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Asia Society honor for Mukesh Ambani Details on page 34

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VOL 16, No. 847

December 3, 2010

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Periodical Postage

BIHAR SIGNALS NEW FUTURE FOR INDIA Massive mandate for development

Twin sisters Archana and Arpana Gambiraopet

Twins in accident - one dies, other critical Details on page 7

GOPIO Summit calls for action plan on health

Dr Prakash M Swamy

Scribe thrown out of ProEelam meet

Details on page 36

24-hour UAE helpline for distressed Indians

Details on page 9

Obama greets Sikhs on Nanak anniversary Details on page 7

Trivializing Siva by Newsweek upsets Indians Details on page 11

India included in Santa Fe's time capsule

COMMON MANíS MESSIAH: Biharís Chief Minister Nitish Kumar being congratulated on his grand victory at his residence in Patna on November 25

PATNA: Riding a massive wave on the theme of development, Nitish Kumar has led the JD(U)-BJP alliance to a landslide four-fifth majority in the Bihar Assembly elections routing Lalu Prasad's RJD-LJP combine and a weak Congress to return to power for a second consecutive term. The scale of victory could be gauged from the fact that from 143 seats in the 2005 elections, Kumar's campaign on the basis of his government's performance helped the ruling alliance notch a spectacular tally of 206 seats in the 243-member House.

While Nitish Kumar's JD (U) got 115 seats, its ally BJP secured 91. They had got 88 and 55 respectively in the last elections. The 59-year-old Chief Minister, who is said to have brought change in governance in a state that had witnessed Lalu Prasad's OBC empowerment politics, adopted a strategy of attracting Muslim votes even at the expense of earning BJP's wrath at times by keeping Narendra Modi out of campaign. Details on page 6

Details on page 20

NRI named British Consul in China Details on page 9

INDIA POST SURVEY survey@indiapost.com This week’s question

Development new mantra for politics in India? Last week’s result

Will Tata’s electric car be viable? YES 43%

NO 57%

US solidarity with India on 26/11 attacks Details on page 8

US sanctions on LeT men, charity group Details on page 8

US court summons Shuja Pasha, Hafiz Saeed WASHINGTON: A US court has issued summons to senior ISI officials including its powerful chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, along with Mumbai attack masterminds and LeT leaders Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi in response to a lawsuit filed by relatives of two American victims accusing them of Ahmed Shuja Pasha providing material support for the 26/11 attacks. The 26-page lawsuit was filed before a New York Court on November 19 against the Inter-Services Intelligence and Lashkar-e-Taiba by the relatives Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg

and his wife Rivka, who were both gunned down by militants at the Chhabad House in Mumbai. Their son Moshe was saved by his Indian nanny in the tragedy. The 26-page lawsuit accusing ISI of aiding and abetting LeT in the slaughter of 166 people was filed before a New York Court on November 19, following which the Hafiz Saeed Brooklyn court issued summons to Major Samir Ali, Azam Cheema, Inter-Services Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Major Iqbal, Lakhvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sajid Majid, Pasha, Saeed and Nadeem Taj. Details on page 8

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 24-25 Classifieds ------------------------- 48 Community Post ----- 12-23,40-42 Date Book -------------------------- 46 Edit Page --------------------------- 49 HealthScience Post --------- 36-38 Horoscope ------------------------- 47 Immigration Post ------------- 43-45 Life Style ----------------------- 26-28 Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 39 TechBiz Post ------------------- 34-35 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

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rom time to time ordinary folks caught up in the throes of systemic exigencies have given us catch phrases that are reflective of the harsh realities of our times. Remember the cult phrase 'Don't tase me bro' uttered by a Florida student in 2007 as he desperately tried to save himself from the cops about to use the taser gun on him? Well, the current catch phrase that has caught the country's imagination is: 'Don't touch my junk'. This comes from a man who represents the scores of hassled Americans unable to reconcile to the new security measures at American airports that require passengers to go through full body scanners or opt for an intensive full body pat down. These new security measures are the most hotly debated issue in the country today with as many people talking in favor of them as necessary as there are those who argue that they are way too invasive of personal privacy. There's merit to both arguments because while heightened security measures make some feel safer, they make others uncomfortable. Personally, I find the manual pat downs not only uncomfortable, but extremely embarrassing. Who wants to be 'touched' by a stranger, which if not for security reasons would otherwise be considered a sexual offense? But then imagine the plight of the personnel at these security checks - they have to touch hundreds of people every day as part of their job! Also imagine the desperation of the authorities to counter terrorist moves at every step to keep innocent people safe. If you note, security measures are always devised in reaction to the moves and modus operandi of criminals and terrorists. So it's not that someone in the TSA is being paid just to think up ingenuous ways of inconveniencing passengers. I still remember the time not too much in the past when we were cribbing about the inconvenience and embarrassment of our suitcases being pried open and searched at airport security. Let's just move on with life - these are but existential hazards of our day.

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Underwater star Sexy Sameera Reddy, a champion swimmer, has got a new passion that is keeping her under water for long time.

Cover Story: Massive mandate Nitish Kumar has led the JD (U) - BJP alliance to a landslide four-fifth majority in the Bihar Assembly elections.

Community: Reviving Bhavai

A modest attempt was made in Chicago to revive centuries old Gujarat-Rajasthan folk dance theatre presentation - Bhavai.

Health: Health Summit GOPIO honored five healthcare professionals and organizations during its inaugural Health Summit held Nov 12-14.

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Travel: Chokhi Dhani The name of Chokhi Dhani Village is synonymous with Rajasthani culture throughout the country.

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Bihar signals new future for India Nitish gets massive mandate for development PATNA: Riding a massive wave on the theme of development, Nitish Kumar has led the JD(U)-BJP alliance to a landslide four-fifth majority in the Bihar Assembly elections routing Lalu Prasad's RJD-LJP combine and a weak Congress to return to power for a second consecutive term. The scale of victory could be gauged from the fact that from 143 seats in the 2005 elections, Kumar's campaign on the basis of his government's performance helped the ruling alliance notch a spectacular tally of 206 seats in the 243-member House. While Nitish Kumar's JD (U)

that had witnessed Lalu Prasad's OBC empowerment politics, adopted a strategy of attracting Muslim votes even at the expense of earning BJP's wrath at times by keeping Narendra Modi out of campaign. He also reached out to the disadvantaged sections among the OBC and Scheduled Caste by working on a package for Mahadalits and extremely backward castes. This is the biggest victory in an assembly election anywhere in the country in the recent times and particularly in Bihar in 26 years when Congress got over 200

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I don't aspire to be PMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said he does not think of becoming Prime Minister one day and maintained that the landslide victory in assembly elections shows the mandate is that he should stay in Bihar. "I am an ordinary person. I belong to a poor state. A very ordinary political activist I am. So, I don't aspire for those big things. I only aspire for one thing - that Bihar should grow, should develop. That's all," Nitish told a news channel when asked if he thought he should

got 115 seats, its ally BJP secured 91. They had got 88 and 55 respectively in the last elections. The 59-year-old Chief Minister, who is said to have brought change in governance in a state

be Prime Minister in future. In reply to a question on his achievements making him a worthy claimant from Bihar CM to the post of PM, he said "there may be many people from Bihar who are capable of becoming Prime Minister but so far as I am concerned, I don't think on those terms. And I am serious about it (my answer)." He said his victory meant the people wanted him to serve Bihar. "I confine myself to limits of Bihar. That is also the mandate of the people of Bihar," he said.-PTI

seats in 1984 riding a sympathy wave after Indira Gandhi's assassination. The House then had a strength of 324 in the undivided Bihar. The Opposition was in tatters

with RJD, which ruled Bihar continuously for over 15 years till 2005, reduced to just 22 seats from its 2005 tally of 54. Its alliance partner LJP led by Ram Vilas Paswan was down at 3 from 10 it had. Congress, which gambled by going it alone with Rahul Gandhi as its spearhead in the campaign, failed to even retain its seats. It got only four seats. RJD's humiliation was complete when Prasad's wife Rabri Devi, who was Leader of Opposition in the outgoing House, was defeated in both the constituencies she contested. Likewise, its ally LJP chief Paswan's two brothers -- Pasupati Kumar Paras and Ramachandra Paswan -- were made to bite the dust. The CPI, which had three, was down to one, while independents accounted for six. In the last elections, independents had won in 10 seats. SP, BSP and NCP, which had two, four and one respectively in the last elections, drew a blank. Commenting on the poll outcome, 59-year-old Kumar said, "We have no magic wand, but people's trust. I will need to work harder than I did in the last five years and I will not hesitate to do it. "The outcome of the elections also proves beyond doubt that it was a victory for development and for the people of the state. "The poll verdict marks a 'nayi kahani' (new story) for Bihar, it will have its effect outside the state also," Kumar, who did not contest the election, said. He is an MLC and has one year to complete his term. Without naming RJD chief Lalu Prasad who had criticized the exit polls predicting victory for the

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar greets supporters a day after the announcement of Bihar Assembly election results in Patna

NDA, Kumar said "Media should not be criticized for its projection that NDA will pull off a landslide victory in Bihar. "People should refrain from unnecessary criticism of the media .... if you live up to the people's aspirations and expectations you will definitely be rewarded," Kumar said. "Now I feel that the people have thrust on my shoulder more responsibilities and I have to continue to make efforts with full dedication."

Among the 25 ministers who contested the polls, 20 won and five lost. Among the 20 winners, 13 belonged to the JD (U) and the remaining to BJP. There are a total of 34 ministers. One died while the others are MLCs. Speaker Uday Narain Choudhury of JD (U) won from the Imamganj (SC) seat. Shibhu Shoren's JMM opened its account in the Bihar Assembly with a victory in Chakai constituency. -PTI

Rahul magic failed to work NEW DELHI: Congress took the gamble of going it alone but Rahul Gandhi's magic, which worked in Uttar Pradesh, failed this time in Bihar with the party recording its worst-ever performance in assembly elections in the state in last 10 years. The party's tally was reduced from 9 in the last elections to four this time and to add to its humiliation, both the PCC chief Mehboob Ali Qaiser and the CLP leader Prakash Ram lost. Rahul Gandhi had undertaken a whirlwind tour of Bihar in this election and visited the

state seven times addressing as many as 19 election meetings and rallies. The places he went included Samastipur, Saharsa, Katihar, Supaul, Araria, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bachcharwa, Munger, Kahalgaon, Barbigha, Hisua, Shekhpura, Buxar, Bhabua, Sasaram and Obra. Similarly Congress President Sonia Gandhi addressed rallies in Kishanganj, Motihari, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Buxar and Bhabua during her three visits to the state. With Rahul Gandhi evincing

keen interest in Bihar poll, the hopes among the Congressmen were high. Except the former PCC chief Sadanand Singh, the others who won this time are not well-known faces. Former PCC chiefs Ramjatan Sinha and Avdhesh Singh have also lost. While Congress insiders feel the failure in this election was due to Nitish Kumar's development agenda as well party's wrong selection of candidates, party President Sonia Gandhi said the party has to start from a scratch to rebuild itself in the state.

"As far as our party is concerned, we did not have much hope. We took a deliberate decision not to work in alliance with other parties. Results obviously indicate that our party has to start from the scratch to rebuild itself and that is what we plan to do," Gandhi said reacting to results. Party insiders, however, said that the message of Rahul Gandhi could not be carried forward in the election as the same elements, which had brought disrepute to Lalu Prasad's RJD government in past were given prominence in Congress "that

too when we wanted to send a message that we have nothing to do with Lalu". "Lalu's brother in law Sadhu Yadav not only got party ticket but played a role in ticket distribution in many constituencies. Strongman Pappu Yadav's wife Ranjeet Ranjan also joined Congress and so did Anand Mohan Singh's wife Lovely Anand. How could be send a message that we would do something different from what Lalu did," a party leader said. All of them stand defeated.PTI

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Nitish, the Chanakya who won Bihar hands down PATNA: Often called Chanakya for his political astuteness, Engineer-politician Nitish Kumar blended his secularist ideology with pragmatic politics and combined the development plank with innovative social engineering equations in Bihar to bask in glory yet again. Doing an encore after the landslide victory, the 59-year-old chief minister with his trademark kurta pyjama and grey stubble has become RJD strongman Lalu Prasad's nemesis single handedly contributing to the electoral meltdown of RJD-led Secular Democratic Front for the second time in five years. Beating the anti-incumbency factor, the JD-U leader, a socialist of Ram Manohar Lohia mould and a product of the JP movement in the seventies, has been the mascot of NDA's fight against the 15year Lalu-Rabri rule in Bihar ending their reign in 2005. He also had a brief seven-day tryst with Chief Ministership in March 2000 when he was sworn in despite NDA lacking a majority. For all the complex arithmetic of caste and creed that holds sway in election-time Bihar, Kumar was able to alter, if not altogether change, the discourse, hammering day after day on development and what he calls "naya Bihar." Improvement in law and order also came in handy for Nitish as he strode an impoverished state like a colossus. Kumar worked on social engineering equations on the ground to woo the extremely backward castes, the mahadalits and in pockets of poorer Muslims carefully fashioning an alliance of these groups though there was virtually no mention of caste in his campaign speeches. A seasoned and a down to earth man of simple tastes, Kumar,

the wily craftsman of modern day politics, did the delicate balancing act keeping votaries of both hardliners in his party JD-U and BJP together notwithstanding his strong views on job reservations for OBCs and dalit Muslims. Considered an able administrator, Kumar's innings in the corridors of power began with his appointment as Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives in the National Front government led by V P Singh in 1990.

Beating the antiincumbency factor, the JD-U leader, a socialist of Ram Manohar Lohia mould and a product of the JP movement in the seventies, has been the mascot of NDA's fight against the 15year Lalu-Rabri rule in Bihar ending their reign in 2005 Despite being instrumental in installation of Lalu Prasad as Chief Minister in 1990, Kumar's relations with the Yadav strongman came under strain in the years that followed, largely due to ?imperious? style of functioning of the RJD chief. The two parted company and Kumar along with Fernandes and 12 other MPs quit Janata Dal and formed Samata Party in 1994 and waged a sustained political battle against Lalu-Rabri rule. . When NDA government was formed in 1998, Kumar became the

Railway Minister with additional charge of Surface Transport portfolio. He, however, resigned owning responsibility for the Gaisal train disaster near Siliguri in West Bengal in August 1999 which claimed hundreds of lives. Kumar was later accommodated in the Union Cabinet and was Agriculture Minister from November 1999 to March 2000 and again from May 2000 to March 2001 before heading the Railway Ministry for a second time from March 2001 to May 2004. In between, he was the Chief Minister of Bihar for seven days from March 3, 2000 to March 10 and was also instrumental in the merger of Samata Party with JD (U) which enhanced the influence of the two Socialist-leaning parties vis-a-vis BJP. Kumar plunged into student politics during his days at Bihar College of Engineering and was a key leader of 1974 Students' Movement under legendary Jayaprakash Narayan which culminated in the fall of Indira Gandhi regime and installation of the first non-Congress government in the country in 1977. Kumar got a Janata Party ticket to contest the Assembly election from Harnaut in his native Nalanda district but lost despite an antiCongress wave sweeping almost the entire country. Luck did not smile on him again in 1980 Assembly polls when Congress staged a remarkable comeback after the failed Janata Party experiment. Though his contemporaries like Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan tasted electoral victory to enter the Lok Sabha in 1977, success was slow in coming for the son of a 'vaidya.' Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh. His legislative career began in 1985 when he got elected to the Assembly from Harnaut.-PTI

What happened to 'Rahul factor', asks BJP NEW DELHI: The BJP took a dig at Congress in the wake of its poor showing in the Bihar Assembly elections saying 'Rahul factor' did not work in the polls. "Congressmen were blowing their trumpet and chanting Rahul Gandhi's name. Where is that Rahul factor," wondered senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar. He said the 'Rahul factor' did not work in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat. "Rahul factor was also not there in

Uttar Pradesh. And now the people of Bihar have said there is no Rahul factor," Kumar said. In Bihar the factors that matter are good administration and development, Atal Behari Vajpayee, NDA, JD-U, Nitish and Sushil Modi, he said. "Rahul Gandhi goes in search of real India during his visits across the country. But there (in Bihar) a situation prevails where Congress needs to be searched," Kumar said.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said the poll in Bihar has exposed that the "biggest myth is a Congress resurgence. Congress is no longer relevant in any part of the country". Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the election results have showed that politics of Bihar has changed and that "charisma or family" does not win elections, in an obvious attack on RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Rahul Gandhi who campaigned for Congress.-PTI

Twins in accident - one dies, other critical India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Indian origin twin sisters Archana and Arpana Gambiraopet who were graduate students of Murray State University in Kentucky were critically injured in a car accident that resulted in the death of one and left the other lying in a critical condition in a Nashville hospital. According to the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), the 24-year old sisters, along with three others - all of them natives of Andhra Pradesh in India - were returning from an event in Nashville, Tennessee, when their car was run over by an 18-wheeler truck while trying to exit into the freeway. The injured were air lifted to the Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. While Arpana passed away on Nov 16, Archana is still in a critical but non-life threatening situation and the others have been treated and released. According to TANA, Archana and Arpana are very talented sisters who had represented Andhra

Pradesh in the Basketball Nationals while being very committed to education as well. They arrived in the United States from Secunderabad, India on a scholarship to pursue Masters in Pharmacy at the Murray State University in Kentucky and were on their way to enroll for the final thesis before graduation at the time of this tragedy. The distraught father of the victims, Ravinder Gambiraopet has solicited help from TANA by communicating to the organization's president Jayaram Komati and Secretary Mohan Nannapaneni to help with the transportation of Arpana's body to India. TANA Teamsquare has immediately responded with the logistics and has also immediately come forward to bear expenses for the transportation through its Teamsquare funds. Those wishing to donate towards helping with the expenses of transportation and Archana's treatment at the hospital may contact TANA.

Obama greets Sikhs on Nanak anniversary

Group picture of sikhs at White House India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Sikh Americans who might still be bristling that President Obama did not visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar during his India visit may appreciate the President's greetings to the community on the occasion of Guru Nanak birth anniversary on Nov 21. In a statement released Nov 21, President Obama said, "On Sunday, many around the world will observe the anniversary of birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism. I send my best wishes to all those observing this extraordinary occasion. This is also an opportunity to recognize the many contributions that Sikh Americans have made to our

nation, and to reflect on the pluralism that is a hallmark of America." President Obama further said, "Sikhism's principles of equality, service, interfaith cooperation and respect are principles shared by all Americans. As Sikhs celebrate the birth of Guru

Shabad Kirtan

Nanak, people of good will everywhere can identify with his teachings on the equality of all humankind and the need for compassion in our service to others."

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US court summons Shuja Pasha, Hafiz Saeed WASHINGTON: US court has issued summons to senior ISI officials including its powerful chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, along with Mumbai attack masterminds and LeT leaders Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi in response to a lawsuit filed by relatives of two American victims accusing them of providing material support for the 26/11 attacks. The 26-page lawsuit was filed before a New York Court on November 19 against the Inter-Services Intelligence and Lashkar-eTaiba by the relatives Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who were both gunned down by militants at the Chhabad House in Mumbai. Their son Moshe was saved by his Indian nanny in the tragedy. The 26-page lawsuit accusing ISI of aiding and abetting LeT in the slaughter of 166 people was filed before a New York Court on November 19, following which the Brooklyn court issued summons to Major Samir Ali, Azam Cheema, Inter-Services Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Major Iqbal, Lakhvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sajid Majid, Pasha, Saeed and Nadeem Taj. "The ISI has long nurtured and used international terrorist groups, including LeT, to accomplish its goals and has provided

material support to LeT and other international terrorist groups," said the lawsuit filed by relatives of the slain Rabbi. Pasha, who has been director general of the ISI since September 2008, has been summoned, so is Nadeem Taj, the director general of ISI from September 2007 to September 2008. Major Iqbal and Major Samir

Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi

Ali are other ISI officers who have been issued summons. The one of its kind lawsuit also brings as defendants Lashkar operatives like operations commander Lakhvi, JuD chief Saeed, and Azam Cheema. "The Mumbai terrorist attack was planned, trained for and car-

ried out by members of defendant LeT. Defendant ISI provided critical planning, material support, control and coordination of the attacks," the lawsuit alleges. It accuses ISI officers Pasha, Taj, Iqbal and Ali of being purposefully engaged in the direct provision of material support or resources including weapons and explosives. "On and prior to November 26, 2008, ISI, Pasha, Taj, Iqbal and Ali (as well as other officials, agents and employees of ISI) directed, engaged and/or relied upon the efforts of US-based individuals, including but not limited to Headley and Rana, for raising funds, building a network of connections, recruiting participants and planning the operation of the Mumbai terror attack," the lawsuit claims. Noting that LeT still operates training camps in Pakistan, Kashmir and Afghanistan, the petition said the group has openly advocated violence against India, Israel and the United States. . It names Muridke, Manshera and Muzaffarabad as centers of training camps operated by the LeT. The 10 LeT members who undertook the on-the-ground Mumbai terrorist attack underwent extensive training in the LeT camps in Pakistan, the lawsuit al-

leged. It also says that Pakistani American LeT operative David Headley, who has already pleaded guilty for his role in the plotting of the attack, built a network of connections from Chicago to Pakistan, undertaking these efforts at the direction and with the material support of both LeT and the ISI. Prior to and following each trip to Mumbai, Headley reported to

The 26-page lawsuit accusing ISI of aiding and abetting LeT in the slaughter of 166 people was filed before a New York Court on November 19, following which the Brooklyn court issued summons and received further instructions from both LeT, including defendants Majid and Iqbal, and the ISI, it alleges. "In September 2008, the 10 LeT attackers were moved to Karachi and installed in an ISI/LeT safe house and isolated from outside contact," it said, adding that while

staying in the Karachi safe house, they received specific instructions on Mumbai targets. The safe house was part of ISI's "Karachi Project," an initiative by which anti-Indian groups were tasked and supported by the ISI in a surreptitious fashion to engage in acts of international terrorism. "During the period Headley communicated with and took directions from the ISI regarding the Mumbai plot, defendant Taj, as ISI's Director-General, exerted full command and control over the ISI. "During the final two months of training of the LeT attackers and throughout the attack, defendant Pasha exerted full command and control over the ISI," it alleged. During the Mumbai attacks, the lawsuit alleges defendant Majid along with other LeT officers operated from a mission control room in Karachi, passing instructions and encouragement to the attackers via telephone. "By reason of the foregoing, LeT, Saeed, Lakhvi, Cheema and Majid are each liable to each plaintiff, individually and as the personal representative and/or surviving family member of their decedents, for compensatory damages in excess of USD 75,000, such amount to be determined by a jury," it said. -PTI

