague and ambiguous and values the Legislature's words over the expertise and medical judgment of a physician,'' Carhart said in a statement. -AP

FDA urging limited antibiotics in meat WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration is urging meat producers to limit the amount of antibiotics they give animals in response to public health concerns about the drugs. The FDA said antibiotics in meat pose a ``serious public health threat'' because the drugs create antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can infect humans who eat it. The agency is recommending that producers use the drugs judiciously, limiting their use unless they are medically necessary and only using them with the oversight of a veterinarian. ``Developing strategies for reducing (antibiotic) resistance is critically important for protecting both public and animal health,'' the agency said in draft guidelines printed in the Federal Register. The agency said misuse and overuse of the drugs has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics have been given to animals to kill pathogens for more than 50 years, and the FDA acknowledged that prac-

tice has had ``tremendous benefits'' to animal and human health. Of greater concern, the agency said, is when producers use antibiotics on healthy animals to speed growth and reduce feed costs. The agency is also concerned about antibiotics that are given continuously through feed or water to entire herds or flocks of animals. The agency said it is expecting to issue more specific guidelines soon, but FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs Joshua Sharfstein would not say whether the agency eventually plans to issue stricter regulations. He said the guidelines are just a first step and the agency will be watching industry response and also patterns of antibiotic resistance. Advocates on both sides of the issue criticized the decision. Sam Carney, a pork producer from Adair, Iowa, and president of the National Pork Producers Council, said reducing the amount of antibiotics given to animals could harm their health. -AP

Realty Tidbits

Skyrocketing property prices in Mumbai

Real Estate

umbai Skyrocketing prop erty prices over the last few months have taken housing beyond the reach of the salaried class, with barely six per cent of the total new housing stock in Mumbai priced under Rs 50 lakh. On the other hand, a staggering 46 per cent of these flats cost over Rs 1 crore. Figures compiled by real estate research agency Liases Foras show that of the 8,000-odd flats that make up the unsold housing stock, hardly 500 are priced below Rs 50 lakh. These are mostly oneroom kitchen flats or one-bedroom flats in projects by small-time developers from Kurla-Tilak Nagar to Mulund.

Realtors seek cap on brokerage

n a bid to save Chennaiites from the clutches of haggling real estate brokers, leading realtors in the city promised to infuse fair practices in deals, rationalize brokerage fees and ensure greater transparency in realty transactions. The Chennai Real Estate Agents' Association (CREAA), one of the member organizations of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), will organize the second national convention of NAR at Mamallapuram on July 16 and 17 to drive home these objectives. The convention would work towards adopting international practices and raising operational standards in realty deals, National Association of Realtors-India 2010 chairman C Suresh Reddy told media representatives.

Real estate sector picking up: Industry body

CHENNAI: The real estate sector is picking up after the slump witnessed during the global economic meltdown, an industry body said. "In Chennai alone, in the whole of last year the total occupancy level was 2.6 million square feet. But in the last six months, we had crossed 2 million square feet of occupancy, which shows a rapid growth," National Association of Realtors Committee's media head Ramesh Nair said. Demand has been growing at a decent rate and the property consultancy industry has tremendously evolved in the last 15 years, said Nair, who is also the managing director of the city-based real estate developer Jones Lang La Salle.

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Rise in property-related crimes in Chennai

n recent years, Chennai has expanded rapidly and so has crime in the city, particul.arly those relating to property. A survey of the statistics put out by the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) for the past four years, from 2006 to 2009, show that Chennai ranks high in all crimes relating to property, followed closely by Tirunelveli and Coimbatore. Property crimes, as defined by the SCRB, include murder, dacoity, burglary, robbery and theft.

