India-Post_05-16-2014 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Indira Talwani confirmed federal judge Details on page 6

VK Singh slams UPA decision on Army Chief Details on page 8

Fugitive in US woman's murder held in India

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VOL 19, No. 1026

May 16, 2014

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EXIT POLLS PROJECT MAJORITY FOR MODI NEW DELHI: The BJP-led NDA is projected to form the government at the Centre with exit polls giving between 249 and 290 seats to the Narendra Modi-led grouping, which is close to the half-way mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The ruling Congress-led UPA was tipped to get between 101 and 148 seats while 'others', including regional parties and Left, were projected to get between 146 and 156 seats, according to the polls shown on TV channels at the end of the ninth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls.

One of the polls, conducted by Today's Chanakya for News24 channel, even projected 340 seats for NDA, 70 for UPA and 133 for others. The poll on Times Now, conducted by ORG, predicted that NDA would get 249 seats while UPA would bag 148 seats and 'others' 146 seats. A poll conducted by CSDS for CNN-IBN gave NDA between 270 and 282 while UPA was projected to get between 92 and 102. Details on page 5

Details on page 9

Obama looking forward to work with new govt Details on page 6

Rahul not to blame, says Congress Details on page 8

White House honors 2 Indian Americans Details on page 6

Canada orders mother, uncle extradited Details on page 8

Karan Bilimoria is Birmingham Chancellor

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

Details on page 9

Community Post -------------- 16-24 Date Book -------------------------- 50 Edit Page --------------------------- 54

INDIA POST SURVEY

HealthScience Post --------- 32-35

survey@indiapost.com

Horoscope ------------------------- 26

This week’s question

Immigration Post ------------- 44-46

Will Obama now invite Modi to US?

Life Style ----------------------- 51-53 Philosophy ------------------------- 49

Last week’s result

Is the US being unfair to India on Intellectual property rights? YES 74%

NO 26%

Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4

OLD ORDER CHANGETH: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh bidding farewell to the staff at the Prime Minister’s office in New Delhi on May 13. (Details on page 11)

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Real Estate -------------------- 38-39 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-14 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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Publisher’s Diary

he curtains are drawn on what was clearly the most staggering of electoral processes in the world. The great Indian dance of democracy has successfully come to an end and, allow me to rattle off some statistics, which are a psephologist's dream: 550 million voters exercised their constitutional right of franchise in a two-month long process that cost the government more than $34 billion, making the 2014 elections the biggest and most expensive in history. Indeed, the 2014 elections were the freest, fairest and the least violent of elections in Independent India. Many of you would of course be following the highly dramatic and perhaps the most colorful of democratic festivals ever witnessed in India, and as is wont, the world too is watching with keen interest the outcome of these polls. The statistics, and more importantly, the implication of the potential results are not lost on world leaders. President Barack Obama has already congratulated the people of India for setting an example for the world through a vibrant demonstration of democratic values of diversity and freedom. In the face of exit polls indicating a clear majority to the Narendra Modi fronted Bharatiya Janata Party, it is interesting to see the American President's cautious yet positive overture to work closely with India's next administration. It's also interesting how the US State Department is still making noises about not changing its policy of not granting a US visa to Modi. I am really keen on observing as to how the diplomatic corps on both sides play down this rhetoric if Modi does become the next Prime Minister. My disillusionment with politicians apart, and irrespective of what detractors of Modi and BJP-bashers say, I am looking forward to a Narendra Modiled government in India, in the sheer hope of seeing some change. Again, irrespective of what the anti-Modi and by extension, the anti-Hindu lobbies say, I am convinced that with Modi at the helm, there will positively be administrative, developmental, political and ethical changes in the country. And I want this, not for any personal political agenda of mine, but just for the sake of India. Romesh K Japra

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Trouble in paradise? Vidya who was off late in the news for pregnancy rumor is now again under media scanner for disturbed married life.

Cover Story: Majority for Modi The BJP-led NDA is projected to form the new India government with exit polls giving majority to Modi-led grouping

Community: Gandhi Plaza Ground Breaking Ceremony of "Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza" took place in Irving, TX in the presence of Nikki Haley

New company The Indian Embassy in the US is outsourcing its passport and visa related services to a new company

Life Style: Better Insight Stupid Eye is based on the premise that with a better understanding of one's true self one is better equipped

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Golden era Top Silicon Valley experts are amazed by the quality and scale of startup companies being launched in India

Bhutan From snow-capped mountain peaks to historical relics, large number of tourist attractions bedeck Bhutan’s landscape

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Exit polls project majority for Modi NEW DELHI: The BJP-led NDA is projected to form the government at the Centre with exit polls giving between 249 and 290 seats to the Narendra Modi-led grouping, which is close to the half-way mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The ruling Congress-led UPA was tipped to get between 101 and 148 seats while 'others', including regional parties and Left, were projected to get between 146 and 156 seats, according to the polls shown on TV channels at the end of the ninth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls. One of the polls, conducted by Today's Chanakya for News24 channel, even projected 340 seats for NDA, 70 for UPA and 133 for others. The poll on Times Now, conducted by ORG, predicted that NDA would get 249 seats while UPA would bag 148 seats and 'others' 146 seats. A poll conducted by CSDS for CNN-IBN gave NDA between 270 and 282 while UPA was projected to get between 92 and 102. BJP alone was projected to get between 230 and 242 while Congress was projected to get between 72 and 82 by the same poll. A poll conducted by ITGCicero for Headlines Today projected that NDA would get 272 (plus-minus 11), UPA would get

115 (plus-minus 5) and 'others' 156. C-Voter survey on India TV gave NDA 289 seats and 101 for UPA and 153 for others. In the NDA, 249 seats were projected for BJP and 40 for its allies. In UPA, 78 seats were projected for Cong and 23 for its allies.

seats. The ruling Trinamool Congress is also said to be doing well in West Bengal with projections saying that it could get up to 31 out of 42 seats. Various polls said BJP is putting up an impressive performance in battle state of Uttar Pradesh where the party has been pro-

Congress appears to be getting some good news from the South, particularly Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana. Out of 20 seats in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF was projected to get between 11 and 14

jected to get over 50 of the 80 seats. ORG gave BJP 52 seats in UP and 10 to Congress. Today's Chanakya gave 70 seats to BJP, while CSDS predicted 45-53 seats for it and C-Voter gave 54 seats in the biggest state. In the other crucial state of Bihar too, the BJP is projected to do well with one channel giving as high as 28 out of 40 seats. In Delhi where seven states are at stake, an almost clean sweep was predicted by all the polls for BJP. Some surveys have given one

ABP News-Nielson poll projected a clear majority for NDA with 281 seats while UPA was projected to get 97. 'Others' were projected to bag 165 seats. Congress appears to be getting some good news from the South, particularly Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana. Out of 20 seats in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF was projected to get between 11 and 14 while in Karnataka, the Congress is projected to get nearly half of the 28 seats. In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK is projected to do well, with one survey giving it even up to 31 out 39

or two seats for Aam Aadmi Party. Maharashtra, which has 48 seats, is projected to give over 30 seats to BJP and Shiv Sena. BJP was predicted to sweep party-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, BJP was projected to give more than 35 seats to ruling BJP out of 40 in the two states. Rajasthan was projected to give almost all the 25 seats. -PTI

Narendra Modi

Highest polling recorded in Lok Sabha elections NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha elections 2014 witnessed the highestever turnout with more than 66 per cent of an estimated 814 million voters exercising their franchise. The overall voting percentage in all the nine phases of polling

likely to increase further after taking repolling and postal ballot into account, said Election Commission Director General Akshay Rout here. The previous best turnout of 64.01 per cent was in 1984 in the

was recorded in 2009, the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 saw 56.98 per cent voting. In real terms, according to the Election Commission data, 55.13 crore voters exercised their voting rights this time as against

Banglaore, Bhopal, Pune, Surat, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Shimla, Gurgaon and Chandigarh recorded increased voting this time as compared to the last time. Women voters also came out in large numbers this time and in

Punjab, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Uttar Pradesh also recorded the highest ever voting after the last phase voting with 58.63 per cent polling. While Bihar witnessed 56.5 per cent voting, Maharashtra saw 54.7 per cent and West Bengal 81.77 per cent polling. Uttar Pradesh also According to the EC, recorded the highNagaland recorded 88.57 est ever voting per cent voting followed after the last phase by 84.1 per cent in Manipur and 82.8 per voting with 58.63 cent in Puducherry. per cent polling. Besides increased voters' participation, the While Bihar witcost of conducting the nessed 56.5 per polls has also seen a substantial jump with cent voting, total expenditure going Maharashtra saw up to Rs 3426 crore as 54.7 per cent and against Rs 1483 crore in West Bengal 81.77 2009. Election Commission Voters stand in long queues to cast their votes for Last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Motihari, Bihar on May 12 per cent polling attributed inflation and a series of measures untaken together is 66.38 per cent, poll held after the assassination 41.73 crore voters last time in 2009. fact outnumbered their male coun- dertaken to increase voting figthe highest in the history of Lok of Indira Gandhi. Rout said a majority of urban terparts in 16 states including ures for the substantial rise in poll Sabha elections and the figure is While 58.19 per cent polling centers like Delhi, Mumbai, Arunachal, Chandigarh, Odisha, expenditure. -PTI

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Obama looking forward to work with the next govt WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has said he is looking forward to working "closely" with the next government in India to make the coming years "equally transformative" for the two countries. Obama also congratulated the people of India on the successful conclusion of the Lok Sabha polls, saying that country has set an example for the world in holding the largest democratic election in history. "We look forward to the formation of a new government once election results are announced and to working closely with India's next administration to make the coming years equally transformative," Obama said in a statement. "India has set an example for the world in holding the largest democratic election in history, a vibrant demonstration of our shared values of diversity and freedom." he added. In his statement, Obama also referred to the strong friendship that the two countries have developed over the last decades, cutting across party lines. "The United States and India have developed a strong friendship and comprehensive partner-

lenges," he added. Separately, the State Department also congratulated the people of India on the successful elections and said the US was looking forward to working with the leaders chosen to advance their important partnership and to

Barack Obama

set an ambitious agenda. "We look forward to working with the leaders chosen by the Indian people to advance this important partnership and to set an ambitious agenda," State Department

"Whether we're working together to educate the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs or combating global challenges like climate change and violent extremism, the US-India partnership is essential to securing a brighter future for both of our peoples," ship over the last two decades, which has made our citizens safer and more prosperous and which has enhanced our ability to work together to solve global chal-

cratic election in human history," she said, hours after a record number of Indian voters concluded casting their votes. Psaki noted that over 500 million eligible voters peacefully went to the polls over the last six weeks, often in remote or chal-

Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. "We congratulate the people of India on their participation in the largest-ever free and fair demo-

lenging locations. "These elections are an inspiring example of the power of the democratic process in action, and the United States, like so many others around the world, has great admiration and respect for the vibrancy, diversity and resilience of India's democracy," she said. India, Psaki said, continues to play a critical role in advancing prosperity, democracy and stability across the Indo-Pacific region. "Whether we're working together to educate the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs or combating global challenges like climate change and violent extremism, the US-India partnership is essential to securing a brighter future for both of our peoples," the State Department spokesperson said. Psaki refused to comment on the results of the exit polls according to which BJP leader Narendra Modi could be the next Indian Prime Minister. "As you know, we don't take positions in domestic politics in India or anywhere else. As this has been election season in a large, pluralistic, multiparty democracy it's not a surprise that it's going to take some time to obviously process the voting and we look forward to working with the next leader," she said. Asked about Modi's visa issues, Psaki said: "As you know, we don't speak on visa acceptances, applications, etcetera, so I don't have anything for you on that." -PTI

Talwani confirmed federal judge in Massachusetts WASHINGTON: Indian-Ameri- States Supreme Court," Senator can Indira Talwani has been con- Elizabeth Warren said as she infirmed by the US Senate as a fed- troduced Talwani during her Seneral judge in Massachusetts, mak- ate confirmation hearing. ing her the first Asian Pacific The Senator said Talwani has American federal judge in this broad credentials and wide litigastate. tion experience. She has develTalwani, in her 50s, was con- oped particular expertise in legal firmed by the Senate by 94-0 issues that relate to employment. votes. "She is the associate editor of She is the first person of Asian a treatise on the Family and Medidescent to serve a judge in Mas- cal Leave Act compiled by the sachusetts and in the First Circuit, American Bar Association," the which includes Maine, Massa- lawmaker said. chusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Prior to joining Segal Roitman Rico and Rhode Island. Talwani LLP in 1999, Talwani was a partis also only the second female ner at the San Francisco law firm judge of South Asian descent na- now known as Altshuler Berzon tionwide. LLP from 1996 to 1999 and an as"Indira is a committed attorney sociate at that firm from 1989 to with an exceptional record. 1995. She is admired by her peers. We She began her legal career as are extremely excited that another a law clerk for Judge Stanley A deserving South Asian has been Weigel of the United States Disnominated to the judiciary," trict Court for the Northern DisNadeem Bezar, president of the trict of California from 1988 to South Asian Bar Association 1989. North America, said in a statement. Talwani received her J.D. in Daughter of immigrants from 1988 from Boalt Hall School of India and Germany, Talwani graduated with honors from Harvard â&#x20AC;&#x153;She is admired by her University and was later named Order of the Coif peers. We are extremely at Boalt Hall School of excited that another deservLaw at the University of ing South Asian has been California Berkeley. Talwani is a partner nominated to the judiciary," at Segal Roitman LLP in Boston, where she focuses her practice on civil litiga- Law at the University of Califortion at the state and federal trial nia, Berkeley and her B.A. cum court and appellate levels. laude in 1982 from Harvard Col"Ms. Talwani has an impres- lege. sive track record as a litigator, havAt Boalt Hall School of Law at ing represented clients in matters the University of California, she before the Massachusetts state served as Articles Editor for the trial courts and appeals courts as Industrial Relations Law Journal well as the district court to which and was selected for the Order of she's been nominated, the federal the Coif. Prior to law school, she courts of appeals and the United worked as a union organizer.-PTI

2 Indian-Americans honored as Champions of Change WASHINGTON: The White House has named two Indian Americans as 'Champions of Change' in recognition of their work to educate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) about President Barack Obama's signature healthcare act. Manjusha P Kulkarni and Ranjana Paintal were honored by the White House and the Department of Health & Human Services along with nine other advocates and community leaders for their work to educate AAPI about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at an

event here on April 24. "For too long, many members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community have lacked access to quality, affordable health care," the White House had said in a statement. "The Affordable Care Act provides an opportunity to provide nearly two million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with quality, affordable health care." Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 8

May 16, 2014

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Rahul not to blame, says Congress NEW DELHI: With exit polls predicting a dismal performance, Congress sought to absolve Rahul Gandhi of any blame saying it would be a collective responsibility whatever may be the result of the Lok Sabha election.

they have been proved wrong in the 2004 and 2009 elections and the party would wait for the actual results on May 16. With BJP saying that Congress should get used to sitting in the opposition, Ahmed retorted that

Rahul Gandhi

"Rahul Gandhi is not in the government. He is the number two leader in the party. Sonia Gandhi is the president and naturally there is local leadership. So it is all collective," party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told reporters. He was asked whether Rahul, who led the party in the elections, or party chief Sonia Gandhi should be held responsible if the results are not up to the expectations of the party. Seeking to dismiss exit and opinion polls, Ahmed said that

BJP leaders including Narendra Modi had met RSS leaders two days back to find out whether he should become the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha or continue as Gujarat Chief Minister. Ahmed's remarks came on a day when Congress' top brass including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi met to deliberate on the strategy ahead. Later Gandhi had a meeting with senior party leaders including party general secretaries to

take stock of the situation after facing a difficult election. Replying to questions as regards role of Mayawati, Jayalalitha and Mamata Banerjee in the post-poll scenario, Ahmed remarked "they are not with any communal party at this juncture...and have committed themselves to secularism". He preceded his remark by saying that in the current political scenario there is no party other than Congress which has not aligned with the BJP or its erstwhile Jan Sangh. Noting that the three women leaders have ruled out any tie-up with the BJP, he said that now the BJP has demanded Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik be also investigated. "Therefore, it seems Naveen Patnaik has also ruled out any post alliance with BJP," he said. Ahmed steered clear of questions whether the Left parties are natural allies of Congress in the changed scenario. He said that Congress will get majority on its own along with allies. Congress has contested the elections forcefully to stop Narendra Modi as his becoming prime minister would "not be good for the nation", he said. Congress leaders present at the deliberations with Sonia Gandhi this evening included party general secretaries B K Hari Prasad, Shakeel Ahmed, Ajay Maken, Janardan Dwivedi, C P Joshi and party leaders Vayalar Ravi, Oscar Fernandes, Rajiv Shukla and Randeep Surjewala. -PTI

VK Singh slams UPA decision on Army Chief NEW DELHI: BJP Lok Sabha candidate and former Army Chief Gen V K Singh has slammed Defense Ministry's decision to go ahead with the process of appointing the next Army Chief, saying it is "ethically" wrong and would make the present chief "ineffective". "There is a question mark over the decision and the officer himself who is going to be appointed as why is the government in a hurry to make this appointment. It is ethically wrong to take a decision when you are about to go," he said. Significantly, during the last days of his tenure as Army Chief, V K Singh had put a 'discipline and vigilance ban' on Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag, then 3 Corps Com-

mander, for the "failure of command and control" as an intelligence unit under him had alleg-

Gen V K Singh

edly carried out dacoity in Jorhat in Assam outside the jurisdiction of the Corps. The ban was lifted soon after

Bikram Singh took over as Army Chief and appointed Suhag as the Eastern Army Commander. The former chief, who had a turbulent relationship with the UPA government during his tenure as the Army chief, said "as per the norm, the new chief is designated two months in advance. Why are they making the present chief ineffective so early." The Defense Ministry recommended Suhag for being appointed as the next chief to the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) shortly after receiving the go-ahead from the Election Commission to which the matter had been referred in view of the Model Code of Conduct. -PTI

Canada orders mother, uncle extradited to India TORONTO: The mother and marriage. uncle of an Indian-origin woman, "They were very angry about who was the victim of an alleged what Jassi had done and hostile "honor killing" in Punjab in 2000, to the (idea) that Jassi would seek have been ordered by a Canadian to free herself from her family," court to be extradited to India to Fitch said. face trial for her murder. The judge noted that Badesha Jaswinder Sidhu was stabbed was the family patriarch and ento death in Punjab in June 2000 forced traditional gender roles in and her mother, Malkit Kaur the home. Sidhu, and uncle, Surjit Singh The pair, who both appeared Badesha, both of Maple Ridge, in court via video link, have been east of Vancouver, are accused of ordered to remain in custody unmurder and conspiracy in India. Malkit and Bandesha were arrested in 2012. The prosecution in the case heard by the British Columbia Supreme Court alleged that the pair orJaswinder Sidhu and her husband chestrated the Sukhwinder Mithu Sidhu murder because Sidhu had married a poor til their extradition. rickshaw driver in India, rather Fitch heard evidence at a sethan a person of their choice. ries of hearings last year and in Malkit and Bandesha fought January. extradition, arguing there was not Jaswinder was living in Maple enough evidence to force them to Ridge in February 2000 when her face charges in India, The Cana- family learned of her clandestine dian Press reported. marriage. Tw e n t y - f i v e - y e a r - o l d Friends and co-workers testiJaswinder secretly married fied that in the months that folagainst the wishes of her family lowed, she was under watch and fled Canada for India to re- around the clock and feared for unite with her husband Mithu her life. Sidhu, who survived the attack. The prosecution alleged the Four men have already been mother and uncle embarked on a convicted of murder in India. "systematic campaign of terror," In a ruling, Justice Gregory ordering Jaswinder to end the Fitch said Jaswinder's family marriage and restore the family's wanted her to accept arranged honor.-PTI

2 Indian-Americans honored as Champions of Change Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 6

Based in Artesia California, Kulkarni is executive director of South Asian Network (SAN) - a community-based organization dedicated to advancing the health, empowerment and solidarity of persons of South Asian origin in Southern California. Through her work at SAN, Kulkarni advocates for effective policies and practices on issues impacting the South Asian American community, and works to educate South Asian Americans on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act through in-language materials and outreach and individual

assistance to enroll in California's health benefit exchange, Covered California, the White House said. From Chicago, Paintal serves as program manager for the Asian Health Coalition's partnership consortium around education, outreach and enrollment to underserved AAPIs communities in Illinois. To target hard to reach immigrant communities, she oversaw the development of culturally sensitive and language appropriate ACA educational materials to increase ACA enrollment, the White House said.Paintal has been working in public health for over 13 years. -PTI