US slaps sanctions on LeT men 26/11 attacks: US stands WASHINGTON: On the eve of second anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, the US declared three top operatives of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba as "global terrorists" and slapped sanctions against a charity group, closely linked to the terror outfit and Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Sanctions were slapped against Pakistan-based Falah-iInsaniat Foundation (FIF), which is closely connected to LeT and JuD. The foundation has provided humanitarian assistance to Pakistanis displaced by recent floods. "Today's amendment of the LeT designation to include FIF shows that the United States will not tolerate any support to this organization. LeT has attempted to use FIF as a way to evade scrutiny. This designation will help put to an end that attempted evasion," said State Department's Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Ambassador Daniel Benjamin. Besides slapping sanctions on FIF, the US designated three senior LeT members as global terrorists. Two of them are Mian

Abdullah, head of LeT's Traders Department, and Mohmmad Naushad Alam Khan, a key financial facilitator for the outfit. LeT senior leader and current head of FIF, Hafiz Abdur Rauf, is

We are determined to eliminate LeT's ability to carry out terror attacks and to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat its networks, it said the third person in the list. LeT has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist acts against Indian and US interests and is responsible for the horrific November 2008 Mumbai attacks which claimed 166 lives. The group has been closely associated with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. "Few individuals are more integral to LeT's fundraising than

Hafiz Abdur Rauf and Mian Abdullah," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey. "In their respective capacities, today's designees play key roles in advancing LeT's operations and soliciting financial support on its behalf. These actions will help stem the flow of finances to LeT through FIF and provide the Department of Justice with a critical tool to prosecute those who knowingly provide material support to LeT and its senior leaders," the State Department said. The various actions taken against FIF support the US effort to degrade the capabilities of LeT. We are determined to eliminate LeT's ability to carry out terror attacks and to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat its networks, it said. Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a member of LeT's senior leadership since 1999, is the FIF chief. As of mid-2009, LeT was using the name FIF to fundraise and evade international pressure on LeT following the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai. .-PTI

in solidarity with India WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the US "stands in solidarity" with India in mourning the victims of the 2008 Mumbai carnage and that "resolve and resilience" of the people is more powerful than terrorist guns and bombs. In a statement on the eve of the deadly attacks carried out by 10 LeT terrorists that killed 166 people, including six Americans, Clinton said: "Now, as then, the American people stand in solidarity with the people of India and honor those who lost their lives." "As the people of the United States gather with family to celebrate Thanksgiving, we pause to remember the horrific attack on innocent men, women and children that occurred in Mumbai two years ago," she said. US President Barack Obama had stayed at the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the high-profile targets of the Mumbai attack, during his India visit earlier this

month "to send a strong message" to terrorists. He also met survivors and next of the kin of victims to hail their courage and pledged to stand with India to fight terror. "As the people of Mumbai gather in temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and synagogues to honor those who perish on November 26, 2008, they send a message of resolve, resilience and mutual respect that is far louder and more powerful then any terrorist guns and bombs," Clinton said. Referring to Obama's visit, Clinton said President Obama's recent visit to India "underscored our nations shared belief in liberty, democracy and mutual respect for all people." The US has been demanding Pakistan that the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks be brought to justice. It has also imposed sanctions on LeT and most of its leaders. -PTI

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24-hr UAE helpline for Scribe manhandled, thrown succor to distressed Indians out of Pro-Eelam meet India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: A veteran Indian-American journalist was thrown out of a pro-Eelam meeting organized by Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA and Ilankai Tamil Sangam when he went to cover the event at Rasoi restaurant in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey on Nov 20. Dr Prakash M Swamy, a senior journalist in New York and a United Nations accredited correspondent, was manhandled and pushed out of the venue after being invited to cover the event by the organizers. The organizers also abused him as "an agent of Government of India and Sri Lanka" while literally pushing him out into the cold. Dr. Swamy is a Tamil-speaking English journalist who specializes in South Asian affairs and has written several articles and scoops on the formation of Trans-national Government of Tamil Eeelam (TGTE) headquartered in New York and led by attorney Visuvanathan Ruthrakumaran in the Indian media especially for popular Tamil magazines such as Junior Vikatan. "I was invited to the event and on arrival was accosted by Palani Sundaram [president of Federation of Tamil Sangams of North

America (Fetna)] who asked me why I was there. I jocularly told him that I came to cover the music program in the evening and he said 'better cover only the musical evening and do not write anything bad about the event' in a threatening voice. I was sitting in the last row taking notes on all

Swamy said a group of people suddenly pushed him out of the door and abused him and that his pleas to stay inside the reception area till the arrival of a taxicab were also ignored the anti-India rhetoric by the speakers when someone came and asked for my ID which I showed. Again, someone came and tried to snatch my camera and notebook and I protested," Swamy said. Swamy said his plea to see the President of the Ilankai Tamil Sangam Ahilan Rajadeva and "Prime Minister" of the Trans-na-

tional Government of Tamil Eelam Visuvanathan Ruthrakumaran fell on deaf ears of the organizers. Swamy then said a group of people suddenly pushed him out of the door and abused him and that his pleas to stay inside the reception area till the arrival of a taxicab were also ignored. Fearing physical abuse, Swamy left the restaurant and waited out in the cold until a friend could come and pick him up from the venue. The day-long program on the day included a video conference from Chennai, India by Vaiko, MDMK leader and pro-Eelam activist; seminars such as "Connecting Eelam activists in Tamil Nadu and America for The Cause" by President of the Washingtonbased now banned World Tamil Organization (WTO) Peter Yeronimuse and its Secretary Sankar Sornam alias S. Sankarapandi; premiere of a documentary on late Muthukumar who self- immolated in Chennai in support of Tamil Eelam; keynote address by Jan Jananaygam, spokesperson for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) and an independent candidate from London region for European Parliament and seminars on "war crime investigation," "truth in reconciliation and lesson learned and Tamil Independence - moving forward."

DUBAI: Help is now a phone who were in distress were sent call away for Indian expatriate home from here, officials said. workers who face distress in the President Pratibha Patil UAE, as a 24-hour toll-free multi- launched the Indian Workers Relingual helpline will provide them sources Center at a function at the counseling in financial, legal and India Club here last night, which psychological matters - the first apart from assistance would proof its kind for migrants by any vide counseling, in financial, lecountry in the world. gal and psychological matters. The helpline is a toll-free teleIt will also manage a shelter phone line 800 46342 which can home for runaway housemaids be availed from anywhere in the and deserted housewives. United Arab Emirates, home to Besides registering and moni1.75 million Indians, the largest ex- toring the grievance petitions, the patriate community in this oil-rich Center will also conduct awarecountry. With an estimated 65 per cent of them being Depending on the success of skilled and unskilled the initiative here, the Ministry workers, making operational a grievance of Overseas Indian Affairs redressal centre was plans to launch similar centers the need of the hour. Officials said the in other countries which helpline was started in have a big presence of this country as the de- Indian workers mand here was the "highest". Dubai was chosen for the launch of the ness classes and counseling sesproject since it has the highest sions for the needy Indians. number of Indian expatriates in One-to-one counseling will be the UAE. given by a panel of 14 experts from Depending on the success of the centre. To facilitate easier inthe initiative here, the Ministry of teraction, seven different lanOverseas Indian Affairs plans to guages including Malayalam, launch similar centers in other Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Hindi and countries which have a big pres- English could be used by the ence of Indian workers. caller to talk to the counselors at Last year, 800 Indian workers the centre. -PTI

NRI named British Consulate-General to China

REMEMBERING 9/11: Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg, father of slain Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, lights a candle in front of his son's picture at the Chabad (Nariman) House in Mumbai on November 25, ahead of the second anniversary of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Holtzbergs son, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah, were killed in the attacks in Mumbai while the couple's son Moshe was rescued by their nanny

LONDON: Indian born Manjeet Singh has been appointed Britain's Consulate-General to China. He will join office in January 2011. While this is his first Ambassadorial appointment he has held a succession of other senior appointments with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, some with a strong China focus. Manjeet Singh served in the Joint Liaison Group in the run-up to the handover of Hong Kong. His other China-related work includes a posting in Washington. Lately he was the FCO's Asia-Pacific Director before secondment to Carlton Communication Manjeet Singh's family has always been the starting point of everything he has wanted to achieve in media, law and politics. He is proud of the values that were instilled in him when he was young. Today, as a father, he knows how important quality family time is, and has made shared parental leave a priority.

Manjit set up a media company which has redefined magazine journalism in the country. The Ethnic Media group which has grown out of the magazine, is one of the largest NRI media conglomerates. The group also controls Independent Web News Business TV Today. They also run three other channels - 'Headlines Today' an English language news channel. A Business news channel in collaboration with Bloomberg is also expected shortly. Manjeet Singh was educated at Eton College before studying LLB Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, gaining a first class honors' degree. Before becoming a Barrister, Manjeet Singh worked in business and government. He worked as a Special Media Adviser first to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and then to the Home Secretary. He spent seven years at UK media company, Carlton Communications, and served on the management Board. -Agencies

Desi News Indian Chinese cuisine at Bombay Chopsticks SN ULLAL & HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: The much awaited Grand Opening of Bombay Chopsticks by India House took place November 18. This contemporary Indian Chinese restaurant kicked off its celebration with the Hoffman Estates Village Mayor William D McLeod cutting the ribbon alongside the restaurant partners Jagmohan Jayara, Ravi Rawat, Praveen Dedania, Mike Kalaria, Larry Detroja and Gautam Parikh. This exquisitely designed restaurant came to life by an up and coming Designer Jennifer D'Costa of JR Designs. The restaurant is themed around Buddha.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

India included in Santa Fe's historic time capsule Details on page 20

10 India Post

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December 3, 2010

Gujarati Lok Kala Bhavai captivates Chicagoans RAMESH SOPARAWALA & ASIAN MEDIA USA

Details on page 12

EVMs not fool proof: Hari Prasad SURENDRA ULLAL

VGS members, India Consul Menon, Jorawar Singh and Bhavai artists

CHICAGO: Kudos to Vishwa Gujarati Samaj (VGS), kudos to Indian Consulate in Chicago and kudos to Gujarat Lok Kala Foundation whose combined efforts were directed to preserve, and in a modest attempt, to revive one of the fast dying Gujarat-Rajasthan folk dance theatre presentations Bhavai. This centuries old simple but very effective folk theatre with its undertone of satire and humor has been entertaining the rural and

said that it is the "commitment of a few score artists that this cultural heritage is still preserved in the States of Gujarat and to some extent in Rajasthan, but signs are unmistakable that it would fade away before long unless conscious efforts are made by all the government, society and theater artists at large - to see that this form of folk dance that was probably a sole mean of entertainment in rural areas for centuries, survives and prospers."

MAFS Seniors celebrate Tulsi Vivah HIMALI BHARUCHA

CHICAGO: The auspicious ritual of Shri Tulsiji in a plant form wedding Lord Vishnu/Shri Krishna came to life here on November 23 as seniors at Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS), Chicago celebrated the event with great enthusiasm and joy. Both Shri Krishna statue and holy Tulsi Plant were dressed in traditional Indian wedding clothes and were seated in the middle of the beautifully decorated Mandap. The ceremonial Puja with abil, gulal, rice, flowers and garlands and the Prasad offered to gods put everyone in the festive mood as the ladies present sung spiritually uplifting wedding songs as the Baraaties entered the Mandap. Details on page 18

A comic Bhavai episode by artists, some donning female attire (Pics Asian Media USA)

urban folks alike in Gujarat and Rajasthan, but now faces extinction. As aptly put by Jorawar Singh Jadav, the founding father of Lok Kala Foundation, it has been an unfortunate "victim of inroads made by films and TV shows." In a talk to this paper, during a Bhavai show organized at Manav Seva Mandir in Bensenville, a north side Chicago suburb, Jadav

Naren Patel, heading Vishwa Gujarati Samaj for North America, said that the Indian government thru its Chicago Consulate office suggested that the Bhavai artists presenting shows in Trinidad and other parts of Central America could come to Chicago if a social organization was willing to organize a show. "We felt that it was a God-sent opportunity for an agency like VGS to do something

Jorawar Singh recognized L to R Mafat Patel, Naren Patel, Jorawar Singh, Neal and Raj Patel

for preserving Gujarat's cultural ceremony. Jorawar Singh was also recogheritage and we grabbed it. In the end, judging from the response of nized and awarded for keeping this the Indian American community, talent alive and for bringing 11 artincluding non-Gujaratis, we feel ists to Chicago for their thrilling that we did the right thing and we are determined to have this type of shows under the aegis of VGS again and again." This first type of its presentation Bhavai - in North America in Chicagoland met with huge success as the 700 plus audience were virtually glued to their seats for the entire three hours applauding each and every episode that dozen artists staged one after another. Interestingly, in many episodes it was male artists who donned the female attires Resh Salvi balancing 11 Matkas and acted quite successfully as female artists to performances. Bina Patel, Dr. Yash the delight of all. "This was the Amin and Satish Patel from Apex tradition the past but things are Engineering and Medstar were changing a bit now," said Jorawar also recognized for supporting this organization. Singh The program started with a traEmcee of the night was Bina Patel. She announced the open- ditional song praising Lord ing ceremony of Deep Pragtum. Ganpati sung by Pran Vyas along Naren Patel, Mafat Patel, Consul with Vikram Vyas on the Tablas Menon and Jorawar Singh Jadav and Babu Vyas on the Manjeeras. were called on the stage for this Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 11

Community Across America

December 3, 2010

India Post

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Trivializing Siva by Newsweek upsets Indians SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Denigrating Indian gods and goddesses seems to have become a past time for many in the American corporate world as also for some in the news media. The latest addition to this growing list of denigrators is a widely circulated weekly magazine Newsweek. In its November 22 edition on the cover page it depicts US President Barack Obama in Nataraj pose with the blaring headline "God of All Things". Many an Indian Americans, particularly Hindus, are agitated over this trivializing of their venerated deity Siva. Hindu priests and community leaders point out that Lord Siva is one of the gods of the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction. The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of maintenance. The three gods represent the three fundamental powers of nature which are manifest in the world viz. creation, destruction and maintenance. He is rooted in God-consciousness. He revels in the bliss of the transcendental Reality. A highly revered deity in Hinduism is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used indecorously or thrown around loosely in fiction-like versions.

Rajan Zed argued that it was unnecessary dragging of a Hindu deity in American political wrangles by Newsweek to prove their point of view and urged Newsweek to publish a disclaimer with proper explanation of Nataraja, Siva, and Hinduism tion and also in the Vedic corpus. By the time of the efflorescence of Gupta period in 5th century many Gupta monarchs declared themselves devotees of Shiva, followed by Vakataka and Huna kings. How a mortal could be depicted as Siva, who is the director of our destinies, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hin-

Harendra Mangrola

R. Nand Kapoor

The worship of Shiva is lost in deep antiquity. The earliest literary records as well as the oldest archeological finds suggest that the worship of Shiva was prevailed in some form or the other all through the ages, especially prehistoric Indus valley civiliza-

"all of us irrespective of our caste, creed religious and language affiliations should be unitedly protesting against this type of rampant misuse of journalistic freedom. Nand Kapoor, a veteran Indian community activist and former president of Association of Indian Americans, pointed out in this regard that Muslims too take umbrage

Acharya Rohit Joshi

duism, asks and adds that the use of Hinduism concepts and symbols for publicity or mercantile greed are impertinent. Acharya Rohit Joshi of North Eastern Illinois University is equally vehement in his criticism of trivializing Hindu God Siva. He said that

in no unmistakable terms," he said Sohan Joshi. a former head of the Federation of Indian Associations, said that all right minded Indians should stop patronizing this magazine unless a retraction or explanation is forthcoming from the management of the Magazine. Rajan Zed argued that it was unnecessary dragging of a Hindu deity in American political wrangles by Newsweek to prove their point of view and urged Newsweek to publish a disclaimer about this on its website and the next issue with proper explanation of Nataraja, Siva, and Hinduism. Nataraja (Lord of Dance) is a well known iconic representation of Lord Siva, symbolizing his salvific, destructive, and creative roles; for the faithful his dancing, known as Tandav denotes destruction of the old and to create it again as a chapter of the ongoing cosmic cycle. Siva, along with Brahma and Vishnu, forms the great triad of Hindu deities. Best known icon of Nataraja is installed in a Tamil Nadu temple in Chidambaram, India. Some people believe that artifacts from Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa and other archaeological sites of northwestern India and Pakistan indicate that some early form of Shiva

Dr. Bharat Barai

at the depiction of their Prophet Mohammed in a trivial manner in a cartoon by a Dutch newspaper and some American papers. This led many others to think twice before reproducing of this or similar cartoon. "We need to do the same and voice our feelings

Rajan Zed

worship was practiced in the Indus Valley. These artifacts include lingams and the "Pashupati seal" that has been the subject of much study. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

Gujarati Lok Kala Bhavai captivates Chicagoans Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 10

Thrilling performances were presented by Rajesh Salvi as he danced with 11 matkas (pots) on his head. Dressed in vibrant, multicolored outfit, he walked after his stage performance amongst the audience to provide great amusement and entertainment to all those present. In another dance he kept the burning fire on his head as he put a vessel with water, milk, tea and sugar to boil over his head as he prepared the tea while twirling around. Another eye catching performance came from Rajendra Raval as he danced while placing swords on his index fingers on both hands. Beyond that, he kept

four swords in his two hands and got them twirling on his fingers, simultaneously. Kamlesh Patel, despite being handicapped, danced on hands, without the help of legs, as he astonished the audience with his talent. Audience enjoyed such artistic performances throughout the evening as VGS has kept its reputation for going the extra mile planning such programs to entertain its members. Jadav informed India Post Bhavai used to be staged openair in front of temples as a community ritual honoring the goddess Amba. Before the actors begin, they gather near a large earthen lamp and a drawing of a trishula or

trident symbolizing the goddess. They sing Garbi i.e. religious

Kamlesh Patel, despite being handicapped, danced on hands, without the help of legs, as he astonished the audience with his talent songs in her praise, and invoke blessings for the success of the performance. The nayaka or leader

then enters from the makeshift dressing room and marks a large circle called the chachara or podha, considered a sacred place of pilgrimage and inside which the performance takes place. A barber comes with a torch and oil to feed the flame that remains the central lighting source throughout the show. Next, the actors enter from a distance, providing their own light with small torches in their hands, weaving dance patterns in the air. After that members of the orchestra, comprising two bhungalas i.e. long thin copper pipes, tanlas, jhanjha or large cymbals, and harmonium, take their place near the edge of the chachara. A musical prelude is

delivered addressed to Amba. The audience gathers and sits around the chachara, leaving a passage for actors` arrival from the dressing room to the arena. Major plays begin around midnight and continue till early morning. Some favorites are Jhanda Jhulan, which is about the love between a Muslim youth and a Hindu merchant`s wife. Another one is Chhela Batau i.e. a heroic romance and the mythological Kana-Gopi i.e. `Krishna and the Gopis`. They depict social, political, or religious themes, educate the people, and try to raise the moral, ethical, and cultural life of their society. The satire takes shape through both verbal and physical humor.

Community Across America

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December 3, 2010

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Indian Chinese cuisine at Bombay Chopsticks SN ULLAL & HARISH RAO

Gandhi Samaj hits new high in Diwali celebrations RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

Hoffman Estate Village Mayor Willieam McLeod greeting Jagmohan Jiyara and Ravi Rawat

the young generation, family gatherings and business meetings. Executive Chef CS Rawat is a well known name in the field of Indian Chinese Cuisine having 30 years experience. He has joined India House team to bring out his most favorite delicacies to Chicagoans. According to him, Indian Chinese food is light and healthy.

CHICAGO: It was one of four major events that Gandhi Samaj of Chicago has been holding for the past two and half decades every year - the Diwali Celebration. This year it was on a grand scale with close to 400 plus members and guests attending nearly three hours of entertainment, fun and food at Taft High School auditorium north side of Chicago last week. As put by Raj Bharucha, one of the past office bearers of the Samaj, the celebrations this year were meticulously organized and there was never a dull moment during the three hours that the event lasted. Romal Gandhi, the Samaj president, said that his or-

Gandhi Samaj Committee Members : Manoj Bharucha, Romal Gandhi, Alankar Modi, Jayesh Pastakia, Ketan Baman, Vaishali Bhagat, Reshma Gandhi, Bhumika Gandhi, Tejal Modi.

and that she realized how important it is to have this type of program and this type of organization to create awareness among the new generation of Indian Americans about the richness of our religion and culture. "I grew up in Connecticut; however I still remember traveling with my family

Attawala underlined the need to be proud of our culture and working together as Indians erasing the narrower affiliations of caste, language or religion. He talked about the prominent role played by Indian Americans in many walks of life here and hoped that in the not too distant future, an

Chief Chef CS Rawat with crew

Praveen Dedania, Mike Kalaria, Larry Detroja and Gautam Parikh. This exquisitely designed restaurant came to life by an up and coming Designer Jennifer D'Costa of JR Designs. The restaurant is themed around Buddha.

He has created low calorie section, kids menu and will be introducing Jain and Swaminarayan menus shortly. Dinesh Gandhi, Kalpesh Joshi, Babu Patel, Mafat Patel, Chandresh Brahmbhatt, Arun Sobti, Dr

Emcees: Rahul and Tejal Modi

ganization set up in 1984 still holds strong in unifying the people South of Gujarat extending from Surat to Vapi. "Our community has grown throughout the years and now comprises over 650 community members. As a community we get together for a summer picnic

Vivek and Avni Gandhi

to Chicago to be a part of the Diwali Show and putting on a performance with my brother on stage for our community. That is the power of our Samaj. Now that I live here, I take an active role in our Samaj to spread the tradition, culture and enthusiasm amongst our

Indian American would be the President of the country. Romel Gandhi earlier welcomed the guests and half a dozen emcees came on the stage in turn and introduced artists and various programs that were staged with meticulous care and success. Rahul

Bombay Chopsticks

Alex Johnson and Mitesh Patel, owners of Level Construction Company and their project manager Max Lagowski did a phenomenal job in building Bombay Chopsticks as a masterpiece. Bombay Chopsticks is a link between Indian Chinese contemporary cuisine to cater the need of

Dhiren Mistri, Vinod Parikh, Happy Singh, Mickey Singh, Santokh Singh, Amrish Mahajan and about 400 guests were present at the Grand Opening. Bombay Chopsticks is conveniently situated two miles west of Woodfield mall on 721 West Golf Road.