Asians are the largest real estate investors in London LONDON: A weaker pound and robust economies at home have made Asians the largest investors in Central London’s real estate market, a global property consultancy firm, Knight Frank said recently. The report said Asians, who spent 761 million pounds in newbuilt properties in London for better returns in FY 2010, accounted for nearly half (49 per cent) of all investment purchases in the country while UK investors constituted for only 36 per cent. “While the market has returned to life after it pretty much shut down in 2008, current international investment demand is almost totally concentrated on London and is primarily coming from Asia,”

said, Liam Bailey, the Head of Residential Research, Knight Frank. Knight Frank described the revival of international investment demand for new-build property as

or Hong Kong, 10 per cent from Singapore and 7 per cent from Malaysia. Also, the Asians were likely to invest 20 per cent more on new-

‘While the market has returned to life after it pretty much shut down in 2008, current international investment demand is almost totally concentrated on London and is primarily coming from Asia’ one of the most remarkable features of the residential market over the past 18 months. It estimated about 49 per cent of all investors in the 12 months to March 2010 were Asian, of whom 11 per cent were from China

build properties in residential sector of real estate in hope for better returns. Increasing Asian student population in UK is another factor towards increase in residential property investments in London.

Over the past decade the number of Asian students studying in UK universities has risen by 175 per cent. Interestingly, the strongest growth comes from Chinese, Indian and Pakistani nationals, said the report. The study also pointed out a change in buyer priorities with Asian buyers preferring more upmarket quality properties in the past 12 months. “In 2007, exhibitions in Asia were focused on smaller affordable units but now demand is for more spacious one of two bedroom apartments from 400,000 pounds to 800,000 pounds and more,” said Sebastian Warner of Knight Frank’s residential Investment team. –PTI

Delhi real estate deals see jump before hike

ith the Delhi government yet to formally notify the new circle rates announced on June 14, the Capital's real estate market has been busy pushing through deals and registering them over the last fortnight. The new rates are at least three times the existing ones, and as a result the number of documents received by sub-registrars across Delhi has registered a 20-25 per cent jump, said Revenue department officials. "We haven't formally tabulated the transactions so far, but there are reports of an increase in the number of transactions in anticipation of the hike," said Principal Secretary, Revenue, D M Spolia. The maximum increase has been

reported from mid-income areas in Northwest Delhi and West Delhi, officials said. These include areas like Narela, Rohini, Mongolpuri, Saraswati Vihar and Model Town in Northwest Delhi and Mansarovar Garden and major com-

The maximum increase has been reported from mid-income areas in Northwest Delhi and West Delhi, officials said. These include areas like Narela, Rohini, Mongolpuri, Saraswati Vihar and Model Town mercial and residential areas like Janakpuri and Tilak Nagar in West Delhi. Till the new rates come into force sometime next month, transactions are being done according to the structure introduced in 2007.

Commercial realty market beginning to stabilize

ith India's economic re covery well under way, its commercial real estate market is also beginning to stabilize, said a report released by the Real Estate Intelligence Services division of Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj. The report titled, "The Seven Stars of India - India's best-performing micro markets for occupiers", highlights the most fa-

The existing circle rates - the minimum amount at which a property is valued and sold - were fixed according to the categories defined by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for collecting property tax. "But we realized that there was a difference of

vorable office micro-markets in India. The report said that while the landscape will remain favorable for tenants in 2010, landlords will have greater influence starting in 2011, which means they should proactively look at locking in attractive leases in the near-term, as office rents are beginning to bottom out.

1,000 per cent in the market value and the circle rates fixed by us in some cases. The existing rates reflected only 30-40 per cent of the actual market value," Spolia added. As part of a survey conducted last

year, the Revenue department found that the circle rates for built up flats in areas like Vasant Kunj and Friends Colony were almost the same as those in Govindpuri. In a bid to reduce this discrepancy between the actual market price of a property and the existing circle rates, the government announced a new policy earlier this month. In the new scheme, Defense Colony, Greater Kailash, Gulmohar Park, Panchsheel Enclave, Green Park and Hauz Khas that fall under Category A for property tax collection, will register a 300 per cent increase in circle rates. The rates have been revised from the existing Rs 43,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per square meter in these South Delhi colonies.

Horoscope

48 India Post

July 9, 2010

www.indiapost.com

ARIES Mar 21-Apr 20 You may take a short trip to a hot and dry area. Bank balance will keep growing once again. Your actions will reflect confidence. Some of you will finally dispose off some assets and be free of big debt. It is going to be another favorable week for Job seekers. You will call overseas more frequently this week.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22 You may have to twist facts a little and the work will get done. Positive changes will continue to take place in career and you will be happy and excited. Some of you may increase physical activities or join a health club to come back in shape. You may buy an old but big property that require lots of repairs.