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Karan Bilimoria named Birmingham varsity Chancellor LONDON: Prominent Indian- solutely delighted that Lord origin entrepreneur Karan Bilimoria will be our new ChancelBilimoria has been appointed as lor. He is a highly respected glothe new Chancellor of the UK's bal businessman and crossbench prestigious University of Birming- peer with a clear passion for higher ham. education and the value it brings Lord Bilimoria, the 52-year-old to society and to the economy. India-born founder of Cobra Beer, "He not only encapsulates the will take up his role at an installa- university's commitment to intertion ceremony in July, making him nationalization but his appointthe seventh Chancellor of the uni- ment underlines further the imporversity. tance we place on forging strong, "I am honored and humbled to mutually beneficial partnerships have been asked to be Chancellor of this internationally-renowned He is a highly respected university with its vibrant, global commu- global businessman and nity," Lord Bilimoria crossbench peer with a said. clear passion for higher "I am also delighted the value it to have the opportunity education and to take on such a promi- brings to society and to nent role at the univerthe economy sity where both my mother, my uncle and my maternal grandfather studied; between business and higher the university that instilled the education." value of higher education in them, Lord Bilimoria, already a memand in turn drove my own pas- ber of the University of Birmingsion for learning and discovery," ham Business School Advisory he added. Board, is chairman of the Cobra He succeeds Sir Dominic Beer Partnership Limited and of Cadbury, who stepped down last Molson Coors Cobra India, both December after 11 years into the joint ventures with the global role. brewing company, Molson Coors. Professor David Eastwood, Hyderabad-born Lord Bilimoria is vice-chancellor of the University also the founding- chairman of the of Birmingham, said: "We are ab- UK-India Business Council.-PTI

Bollywood promoter convicted in California WASHINGTON: An IndianAmerican, known for organizing local Bollywood concerts, has been convicted by a California jury of aggravated mayhem for paying three men to maim his ex-wife last year, leaving her with permanent facial injuries. Rakesh Paul Singh, 55, a resident of Milpitas, California faces seven years to life imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 2. In a statement, the Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E O'Malley held Singh responsible for attacking his ex-wife in Fremont, California on February 11, 2013. On that date, his ex-wife was leaving her Fremont home when two men brutally assaulted her with hammer and knife. As a result of the beating and slashing, the victim sustained multiple deep lacerations to her cheek, nose, and ear and had to undergo extensive and ongoing medical treatment, O'Malley said. After a lengthy investigation

led by Fremont Police Detective Armando Magana, it was discovered that the defendant had paid USD 500.00 to three co-conspirators to carry out the attack, O'Malley said. Prior to the trial, the two attackers, Morris Kurtz and Donald Harbaugh, as well as Ricardo Rivera, the man who coordinated the attack, pled guilty to mayhem. It is expected that Rivera will be sentenced to eight years in prison, Harbaugh to thirteen years and Kurtz to nine years for their roles in the crimes, the district attorney said. Trial testimony revealed that Singh wanted the victim's face disfigured because he believed she was seeing another man and he insisted that the attack look like a robbery. Although Singh and his ex-wife were divorced, they still had occasional contact with each other and Singh was upset that she wouldn't agree to re-establish her relationship with him, the prosecutor said.-PTI

Fugitive in US woman's murder held in Hyderabad HYDERABAD: A 46-year-old man of Indian origin, who was on the run since convicted by a US court for murdering a compatriot woman, was arrested from Sainikpuri area here, police said. The fugitive, Amit Muddamalli Livingston, was staying in Madhavapuri Colony under new identity as Sanjay Kumar, they said, adding the Cyberabad police swung into action following a tip-off by CID and apprehended him. Livingston is facing 23-years in prison for murdering Hermilia Garcia Harnandez, with whom he was in a relationship, in September 2005, police said. Livingston fled to Hyderabad after 404th Judicial District Court in Cameron County at Texas had

found him guilty of murder, the CID said in a release here. Livingston, a native of Hyderabad had taken US citizenship. He was convicted of murder in violation of Texas Penal Code and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. When his 23-year prison sentence was to begin on his appearance before the Cameron County Sheriff's Office on April 14, 2007 he escaped and failed to surrender, CID said. Livingston had entered India on a fake identity and illegal travel documents, CID said. A Red Corner Notice was issued against him in year 2008 by the state of Texas through the Interpol. The Andhra Pradesh CID was

tracking his movements for the past one year and finally located him in a rented penthouse where he had been living for over three years, the release said. After his arrest by police here, Livingston was booked under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and was remanded in judicial custody and sent to Cherlapally Jail here. The CID officials have informed about Livingston's arrest to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CB), NCB and Ministry of Home Affairs, the release added. Livingston is likely to be produced in a local court and police will take him on a PT (prisoner transit) warrant to Patiala House Court in Delhi which deals with extradition cases. -PTI

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Indian-origin scientist develops leadless pacemaker NEW YORK: The world's first wireless pacemaker, developed by an Indian-origin scientist, has shown promising results after one year of human trials. The device, resembling a tiny, metal silver tube and smaller than a triple-A battery, is only a few centimeters in length, making it less than ten per cent the size of a traditional pacemaker. "This is the first time we've seen oneyear follow-up data for this innovative, wireless cardiac pacing technology and our results show the leadless pacemaker is comparable to traditional pacemakers," said Dr Vivek Reddy, Director of Arrhythmia Services at The Mount Sinai Hospital here, who is the study's co-investigator.

In comparison to a conventional pacemaker, the new-age leadless pacemaker eliminates the need for a surgical pocket and no visible pacemaker device under a patient's chest skin, no incision scar on the chest, no connector wires or leads, and no restrictions on a patient's daily activities. The device's benefits may also allow for less patient discomfort, infections, and device complications and dysfunction. "Our latest findings further support the promising performance and safety of this minimally-invasive, non-surgical pacing device. More long-term follow-up of these

Dr Vivek Reddy

LEADLESS study patients will further our understanding of the potential advantages, benefits, and complication risks of leadless pacemaker technology, along with additional ongoing, larger trials," Dr Reddy said. The study's long-term follow-up has evaluated 32 patients with a slowed heartbeat, bradycardia at two hospitals in Prague and one in Amsterdam, the hospital said in a statement. The miniature, leadless cardiac pacemaker is placed directly inside a patient's heart without surgery during a catheterguided procedure through the groin via the femoral vein. It works by closely monitoring the heart's electrical rhythms and if the heart beat is too slow it provides electrical stimulation therapy to regulate it. The findings, which assessed device performance and patient outcomes through 12months of follow-up, show pacing thresholds (0.43 volts) and sensing (10.32 mV) of the leadless pacemaker device are equivalent to those in traditional pacemakers. Reddy presented the one-year LEADLESS study data findings during his late-breaking clinical trial presentation on May 9 at Heart Rhythm 2014, the Heart Rhythm Society's 35th Annual Scientific Sessions in San Francisco. Reddy was the first to implant the leadless pacemaker in the United States at The Mount Sinai Hospital launching the multicenter clinical trial LEADLESS II which aims to further test the leadless pacemaker more widely for safety and efficacy in 670 patients at 50 centers across the US and Canada. More than 4 million patients globally have a pacemaker, and 700,000 new patients receive one each year, the hospital said. -PTI

Indians protest Mission's 'garbagelike treatment' LONDON: Upset over discourtesy by staff at the Indian High Commission here, over 2,500 Indians have petitioned the mission to be polite to their countrymen and not treat them like "garbage". A petition titled 'Stop Treating Indians Like Garbage!' launched earlier this month on Change.org by an NRI IT professional has gathered over 2,894 signatures so far and resulted in securing a meeting with Indian diplomats at India House here. While the Indian High Commission pointed out that it has already taken steps such as setting up of a "Public Response Unit" to coordinate its response and hold a monthly "Open House" to address grievances, a key students' organization has now raised concerns over lack of engagement with them. The National Indian Students Union UK (NISU UK), which has over 14 Indian societies from universities across the country affiliated to it and campaigns on issues affecting Indian students based in Britain, is planning to raise its concerns at the upcoming meeting.-PTI

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Mangalyaan will reach Martian orbit on Sep 24 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India's maiden inter-planetary mission to Mars "Mangalyaan" was on course and the orbiter would reach the Martian orbit on September 24, Indian Space Research

Organization (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan said here. Dismissing the skeptical views expressed by certain quarters

over the mission, he said, "Mars mission is going well and will reach the orbit on September 24, 2014." This will make all in ISRO and also the people of the country

proud "as it will be a major milestone for ISRO," Radhakrishnan said at a felicitation function organized by The Institute of Engi-

neers India (Kerala Chapter). Now it took four minutes for a signal from the ground station to reach the spacecraft, launched from Sriharikota on November 5, he said. Stating that many more missions were under different stages, Radhakrishnan said another major project in coming months would be the experimental mission of GSLV-MARK 3 with crew module for country's human space flight mission. ISRO's rating among the countries with space missions had gone up, he said, adding a USAbased bench mark agency has placed the Indian agency in sixth place. ISRO had 10 successful launches during the last one year, he said, adding, "ISRO uses its resources judiciously for the benefit of the society." Space scientists M Chandra Dathan, Director LPSC, K Sivan, Project Director GSLV and P Kuhhikrishnan, Project Director PSLV were also felicitated. -PTI

PM bids goodbye to personal staff NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally bid goodbye to his personal staff in his South Block office while thanking them for their assistance. He met 110 personal staff members and expressed his gratitude towards them, sources said. Singh, who became the Prime

Minister in 2004, met them in the PMO where he was also greeted by 400 peripheral staff members who gave him a thunderous applause in the corridors of the South Block, they said. The PMO is being refurbished, particularly the upholstery, to welcome a new Prime Minister. -PTI

UK police trail Indianorigin conman LONDON: British police is looking for an Indian-origin 'spiritual guru' wanted in connection with a series of blackmails and high-value frauds and has appealed to the people to be on guard against him. Leicestershire Police warned public in the pre-dominantly Indian dominated city to guard against the conman known as Kamal-Ji and purports to be a devotee of Sai Baba. They said the traditional Indian kurta-pyjama wearing man initially

offers healing and astrology services to win trust of his victims and attempts to assist them for business success, matrimonial, health and relationship issues. Then, he demands money to purchase items, defrauding them of tens of thousands of pounds paid in cash or through bank accounts. Detective Sergeant Mark Sinski said: "The suspect has advertised his services in Leicestershire by radio and newspaper adverts and on flyers. -PTI

Tech News No Indian varsity in top-10 of Asian ranking NEW DELHI: No Indian university features among the top 10 varsities in Asia in the latest QS university rankings with IIT Delhi securing the best standing for an Indian institution at the 38th position on the list. In all, 10 Indian institutions have found a place in the rankings, which was released here. The first copy of the rankings was presented to President Pranab Mukherjee by a delegation from QS, ICAA, British Council, FICCI and KPMG, who have partnered in the program. The President had time and again regretted the presence of any Indian university on the global rankings list. After IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay came in at the 41st position while IIT Kanpur secured the 52nd spot on the list.-PTI

India to wait till 2007 for automatic tax info NEW DELHI: As they continue their efforts to clamp down on the menace of black money, India and other countries will have to wait at least till 2017 before the new global standard for automatic exchange of tax information comes into effect. India, Switzerland and 45 other nations had agreed upon automatic exchange of tax information, which is seen as a major step forward in global efforts against banking secrecy practices. The endorsement of the 'Declaration on Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters' under the aegis of think-tank OECD had paved the way for finalizing a single global standard in this regard later this year in September.-PTI

Weddings can be pricey, even for guests NEW YORK: Weddings are expensive, even if you're not the one walking down the aisle. Chantay Bridges expects to spend more than $4,000 to attend the weddings of three close friends this summer. That tidy sum is going to dresses, shoes and gifts, as well as tuxedo rentals for her husband. Two of the weddings also require plane tickets and hotel stays. But there are still more costs she can't plan for yet, such as spa days, spontaneous group dinners or other events that are likely to happen as the big day gets closer. -AP

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Shyam Maller, Sr. Vice President Sales & Marketing, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd, at the launch of Eicher Pro1000 & Eicher Pro3000 series of light & medium duty trucks in Hyderabad on May 12

'Next decade to be golden era of entrepreneurship in India' SILICON VALLEY: Simply amazed by the quality and scale of startup companies being launched in India in the last few years, top Silicon Valley experts have said that next decade is going to be "golden era" of Indian entrepreneurship. "Culmination of cloud, internet bandwidth, big data and mobility, I think has spawned the golden age for India," M R Rangaswami, one of the most influential technology executives, said here. "That (golden era) is possible," said Vinod Khosla, an IndianAmerican businessman and venture capitalist. Khosla, one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems, Rangaswami, founder of Indispora, top Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capital-

M R Rangaswami

ists interacted with a group of young Indian entrepreneurs, with innovative startups to their credit, who are currently visiting the US on a trip organized by The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). Rangaswami said a lot of technologies are lined up for the Indian success in the coming years. He referred to the IT talent emerging out of India indicates in such a direction wherein hundreds of Indian companies are expected to go big, issue public issues and even acquired by top global IT firms. "We are just starting to see this," he said. "Conditions are probably the

best ever for this ecosystem in India," said, R Chandrasekhar, president of NASSCOM. He attributed it to several reasons including Indian industry having established itself in the global market, the capabilities of Indian tech professionals and entrepreneurs getting recognized internationally, spread of mobile telephones to almost a billion in terms of subscribers, broad band and emergence of a whole breed of new apps, which are driving usage among a generation of people who are actually coming to internet via mobile. "All of this makes the market in India very ripe. There is a huge window of opportunity for the entrepreneurial companies in India," Chandrasekhar said. Top guns from Silicon Valley, including venture capitalist and pioneering entrepreneurs, in an interaction with a visiting Indian delegation venturing into the world of business, with innovative IT products, said that till a few years ago, Indian entrepreneurs wanted to copy the Infosys and Wipro model. But this is not the case any longer, said B V Jagadeesh, founder of several successful Silicon Valley companies including Exodus, NetScaler and 3Leaf. Today there are a lot of great ideas, he said. "It is amazing to see the kind of product companies that are emerging. The next decade in India is going to be the golden era in entrepreneurship. This is absolutely the best time for Indians to go for true global companies," Jagadeesh told the 27-membered Indian delegation, which are part of NASSCOM's "10,000 Start Ups" initiative. One of the delegation members, Pune-based Rohit Gupta, founder and CEO of Rolocule.Com, has re-

Vinod Khosla

cently won the prestigious 2014 Silver Edison Award for being the most innovative new product of the year in the Entertainment category at its annual awards function held in San Francisco on April 30.

founded Eztap which delivers a smart and convenient mobile point of sale solution for small businesses. Brief bios of these 27 startups indicate that all these companies are not only creating a niche for themselves in India, but also in the region as well - South East Asia, other parts of Asia and as far as Africa and Europe. Many of them have now set their goals on the United States and have started the process of setting their base in the Silicon Valley. For instance, Bokaro (Jharkhand) educated Rohit Agarwal, founder of Framebench.Com, has incorporated his company in the US. In their day long interaction with these Indian IT entrepreneurs, successful Indian Americans shared their experiences, chal-

One of the delegation members, Punebased Rohit Gupta, founder and CEO of Rolocule.Com, has recently won the prestigious 2014 Silver Edison Award for being the most innovative new product Abhijit Gupta, through his Praxify.Com, has developed India's first interconnected healthcare platform. Already having one million customers in his kitty, Abhijit boasts of increasing it to 10 million in the next couple of months.

R Chandrasekhar

Siddhartha Chandurka, founder and CEO of ShepHertz, offers services for building multiplayer games, while Abhijit Bose has

lenges and tips of launching their products. Prominent among them were Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, founders of Cambrian Ventures, Junglee and Kosmix and Prabakar Sundarrajan and Rajan Raghavan, founders of TheFabric. "Building relationship is very important. (But) I focused more on products," Rashmi Sinha, founder of SlideShare told the Indian visitors. During his presentation, Neeraj Arora, Biz development head of What's App, shared his experience and said one of the mantras of his company is work with less people. The ecosystem in India, he said, does not support risk taking. A lot of development for the good has taken place in the last few years, he said. "Mission is to get one billion (What's Up) users in next one year," he said in response to a question. -PTI

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Airport charges at Delhi, Mumbai to remain same NEW DELHI: Airport charges and user development fee at Delhi and Mumbai, which were to be revised last month, would continue to remain the same till October end, official sources said.

nals and housing and parking. The aeronautical tariff, approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), for these two major metro airports would continue till October 31 or

Airport charges, paid by airlines to airport operators like GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and GVK-led Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), include those relating to landing and parking, fuel throughput, common user termi-

till the final determination of the tariffs for five years from 2014 till 2019, whichever is earlier, the sources said. The decision was taken after both DIAL and MIAL told AERA that since the determination of tariff for the 2014-19 period may take

some time, it could allow continuation of existing rates till tariff was finalized and made effective. At Delhi's IGI Airport, which is the only one to charge user development fee (UDF) from both outgoing and incoming flyers, the rate would remain Rs 1,131 for international departing passengers and Rs 933 for those arriving here. For domestic passengers coming in and flying out of Delhi, the UDF would remain at Rs 490 for departing and Rs 415 for arriving passengers. The UDF rates for Mumbai would remain fixed at Rs 548 and Rs 274 for outbound international and domestic passengers. Incoming passengers do not pay UDF at Mumbai. Similarly, landing charges in Delhi would remain constant at over Rs 59,000 for a large aircraft coming from abroad and over Rs 30,000 for a similar plane from a domestic destination. These charges at Mumbai airport were Rs 60,000 and about Rs 29,000 for large airplanes operating on international and domestic routes respectively. -PTI

Indian BPM industry to touch Infosys hives off products & $50 billion by 2020 MUMBAI: The end-to-end ness value to 200+ global clients. transformation and client central"Data around the election this ity in solutions will enable busi- time by various research agencies ness process management (BPM) and leading publications states to touch USD 50 billion by 2020 that 65 per cent of India's populafrom the present USD 21 billion, tion is 35 and below. Half of the an industry official said. country's population of 1.25 bilIndia is expected to be 'nerve lion people is under 25 years of centre' or hub of global BPM sourc- age," Murugesh told PTI. ing industry, developing best pracData also suggests that one of tices as social media, enterprise mobility and "BPM has a place for everyother new technologies are set to drive demand one - graduates, doctors, for specialized services. lawyers, chartered accoun"We have been suptants, medical professionals, ported so far by the government with certain analytics practitioners,, measures and I believe with more focused support in cer- the top-most issues on Gen Y's tain areas, we can surely reach the mind is better employment. magical number of USD 50 billion "BPM has a place for everyone by 2020. - graduates, doctors, lawyers, char"Look at the value we will cre- tered accountants, medical profesate for every economy in the world, sionals, analytics practitioners, not just for India...think of the em- engineers...the list is endless. ployment opportunities," said "It is safe, as the measures Keshav R Murugesh before put- around employee safety are almost ting forth a wish-list as the Chair- draconian in nature. Tremendous man of the Nasscom BPM Council. opportunities for career growth, He is also Group CEO, WNS taking on stretch profiles at a Global Services, a leading global young age, and learning while on BPM company and offers busi- the job.-PTI

platform biz

NEW DELHI: Faced with lower revenues from its software products business, IT services major Infosys has hived off its products and platform business into a separate subsidiary - Edgeverve Systems Ltd. The Infosys subsidiary - incorporated in February this year - will focus on developing products and platforms. "On February 14, 2014, we incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Edgeverve Systems Ltd and invested less than USD 1 million in the subsidiary. Edgeverve is expected to focus on developing and selling products and platforms," Infosys said in a US SEC filing. The filing further said: "On April 15, 2014, the Board of Directors of Infosys has authorized the company to execute a Business Transfer Agreement and related documents with Edgeverve, subject to securing the requisite approval from shareholders in the ensuing Annual General Meeting scheduled on June 14, 2014."-PTI

Shrinking IIP, soaring inflation big challenges NEW DELHI: A persistent de- Mumbai Industrial Corridor) into cline in industrial production and implementation mode and bringing a surge in inflation will pose big clarity in tax policy," said CII Direcchallenges for the new govern- tor General Chandrajit Banerjee. ment, which is expected to assume Output as measured by the inoffice later this month. dex of industrial production (IIP) While industrial production remained almost flat in 2013-14, shrank for the second month in a declining 0.1 per cent compared row, contracting 0.5 per cent in with an expansion of 1.1 per cent March, retail inflation surged to a in 2012-13, mainly on account of a three-month high of 8.59 per cent drop in output in manufacturing, in April, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The weak industry scenario The IIP showed should propel the new growth of 3.5 per cent government to send out in March 2013. The weak industry strong signals of its scenario should propel the new government to commitment to spur growth send out strong signals of its commitment to spur growth, especially capital goods. the Confederation of Indian IndusThe data showed costlier vegtry (CII) said. etables, fruits and milk pushed up "Top priority should be given retail prices by 8.59 per cent in to reviving investor sentiment by April, the most in three months. ensuring that cleared projects in the Rising inflation may prevent manufacturing and infrastructure the Reserve Bank of India from sector take off on the ground, get- easing interest rates in its monting large projects like DMIC (Delhi- etary policy review on June 3.-PTI