Kids Garba troupe

and celebrate Navratri and Diwali," he said Tejal Modi, general secretary said that she was into the organization as a participant of a Diwali entertainment program in the past

Adult Garba troupe

next generation." This year's Chief Guest was Dr. Pinakin Attawala. He is the Director of medical affairs at Merck Pharmaceuticals and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In his address,

Gandhi and Tejal Gandhi were outstanding as emcees. The entire program was staged by local artists -children young ones and adults. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

December 3, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 13

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Gujarat Association's spectacular Gujarati Samaj celebrates Diwali with fanfare Diwali party ASHWIN PATEL

Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Over 300 members and guests of Gujarat Cultural Association (GCS) gathered to celebrate Diwali at the elegant Waterford Banquet Hall in Elmhurst, a south west Chicago suburb. Organizers headed by Kanti Patel delivered brief remarks and dedicated the majority of the evening to the Indian singing sensations Ujjval Vyas and Pranita Deshpande who were brought to Chicago by the phenomenal Arshah Productions. The Gujarat Cultural Association is one of the largest and oldest Indian organizations in the

Gujarat Cultural office bearers with guests

her warm regards to the association. Secretary of State, Jesse White also sent felicitations to the organization. The souvenir book that was quite attractive and informative

Joint Secretary Hemang Patel, Treasurer Dinesh Patel and Joint Cultural Secretary Geeta Bhatt. Ujjval Vyas of New Jersey has been singing since childhood but began to take the professional

Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, sent her warm regards to the association. Secretary of State, Jesse White also sent felicitations to the organization Singer Pranita, Chairman Kanti Patel and Cultural Secretary Geeta Bhatt. (Pics Asian Media USA)

area. It was founded in 1973 and has over 400 families as members, which is over a thousand active individuals. It has a simple objective, to promote Gujarati cultural activities, customs and values to the Gujarati population in Chicago as well as the Indian population at large in the area. Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, sent

and an article titled, "Why Do We Celebrate Diwali?" was quite thought provoking. Chairman Kanti Patel recognized the entire team before the formal ceremonies ended and dinner as well as entertainment commenced. He especially mentioned, President Girish Patel, Secretary Shaurin Mehta, Vice President Manish Brahmbhatt,

stage during his first year of college and since then he has dazzled many with his vocal talents. Pranita Deshpande has been singing for over 35 years and has been showcased in the hit show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa twice already. Her 23-year-old son, Kaushik Deshpande won the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mega Challenge last year.

Trivializing Siva by Newsweek upsets Indians Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 11

The Indus Valley civilization reached its peak around 2500-2000 BCE, when trade links with Mesopotamia are known to have existed, was in decline by 1800 BCE, and faded away by 1500 BCE. Dr. Bharat Barai, a well known hematologist and a leading Indian American activist remarked that philosophically Lord Shiva manifests as Tandava engaged in a dancing posture, at the end of an old cycle to create a new one. One can interpret this connotation both as negative and positive. So if the cartoon by Newsweek does not mean to derogate the icon, he said, "I will have no problem, because it only suggests a condition and solution to it," especially

President Obama's dichotomy in the current economic and political situation. Holding his view contrary to that of Dr. Barai, Harendra Mangrolia, a business man and a trustee of Gayatri Shakti-peeth in Itasca, supported the point of view of Rajan Zed. He agreed that Newsweek ought to have been a little more considerate to the feelings of near billion strong Hindus in the world and should have respected the susceptibility of their spiritual belief. Shaivism, one of the two most revered schools of thought in Hinduism, may be one of the oldest and prehistoric beliefs in the world. According to Ramchandra Rao, editor of Shiva Kosha, under

Kalpataru Research Academy, in spite of its hoary antiquity Saivism as an organized creed might have come into vogue around Eighth century for Puranas uniformly mention Nepal (Pashupati-nath), Kedar (Kedaresvara), Varanasi (Visweswara), Saurashtra (Somanaha), Rameswaram (Ramanatha), Ujjain (Mahakala) and Kashmir (Vijaya) as important centers of worship of Siva. Newsweek, launched in 1933, is published from New York City in four English language and 12 global editions and reportedly has a worldwide circulation of over four million. Tina Brown is the editor. It is owned by The Newsweek Daily Beast Company with Stephen Colvin as CEO and Sidney Harman as Executive Chairman.

Front L to R Ashwin Patel, Nitin Patel and Jayesh Desai (members) Back L to R Jitubhai Parbhu,(Treasurer), Kantibhai Bhakta and Harish Patel (President)

ST. LOUIS: Gujarati Samaj of lowed by a live musical perforSt. Louis celebrated Diwali festi- mance by Ramzat group from Inval with gusto and lot of fanfare at dia. Extraordinary vocal and instruSt. Ann Community Center. mental talents of this local musiOver 500 members attended the cal group led by Naresh Rajput, event that was coordinated suc- captured and thoroughly entercessfully by Executive Committee of St. Louis Gujarati Samaj. The event started at 6pm with cocktails and snacks in a social hour where community members wish each other Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak. The dinner event started at 7pm with Guj Samaj greets all with Diwali message opening remarks by President Harish Patel. tained the audience for over two The lamp lighting ceremony hours with golden oldies Hindi was done by past president Mrs movie songs. The event was a Naliniben Gajjar. This was fol- grand success.

Members and guests in attendance (Pics Manhar Bhakta)

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December 3, 2010

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Tulsa gets taste of Diwali again, courtsey Dr Meshri

NY Life Insurance & Agents celebrate Diwali

MANOJ PARDESHI

New York Life Insurance agents and officials with guests at Diwali Celebration in Chicagoland Asian Media USA Managing Partner Robert Fire Performance that enthralled all present

TULSA: An India-born scientist heading Advance Research Chemicals in Catoosa, Oklahoma, Dr Dayal Meshri did it again by inviting village officials, State Lawmakers and elite of the city to come to Indu Palace for celebrating a grand festival of Diwali - a tradition that he created in memory of his loving scientist wife Dr. Indu Meshri since 2005. As put by Maria Shooke, a Diwali enthusiast, it would not be an exaggeration to say that virtually everyone in the city was awaiting the celebration of Indian festival of light from the Meshri family

Dr. Stanley E. Grogg, Interim Provost/Dean, Professor of Pediatrics, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Dr. Meshri and former Mayor of Tulsa, Kathy Taylor lighting the lamps

CHICAGO: New York Life Insurance held a Diwali Party recently at India House Schaumburg, a Chicago suburb, for its Indian agents celebrating the auspicious holiday of Diwali, which symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The agents were honored for their unwavering dedication and admirable diligence

Hodgekiss, Senior Partner Tahir Jiwan, Partner Nilesh Patel and top selling agent Sunil Shah. The team gave warm wishes to the guests on the occasion of Diwali and the New Year. Additionally, they tremendously thanked their team for their continuing excellence. Main organizer of the soiree, Sunil Shah celebrated his birthday with the New York Life Insurance

Sunil has received many awards for his excellent ser-

Bill Loebeck, Dr. Meshri and former Mayor of Tulsa, Kathy Taylor

vice with the company,

Dr. Dayal Meshri remarked that the es-

which he has

sence of this festivity

been with for

lies in the fact that it

over 20 years.

signifies a victory of

He is also a

light over darkness

celebrated community

The Scottish Band kicking off the evening celebration

and Dr. Meshri would not disappoint them. This year Diwali celebrated last month had all the grandeur of the past with fun and food galore spiced with fine performances by professionals and fireworks. Dr. Dayal Meshri in his brief welcome address remarked that the essence of this festivity lies in the fact that it signifies a victory of light over darkness and ignorance, victory of virtue over evil presaging the onset of peace and prosperity in the coming year. Diwali comes at the end of the Hindu calendar year and is celebrated across the globe wherever Indians and Hindus reside. The near four hours program had many highlights. The start itself was with the lighting of traditional Diwali lamp followed by playing of Scottish band signify-

ing the launch of three hours of varied entertainment, including sumptuous spicy Indian cuisine and sweets. This was followed intermittently with Bella dance, Fire performance, fireworks, mingling and greeting each other and ultimately in traditional Indian folk dance Garba. Many City and State

officials, past and present, besides prominent citizens of Tusla and Catoosa were present. Dr Meshri with his family - son Sanjay and family, daughter Gita and grandchildren, Daya, Aria, Bella and Asha - offered thanks to all those present and wished them Happy New Year.

A section of nearly 400 guests attending Diwali event

Sunil Shah, a top performing NY Agent and an organizer of the event, addressing the gathering

which has contributed to the increase of sales by one million dollars in the last year for the company. New York Life is a Fortune 100 company with offices all over the nation, Argentina, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. It is also the preferred life insurance company amongst South Asians because of their award winning and professionally trained agents, many of which are South Asians who speak a variety of Indian dialects. The night began with a cocktail hour, appetizers, and musical entertainment from Sahaj Shah. There were brief speeches from

activist

Family that night as well. The entire hall of over 100 guests sang to him and congratulated him on the occasion. There was also a cake cutting ceremony in which his wife Rita and partners joined in for. Sunil has received many awards for his excellent service with the company, which he has been with for over 20 years. He is also a celebrated community activist and leader who partakes in many important initiatives and organizations that have contributed to the progress of the South Asian community in Chicago. Delicious Indian cuisine accompanied by an excellent musical program followed the formal ceremonies.

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December 3, 2010

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Sikh professionals lead environmental initiatives

India Post 15

Diwali Food Drive raises $30,000

India Post News Service

WASHINGTON, DC: Two young professional Sikhs are joining EcoSikh as staff members to launch a global ecological movement comprising several diverse initiatives on behalf of the global Sikh community. Ravneet Pal Singh from Ludhiana, Punjab and Bandana Kaur from New York, started in their role earlier this month to further the mission of EcoSikh, which emerged as a result of a collaboration between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Alliance for Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE). In summer 2009, Sikh leaders, environmentalists, and representatives of Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) gathered in Delhi to endorse the five year EcoSikh plan, as the Sikh

Ravneetpal Singh

Bandana Kaur

tional irrigation company. His main task was to promote water conservation through sound irrigation designs, construction observations and water management practices. He recently spent two years in the UK, from which he broadened his understanding of life in the 21st century Sikh Diaspora. Bandana Kaur in New York has a Masters degree in Environmental Science from Yale University's School of Forestry and in Environmental Studies. During her time at

environmental challenges that impact the Sikh community and the world is an urgent need. "The aim is to mobilize Sikh communities in India and elsewhere to develop practical solutions to today's pressing environmental challenges in accordance with the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and also exchange ideas with faith communities around the world. This will be achieved by creating partnerships, improving environmental education, and using advocacy, media and other networks to strengthen the Sikhs' commitment to the environment," stated Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education and the convener of EcoSikh. "We are thrilled to have these two young people join the EcoSikh team. We feel strongly that their vision and their energy will make a big difference in bringing the Sikh community to the center stage on this challenging issue facing humanity." "Up until now EcoSikh has just been an idea - an important idea, and one which many Sikhs have quickly grasped the importance of - but still, an idea. This month, with the appointments of Bandana Kaur and Ravneet Singh as coordinators for North America and India respectively, EcoSikh begins to become a reality," said Victoria Finlay, Director of Communications at ARC, which is working closely with EcoSikh in its first year.

‘The aim is to mobilize Sikh communities in India and elsewhere to develop practical solutions to today's pressing environmental challenges’ Victoria & Bandana planting sapling in Punjab

community's response to climate change. Ravneetpal Singh, 29, well versed in Sikh scriptural teachings on the Environment, graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, is based in Ludhiana and will coordinate activities from this city. He worked as a project manager in a multina-

Yale, Bandana spent two summers in the Punjab learning about the ecological challenges facing the state, and researching women's participation in agricultural biodiversity conservation in rural areas. She has also spent several years working on water, forest, and climate issues in non-profits, both in the US and India. She feels strongly that a global alliance to address the

Left to Right: Mr. Rob Kelly, Mrs. Raji Kuncham, Mrs. Jean Kelly, Executive Director, INN, Food Drive Chairman Dr. Kishore Kuncham, Dr. Jagdish Gupta, IALI President, Mr. Peter Bheddah (Grand Sponsor) & Mr. Gobind Munjal, IALI Treasurer. India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The India Association of Long Island (IALI) completed its 15th year of fundraising for humanitarian community service projects with a fundraising event recently at the Mary Brennan INN Soup Kitchen, Hempstead, NY. This year the annual Diwali Food Drive collection was over $30,000 in cash and two truckloads of food items, for The Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), which operates 19 soup kitchens, 3 emergency shelters and a long term housing program in Long Island. More than 5,500 people are fed each week through INN. Diwali Food Drive donors included many community members, corporate sponsors, merchants, and partner organizations Telugu Literary Cultural Association (TLCA), Art of Living Foundation, Arya Samaj and Sai Mandir. The chairman for these community service projects, Dr. Kishore Kuncham, thanked the sponsors and other community members, for their generosity and rising to the occasion in the most difficult economic times. In addition, with the support of many physicians from the community, more than $30,000 worth of medicines were donated to RotaCare, which provides free medical care to people in need.

IALI youth also collected $1,000 in cash, blankets and gift baskets which were provided to support the children living in foster care in Nassau County. Attending the reception were the Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony J. Santino, Councilwoman Dorothy L. Goosby, Town Clerk Mark Bonilla, Mr. Jim Reed, Former Deputy Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, Nassau County,

With the support of many physicians from the community, more than $30,000 worth of medicines were donated to RotaCare IALI President Dr. Jagdish Gupta, Shiva Muthiki, TLCA President, Dr. Dev Ratnam, Trustee INN, and community members. Jean Kelly, The INN's executive director, thanked the India Association of Long Island and the entire community for bringing this Diwali light to the lives of those who are less fortunate, and especially in the most difficult economic times. The student volunteers were presented with certificate of appreciation for their volunteer work.

Gandhi Samaj hits new high in Diwali celebrations Cont’d from page 12

A few items were so eye catching that many in the audience were pleasantly surprised at the hidden talents that the Samaj members have. One such item was fifteen minutes of outstanding performance in both classical and Bhangra song items by Trisha Modi, Hiteshri Patel and Susan Sunny. For their outstanding performances in both classical and Bhangra song item, an on the spot monetary award was presented to them.

Children too performed well and not to be out done a classical Indian dance item too enthralled the audience. There were two singers singing Bollywood tunes so well that many called "Once More.' Award and recognition certificates were presented to those helping Samaj achieve higher levels. Dinesh Gandhi, a prominent banker and a former Samaj president gave Educational Achievement awards to Kalpesh Guard, Akshi Gandhi, Shetal Gandhi, Ankur Bhagat and Nilay Ghayal.

Certificate of Achievement Award was presented to Vivek Gandhi in recognition of his outstanding achievement in the Illinois Standards Achievement Test - Scoring in the Top One Percent in Math in the Nation. Others recipients were Past Presidents Award - Kaushik Mehta, President's Award - Jayantibhai Gheewala, Community Award - Kalpesh Gandhi. Certificate of Recognition was presented to Avani Gandhi for winning the 2010 Little Miss Beach Park Pageant. Participants

Awards and trophies were given to all participants of the Diwali show Other programs in the Diwali show included traditional Garba by adults, melodious songs by Rita Modi, Chetan Trivedi and Janak Modi, acting of Rajesh Khanna by Pravinbhai Gandhi, modern dance by Vivek and Avani Gandhi. melody, solo performances by Jalak Modi, Sara Mody, National Anthems sung by Daksh Guard and Avani Gandhi, American songs performed by Niti Gheewala and Paul Hala.

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December 3, 2010

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EVMs not fool proof: Hari Prasad SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Hari Prasad, the founder and the Managing Director of Net India, Hyderabad is in the United States on a three-week tour speaking to the members of Indian American community here about the Electronic Voting Machine controversy intensely debated in India. Last Friday he met with the Chicago Indian ethnic media at Ebony Restaurant, Schaumburg. Hari Prasad passionately and analytically defended his findings on this machine. He stood firm on his convictions that the machine is not infallible as argued by the leaders of the Congress. He said the machines are not conducive to free and fair elections as they can be easily tampered with, as definitively concluded by a team head by him and some students and staff of University of Michigan, Detroit. India is the largest democracy in the world. The use of EVMs in Indian elections, which began in national elections in 2004, now is pervasive. The Indian EVMs are DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) machines, in which votes are recorded only to the machine's internal memory. There is no paper trail for later inspection or recount. Consequently, the use of such machines places full trust in the hardware and software. There had been widespread allegations of EVM tampering, particularly in and subsequent to the 2009 national elections. He said that in early 2009 his firm was asked to study the vulnerability of these machines. Quickly, he devised a number of proofs of concept that showed the likelihood of the fallibility of the machines. However, because he did not have access to an

actual machine, his work was not conclusive. In September 2009, the Election Commission of India invited Prasad to inspect an electronic voting machine at ECI headquarters. Prasad and two other engineers, Halderman and Gonggrijp began the in-

there were no independent studies of the EVMs. Then, in February of this year, an anonymous source approached Hari and offered a machine for him to study. This source requested anonymity, and we have honored this request. We have every reason to be-

In September 2009, the Election Commission of India invited Prasad to inspect an electronic voting machine at ECI headquarters. Prasad and two other engineers, Halderman and Gonggrijp began the inspection, and examined the insides with a magnifying glass. However, before Prasad and the others could conclude their work, the inspection was halted. There are conflicting accounts about why it was shut down spection, and examined the insides with a magnifying glass. However, before Prasad and the others could conclude their work, the inspection was halted. There are conflicting accounts about why it was shut down, but what matters simply is that still

Hari Prasad

lieve that the source had lawful access to the machine and made it available for scientific study as a matter of conscience, out of concern over potential security problems. The release of the study sparked a national debate. Many of India's political par-

ties called for the use of EVMs to be scrapped. However, on August 14, just days before Prasad was arrested, the new Chief Election Commissioner, Quraishi told reporters that the machines were safe. Then, on August 21 they placed him under arrest and proceeded to drive him to Mumbai. The police did not state a specific charge at the time of the arrest, but Hari Prasad thought it was a politically motivated attempt to uncover our anonymous source. Prasad remained in jail, held without bail, for a week. When finally he was granted bail, the Judge sighting in his order that "...if the machine was possessed by the accused for demonstrating only that it could be tampered with, then the accused committed no offence. On the contrary, he has done a great service to democracy." The police in Mumbai had the right to question Prasad every day, preventing him from returning to Hyderabad. During that time, the police repeatedly questioned Prasad about the identity of the anonymous source and little else, and told him that he would be discharged if he revealed the name. On suspicion they made some arrests. Prasad is a respected researcher who helped to discover a critical flaw in India's voting system. He and his fellow researchers would never have been able to document the weaknesses in India's voting machines without the help of their anonymous source. This is precisely why anonymity is important: it allows people to make important contributions to the public dialogue without fear of retribution.

Jalaram Bapa Jayanti celebrated YOGESH THAKAR

CHICAGO: Jalaram Mandir in Hoffman Estate celebrated Jalaram Jayanti on a grand scale on Saturday November 13 with Pujaarchana and Bhajan Sandhya with India famed Shailendra Bhartiji as the lead singer. The day started with Kalash Puja followed with Dhwaj Puja and Annakut. People from all walks of life flocked to the temple to participate in Jalarma Bapa's 211th birth anniversary. Bapa is deemed to be incarnation of Vishnu and has millions of followers not only in Gujarat but across the world The main Yajman for the

Devotees singing arati

Devotees carrying kalash to the temple

evening were Rashmiben and Jitendrabhai Patel. They specially came from Arkansans to be with the devotees of Bapa in Illinois. Over one thousand devotees had come from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They participated in Arati and were served with Prasad. The evening was with Shailendra Bharati who captivated over 700 devotees wth his melodious singing of Bhajans in praise of Bapa and other gods and god-

Shailendra BhartijiĂs Bhajan session in progress

desses. Jalaram Mandir had celebrated Diwali festival on a grand scale a week on November 6 and there also hundreds of devotees came and mingled with one another.

Celebrating Jalaram Jayanti at Jalaram Mandir

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December 3, 2010

India Post 17

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Muslims welcome Rajan Zed to Id al-Adha celebrations

Dr. Khimji Uka Naram

MOHAMMED GHOUSE

L to R: Vice President Sherif A. Elfass, Trustee Dr. Rafik Beekun, President Mahmoud Hendi, Hindu leader Rajan Zed, Imam Abdulrahim Barghouthi, Trustee Anisur Chowdhury, Trustee Ashraf Azim.

NEVADA: In a remarkable interfaith gesture, the Nevada Muslim community invited and accorded hearty welcome to Hindu activist Rajan Zed to their Id alAdha celebrations in Sparks on November 20. Addressing a well attended event, Rajan Zed, the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that peace and love lay at the heart of all religions and people had more in common than in conflict. "Let us learn from one another and live together in harmony, mutual trust and loyalty; as we are headed in the same direction," he said Muslims of northern Nevada celebrated Id al-Adha, one of the biggest of Islamic festivals, as a community in Northern Nevada Muslim

Community (NNMC) Center in Sparks on November 20, although the actual date fell on November 16. Americans of Bangladeshi, Syrian, Somalian, Pakistani, Ethiopian, Jordanian, India, Moroccan, Egyptian, Palestinian, etc., origins came in their ethnic best dresses to a sumptuous dinner which included various lamb and chicken dishes, biryani and various other rice formations, vegetables and lentils, sweet vermicelli, kheer, puddings, etc., to name a few. Prayers from Quran (the scripture of Islam) were read before the dinner. NNMC President Mahmoud Hendi read "State of the Community" address and announced that area Muslim community would provide free food on

Thanksgiving Day to homeless. A magic show was also organized on the occasion. According to Imam Abdulrahim Barghouthi, there are about 2,000 Muslim families in northern Nevada of about two dozen national origins, with Bangladesh having the highest numbers as compared to other countries. NNMC was launched in 1980. Id al-Adha, also known as Greater Bayram, is celebrated at the end of Mecca pilgrimage. To commemorate the ram substituted by God when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Ishmael, his son, to test his faith, unblemished animals are sacrificed on this occasion. It also includes visiting/ receiving extended families. Islam is the second most widespread religion in the world after Christianity with more than one billion followers and Muslims constitute majority in about 48 countries and a considerable minority in many others. It is the third largest religion in USA. Word "Islam" means "submission/peace". Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about a billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

One of the most front ranking Ayurvedic physicians, Vaidya Pankaj Naram, was bereaved with the sad demise of his father Dr. Khimji Uka Naram, 98, mainly due to old age complications. Dr. Khimji lived a long and healthy life and died at the family residence in Mumbai. He is survived by his daughter Ms Varsha, son Dr. Naram and Shri Vidyut Naram. Dr. Pankaj Naram is the most front ranking Ayurvedic physician who has world wide following for his amazing power of reading pulse and conducting diagnosis on the basis his reading.