SAGITTARIUS

July 9, 2010 to July 15, 2010

Nov 23-Dec 22 Legal matters will take some interesting and positive turn. There will be several change in your travel plans and destination also. Money wise you will meet all commitments on time. Project you have been working on will require more than earlier estimated, so be ready with a backup plan.

TAURUS Apr 21-May 20 You will hit some kind of financial jackpot. Money through stocks or lottery possible. Do not rush to conclusions and think with a rational mind when it comes to matters of heart. You will meet few relatives you have not met for long at another relatives house. Chance of addition in the family are strong.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sept 22 Be careful with the extra money you have on hands. Some of you will take the assignment and start preparing to move to another state. Your relations with siblings will improve and they will support your ideas. You will also receive valuable advice from an experienced and learned person this week.

CAPRICORN Dec 23-Jan 19 You may not like the changes taking place in career this week. You may not be given too many options. Lots of money will be spent on family and children. People in sales will have better luck and start several new accounts. Health issues can be controlled with change of diet and some exercises.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20 This will be a turning point in career. Everybody at home will be happy and you will get the energy back. You will help a needy person with your expertise and receive blessings. Some of you will be taking a short trip with family to a coastal area. You will make good use of time on hand and get rid of junk in the house.

LIBRA Sept 23-Oct 22 You may be slightly double minded about a property but will make an offer. You will have a chance to work and learn from someone who is younger in age. Bank balance will continue to grow at slow pace and you will hardly have any bill in the mail. All business trips will bring instant positive results.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18 Mind will be full of bright ideas. You will attend an important meeting and receive the necessary approval instantly. Do not ignore the health issues and listen to medical advice. You will decide to adopt the right path in order to get the job done rather than using lies and twisting facts.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22 You will be happy the way life is going. Be cautious when someone who kind of ignored you try to be very friendly now. You will spend quality time with children and may go see a movie with them. You may send some money overseas to an elderly person. You should not delay any further and start the legal process.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 22 Expect some interesting developments at work. New colleague will give you very good company. You may have some pain in the back or under left shoulder, just avoid picking any heavy stuff. Some one in the family will be getting engaged or married soon. You may be looking to replace an old car this week.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 20 You will be little reluctant to accept the new assignment and consult your spouse about it. People in business will be spending more on advertising. You will be invited to a big social event. You will keep an eye on bank balance on regular basis. Any knowledge you receive this week will come handy towards the year end.

Tackling terrorism: India for co-op among SAARC nations ISLAMABAD: Warning that the South Asian region is faced with a "serious" security situation, India has sought fullest cooperation among SAARC countries in sharing information on potential terrorists and planned acts of terrorism to create a more secure environment. "The increasing threat of terrorism poses a major challenge to the maintenance of peace and security and adversely affects economic development in our region," Home Minister P Chidambaram said while addressing the SAARC Home Ministers' Conference here. "We can all undoubtedly agree that the South Asian region is faced with a serious security situation," he told the meeting being attended by the ministers from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, besides India and Pakistan. Chidambaram made it clear that it was only with the "fullest cooperation among our countries that we will be in position to effectively tackle the grave threat of terror-

ism in our region." He also made a strong pitch for examining whether the existing conventions have been effective. "We also need to cooperate with each other in sharing information on potential terrorists and planned acts of terrorism, and all other forms of criminal activities in order to create more secure environment," he said. "It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the instruments and the resources at our disposal are put to the best possible use in our fight against terrorism," he added. Chidambaram commended his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik for his opening remarks in which the latter highlighted the threat of terrorism and especially the fallout of 9/11 attacks in New York and the 26/11 strikes in Mumbai. Both Chidambaram and Malik had meetings which were dominated by the issue of terrorism and action against the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks. -PTI

July 9, 2010

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India Post 49

Datebook

India Post

July 9, 2010

www.indiapost.com

NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

NEW JERSEY

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming

Fri July 9

Every Sunday

• South Asian Music Festival

• Life Via Virpur - Family Drama

Venue: Fontana's, 105 Eldridge Street, Manhattan, Alabama, NY Time: 9pm to 2am Contact: 917-9710-2373

Venue: Manav Seva Mandir, 101 South Church Road, Bensenville, Illinois Time: 6pm to 11pm Contact: 708-975-0076

• Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan host Satsang, Bhajan & Meditation Program

Sat July 17

Sat July 10

• Evening of Bharata Natyam

• The 2010 South Asian Spelling Bee in Chicago

Venue: Atman Yoga, 34 Elton Street, 3rd floor, Rochester, New York 14607 Time: 7:30pm Contact: (917) 214-6466

Venue: Harper College, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine, Il Contact: 848-248-4199

Sat July 10

Sun July 11

• Dealmaas 2010 USTAD AMJAD ALI KHAN

• The 2010 South Asian Spelling Bee in NY

Venue: North Shore Center For Performing Art, Skokie, Ill Time: 7:30pm to 9pm Contact: 414-336-5982

Venue: Jackson Heights School, 77-02 37th Avenue, Queens, New York Contact: 848-248-4199

Mon July 19 • Amma Sri Karunamayi 2010 World Tour - NY Venue: Yonkers Riverfront Library, 1 Larkin Center, Yonkers, New York Time: 9am Contact: (914) 736-9170

Fri July 23 • Miracle Nites with Bro. Rambabu Venue: Miracle Nites (Come receive your Miracle/Deliverance), Brooklyn, New York Time: 6:30pm to 9pm Contact: 848-565-1672

Mon Aug 2 to Sat Aug 7 • Ramayan Sar - Essence of Ramayan Venue: Hanuman Temple of New York., 111 Jerusalem Ave, Hempstead, New York Time: 7pm to 8:30pm Contact: (516) 483-9500

Sun July 11 • Yoga-Meditation Sessions & Spiritual Talks By Swami Mukundananda Venue: Holiday Inn, 3405 Algonquin, Rolling Meadows, Ill Time: 10:30am to 9pm Contact: (630)-915-1281

Sat July 17 • Sikkil Sri. Gurucharan - Carnatic Vocal Concert Venue: Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple, 1145 Sullivan Road, Aurora, Illinois Time: 5:30pm to 8:30pm Contact: 630-926-3876

Fri July 23 • Single Gujarati Find your Perfect Match at Matri 2010 Venue: Ramada Inn, 999 Rt. I S, North Brunswick Time: 8pm Contact: 2010@matri.org

Venue: Woodbridge township ambulance and Rescue squad, 77 Queen Road, 3rd Floor, Iselin, NJ 08830 Time: 10:30am to 1pm Contact: (732) 485-0647 Highlights: Lecture by close disciple of Shree Ashutosh Ji Maharaj, Bhajans, free meditation and Mahaprasad.

San July 17 • The 2010 South Asian Spelling Bee in NJ Venue: North Brunswick High School, Route 130 South, Raider Road, North Brunswick, New Jersey Contact: 848-248-4199

Fri July 9

Sat July 17 • Shankar, Ehasan, Loy Show In New Jersey Venue: IZOD CENTER.com, 50 NJ-120, East Rutherford, New Jersey Contact: 609-432-3301

Fri July 23 to Sun Aug 1

• Amma's North American Tour Summer 2010 - Washington DC Venue: Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia, 22311 Time: 10am to Jul 11 7:30pm Contact: 240-696-1927

• Jeeyar Edu Trust Viswa Santhi Sri Yagam

San July 10

Venue: Jeeyar Asramam, 222 Dey Road, Cranbury, New Jersey Time: 7am Contact: 609-610-3307

Venue: Sheraton Premiere, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia Time: 7pm Contact: 703-200-9292

Fri July 23

Sat July 17

• Single Gujarati Find your Perfect Match at Matri 2010 Venue: Ramada Inn, 999 Rt. I S, North Brunswick, New Jersey Time: 8pm Contact: 732-246-3737

• Ghulam Ali - Mehfil-E-Ghazal - VA

• Sarvam Sai Mayam Venue: Centerville High School, 6001 Union Mill Road, Clifton, Virginia Time: 7pm to 10pm Contact: 703-544-5670

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Thurs July 8

Every Sat (start from Sat Aug 8)

• Art of Living Course

• Gurukul Classes for Children

Venue: Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA Venue: Sindhu Center, South California Time: 7pm to 5pm Time: 2pm to 4pm Contact: 916-529-7800 Contact: 818-541-1754 & 909-576-1114 Highlights: Children between the ages of 5 and 18. ChilSat July 10 dren will be taught the Fundamentals of Hinduism, • Mehta Entertainment presents Prayers, Shlokas, Bhajans and Values of our culture.