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BlackBerry fights back with cut-price smartphone JAKARTA: Ailing smartphone maker BlackBerry has made a new bid to turn its fortunes around with the launch of a cut-price handset in Indonesia, one of its last bastions. The Z3, which is expected to be introduced in other emerging markets later, is the first new BlackBerry phone since chief ex-

test of whether the new strategy will work. BlackBerry has suffered huge losses and slashed thousands of jobs in recent years in the face of intense competition from rivals, particularly titans Apple and Samsung. Even in Indonesia, where its phones maintain a loyal following,

ecutive John Chen took the helm of the crisis-hit company last year. The handset is also the first to be produced from the Canadian firm's partnership with Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, which makes gadgets for Apple, and is a key

the company's market share has fallen in the past year, analysts say. Nevertheless BlackBerry is convinced that the new Indonesian model - whose full name is the Z3 "Jakarta Edition" - will be a hit in Southeast Asia's top

economy, which has legions of social media-mad young consumers. "There is still momentum behind the BlackBerry brand in Indonesia and this product will deliver something that should resonate with consumers there," a spokesman said. BlackBerry says the phone is aimed at fast-growing economies, although it has declined to say where it might be launched next, rather than Western markets, most of which have not enjoyed stellar growth in recent times. Chen took over in November after the company ousted Thorsten Heins, and a month later BlackBerry announced the tie-up with Foxconn. It involves transferring to the Taiwan company manufacturing and inventory management, while allowing the phone maker to focus on software and services. The Z3 has a 13 centimeter touchscreen, like the most recent BlackBerry handsets which do not have the physical keyboards of the older devices. The "Jakarta Edition" is designed specifically with Indonesian consumers in mind. The BBM messaging service - wildly popular in Indonesia - comes loaded with pictures of local cartoon characters for users to send to one another. There is also a limited edition version with "Jakarta" engraved on it. The company believes the relatively low price of around USD 200 will be a particular selling point. -AFP

Indigenous technology to produce CRGO steel JAMSHEDPUR: The CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, a government-enterprise, will develop a technology to produce cold rolled grain-oriented steel (CRGO) in the country soon. Cold Rolled Grain Oriented (CRGO) steel is a critical input for the manufacturing of transformers which is key for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to end-users. CSIR-NML will develop the technology jointly with the Ministry of Steel, Tata Steel and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), said Indranil Chotraj, Head of Business Development, National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML). The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is a premier industrial R&D organization. Talking to reporters after the conclusion of National Technology Day Celebrations at NML

here, Chotraj said all the partners have given their approvals and waiting for creating a detailed project report in this regard. The work on the project was likely to begin by the end of this

year, he said. At present, India is completely dependent on import to meets its CRGO demand. Meanwhile, three technologies developed by the CSIR-NML scientists have been transferred to

industry in 2013-14. The technologies developed by the NML included recovery of lead from zinc plant residue, which was transferred to Cinkom Zinc Lead Metals and Mining Industry Co, Turkey. Besides, Tungsten powder from tungsten carbide hard metal scrap technology was transferred to Mangalore-based Minestone Minerals and a cheap and energy efficient brass melting furnace technology was transferred to Moradabad Industrial Development Company, he said. Dr K K Paul and Dr K L Sahoo of NML, who developed the Tungsten Powder from Tungsten carbide hard metal scrap and brass melting furnace, said India does not produce Tungsten, which was important metal for the defense sector though we have rich reserve of low grade Tungsten.-PTI

Hindujas top UK's 'super rich' list LONDON: The Hinduja brothers have emerged as the richest persons in the UK, which boasts of 102 billionaires, including Lord Swraj Paul and four others of Indian-origin. The London-based Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, who have a fortune of 11.9 billion pounds - "up by an astonishing 1.3 billion pounds in the past year", edged out steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal and Russian magnate Alisher Usmanov, according to the 'Sunday Times Super-Rich List.' The Hinduja brothers, who run the multinational Hinduja Group conglomerate with interests across automotive, real estate and oil, moved up from third position last year to top the UK's

highlighted a final bounce in fortunes after a few years of dip. "After a tough few years in the steel industry, Mittal is seeing a glimmer of light. Arcelor Mittal shares have recovered, making his stake worth 6.65 billion pounds - up 700 million pounds in a year," it said. Mittal's brother-in-law Indiaborn textiles and plastics tycoon Lohia is ranked as Britain's 46th richest man with around 2.11 billion pounds. Leading NRI industrialist and Caparo chief Lord Swraj Paul is ranked Britain's 48th richest, with an estimated wealth worth around 2 billion pounds. "The 83-year-old came to Britain from India in 1966 to

Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja

billionaire charts this year. The list also includes NRI industrialists such as Lakshmi Mittal and family, Prakash Lohia, Lord Swraj Paul and family, AnilAgarwal and Ajay Kalsi and family among the city's 72 billionaires. Mittal also edged one position upwards to the third rank with 10.25 billion pounds even as Arsenal shareholder and Russian business chief Usmanov, who topped the list till last year, fell to the second place after his estimated fortune dropped to 10.65 billion pounds. "Last year, the Hindujas sold a 49 per cent stake in a Saudi Arabian lubricants maker, Petromin, for more than 200 million pounds. Property investments in India have added 200 million pounds. The family's IndusInd bank is capitalized at about 2.7 billion pounds. In Britain, Hinduja Automotive turned over about 1.5 billion pounds in 2012-13," the newspaper said. In reference to the Kolkatabased Mittal, the newspaper

seek treatment for his daughter's leukemia. He stayed after her death and founded steel manufacturer Caparo, which made more than 62 million pounds profit in 2013. The company has been restructured, with its American and Indian businesses worth 1.6 billion pounds," the newspaper said. "Paul is chancellor of Westminster and Wolverhampton universities. In memory of his daughter he set up the Ambika Paul Foundation, which supports children's charities," the newspaper said. Vedanta Resources chief Agarwal at 50th rank and Indus Gas supremo Kalsi at 102nd complete the Indian presence among the London-based billionaires. "More than half, 39, of London's 72 billionaires were born abroad, but nationally the proportion was lower, with 44 of the 104 across the country born outside the UK," the Times said in its overall analysis.-PTI

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Desi News MMS Ramayana celebrates 36 'years of magic' India Post News Service

Bhoomi Pujan for expansion at Jalaram Temple YOGESH THAKKAR & ASIAN MEDIA

CHICAGO: Four years from now, devotes of Jalaram Bapa in Chicagoland had their dream come true when they commenced Jalaram Mandir at Hofman Estate, a north side suburb of Chicago. Now the devotees are bracing for a leap forward - getting the second phase for larger space and idols of not only Bapa but other Hindu deities - in all nine - installed at the facility in a year time. Details on page 26

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

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Spiritual Master from India visiting Berkeley

May 16, 2014

Details on page 24

Ground breaking ceremony held for Gandhi Memorial Plaza India Post News Service

DALLAS, TX: The Ground Breaking Ceremony of "Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza" in Thomas Jefferson Park, Irving took place on Saturday, May 3 in Irving, TX. The first ever Indian origin governor in South Carolina, Nikki Haley, Mayor of Irving City Beth Van Duyne and India's Consular General from Houston Parvathaneni Harish and many other dignitaries attended the ceremonies. Prasad Thotakura, Chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas (MGMNT), said, "The 7 foot tall 30 inch wide bronze statue was cast in Andhra Pradesh, India and will be installed on a 6 foot tall pedestal with a big flat form and a granite wall in the back will be adorned with inscriptions from Gandhi's quotations and sayings from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Albert Einstein, President Obama etc.

Dignitaries at the ceremony (L-R) Parvathaneni Harish, Consul General of India-Houston, Dr Prasad Thotakura, Chairman-Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas (MGMNT), Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, Dilip Patel, Treasurer -MGMNT and Shabnam Modgil, Board of Director-MGMNT

Grand Opening ceremonies are set for October 2nd (Gandhiji's birthday) and Mahatma Gandhi family,

Martin Luther King family and Nelson Mandela family members, besides many other invited digni-

taries from the USA and India are expected to attend". The estimated total project cost of around $700,000 is borne entirely by the community and not a dime will come from the Irving City funds. However, people can donate generously and more information can be obtained from www.mgmnt.org. MGMNT team is led by Dr. Prasad Thotakura, Chairman, Taiyab Kundawala, Co-chair, Mrs. Swati Shah, Co-chair, Rao Kalvala, Secretary, Dilip Patel, Treasurer, and Directors - Piyush Patel, Shabnam Modgil, Jack Godhwani, Paul Pandian and Fundraising Chairs - John Hammond, Sudhir Parikh, Kuntesh Choski and Advisory Board of Directors like Padmashri AK Mago, Prof. Caroline Brittle, MVL Prasad etc., Gov. Nikki Randhawa Haley, the first woman Governor of South Carolina, the youngest Governor in the United States, and the first Indian American female Governor, said, "by putting this statue in this park, we are starting out with children, reminding them who he was, reminding them what he was about, and reminding them of the celebration he wanted his life to live on". Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

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Dhake industries gets national recognition with 'e' award RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: An Indian owned privately held company set up three decades ago in Plymouth, MI. USA, Dhake Industries Private Ltd., has not only earned name and fame for itself but has now won recognition from the US government also for its outstanding performance on the export front and admirable domestic record. Manufacturing specialty coating for engineered plastics and automotive paints

Dhake Industries in Plymouth, Michigan State

, the company headed by BG Dhake, a chemist and chemical engineer by academic performance and professional upbringing, has its presence not only in USA but also in Brazil, China and of course, in India too. Its products go across the globe - Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Mexico and other parts of the world-. According to BG Dhake, CEO and chairman, 45 percent pro-

duction of the company goes abroad and this is one of the biggest factors besides the domestic performance that led the US Commerce Department to select the company for the prestigious President's E Award this month for "its significant contribution to increase the US Exports." BG Dhake who has been in the industry for over three decades, however, gives full credit for export lift to his equally qualified son Arjun Dhake, Vice President, who has trekked the globe for marketing company products. He has been to China with the Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and to Brazil with the Deputy Governor Brian Calley in recent years. He has been to India many time and has now also set up a small facility in Pune. Arjun has a degree in Chemicals Engineering from Michigan University and

Vice President of the company Arjun Dhake and CEO BG Dhake

Masters in Business Administration from prestigious the Ross Business school. "It is because of the broad vision, foresight and efforts of Arjun that the company has developed its footing in China, Brazil and India too," says BG Dhake. Dhake Industries is probably the only Indian owned business in the automotive paint and coating business that has been recognized and selected for the President's E Award. The award ceremony is slated to take place in Washington DC on May 27 this year and it is expected that the US President would grace the occasion with his presence and encourage the US business to do one better in the export field. In a communication to BG Dhake, Penny Pritzker, US Commerce Secretary said that "Dhake Industries has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The E Award Committee was very impressed with the company's work to develop its markets and export its product to China. Dhake Industries achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the US Economy and create American jobs."

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Splendid presentation of 'Bipasha Basu in Chicago' Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Live2U organized a splendid show "Bipasha Basu in Chicago" on Sunday, May 4 at The Meadows Club in a Chicago suburb. That was reflective of a unique admixture of Drinks, Dinner, Dance, Music and Meet and Greet; making it a pleasant evening for over 250 attendees. Ryan Khan did excellent job as Master of Ceremony introducing himself as Host and Dost. Katthakali Deshpande, a favorite among Chicagoans, and upcoming star singer of Chicago Mahijit Singh Virdi sang Bollywood songs making the audience happy. Then Canadian singing sensation "Myssah" and her talented team presented array of Bollywood songs with mind boggling dances with popular songs. Bollywood's beauty "Bipasha Basu" entered to a rousing welcome. The lovely lady's Rocky S

designer dress made many to shiver in the knees. When asked for her latest movie she said, 'I am currently busy shooting for the comic caper Humshakals, might be seen next in Siddharth Malhotra production." She asserted that it is going to be love by all - a family movie. Bipasha is busy stretching her wings beyond Bollywood and has released her own accessories line. The FIA Trustee Chair Iftekhar Shareef reportedly invited her for the Chicago India Day Parade and she might grace the event, it is learnt Among the Chicago elites were Sunil Shah-Founder President New FIA; Rishikant SinghManager Air India; Suga of Suga Builders; Hina Trivedi; former President of FIA; Iftekhar SharifChairman Board of Trustees FIA; Dr. Arun Narang; Ninad Daftary; Raj Patel; Mona and Manjeet Bhalla and Dr. Utpal Parikh among others at the show.

Bipasha Basu with Air India Manager Rishikant Singh and former FIA president Rita Singh

A section of the audience at Bipasha Basu show at Meadows Club

Founder President Sunil Shah on the stage along with lovers of dance-music in Chicagoland during the Bipasha Basu show

Ground breaking ceremony held for Gandhi Memorial Plaza Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 16

She continued, "When I look at the statue, I see a man of the peace. To walk in the state house of South Carolina as a first Indian American woman as Governor, I hoped that's exactly what he wanted for all communities, for all people, and for all minorities to be able to be free as they wanted to be, as peaceful as they wanted to be, and to get to contribute to the world, and that is what we are celebrating today". She said, "Indian American community is the least dependent community on receiving aid from the state, most affluent and the most educated communities in America."

Members of MGMP committee and supporters at the Groundbreaking ceremony in Irving TX

Mayor Beth Van Duyne appreciated the community for funding it entirely on their own and she

asserted that Zip code 75038 in Irving had the most diverse population in America.

Consul General of India Parvathaneni Harish attended the ceremonies as a Special Guest of

Honor and congratulated the MGMNT Team and the Dallas area community for planning to make one of the greatest monuments in the USA. Mahatma Gandhi's soul would be smiling at the people gathered in the park today. He lived and sacrificed his life for the unity of people of the Subcontinent. As Indian flag colors like orange, white and green and also US flag colors like red, white and blue balloons were released into the bright sunny blue skies. It was beautiful sight to see with members of the Indian community from all regions, religions and races joining hands to get the memorial built as a reminder of unity. Indeed it is a great accomplishment for the people of Dallas.

Community Across America

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'First Bank' to provide micro- Realizing importance of 'Mata' on Mother's Day financing to small business STEPHANIE KULKE

CHICAGO: First Bank & Trust has announced a new partnership with Lending for Evanston and Northwestern Development (LEND), a Northwestern studentrun non-profit organization pro-

nity because a lot of entrepreneurs out there are 'Mom and Pop stores' who aren't looking for a lot of capital." As part of the partnership, First Bank & Trust has invested $10,000

come from the funds invested by First Bank & Trust, thereby expanding the capacity of the organization. The bank also plans to provide financial training to LEND clients

First Bank and Trust at Evanston (Inset) Northwestern Partners Senior Sabrina Kaplan (left) and Freshman Hans Mueller-Schrader (right) with Evanston entrepreneur Victoria Adams (center). -Inset pic by Katherine Nagasawa

viding microfinancing to small businesses in the Evanston community. LEND provides loans of $500 to $10,000 to Evanston-based entrepreneurs who do not qualify for traditional bank loans due to a lack of credit or insufficient assets. Since the organization's founding in 2009, it has disbursed more than $27,000 in loans to nine businesses including a jewelry store, a barber shop and a community fitness studio. In addition, the students provide one-on-one business development services to small business owners, assisting with operations, financial record keeping, and marketing strategies. The organization emphasizes strong relationships with business owners, and ultimately hopes to lay the foundations for future success. "It's a natural fit for us to be working together," said Michael Corr, Senior Vice President - Commercial Banking at the Bank "we can reach businesses that are not qualified for traditional bank financing." "We are really excited about this partnership," said Salil Gupta, a junior computer science major at Northwestern who serves as LEND's president. "Microfinance is a valuable asset to the commu-

into the LEND microloan fund, which the students will use as match funding for new loans to small businesses. For example, if a small business needs a loan of $10,000, half of that will come from LEND funds and the other half will

and applicants, as well as industry training to Northwestern students and volunteers, providing them insight into careers in banking. "We believe it is a true win-win for everyone involved," Corr said.

KUSUM VYAS

Jewish proverb says: "God could not be everywhere and there fore he made mothers". No statement could be more appropriate describing the importance of Mother in our life. Let us celebrate the Mother's Day when we honor our mothers and rejoice in their blessings and the extraordinary importance of mothers in our lives. Mothers are the rocks of our families and a foundation in our communities. In gratitude for their generous love, patient counsel, and lifelong support, let us pay respect to the women who carry out the hard work of motherhood with skill and grace, and let us remember those mothers who, though no longer with us, inspire us still. The bond of love and dedication a mother shares with her children and family is without bounds or conditions. Whether an adoptive mom or grandmother, the women who raise us show us that no hurdle is too high, and no dream is beyond our reach. As sons and daughters, we must show our gratitude for the women in our

lives who care for us, shape our values, and set us on the path to a limitless future. Throughout our history, mothers have made remarkable sacrifices for the wellbeing of their loved ones. Let us also salute the other manifestation of Mother celebrated in our scriptures. In Prithvi

Symbolizing Mother Earth

Sukta she is Mata Bhoomi - beautiful Planet Earth, our home and the feminine, creative and transformative energy of the Universe that makes our life possible and sustains it. In honoring Mother Earth we worship Shakti, the cosmic energy that pervades the Universe. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 23

AIS promoting documentary on Frontier Gandhi RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: American Institute of Sindhulogy (AIS) has applauded Teri McLuhan's efforts and work in bringing to life and to the big screen the untold story of the great nonviolent leader of Pashtun origin - Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known more popularly as the Frontier Gandhi - in her current award-winning feature documentary , The Frontier Gandhi Badshah Khan : A Torch For Peace Ms. McLuhan wishes to move forward and create a DVD of the movie for schools throughout the USA, Canada, and South Asia, with a global outreach program to follow.

No DVD is available at this time. In a bid to help Ms McLean realize her dream, AIS plans launching a donation fund for this important cause and hopes to raise $15,000. This would cover the entire cost of the production of a

settled in the USA and who have had the good fortune to realize many aspects of the American dream to put your best instincts forward and become a sponsor of peace and non-violence - so nobly and courageously exemplified

tions to reach out creating awareness about this epic and profoundly inspiring story of The Frontier Gandhi. The public support is a primary means of funding for AIS. We cannot operate without your generous donations as

DVD. Making a fervent appeal Dial Gidwany, the AIS President said "I appeal to people from the subcontinent of India who have

by the lives and legacies of our Mahatma Gandhi and his kindred spirit The Frontier Gandhi." "We owe it to future genera-

AIS is a nonprofit corporation under section 501(c) (4). The Contributions are tax deductible," he added.

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Bhoomi Pujan for expansion at Jalaram Temple YOGESH THAKKAR & ASIAN MEDIA

Bhoomi Pujan in progress

Devotees with Kalash at the start of Jalaram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan ceremony. Pic Asian Media USA

The Bhoomi Puja was performed as per the rules enunciated in Hindu scriptures and was attended and graced among others by the Hoffman Village Mayor William McLeod, his team of Trustees and representatives of Chambers of Commerce. Rajesh Thakkar and the Mandir Trustees ac-

third Sunday. It organizes Sundarkand path every Saturday, Abhishek on Mondays and on Ekadashi, group Satyanarayan Katha. During the celebration of Jalaram Jayanti, discourses of saints from India are held. Celebrations of all religious events like Ram Navami, Janmashtami,

Hoffman Village Mayor William McLeod

Dignitaries arrive at the Jalaram Bhoomi Pujan program

idols of not only Bapa but other Hindu deities - in all nine - installed at the facility in a year time. The ground breaking ceremony for the expansion that would cost close to $2.5 million was held at the temple premise and the event dubbed the start of the Murti Pratisthan Mahotsav was attended by close to 500 Jalaram Bapa devotees and the Mandir volunteers. It lasted for about three hours starting at 4-30 pm.

Navratri, Holi, Diwali and Ekadashi etc are a normal feature. Giving back to the society, the Mandir management hosts annual health fair, provides free flu shots and arranges blood donation. The plans are afoot to conduct monthly medical clinic Seva, which

corded hearty welcome. There were 75 Yajmans for brick giving of $151. They all participated in the Puja and witnessed the cutting of the ribbon Following the ground breaking ceremony, Bhajans were chanted by the devotees for an auspicious start of the expansion project. After the Bhajans, Bavni was recited followed by Thaal and Aarti Shree Jalaram Mandir conducts Bhajans every Thursday, first and

Following the ground breaking ceremony, Bhajans were chanted by the devotees for an auspicious start of the expansion project. After the Bhajans, Bavni was recited followed by Thaal and Aarti

Final Aarti at Jalaram temple

will include doctor's consultation, laboratory tests and providing free prescription medicines on an ongoing basis. Giving a boost to spiritual health, the Mandir conducts yoga classes besides imparting music lessons, Gujarati classes and religious classes.