Diwali Milan by Kadva Patidar Samaj SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: A grand Diwali Milan was organized by Kadwa Patidar Samaj (KPS) on Saturday November 13 at Ashiyana Banquet Hall in Downs Grove, a south west suburb of Chicago. The event was attended 400 guests. One highlight was the entertainment program by known artists. It began with Raju Shah (A.R. Productions) presenting singer Yogesh Bajaria, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame singer in Mumbai Mrs.Pranita Deshpande and DJ from Mehul Rami. Jatin Patel (President of KPS) and Vice President Narendra Patel

A.R. Production's Raju Shah, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame singer Pranita Deshpande & singer Yogesh Bajaria

Children performing special dance

KPS President Jatin Patel, Vice President N Patel and Treasurer Rajesh Desai

Guests enjoying Diwali celebration dance

welcomed the guests and members. The Chief Guest was Danny Patel. Other prominent invitees included Mrs. Susila Patel. Children performed a special dance. Educational DVD was shown that covered the 7th convention held in July 2010 in Chicago. The DVD was prepared by Oza Video Vision headed by Jayanti Oza and Bharat Oza. All guests enjoyed old and new songs sung by singers. Eye catching dances too enthralled the audience. The grand success that the event achieved was largely due to efforts put in by all committee members of KPS.

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Listeners pool in to save radio show India Post News Service

NEW YORK: In a path-breaking development, listeners in Chicago of an ailing Indian American radio station have come forward in a unique effort to revive the show. For nearly a decade, Desi Junction Radio (AM 1530 Radio), has united the Chicago desi community, mostly Indian Americans, via its weekly radio broadcast and annual indoor/outdoor events including events for kids and seniors. The weekly radio show mostly supported by business owners in the community and occasionally funded by its team members was near shut down, when the team wanted to try one last option of a 'membership drive' as suggested

by some of the show's listeners. Attesting their loyalty to the show, listeners came out in big numbers and made an annual pledge to support the radio show by a predefined amount every month. Encouraged by the listeners' response, Desi Junction Radio has quadrupled its efforts to create yet another landmark in desi entertainment. Desi Junction Radio is now striving to register itself as the first and only desi radio in America that is completely funded by its listeners into the Guinness book of world records 2011. Desi Radio has invited more and more listeners to join in to make history and let the voice of Indian Americans be heard the world over.

MAFS Seniors celebrate Tulsi Vivah

December 3, 2010

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Pappas honors Metropolitan Asian Family services

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (right) presents an award of excellence in her office to Santosh Kumar, president of the Metropolitan Asian Family Services for providing valuable programs to immigrant and elderly populations for over 18 years.

HIMALI BHARUCHA

Maharashtra Foundation raises $60,000 at gala India Post News Service

Tulsi Vivah ritual being conducted by MAFS Seniors

CHICAGO: The auspicious ritual of Shri Tulsiji in a plant form wedding Lord Vishnu/Shri Krishna came to life here on November 23 as seniors at Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS), Chicago

Puja with abil, gulal, rice, flowers and garlands and the Prasad offered to gods put everyone in the festive mood as the ladies present sung spiritually uplifting wedding songs as the Baraaties en-

Elderly in the audience were gifted with different things such as statues of gods, beautiful saris, jewelry, pans and pots as in traditional wedding and had delicious, nutritious Golden Diner's lunch at the end of the event celebrated the event with great enthusiasm and joy. Both Shri Krishna statue and holy Tulsi Plant were dressed in traditional Indian wedding clothes and were seated in the middle of the beautifully decorated Mandap. The ceremonial

tered the Mandap. Elderly in the audience were gifted with different things such as statues of gods, beautiful saris, jewelry, pans and pots as in traditional wedding and had delicious, nutritious Golden Diner's lunch at the end of the event.

NEW JERSEY: A Maharashtra Foundation fund-raising gala held Nov 13 in New Jersey raised about $60,000. Maharashtra Foundation is a unique volunteer supported nonprofit organization registered in New York. It enjoys "special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations". It works in partnership with various non-profit organizations in India and in United States, and supports initiatives like Anti Human Trafficking, child sponsorship, women empowerment, projects in healthcare and education fields. It runs 1-877MAYTRIN which is a hotline number for women and men in distress. At the annual fund raising event held at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Somerset, NJ Dr. Arundhati Vinod gave an overview of the Foundation's recent activities. Keynote speaker Carl Pope, Chairman of the Sierra Club, who has himself spent two years as Peace Corps volunteer in India, emphasized that Maharashtra Foundation pioneered the idea of supporting socially conscious non-religious charities some thirty years ago. Sierra Club's environ-

mental awards in India emulate the format used for Maharashtra Foundation's awards in literature and social services, started a long ago by Sunil Deshmukh, the past president of the Foundation. One of the key segments of the evening was the speeches by young workers from the develop-

Keynote speaker Carl Pope, Chairman of the Sierra Club, who has himself spent two years as Peace Corps volunteer in India, emphasized that Maharashtra Foundation pioneered the idea of supporting socially conscious non-religious charities some thirty years ago ment and public health area from rural Maharashtra. The speakers were Dr. Anand Bang, a young promising social worker from SEARCH organization in Gadchiroli district in remote parts of Eastern Maharashtra and Pallavi Amte from Maharogi Sewa Samiti,

Anandwan. Dr Bang talked about the lack of basic necessities among the tribal communities. His innovative research among the aborigines in the region has been adopted by the WHO. Maharogi Sewa Samiti, founded by late Baba Amte, is an NGO empowering people afflicted with leprosy and other disabilities. Pallavi Amte manages as many as 40 projects serving the daily needs of about 4000 cured leprosy patients and disabled persons in Anandwan. These young social workers challenged the audience to help, not only with finances but their specialized knowledge and expertise. The evening also included a delightful instrumental music and dance recital called "Conversations in Taal" lead by sitarist Gargi Shinde. The program also featured kathak exponent Aditi Bhagwat. Maharashtra Foundation collected donations worth about $60,000 in one evening. It also organized visits by the young social workers to large and small venues in Connecticut, Manhattan, Queens, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and Washington DC. The hope is to introduce the US born young people and others from India to the inspiring dedication of such young persons.

December 3, 2010

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India Post 19

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Prof Huntington gives a refreshing picture of Hinduism SURENDRA ULLAL

induism, because of its women play a leading role. antiquity, well defined She rightly points out that the spiritual paradigm and other feature that sets the ancient evolving philosophical and social Indus culture apart from other early matrix was perceived and inter- civilizations is the prominent role preted by Western scholars ac- played by women. Among the arcording to their own intellectual tifacts found are thousands of ceor perceptual limitations. Indeed ramic sculptures representing one cannot expect them to delve women, sometimes interpreted into the depth of the minds of Vedic as goddesses, specifically, Hindu sears to give an honest mother goddesses. It is thus opinion, because they are not hardly surprising that the symborn and taught with the same in- bol chosen for the nationalistic tuitive understanding of Hindu independence movement of the thoughts as a native -either a early 20th century and the estabscholar or na誰ve. lishment of India's modern deHowever a peep into the mind mocracy was Bharat Mata - that of Dr. Susan L Huntington, pro- is, Mother India. fessor in art history at Ohio State She further indicates that the University as expressed in her re- period that followed the Indus civicent work on India, gives a refresh- lization from c1750BC to the third ing picture. In the past Western century BC has left a spotty matethoughts about India and espe- rial record. The most important figcially Hinduism were based on ei- ure to emerge in this period was ther their learning from the West- the Buddha, born Siddhartha ern writers and often from the ex- Gautama in the Ganges River reperiences of Indian Gurus or their gion of northern India in the sixth writings or both. So the results of century BC. these studies were either idyllic or Attaining perfect knowledge at colored by their own bias. the age of 36, after a quest that Huntington agrees that in terms involved ascetic and meditational of spirituality goal of Yoga is to practices, the Buddha preached attain Moksha that is to seek to what is known as the Middle Way, understand his advocating the or her oneness abandonment with the uni- Unlike Buddhism and of both extreme verse. For those asceticism and who identify Jainism, Hinduism, extreme luxury. yoga with T h e physical disci- she elucidates, does Mahavira Jina pline, she con- not have a human is the last curs with the prophet of modern find- teacher to whom the Jainism, which ings that as an orthodox among the beliefs and practradition existed documented contemporanebenefits of tices of the tradition ously with yoga are, lowSamkhya and may be traced ered blood presYoga traditions sure, greater of India. mental acuity and stress reduction. The 24th in a line of perfected According to her, archaeologi- human beings known as jinas, or cal evidence in Indus Valley sug- victors, Mahavira is a major figure gests that there was, in fact, no in Jain religion. Like the Buddha, hereditary ruler - such as a king or Mahavira is not considered a god other monarch - that amassed and but an exemplar to his followers. controlled the wealth of society. When depicted in art, he and the Thus, in contrast to the other other 24 jinas appear as highly ancient civilizations of the world, perfected humans. whose vast architectural and arUnlike Buddhism and Jainism, tistic undertakings, such as tombs Hinduism, she elucidates, does not and large-scale sculptures, served have a human teacher to whom the the wealthy and powerful, the beliefs and practices of the tradition Indus civilization leaves nothing may be traced. Instead, it is centered in the way of such monuments. round devotion to specific deities, Instead, government programs both supreme and minor, who are and financial resources seem to numbered among a vast pantheon have been directed towards the or- of gods and goddesses. ganization of a society that benShiva destroys the universe efited its citizens. It looks like she with his cosmic dance when it has overlooked to mention the existence deteriorated to the degree that it of a strong local self government, needs to be reborn; Vishnu is the which eventually came to be known protector and preserver of the as Gram Panchayat, a team of five- world as it struggles to maintain village elders that flourishes in In- stasis and Brahma is the creator dia even today, where in recent times of the cosmos. Hinduism, with

nearly a billion adherents is the dominant religion of India and continues to attract the Western mind to its lofty ideals, tolerant and all embracing philosophy. Buddhism, like Christianity and Islam other two prominent religions is a proselytizing religion and has become popular in the West. All three of these Indic religions, she writes, share the belief in transmigration of souls, based on one's action, either good or bad, which are the result of choice, not chance. The escape from samsara, called nirvana by Buddhists and moksa by Hindus and Jains, is the ultimate goal of each of the three religious traditions, and all human activity should, ideally, be directed towards improving one's karma to achieve this end. Within Indic culture, and indeed even within families, she obverses individuals have been free to choose their own marg or path and we have no evidence of religious conflict among these traditions. The arrival of Alexander the Great in the northwestern region of south Asia in 327BC, and the collapse of the ancient Persian Empire, introduced new ideas and technologies such as the tools and knowledge necessary for largescale stone carving. Legacy of his invasion is mainly cultural, not political, as the pathways across western Asia that he forged remained open for trade and economic exchange for centuries after his death. The most renowned of India's kings was Ashoka, who even today is admired by India's leaders as a paradigm of the benevolent ruler. After years engaged in waging war to expand his empire, Ashoka, having seen some 150,000 people carried away as captives,

100,000 more slain, and many more dead after his final conquest, was struck with remorse at the suffering he had caused. Converting to Buddhism, Ashoka spent the remainder of his life in righteous, peaceful activities. His benevolent kingship was adopted as a model throughout Asia as Buddhism moved beyond its Indic homeland. The set of four lions portrayed on one of his most famous monuments - the stone pillar he

Dr. Susan L Huntington

erected at Sarnath, where the Buddha taught his first sermon - has become a ubiquitous symbol of India's modern democracy, and is used on coins, stamps, government stationery, and elsewhere to laud the modern nation's roots in enlightened rulership. As suggested by the artifacts

that have survived and what we know about the religious and philosophical beliefs of the people, the period 2500BC-AD500 in ancient India was one of extraordinary cultural brilliance, with innovations and traditions that still leave their mark on the world today. The cultural continuity between India's past and present is unmatched in the other regions of the world. The modern societies in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, the Americas and China for the most part bear little resemblance to their ancient counterparts. The fifth century AD astronomer and mathematician Aryabhatta is credited with originating the modern decimal system, which is predicated on an understanding of the concept of zero. Evidence of the Indic origin of the idea of zero, including the use of a small circle to denote the numeral, is found in Sanskrit texts and inscriptions. Another cultural legacy is an ancient branch of medicine known as Ayurveda, still widely practiced in India today. It has also gained popularity in the western world as an alternative medicine. Translating literally as "science of life", it conceives basic principles for human health and points to physical and mental balance as the means to well-being. Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata are among the most known masters of Ayurveda.

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Cal News Wells Fargo Bank celebrates Diwali 2010 KAVITA ARORA India Post News Service

Delhi's Euphoria rocks Los Angeles JS BEDI India Post News Service

Pratham Fundraiser raises million dollars JS BEDI India Post News Service

December 3, 2010

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India included in Santa Fe's historic time capsule

(Pics Mario Ruiz) India Post News Service

SANTA FE, NM: In a historic official visit, organized by the Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Committee, Consul General of India Susmita Gongulee Thomas visited Santa Fe, New Mexico on November 18

be India's gift to the monumental legacy of the world, and the Golden Temple is the holiest shrine in Sikhism, the fifth largest religion in the world that also has a notable presence in New Mexico, including that of the well known Yogi Bhajan and his followers.

by Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa and Pawan Singh Dhindsa and were presented on behalf of India by Honorable Consul General of India, Mrs. Susmita G. Thomas. Additionally, a plaque from the Consul General of India and a picture of Yogi Bhajan with his full

nity in New Mexico and all over the USA. Board member Pawan Singh Dhindsa was instrumental in getting the picture included in the time capsule. The function was held at the New Mexico History Museum at 11.00 am on November 18. Mr.

Board member Pawan Singh Dhindsa, who is New Mexico's Honorary Consul and State Representative to India, and Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa who is Ambassador of Sikh Dharma, had the idea to bring the two gifts to Santa Fe. The gifts were donated

bio-data was also presented to the Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Committee to be included in the Time Capsule. Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh proposed the inclusion of Yogi Bhajan's picture as a tribute to the glorious Sikh leader who established the American Sikh commu-

Maurice Bonal, Chairman of the Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Community started the event by explaining the time capsule project and said that the City of Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States of America.

Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh proposed the inclusion of Yogi Bhajan's picture as a tribute to the glorious Sikh leader who established the American Sikh community in New Mexico and all over the USA to deliver "mini"-renderings of both the "Taj Mahal" and the "Golden Temple," for inclusion in the 400th Anniversary Time Capsule. The miniature Golden Temple is made of 24 carat gold while the Taj Mahal is made of white marble like stone. The Taj Mahal is considered to

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 40

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Wells Fargo Bank celebrates Diwali 2010 KAVITA ARORA India Post News Service

FREMONT: Three Wells Fargo locations, including the Paseo Padre branch in Fremont, CA held its first Diwali celebrations, also known as the Festival of Lights, on Friday November 5. One of the special Diwali promotions Wells Fargo is offering includes waiving a $5 remittance free for those in the program. The Paseo Padre branch is located in an area rich in cultural diversity. "The Indian community is such a huge part of the communities we serve, so Wells Fargo wanted to do something special to mirror our diversity," Micky Randhawa, Wells Fargo's East Bay Regional President, told India Post. "It's been a great opportunity to show our appreciation for our Indian customers and at the same time, educate our nonIndian customers about Diwali." Mr. Randhawa is spearheading the program and ensuring that the community is involved. It was a festive day where staff warmly greeted the customers with Diwali mithai (traditional sweets) and candies. Team members at the branch decorated the store and served their custom-

Paseo Padre Wells Fargo Team Members

ers in Indian attire such as suits, kurtis and saris. "This is the first time Wells Fargo has started being instrumental in celebrating Diwali. We have decked three stores for Diwali with diyas, candles, electrical lights, decorations, Indian saris, and sweets such as mithai and candies," Branch Manager and Assistant Vice President, Sidharth Kapil, told India Post. In addition to celebrating Diwali, Wells Fargo celebrates various festivals from our diverse community such as Chinese New Year, African American Month, Latino Month, Christmas, and they are always eager

to include more festivals and cultures. Wells Fargo was also

‘The Indian community is such a huge part of the communities we serve, so Wells Fargo wanted to do something special to mirror our diversity’ one of the top sponsors for the Festival of India, held in August

The Lobby

this year. In this economy, a lot of customers are going through a hard time as far as mortgages are concerned. "As a bank, we offer different programs to help our customers with their mortgages and get them on track," said Sidharth Kapil. Wells Fargo has a longstanding tradition of giving back to the community. The bank was named the top corporate giver among financial services companies in Silicon Valley at the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy Awards ceremony. In 2009, Wells Fargo contributed $3.76 million to Silicon-Valley

based nonprofits, and more than $21.6 million Bay Area-wide and is Silicon Valley's #4 most generous corporate giver. On Diwali, Hindu merchants in North India open their new account books and pray for success and prosperity during the upcoming year. This actually coincides with one of the current promotions at Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo is offering a free plush pony for customers who open new checking accounts. Wells Fargo will be offering more promotions for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Kavita Arora is Anchor & CoProducer of Sitaarre TV

Arcadia Methodist Hospital celebrates Winter Holidays with Bollywood twist India Post News Service

PASADENA, CA: It was a colorful and festive evening on a recent Sunday night when many of Arcadia Methodist Hospital physicians and their significant others gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, CA to celebrate the upcoming Winter holidays. Jay Bharat Catering added a new twist to their otherwise well-known Gujarati cuisine by offering various paneer appetizers, non-vegetarian dishes and Manchurian delights. The ballroom looked like a new Indian bride's fairytale wedding reception, all courtesy of intricate details offered by Utsav Event Planning. The décor illuminated by the lighting of Special Occasions DJ, Lighting and Production Company. Finally, the audience was left in awe by the magnificent performance of Bollywood Step, including a private traditional Bollywood dance lesson from well-known choreographer and dance partner to several Bollywood actors, Yogen Bhagat. So why did so many physicians from a Methodist hospital participate in this Bollywood Winter Holiday party? All of the planning and design of this yearly event came on behalf of Jay Kumar Shah, MD, Chief of Staff at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. "We have about 640 doctors on the staff. Every year, we do an annual dinner and dance. And this year, because I was Chief of Staff, I thought why not some-

Over half of the non-Indian guests stood proudly in their sarees and sherwanis, which were custom tailored to fit each person; including adding additional clips to facilitate placing the outfit on for the event. Finally, several women were able to accent their Indian attire with beautiful mehndi designs offered at the party

thing different. We just passed our New Year and Diwali, and I wanted to have a New Year and Diwali Party; but then I thought it was too close and it would be too much. So I thought let's combine it together". It is the first time in the 100-year history that Arcadia added a cultural twist to their annual winter dinner/dance event. Dr. Shah and his wife, Ramila Shah, solely planned this remarkable event, filled with Indian culture, tradition and cuisine. Men and women attending the event had the opportunity to work with representatives from Sital Indian clothing store in Artesia, who personally came to the hospital to help the physicians select traditional Indian attire to wear to the party. Over half of the non-Indian guests stood proudly in their sarees and sherwanis, which were custom tailored to fit each person; including adding additional clips to facilitate placing the outfit on for the event. Finally, several women were able to accent their Indian attire with beautiful mehndi designs offered at the party. According to their mission statement, Arcadia Methodist Hospital values integrity, respect, and compassion. These values were clearly characterized by the actions and interactions demonstrated by all the guests attending this event. It was clear just how much this hospital embraces diversity by welcoming this Bollywood style celebration.

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December 3, 2010

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Delhi's Euphoria rocks Los Angeles JS BEDI India Post News Service

ANAHEIM: Rock band Euphoria rocked So Cal in an electrifying performance that left fans asking for more, at the Heritage Forum here on November 14. The concert was hosted by Association for India's Development, L.A. Chapter (AID LA) as a fundraiser for the various projects the association sponsors in India since 2007. The program started an hour and a half late due to technical problems. The concert was preceded by a visual presentation on AID, a volunteer movement that supports grassroots organizations in India in the areas of education, livelihoods, natural resources, health, women's empowerment and social justice. AID at present has projects in Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. These include the Prerna Resource Center, primary healthcare center, organic farming, Right to Information Center and creating awareness of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. In his address President of AIDLA, Sridhar Vemuri spoke on the immense problems facing India. The problems are not isolated but interlinked and only long-term and sustainable solutions will work. Appealing for support, he asked the audience not to be skeptical of the association's work and suspicious of their motives. He extended heartfelt thanks to all sponsors and well wishers. Once the band came on stage the auditorium became a night club. Dressed in white, the sevenmember band made a dramatic appearance with lead singer Palash Sen, wooing the audience out of their seats to shake a leg to hot favorites that rocked the house. Accompanying him was Debajyoti

Sridhar Vemuri

Bhaduri at the bass guitar; Prashant Trivedi, tabla; Rakesh Bhardwaj, percussionist; Ashwani Verma on the drums; Vinayak Gupta, keyboards and Amnorish Saikia on the guitar.

The Band on stage

'Saason Mein Jo, 'Maasti ki Paathshala,' Aaja Aaja Dil' and 'Maeri.' The concert ended with a charity dinner at a local restaurant, where fans were given an oppor-

tainable, equitable and just development. AID supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources includ-

Once the band came on stage the auditorium became a night club. Dressed in white, the seven-member band made a dramatic appearance with lead singer Palash Sen, wooing the audience out of their seats Hysterical fans

Euphoria performed non-stop for almost three hours to a hall full of hysterical fans. The stage was surrounded by dancing fans who sang along enjoying hits like 'Dhoom Pichak hoom', 'Sonya,'

tunity to mingle with the band members. The Association for India's Development, Inc. (AID) (also called AID or AID India) is a volunteer movement promoting sus-

ing land, water and energy, agriculture, health, women's empowerment and social justice A.I.D consists of a decentralized network of chapters, each of whom raise and utilize funds inde-

pendently. There were 36 chapters in 2010 with a total volunteer strength of around 1000. The major activities of U.S. chapters are raising funds, reviewing and supporting projects in India and informing and mobilizing their communities about important social and developmental issues in India. There were about 100 projects actively supported by A.I.D chapters in 2010. Prominent campaigns supported by A.I.D include the Justice for Bhopal campaign, rehabilitation for displaced persons in Chattisgarh and the Right to Information campaign. There exist centralized teams for managing incoming project proposals, handling treasuries and coordinating action and information between chapters Previous to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, of which the tsunami hit the eastern coast of southern India, in particular Tamil Nadu, AID had already been working in these areas. It arrived at the affected locations within 12 hours after the first wave with relief supplies. AID was featured in United Nation's special Tsunami efforts.

Edison group celebrates 'The Festival of Lights' India Post News Service

ROSEMEAD, CA: Southern California Edison's (SCE) Cultural Exchange, an employee resource group, hosted an event Friday to celebrate Diwali, or the "Festival of Lights." All SCE employees were invited to join the festivities at SCE's Irwindale Business Center, where fine Indian cuisine and entertainment were featured, along with a presentation on Indian culture, history, and traditions. Diwali's Sanskrit name refers to the small, oil-filled clay lamps that are lit during the five-day holiday. It's a national event in India and Nepal, and the festival transcends

religious lines, celebrated equally by adherents of Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Cultural Exchange, which organized the Irwindale event, is one of 13 SCE employee resource groups that celebrate the company's diverse workforce and organize community and cultural events at SCE and in the communities the utility serves. SCE is one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric utilities, serving nearly 14 million people in 15 counties of Central, Coastal, and Southern California. Based in Rosemead, CA, the utility has been providing electric service in the region for more than 120 years.