Aatif Aslam Live In Concert

Venue: Oracle Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA Sun July 11 Time: 8pm • AATIF ASLAM Live in Concert Contact: 925-980-9297 "IMPACT" Venue: Long Beach Terrace Theatre, 300 East Ocean Sun July 11 Blvd, Long Beach, California • Solo Recital by Divya Vetturi Time: 6pm Venue: Jewish Community Center, 3921 Fabian Way, Contact: 562-436-3661 Palo Alto, California Time: 4pm to 6pm Thurs July 15 Contact: sugandaiyer@comcast.net

Sun July 18

• IASH will have a Musical Entertaining Evening with Ashish Mehta from India

• ICM 101 workshopby Mahesh Kale Venue: Jain Center in Buena Park Venue: Fireside Room at Unity Palo Alto, 3391 Time: 5pm to 9pm Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, California, Contact: 714-335-9046 Time: 2pm to 6pm Contact: 408-368-4039

Sun July 18

• Virgelia Productions, Inc Presents the Launching of Miss Asia USA & Mrs Venue: Ortega Park, 626 Harrow Way, CA 94087, Asia USA

Mon July 19

• Panini Summer camp for Kids

Venue: Sheraton universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Dr. Universal City CA Time: 2pm (on the Red Carpet with the Delegates), 3pm (Fashion show) Contact: 818-891-5556, info@missasiausa.org Sat July 24 Highlights: Meet the final delegates selected to repre• Mom's Spa & Fashion Night Out sent their country as they parade in their lavish naVenue: Moms Spa & Fashion Night Out, 460 E Pertional costumes, the latest collections of Scala and BG sian Dr, Suite # 3, Sunnyvale, California Haute, InVein and Malibu Dream Girl. Time: 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 650-669-0281 Sunnyvale, California Time: 8:30am to 12:30 Contact: 408-431-9214

Sun Jul 31

Sun July 25

• Arangetram by Sneha Jayaprakash

Venue: Cubberley Theater, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, California Venue: Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Time: 4:00pm to 6:00pm Hosted By: Jayendra Kalakendra Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, California Time: 4pm to 7:30pm Sun Aug 1 Contact: 510-299-1844

• Madumita's Bharathnatyam Arangetram

Sat July 31

• Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Aman Ki Aasha in LA

• Arangetram by Sneha Jayaprakash Venue: LA Sports Arena, 3939 South Figueroa Street, Venue: Cubberley Theater, 4000 Middlefield Road, Los Angeles Time: 7pm Palo Alto, California Contact: 562-860-6003 Time: 4pm to 6pm

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Philosophy

52 India Post

July 9, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Page Sponsored by Sahanis SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

ne of the greatest lessons I have learnt in my life is to pay as much attention to the means of work as to its end. He was a great man from whom I learnt it, and his own life was a practical demonstration of this great principle I have been always learning great lessons from that one principle, and it appears to me that all the secret of success is there; to pay as much attention to the means as to the end. Our great defect in life is that we are so much drawn to the ideal, the goal is so much more enchanting, so much more alluring, so much bigger in our mental horizon, that we lose sight of the details altogether. But whenever failure comes, if we analyze it critically, in ninety-nine per cent of cases we shall find that it was because we did not pay attention to the means. Proper attention to the finishing, strengthening, of the means is what we need. With the means all right, the end must come. We forget that it is the cause that produces the effect; the effect cannot come by itself; and unless the causes are exact, proper, and powerful, the effect will not be produced. Once the ideal is chosen and the means determined, we may almost let go the ideal, because we are sure it will be there, when the means are perfected. When the cause is there, UG KRISHNAMURTI