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MMS Ramayana celebrates 36 'years of magic' India Post News Service

nduring 2600 years as one of the world's most widely-read classics, Ramayana! tells the story of Prince Ram, who, banished from his kingdom, leaves with his true love Sita and brother Lakshman to find a new home. The trio embarks upon an uncertain journey into the Dandaka Forest and beyond, encountering an array of magical characters, including: tribal folk and gentle forest animals, giants and wizards, heroic monkeys and bears, an enchanted golden deer, a kingdom of demons led by the evil 10-headed Lord Ravana, and a wild, fire-breathing dragon!? The performances on June 6-8 mark Mount Madonna School's (MMS) 36th annual production, making it the longest running production of this timeless Indian epic in the western hemisphere! Five years ago MMS brought Ramayana! to San Jose's Mexican Heritage Theater, an ambitious endeavor that has facilitated the introduction of new audiences to this unique theatrical production. The show features a cast of some 200 student actors, ages 3 to 18, accompanied by a choir and adult musicians. It is a story of love, adventure, separation and an

Realizing importance of 'Mata' on Mother's Day Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 20

Mother Earth is threatened now, as never before in history, by human actions and inactions. Let us pledge to work, in our own and simple yet big and determined steps, to help resuscitate our ailing Mother Earth. This Mother's Day, let us embrace the opportunity to show our genuine appreciation and gratitude to our mother and other female exemplars, with a kind gesture of love and recog-

nition for their selfless devotion to our development. One does not need a lot of money to do this. Let us be creative in our efforts to show them how much we care and honor their contribution to our success as conscious human beings. Most of all, we should cherish the times we experience with our mothers. Kusum Vyas is Founder of Green Kumbh Movement and Save Ram Sethu Campaign, GYAN/Living Planet Foundation

eventual joyous reunion, in an ancient allegory of the battle of good and evil. The show is filled with exciting action, spectacular costuming, family humor and original, live music. As the story unfolds, relevant, profound and subtle themes emerge - not only the power of goodness and the determination of love - but also the need for compassion for all beings. A rich performing arts tradition and integrated arts curriculum make MMS performances outstanding. Put aside any stereotypes of what "school play" might bring to mind; think professional quality, phenomenal, authentic costumes, staging, musical talent and dramatic accomplishment. This young cast works hard, and it shows! Bringing Ramayana! to life each year is a labor of love for the crew as well, with hundreds of faculty, staff, parents and volunteers contributing in myriad ways. This is testament to the strong volunteer spirit and community-building efforts espoused by the small Central Coast school known for strong academics, performing arts and producing volleyball championships. Performances at the Mexican Heritage Theater, 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, June 6 and 7, 7:00pm; June 8, 2:00pm.

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Spiritual Master from India visiting Berkeley "The greatest quality a seeker should have is discrimination. We must never switch off SAN FRANCISCO: Swami Nityananda, our discrimination because the actions that a spiritual master from India of the Siddha we perform create our destiny." Swami Nityananda is the spiritual suclineage of Baba Muktananda, is visiting cessor of Baba Berkeley next month. Muktananda, one of Swami Nityananda the leading spiritual will be visiting Berkeley masters to teach medion May 16, 17 and 18, tation widely throughproviding a unique opout the world. portunity for the San The programs will Francisco Bay Area include chanting, medicommunity to listen to tation, discourse, quesand interact with this tion and answer seshighly respected medisions, and the chance tation teacher. to meet with Swami Meditation is known Nityananda. to have a wide range of Program Details benefits on both physiFour programs cal and mental health. open to the public: This is a rare opportu• Friday May 16: nity to meet a master of Swami Nityananda 7PM - 9PM (Satsang, this caliber, to learn Free) from him and experience • Saturday May 17: 9AM - 5PM (Medimeditation in his presence. Swami Nityananda stresses the need to tation Intensive, $100) • Saturday May 17: 6:30PM - 8PM (Dancknow our true Self. "We often identify with the various labels that society gives us", ing Saptah, Free) • Sunday May 18: 9AM - 12PM (Guru he says. With simple anecdotes he elucidates how often we are not even aware of Gita chanting 9AM - 10AM, followed by how subtly our habits modify our behavior. Satsang, Free)

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Horoscope

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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar

MAY 16 TH - MAY 22 ND , 2014 (March 21 to April 20)

ou will spend lots of money on a child. Right eye may start to give slight trouble. Some of you will be getting ready to make a smooth switch in career. It is going to be a relaxing week other wise. People in business will do better and gain slight edge over their opponents. Do not hesitate to play few lottery this week.

(September 23 to October 22)

aking those big financial decisions will not be easy job. Propo sition will look little risky but can turn profitable sooner than expected. You may give your consent and join a small social group of some professionals. You may call an expert to seek some legal advise on an important issue involving a property.

(October 23 to November 22)

(April 21 to May 20)

ew relationship will keep getting strong and the person may be connected with health industry. Papers you sign will bring financial relief quickly. Diplomatically you will get many issues resolved during the week. Popularity in social as well professional circle will increase and a big promotion is also in the air this week.

ou will enjoy company of some successful and famous people this week. Keep working on your ideas as you are very close to your financial goals. Things will keep improving at job and you may be assigned another important project. Boss will appreciate your hard work and soon make necessary recommendation.

(November 23 to December 22)

(May 21 to June 20)

lanets will bring confidence back and the strategy will work. Expect some extra ordinary success in career or business this week. Deal you sign will open new avenue of income. Your valuable advise will help couple of needy friends. You will be working on an upcoming trip and a surprise party for close family member.

ny highly competitive exam you appeared in recently or this week, the outcome and scores will be much better than ex pected. Expenses will stay under controls and family members will follow suit. Strong Sun will also help those seeking a change in career. You will attend a big party with family.

(June 21 to July 22)

his is not the time to loose the momentum as the destination is closer than you can imagine. You are almost on the verge of hitting some kind of goldmine. Some of you will start getting ready for an upcoming move. One of your vehicle may need little repairs. You may visit a nice place with family to attend a social event.

(December 22 to January 19)

trong Venus will continue to help in general. You will hit your goals easily and get few issues resolved and in the process save lots of money in future. There will be some delay in ongoing legal matters and you may have to wait few more months. Those trying for an expansion in the family, news is around the corner.

(July 23 to August 22)

ecent commitments will increase the pressure and you will need to use your reserves to keep your promise. It will be helpful if you cut down on red meat and spicy food. You will meet several new faces at the business meeting this week. Some one tall and with fair skin will give excellent tips. Children will plan an outing.

(January 20 to February 18)

ou will take family out to a nice place never visited before for dinner. You may temporarily develop taste for sweets, just watch out. Most of the financial decisions you take, will bring rich rewards in near future. Some of you may be taking a trip to a nice and warm area with family. Pleasant surprise coming via mail.

(August 23 to September 22)

ood chances of being called for the second interview leading to a good offer by a well established company. Expenses will continue to drain you out this week also. Physical exercises will bring you back in shape and reduce the blood pressure also. New relationship will continue to march in the positive direction.

PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com

(February 19 to March 20)

trong Sun in the third will help you in getting a major headache resolved with a government agency. You will make few other well calculated moves in life and the positive outcome will become visible instantly. Spouse may feel little exhausted. You will enjoy a great evening with family and close friends.

510-886-4370 www.parashar.com

May 16, 2014

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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Offo: 2 States 2 Baby Doll: Ragini MMS 2 3 Locha-E-Ulfat: 2 States 4 Chaar Botal Vodka: 2 States 5 London Thumakda: Queen 6 Mast Magan: 2 States 30

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May 16, 2014

ll is not well in UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapoor and Bollywood actress Vidya Balan's paradise. Vidya who was off late in the news for her pregnancy rumor is now again under media scanner for her disturbed married life. According to a report, her married life hit the rough patches and for that reason the actress is keeping a low profile. As per report, Siddharth Roy Kapoor's closeness with a newcomer is the reason of the tiff. Post marriage when Vidya was traveling a lot, Siddharth got close with a newcomer who is being promoted by the producer. Due to the emotional turmoil, Vidya Balan is canceling all her assign-

7 Party Toh Banti Hai: Bhootnath Returns 8 Tu Hi Hai Aashiqui: Dishkiyaaon 9 Palat (Tera Hero Idhar Hai): Main Tera Hero 10 Dard Dilo Ke: The Xpose

R ments as she does not want to give any more chance to her husband. Siddharth has been spotted hanging out with the newcomer couple of times. Vidya Balan has turned down 'Kahaani' director Sujoy Ghosh's 'Durga Singh Rani' and is also in dilemma where to sign Mohit Suri's 'Meri Adhuri Kahaani'.

As per report, Siddharth Roy Kapoor's closeness with a newcomer is the reason of the tiff. Post marriage when Vidya was traveling a lot, Siddharth got close with a newcomer who is being promoted by the producer

icha Chadda is yet to establish herself fully in Bollywood, but that hasn't stopped her from aiming for a Hollywood career. It seems that the actor is being considered for a role in the upcoming prequel to Peter Pan. International media claims Hugh Jackman has already been approached to play one of the main characters, the villain called Blackbeard. "The role requires an Indian-origin girl. Richa gave a taped audition for it last month. And after attending an awards ceremony in the US recently, she stayed back because she was called in for a screen test," says a source close to the actor. Meanwhile, Richa has also been signed by a UK-based Indian producer for a bilingual HindiEnglish film. Currently, she is working out her dates as the project is supposed to start in August, around the same time her film with Mira Nair, Words with God, premieres at the Venice Film Festival.

ecently, while shooting for his upcoming film, Ayushmann Khurrana was supposed to be slapped by a newcomer, Bhumi Pednekar, in a scene. But she wasn't able to get the scene right and ended up taking about 20 retakes. Talking about the scene, a source says, "The director, Sharat Katariya, wanted to get it right, so they shot the scene almost 20 times. After a few retakes, the director and the crew realized that Ayushmann's ear had turned red." The spokesperson of the film says, "Bhumi was asked to slap Ayushmann so that the scene looks authentic. And to get it right, we had to do some retakes." When the scene was finally shot, everyone apologized to Ayushmann and the actor took it in his stride.

Bollywood

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espite getting rave reviews for his perfor mance as a villain in 'Baazigar' and 'Darr', superstar Shah Rukh Khan is not in a mood to play a baddie again. Reports suggest that the actor was approached by Abbas Mustan to star in a negative role in their next action thriller 'Race 3'. However, the actor refused to be a part of the movie. A DNA report says the director duo met King Khan and shared the script of their film with him. They compared SRK's role with Aamir Khan's in Dhoom 3. Though SRK found the role interesting, he was not convinced by it. He politely refused the directors and said that the audience would not accept him as a villain.

ccording to the latest grapevine, 'Student of the year' actor Siddharth Malhotra is dating the 'Murder 3' actress Aditi Rao Hydari. The duo got to know each other well at IIFA, held in Florida and they instantly hit it off. It is heard that Siddharth and Aditi hang out in various places of New York and it is clearly visible that something is seriously brewing between the two. When a daily contacted Aditi Rao Hydari, she denied and sounded shocking, "Who told you this?" Being further asked, she retorted by saying, "No comments". Siddharth was recently spotted with Brazilian model-actress Izabelle Leite at a popular joint in Mumbai. They had a great time over dinner and when stepping out, Izabelle tried to hide her face from being clicked. In an interview, the actress claimed that Siddharth is only a friend. Aditi Rao Hydari and Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao are maternal cousins. The actress was reported to have married actor Satyadeep Mishra but Aditi said in an interview that she has separated.

When a daily contacted Aditi Rao Hydari, she denied and sounded shocking, "Who told you this?" Being further asked, she retorted by saying,

"NO COMMENTS"

COMEDY to VILLAINY

ovinda may have scaled the success graph during his prime and won the epithet "King of Comedy", but he was never the critics' favorite. The actor dismisses it saying his fate was decided by the masses not scribes. "Govinda is not made by critics. I have been the hero of masses. Masses are not bothered by critics and they are god. They decide the fate of a film," said Govinda. After taking people on laugh riots with his antics in highly entertaining dramas like "Hero No. 1", "Coolie No. 1" and "Partner", Govinda will be seen in a negative role in "Kill Dil". When asked if he was comfortable doing a villainous role, he said: "It's an exciting role, but I thought I won't be able to do it... but touchwood, I have managed to do it. There is an emotional background in it, so I could do it."

Â&#x201E; Health

Line

Taslima Nasreen diagnosed with breast tumors DHAKA: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has been diagnosed with breast tumors at a New York hospital where she went with cough and cold. Doctors found the tumors "quite big" and advised her biopsy to check on possible malignancy. Taslima, 51, appears very worried, because her mother had died of cancer and a brother of hers is undergoing treatment for cancer in New York. She has tweeted about her worries and said she had a sumptuous meal of Hyderabadi Biryani at a restaurant in New York immediately after her biopsy. "Dear India, if I'm diagnosed w/ cancer tomorrow & if I die, pl take care of my cat Minu. She is the best cat in the world," she tweeted. She arrived in New York a week ago to avoid the harsh Indian summer at this time of the year and enjoy the weather in New York. But in her tweet she said: "Oh no man, I haven't come to the USA to enjoy weather, I have come to give lecture on 'women in secularism'." Taslima is a doctor, having received her MBBS degree from Mymensingh Medical College in 1986. Besides working as a doctor, she continued with her passion - writing. -PTI

Â&#x201E;

Doctor loses license for threatening calls

TACOMA, Wash.: A Gig Harbor physician who is under investigation for threatening to shoot and bomb a Bothell health care office has lost his medical license. The Department of Health announced that 63-year-old Said Farzad's license was suspended following a series of troubling reports of threats and inappropriate behavior with underage patients. The Tacoma News Tribune reports Farzad faces charges of telephone harassment in Snohomish County. Authorities say Farzad threatened employees of insurance provider Molina Health Care. In a series of phone calls in April and May, Farzad complained about paperwork problems associated with his patients, and then began threatening to shoot employees. He was arrested by Bothell police. The department also says that Farzad befriended an underage girl, telling her she was beautiful and made inappropriate comments about her sexual habits.-AP

Health Science

Can't console any more following wife's death Details on Page 34

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Pregnant women gain new options under Obama's health law WASHINGTON: The health care law has opened up an unusual opportunity for some mothers-to-be to save on medical bills for childbirth. Lower-income women who signed up for a private policy in the new insurance exchanges will have access to additional coverage from their state's Medicaid program if they get pregnant. Some women could save hundreds of dollars on their share of hospital and doctor bills. Medicaid already pays for nearly half of U.S. births, but this would create a way for the safetynet program to supplement private insurance for many expectant mothers. Officials and advocates say the enhanced coverage will be available across the country, whether or not a state expands Medicaid under the health law. However, states have different income cutoffs for eligibility, ranging from near the poverty line to solid middle class. The main roadblock right now seems to be logistical: reprogramming state and federal computer systems to recognize that certain pregnant women have a legal right to coverage both from Medicaid and private plans on the insurance exchange. Technically, they can pick one or the other, or a combination.

States and insurers will have to sort out who pays for what. Another big challenge will be educating the public about this latest health law wrinkle. It's complicated for officials and policy experts, let alone the average consumer. ``This is an issue where women are going to have to figure out,

increases costs, but comprehensive prenatal care can save money by preventing premature births and birth defects. Cynthia Pellegrini, head of the March of Dimes' Washington office, said many women might not have been thinking about maternity benefits when they signed up for coverage under the health law.

Existing Medicaid policies, subsidized private coverage under President Barack Obama's law and an obscure Treasury Department ruling combined to produce the new options for pregnant women. `I'm eligible for both, now how do I do that?''' said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, which represents state programs. ``But what a wonderful problem to have. This is a great problem to have from the consumer's perspective.'' The cost impact for federal and state taxpayers is uncertain. Providing more generous coverage

After all, half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned. Often consumers just focus on the monthly premium when they select a plan. The cost of normal uncomplicated childbirth averages $5,000, said Pellegrini, and preterm births can cost more than 10 times that. Copayments and deductibles add up fast. ``A lot of women, particularly in a situation like childbirth, could

end up with significant out-ofpocket costs,'' Pellegrini said. ``If they are eligible for Medicaid, they could be protected from costs ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.'' Her group works to prevent birth defects by promoting healthy pregnancies. Existing Medicaid policies, subsidized private coverage under President Barack Obama's law and an obscure Treasury Department ruling combined to produce the new options for pregnant women. Medicaid is a federal-state program that covers low-income and disabled people. Before the health law, states offered special, timelimited coverage to uninsured pregnant women until their children were born. That coverage is not only for poor women; some states provide benefits to middleclass women as well. Then came the Affordable Care Act, with federally subsidized private insurance for people who don't have a health plan on the job. The law, however, drew a line between Medicaid and coverage through the exchanges: If you're eligible for Medicaid you generally can't get government-subsidized private insurance. That barrier fell away when the Treasury Department ruled that Medicaid's targeted insurance for pregnant women did not meet the

Indian-American doc wins award for excellence HOUSTON: Indian-American cardiologist Mitul Kadakia has been granted the 2014 Gregory Braden Memorial Fellow of the Year Award by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Foundation. The award, considered a tremendous prestige in the cardiology community, is given to one graduating interventional cardiology fellow per year, out of the thousands in the US. Kadakia is currently a fellow in Interventional Cardiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his medical school degree from Harvard Medical School.

Hospital and cardiology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Kadakia's clinical and research

Candidates for the Gregory Braden Memorial Fellow of the Year Award are evaluated based on their interventional skills in multiple modalities, personal contribution to cardiovascular research, authorship in cardiovascular research journals Following medical school, he completed a residency in internal medicine at Brigham & Women's

interests include new devices and therapies for coronary and valvular heart disease, percutaneous

structural cardiac interventions, advanced imaging for structural interventions, and bleeding reduction in acute coronary syndromes. Candidates for the Gregory Braden Memorial Fellow of the Year Award are evaluated based on their interventional skills in multiple modalities, personal contribution to cardiovascular research, authorship in cardiovascular research journals, promise for making contributions to cardiovascular research, and dedication to patient care and well-being. -PTI

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Senators warn of carcinogen risk with e-cigarettes WASHINGTON: Eight members of the U.S. Senate are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to examine new research suggesting that some electronic cigarettes can produce dangerous carcinogens similar to those from traditional cigarettes. In a letter, the Democratic lawmakers say that the FDA should work to protect e- cigarette users and those nearby from cancercausing vapors apparently produced by high-powered nicotine devices, known as tank systems. Electronic cigarettes mainly consist of a battery, heating coil and a tank that holds flavored liquid nicotine. As users puff on the e-cigarette, the battery heats the coil and the liquid is turned into a vapor that is inhaled like smoke from a traditional cigarette. Tank systems are generally larger ecigarettes - about the size of an electronic toothbrush - that can hold more nicotine and an extended battery supply. Studies first reported by The New York

Times suggest that these devices get hot enough to produce toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, a carcinogen also found in traditional cigarettes. E-cigarette proponents have argued that the devices are a safer alternative to cigarettes because they do not produce the smoke and tar caused by burning tobacco. But the new research by scientists at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute challenges that reasoning, at least for some products. The Buffalo, New York-based center's study is scheduled for publication later this month in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research journal, according to the Times. The findings also raise questions about the potential hazards of e-cigarettes for nonusers who inadvertently inhale their vapors. New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles have all recently instituted bans on the use of e-cigarettes in certain indoor areas and public places. Last month the FDA announced it would