SCE employees and members of SCE's Cultural Exchange at Diwali celebrations.

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the

nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer

accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal, and Southern California.

Community/California

December 3, 2010

India Post 23

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Two-week Deepavali celebrations at Riverside Temple VICTORIA TRUVER

Fifty participated in Chopda Puja

eepavali festivities for Riverside's Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir were celebrated over a two-week period with Chopda Puja, Annakut/ Govardhan Puja, Lakshmi Puja and the Annual Deepavali Cultural Program and were organized by Chairperson Hema Nakka with the

151 food offerings for Annakut

Surendra Sharma and Vice President Lakshman Koka. Sumathi Shaker, acting Festival's Committee Chair introduced the program. Once the diyas had been lit, Sraboni Mukherjee sang an opening number. MCs Anika Patadia and Meghana Verma introduced the

Murdeshwar, Vibhuti Purohit, Arya Anand, Elisabeth Paul, Kanak Das, Swarna Das, Manasi Kademani and Richa Shah danced. The Dance Masti group performed a mix choreographed by Aarti Vasisht. Sapna Nimish Thaker, Sneha Jindal, Natasha Patel, Riya Mehta, Millie Mehta,

Urugiduvay Manamein, was choreographed by Ragini Iyer and performed by Maya Singh and Shivani Kapu. This was followed by a Kuchipudi dance, Ganesh Pancharatnam, choreographed by Usha Rajesh and performed by Shriya Samudrala, Ramya Samudrala, Abinaya Ramji, and

At the end of the program, 100 trophies were distributed to all of the performers and plaques were given to the Mandir officials for 2010

Govardhan Puja

help of the ladies of her Festival's Committee. 50 business owners from diverse establishments sat for Chopda puja, complete with their accounting books and laptops. Over 1200 bhaktas attended Annakut/Govardhan Puja, which took place the following evening. 151 food items were lined up in rows before Shri Lakshmi Narayan for Annakut. Swami Paripurananda gave a pravachan telling the story of the raising of Mount Govardhan with one finger by the 6-year old Krishna. The next morning, Deepavali was celebrated with a Lakshmi Puja. During these events, all three Mandir pujaris attended including Head Priest Dr. Shukavak Dasa, Pandit Vipul Jani and Pandit Seshacharya Samudrala. For the fourth year the Annual Deepavali Cultural Program was held at UCR's University Theatre. Attendance was high and over 800 came beautifully dressed in traditional costume. The program began with a welcome from Chairman

items which included a dance by the Geetika Group followed by "Nandakumara Krishna", a dance choregraphed by Ragini Iyer and performed by Aarti Patel, Aditi Patiola, Anisha Prasad, Arpi Patel, Khushi Nakrani, Neha Bandaru, Priya SR, Priyal Saretha, Shalin Banerjee, and Vaishnavi S. The next item was a Bharatnatyam

Sahibaan Sondh, Harleen Kung, Eera Madahar, Shaurya Mehta, Vatsal Jain, Manbir Sandhu, Karran Nimish Thaker and Nikhil Jindal danced to a medley of film songs. he ladies of the Festivals Committee performed a Kuchipudi dance choregraphed by Usha Rajesh. Archana Ganta instructed and danced with Raji

Participants show off the trophies they received

based on verses from the Hanuman Chalisa. Paulomi Pandit choreographed and her students Anika Desar, Simrina Desar, Naneeta Desar, Sachi

Chakrapani, Suma Hareesh, Rita Mishra, Lopa Patel, Padma Prabhakar, Varsha Shah and Sumathi Shaker in the Raja Rajeshwari Ashtakam. Item six,

Sraboni Mukherjee sang the opening song

Sanyutha Maradani. The Rangtaal Group consisting of Shifali Patel, Ayush Patel and Slok Patel danced a Bollywood fusion number choreographed by Dipa Patel. Immediately after intermission Neelam Gupta and son Nilesh offered one song. Item number 10 was Ramayana Shabdam choreographed by Ragini Iyer and danced by Kanak Prava Das, Swarna Prava Das, Tulsi Patel and Vaibhavi Shah. A Bollywood mix by Vishal Tandon and Vihar Naik followed. The next item was Jaydev dance choreographed by Dhruti Patel and performed by Dhruti, Anika Patadia and Mickey Patel. The Rangtaal Group consisting of Dipa Patel, Sheetal Patel, Nimisha Patel, Nitesha Patel, Nital Patel, Vibha Patel, Nutan Sony and Hema Lavingia danced a Gujarati Garba. Another Bollywood dance, performed by Krishty Mukerjee and Proya Mazumdar, followed. Everyone agreed that the last item, a surprise, was the best of the 15 offered. Pandit Shukavak

Mount Govardhan built by Nirali Jani

Dasa, dressed as a sannyasi stood center stage while Usha Rajesh performed a seductive Kuchipudi dance, during which she showed respect to the sannyasi. The traditional raffle offered over $1200 in cash prizes with $251 as the grand finale prize. At the end of the program, 100 trophies were distributed to all of the performers and plaques were given to the Mandir officials for 2010. One mother explained the importance of this function when she said, "This program allows my children to be in touch with their culture." Vice-President Lakshman Koka said, during his closing speech, "This is one of the most important events of the year because this program allows our children to showcase their talents. It is so important for Mandir youth to learn about their culture and the Deepavali Cultural Program is the one time they can show us what they have learned duringthe past year.

Surprise dance featured Pandit Shukavak Dasa as a sannyasi and Kuchupudi dancer Usha Rajesh

The younger children see the older children on stage and it instills in them the desire to also take classes so that they can perform next year. Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir is a learning center where cultural classes are offered to benefit our children. As the Mandir continues to grow and prosper we hope to involve our youth more because our children are our greatest asset and our future."

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Sau Gram Zindagi : Guzaarish 2 I Am Dog Gone Crazy: Action Replayy 3

Dhoop Ke Makaan: Break Ke Baad

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December 3 , 2010

Tumse Kya Kehna: Dus Tola

5 Sapne Saloney: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey 6 Maula Maula: Allah Ke Banday 7 Desi Kali: Golmaal 3 8 Ajab Leher: Break Ke Baad 9

I Got That Poison: Hisss

10 Janiya Teri Hansi Ada: Musaa

ameera Reddy is one of the fittest actresses of Bollywood and this makes her the best choice for performing on the sizzling numbers which has also become her identity. Reddy is a champion swimmer which keeps her body fit under any condition. But, Sameera has got a new passion that is keeping her under water for long time. The sexy Sam is undergoing scuba diving lessons and has asked her instructor to let her explore the vast expanses of the sea. Now, the scuba diving has become more of an addiction to her. Sameera has gained enough stamina to keep herself under water for more time now. She has also purchased a brand new scuba diving gear, which has become her best buddy these days. Her dedication to the job will soon make her a certified scuba diver. In fact, on hearing the news a fan, who is also a scuba diver casually requested her to upload the video and the sporty actress has responded by sharing her scuba diving video with all via YouTube.

hahrukh Khan, the star who has portrayed almost every kind of role on screen had been mostly labeled as a romantic star. How ever, the next year will see this Khan in a completely new niche as an actor since he will be playing the lead in mostly action based thrillers. Shahrukh has always been considered a very good actor for depicting soft romantic flings on the silver screen, but with movies like Don 2 and RA.ONE releasing in 2011 he will have the typical action hero tag on him. Even though his role in Don2 is touted to be on a more positive line and in RA.ONE as being a scientist who falls into a deep problem due to his own invention, the characters will give him a huge jump in his versatility as far as his acting skills go. Besides these two flicks which will see him in two different roles, there are reports that SRK will also be seen in a negative role in Dhoom 3, which will widen his scope in the performance area. Thus, SRK will be seen jumping from action to double action in his role as the negative character in Dhoom 3.

Split

move?

ust five months after her marriage to the Nepalese businessman Samrat Dahal, Manisha Koirala shocked her millions of fans and friends in the B-town with her recent Facebook post. Manisha wrote on Facebook that her marriage life has been on roller coaster ride and she is planning to get divorce just after five months of her wedding. She also added that she feared her decision might hurt her parents. However, she deleted the post after a few hours. But her status message did leave her fans and friend curious. Guess she was apprehensive over all the media hoopla her message might create. Manisha admits that the status message was posted hastily after some differences with Samrat. She also confessed that sometimes she overreacts and writes "silly things".

December 3, 2010

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mran Khan-Avantika Malik's love story will surely make a wonderful script. The latest is that the love birds are living together in Avantika's house. Apparently, Imran has moved out of his bungalow, since it is currently being renovated. It is expected to be ready before January 14, 2011, which is when the actor will marry Avantika. Imran's mother Nuzhat is also staying with the couple. "My bungalow belonged to my grandpa (late Nasir Hussain). The time had come to do it up all over again. It required a lot of repairs for various reasons. The inside structure is being changed to a large extent. So, now I am staying at Avantika's house." says Imran. Well, Imran and Avantika have decided to go for court marriage, as they belong to different religions.

W Strong woman R ani Mukerji enjoys being a part of women-centric films and says she would like do a movie where a woman is projected as a strong person. "Whatever films I have been a part of so far, most of them have been women-centric films. I wish to do more such films where women are shown stronger because it is a fact that women are stronger," Rani, who gave hits like "Bunty Aur Babli" and "Saathiya", told reporters. Her role in the upcoming film "No One Killed Jessica" would be a reflection of her belief where she would be seen in the role of a television journalist. Asked about not being seen on screen much these days, she said: "I want to be a part of good films and play good characters. I wouldn't like to disappoint my fans. I have always tried that every new film I do is different from others." "No One Killed Jessica" is based on model Jessica Lall who was shot dead in 1999 by Manu Sharma in a nightclub. Produced by UTV Spotboy, the film also features Vidya Balan as Jessica's elder sister Sabrina. It will hit the screens Jan 7 next year.

e are really happy together", says the glitteringly gorgeous Lara Dutta, whose face has started glowing â&#x20AC;Ś and every one knows that it's 'L-O-V-E'. Lara goes all out talking about her beau tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati in the recent edition of People. Talking about her engagement ceremony, Lara says "I think that my parents saw it coming more than I did. They really like Mahesh a lot". And the best part is that both the families are Bangalore-bound. Confirming this Lara says "Our families have become pretty close because everyone is in Bangalore." Lara is also on an all-time high because her fitness DVD is all set to hit the markets. Her engagement to Mahesh did set lots of tongues wagging, as Mahesh happens to be an already married man! Talking about this aspect, Lara says "I am not the person to comment on Mahesh's past and whether or not he went through a tough period." All in all, when its Lara at the helm of things, even the 'impossible' gets all geared up and says 'I m possible". Way to go, Lara!

India Post

PREM KISHORE India Post News Service

isual, intense, engrossing and rhetorical, The Resistance Series, an action packed sci-fi thriller hit YouTube last week starring Los Angeles based Sunny Jain. Director Adrian Picardi and writer Matt Ragghianti (early staff writer on Lost) have devised Jain, as Arc light Insurgo, the lead character and steer the eight spine chilling, plot twisting, dramatic episodes around a dystopian future world called Aurordeca. A deadly virus NOXE is discovered by villain Syrus Primoris (Adrian Zaw) a 26 India Post corporate titan who keeps a slave sysHow did his parents react to his tem in force and Arclight Insurgo (Jain) and Lana Strife (Katrina Law) mission is interest in films? "My parents believe it is good to to stop him. Resistance is a fast paced, muscle and explore avenues, and they encourbrawn, dramatic story telling with a mixed Resistance is a fast paced, muscle genre energy reminding us of the perils and brawn, dramatic story telling and challenges of a ruined world. Before with a mixed genre energy it reached YouTube, reminding us of the perils and Starz Media picked up the live -action challenges of a ruined world graphic episodes which became available on XboxLive, aged me to spread my wings as they discerned my potential and passion. Play Station Network and iTunes. How did it all begin? Jain responds. They were supportive and enthusi"Adrian and I met in the eighth grade astic at the same time they sugand became the best of friends. I starred gested I try out for medical school! in his high school film project and when So I am now prepping for medicine he went to USC Film School and I was and reading up my biology notes the

an undergrad, Adrian made a short ten minute film His Day To Remember and I starred in it and before we knew it we were headed to Utah for the Sundance Festival", where we won an award. The five minute film focuses on a nervous, young bearded man boarding a commuter express bus. The next few minutes are nerve wracking as passengers, and the driver stare suspiciously at him and there is a growing alarm as he fiddles around with his backpack and constantly looks at his watch. The young man alights from the bus and sits at an outdoor restaurant table. What happens next is a jolt of the unexpected. "This film encouraged and motivated us to collaborate several times and film making became serious. It took us three years to get it together with a budget of $ 250,000." The energy and excitement of making films comes through when Jain speaks. "I was very comfortable making this short film and found that I could easily transform myself into a character." Jain speaks rapidly and with enthusiasm amped up. "Film making is an incredible journey - a once in a life time experience." It is evident that the series was made with dedication, commitment, total trust and collaboration. "It's a team effort," Jain confirms. "We need to work together whether it's tackling a beard that takes one and a half hours to glue on, being splattered in blood in a wet, cold wintry day in the arid landscapes of Santa Clarita or working out the script."

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December 3, 2010

L-R: Sunny Jain, Krishna Jain, Ashok Jain, Payal Jain, Raj Jain, Adrian Picardi (Director), Susan Picardi

moment I step out of my trailer in the parking lot." The future? 'Maybe we will do more episodes, we are not sure where this series will take us. It could evolve into a movie. After all when Adrian the director and I made "His Day to Remember"

we were listed at the Sundance Festival and won an award". Born in Chicago, Jain is settled in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and may move to med school in another part of the country. "I must become independent," he says. "I am becoming too comfortable in my parents' home. My sister, who is a SAG member, did work on many a TV show and

is now a resident doctor." Sunny Jain's interests range from film to photography, the saxophone, science fiction, videogames. "I'm just a normal guy" he says "trying to enjoy every aspect of my personality". Will the Resistance Series become a cult hit? Check it out on You Tube.

December 3, 2010

India Post

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Indian graphic novel 'Untouchable' on Apple IPad India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Liquid Comics announced last week the digital iPad release of Untouchable, an original graphic novel from acclaimed writers Mike Carey (X-Men, Lucifer, The Unwritten) and Samit Basu (Devi, The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma, The Simoqin Prophecies). A printed edition of the graphic novel will also be released in North America through Liquid's publishing partner, Dynamite Entertainment in early December. "When I was approached to team up with Samit Basu, India's foremost sci-fi / fantasy author, I didn't have to think about it for too long. We decided to put the AngloIndian connection at centre stage, and the result was Untouchable. This is a horror story about the clash of cultures, and about a man whose mixed race left him without friends or shelter - until the day he met a demon who, in her way, was just as much of an outcast as him," commented Carey. "This haunting tale by Mike and Samit is the result of two of the most creative minds from the East and West working together for the first time," Liquid Comics CoFounder & CEO, Sharad Devarajan added. "The future of graphic novels is digital and as such, we are thrilled to launch this graphic novel digitally through the Apple iPad, in addition to bookstores through our publishing partner, Dynamite Entertainment." "Writing Untouchable was a dream come true for several reasons, the most important of which was getting to work with Mike Carey who has been one of my idols since I started reading comics, well before I started writing them," added Samit Basu. "Mike is ridiculously nice for someone that successful and talented, and this was a collaboration that really worked. The story itself was one that fired both our imaginations, from the dark jungles of turn-of-the-century India to the dreaming

rewarding experiences I've had at Liquid Comics. While wildly creative on their own, the synergy between these two talented writers and the worlds they are bringing together is a window into a very exciting future," added Gotham Chopra, Liquid's Co-Founder. Liquid Comics is an entertainment company focused on creating original stories and modern myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded by entrepreneurs, Gotham Chopra, Sharad Devarajan and Suresh Seetharaman

‘This haunting tale by Mike and Samit is the result of two of the most creative minds from the East and West working together for the first time,’ Liquid Comics Co-Founder & CEO, Sharad Devarajan added. ‘The future of graphic novels is digital and as such, we are thrilled to launch this graphic novel digitally through the Apple iPad, in addition to bookstores through our publishing partner, Dynamite Entertainment’

spires of Oxford, there was drama and blood spilling all over the place." "Watching Mike and Samit interact and generate a fresh and thrilling story in Untouchable has been one of the most

Gowarikar's period film hits theaters Dec 3

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: PVR Pictures and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions' muchhyped period thriller Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (KHJJS) is set to release all over on Dec 3. The film is directed by Ashutosh Gowariker (of Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar fame) and stars Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Sikander Kher. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is a period-

thriller film with Abhishek playing Surjya Sen based on the Chittagong Uprising of 1930. Says Gowarikar, "I have purchased the rights of the book 'Do and Die' by Manini Chatterjee. Little to almost nothing is known about the Chittagong Uprising and I thought it important to be brought forward to the nation. It is a true story and yet we know so little about it, hence my desire to bring it onto the big screen. Few realize that the Chittagong Armoury Raid is one of India's greatest freedom struggles. The film is about young revolutionaries who play with their lives, hence the title Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey." The film revolves around a series of attacks executed in one single night in Chittagong, British India, on April 18, 1930 and its aftermath. The actions of these revolutionary teenagers had stunned the colonial rulers and ignited the spark of rebellion throughout Bengal. In the book 'Do and Die' journalist Manini Chatterjee, drawing upon hitherto unpublished extracts from police records and government files, reconstructs the events of that fateful night. What happened in the ensuing three years is vividly narrated, though she has only reported the true incidents.

and uses the medium of graphic novel publishing to develop properties for theatrical live-action films, animation and video games. Liquid has created original graphic novels with acclaimed filmmakers and creators including John Woo, Shekhar Kapur, Deepak Chopra, Guy Ritchie, Dave Stewart, Jonathan Mostow, Edward Burns, Nicolas Cage, John Moore and others.

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December 3, 2010 www.indiapost.com

MIAAC Film Festival wraps up with awards ceremony

Vihir (The Well) India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Five days of soldout features, shorts and documentary screenings, a Smita Patil retrospective in partnership with the

Film Society at Lincoln Center, nightly red-carpet events, film industry panels, and celebritypacked after parties all came to a close with a prestigious awards ceremony of the Mahindra IndoAmerican Arts Council (MIAAC) film festival at the SVA Theater in Manhattan, on Nov 14. Following the closing night film "Cooking with Stella", the longest-running and prestigious Indian film festival in the country, the MIAAC Film Festival, recognized noteworthy directing, writing, and acting at the awards ceremony. Umesh Kulkarni's Vihir (The Well) won Best Picture; Ajay Naidu won Best Actor for his role in Ashes while Seema Biswas won Best Actress for Cooking with Stella. Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK as the director-duo won Best

and 'Charulata…A Sequel' directed by Sangeeta Padmanabhan won the Best Short Film award. A Special Achievement Award for

The longest-running and prestigious Indian film festival in the country recognized noteworthy directing, writing, and acting at the awards ceremony Seema Biswas

Director for Shor while Rituparno Ghosh won Best Screenplay for Memories in March. 'Ganesh, Boy Wonder' directed by Srinivas Krishna won Best Documentary

Significant Contribution to the Globalization of Indian music was given to A.R. Rahman, which was accepted at the ceremony by director Mani Ratnam. Among the many celebrities

Ajay Naidu

who attended the festival were Mani Ratnam and wife Suhasini, Mira Nair, Seema Biswas, Ekta Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Salman Rushdie, Aasif Mandvi, Manu Narayan, Tannishtha Chatterjeee, and Ajay Naidu.

IFFI 'film bazaar' for co-production, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy tourism promotion launch iPhone app

PANAJI: A 'film bazaar', inaugurated on the sidelines of IFFI here, is attracting some big market players who are looking for coproduction deals with Indian filmmakers besides tourism industries of countries that are targeting Bollywood productions. The fourth edition of the bazaar, organized by National Film Development Corporation Ltd (NFDC), saw international buyers and sales agents like Fortissimo Films (UK), Cinetic Rights Management (US), Yellow Affair Foundation (Finland), Rapid Eye Movies (Germany) and R a i l t o (Netherland) participating. "It is my first time at IFFI and I am interested in the diverse film culture of India. I have some meetings scheduled with filmmakers, let us see what happens. India is a very important country for us. It has a flourishing film culture and obviously lot of money," Christoph Thoke, a producer from Germany, told PTI. Thoke recently saw Aamir Khan productions' "Peepli Live" and is impressed with the way "reality" has been shown in an entertaining way. "We in Europe are tired of films that are about suffering. We are now looking forward to films that depict reality in a more real way

without making it too heavy," Thoke said, adding he hoped something will come out during his trip to IFFI. The bazaar this year also includes participation from SAARC countries. "This year for the first time we have participants from SAARC countries, who can use

t h i s platform to interact with filmmakers from across the world," said NFDC managing director Nina Gupta. Marten Rabarts of Binger Film Lab, Amsterdam is already collaborating with "My Brother Nikhil" maker Onir for his next production. Rabarts also held a session on 'Pitching and Packaging of film production projects.'

Oscar-winning film "No Man's Land" producer and Venice International Film Festival director Marco Mueller also held a session with budding filmmakers on pitching their films in international circuits. Johannes Koeck, head of Cine Tirol Film Commission Austria, said Indian film shoots in his country have seen a 100 per cent tourist increase. "So far Austria has seen 70 Indian films being shot there. The most latest I think was Subhash Ghai's 'Yuvvraaj'. We are also trying to work on a co-production deal which will make things more easy for Indian producers in terms of money. We already provide free location scouting to Indian producers," Koeck told PTI. "Indian films are the cheapest way of promoting a country's tourism. From the very first film we have noticed that Indian movies help increase the number of tourists coming from your country to almost 100 per cent, which is a huge number for us," Koeck said. The bazaar also saw the participation of independent filmmakers from India like Onir, Praveen Dabbas and Aamir Bashir among others. -PTI

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Acclaimed musical trio Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have created yet another milestone as they announced their association with technology giant Apple by creating a special application which will enable them to reach out to fans across the globe. SEL, renowned for their fabulous music scores of movies like 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Kal Ho Na Ho', 'Wake Up Sid', 'Taare Zameen Par', 'Rock On' and 'Housefull', have now become the first Indian music composer group to have a customized application on the iPhone, enabling fans all over the world to stay updated with the latest from the band. The application will also allow access to exclusive content, backstage videos and music from the talented musicians. It will also help fans across borders to come together and be a part of the exclusive 'Shankar Ehsaan Loy' community. This exciting tool is not only available to all iPhone users but is also compatible with the iPod touch and the iPad. "We've had a very dynamic journey so far and it's now time to up the ante and move into other areas of music and songwriting with the help of newer and popular platforms like the internet, mobile and other digital mediums. The SEL

iPhone application is one small step towards making our music available globally and to a varied demographic of music lovers," says the musical trio. The application is created by OML Digital, an Indian company that specializes in building technology for entertainers. OML builds tools which help content creators reach out, monetize and track their content. They believe that by matching content with the right

Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy

brands, an enriching environment for artists and users can be created. OML Digital released the iPhone application for Shankar Ehsaan Loy. Girish Talwar, Founding Director, OML Digitial says, "We at OML have always wanted to provide artists the ability to reach out to their audiences in the most direct manner possible and with the highest quality of interactivity that technology can offer at that point in time. Through the SEL iPhone application that the OML Digital team has built we believe we have created, for the first time, a product that allows musicians to do that in a manner like never before."