: Let us analyze this wonderful notion of happiness in quest of which every human is on the run. Can you tell us what this happiness is all about? A: You may not agree with me, but when we talk about 'the quest for happiness', it is no different from any other sensual activity. As a matter of fact, all experiences, however extraordinary they may be, are in the area of sensuality. That is one major problem that we are facing today. Somewhere along the line, the human species experienced this self-consciousness for the first time. And it separated the human species from the rest of the species on this planet. I don't even know if there is any such thing as evolution, but we are made to believe that there is such a thing. And it was at that time perhaps that thought took its birth. But thought in its birth, in its origin, in its content, in its expression, and in its action is very fascist. When I use the word 'fascist' I use it not in the political sense but to mean that thought controls and shapes our thinking and our actions. So it is a very protective mechanism. It has no doubt

there is no more difficulty about the effect, the effect is bound to come. If we take care of the cause, the effect will take care of itself. The realization of the ideal is the effect. The means are the cause: attention to the means, therefore, is the great secret of life. We also read this in the Gita and learn that we have to work, constantly work with all our power; to put our whole mind in the work, whatever it be, that we are doing.

on us; still, we cannot tear ourselves away from it. The bee came to sip the honey, but its feet stuck to the honey-pot and it could not get away. Again and again, we are finding ourselves in that state. That is the whole secret of existence. Why are we here? We came here to sip the honey, and we find our hands and feet sticking to it. We are caught, though we came to catch. We came to enjoy; we

us - depletes us, and casts us aside. Had it not been for this, life would have been all sunshine. Never mind! With all its failures and successes, with all its joys and sorrows, it can be one succession of sunshine, if only we are not caught. That is the one cause of misery: we are attached, we are being caught. Therefore says the Gita: Work constantly; work, but be not attached; be not caught. Reserve unto yourself the power of detach-

Pay as much attention to means as to work Why are we here? We came here to sip the honey, and we find our hands and feet sticking Swami Vivekananda

to it. We are caught, though we came to catch

At the same time, we must not be attached. That is to say, we must not be drawn away from the work by anything else; still, we must be able to quit the work whenever we like. If we examine our own lives, we find that the greatest cause of sorrow is this: we take up something, and put our whole energy on it perhaps it is a failure and yet we cannot give it up. We know that it is hurting us, that any further clinging to it is simply bringing misery

are being enjoyed. We came to rule; we are being ruled. We came to work; we are being worked. All the time, we find that. And this comes into every detail of our life. We are being worked upon by other minds, and we are always struggling to work on other minds. We want to enjoy the pleasures of life; and they eat into our vitals. We want to get everything from nature, but we find in the long run that nature takes everything from

ing yourself from everything, however beloved, however much the soul might yearn for it, however great the pangs of misery you feel if you were going to leave it; still, reserve the power of leaving it whenever you want. Excerpted from a lecture delivered at Los Angeles, California, January 4, 1900 The 108th death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was observed on July 4

helped us to be what we are today. It has helped us to create our high-tech and technology. It has made our life very comfortable. It has also made it possible for us to discover the laws of nature. But thought is a very protective mechanism and is interested in its own survival. At the same time, thought is opposed fundamentally to the functioning of this liv-

tually, there is a conflict between the two -- the idea of the individual and the impossibility of functioning as an individual separate and distinct from the totality of man's thoughts and experiences. Q: Who makes us think in a particular way? A: Here at this point I would like to emphasize that thoughts are not self-generated and spon-

a thing as thought. We use what we call thought to achieve our spiritual or material goals. We may consider the spiritual goals as 'higher'. The culture in which we are functioning places spiritual goals on a higher level than the materialistic goals. But the instrument which we are using is matter, which is thought. Thought to me is mat-

There is no such thing as your mind or my mind UG Krishnamurti

ing organism. We are made to believe that there is such a thing as mind. But there is no such thing as your mind or my mind. Society or culture, or whatever you want to call it, has created us solely and wholly for the purpose of maintaining its own continuity and status quo. At the same time, it has also created the idea that there is such a thing as the individual. But ac-

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Is there any such a thing as thought?" The very question arises because we assume that there is such a thing as thought, and that we can separate ourselves from thought and look at it taneous. I would go one step further and ask, "Is there any such a thing as thought?" The very question arises because we assume that there is such a thing as thought, and that we can separate ourselves from thought and look at it. But when we look at what we call thought, what we see is about thought and not thought itself. "What is thought?" -- the questions arises only because of the assumption that there is such

ter. Therefore, all our spiritual goals are materialistic in their value. And this is the conflict that is going on there. In this process, the totality of man's experiences created what we call a separate identity and a separate mind. Excerpted from the book, 'No Way Out: Conversations With UG Krishnamurti' The 92nd birth anniversary of UG Krishnamurti will be observed on July 9