WHO's most polluted city data contested NEW DELHI: Contesting World Health Organization (WHO) report that Delhi is the most polluted city in the world, a government's air control watch body has termed the figures quoted in the study as "exceedingly high". "The figures mentioned in the report are exceedingly high," said Gufran Beig, Program Director and Chief Program Scientist of the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) told PTI. The program is an initiative started by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, a constituent under the Min-

istry of Earth Sciences. Beig added that in a study conducted from 2011-2013, it was observed that PM2.5 (particulate matters less than 2.5 microns in size) level was between 105-110 microgram per meter cubic as against the normal limit of 40 and PM10 between 196-205 against the normal limit of 60. The WHO figures states that the level of PM2.5 in Delhi was observed to be 153 and PM10 (particulate matters less than 2.5 microns in size) to be 286. As per the WHO

standards the limit for PM2.5 should be 10 and PM10 should be 20. The 2014 Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) database contains results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from almost 1,600 cities in 91 countries. The national capital has the highest concentration of PM2.5 form of air pollution, which is considered most serious. PM2.5 can easily enter the both through inhaling. It can cause chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease. In a study conducted by SAFAR, it was observed that emissions from local pollution sources in Delhi has increased by 10 to 20 New Delhi per cent from 2010 (94.26Gg/Yr) to 2014 (107.49Gg/yr) from various sectors led by transport sector but their reflection in concentration level of pollutant is highly non-linear and steady and cannot lead to sudden extremes in pollution. "Considering these scientific issues, SAFAR data for 2010-2014 reveals that there was no systematic increasing or decreasing trend in the level of PM2.5 during past four years in Delhi but frequency of extreme pollution events are on increase. PM10 level of January 2014 is highest so far," the report said. It added that the air quality is governed by three complex scientific processes namely local emissions, local weather and long to short range transport. -PTI

begin regulating the emerging e-cigarette field. But the senators point out that the FDA's proposal focuses mainly on e-cigarette ingredients, rather than the vapors they produce. ``We simply cannot afford to lag behind in our complete understanding of the health consequences to the user and by-

including one of the studies referenced by the senators. ``Where the science does not exist, we are able to fund the research to answer key questions related to e-cigarette safety and consumer behavior. In fact, FDA is funding dozens of studies that will help answer those questions, including four studies alone that will focus on the contents of e-cigarette vapor,'' said Jennifer Haliski in an emailed statement. The FDA is now taking public comments on its proposal, which treads fairly lightly on the $2 billion e-cigarette market. The FDA's plan would ban e-cigarette sales to anyone under 18, add warning labels and require FDA approval for There are few studies to show whether e-cigarettes are dangernew products. It does ous, but there's a concern growing among experts. not include measures fastander of these and other advanced nico- vored by many anti-smoking advocates, tine delivery products,'' states the letter. It such as a ban on TV advertising and fruit was signed by Sens. Edward J. Markey, D- or candy-flavored e-cigarettes. Mass., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Barbara Scientists haven't completed much reBoxer, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jack search on whether e-cigarettes actually help Reed, D-Conn., Richard Blumenthal, D- smokers kick the habit or simply serve as a Conn., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Dick gateway to paper-and-tobacco cigarettes. Durbin, D-Ill. The government is pouring millions into reAn FDA spokeswoman said in a state- search to supplement independent and comment that the agency is also funding re- pany studies on the health risks of e-cigasearch into the safety of e-cigarette vapor, rettes and other new tobacco products. -AP

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Can't console any more following wife's death LOS ANGELES: Everywhere Jay Westbrook turns, behind the wheel of his black pickup, a memory flashes. In Van Nuys, it is the lifeless little girl he held at Valley Presbyterian Hospital after she was found in the bottom of a hot tub. Near Beverly Hills, it is the old woman in a seven-figure condo whose misery he tried to soothe. On Skid Row, it is the 29-year-old crack addict he brought morphine to numb the pain of cancer, as she died in a box on the street. There have been thousands of them, thousands of souls he journeyed with to the intersection of living and dying, who helped establish him as one of the foremost experts on care in a patient's final days. Thousands of deaths that collectively formed his life. It might have gone on this way

forever. Then came one death too many. The first time was a cluster of machines and tubes, and breaths shallow and panting. Westbrook was a student nurse, the patient a big man, swollen from cirrhosis. Westbrook had cared for the man for several weeks and when the time finally came, a profound sadness drove him to tears. He felt powerless and mortal; and for the first time, this son of atheist parents felt something more. ``I had that experience of the place where life and death meet being filled with God,'' he said. In the two decades that followed, Westbrook experienced more deaths than he could count - as a cancer nurse, in pain management and, most of all, in hospice. He heard a little boy confess

to his dying mother he once stole from her wallet, and a married Orthodox Jew acknowledge a long affair with a man. He saw athletes and movie stars, deaths surrounded by dozens and deaths all alone. Each one was both singular and similar. Those who survived a brush with death reported traveling down a tunnel toward a bright light. Those whose age or disease brought a more gradual exit often experienced visions of a loved one who went before, as well as a day of seemingly stunning turnaround, where lucidity returned and pain subsided and all, for a short time, seemed well. It could be a cruel tease to those praying for a miracle, as it was generally followed by clues the end was near: mottled skin, cold extremities, and breathing that sounds like a locomotive leaving

Dispute of execution drug to go to trial HELENA, Mont.: A judge has upheld most of the changes Montana corrections officials made to execution methods after a legal challenge by two death-row inmates, but he said a dispute over one of the drugs used in lethal injections should be decided at trial. Montana last year changed its

No executions have been performed in Montana since the changes. Attorneys for inmates Rodney Allen Smith and William J. Gollehon challenged the changes on multiple fronts, most of which Sherlock dismissed in his order. But one argument stuck - that

Convicted murderer Ronald Smith is escorted in for his clemency hearing at Powell County District Court in 2012.

lethal-injection method from a combination of three drugs to two after District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock of Helena noted state law specifically called for two drugs to be used. Corrections officials also rewrote execution protocols so that one person with medical training administers the lethal mixture and another qualified person checks the inmate's consciousness.

the state's substitute for a drug no longer available in the U.S. for executions may not be adequate. The new procedure calls for an injection of sodium pentothal to put the inmate into a coma, followed by an injection of a paralytic agent called pancuronium bromide. Sodium pentothal is no longer manufactured in the U.S., and it can't be imported. The Depart-

ment of Corrections said another barbiturate, pentobarbital, can be substituted for sodium pentothal. The plaintiffs argued that pentobarbital is not an ``ultra-fast-acting'' barbiturate that is required by state law to be administered in executions. Pentobarbital is fast-acting but there is a dispute about what the Legislature meant by using the words ``ultra-fast-acting'' and whether the drug meets that definition, Sherlock wrote, and that must be decided at trial. Sherlock wrote that other claims raised by the plaintiffs included absurd interpretations of the law, such as requiring the two drugs in the lethal blend to be mixed together instead of administered one after the other. Another suggestion by the plaintiffs that a one-drug execution would be more humane is ironic, Sherlock wrote, given the plaintiffs previously advocated for a two-drug procedure. Sherlock said he is mindful of the importance of a case involving the death penalty, but he told the plaintiffs this would be the last time he addresses new claims they bring up against the state's execution methods. ``Plaintiffs cannot keep pointing out flaws in the (methods) only to have the state correct those flaws and then be faced with a new round of complaints that could have been addressed earlier,'' Sherlock wrote. -AP

the station. Through it all, he was sustained by love. They met on June 7, 1968, at a party bidding Westbrook farewell before he was to leave California to teach reading in Appalachia. Two young women arrived dragging an unenthusiastic third. ``Nancy, this is Jay,'' the host said. ``Jay, this is Nancy.'' She wanted to take a walk on the beach, and Westbrook accompanied her. They took the footbridge over the Pacific Coast Highway, walking and talking for hours and coming to rest on the sand. ``Six hours later, the sun came up and we were in love,'' Westbrook said. He never went to Appalachia. He was smitten. Before long, Nancy Morgan was Nancy Westbrook. They lived modestly but joyfully. They couldn't have come from

ontologist; in that role he constantly glimpsed death, and felt a nagging need to get closer. A nursing degree brought him where he wanted to be. He became a luminary of the end-oflife world, not just because of his skill, but because he told the stories of his work with such eloquence it enthralled audiences, from medical students in a Harvard lecture hall to hospice workers filling a conference room. Colleagues were in awe of his ability to say the right thing, manage patients' pain and forecast their remaining time with striking precision. ``All heart,'' said Mary Jo Leste, a nurse who once hired him. ``He has a gift,'' said Carmen Febo, a hospice worker he mentored. ``A pioneer,'' said Chris Downey, a doctor who attended a palliative program with him. It was deeply fulfilling, but

Nancy not only helped her husband deal with the depths of his past, but also the daily trials of death. Sometimes, when he arrived home from a tough day, he'd put his head on her chest and listen to her heart beat. They'd play with the dogs, talk about their days, discuss lessons learned from the dying. more different upbringings. She grew up in an Ozzie-and-Harriet family, surrounded by love and support, in Wichita, Kansas. As Westbrook tells it, his own mother left when he was an infant, and when his father remarried two years later, he was placed in the care of family friends who abused him. His parents eventually reclaimed him, but he says he was still subjected to his stepmother's explosive anger and incest by his grandfather. He ultimately dropped out of high school and ran away. Later, addicted to drugs and alcohol, he spent time in prison, sinking so low he hatched a suicide plan. He is 67 now, but the scars of childhood remain so deep he still sleeps with a nightlight to ward off a lasting fear of the dark. They helped stir in Westbrook a strain of empathy so strong he became irreplaceable at the worst moment in others' lives. ``My suffering,'' he said, ``became my vehicle for awakening compassion in me.'' He first put his soothing power to work as a veterinary technician, offering solace to owners when a pet was euthanized or a tough prognosis was delivered. He then became a clinical ger-

draining work. Nancy not only helped her husband deal with the depths of his past, but also the daily trials of death. Sometimes, when he arrived home from a tough day, he'd put his head on her chest and listen to her heart beat. They'd play with the dogs, talk about their days, discuss lessons learned from the dying. Time and again, he saw a deathbed full of regrets. It taught him and Nancy to never part without an embrace and an expression of love. Tomorrow, he knew, was not guaranteed. It was a Monday - Dec. 12, 2011 - when Nancy first awoke in pain. On Wednesday, she saw the doctor. On Thursday, she had a CT scan. On Monday, she had surgery. And on Tuesday, the diagnosis came: pancreatic cancer. The doctors said she likely had four months to live with no intervention, up to a year with aggressive chemotherapy. Westbrook had had hundreds of pancreatic cancer patients before and expected she had seven months. Four days shy of that, she awoke feeling great, free from pain and full of energy - the cruel pre-death rally he'd seen so many times before. In the yard, she asked him to lift her up, and she put her head on his chest. -AP

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Rural nurses: 'We're like a mini ER up here' MONROE CITY, Mo.: A patient walks into Hannibal Clinic's Monroe City location complaining of chest pains. When initial assessment shows the patient is having a heart attack, staff call 911 and quickly work to stabilize the man until the ambulance arrives. ``There's a lot of days I say we're like a mini ER up here,'' said Mindy Hufford, a licensed practical nurse in the Monroe City, Mo., office. ``We do what we were taught in nursing school. It all goes back to our training.'' That's often the truth in many rural areas, where the nearest hospital, emergency room and even ambulance, can be miles away. Monroe City has an ambulance, but the nearest hospital - Hannibal Regional - is 20 miles away. ``We kind of have to be the middleman,'' said Cindy Cassens, clinic manager at Blessing Hospital's East Adams Rural Health Clinic in Golden, where the nearest ambulance is in Mendon or Camp Point and the closest hospital is in Quincy, Illinois. `À lot of times we'll have patients stop here like they need our permission to go to the ER, or they don't think it's bad enough, and they're having a heart attack or having a stroke. We've had them come in with horrible cuts and lacerations wanting us to take care of it or push them forward where they need to go,'' Cassens said. ``We have to triage here and do a plan of care.'' Patients often turn to their regular doctors and nurses - the people they know and trust - instead of seeking emergency room attention elsewhere for everything from stroke symptoms to fishhook injuries, a common summertime complaint in the clinic close to Mark Twain Lake. `À lot of people don't have health insurance or don't have the means to go to the ER,'' Hufford said. `Ìt's easier for them to come up here first. A lot of times they

want reassurance they need to go, that it's not something the family doctor can take care of. People have a lot of trust in their family doctor.'' The clinic's Dr. Rodney Yager and the nursing staff provide family practice care for everything else, from well children visits to lacerations and head injuries, colds and flu to monitoring chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. The clinic also provides EKGs, shots, orthope-

``I can't give enough kudos to our EMS. We always have the first responders. We know the ambulance folks here on a firstname basis,'' Hufford said. ``They're wonderful. They take excellent care of patients, get them stabilized, get them where they need to go.'' In an emergency situation, response time is critical - both at the clinic and with EMS. ``It changes our mode of what we're going to have to do with a patient if EMS isn't readily available,'' Cassens said. ``You've got to be really on the ball as far as you may not always do what you might normally do. You have to kind of make adjustments.'' It's an important role for the clinic staff - and one they continue to play even as the ambulance heads to the hospital. ``We've called ahead to the emergency department, Registered nurse Mindy Salsman, left, goes over patient information told them what's comwith lab tech Sylvia Spencer in the Hannibal Clinic office in Monroe ing in so they can be City, Mo. Rural nurses often help fill the void in emeregency situations. prepared,'' Cassens dic care, lab work and X-rays. CTs, ultra- said. ``We give them background.'' sounds and MRIs need to be done at the Hufford said the Monroe City office main clinic - and emergencies usually get transported to Hannibal Regional. ``We're making the call (to the ambulance) and getting everything ready to be shipped out with the patient - the things we logged, the meds list, allergy list, EKG, any triage stuff that we've done - we make sure they have a copy to go with them and contacting family if it's a patient here by themselves. By the time we get halfway through all that, they're here (the ambulance),'' Hufford said.

New app turns smartphone into health monitor WASHINGTON: Researchers have developed a new smartphone app that monitors how heart and lung patients walk and can alert doctors when their symptoms worsen. GaitTrack, an app developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and the U of I at Chicago, turns a smartphone into a sophisticated medical device. Unlike other apps that merely count steps, GaitTrack uses eight motion parameters to perform a detailed analysis of a person's gait, or walking pattern, which can tell physicians much about a patient's cardiopulmonary, muscular and neurological health. "Fitness apps and devices are tuned for healthy people," said Bruce Schatz, the head of medical information science and a professor of computer science at the U of I. "They cannot accurately measure pa-

tients with chronic disease, who are the biggest medical market. A pedometer is not a medical device. But a cheap phone with GaitTrack software is," Schatz said. According to Schatz, gait is sometimes called the "sixth vital sign" - after temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygen level. Gait speed involves several systems of the body working together in coordination, so changes in gait can be a sign of trouble in one or more systems. Doctors often use an assessment called the six-minute walk test for patients with heart and lung disease, such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Patients with chronic disease often cannot be measured with typical pedometers since they tend to walk with shorter, more careful strides, or to shuffle, so specialized medical accelerometers are used. -PTI

sees 30 to 50 patients a day and averages an ambulance transfer, mostly for heart attack or stroke patients, once every two weeks. The variety of care appeals to Hufford, who worked for the Hannibal Clinic in pediatrics and surgery before shifting to the Monroe City site a year and a half ago. `Ìt's not the same old, same old every day. Even if you have nothing adrenalinrushing coming through the door, every day there's a question come up that you don't know the answer to that you need to ask the doctor about,'' she said. `Òne good thing about family practice is you're always learning.'' In 23 years at the Golden clinic, Cassens has seen her share of emergency situations. `Ìt's never a dull moment here. That's for sure,'' she said. Underlying the unpredictability of the job is the day-to-day satisfaction for the nursing staff. ``We do our job. We take care of our patients,'' Hufford said. `Àt the end of the day, you know you really made a difference in people today whether you gave them a shot to make them feel better or got them the results they needed. You're constantly helping someone, making a difference in their day. That's the most rewarding for me. That's what makes the day worthwhile.'' -AP

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Realty Tidbits

Supertech to invest on housing project in Gurgaon NEW DELHI: Realty firm Supertech says it will invest Rs 1,000 crore over the next four years to develop a new project in Gurgaon. It will be the company's second project in Gurgaon. Supertech will develop 2,092 housing units in this project named 'Hues' that is spread over nearly 28 acre. "We have acquired 70 acres land in Gurgaon. In the first phase, we are launching a group housing project on 27.5 acre land comprising 2,092 housing units," Supertech Chairman and Managing Director R K Arora told reporters. Supertech Director Mohit Arora said the total investment to develop the first phase would be Rs 1,000 crore and it will be through internal accruals, bank loans and advances from customers. The company has started construction of the project and the apartments will be delivered in the next 36-42 months, he added.-PTI

Â&#x201E; Hyatt Hotel opens property in Raipur MUMBAI: Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has opened a property in Raipur in Chhattisgarh, its sixth Hyatt-branded property in India and the city's first international business hotel. As part of Magneto - The Mall, a mixed-use complex, the 105-room Hyatt Raipur is strategically located within close proximity of Swami Vivekananda Airport and the city's business and commercial centre, the hospitality group said in a release issued here. "We are delighted to introduce the first Hyatt-branded hotel to Raipur-the capital of Chhattisgarh. Hyatt hotels are intimate, upscale hotels that offer authentic hospitality in a vibrant environment," Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, South West Asia, Senior Vice President, operations, Pablo Graf said.-PTI

Real Estate

Global PE funds double investments in Indian realty

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UAE investors seek exposure in India real estate DUBAI: Investors from the UAE are increasingly looking to put their money in India's real estate in view of the country's positive environment and long-term growth potential, a financial services company told Gulf News. ASK Group, which earlier launched funds that are focused on residential real estate in India, has received encouraging response and is bullish to attract a large interest from investors, especially high networth clients, in the UAE. The company focuses on institutional investments, such as fund of funds, sovereign funds, endowment funds and family offices, which are advisory firms that serve affluent households. It currently seeks to raise $200 million (Dh735 million) offshore fund to be able to invest in housing developments in India. "Family offices currently are more proactive in participating in India growth story and we hope the process of institutional investors has begun. [We've] got encouraging response from family offices and could able to close more than 50 per cent of the fund

from UAE currently," said Sunil Rohokale, managing director and CEO of ASK Group. Rohokale said both non-resident Indians and citizens in the

estate investment trusts (REITs) in India and regulations such as the Land Acquisition Bill and Real Estate Regulatory Bill, coupled with a stable currency and

Real estate developers and visitors at a recent Indian Property Show in Dubai. A new survey suggests that NRIs are optimistic that India will be more investor-friendly after the elections.

UAE, including institutions and ultra high-net worth residents, are looking for diversification and are actively seeking India's real estate as a "de-risking strategy". He said the introduction of real

"healthy macro-financial numbers", have helped renewed investor confidence. "Of late, we have seen many [Indian] developers coming to Dubai, setting up their offices and

doing road shows to which investors have reacted positively because of currency gains. The property prices in India have bottomed out and in the past, many investors have made money in Indian real estate and hence are more comfortable," Rohokale added. ASK Group is a diversified financial services company that has been operating in India for over 30 years. Its asset management business covers equity, private equity and real estate private equity. The company considers UAE as a "very strategic market". Investors from the UAE are not just focused on real estate funds. Private wealth is spread across a wide range of vehicles, including mutual funds, traditional savings and long-term investment plans, among others. A new survey commissioned by Standard Life suggested that investment flows from the UAE are likely to increase, with two thirds of NRIs saying they are optimistic that India will be more investor-friendly after the general elections.-Courtesy GulfNews.com

Tata to invest Rs 450 cr in housing project NEW DELHI: Realty firm Tata Housing will invest about Rs 450 crore over the next four years to develop a new housing project in Kolkata. This is the company's second

project in Kolkata, Tata Housing said in a statement. Tata Housing, the real estate arm of the Tata Group, would develop more than 700 apartments in the 13-acres project 'Avenida' that is located at New Town, Rajarhat in Kolkata, the company said in a statement. "With the ever growing appetite for luxury residences with ultra-modern facilities in India, launch of Avenida in Kolkata is in line with our expansion plans to reinforce our presence in the luxury space in Kolkata. We are confident that Avenida our 2nd project will also become a landmark project in Rajarhat," Tata Housing MD and CEO Brotin Banerjee said. Sources said the total investment in this project is estimated to

be around Rs 450 crore over the next 3-4 years.

Tata Housing, of Tata Group, would develop more than 700 apartments in 13-acres project 'Avenida' that is located at New Town.

The construction will start this month and project is expected to be delivered by 2017, they added.

Tata Housing is a closely held public limited company and a subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd, which holds 99.86 per cent of stake in the realty firm. The company has 70 million sq ft under various stages of planning and execution and an additional 19 million sq ft in the pipeline. It is offering products ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 14 crore. Tata Housing has presence in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. It has also ventured into foreign markets such as Maldives and is actively exploring other markets, including Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries. -PTI

May 16, 2014

Real Estate Post

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Global PE funds double investments in Indian realty BANGALORE: Global private equity funds more than doubled their investment in India's real estate sector in the quarter to March as they foresee an improvement in economy leading to stable long-term yields, according to a report by brokerage Cushman & Wakefield. PE funds invested Rs 2,800 crore in the country's commercial and residential real estate during the period, a 145% jump over the year-ago quarter, the report said. "This is the highest quarterly private equity investment since Q2 of 2009 by private equity funds in the realty sector, driven by huge investment in commercial real estate and steady fund raising by developers in the residential asset class," it said. Sanjay Dutt, executive managing director for South Asia at Cushman &Wakefield, said investor interest is expected to grow in office as well as residential property this

year. "Improving economic conditions and stable long-term yields are expected to result in increased investor interest for com-

mercial office assets in 2014," Dutt said. "Considering the attractive returns in the

Brigade Enterprises posts 73 pc rise in Q4 profit BANGALORE: Bangalore-based real estate major Brigade Enterprises has posted a 73 per cent jump in profit after tax to Rs 49.2 crore for the last quarter of 2013-14, compared to Rs 28.4 crore in the same period of FY13.

The growth for 2013-14 was a "result of the combination of good sales in ongoing residential projects, and sale of commercial spaces coupled with few big projects which have come for revenue recognition in the fourth quarter" Total revenue of the company rose by 32 per cent to Rs 394.2 crore in the period under review, from Rs 299.4 crore in the yearago period, the company said in a statement.