India Post

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December 3, 2010

C H O K H I D H A N I VILLAGE Synonymous with Rajasthani culture

Chokhi Dhani Village has been the mirror of Rajasthani culture since 1989. Started as part of ambiance for a restaurant, over the years it has evolved as a tasteful and authentic symbol of ethnic village life of this most colorful state in the country Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 30

India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

Awards instituted for heritage tourism NEW DELHI: Heritage body INTACH has entered into an agreement with a South Asia tourism promotion body for awarding individuals and institutions who have done inspiring and innovative work in heritage tourism. The SATTE-INTACH Heritage Tourism Awards will be given in various categories like museums, heritage towns and cities, heritage walks, natural heritage tourism, rural, craft and community-based heritage tourism, among other categories. An MoU was signed here between the South Asia Travel Tourism Exchange (SATTE) and INTACH for instituting tourism awards for heritage. The MoU signed by INTACH chairman Maj Gen (Retd) L K

Gupta and SATTE's Naveen S Berry lays out a partnership between the two bodies to award deserving artists and institutions in the field in India. "The awards are instituted by SATTE, New Delhi, India in partnership with INTACH with the objective of recognizing and inspiring individuals and institutions who have done inspiring and innovative work in the field of heritage tourism," a statement said. The awardees will be picked up from among nominations collected by INTACH through its chapters and members across the country and through help by other agencies. A committee comprising top officials of INTACH and SATTE will pick up the awardees. -PTI

December 3, 2010

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Shillong Autumn Festival kicks off SHILLONG: The annual Autumn Festival kicked off to a gala opening at Barapani, about 20 km from Shillong, combining mouth watering local food with wine, ethnic songs and dances with western music. Cultural troupes from all over North-East are taking part in the festival by the scenic Umiam (Barapani) Lake, the theme of which is "Tourism Naturally".

The festival has been organized by Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF). The concluding day of the twoday Autumn Festival showcased a giant canvas full of paintings by artists from all over North East, which were auctioned at the venue. "Fire dancers from Ukranine and England will also perform on the concluding evening of the fes-

tival," William Diengdoh, member MTDF said. Fashion show, juggling besides rock groups from various North Eastern states will take to the stage. Held for the sixth consecutive year, Shillong Autumn Festival has gained popularity in different parts of North East India and has also been drawing foreign visitors. -PTI

Malaysia top travel destination for Indians KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has emerged as one of the most favorite destinations in the Asia Pacific for Indian travelers, according to a new survey. Forty-six per cent of respondents from India had named the southeast Asian country as one of their preferred destinations for the next two years, said the sur-

vey by the Asia Pacific Travel Intentions and conducted by Visa and the Pacific Asia Travel Association, reported national news agency Bernama. "Malaysia is ahead of other Asia Pacific countries and territories such as Australia and Hong Kong. "With India now the sixth largest source market for inbound

tourism to Malaysia, these survey findings are very timely," Struat Tomlinson, Visa Malaysia country manager said. Tomlinson said the tourism potential between the two countries was tremendous as both had forged close ties with six bilateral agreements recently, one of which also included tourism. -PTI

Chokhi Dhani Village: Synonymous with Rajasthani culture

hokhi Dhani Village has been the mirror of Rajasthani culture since 1989. Started as part of ambiance for a restaurant, over the years it has evolved as a tasteful and authentic symbol of ethnic village life of this most colorful state in the country. Today, the name of

artists perform concurrently. A village fair is created every evening as an ongoing celebration of the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Rajasthan. The display of traditional huts and workmanship will take you back to the times when splendor was unpretentious. Experience the

Chokhi Dhani Village. The exposure that the local folk artistes have received has revived many of the arts and crafts that were getting all but forgotten in these modern times. Few visitors can resist the temptation to join the artistes and dance with the music. The magic show, the puppet

ing, horse riding, camel riding, elephant riding and much more are here to rejuvenate you and your family. The Chokhi Dhani Village also has a photo studio with traditional look, a national art and craft market, a museum and many more places showing Rajasthani village

with Rajasthani art, culture and respect for the guest. How to reach Road: The lovely pink city of Jaipur is just 258 kms from Delhi Air: Jaipur is an international airport, has frequent flights to and from Delhi and Mumbai. Road: 4.5 hours, NH8 is best road from Delhi

culture, villagers' lifestyle with a dining hall, renowned for the mouth watering and typical Rajasthani food. A place where you will enjoy to come and forget to leave... where you will get rid off your worries and you will drown

to Jaipur. Rail: 4.5 hours, Ajmer Shatabdi departs from New Delhi at 6:10am and reaches Jaipur at 10:40am. The same train departs from Jaipur at 5:45pm and returns to Delhi at 10:20pm.

The exposure that the local folk artistes have received has revived many of the arts and crafts that were getting all but forgotten in these modern times. Few visitors can resist the temptation to join the artistes and dance with the music Chokhi Dhani is synonymous with Rajasthani culture throughout the country. Spread over 10 acres of beautifully landscaped area for a rustic look, it is dotted with machaans and platforms where different folk

rich warmth and rustic charm of a typical Rajasthani Village at Chokhi Dhani - the festivities never end here! Live dance and music performance all through the evenings is one of the major attractions at

show, acrobatics on a bamboo without the protection of a safety net beneath, the astrologer, the fortune teller parrot all made the visitors spellbound. The artificial forest with roar sounds of animals and tribes, boat-

December 3, 2010

Travel & Hospitality Post

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Qatar Airways plans service from Bay Area India Post News Service

CUPERTINO, CA: Indus Travel Network Association (ITNA) held its third successful event at Arya Restaurant here on November 11. It was sponsored by Qatar Airways, a Five Star airline. Close to 100 Indian travel agent members of ITNA in Bay Area attended this event. Qatar has 80 destinations world wide and 10 destinations in India from three gate-

Tourism in Mauritius picking up: Jugnauth JAMSHEDPUR: Mauritius President Anerood Jugnauth has said tourism sector, which contributes largely to the economy of his country, has been picking up along with improvement in the global economy. "The tourist scenario has picked up in our country with the global economy showing signs of improvement. The number of European tourists had gone down, affecting Mauritius's economy badly," Jugnauth told reporters here. Tourism contributes 40 per cent of the country's revenue and the majority of the contribution comes from European nations, he said. After tourism, sugarcane, technology and textile segments contribute in the country's revenue generation, he said. -PTI

HPTDC winter discount in its hotels SHIMLA: In order to attract tourists during lean season in winter at most of the places in the state, Himachal Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has offered 15 to 30 per cent in its 57odd hotels from November 15 to April 8 next year. Vineet Kumar, Managing Director of the Corporation, said HPTDC was also planning to offer attractive packages for X-Mass and New Year from December 23 to January 2 next year as the discount of 15 to 30 per cent would not be available during this period. -PTI

Kristian Anderson Regional Manager, USA for Qatar Airways, addressing ITNA members.

1,500 tourists rescued near Mt. Everest KATHMANDU: Nepalese authorities have rescued 1,500 tourists with the help of helicopters and airplanes, who were stranded at Lukla, the gateway to Mt. Everest for more than a week. The trekkers and tourist guides have been rescued with the help of the Army helicopters and other private airlines helicopters and airplanes, according to Sarad Pradhan, media coordinator of Nepal Tourism Board. They were stranded there due to bad weather in the region which hindered the operation of regular flights to and from Lukla. There is

no passenger left behind in Lukla after the rescue operation, the NTB said. Army helicopters were mobilized in coordination with trekking agents at the request made by Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board, Trekking Agents Association of Nepal and Himalayan Rescue Association, the official said. Army helicopters alone rescued more than 200 tourists stranded in Lukla. The foreign tourists were left without adequate food and other facilities for more than a week in the lap of the Himalayas. -PTI

Conference on tourism for the disabled MOSCOW: First of its kind international conference on differently abled with participation from more than 40 tourist companies, health resorts, rehabilitation centers and hotels from 13 countries will be held in Moscow. The conference will discuss issues of insurance, transportation, accommodation and juridical aspects of tourism for disabled people here. The main aim of the conference, as its organizers say, is to "encourage the development of medical tourism and tourism for disabled people in the Russian market, attract attention of tourist companies to this kind of tourism, promote the expansion of possibilities of rest and treatment for people who suffer from different ailments and need special services." President of the Russian Tour-

ist Industry Union Sergei Shpilko stressed that "medical tourism is a very perspective direction in the development of the tourist sector, however, it just begins developing in Russia." According the Ministry of

The main aim of the conference, as its organizers say, is to ‘encourage the development of medical tourism’ Health and Social Development, there are some 14.5 million of disabled people in Russia, which makes about 10 percent of the whole population of the country. (Itar-Tass). PTI

L-R: Prem Singh Punjab Travels; Sabrina Locher Qatar Airways, Kristian Anderson Regional Manager, Qatar Airways USA; Bill Qatar Airways; Kumud Paul Travel Design; Ruth Esparaza Qatar Airways; Deepak Vohra V.I.P Travels; Sundeep Talwar Tekotrav; Parvin Dasdelen Qatar Airways

ways from USA - Houston, New York and Washington DC. It has many code share cities in the US. There is huge possibility of Qatar starting a service from Bay

Area next year, according to Kristian Anderson, Qatar Airways' Regional Manager, USA. The next ITNA event will be held on January 19, 2011.

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Tech News Sibal launches Mobile Number Portability ROHTAK, Haryana: India has ushered in Mobile Number Portability that will allow cellphone users to switch operators without changing numbers, with Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal launching the service in Haryana. The rest of India would get to use MNP from January 20, next year. The consumer friendly service was mooted over two years ago and was planned to be implemented by end of 2009. However, implementation had to be deferred several times owing to reasons ranging from lack of preparedness of operators to delay in appointment of an agency to oversee MNP execution. -PTI

Top industrialists to advise govt on export NEW DELHI: The government has formed a group of top bankers and industrialists, including SBI chief OP Bhatt, Ashok Leyland MD R Seshasayee and Hero group chief Pawan Munjal, to advise it on raising India's export competitiveness and doubling overseas shipments in the next three years. The decision was taken at a highlevel Board of Trade (BoT), comprising top industrialists, bankers, export promotion councils and government officials, which met here under the chairmanship of Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma. "This has been a comprehensive review. We have decided to set up a working group. -PTI

Domestic carriers warned against 'predatory pricing' NEW DELHI: Sending a strong signal to domestic carriers over abrupt hike in airfares by some of them during periods of high demand, Civil Aviation Ministry has warned them of action if they continued with such "predatory pricing". The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which issued a directive to all airlines earlier this week, has sent notices to them to explain why such high prices were being charged. "We will take action against airlines that violate the price band. In fact, DGCA has sent notices to all the airlines. This kind of predatory pricing cannot be justified and it cannot be allowed to continue," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here. -PTI

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Sebi raps Sahara on illegal fund-raising MUMBAI: Market regulator Sebi has castigated the Sahara Group for raising thousands of crores in violation of regulatory framework and said that there is a clear "imperative to lift the corporate veil." Rejecting the contention of two Sahara Group entities and its supremo Subrata Roy that mopping up funds through their debenture issue -OFCDs -- was outside its purview, Sebi barred them from approaching the public for raising money till further orders. At the same time, Sebi also forwarded its interim order to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for appropriate action for any violation of the Companies Act by the two unlisted companies. -PTI

Asia Society honor for Mukesh Ambani India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Continuing its more than three decades-long tradition of recognizing extraordinary individuals Asia Society New York honored Mukesh D. Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd.; Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric; and the New York Philharmonic, America's oldest symphony orchestra, at its Annual Awards Dinner Nov 16 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The evening's emcee was CNBC Anchor, Melissa Lee, who interviewed honorees Ambani and Immelt during the event. Gala chairs were Edward and Betsy Cohen, Atlas Energy Inc., and Vikram S. Pandit, CEO, Citigroup Inc. Award Dinner Chair Ed Cohen presented Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, with the Global Vision Award in recognition of his contributions to developing technologies that have advanced the goal of energy independence by enabling further access to petroleum and natural gas in India and in the United States. In his acceptance speech, Ambani said he has had a great journey since his days at Stanford University 30 years ago. "I have been truly fortunate to have had such a great journey," he said. "In the 1980s India was viewed as a third world country and today it is the third most important economy

in the world. That has been truly a fantastic journey." Referring to President Obama's recent visit to India, Ambani said, "It was good to see that after 30 years US business leaders were

That is the journey India has made in the last few decades." In 2009, Ambani was ranked fifth best performing CEO in the world by the Harvard Business Review and Reliance Industries,

Immelt was named one of the ‘World's Best CEOs’ three times by Barron's recognizing his global leadership of General Electric since 2001 saying that they wanted to take the Indian market to create jobs back in the US. It made me feel good that finally we have arrived. The US President comes to India and says this is a great market.

Ltd. was ranked the 15th most innovative company in the world in a survey conducted by Business Week and BCG. Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric, was rec-

ognized by Awards Dinner Chair Vikram Pandit, with the Global Leadership Award for his work in expanding the company while continuing to respect local environments and cultures. In his acceptance, he stressed the continued importance of globalization, and underscored his company's ethic to "make money for - not just in - a country." Immelt was named one of the "World's Best CEOs" three times by Barron's recognizing his global leadership of General Electric since 2001. James D. Wolfensohn presented the New York Philharmonic with the Cultural Ambassador Award for its work in elevating cross cultural dialogue around the world through music, especially through its groundbreaking concerts in Pyongyang, North Korea, and Vietnam. Guests were treated to a performance of Handel's Passacaglia as well as a moving rendition of the Korean folk song, Arirang, performed by assistant concertmaster Michelle Kim and violist Vivek Kamath. President and Executive Director of the Philharmonic Zarin Mehta also shared footage from the Philharmonic's landmark 2008 trip to North Korea, which showed broad smiles and waves shared between the musicians and their North Korean audience, and demonstrated the power of music to cross seemingly impenetrable borders.

Yogini's Quick-n-EZ Language reaches Phoenix India Post News Service

COLUMBIA, MD: Quick-n-EZ Language have opened a West Coast office location in Phoenix, Arizona. The new location will be headed up by Deepa Thareja, and will allow Quick-n-EZ to expand their market share within the West Coast region and increase opportunity and growth targets as the company matures. This strategic move by Quickn-EZ Language will allow the company to expand their footprint and deepen the market penetration for their innovative array of language learning products that use an em-

phasis on local language references as a way to increase user engagement and lifelong retention of foreign language words and phrases. Thareja, a trained educator and teacher, is a natural fit to head up this new Quick-n-EZ office. In her role, she will be amplifying efforts to promote Quick-n-EZ's innovative and revolutionary language learning products to take the company to new heights. Quick-n-EZ's scientific approach to lifelong language learning is rooted in the usage of local language references to effectively and quickly teach correct pronunciation, letter/character formation,

and verbal/written communication skills for a foreign language based on similar sounds/letters from the student's current or native tongue. "Quick-n-EZ's unprecedented, scientific approach to teaching world languages that last a lifetime and truly makes their products unique within the market," notes new Phoenix office head Thareja. "I am looking forward to this opportunity to grow awareness for their solutions and get their products into more hands in the West Coast region. Language learning is a must in this ever-globalizing world economy." "We are thrilled about our ex-

pansion into the Phoenix market," says CEO Yogini Dahiwadkar. "I feel that this strategic move will bring numerous advantages to us as Quick-n-EZ Languages' profile and product offerings grow, and we are confident in Ms. Thareja's abilities to successfully drive this new effort. We are excited to be taking this next step in the development of our company." Quick-n-EZ Language™ is the revolutionary language teaching method created by a mother to teach her own preschooler the Indian languages of Hindi and Marathi. Contíd on page 35

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December 3, 2010

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i3 award for Intelligent Power Conditioner India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Shwetank Jain's "Intelligent Power Conditioner with Hybrid System Integrator" won the first prize at the AgilentDST-CII led India Innovation Initiative i3 held at IIT Delhi. The second prize went to Nandan Kumar, Sudarshan Rajagopalan and Sankamesh Ramaswamy's "Automated machine to manufacture three dimensional non-woven fibrous structure for medical applications" while the third prize went to Kishore R, and Preetham Shankpal's, "Development of pulse wave velocity measurement system". They were awarded cash prizes worth one lakh, seventyfive thousand and fifty thousand respectively. The top three i3 awardees also won the best innovation award by young innovators given by Yong Indians -Yi. i3 also gave fourth and fifth prize to Dhananjay P Mehendale's, "New protective and air purifying mask for citizens" and Vinod Marathe's, "SHARP SUVED-Integrated management of CAD / IHD (Heart Attack ) and Thrombotic Brain Stroke". The National Fair finale of the India Innovation Initiative (i3) saw over 50 best-in-class innovation entries battling it out for top honors. These 50 had been selected out of a total of nearly a 1000 entries that came in from across the

country. i3 is the successful partnership between Agilent Technologies, Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to create and sustain an ecosystem of innovation and encourage innovators of all ages and backgrounds. A jury panel comprising eminent industrialists, scientists, business management experts and government representatives came

The National Fair finale of the India Innovation Initiative (i3) saw over 50 best-in-class innovation entries battling it out for top honors. These 50 had been selected out of a total of nearly a 1000 entries together to evaluate each of the 50 entries. Yi awarded the top three innovations by young innovators. Select innovations, which have a special potential for commercialization, will be offered incubation support by the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship, IIM Ahmedabad. There will be other awards, recognition and support to winners. Speaking on the occasion, Mr.

Award received by best innovatars for their simple and scientifically advanced innovations on i3 National Fair held at IIT Delhi, 22 November

Parmeet Ahuja, President and Country General Manager, Agilent Technologies India said, "We introduced i3 last year with the objective to provide innovative minds a platform to convert viable ideas to reality. India has a large talent base and initiatives like i3 give people a chance to showcase futuristic and break-through innovations, and potentially reach out to a global audience." "Through the years, it has been our endeavor to engage and tap the best minds in the country. We are overwhelmed by the response of nearly 1000 entries this year, a big jump over last year's participation strength of 250. We will continue to work hard to encourage and inculcate the spirit of innovation, which can then be leveraged for the benefit of society at large." he added. "India has emerged as an economic superpower during the last two decades and is well placed to

Rohatgi wins Innovation Research Award India Post News Service

MILWAUKEE: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has named Pradeep Rohatgi, a Distinguished Professor of materials engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), recipient of the 2010 Innovative Research Award in Tribology. This award is given biennially to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding creativity and original research in the field of tribology, the study of friction and wear. It was announced at the October joint meeting of ASME and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers in San Francisco. The award recognizes Rohatgi's groundbreaking contributions to improving the production of metal matrix composites. He synthesized lightweight self-lubricating composites and uncovered the mechanisms of formation of self-lubricating films in these materials. He also developed wear-resistant lightweight composites that are currently used in transportation appli-

cations including brake rotors. His expertise is sought by the U.S. Defense Department to improve the energy efficiency, strength and reliability of military transportation systems. Rohatgi's more recent work involves unique tribological properties of nanostructured materials and self-healing metal composites. Embedded with nanoparticles, these composites can deliver qualities such as self-lubrication, abrasion resistance and energy absorption. The award also honors Rohatgi's efforts to make his research available to private industry, particularly in Wisconsin. "His most recent work with synthesized cast metal matrix nanocomposites is drawing a good deal of interest," says Frank Headington, corporate vice president for technology at Neenah Foundry Company. "As Dr. Rohatgi continues to develop these technologies and transfer them to our industrial base, the opportunities for economic development in the state will undoubtedly increase." Rohatgi, who has published

over 400 research papers, coauthored and co-edited 11 books, and holds 20 U.S. patents, earned his bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from Banaras Hindu University in India and his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has received numerous awards from societies and academies around the world and is a fellow of many societies and academies including: ASM, ASME, SAE, TWAS, AAAS, IOML. Prior to coming to the U.S. Rohatgi served as a professor at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and as the Indian Institute of Technology, Karpur. He also served as the Founder Directory of two national laboratories, the National Institute of Interdiciplinary Reasearch and the Advanced Materials and Processing Institute of CSIR in Trivandrum and Bhopal, respectively. Rohatgi, a Wisconsin Distinguished and UWM Distinguished Professor, is also director of the UWM Center for Composites and UWM Center for Advanced Materials Manufacturing.

become the most powerful country in the world in the next 20 years. Innovation is the root for this change to happen, we need to be innovative in all spheres of activity starting from technology to services and all levels. Through joint collaboration with Agilent, CII and Yi, DST is determined to make Indian Innovation Initiative - i3 a flagship event to foster innovation at the grassroot level. Our aim is to harness the creativity of the fertile minds of India and to address the innovative zeal at all levels, that would eventually take India to the position of world dominance," said Dr. Kamal Kant Dwivedi, Scientist "G" & HeadNCSTC, Department of Science &

Technology, Govt of India. Anjan Das, Senior Director, CII highlighted, "CII is happy to partner with DST and Agilent for the India Innovation Initiative - i3 Awards 2010. As one of the apex bodies representing industries in India, CII has taken a leap forward to bring forth the agenda of Innovation awareness and promotion within its members and society at large, with the objective of building a sustainable innovation ecosystem in the country. i3 is the perfect forum where innovators above 18, from all over the country and across all backgrounds, could participate and get a chance to showcase there creativity. The top innovators will be recognized and facilitated by CIIE of IIM Ahmedabad, SINE of IIT Bombay and Yi to transform their innovation into active commercial ventures. This would create business, jobs and an overall awareness among masses, in line with the CII theme of "Business for Livelihood" for sustainable and inclusive growth. I am confident that such initiatives would facilitate some finest innovators from all backgrounds and regions of India."

Yogini's Quick-n-EZ Language reaches Phoenix ContĂd from page 34

Originally named IndiToy, the products were introduced in 2009 and quickly gained a market presence in the U.S. and Canada. When it became clear that there was a great need to expand the product methodology to include other world languages, the line was renamed Quick-n-EZ - still

marketed by the company IndiToy, Inc. - to reflect how quickly and easily students of all ages can learn using its unique approach. Learning materials include colorful flashcards, handy practice charts, and easy to follow workbooks, all laminated and used with dry erase markers for repeat use and language reinforcement.