Who is it that loves and who that suffers? He alone stages a play with Himself. The individual suffers because he perceives duality. Find the One everywhere and in everything and there will be an end to pain and suffering. -Sri Ananandamayi Ma Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. -Mother Teresa It is no use reading books of guidance if one is not determined to live what they teach. -Mother Mirra Alfassa Everything comes out in silence. In silence more work can be done. The true experience of bliss is without words. -Mother Meera One must be patient like the earth. What iniquities are being perpetuated on her! Yet she quietly endures them all. -Sarada Devi Holy books will disappear, and then only the mystic formula will remain. When the mystic formula departed, naught but mind was left. When the mind disappeared naught was left anywhere, And a voice became merged within the Void. -Lal Ded

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July 9, 2010

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India checkmates Chinese moves RANJIT B RAI

mall contentious issues in history are harbingers that tend to shape the larger power plays between nations. The naked truth in international affairs as articulated by strategist Paul Kennedy, is that India and China are two rising military and economic powers who will cooperate with each other for trade, and in competition for the same markets and influence, in the coming decades. Such countries are dubbed 'competitive friendly enemies'. China is India's largest trading partner, and has entered the Indian Ocean region with its PLA Navy via anti piracy patrols. It has also planted its footprint in India's neighborhood and Africa, with its chequebook diplomacy. Pakistan and China are proclaimed all weather friends, and China has built the deep-water port at Gwadar, and plans to transfer military supplies and nuclear plants to Pakistan. Recent incidents at the naval encirclement of India, at Hambantota and Gwadar, and possibly Bangladesh, dubbed as China's 'string of pearls,' put an end to the rapidly improving relations with India. China dismissed the theory, arguing that India built ports with ADB and World Bank loans, which some developing countries find difficult to obtain. China's naval analyst, Zhang Ming, contends that India's Andaman and Nicobar islands could be used as a 'metal chain' to block Chinese access to the Straits of Malacca, known as China's 'Malacca Dilemma' and argues India is building an 'Iron Curtain' with its influence in the Indian Ocean islands, and ganging up with US on a defense framework. During the Second World War the Japanese built airfields in the Andaman Islands, and China worries that India could emulate this strategy, as well. Ray Cline, a former Deputy Director of the CIA, had predicted that nations with geography and population would gain ascendancy in the 21st century. He juxtaposed it with maritime strategist Mahan's prediction that the future may well be decided on the waters of the Indian Ocean. The first signals came when India and China clashed in Bahrain on 2 June 2010, at the

monthly SHADE (Shared Awareness and De confliction) anti-piracy conference jointly chaired by the EU and US-led Combined Maritime Force. India stalled China's bid for co-chairmanship. All 18 naval delegates, Interpol, and shipping reps around the table which have ships deployed and interests for anti piracy patrols in the Horn of Aden, supported China's long

INS Brahmaputra

standing bid, but the Indian delegate, Deepak Bisht, was the lone objector. He stated that before China takes the chair, the terms of the reference of chairmanship of SHADE needed to be laid down. Senior Col, Zhou Bo PLA (N), was taken aback. A visibly surprised Chairman, Cmde Adrain Vander Linde, the EU Task Force Commodore from the Netherlands, asked if India wished to bid for a rotating chair. Only then, would a subcommittee attempt the terms of reference.

'India is like boiling water, steam and froth on top but rather calm below'. 'China is like boiling oil, calm above but violent and seething belowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; India's delegate contented, India would consider the option to chair only if India knew the terms, and this upturned China's bid, which was accepted at the last meeting. Murmurs round the table were heard, as this writer was present with Foreign Service reps in the audience. India had successfully blocked China on this minor issue. Currently the IMO has marked a 400-mile International Recognized Transit Corridor (IRTC) off Aden for the safe transit of ships to and from the Red Sea. Indian