For the full fiscal, the company reported 40 per cent rise in profit at Rs 89.8 crore, up from Rs 64.2 crore recorded during the previous fiscal. Total revenues were at Rs 915.8 crore for the financial year ended March 31, 2014, a 16 per cent rise over Rs 788.1 crore reported for the previous year, it said. The growth for 2013-14 was a "result of the combination of good sales in ongoing residential projects, and sale of commercial spaces coupled with few big projects which have come for revenue recognition in the fourth quarter", Brigade Enterprises Limited CMD M R Jaishankar said. He said the price segment of Rs 80 lakh Rs 1.6 crore saw a good uptake across locations in Bangalore and also expected the trend to continue this year. Brigade Group announced a spate of launches in the past one year across cities in South India: Hyderabad (Brigade at No 7), Mangalore (Brigade Pinnacle), Mysore (Brigade Palm Grove - villa project), and Bangalore (Brigade Lake Front -EPIP Zone in Whitefield). -PTI

Bill would help disabled veterans remodel homes LA GRANGE, Ill.: For a Marine who lost his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan, learning to walk on prosthetics was not the only challenge. His family also had to come up with the money to extensively remodel their home in the Chicago area to make it accessible. U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk toured the house in the southwest suburb of La Grange as part of his push for a Senate bill that would help disabled veterans like Lance Cpl. Josh Misiewicz. The Marine was on patrol in southern

Afghanistan's Helmand province when he was hit by a roadside bomb in July 2011. The blast shattered his eardrums and he lost both legs. Since then, he has endured rehabilitation and surgeries at Walter Reed National Military Medical Hospital in Maryland. Back in La Grange, his mother, Nancy, was faced with costly renovations she could not afford but needed so that Misiewicz could be comfortable. The house needed a roll-in shower, widened doors, accessible appliances and an elevator-like lift.-AP

residential sector, along with the high funding needs of developers, steady investments in the residential sector are anticipated." The report said average deal size increased 35% to Rs 156 crore per transaction during the quarter. The construction development sector saw foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows worth Rs 1,430 crore in the quarter, which is the highest level of investment since the third quarter of 2009. The report said global fund houses such as Xander Group, Peninsula Brookfield, Stan-Chart RE and Blackstone committed big bucks to the Indian real estate sector. While Blackstone and Standard Chartered together invested in Rs 1,150 crore in Vrindavan Tech Village, a special economic zone being developed by Embassy Group on the outskirts of Bangalore, Mantri Developers raised Rs 250 crore from Peninsula Brookfield for a residential project in Ban-

galore and Oberoi Realty bought a land parcel in Mumbai from Tata Steel for Rs 1,155 crore. "Most investors, especially those who are growth investors, don't see this sector as a very attractive investment destination currently. This may be a great opportunity for those who can price the fundamentals, work the real estate, have a longer-term view, a stomach for volatility and patient capital," said Siddharth Yog, founder and managing partner at Xander Group Inc. Jasmeet Chhabra, principal at Red Fort Capital, said the last three years did not see much FDI in the real estate sector, but things are improving now. "It has become more lucrative in terms of valuation, demand-supply mismatch continues to hold. Once we see a stable government, the deal momentum will pick up," he said. While the commercial office sector saw investments worth Rs 1,440 crore during the quarter, the residential sector got Rs 1,070 crore of inflows, contributing about 51% and 38%, respectively, to overall investments mentioned in the report. "The capital would help fund much needed real estate investment to create and hold facilities to house the economic activities," said Jonathan Yap, assistant group CEO for overseas funds and India at Ascendas.

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amous as the last Sanghri La (literally translated as Utopian paradise) on earth, the tiny Bhutan King dom offers a lot to the tourists. From snow-capped mountain peaks to historical relics, large number of tourist attractions bedeck the marvelous landscape of Bhutan. With its tourism industry constantly developing, Bhutan is slowly putting itself as a great tourist destination to explore. The fact that Bhutan has mysteries associated to its unexplored landscape makes it more lucrative for the tourists. Thimpu and Paro valley are two most sought-after tourist attractions in Bhutan. Thimpu is the capital of the country, yet the ambience is not modern. The city retains its oldworld charm. Paro is the most developed city of Bhutan. But you can see natural landscape just outside the city. Paro valley also holds many monuments which tell us a lot about the heritage of the country. Bonism was the main religion in Bhutan before the arrival of Buddhism. It was only in the 8th century that an

May 16, 2014

Indian saint Guru Padmasambhava, popularly know as Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to Bhutan. ATTRACTIONS Paro: Paro is the gateway to the last Shangri-La on earth if you come by air because the only international airport in Bhutan stands here. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 42

May 16, 2014

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British Airways launches visa-linked offer MUMBAI: After Indian carriers wooed the travelers with discounted fares, it is now the turn of foreign player British Airways (BA) to launch an offer which allows customers to avail a discount that equals the cost of their sixmonth UK visa. The offer is valid for tickets booked till June 30 for outbound travel. Journey under the offer can be undertaken by December 31, British Airways said in a release here. The offer is valid only for visas

issued on or post April 8. Passengers have the flexibility to obtain longer term visas but the maximum

India gets 2014 New Frontiers Award DUBAI: A leading Arab travel industry showcase here has named India as the recipient of the New Frontiers Award 2014 for its efforts to rebuild infrastructure and its rural tourism economy after two natural disasters. Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Tourism Devender Singh received the award from Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a four day

Phailin causing wholesale destruction in the space of just five months," said Walsh. "It took monumental effort and sheer determination on the part of regional and national government, as well as by people in the affected communities and beyond, to start the rebuilding process and get the local economy back on track, and this collaborative effort embodies the spirit of the New Frontiers Award," Walsh

Mark Walsh, portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, presenting the award to P. K. Ashok Babu, deputy consul general, and Devender Singh, economic advisor, Ministry of Tourism

event here. The award was given in recognition of India's efforts to rebuild infrastructure and its rural tourism economy in the wake of the June 2013 floods and landslides in Uttarakhand and the devastation wreaked by tropical Cyclone Phailin in Odisha. "The people of northern India were faced with widespread devastation last year in the aftermath of not one, but two life-changing natural disasters, with the Uttarakhand floods and Cyclone

said. Accepting the award, Singh said, "Tremendous effort is being made at all levels in terms of rebuilding tourism infrastructure in the affected areas, from state government activity to financial support from the Government of India. It will be a long-term process and we have only just started to get back to normal, but we are optimistic for the future." The New Frontiers Award 2014 focused on the theme 'Recover, Repair, Rebuild'.-PTI

amount that can be reimbursed by British Airways will be Rs 8,400, the release said. The UK carrier currently operates 48 flights a week from London Heathrow to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and

Hyderabad. Globally, it has a network of 170 destinations spread across 75 countries. "India is a key market for British Airways and we continue to offer best-in-class services and travel experiences for our custom-

ers from here. This is a great time to visit to the UK and it gives us yet another opportunity to serve our customers from India," said BA Regional Commercial Manager for South Asia Christopher Fordyce. The airline is excited to introduce these thrilling fares to its customers, which have been designed at a time when people plan their holidays. "We wanted to give them what they were looking for, by launching this exciting discount offer to travel to the UK, one of the best destinations, packed with an assortment of cultural and historic attractions," he said.-PTI

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Travel & Hospitality Post

May 16, 2014

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BHUTAN

Snow-capped mountain peaks to historical relics Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 41

Located in the north-western part of Bhutan at an altitude of 2,250 m above the sea level, it is one of the districts with a huge Dzongkha speaking community. The district is spread over an area of 1259.5 sq km with 7,118 households. The main town of Paro is colorful and it is worth taking a stroll from one end to the other. It has many handicraft shops from where Bhutanese souvenirs can be bought. Paro has beautiful fortresses, monuments, religious sites and several astonishing places worth exploring. Thimphu: Thimphu - the capital city of Bhutan is two hours' drive (65 kilometers) from Paro. It

is the one among two capital cities in Asia without traffic lights. The other is Pyongyang in North Korea. Thimphu became the capital only in 1961 and today it is the government and monastic headquarters. It was only after Thimphu became the Capital that developmental activities started taking place. The Royal family members also live in Thimphu.

It is the most happening town in Bhutan and is very active during the day. Thimphu has an equally active night life with seven discotheques and some 17 drayangs (bar with entertainers). If you want a taste of night life in Bhutan, Thimphu is just the place for you. Punakha: Punakha district is a significant place in Bhutanese history and it is still given the importance it deserves. One of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan it at-

tracts many tourists. The town which is 77 kilometers away from Thimphu, takes about three hours to reach. It was once the capital of Bhutan from 1637 till 1955 and the first National Assembly Bhutan was held in this district. The whole area is spread over 1,096 square kilometers, with 1,891 households and a popula-

tion of around 21,674 people. Wangdue Phodrang: South of Punakha is Wangduephodrang also commonly known as Wangdue, the last western town on the highway before entering

central Bhutan. It is a bustling town with a pretty view of the valley and the dzong. The second largest district in Bhutan has a population of approximately 28,000 and is located at an altitude of 4,300 feet. The little town is popular for the tales of shaman culture, ornamental speeches or Lozeys of Shaa, ancestral home of Pema Tshewang Tashi, the knight whose lozey still remains a favorite amongst the Bhutanese. The higher reaches of the valley provide rich pastureland for cattle. The district is also known for its fine bamboo work and its slate carvings. Wangdue played a critical role in unifying the western, central and southern districts in the 17th century.

Bumthang: Bumthang is so called because the valley is shaped like a "bumpa" or the vessel containing holy water placed on altars ("bum") and "thang" implies "field" or "flat place". The other translation relates to a beautiful girl ("bum"). Bumthang comprises four major valleys - Chokor, Tang, Ura and Chhumey. It's known as the most sacred district in the country because Guru Rinpoche healed a local king here and brought about the acceptance of Buddhism in Bumthang and subsequently the whole country. It has famous "nyes" (sacred sites) which pilgrims from all over the country visit. Bumthang is also known for its natural scenic beauty, apples,

organic apple juice, cheese and the colorful yathra cloth. Trongsa: It's a sleepy but pleasant town, seven hours' drive from the Capital. You can get a fine view of the Black Mountain Range towards the southwest. A major part of the town's population comprises Bhutanese of Tibetan descent. Tibetans immigrated to this part of the country in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Thruepang Palace where the third king was born is located in Trongsa but it's closed to visitors. The small town has a great historical significance because all the kings of Bhutan were invested with the title of Trongsa Penlop before ascending the throne. The first and second Kings ruled from Trongsa. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 43

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Indian tourists to Sri Lanka up 36% in April COLOMBO: Indian tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka rose nearly 36 per cent in April this year, constituting the highest number of foreign travelers visiting the country, according to latest data. The number of Indians visiting

Arrivals from Western Europe surged 47.9 per cent to 37,369 in April, with UK arrivals rising 59.6 per cent to 12,380. Visitors from Germany rose 59.6 per cent to 8,137 and those from France rose 43.2 per cent to 5,970.

while Indonesia rose 92.9 per cent to 2,680. However, Malaysia dropped 32.7 per cent to 1,322. East European visitors were up 24.8 per cent to 10,844, with Russia up 42.6 per cent to 4,976.

Sri Lanka increased by 35.8 per cent to 17,192 as overall tourism arrivals rose 39.5 per cent led by India, China, Britain and Russia to 112,631. In the first four months of 2014, tourist arrivals were up 27.6 per cent to 534,132, Lanka's Tourism Bureau said. In the first four months of the year, arrivals were up 27.6 per cent to 534,132.

While India led the South Asian category which rose 28 per cent to 27,954, Maldives was up 10.2 per cent to 6,860 and Pakistan was up 36.5 per cent to 2,764. East Asian visitors rose 61.4 per cent to 18,416. China with Hong Kong surged 170 per cent to 8,005 and Japan rose 90 per cent to 2,368. So far this year, Chinese visitors are up 135 per cent to 36,803,

Tourists from Ukraine dropped 31 per cent to 1,927 amid a flaring conflict with Russia. Middle Eastern arrivals were up 24.8 per cent to 5,302 in April, with Saudi Arabia up 24.8 per cent to 1,026 and Israel up 236 per cent to 1,136. Sri Lanka targets 2.5 million arrivals by 2016 up from the average annual arrival figure of one million currently.-PTI

JK to develop 'Chiryai' like Chashma Shahi

NC urges US to relax travel advisory on J&K

JAMMU: Modeled on the lines of Srinagar's world famous Chashma Shahi tourist spot, Udhampur district's Chiryai belt will now be developed into a major tourist destination. With an aim to attract maximum pilgrims in the area who visit Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and Shiv Khori, Chirayi would be developed at par with the Chashma Shahi in Srinagar, said Union Tourism Secretary, Parvez Dewan. Dewan laid foundation stone of 'Project for Development of Chiryai (Muttal) as Tourist Spot' at Udhampur. The Government of India has sanctioned the project amounting to Rs 401.12 lakh which envisages restoration of water bodies and 16th century waterfalls, construction of viewpoints, and other tour-

SRINAGAR: Ruling National Conference advocated relaxing of the travel advisory by the United States for Jammu and Kashmir, saying the tourism industry in the Valley needs "strong fillip by world powers" to achieve new heights. "The United States should consider relaxing the travel advisory for the state keeping in view the peace, progress and security situation in the valley," Political Secretary of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and NC leader Tanvir Sadiq told a two-member delegation of Delhi-based US envoys. The US diplomats - First secretary, Political, Chad A Thornberry and Political Advisor to US Embassy Dinesh Dubey - called on Sadiq at his downtown Srinagar residence and discussed the socio-economic and political developments in the state during an hour-long interaction, a statement issued by the party said.-PTI

ist developmental infrastructure in the area. Speaking on the occasion, Dewan congratulated the people of the area for getting a tourist

development project and appreciated the efforts of State Tourism Department for preparing a "wonderful project for the development of the areas as a tourist destination." -PTI

BHUTAN Snow-capped mountain peaks to historical relics Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 42

Zhemgang: Zhemgang was once called Kheng along with fragments of neighboring town Mongar. The territory was absorbed into Bhutan in the 17th century. Panbang, south of Zhemgang is known for its bamboo works. At Nabji, two days' walk from Zhemgang, a stone pillar stands as a symbol of the dispute settled between Sindhu Raja and Naochhe by Guru Rinpoche. Mongar: Mongar is known for lemon grass that produces essential oil and the hydropower project on Kurichhu. In fact, though Mongar has little to offer to tourists, it is the fastest growing district in the east. The new Mongar Dzong was built to replace the old Zhongar dzong, which is now in ruins. However, Mongar is a pleasant countryside and you can enjoy it on the way to Trashigang from Bumthang though it is usually dusk by the time you get there. Trashigang: Not many tourists make it to Trashigang as it requires a lot of driving around but it is the focal point of eastern Bhutan and used to be a centre of trade with Tibet. At present, the main town is a small parking space surrounded by shops and crammed with cars in the centre of which stands a huge prayer wheel. The prayer wheel serves as a rest place and vegetable stall on most days. The dzong offers an overarching view of the valley below and is unusual for the fact that both administrative and monastic bodies face a

single dochey (courtyard). Trashi Yangtse: Earlier it used to be part of Trashigang (a dungkhag/ sub-district) but Trashiyangtse became a fullfledged dzongkhag in 1993. On the north, it shares its border with the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and cross-border trade still exists. The new settlement lies three km from the old dzong, near Chorten Kora. Chhukha: Chukha is one of the most important districts of Bhutan, with the busy border town of Phuentsholing often referred to as the 'Gateway to the South'. WHEN TO VISIT You can visit Bhutan any time of the year. There is no 'appropriate season' as such, which is to say that Bhutan's warm and temperate climate, never-ending festivals and rich and abundant heritage sites provide visitors with a wide array of experiences throughout the year across the country. Bhutan has all four seasons and the climate varies widely depending on the altitude. However, Spring (March April & May) is thought the most beautiful time of the year, resplendent and ablaze with a spectacular array of bright colors. Also, it is the time to witness the famous Paro Tsechu festival. GETTINGTO BHUTAN Visitors can enter Bhutan through Paro, the only international airport in the country. Visitors can also enter Bhutan from Phuentsholing via West Bengal, India and Samdrup Jongkhar via Assam, India.

IndiGo announces special family fares MUMBAI: Budget carrier IndiGo has announced special family fares which offer discount up to 25 per cent for a family of four or more traveling together on a single PNR across its domestic network. Interestingly, the special fares offer does not have a validity period. However, the facility could be

given to a total of nine passengers on a single PNR, it said. "In order to enhance the overall experience of the families traveling together, our first-of-its kind offer is a benefit to such families, regardless of the reason they are traveling," IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said. With these special attractive fares, this is the perfect opportunity for the families to experience IndiGo's hassle-free and on-time performance, he said.-PTI

In Brief LA County man denies posing as immigration lawyer LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged a man with nine felonies alleging he posed as an immigration attorney and took thousands of dollars from prospective clients. A district attorney's statement says 53-year-old Michael John Hernandez of Hacienda Heights pleaded not guilty to six counts of grand theft, two counts of practicing law without a license and one count of perjury. Prosecutors say Hernandez, who previously practiced law in Florida but has never passed the State Bar of California or been licensed here, set up a law office in Hacienda Heights in 2011 and bilked four clients who were seeking help with their immigration status. He could get 10 years in prison if convicted on all counts and has been ordered to return to court next month. -AP

Â&#x201E; Immigrants rescued from Texas stash house McALLEN, Texas: Three men are in federal custody after holding 35 immigrants in a South Texas apartment while they extorted their families. The McAllen Monitor reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York were notified by the brother of a Honduran man when he escaped the Pharr apartment where they were being held. The immigrant led ICE agents back to the apartment where they arrested three men and rescued the others.

Immigration 44 India Post

May 16, 2014

Indian-Americans at AAPI event Details on page 45

Indian Embassy outsources visa, passport services to new firm WASHINGTON: The Indian Embassy in the US has announced to outsource its passport and visa related services to a new company for all its diplomatic missions in America following complaints against the current service provider. Cox & King Global Services Ltd will replace the existing BLS International Limited and would offer its services from May 21 at all Indian diplomatic posts in the US, according to a statement by the Indian Embassy here. BLS will close its operations with regard to visa, overseas citizens of India (OCI), people of Indian origin (PIO) and renunciation of Indian Citizenship Certificate support services on May 20. In addition to the Indian Embassy in Washington, India has Consulates in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco. Applications in person viz "walk-in application" will be accepted by BLS International till the

afternoon of May 16. Only Emergency Visa applications will be accepted by BLS till forenoon of May 20, the media note said, adding that the details of the services provided by Cox and King would be made available in due course. "From May 21, 2014 all Visa/

vices Pvt Ltd," the Embassy statement said. Applicants, who have already submitted their applications to BLS International Ltd, may check their status online at BLS International website till May 20. The status of these pending applications will be available on

OCI/PIO/Renunciation of Indian Citizenship Certificate application support services will be provided by the Cox & Kings Global Ser-

the website of Cox & Kings Global Services from May 21, it said. In 2013, Indian diplomatic missions in the US issued nearly 3.4

lakh visas, with the Indian Consulate in New York leading by 95,000 visas followed by San Francisco (85,800), Houston (54,700), Chicago (45,000) and Washington DC (44,000). In addition, they also issued over 75,000 OCI cards, more than 35,000 PIO cards and more than 49,000 surrender and renunciation of India citizenship. Cox & Kings Global Services (formerly known as Quoprro Global Services) was incorporated in 2008 and is a specialist business process outsource agency which focuses on serving Consular sections of Diplomatic Missions, according to information available on its website. Cox & King Global Services provides outsourcing services to Consulate General of Italy, UAE; Indian diplomatic missions in Israel, Germany, Japan, Sweden, in addition to Dubai Visa in India, Royal Thai Consulate General for Western India and Norwegian Embassy in India. -PTI

Liberating H-4 spouses from tyranny of priority dates GARY ENDELMAN & CYRUS D. MEHTA

All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come.-Victor Hugo

S According to court records, the captors beat them and threatened to kill them if their families did not send money. Immigrants are commonly held in houses near the border by smugglers after crossing the Rio Grande until the next leg of their journey north can be arranged. Increasingly their families are extorted for more money. -AP

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Biden honors

ometimes it takes a while for a sound idea to gain ac ceptance. Granting employment authorization to H-4 spouses of H-1B visa holders is a good example. It is in line with the policies of other countries, and if the United States wishes to attract the brightest and the best, such an individual may be dissuaded from coming to the United States if the spouse is not allowed to work. This is especially true if the H-1B workers have to wait for several years before they and their families can apply for permanent residency. Almost 4 years ago, then USCIS General Counsel Roxanna Bacon, Service Center Operations Head Donald Neufeld and Field Operations Chief Debra Rogers

recommended that H-4 spouses be granted employment authorization to USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas, but only for those "H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B principals where the principals are also applicants for lawful permanent residence under AC 21" - Memorandum, Administrative Alterna-

On May 6, 2014, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would allow certain H-4 spouses to obtain employment authorization. The proposed rule provides that an H-4 spouse may apply for employment authorization if the principal H-1B spouse is the beneficiary of an ap-

The memo was leaked by those who wanted to defeat any administrative initiatives and they did so. There matters stood until January 31, 2012 when the Department of Homeland Security brought this idea back to life. tives to Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The memo was leaked by those who wanted to defeat any administrative initiatives and they did so. There matters stood until January 31, 2012 when the Department of Homeland Security brought this idea back to life.

proved I-140 immigrant petition; or, if the H-1B spouse been granted an extension of beyond the 6-year limitation pursuant to section 106(a) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (AC21). Under section 106(a) of AC 21, the filing of a labor certifi-

cation or employment-based immigrant visa petitions 365 days prior to the sixth year allows the H-1B worker to apply for an additional year be yond the sixth year. In Tyranny of Priority Dates and subsequent articles (http:// www.cyrusmehta.com), we pointed out the long delays befalling skilled immigrants due to the backlogs in the priority dates, and proposed remedial measures, including the ability of an H-4 spouse to work. Our prior analysis of H-4 spousal employment (February 5, 2012 at http:// www.cyrusmehta.com) and earlier indications that the USCIS recognized the problem and intended to do something about it provide a helpful context against which the importance of this latest development can be measured. Cont'd on Page 46

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Biden honors IndianAmericans at AAPI event WASHINGTON DC: Several Indian Americans were felicitated by US Vice President Joe Biden at an event here to mark the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Maulik Pancholy, Ravi Chaudhary, and Shekar Narasimhan were felicitated by the US Vice President on May 7 at the event hosted by White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and US Department of the Interior. Biden while recollecting his trip to India last year acknowledged the contribution of the AAPI community in all spheres of the US. "The combination of AsianAmericans and Pacific Islanders have done nothing, nothing but succeed, generation after generation. Think of all of the businesses that have been built, from the corner stores to Silicon Valley giants like Yahoo. You have served our nation overseas," Biden said. At the glittering event, the newest appointees to the

President's Advisory Commission on AAPI's were ceremonially sworn in. Sri Srinivasan, the United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, swore in 14 new and two returning Commissioners who will serve as the eyes and ears of the AAPI community for the Obama Administration.