Health

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Illinois panel seeks ideas on fighting chronic disease

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.:Agovernment panel is looking for ideas on fighting chronic diseases that plague millions of Illinois residents and cost the state billions of dollars. The task force is holding hearings around the state on how Illinois can improve efforts to prevent diseases like heart disease, asthma, cancer, arthritis and diabetes. The effort involves everything from paying for health care to educating the public to addressing health disparities among different races and regions. The next hearing by the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Task Force is in Springfield. -AP

Whooping cough outbreak worsens in Grant County EPHRATA, Wash.: A whooping cough outbreak in Grant County is getting worse. The Wenatchee World reports that the number of confirmed cases has roughly doubled, to 25 in all. The Grant County Public Health District declared a pertussis outbreak after one infant died of the disease on Aug. 24. The health district also investigated 262 people who came in contact with those infected. Symptoms of pertussis, or whooping cough, begin like a cold, with a runny nose, sneezing, a mild fever and a cough that slowly gets worse. The second stage includes uncontrolled coughing spells and a whooping noise when the person inhales. -AP

OHSU has cancer research strategy after $100M gift PORTLAND, Ore.: Oregon Health & Science University says it has formed a cancer care and research plan that includes a recruiting drive and a commercial DNA testing lab. The Oregonian reports the plan also includes the expansion of the university's cancer tissue bank into a unique and potentially profitable resource for researchers and drug companies. The plan was announced about two years after OHSU received a $100 million gift from Nike cofounder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, to support cancer research. OHSU officials say the main goal of the effort is to use DNA testing to choose treatments that target an individual tumor's weaknesses, rather than blasting them with toxic chemotherapy or radiation. -AP

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December 3, 2010

Neb. ranks 26th in tobacco prevention WASHINGTON: A coalition of public health programs has ranked Nebraska 26th in the nation in funding programs to keep children from smoking and help smokers quit. -AP

GOPIO Summit calls for action plan on Diaspora health India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Health Council of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) concluded a first-of-a-kind summit and conference addressing pertinent health issues of interest and concern to the global Asian Indian community, and honored five healthcare professionals and organizations during its inaugural Health Summit held Nov 12-14 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel LaGuardia, in New York. GOPIO Health Council's mission is to engage the People of Indian Origin (PIOs) to raise awareness of the factors contributing to chronic diseases affecting them, and influence them to take proactive action to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life. Collaborating organizations for the Summit were American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and Coronary Artery Disease among Asian Indians (CADI) Research Foundation. On the Summit's first day, Dr. Poonam Alaigh, Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, NJ commended the Health Summit

NYC Comptroller John Liu speaking at the Health Summit

Dr Binoy Singh spoke about the urgent need for diet and lifestyle changes to reduce increasing risk factors, especially high cholesterol, diabetes and pre-diabetes among Indian Americans initiative stating, "I look forward to the proceedings of this conference as blueprint for the issues we face, and need to take appropriate action to bring about the necessary changes." Dr. Binoy Singh, cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University School of Medicine, spoke about the urgent need for diet and lifestyle changes to reduce in-

creasing risk factors, especially high cholesterol, diabetes and prediabetes among Indian Americans. Five individuals and organizations - Rita Batheja, Dr. Suresh Khanna, Dr. Jatin Shah, SATHI and the SEVAK Project were recognized for their contributions in the health sector with focus on community service. New York City Comptroller John Liu gave away the awards.

On the second day, a panel of health practitioners shared their expertise on Disease Prevention & Health Management with focus on Cardiovascular Health/Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes, and Stress Management. They highlighted ways to identify the risk factors specific to the PIOs, practical ways to manage these chronic diseases, and included interactive sessions with audience participation and breaks for exercise and meditation. According to Dr. Ranjita Misra, Professor & Research Director, Center for the Study of Health Disparities (CSHD) at Texas A&M University, "Asian Indians have a higher rate of diabetes than all other racial groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Whites, and American Indians) in the US. Hence, primary and secondary prevention can help curb this epidemic." Dr. Enas A. Enas, Cardiologist and Founder President of CADI Research Foundation said, "The good news is that heart disease has now become the most predictable, preventable, and treatable of all chronic diseases. Cont’d on page 38

Feds OK 2nd study of embryonic stem cells NEW YORK: For only the second time, the U.S. government has approved a test in people of a treatment using embryonic stem cells this time for a rare disease that causes serious vision loss. Advanced Cell Technology, a biotechnology company based in Santa Monica., Calif., said the research should begin early next year, following the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Just last month another biotech company, Geron Corp., said it had begun preliminary testing in people for treating spinal cord injuries by injecting cells derived from embryonic stem cells. Scientists hope to use stem

cells to create a variety of tissues for transplant. But human embryos have to be destroyed to harvest those cells, which has made their use controversial. ACT's experiment will focus on Stargardt disease, which af-

used for tasks like reading and recognizing faces. Some patients go totally blind, even losing peripheral vision, while others are severely impaired and can only perceive light or see their hands moving in front of their faces.

'We're also hoping to see some improvement in visual acuity, but that's a bonus,' said Dr Robert Lanza, ACT's chief scientific officer fects only about 30,000 Americans. But the company hopes the same approach will work for similar and more common eye disorders like age-related macular degeneration, which affects millions. Stargardt is an inherited disorder that attacks central vision

The disease typically starts in adolescence. The key problem is that impaired scavenger cells fail to remove toxic byproducts from the eye, allowing them to build up and kill other cells. There is no proven treatment. In the new study, 12 patients will be treated with healthy scav-

enger cells, created in a laboratory from human embryonic stem cells. This early phase of the research is primarily to test the safety of various doses, injecting only one eye of each patient. ``We're also hoping to see some improvement in visual acuity, but that's a bonus,'' said Dr. Robert Lanza, ACT's chief scientific officer. The research will be performed at medical centers in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon, ACT said. Stephen Rose, chief research officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, said his group is ``very, very glad'' that ACT has permission to begin the study. -AP

December 3, 2010

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FDA pulls Darvon painkiller due to safety risks WASHINGTON: The maker of the pain- us what the complete picture was,'' said Dr. killer Darvon is pulling the drug off the mar- Gerald Dal Pan, director of FDA's office of ket at the request of public health officials surveillance and epidemiology. who say the more than 50-year-old pill Dal Pan said patients should continue causes potentially deadly heart rhythms. taking the medication until their doctor preThe Food and Drug Administration said scribes a replacement therapy. Other comthat Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals had agreed monly prescribed drugs in the same class to halt all U.S. marketing of Darvon and the are oxycodone and codeine. related brand Darvocet, which have been But public safety advocates said the subject to safety concerns agency should have acted for decades. The Kentucky Wolfe estimated that much sooner to pull a drug company confirmed the with limited benefits and a move in its own statement. at least 1,000 to long history of safety probThe FDA also ordered 2,000 US patients lems. generic drugmakers to stop ``The FDA's deadly dedied from taking making and selling low-cost lay in this case starkly illusdrugs containing the active Darvon since the trates how one of the most ingredient in Darvon, called U.K. banned the important public health propoxyphene. concepts, the precautionBritain and the European product in ary principle, was embraced Union decided to ban January 2005 by the UK and Europe, but Darvon in 2005 and 2009, rewas for too long recklessly spectively, due to a long trend of suicides rejected by the FDA,'' said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, and accidental overdoses. of the consumer watchdog group Public FDA officials said they decided to take Citizen. action based on a recent study showing Wolfe estimated that at least 1,000 to Darvon interferes with the electrical activ- 2,000 U.S. patients died from taking Darvon ity of the heart, causing irregular heart since the U.K. banned the product in Janurhythms that can be fatal. Xanodyne con- ary 2005. ducted the study last year at the Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban government's request. the drug in 1978 and again in 2006, pointing ``This last study, the cardiac study, was to its role in thousands of deaths reported sort of the final piece of the puzzle that told by state medical examiners. -AP

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December 3, 2010

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California aims to remove toxins in products LOS ANGELES: It's almost unthinkable now that environmentalists and manufacturers once stood together as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill making California the first state to regulate toxic chemicals in consumer products. Two years later, with regulations set to take effect in January, the longtime foes are increasingly at odds over how the state should implement regulations that would apply to everything from baby bottles to cars. Environmentalists complain the plan is too slow to be effective, while manufacturers say the state rushed to draft regulations so bureaucratic and broad they would even apply to the sale of a used boat. The Department of Toxic Substances Control has revised the rules to address criticism as companies threaten to sue if forced to share the chemical makeup of their products. ``I still love the law, it's just this particular execution that's a disas-

ter,'' said Maureen Gorsen, who proposed the initiative when she headed the DTSC but is now advising the auto industry against it. ``There's no incentive for the good and no incentive for the bad there's just paperwork.'' Proponents hope the law won't become mired in legal wrangling because the stakes are high: other states, the federal government and even other countries are watching as the new law moves toward reality. ``It's really important for this to get off on the right track,'' said Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, who authored the bill, saying it ``could be a whole new model for how we break the link between toxic chemicals and cancer and other serious diseases.'' There are tens of thousands of chemicals in the stream of commerce chemicals found in everyday products from commercial paint to tires. Eighty-five percent of chemicals that come on the market ``have zero info about health and safety,'' said Joseph H. Guth,

a scientist at the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry, ``We're really talking about a giant task that has only gotten bigger the backlog of evaluating all the chemicals in commerce is enormous,'' he said. The idea was to use science to identify harmful chemicals, look at

Environmental groups said they supported the law because they wanted to prevent situations where manufacturers replaced one toxic ingredient with another products in which they might be found and require manufacturers to develop safer alternatives. The state could eventually ban certain unsafe products from being sold in California. Regulators could also enforce fines of $25,000 a day per violation or jail time

against officials of companies or other people selling products with banned chemicals. Environmental groups said they supported the law because they wanted to prevent situations where manufacturers replaced one toxic ingredient with another, such as replacing asbestos in car brakepads with copper, which is toxic for waterways, or using toxic cadmium instead of lead in children's jewelry a development reported by The Associated Press in January. ``We have a system now where chemicals are innocent until proven guilty which is an appropriate standard for criminal justice but not for chemical safety,'' said Bill McGavern with the Sierra Club. For their part, companies said they supported the measure because changes to their products would be scientifically based and no longer a knee-jerk response to the latest product scandal. They also hoped the law would create a wave of safe product innovation and interest among consumers similar to advancements in green

building. The bill passed the Assembly with a two-thirds majority vote but since the drafting process began, disagreements have been on the rise. ``Our regulatory proposals are intended to prevent California from becoming a toxic dumping ground,'' said Maziar Movassaghi, acting director for the regulatory agency. ``Our goal is to make sure there is compliance but some companies are going to invest in research and development and some companies are going to invest in lawyers.'' The Green Chemistry Coalition, which represents corporations ranging from major drug companies to Boeing Co., believes the regulations go too far. The law was supposed to apply to consumer products but the current definition is so inclusive that everything bought, sold or leased in the state is considered a consumer product, said John Ulrich, executive director for the Chemical Industry Council of California. -AP

GOPIO Summit calls for action plan on Diaspora health

Health Summit awardees

Event on children's health Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 36

Over the last 30 years, heart disease death rates have decreased by 50 to 70 percent in Canada, the US and several other countries, whereas rates have increased 300% in India. We now have the knowledge to combat this epidemic and the alarming statistics among the Indian Diaspora and the Indian subcontinent calls for immediate action by the medical community, general public and the government." Modern age and life mentor, Master Del Pe synthesized the best of Eastern Wisdom and Western Practicality in his talk. He demonstrated practical tools to help participants boost their vitality, sharpen their minds and awaken the power of their souls. "If followed regularly, these techniques could help heal the past, transform the present and energize the future. They would result in a balanced life where one could experi-

ence not only success, but fulfillment as well," said Master Del Pe. Dr. Steven Horowitz, Cardiologist and Director, Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness at Stamford Hospital (Stamford, CT) said, "Much of the increased burden of cardiovascular disease in the South Asian community is related to the metabolic syndrome, a condition which is caused by a lifestyle out of balance interacting with genetics. Integrative Cardiology uses all the spiritual, physical and intellectual resources of the patient to regain energy balance and diminish and reverse the disease process." Dr. Pratibha Shah, Ayurveda Practitioner (Winchester, MA) spoke about the myths and facts about treatment of diabetes in Ayurveda and preventive home remedies to achieve and maintain low blood sugar levels. Dr. Lakshmi Prakash, Vice President of Innovation & Business Develop-

ment, Sabinsa Corp. (East Windsor, NJ and Bangalore) said that over the last 22 years, based on Sabinsa CEO Dr. Muhammed Majeed's founding principles of 'Innovating for the Future from the

GOPIO celebrated the occasion of 'India's Children's Day' by offering a free event on children's health and wellness Past', Sabinsa Corporation has been developing dietary and cosmetic applications from standardized natural extracts, and educating consumers across the world on phytonutrients from the Ayurvedic tradition. The talk highlighted examples of nutraceuticals pioneered by the group, to ad-

dress common preventive health maintenance needs. Dr. Alexander Zachariah, Prof. Emeritus and Research Associates of Public Health Institute for Research in Excellence of ChampaignUrbana Public Health District in Illinois said, "The epidemic of obesity among Indian Diaspora needs urgent attention starting with eating heart healthy food and sweat soaking exercises." On third day GOPIO celebrated the occasion of 'India's Children's Day' to mark the birthday of late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru by offering a free event on children's health and wellness, as well as a diverse set of entertainment that included dances of Indian, Caribbean and American origin. This special health fair for children provided education on oral health and obesity amongst children, and was delivered by Dr. Asha Samant and Dr. Alex Zachariah in novel ways that in-

cluded audience participation, games, prizes, hand and finger puppets, ventriloquism, songs and music, followed by a healthy box lunch. "The Health Summit was successful in bringing the message of preventive care and health awareness to the Indian Community. We need to continue to make the information available to the people of Indian Origin so they can manage the risk factors involved with Diabetes and Heart disease," said Sangeeta Ahuja, GOPIO Health Council chair, as she thanked the sponsors, supporters and the dedicated team of volunteers. Dr. Vivian Rambihar, cardiologist and co-chair of the GOPIO Health Council, called for "an urgent Action Plan for change at all levels, including policy, politics, social, cultural and grassroots", inviting everyone to become part of the global collaboration for health across the Indian Diaspora.

Realty Tidbits

Brigade picks up prime land in Chennai

Real Estate

angalore-based real estate firm Brigade Enterprises has picked up a 21-acre prime residential property on the Valasarawalkam-Porur belt, a western residential suburb of Chennai. The property is located off the Arcot Road, that connects Vadapalani, Kollywood's base and Porur. The board of directors of the company at its meeting held on November 9 approved the joint development agreement for development of 21 acres at Arcot Road, Chennai. This is expected to generate a turnover of more than Rs 550 crore for the company, Financial Chronicle reported, citing Brigade Enterprises officials.

Parsvnath expects lease income of Rs 250 crore New Delhi-based Parsvnath Developers said it is expecting lease income of Rs 250 crore in the next three years as the company ramps up its commercial offerings in the national capital region. "By end of this financial year, we will have 1.2 million square feet (msf) of leased commercial properties. By 2011-12, it will go up 1.8 msf and by 2013, it will be around 2.8 msf. I expect at least Rs 250 crore of lease income by that time and as markets improve, we can get higher rentals," Parsvnath chairman Pradeep Jain, said. The realtor is expecting a chunk of the lease income to come from Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) projects. It has entered into a contract with DMRC to develop 13 shopping malls/ complexes at metro stations. Parsvnath sold 24.5 per cent stake to private equity firm Red Fort Capital for Rs 120 crore in its office complex project at Connaught Place, New Delhi, in October.

Sobha Kochi project awaits Center's clearance Bangalore-based realty major Sobha Developers has said its Rs 5,000 crore hi-tech city project in Kochi has been delayed as the company is awaiting clearances from the central government. While necessary approvals from the state government are in, the clearances from the Centre under the Coastal Regulation Management Act and environmental clearances are yet to be attained, Mathew Francis, a senior official of the company, said. The project is to come up in Maradu on the outskirts of Kochi.

December 3, 2010

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SEBI approves Lavasa's 2000cr IPO

industan Construction Company (HCC) informed the stock exchange that its subsidiary, Lavasa Corporation received observation letter from Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for its proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company is planning to issue equity shares for an amount not exceeding Rs 2,000 crore. Located close to Mumbai and Pune, Lavasa is a planned hill city project set amidst Sahayadri mountains.

Emaar MGF blames DDA for CWG mess

tung by the government's decision to confiscate its Rs 183 crore bank guarantee, Emaar MGF has put the blame for delay in completion of work at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Village on DDA which contested the private developer's contention. Emaar MGF has asked the government to revoke its order to confiscate the Rs 183-crore bank guarantee, of which Rs 90 crore has already been encashed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). "If there is anything incomplete it has direct link with incomplete work of DDA/their other agencies. The project developer cannot be held responsible for failure on the part of other agencies deployed by you (DDA) for water supply, sewerage, boundary wall, electrical and cabling work etc," Emaar had said in a letter to DDA after handing over the flats to the Organizing Committee. Delayed completion of the CWG village and lack of other facilities had caused a lot of embarrassment to the government as many agencies were working in the village even after athletes and

A senior DDA official said all the milestones, including landscaping and road construction, were linked with the completion of the Village project and they were clearly spelt out in the agreement guests had arrived for the games last month. When contacted an Emaar spokesperson confirmed that the company had sent a communication to the concerned DDA officials from time to time. In the case of project milestones, the builder had completed all milestones relating to completion of all towers housing 1,168 flats and the same

were handed over to the Organizing Committee in August itself within the time schedule, Emaar MGF officials said and termed confiscation its bank guarantee as "unholy penalty". A senior DDA official said all the milestones, including landscaping and road construction, were linked with the completion of the Village project and they were

clearly spelt out in the agreement. These milestones were to be met by the developers who were developing the project, they added. Since there was a time constraint, timelines were drawn as part of milestones so that developers completed the project in time. So, it was developers' responsibility to meet these milestones because they constructing the project, DDA officials said. Emaar MGF officials said that the CWG project would have been projected as a successful PublicPrivate-Partnership but the blame game between the two could spoil the party. The Urban Development Ministry on October 21 ordered confiscation of Rs 183 crore furnished by Emaar-MGF as bank guarantee and initiation of legal action against it for recovery of other expenditure for "deficiencies" and "delays" in developing the Commonwealth Games Village. Of the Rs 183-crore bank guarantee, DDA has already encashed Rs 90 crore and the remaining Rs 93 crore could not be credited as the Delhi High Court ordered that status quo be maintained.

Lending norms to realty sector eased

rban cooperative banks (UCBs) have been allowed to lend more freely now, especially with regard to home loans and advances to the realty sector. The new rules were part of a slew of notifications by Reserve Bank of India easing the norms last week. This is a sequel to the announcements made in the

sets has been granted for home loans up to Rs 10 lakh. "Linking the limit to total assets will increase the available funds as these are much higher than deposits. Total assets include advances made by the bank, fixed assets, reserves as well as investments. The move is expected to boost the realty sector," said char-

The apex bank has also doubled the limit for granting unsecured loans by UCBs. Now, borrowers will no longer have to subscribe to the shares of financially stronger UCBs before getting a loan second quarter review of the monetary policy. As per the new rules, the limit for extending housing loans as well as advances to other real estate sectors has now been linked to the total assets of a UCB. The limit has been set at 10% of the total assets, as against the earlier limit of 15% of the total deposits. An additional limit of 5% of as-

tered accountant BC Bhartia. For banks, deposits are a liability as they have to be paid back to the depositor, while loans being a source of earning are classified as assets. The apex bank has also doubled the limit for granting unsecured loans by UCBs. Now, borrowers will no longer have to sub-

scribe to the shares of financially stronger UCBs before getting a loan. Earlier it was mandatory in every cooperative for a borrower to subscribe to the shares. The RBI has also relaxed norms for opening new branches and extension of area of operations for UCBs. For banks having a capital to risk weighted assets ration (CRAR) of 9%, the limit of granting unsecured loans to a single borrower has been doubled to Rs

1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh depending on the deposit base. For banks having a CRAR below 9% the limits have been set at Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh as per the deposit base. Earlier, the limit for weaker banks, which included those having a low CRAR, was kept at Rs 25,000 for those with deposits up to Rs 10 crore and Rs 50,000 for over Rs 10 crore. Similarly, borrowers approaching a UCB having a CRAR of over 12% need not compulsorily buy its shares any more.

40 India Post

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Pratham Fundraiser raises million dollars

Meiyang Chang

JS BEDI India Post News Service

LONG BEACH, CA: The Annual Pratham LA Benefit Concert was held at the Long Beach Terrace Theater in the heart of the city's downtown. The almost 2000 strong audience raised almost a million dollars. The audience enjoyed the melodies of Alka Yagnik and Meiyang Chang and their accompanying entourage of musicians and singers. Navneet Chugh, a Pratham Board member welcomed the guests and introduced emcee, Ravi Patel, an upcoming Hollywood actor. Samya Khan was the opening singer of the evening. She started the evening with 'Char dino ka Milan' and went on to sing other popular hits. The evening was one of fun,

Alka Yagnik

music and melody. Alka Yagnik was at her best and entertained the audience. But it was Meiyang Chang who was an instant hit. Chang, a fifth place winner of 'Indian Idol 3' and anchorman for 'In-

melodies and charming demeanor. All of 24, Supriya is working her way to fame with concerts both in India and abroad. Her dream is to be a playback singer like her ideal Lata Mangeshkar.

Alka Yagnik emerged on stage in shimmering gold and red. Glistening in her graceful attire she paced the span of the stage, connecting with the entire audience. She started her concert with 'Kuch kuch hota hai' and went on to sing other popular Bollywood hits dian Idol 4,' started his show with the song, 'Bachna e hasino, lo maien aagaya.' and went on to mesmerize the audience with his songs and style. Supriya Joshi was the other attraction of the evening. She wowed the audience with her

stage performance was punctuated with humor and anecdotes which was an instant hit with the audience. She was accompanied by guitarist Derek Alexander in duets.

The sponsors were appreciated during the speeches. There was a sumptuous dinner and the evening had it all to make it feisty and fun with clean family entertainment.