Navy's single ship deployment on patrol since 2008 (presently INS Bhahmaputra) has successfully escorted 1,000 Indian and other flagged ships, and INS Brahmaputra is on station. The Navy promulgates the convoy schedule through India's DG Shipping, as on 2 June, 17 ships were in captivity in Somali waters. Russia plans to replace the Udaloy-class guided-missile destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov that stormed and rescued MV Moscow University by Admiral Levchenko Neustrashimy and Yaroslav Mudry. Dutch Defense Minister, Eimert van Middelkoop, announced its Navy will deploy a submarine in the area and Singapore has increased its patrol strength with two Puma helicopters. Unwritten in China's bid is an attempt to break up the 400-mile IRTC into patches, and allocate it to national navies amounting to parceling the Indian Ocean. China could stipulate Chairmanship criteria to make number of ships multiplied by hours on patrol to count and India may not qualify with one ship on patrol. The Chinese and Indian swords are sheathed for the time being, but India has to be prepared for the Pearls versus the Iron Curtain competition. India has banned Chinese firms from partaking in projects and placed restrictions on Huawei, which has supplied communications gear to India's mobile operators. India has geography and a large young population on its side and will have to cope with the meteoric rise of China. It has been said, 'India is like boiling water, steam and froth on top but rather calm below'. 'China is like boiling oil, calm above but violent and seething below.' If an eruption does take place in one nation, it could be violent. The jury is out whether the Chinese top down approach will prevail over India's rather slower and democratic bottom-up approach. But the competition for influence in the Indian Ocean region has begun. The writer is Vice President Indian Maritime Foundation, Former DNI and DNO in the Indian Navy. Courtesy IPCS

India Post Behind the stones

hy is it that teenagers are dying in Kashmir firings? Why are teenagers in the forefront of stone pelters who aim at security forces? Why are the boys of Kashmir valley not in schools? And why aren't the young men in colleges? Why has it become more profitable for them to throw stones than pursuing studies for a career? Are there not enough educational institutions? Not enough job opportunities? These issues can be tackled and solved. But there seem to be vested interests and anti-national forces at work, as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah put it. "Emotional and vulnerable youth are being exploited by these forces." While India's Home Minister on a visit to Pakistan pleads with their government to bring the Mumbai attack guilty to book, the same forces have opened another front in Kashmir. Obviously they have changed tactics. The ploy this time is to embarrass the security forces. It is quite likely that militants have infiltrated into the ranks of stone pelters guiding them and instigating them. How is that a constant supply of stones is always available to the young pelters? If guns and bombs have not worked, the latest strategy should work, the plotters sitting in Pakistan and their agents feel. "This is not a simple law and order problem. It is battle of ideologies and wits," said Abdullah. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said that, people who break curfew and attack police posts cannot be termed as "innocent civilians". There is planning and there is a pattern. Protestors clash with security forces prompting them to retaliate. This in turn provides fuel for more violent protests. And the only people who stand to benefit from such cascading violence are the hardline separatists who have seen their support dwindling of late. Having seen the militants being crushed by the Indian Army the separatist forces are clamoring for Army pullout and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to be repealed. Many gullible Indians fall for that believing in the myth that it is the Indian forces who are committing atrocities. There might be an incident or two of excess. But as the new Indian Army chief General VK Singh put it, "The armed forces are required to undertake operations in very difficult circumstances. If the J&K situation has come under control, it's the forces which have sacrificed with their blood." And also, he pointed out, the terror infrastructure in Pakistan remains intact. Efforts are in fact being made to revive militant outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen, which have suffered a lot in Army operations. The Army Chief significantly called for a political initiative to consolidate the gains made by the security forces. This has been a major failure on the part of the UPA-II government. The recent visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Kashmir was such a damp squib. He took no initiative to talk to the separatists or to tackle the basic problems. As pointed out by the CPI (M), "The UPA government seems oblivious of the need to revive the political process whereby issues such as provision of maximum autonomy for the state and regional autonomy for the three regions can be discussed and concretized along with the dialogue with Pakistan." It is necessary for the Center and the Kashmir government to consult all political parties and explain to the people what measures they plan to take to foil the designs of the separatists. It is commendable that the Prime Minister is good at managing economic and technical issues. It is on political grounds that he suffers and looks askance at the party supreme Sonia Gandhi. Just sitting quietly where political initiatives are required is no longer the option.

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56 India Post

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July 9, 2010