The Commissioners are Dr Tung Nguyen (incoming Chair), Dr Mark Ann Young Okada (incoming Vice Chair), Dr N Nina Ahmad, Michael Byun, Ravi Chaudhary, Lian Cheun, Billy Dec, Bill Imada, Kathy Ko Chin, Daphne Kwok, Dee Jay Mailer, Diane Narasaki, Shekar Narasimhan, Maulik Pancholy, Linda X Phan, and Lorna May Ho Randlett. -PTI

Its website notes, however, that new citizens must recite an oath that contains the phrase ``so help me God'' and the Pledge of Allegiance, which contains the phrase ``under God.'' Both Reiman and immigration officials cited Supreme Court opinion affirming the right of local governments to include certain prayers in official proceedings. Reiman said it is proof that he should be able to open any event

Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman

policy to make sure naturalization ceremonies are ``conducted in a meaningful manner which is welcoming and inclusive and excludes political, commercial and religious statements.''

EL PASO, Texas: The U.S. Border Patrol in West Texas is reaching out to at-risk high school students with a mentoring program that teaches the importance of making sound life decisions. Twelve teenagers referred by truancy court graduated from the five-week REAL program in which Border Patrol agents mentor them through physical training, community service and presentations at other local institutions like a jail tour. The program, created in the Border Patrol's Laredo sector in 2010, has graduated 23 groups of teens in the El Paso sector since it was implemented in 2012.

said Rodriguez addressing the students. Justice of the Peace Brian Haggerty said that out of 16 youths he referred to the program, two did not attend and two dropped out of it. One of them was back in court, he had to pay the fine of about $590. ``He told me he did not go (to the program) because he wanted to go to a quinceanera party," said Haggerty. For those who completed the program, such as Jaritza Ramirez, the military-style discipline seems to have paid off. She said she is doing better in school now and has not skipped classes.

Vice President Joe Biden addresses the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Opening Ceremony, at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

Town cancels immigration event over prayer flap NEWARK, N.J.: A New Jersey town has canceled a naturalization ceremony at its borough hall, because federal immigration officials refused to let the event begin with a prayer. Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman said he had requested that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services relocate the ceremony. Katie Tichacek Kaplan, a spokeswoman for the immigration agency, said it's a long-standing

Border Patrol coaches at-risk youth in Texas

at city hall with a prayer and a moment of silence. The citizenship agency said the high court's ruling does not mean federal agencies are required to include prayers as part of their

ceremonies. It cited a portion of the decision that refers to the Pledge of Allegiance and other religious references in government proceedings as traditions that ``lend gravity to public proceedings.'' Reiman told The Associated Press he did not see the distinction. He also questioned why the prayer portion of the ceremony had been nixed, only to be followed by a requirement that new citizens make references to God in order to become Americans. ``It doesn't make any sense that out of the blue this week they took the position that a prayer can't be part of the program,'' said Reiman, adding the federal agency could ``host its godless ceremony someplace else.'' Reiman said his central New Jersey borough of about 24,000 residents just west of Staten Island is religiously and ethnically diverse, and they are careful to use a non-denominational prayer to open meetings as a sign of respect and inclusion. The morning ceremony has been moved to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Newark office, where it regularly holds ceremonies. -AP

Texas state Sen. Jose Rodriguez greets Border Patrol Division Chief Michael Przybyl after addressing high school students that graduated from at-risk youth program at the Border Patrol station in El Paso, Texas

The ceremony was attended by the division chief for the El Paso sector, Michael Przybyl, and state Sen. Jose Rodriguez. ``Whatever mistakes you made are just that, a mistake. You've been given a second opportunity,''

``They can be strict,'' Ramirez said about the instructors who made them march like at boot camp. ``But they also go out of their way to show you they care. You can call them any time if you have a problem.'' -AP

Hundreds may face layoffs after immigration audit CASHMERE, Wash.: Hundreds of workers at a central Washington apple packaging company could be facing layoffs after a federal immigration audit. Crunch Pak notified its employees that they need to provide documents proving they can work in the United States legally after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement audit unveiled discrepancies in the payroll, The Wenatchee World reported. Company spokeswoman Amy Philpott confirmed the audit but did not say how many employees were affected. The audit began in August 2013, and workers under review were notified the next month, she said. Vicky Castro of East Wenatchee

estimated that 90 percent of the people she works with received notifications. Crunch Pak, which packages apple slices, employs about 900 people in Cashmere. The layoffs could begin May 19. ``What the company wants is for every employee to have the chance to correct their information or amend their paperwork,'' Philpott said. Under an I-9 audit, employees are given 10 days to correct any discrepancies. The affected employees received their paychecks attached to a notification letter and a blank immigration-information form that they could use to correct, if possible, any errors in their records. -AP

Immigration Post

46 India Post

May 16, 2014

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Liberating H-4 spouses from tyranny of priority dates Cont'd from Page 44

The proposed rule to grant work authorization to H-4 spouses is much welcomed recognition of this problem. It acknowledges the contributions of foreign born immigrants, especially in the tech industry, and cites the findings of Vivek Wadhwa that in 25% of tech companies founded between 19952005, the chief executive or lead technologist was foreign born. Indeed, the preamble to the proposed rule acknowledges that certain beneficiaries of I-140 petitions under the India EB-3 preference may have to wait over 10 years to obtain permanent residence. In the meantime, the H-4 spouse cannot seek employment, and is also prohibited from other work related activities such as engaging in self-employment through a home based business. While only Congress could create new visa categories, we argued that the Executive under section 103(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act was charged with the administration and enforcement of the INA. Also, the Executive had authority to grant work authorization to any aliens under INA section 274A

(h) (3). Under these provisions, we had proposed that the Executive could provide relief for beneficiaries, including spouses, of approved I-130 and I-140 petitions through the grant of employment authorization who were caught in the crushing backlogs. After all, these people were in the pipeline for the green card, but

the broken immigration system, the proposed rule further acknowledges that the Executive has the legal authority to authorize spousal employment pursuant to INA sections 103(1) and 274A (h)(3). Resting on this foundation, the proposed rule further relies on INA sections 214(a) (1), which authorizes the Executive to prescribe

While Congress has still not been able to pass a reform of the broken immigration system, the proposed rule further acknowledges that the Executive has the legal authority to authorize spousal employment pursuant to INA sections 103(1) and 274A (h)(3). for the backlogs in the priority dates. The H-1B visa also allows for "dual intent," as it permits one to apply for permanent residency even though it is technically a nonimmigrant visa. The proposed rule now recognizes, as we did in The Tyranny of Priority Dates, the ability of the Executive to pass ameliorative measures in the face of crushing delays for those in the green card queue. While Congress has still not been able to pass a reform of

regulations setting forth terms and conditions with respect to the admission of nonimmigrants into the United States. Recognizing that H-1B workers and their spouses would be green card holders but for the backlogs in the priority dates, Commerce Secretary appropriately stated, "These individuals are American families in waiting." The granting of work authorization to H-4 spouses if the principal spouse has applied for an AC 21 extension also resolves the co-

nundrum when both spouses are on H-1B visas and are reaching the sixth year on their H-1B visas. Under this situation, the spouse who was not the subject of a labor certification was generally forced to switch to H-4 status, and was then prohibited from continuing employment. In Two H-1B Spouses: One Labor or Certification (http:// www.cyrusmehta.com) we advocated how both spouses could take advantage of the labor certification filed on behalf of one of the spouses in order to get a seventh year extension. While there is a sound basis to argue that AC 21 would benefit the spouse who was relying on the labor certification filed on behalf of the labor certification, since this is the basis for their adjustment of status, the USCIS did not always interpret AC 21 section 106(a) broadly to benefit both spouses. Now, thankfully, this uncer-

tainty will no longer exist. The spouse who is not the subject of the labor certification can switch to H-4 status and can still apply for work authorization. At the same time, we still advocate that a spouse on an H-1B visa be able to rely on the other spouse's labor certification or I-140 to seek an H-1B extension beyond the sixth year limitation. There will be occasions when it is more expeditious for the spouse to file an H-1B extension and continue working, rather than file for a change of status to H-4 and then apply for an employment authorization document before re-starting work again. This is an excellent illustration of how doctrinal clarity by the USCIS can promote robust operational flexibility by aliens and their advocates. To be continued * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

Former Assistant StateÂ&#x2019;s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc. 1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1

Rules proposed for immigrant driver's license SANTA ANA, Calif.: California has proposed requiring immigrants in the country illegally to present foreign government-issued identification to obtain a driver's license or go through an interview process using other documents to prove their identity. The move would make the state the first in the country to offer a secondary review process for immigrants using alternate documents, such as marriage, tax and school records, California's Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement. Under the proposal, California would require fewer documents when those presented are very secure. An interview with a DMV investigator would be required

when alternate documents are used to prevent fraud. ``We heard from individuals that they may not have the more secure documents,'' Kristin Triepke, policy branch chief for the DMV's license operations division, told reporters in a conference call. ``That is why we are proposing to

have our investigative staff provide this review.'' The announcement comes as California gears up to start issuing the new licenses by January 2015. The state is one of nearly a dozen to approve driver's licenses for immigrants in the country illegally, and expects to issue about 1.4 million of the new licenses during the first three years. California was recently dealt a blow, however, when federal Homeland Security officials rejected the proposed design for the license, saying it didn't meet national identification standards because it was not easily distinguishable from the state's standard driver's license. -AP

http://www.proy-singh.com

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Philosophy

May 16, 2014

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis ADI SHANKARACHARYA

hough other articles such as rice, vegetables, water and pots are necessary, to cook a meal, it is fire that actually cooks the meal. As fire is thus the direct cause of cooking, Knowledge of the Atma and not any other form of discipline i.e., practice of austerities and rituals, is the sole direct means to attain moksha or liberation. The purpose of austerities is purification of heart and creation of a mental condition to aid one's spiritual growth and render it fit for pursuing the path of knowledge (jnana marga). Karma or Action cannot destroy ignorance as it is not opposed to it. Knowledge or Jnana alone destroys ignorance as dense darkness is destroyed by light. By means of action one fulfills one's desires. Therefore action is in harmony with ignorance and cannot therefore directly destroy it. Here ignorance does not mean illiteracy or absence of book knowledge. According to Vedanta the knowledge of the nonduality of Brahma and Atma is the only true knowledge; all else is ignorance (Ajnana or Avidya). Such jnana alone removes the ignorance as dense darkness is destroyed by light. Due to Ajnana or ignorance, one imposes limits to Atma. When this Ajnana is destroyed, Atma can be visualized just as sun appears emerging when dark clouds are dispersed. J. KRISHNAMURTI

am tempted to repeat a story about a great disciple going to God and demanding to be taught truth. This poor God says, `My friend, it is such a hot day, please get me a glass of water.' So the disciple goes out and knocks on the door of the first house he comes to and a beautiful young lady opens the door. The disciple falls in love with her and they marry and have several children. Then one day it begins to rain, and keeps on raining, raining, raining - the torrents are swollen, the streets are full, the houses are being washed away. The disciple holds on to his wife and carries his children on his shoulders and as he is being swept away he calls out, 'Lord, please save me', and the Lord says, `Where is that glass of water I asked for?' It is rather a good story because most of us think in terms of time. Man lives by time. Inventing the future has been a favorite game of escape. We think that changes in ourselves can come about in time, that order in ourselves can be built up little by little, added to day by day.

As the true nature of sun is hidden by a cloud, so the true nature of the eternal and self-luminous Atma is hidden by ignorance. On account of this ignorance the all pervading Atma seems to be a physical, a finite being. Such ignorance is destroyed by means of contemplation and realization of the truth contained in the Vedic mahavakyas like Aham Brahmasmi ( I am Brahma) and Prajnanam Brahma (Brahma is pure consciousness).

rupted meditation on Brahma firmly stamps a man's consciousness with the knowledge of his true divine nature and such self knowledge makes a man realize that he is not the doer or an experiencer but the all pervading Brahma, Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute (Satchit Anand). The world, which is filled with attachments, or aversions, love or hate pain or pleasure and other dual experiences, is like a dream. It appears to be really happening as

Once we know Brahma the ignorance is dispelled. The world that appeared to be real ceases to delude us. As bubbles are developed in water, the whole world is created, developed and destroyed by the Brahma and exists because of the very Brahma. The interesting thing is that Brahma is in the form of Pure Satchidananda and is like pure water. The bubble is this world which appears to have emanated from Brahma. But it has limited time

Karma or Action cannot destroy ignorance

Adi Shankaracharya

On account of this ignorance the all pervading Atma seems to be a physical, a finite being. Such ignorance is destroyed by means of contemplation and realization of the truth contained in the Vedic mahavakyas like Aham Brahmasmi

The embodied soul, Jivatma, rendered dirty by ignorance is purified by knowledge through long and uninterrupted meditation on Brahma, and then itself disappears as the powder of Kataka nut (cleaning nut) precipitates itself after precipitating impurities suspended in muddy water. The jivatma is rendered dirty by illusory ideas of birth and death, happiness and unhappiness which are superimposed upon the self due to ignorance. Long and uninter-

long as the dream continues, but appears unreal, when one is awake. Similarly one's dual experiments in this world appear illusory when one attains self-knowledge. Actually every thing we see, hear and feel is creation of Brahma. Whereas Brahma is indivisible, unique and permanent, his creation appears to be different beings which is nothing but illusion. Because of the effect of this Maya or ignorance, this world reflects itself as different beings and things.

of existence. As water bubble blows off to become absorbed in water, this world which is very very temporary remains for some time and is destroyed and absorbed in Brahma only. Excerpted from Atma Bodha as translated with commentary byA.S.Deekshitulu & Ch. Sundara Ramiah, available on http://www.geetadeeksha.com. The 1226th birth anniversary of Adi Shankaracharya was observed on May 4.

But time doesn't bring order or peace, so we must stop thinking in terms of gradualness. This means that there is no tomorrow for us to be peaceful in. We have to be orderly on the instant. When there is real danger time disappears, doesn't it? There is immediate action. But we do not

have not learnt after all these thousands of years that there is a better way to live than by hating and killing each other. The problem of time is a very important one to understand if we are to resolve this life which we have helped to make as monstrous and meaningless as it is.

you completely stop inwardly. And when you do stop inwardly, psychologically, your mind becomes very peaceful, very clear. Then you can really look at this question of time. When we meet a challenge partially, fragmentarily, or try to escape from it - that is, when we meet

The first thing is to completely stop inwardly We think that changes in ourselves can come about in time, that order in ourselves can be built up little by little, added to day by day. But time doesn't bring order or peace, so we must stop thinking in terms of gradualness. see the danger of many of our problems and therefore we invent time as a means of overcoming them. Time is a deceiver as it doesn't do a thing to help us bring about a change in ourselves. Time is a movement which man has divided into past, present and future, and as long as he divides it he will always be in conflict. Is learning a matter of time? We

We are confused about our many problems and lost in that confusion. Now if one is lost in a wood, what is the first thing one does? One stops, doesn't one? One stops and looks round. But the more we are confused and lost in life the more we chase around, searching, asking, demanding, begging. So the first thing, if I may suggest it, is that

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. - Khalil Gibran

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." - Abraham Lincoln

"Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear." - Paulo Coelho

"Every day one should at least hear one little song, read one good poem, see one fine painting and -- if at all possible -- speak a few sensible words." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. - Zig Ziglar

J. Krishnamurti

it without complete attention - we bring about a problem. And the problem continues so long as we continue to give it incomplete attention Excerpted from Freedom From the Known, Chapter 9, at www.jiddu-krishnamurti.net. The 119th birth anniversary of J. Krishnamurti was observed on May 11

Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike. - Oscar Wilde

It is not the body's posture, but the heart's attitude that counts when we pray. - Billy Graham

You Insure all your Valuables, all are replaceable except YOU! So Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

Datebook

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NEW JERSEY Upcoming Sat, May 24 • Gippy Gerwal and Sharry Mann Venue: Loews Theater, 54 Journal Square Plaza, Jersey City, NJ 07306 Time: 8: 00 pm

Sun, May 25 • Musik Waves - Spring Mela Venue: Edison Hotel, 3050,Woodbridge Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 Time : 11:00 am Contact: 732-277-6687

Sun, May 25 • Culture Shock Live Concert in New Jersey Venue: Edison Hotel, 3050,Woodbridge Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 732-277-6687

NEW YORK Upcoming Sun, May 17 • Sonu Nigam Close To My Soul Venue: Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, NY 11553 Time: 08:00 pm Contact: 718-639-9200

Sat, May 17 • A Bollywood Summer Cruise 2014 Venue: New York Sky Port and Aviation Marina, 2430 FDR Dr, New York, NY 10010 Time: 06:15 pm Contact : 917-771-9030

Sat, May 31 • Ghulam Ali Live In Concert Venue: Hindu Auditorium, 143-09 Holly Ave, Flushing, NY 11355 Time : 8:00 pm Contact : 917-855-2057

May 16, 2014

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ILLINOIS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Sun, May 25 • USA Sangams 22nd National Convention Awards Night

Sat, May 17 • Marriage Fixing - A Play in Hindi

Mukund Hindi Classes are held

Venue: SDES HALL, 30846 Watkins St, Union City, CA 94587 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 510-688-0878

Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 450

Month

Persian Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Chicago Satsang Information:

Time: 7:00 pm

J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda

Contact: 510-565-9518

Venue: Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets,

June 5th to 8th • Bombay Jayashree And Shubha Mudgal Live In Bay Area Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 450 Persian Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Time: 6 pm Contact: 510-305-9285

June 6 and 7,8 • Mount Madonna School's 36th annual Ramayana! Venue: Mexican Heritage Theater, 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose Time: 7 pm June 8 Time: 2 pm Tickets: All Seats Reserved, $35 Adults/$25 Children (18 and under) Contact: MountMadonnaSchool.org/ ramayana

Upcoming • J K Yog Satsang and Bal every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of

Board Room, 933 South Riverside

Sun, May 18 • IFDA Spring Fest

Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126

Venue: Silver Creek High Auditorium,

Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok

3434 Silver Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95121

@ 630-561-4807

Time: 3:30 pm

Website: www.jkyog.org

Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm

Contact: 408-238-4034

ATLANTA Upcoming Fri, May 23 • An Evening Of Global Music Venue: Berkmar High School, 405 Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn, GA 30047 Time: 7:30pm

1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @

Sat, Jun 7 • Swadeshi Ayya A Play By Y.Gee Mahendra

Sat, May 31 • ETV Paadutaa Teeyaga in Atlanta

Venue: Carrington Hall, 1201 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062 Time : 4:00 pm Contact: 408-892-9907

Venue: Independence High School, 86

June 5th to 8th • Bombay Jayashree And

Sun, Jun 1 • ETV Paadutaa Teeyaga in Atlanta

Language Classes

Venue: Independence High School, 86

Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL,

School Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30009

Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm

Shubha Mudgal Live In Bay Area Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu temple, 450 Persian Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Contact: 510-305-9285

School Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30009 Time: 11:00 am

Time: 3:00 pm

630-561-4807 Website: www.jkyog.org/bal-mukund

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services

Contact: 773-465-3105

51 India Post

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May 16, 2014

PREETI VERMA LAL

The Naked Truth as in the Book

he sits on a pouffe, freshly sutured wounds snaking on the spine of her naked back. She looks into a mirror blotched with errant drops of water. Broken masks lie scattered on the floor. Votive candles flicker as she stares into her own self, as if raking her own insecurities. Not to wail about them, but to vanquish them. Defeat them. Hers is a quest. To discover a confident, beautiful girl, fluid in all she doesâ&#x20AC;Ś Her real self is conspicuous; she pines for her ideal self. I know not her name. She is anonymous. There is no name. Merely a caption that reads: Revelations. Accepting the Real Me. She is an intense photograph hanging on a stark wall in the Stupid Eye photo exhibition, the world's first of its kind photo project that helps people realize their self through therapeutic imagery. Conceived, structured and shot by 'photographically minded psychologist' Harsheen K Arora and a psychologically minded photographer Vipul Amar, Stupid Eye is based on the premise that with a better understanding of one's true self one is better equipped to realize one's actual potential.

I step into New Delhi's Triveni Kala Sangam and photographs start narrating their stories. A young man in a business suit peers out of a window, hand in pocket, the chiaroscuro meandering through his What Next? angst. A svelte woman in a little black dress sits inside a red telephone booth yearning to free herself from the "shackles of right and wrong." A lanky fella who knows he is neither "worthless nor God" aspires to be a selfmade man. He stands on a stilt, almost tearing the sky to attain the "balance". That is the purpose of Stupid Eye: to meld art with psychological therapeutic techniques to custom-design an image for individuals which reveals their innermost core. Stupid Eye photographs dig beyond the skin of the individual, it reveals the soul.

Main Hoon as in the Book

The Lamp post

Balance

That task of revelation is tedious, longdrawn, wearisome, soul-sapping. Perhaps that explains the beginning of Stupid Eye. It was born in a man's anguish. In that poignant moment he decided to amble out of a known, plush world into an unknown tomorrow. He left behind everything that he knew. He deleted all contact numbers from his phone. Burdened with his own questions and saddled with anguish, he had merely one promise to hinge tomorrows on - I will not lie to myself. The man: Vipul Amar. The consequence: Stupid Eye. Joining hands was Arora, who holds a post-graduate degree in clinical psychology from University of Wales; her training includes Creative Art and Drama Therapy. Started in 2012, Stupid Eye began with Arora asking participants to talk of their real self and ideal self. For most, there lay a big chasm. Cont'd on Page 53

52 India Post

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The mother of all cooking ARCHANA ASTHANA

verything I learned about cooking was made possible by my mother. Working with her I realized that she was able to inculcate in me the same love of experimentation and the love of varied cuisines that she had. The aplomb with which she undertook the strangest food preparations, and the confidence she oozed when asked to make a dish with which she had little familiarity was an exercise in determination. No wonder we both have landed in the soup several times because of this! Amma's stories are peppered with the misadventures of her forays into the world of cooking af-

ter her wedding. Not having a mother to guide her in these more domestic matters since the age of eight, and having grown up in a hostel, her culinary expertise was nil at best. Did that baulk her? Can't say it did. Neither could her in-laws. Being all of 20 years old, and lacking guile of any sort, she was instantly welcomed and enveloped with love by my uncle, Babu (20 years my father's senior), who was more like a grandfather, and Badi amma, his wife, and the five offsprings. Time with Babu Every summer my parents traveled to Faizabad to spend time with Babu and extended family. Each summer had its own stash of stories, vying for top honors in their hilarity and absurdity in equal measure. One summer, there was a bounty of katahal (jackfruit) in the family garden. So, when Babu saw fresh cut katahal hauled into the kitchen from the big old tree, and amma hovering in the background, it was destiny that made him ask for katahal cutlets to be served to his visiting friend, Prabhu Dayal. Having nodded her silent consent for this task, amma set about fig-

uring out what to do with the fruit (vegetable), with a prickly skin and tough-looking interior to turn it into palatable cutlets. Rummaging through her memory bank, she realized something similar having been cooked at her home. Armed with the faint memories of something that may have resembled katahal cutlets, amma set about making that memory a reality. Summoning thakur (the cook), she asked for besan paste to be prepared for dipping the cutlets, and katahal to be chopped into bite sized pieces. Thakur, the wise cook refrained from raining on her parade, and assuming that "bahurani" knew

what she was doing, obliged with the task. No sooner than that was done, she expertly covered each morsel in the spicy paste and deep fried it, making sure it turned out golden brown. Accompanied with a savory chutney, it looked rather appetizing. When it was sent out to the drawing room for consumption, it came back soon after, barely touched. At that, amma tried one herself, only to find the cutlet impossible to bite through! In her haste to recreate the appearance of the cutlet, minor details like parboiling the tough flesh before dipping into besan, was overlooked, resulting in undercooked end product! Not to be deterred, amma continued with her cooking experiments, sending out her creations to the unsuspecting stream of visitors. In those days, the "chulhas" (earthen stoves) were kept going by burning coal, and regulating the heat through fanning, and a complicated system of closing and opening various apertures built into the chulha. Mind you, those were the days before instruction manuals existed! It was confusing to operate the chulha and trying to remember which apertures had to be

closed so as to condense the heat and increase the temperature, as also what maneuvers to perform for the cooling effect. Amma, being amma had taken on the task of making aate ka halwa (popular dessert made of wheat flour, milk and sugar) for all the kids in the family. Now, halwa is an everyday dessert and veteran cooks can make it without resorting to recipes or instructions, which did not exist in the written form then. So, amma was following her heart and what felt right to make this dessert, while juggling with keeping the fire at the right temperature. Halwa for friend Babu sauntered in from the garden, and once again seeing her cook, asked amma to supply some of the halwa for his old friend, the regular visitor, Prabhu Dayal! The halwa making process can be complicated and involves a slow roast of the wheat flour on a steady fire, so it is no longer raw, then simmering it gently in milk, water and sugar so it takes on the right appearance and texture. She followed most of the steps and left out a few…which happened to include the slow roast of the wheat flour to the right level of doneness, mostly due to the skills needed to keep a steady slow fire. However, it was an attractive display she put together, garnished with sliced almond, elaichi (cardomom) and chandi ka vark (silver foil). Amma proudly doled it out to the waiting kids and put together a plate to be sent out to the guests. Thakur, meanwhile came to the kitchen to set about making dinner preparations and intercepted the halwa as it was about to be taken to the drawing room. His experienced nose told him that the wheat flour was still raw!! Amma had to make amends by supplying the kids with digestive tablets so they won't be taken ill from eating uncooked wheat flour! Luckily, Prabhu Dayal was spared ! Through all this, no one in the family took offence at this pretty young bride who spoke her mind and acted with heart, while committing many a blunder. She earned much love and respect in her new husband's family and was the favorite bahurani of Babu and Badi amma, the favorite chachi (aunt) of all the nephews and nieces, and the apple of her husband's eye. Fast forward to our lives in

Calcutta. Always in high gear, with five of us demanding new and varied cuisines, depending on which English novel we were reading at the time. Thus arose the request for spaghetti from my brother, having read about it and watched it in the English movies we went to on Sundays at the Globe theater in Chowringhee. We searched the fancier New Market and brought home a packet and boiled it with great anticipation and enjoyment of the process. Next was to recreate the red sauce it went with. Having run out of tomatoes, we improvised, and served it with daal (lentil soup), which had been cooked with tomatoes! This was one mix the taste buds did not find palatable, but we pursued relentlessly to recreate the dish, until the red sauce was made another time, and we enjoyed a home cooked Italian meal in those days. True to her nature, amma embraced these adventures into nouvelle cuisine from foreign lands as much as refining her now polished skills of "desi" food. Legendry cook Amma evolved into a legendary cook, with ingredient combinations she thought up, even when no one else was using them quite the same way…also leading to many disagreements between her and me, the novice in nouvelle cuisine experimentation. I would grudgingly admit later that the new combinations "weren't all that bad", the closest I came to giving her a compliment. The first public appreciation I, as a teenager, conceded for her

cooking was when my group of school friends at our shared lunches exclaimed over the chatpate chhole (spicy chickpeas) dish. As the five school friends hailed from five different regions of India, our daily lunchtime feasts were a lesson in national integration itself. So, the North Indian chhole, zeere ke aloo (potatoes cooked with cumin), variety of stuffed parathas (layered wheat crepes) and other lunch appropriate dishes were always in demand. Things became interesting when my non-Indian friends came for dinner and consumed platefuls of spicy chicken, rajma (kidney beans), koftas, biryani and katahal! Sometimes, these binges were followed by an equally voracious consumption of dahi vadas (fried, lentil pancakes soaked in cooling yogurt) in an attempt to cool the impact of the fiery cuisine. In particular, my French friend, Herve, prompted a troubled look and a whispered caution to me from amma to warn him against further consumption, out of fear for his gastronomic health! However, he didn't seem none too worse for wear, and even came back seeking more and even more spicy cuisine. So, friends from home and foreign lands became enamored by my mother's cooking, and fully appreciative of the love and care that went into creating these delightful morsels. I must add that amma's stories of her earlier, less than stellar brushes in the kitchen, remain a source of mirth at many a family gathering, while providing inspiration to the budding cooks. Cont'd on Page 53

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May 16, 2014 www.indiapost.com

Vikas Khanna to cookoff with CEOs

elebrity chef, cookbook author and TV host Vikas Khanna owns a smile, that fans find as much endearing as his cooking, if not more. The Michellin-starred New York-based restaurateur is now gearing up to 'cook for a smile', a fundraising event to provide for underprivileged children in India. Khanna will lead a cook-off with 15 CEOs from top corporates who are set to demonstrate their culinary prowess and raise funds for the project 'Nutrition for Better Literacy', run by Smile Foundation. "Personally I am a work in progress as a cook. I like the glamour helmet that I have come to don over the time but not with-

out a purpose. I now want to reach out and do something to bring a difference to people's lives, however small it may be,"

Vikas Khanna

The mother of all cooking Cont'd from Page 52

When amma became a motherin-law and mentor to my elder cousin's bride who also lived in Calcutta, she amended much of what was not right in her cooking in a way that made bhabhi a really good cook too! I think we can assume that not too many 20 year old brides in those days had much familiarity with pots, pans and spices! With time and amma's loving coaching, my sister and I, along with assorted relatives learned how to fluff the besan batter just right to make soft pakoras for making kadhi, or mix the daal batter for dahi vadas. We also figured out the right number of "whistles" to account for the perfect doneness for pressurecooked dishes, and played a guessing game to predict the number that would be right. In her last US visit at my brother's house in Washington D.C when she came to get me married, amma would supervise the perfect meal, simply by fol-

lowing her nose for the right aromas. Already too sick to cook by now, she would issue suggestions to "add water now", "smells roasted", or "turn off the heat now", even through the pain of cancer she endured. Thanks to some of those first hand experiences, my Austrian bhabhi too has been known for cooking a rather formidable Indian style mutton dish! Trying new things My mother's sheer enjoyment in life's small details and her love of seeing new places and trying new things has been a source of great joy and laughter to all of us. Her determination to tackle any situation with quiet strength and fortitude served her well in life, especially when she courageously faced her disease. In the end the cancer overwhelmed her frail body, but it could never extinguish the spirit, which continues through our love of the many things she cherished.

Khanna told PTI in an interview. The "Cook for a Smile" initiative, says the chef, combines his two loves - food and children. "While Indian cuisine is going places, children in the country are struggling with issues like malnutrition. I feel disturbed to see a kid who has not had a full meal for days," says Khanna. The chef has been signed on as a goodwill ambassador for Smile Foundation. For that Khanna says he has set a target to benefit over 5000 children with nutrition support in the year 201415. The foundation believes that providing a nutritious meal every day can ensure a better literacy and less dropouts from school. Beginning May 18 in Mumbai, Khanna is set to participate in a set of three events one each in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Apart from a session involving cooking with corporate CEOs, other initiatives include Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities. Khanna who hosts Indian version of popular TV series Masterchef has also written a cookbook for children. "Unlike in the West where children are introduced to pretty much everything including cooking at an early age, in India they begin later," says Khanna whose photograph filled book "Young Chefs" introduces the joy of cooking to children. The chef returns again to the issue of underfed children and urges people to wake up to the grave problem. "I feel everything comes around as a circle. I started off cooking as a child and now after traveling the world and setting up my own restaurant in New York am back to the beginning, working for the cause of underprivileged children," Khanna says. -PTI

Insight through Stupid Eye Cont'd from Page 51

The ideal self was seeped in pain, phobias, norms, fear, inhibitions of individuals. With a nary a hope for self-actualization. In group as well as individual sessions, participants ranging from age 14 to 58 mustered courage to peel their own emotional and experiential layers to accost their own real self. Herein, Arora and Amar picked up the key points of the lives for the culmination - a photo shoot that would freeze the pain, the experience, the fear, the phobias, the keywords of the participant into their framed photograph. For self-actualization. So powerful has been its impact that Stupid Eye has been published by World Mental Health Congress 2013. This year

Harsheen K Arora

it will also be presented at the 28th International Congress of

Vipul Amar

Applied Psychology (Paris) and 7th World Congress of Psychotherapy in Durban, South Africa. As Amar walks me through the exhibitions, real people emerge out of the photographs, as if to tell the world that Stupid Eye has enhanced the insight into their own self; that the chasm between real and ideal world has been spanned; that they can look into the mirror and know themselves. I run through Stupid Eye. I feel a little more stupid. Not stupid as you think. Stupid as Carl Jung thinks - "Stupidity is the mother of the wise". I return home. Wiser. Stupider. And a tad more in tandem with my self. (www.deepblueink.com)

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May 16, 2014

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Pak military and the myth of independent media

hen Pakistani journalists interact with Indians, it is a fairly common practice for many of them to label others of their ilk as an 'agencies man'; i.e. being on the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)/Intelligence Bureau/ Military Intelligence (MI) payroll. Quite aside whether this is just a tack to win the confidence of their Indian counterparts or there is an element of truth in the insinuation, the general impression one gets is that virtually every other media-man is a mole of the 'deep state'. Despite the raucous, robust and often reckless nature of the Pakistani media, which in recent years has been pushing the envelope that much more, the infiltration and even influence of the

Hamid Mir

'agencies' over journalists was nothing extraordinary in what is by all accounts a National Security State. Control over the Media In recent years, however, the sort of control that the 'deep state' exercised over the media loosened considerably; at least in terms of its ability to shape the narrative and public discourse. Not surprisingly, the media had begun to feel empowered and top media persons would often boast about how they were now a power to reckon with and could make, break or save governments. But in the aftermath of the botched assassination attempt on journalist Hamid Mir, and with the 'empire' striking back not just against its detractors but also against 'deserters' (those who once worked hand-in-glove with the 'establishment'), the media has been disabused of its hubris. Even though the dust is still to settle on L'affaire Hamid Mir, the military versus media (specifically only the biggest media house: the Jang/Geo group) fight has ex-

India Post

SUSHANT SAREEN

posed the divisions in the ranks of the media between the 'agencies men' and independent journalists. Worse, it has laid bare the dark underside of the machinations and manipulation of the 'deep state' to regain control over the national narrative. Bribing and browbeating journalists and media houses to make them fall in line is nothing new in Pakistan. What is new is the addition of bullets that have journalists in their cross-hairs. While in the past this sort of intimidation was the sole prerogative of the 'state' actors - in the Pakistani lexicon, 'sensitive agencies', better known as ISI and MI - now even non-state (the Taliban and the Baloch insurgents, among others) and quasistate actors (state-sponsored terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba/ Jamaat-ud-Dawa) have jumped into the game. Resultantly, journalists are having to walk on the razor's edge, caught as they are in a pincer between the military and the militants. Campaign Against Jang/Geo group The thinly disguised animosity of the military establishment towards the media (the Jang/Geo group in particular) has been some time in the making, and is something that becomes clear in the 'charge-sheet' filed by the ISI against the Jang/Geo group with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority. However, there is another, sinister angle to the hounding of the Jang/Geo group. Some months back, there were reports of a new news channel that was being set up by the ISI with the help of international terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim. When the story broke, it caused immense bad blood between the military and Jang/Geo. The ISI hit back by using another channel (owned by a Dubai-based businessman who is alleged to have been involved in all sorts of nefarious activities including gold smuggling) and a dubious talk show host with links with the military and terrorist outfits to launch a sustained vilification campaign against Jang/Geo. But this campaign wasn't getting much traction, and Jang/Geo continued to dominate the media space with over 50% of market share. The Hamid Mir case offered a Godsend to the military to cut

Jang/Geo to size, something that its competitors were more than happy to become part of. As the military saw it, even if it managed to get a channel of its own, it would serve no purpose as long as Jang/Geo remained the dominant force. Sandwiched: The Civilian Government Caught in the crossfire of this fight between the military and the media is the civilian government, which already has tensions with the army over issues like relations with India, peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban and the treason case against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf. The Nawaz Sharif government cannot afford to let the military ride roughshod over the Jang/Geo group because

General Raheel Sharif

this would significantly change the balance of power in favor of the military. Simultaneously, the government can't ignore the military's grievances against the media group either, because this would enhance the animus of the military towards the civilian government. How the current military-media stand-off will wind down remains to be seen. What is important is that this tussle has damaged all the actors. The media has been divided and its image has taken a beating and it no longer can make, break, and/or save governments. The limits to the army's power have also been revealed. It can raise merry hell against anyone it targets but little beyond that. The army can still send in death squads to shoot down journalists but it has clearly lost the dominance it enjoyed in the past. The civilian government too has lost because of its inability to rein in the army and enforce civilian supremacy. The writer is Senior Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation

Keeping a check

he exit polls are projecting a clear victory for Narendra Modiled BJP and NDA. In the debates that the TV channels orga nize it was interesting to find the Modi-opponents trying hard to deny or put down any credit to Modi for these expected victories. Some said it was because of the poor performance of the UPA and thus it was a negative vote. Others, aligned with the Congress party, said the main reason of the expected Congress debacle was price rise which was due to international economic reasons. There was an attempt to absolve Rahul Gandhi with the argument that if this was a verdict on the performance of the UPA government, then he was not in the government. He was only a vice-president. For the expected near sweep for the BJP in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, it was claimed that it was due to the incumbent BJP governments and not due to any "Modi wave." Just as his opponents have gone hammer and tongs at him and abused him no end, now they are unable to digest Modi's success in spite of the stiff opposition of motley characters who came together. The near discarding of the Aam Aadmi Party into the "Others" bin in the projections should cause some concern. The AAP had started well but became quite confused about its motives. The issues it raised are relevant. It is clear a staggering amount of money was spent on campaigning, particularly by the mainstream parties, the Congress and the BJP. Since the law places a limit on spending by candidates, obviously black money has been used. If either of the two mainstream parties comes to power, they are going to extract from the people the amount spent by them which is for them an investment. Corruption will thus be implicit in the system. That means they are not going to do much to remove corruption. In this scenario, it is necessary that someone keeps a check on them. The general public is too immature to demand end of corruption. At best it is today at an aspirational stage moved by the development slogan of Narendra Modi. Power, water, roads they might get but at a heavy price. They will not wrangle about the means adopted. This is why the presence of Aam Aadmi Party is necessary in Parliament. It may have made mistakes and spread itself too thin in trying for a countrywide presence too soon. AAP has campaigned against the misuse of power by the two mainstream parties and the widespread corrupt means employed by them. By putting all focus on the Janlokpal Bill during its stint in power in Delhi, it squandered away an opportunity to demonstrate corruption free governance. However the impact of its 49-day government is still felt today. The cops in Delhi are still afraid of resuming taking bribes. The Lt Governor is aware of the agendas of the AAP which endeared the party to the denizens of Delhi. He has been quietly following up policies favored by the AAP. AAP happens to be the only party which doesn't depend on extorted black money or any caste, region or religion. Arvind Kejriwal in his usual boisterous style declared in Varansai that he is not interested in winning. His main purpose is to defeat Modi who he says is aligned with the big private companies like the Ambanis and Adanis whose helicopter he has been using for hopping from one place to another during campaigning. This rhetoric of his makes him suspect in some eyes as playing a proxy game for the Congress. The Congress is also funded by big private corporations and therefore during it tenure in power has been obliging big companies or dragging its feet where cases had been launched against them by AAP. It is early days for AAP and it is hoped it would have learnt a good lesson to prepare itself for 2019.

May 16, 2014

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