India included in Santa Fe's historic time capsule Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 20

He said that the State of New Mexico formed the 'Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Committee' and they have been celebrating the 400 years anniversary during most of 2010. He welcomed the Consul General of India and thanked her for visiting Santa Fe to present the gifts which will be included in the Time Capsule. Mr. Bonal said the time capsule is expected to be opened in the next 50 to 100 years. After this year, the capsule will be hermetically sealed for a number of decades, to be reopened by a future generation, perhaps during the city's 500th anniversary celebration a century from now. Among the gifts from India, the time capsule will include various ar-

tifacts from New Mexico, USA, Spain and Mexico. But what is India's connection to New Mexico? Mrs. Thomas offered a historic connection in her keynote address. "I think what really fascinates me about Santa Fe, about New Mexico was the fact that we share with New Mexico and with the people who were originally inhabitants here, something that is very, very interesting and historical. It was the search for India which motivated people like Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus, to come and search for a sea route to get the spices and the perfumes and the textiles from India," she says, "and in that search, they found the other 'Indians". "So we

share with the people here, a name, and a distinguishing identity, which may have been based on a misunderstanding," she says, "but which nevertheless, ties us together in a common bond of brotherhood." The Consul-General also placed a plaque inside the capsule which reads, "The Consulate General of India San Francisco, on behalf of people if India, extends the amity and good wishes to the people of the state of New Mexico celebrating Santa Fe 400th Anniversary." Following the time capsule ceremony, a luncheon in honor of the Consul General of India was hosted by Pawan Singh and Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa at the famous Tomasita's Restaurant in Santa Fe.

Community/California

December 3, 2010

India Post 41

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Sikh Awareness Month celebrated in Central Valley PASHAURA SINGH DHILLON

Honoring Dr.Hosley

FRESNO, CA: The Sikh Council of Central California celebrated its Annual Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav dedicated to Honoring Assembly Concurrent Resolution 181 (Logue) - Relative to California Sikh Awareness and appreciation Month on Sunday November 14 at Selma Sikh Temple. Akin to a seminar, the program was highly educational; brainstorming as educators how to create awareness and fill the cultural gap using this opportunity to bring long term benefits to Sikh Americans and the American Community at large. On this auspicious Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav, the 541st Birthday of the founder of Sikh religion, there couldn't be a better tribute for Guru Ji, than the California Legislature passing its unanimous Resolution 181; a resolution now enthusiastically being honored with adopted proclamations by the county and city governments as well as by the school districts all over the state. The program started after the Bhog Shri Akhand Patth and

Kirtan by the Hazoori Ragis of the Selma Temple. Dr. Ranjit Singh Rajpal General Secretary of the SCCC gave a brief introduction on the Sikh philosophy. Pashaura Singh Dhillon, the Education Coordinator gave a brief synopsis of the program as a Master of the Ceremonies and briefly touched upon why the Sikh Americans needed this Resolution 181. Apart from other venues, Mr. Dhillon emphasized the role of classrooms in public schools where it all begins. A couple of videos 'Meet the Sikhs ' and 'Understanding Sikhism were shown which were produced by Dr. David Hosley while he was C.E.O at the PBS KVIE Sacramento. These videos are available on You Tube and are approved by the California Department of Education. Dr David Hosley was introduced by Dr, Onkar Singh Bindra of Sacramento who along with Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang and other community members especially from Yuba City, worked closely with Dr. Hosley in preparing these videos. Dr. Hosley now an Interim Vice

Dhillon, Sarbjit Johl, Dr. Kang, Dan Logue

Chancellor of UC Merced was honored by the SCCC with a Commendation Certificate. Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang made a comprehensive power point presentation

Dr. Onkar Singh Bindra of Sacramento made a presentation to create awareness, demonstrating some practical ways through classroom in public schools, libraries, work places and other venues of interaction with other communities through his personal involvement covering 120 years of Sikh American history in California, genesis and background of ACR 181 and Achievements of the Sikh Community in California. He also introduced Assembly Member Daniel

Logue, author of the ACR 181. Mr. Logue glowingly appreciated the Sikh American community and thanked them for their patriotism, hard work and valuable contribu-

braries, work places and other venues of interaction with other communities through his personal involvement. Robert Frausto, Kerman Unified School District Superintendent topped it all, by offering to inculcate all the Supplemental instructional material as approved by the CDE in the classroom in his school district of Kerman without delay. He explained what specifically the Kerman Unified School District was currently doing to promote Sikh awareness and appreciation.. Other Sikh American organizations and representatives who took part and made presentations were: Simranjit Kaur Sandhawalia and Iqbal Singh Bains from JAKARA, Raj Singh Dadhesha from SALDEF, Manvinder Singh from United Sikhs, Jessi Kaur and

Sangat

tion to this Golden state. Dr. Onkar Singh Bindra of Sacramento made a presentation to create awareness, demonstrating some practical ways through classroom in public schools, li-

Reshma Kaur from KAUR Foundation. The program ended with the donation of several hundred blankets to the representative of Poverello House Fresno.

Travel advisory on airport security screening India Post News Service

In advance of the holiday travel season, Saldef has reminded the Sikhs about their rights and the new TSA guidelines which may affect travel experience. These procedures include new full-body screening machines installed at some major airports and more invasive full body pat-down searches implemented at all airports across the United States. Saldef has requests its members to report on their experiences with the full body scanners or patdown searches at airports around the country. While most airports still only have metal detectors, an increasing number of airports now have Advanced Imaging Technology

(AIT) machines. The AIT machines are whole body imaging devices that are being rolled out

ban 2. A pat-down of your turban by a TSA screener

right to ask for them. According to the TSA, regardless of whether a Sikh traveler

Additionally, as part of a third screening procedure, a TSA screener will scan your turban with a metal detecting wand. This additional procedure will occur regardless of whether an alarm has been triggered to airports around the country. Screening Options Remember that you always have the following options: 1. A self-pat down of your tur-

3. Requesting a private screening (in a room outside of public view) Even if you are not verbally given these options, you have the

clears the metal detector or the new AIT machine screening, they will still have to go through an additional procedure for screening their turban. During this second

screening procedure, a Sikh traveler can perform a self-pat down of their own turban, receive a patdown of their turban by a TSA screener, or request a private screening (in a room outside of public view). Additionally, as part of a third screening procedure, a TSA screener will scan your turban with a metal detecting wand. This additional procedure will occur regardless of whether an alarm has been triggered. If a traveler opts out of an AIT screening, they will be subjected to a new a more invasive full body pat-down by a TSA officer. If you are asked to undergo a full-body pat down, you always have the right to ask for this screening to occur in a private room.

Community/California

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Jalaram Jayanti at Riverside Mandir VICTORIA TRUVER

Devotees place a garland of money around Jalaram Bapa

RIVERSIDE: Jalaram Jayanti was celebrated in Riverside's Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir for the second year in a row. The Mandir was beautifully decorated with tables filled with fresh flowers and pictures of Jalaram Bapa by Krita and Hitesh Patadia, who organized the program. Over 200 devotees enjoyed the bhajans by Paresh Shah. During one song many bhaktas jumped up from their seats and began dancing. For the first time a raffle was held and a variety of

Chhapan Bhog

Over 200 devotees enjoyed the program

lovely prizes were offered. For chhapan bhog 56 small dishes

of assorted food were offered and served with the Maha

Paresh Shah sang bhajans

Prasad after arati. Jalaram Jayanti is now a tradition in

the Mandir and will be celebrated every year.

'Muslims should be mindful of real Eid spirit' India Post News Service

CHINO: Scores of Ahmadi Muslims gathered to celebrate Eidul Azha, the festival of sacrifices, in simple but humble and respectful manner at Baitul Hameed Mosque. Nearly a thousand members came from all over Southern California, including Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and Orange and San Diego counties; and joined to offer the mid-morning prayer services. Imam Shamshad Nasir led Eid prayers at about 10:30am. The congregational prayers were followed by a traditional Eid Sermon delivered by Imam Shamshad Imam Shamsahd highlighted the importance of sacrifice in following of the Sunnah (practices) of the Holy Founder of Islam, Prophet Mohammad. Imam Shamshad related how the sacrifices of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael were brought to a climax through the sacrifices offered by the Holy Prophet and his family and companions. As a result today, the entire Muslim Ummah commemorates that original sacrifice of Abraham; through pilgrimage to

Mecca and offering of sacrificial meats to the poor and needy. Those who are unable to go to Mecca still offer sacrifices at their homes. Imam Shamshad Nasir said that the purpose is not to pointlessly kill animals or consume large amounts of meat. He explained

should be the main goal of a Muslim. Imam Shamsad advised that one should learn from the examples of Prophet Abraham and his wife Hagar in training their offspring in service of God and humanity. "As Hagar trained Ishmael to

The Islamic salat (prayer) safeguards against societal filth and vulgarities. He said there is no better gift than the gift of good rearing of children and what could be better if one's children would become good human beings and true servants of God.

serve in the cause of God, so should all mothers adopt that training style," Imam Shamshad advised. Imam Shamsad advised that we should learn from the Islamic teaching about worship. When a child is 7 years of age he or she should be trained to offer prayers.

Imam Shamshad reminded that we should be mindful of the ultimate true Eid which is the establishment of respect for Islamic teachings and that everyone should work towards this goal through actions and prayers. Imam Shamshad said it is possible only if everyone will adopt Islamic val-

Imam Shamshad related how the sacrifices of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael were brought to a climax through the sacrifices offered by the Holy Prophet and his family and companions from Quranic statements that it is not the meat or the blood of the sacrificial animals that reaches God. Instead, he said, it is the righteousness of the person offering the sacrifices that God will judge. Therefore, the righteousness is the ultimate objective according to the Islamic teachings and

ues and present themselves as role models. Imam Shamshad prayed that may the entire world become the place of peace, but reminded that would be possible only after everyone will become the embodiment of the high character exemplified by our Holy Master, Holy Prophet Mohammad. "That will bring back the glory of Islam," Imam Shamshad said. The good character is the only hope for peace in this world and for the glory of Islam, Imam Shamshad said. "Just lip service will not get the job done." Instead, Imam Shamshad says, it will have to be practical actions by all to move forward the message of Islam. "The world is watching our actions, not words," he said. At the end he summed up the sermon in following words: "I will say, just as Hagar strived and struggled, and despite all sorts of difficulties trained her child Ishmael to be obedient in the cause of God so should we. In this day and age, parents must struggle in the same manner to assure the spiritual growth of their children. If we do not, we are likely to lose this battle. "

In Brief 54 deported immigrants arrested on return NEW YORK: Federal immigration authorities in the New York City area have arrested 54 illegal immigrants with criminal records who had previously been deported but re-entered the United States. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the arrests came as part of a four-day sweep conducted in recent days that was the largest operation of its kind. The arrests were made in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester and Orange counties. Those arrested are now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities said the arrested include a 39-year-old Dominican Republic man convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault involving a child and a 31-year-old Bahamas man convicted of robbery. -AP

Groups protest Ga. immigration detention center LUMPKIN, Ga.: Authorities said eight people were arrested during a vigil outside a federal immigration detention center in South Georgia. The Stewart County sheriff's office said eight people were charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass and were released on $250 cash bond each. A coalition of immigrant rights and civil liberties groups organized the protest outside the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin. Organizers said roughly 100 people from around the country participated. Participants called on the government to close the facility and highlighted the effects of detention on the families and children of those detained. -AP

LI immigrants absorbed into work force: Study NEW YORK: A new study shows that Long Island's growing immigrant population has been readily absorbed into the labor force. The Fiscal Policy Institute analysis found that immigrants worked in a wide range of occupations, with more than half holding white-collar jobs. The independent research group said there was little basis for a widespread perception that the area's immigrants were displacing U.S.-born workers. Anti-immigrant sentiment on Long Island has been on the rise as the immigrant population has grown, especially in Suffolk County where an Ecuadorean immigrant was killed in 2008. -AP

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San Francisco sues immigration law firm SAN FRANCISCO: The city of San Francisco is accusing a former lawyer of providing shoddy representation to clients with immigration problems even after giving up his license to practice law. -AP

Arizona boycott hurts economy but is not too crippling PHOENIX: A boycott brought on by Arizona's controversial immigration crackdown raised the specter of vacant convention centers, desolate sports arenas and struggling businesses throughout the state. Seven months later, the effects of the boycott are coming into focus, showing it has been a disruptive force but nowhere near as crippling as originally feared. Businesses have lost lucrative contracts and conventions have relocated, performers called off concerts, and cities and counties in about a dozen states passed resolutions to avoid doing business with Arizona. A report says the boycott has cost the state $141 million in lost meeting and convention business since Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law in April. But the state's economy hasn't come to a screeching halt as some who organized the boycott hoped. In fact, more people went to the Grand Canyon this summer than last year, and more stayed in

Arizona's hotels and resorts, according to a review by The Associated Press. ``My occupancy has been pretty strong,'' said Flagstaff bed and breakfast owner Gordon Watkins. He got a few calls from confused international customers wondering if they would be asked for their papers, but no one can-

our members, and at least in our industry, they were coming whether that law was there or not,'' said Bill Duffy, the group's vice president of operations and meetings. The most controversial parts of the law are on hold, including a section that would require police officers who are enforcing other laws to question the immigration

At the Phoenix Convention Center, about 1,300 exhibitors, distributors and buyers were attending an annual show put on by the National School Supply & Equipment Association celed their reservations, he said, and business has been brisk. Many conventions decided not to move, despite questions from their members. At the Phoenix Convention Center, about 1,300 exhibitors, distributors and buyers were attending an annual show put on by the National School Supply & Equipment Association. ``We just kind of kept our eye on

status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. A lawsuit by the federal government seeking to invalidate the law awaits a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Civil rights groups organized the boycott to slow the state's economy in much the same way that a boycott punished Arizona 20 years ago over its refusal to

honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a holiday. After voters approved that law, the National Football League pulled the 1993 championship Super Bowl from Phoenix, and the Nation Basketball Association told the Phoenix Suns not to bother putting in a bid for the All-Star game. By the time voters finally passed a holiday bill two years later, estimates of lost convention business in the Phoenix area alone topped $190 million. This time around, groups called on people not to fly Tempe-based US Airways or rent trucks from Phoenix-based U-Haul. There was talk of fighting Major League Baseball's plans for holding the All Star Game in Phoenix next year. Most of those protests haven't come to fruition. The midsummer classic is still on, a spokeswoman for Tempe-based US Airways said the company saw no effect from the boycott call, and a U-Haul International executive said the same thing. -AP

India changes work-related visa rules CYRUS D. MEHTA

n an effort to protect India's lesser skilled workers and at tract highly skilled foreign workers, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order and released a new FAQ (frequently asked questions) document stating that employment visas are intended for foreigners desiring to come to India to work if the applicant is a highly skilled and/or qualified professional engaged or appointed by a company, organization, or industry undertaking in India on a contract or employment basis. Employment visas will not be granted for positions for which qualified Indians are available, the FAQ states. Also, employment visas will not be granted for "routine, ordinary or secretarial/clerical jobs." The foreign national must seek to visit India for employment in a company, firm, or organization registered in India or for employment in a foreign company, firm, or organization engaged in the "execution

of some project in India." Further, the FAQ states, the foreign national being sponsored for an employment visa in any sector should draw a salary above US $25,000 per year, with the exception of ethnic cooks, language teachers (other than English) and trans-

manent residence of the applicant in that country is more than 2 years. Documentation pertaining to the proposed employment, such as registration of the company under the Companies Act, proof of registration of the firm in the State Industries Department or the Export

The foreign national being sponsored for an employment visa in any sector should draw a salary above US $25,000 per year, with the exception of ethnic cooks, language teachers (other than English) lators, and staff working for the "concerned Embassy/High Commission in India." The MHA also has announced the elimination of the prior maximum of 1% of the total workforce, or up to 20, for each Indian company that sponsors foreign workers. The employment visa must be issued from the country of origin or country of domicile of the foreigner, provided the period of per-

Promotion Council concerned, or any recognized promotional body in the field of industry and trade, will be reviewed to decide the category of visa that may be issued. The name of the sponsoring employer or organization must be clearly stipulated in the visa sticker. The following categories of foreign nationals are also eligible for employment visas provided they meet the basic conditions for an

employment visa: (i) Foreign nationals coming to India as consultants on a contract for whom the Indian company pays a fixed remuneration (this may not be in the form of a monthly salary). (ii) Foreign artists engaged to conduct regular performances for the duration of an employment contract given by hotels, clubs, or other organizations. (iii) Foreign nationals coming to India to take up employment as coaches of national or state-level teams or reputed sports clubs. (iv) Foreign sportsmen who are given contracts for a specified period by Indian clubs or organizations. (v) Self-employed foreign nationals coming to India for providing engineering, medical, accounting, legal or other such highly skilled services in their capacity as independent consultants, provided the provision of such services by foreign nationals is permitted under law. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 44

Immigration Post

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December 3, 2010

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Vt. AG proposes bias-free policing policy MONTPELIER, Vt.: Police should take a ``don't ask, don't tell'' approach about the immigration status of migrant farm workers and others unless they're suspected of a crime or wanted by federal authorities, Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said. Unveiling a proposed ``BiasFree Policing'' policy that also covers racial profiling, the state's chief law enforcement officer said that barring suspicion of terrorism, human trafficking or hate crimes or a history of violence or gang activity, Vermont police officers should only inquire about immigration status in limited circumstances not when a person has

been the victim of a crime or a witness to one. ``What we're trying to see here is that if you're otherwise law-abiding, you're here in Vermont, you're not a threat to homeland security, you're not wanted for criminal behavior here or elsewhere ... then the priority for Vermont law enforcement is to investigate violations of Vermont criminal laws,'' Sorrell said. The proposal will be distributed to every law enforcement agency in the state, but it's up to each to decide whether to adopt it. Vermont has an estimated 2,000 migrant farm workers from Mexico mostly without whom agriculture

officials say the state's dairy industry could barely survive. Not all are in the country legally. Some communities, including Middlebury, have taken a ``don't ask, don't tell'' approach, under the theory that if illegal immigrants are afraid of being deported, they're less likely to report crime or help police investigating it. ``Guest workers are an extremely important part of our work force on farms and in agriculture in Vermont,'' state Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee said. ``They have been for many years and they continue to be. People need to be able to work and not be afraid that they can't make their views known and their concerns available to anyone.'' Sorrell said police officers investigating state crimes by illegal immigrants would have the discretion to report violations to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they see fit. Not everyone thinks that approach is the right one. ``The policy itself is pretty toothless, but the problem I see is

that it's pretty clearly an attempt on the part of the Attorney General to discourage Vermont law enforcement agencies from cooperating with ICE, to help ICE do its job enforcing immigration and people who've committed crimes and who are foreign nationals,'' said Jessica Vaughan, a policy

Vermont has an estimated 2,000 migrant farm workers from Mexico mostly without whom agriculture officials say the state's dairy industry could barely survive analyst for the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for tougher immigration laws. ``If local law enforcement were to get the idea that they're not to ask questions or report people to ICE, that could have some serious public safety implications,''

Fremont woman sentenced in trafficking case FREMONT, Calif.: A Fremont woman has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to forcing a Chinese immigrant to work at her home for free as a domestic servant. Fang Ping Ding was sentenced in federal court. Prosecutors say the 62-year-old Ding physically abused the woman, took her passport and

threatened to report her to authorities if she did not cook, clean and provide child care services. The alleged abuse started in April 2008 when the woman arrived from China and continued for the next year. Ding pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful conduct in furtherance of forced labor on November 1. -AP

Vaughan said. The racial profiling part of the policy stems from complaints that police in a state whose population is 96.2 percent white routinely pull over minority motorists for what some colloquially refer to as ``driving while black.'' Under the policy, police would not be allowed to consider race, ethnicity or other personal characteristics in establishing reasonable suspicion or probable cause, but they would be allowed to take it into account in cases where ``criteria of suspects based on credible, reliable, locally relevant information that links persons of specific description ... to particular criminal incidents.'' Last year, Vermont State Police and police departments in Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski committed to keep tabs on the race and ethnicity of drivers involved in traffic stops after a chairman of a Vermont panel to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said minorities believe racial profiling by police is pervasive in the state. The three municipal agencies are to report their findings next month, the State Police sometime next year. `Ì think it's an epidemic,'' said Hal Colston of Winooski, director of NeighborKeepers, a community organization. `Ì think the data will reveal that we do have a problem. Anecdotally, you talk to any person of color and you'd be blown away'' by their personal experiences, he said. Of the Attorney General's policy, he said: `Ì hope this is just the beginning of this process, to create a community where there is bias-free policing.'' -AP

India changes work-related visa rules Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 43

(vi) Foreign language teachers and interpreters. (vii) Foreign specialist chefs. (viii) Foreign engineers or technicians coming to India to install and commission equipment, machines, or tools under the terms of a contract for the supply of such equipment, machines, or tools. (ix) Foreign nationals deputed for providing technical support or services, or transfer of know-how or services, for which the Indian company pays fees or royalties to the foreign company. Regarding the duration of the employment visa, the rules have different validity dates depending on the employment arrangement. These are summarized as follows: (i) A foreign technician/expert coming to India under a bilateral

agreement between the Indian government and the foreign government, or pursuant to a collaboration agreement that has been approved by the Indian government, may be granted a multiple employment visa for the duration of the agreement, or for a period of five years, whichever is less. (ii) Highly skilled foreign personnel being employed in the IT software and IT-enabled sectors may receive a multiple entry employment visa for up to three years or for the term of assignment, whichever is less. Applicants who are not covered under any of these two arrangements may obtain a multiple entry employment visa for up to two years or the term of assignment, whichever is less. Finally, the rules provide for extensions beyond the initial visa

validity period, up to a total period of five years from the date of issue of the initial employment visa, on a year-to-year basis, subject to the individual's good conduct, production of necessary documents in support of continued employment, filing of income tax returns and to there being no adverse security inputs relating to the foreign national. The period of extension shall not exceed five years from the date of issue of the initial employment visa. The FAQ, which contains additional details on business and work-related visas issued by India, is available at http:// w w w. m h a . n i c . i n / p d f s / work_visa_faq.pdf. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

Immigration Post

December 3, 2010

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A&M student leader veto over immigrant fees COLLEGE STATION, Texas: The Texas A&M Student Senate has rejected a bill that criticized the system of allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition. The Student Senate earlier this month endorsed a bill that condemned allowing illegal immigrants to pay the same tuition rates as Texans. The measure was vetoed by student body president Jacob Robinson, who says the Student Senate is meant for the betterment of each student. Backers of the plan failed to secure two-thirds of the Student Senate vote to override Robinson's veto, with the final vote 34-25. The bill would have represented the official stance of the A&M student body, but it had no standing on the tuition policy. In-state tuition at A&M costs about $5,200 a year, compared to

out-of-state tuition at about $19,600. Senator Justin Pulliam, who led the effort to oppose in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, cited fairness issues.

‘It didn't seem fair that out-of-state Americans were struggling and having to pay $15,000 more while people here illegally were getting the tuition break’ ``It didn't seem fair that out-ofstate Americans were struggling and having to pay $15,000 more while people here illegally were getting the tuition break,'' said

Pulliam, who leads the group Texas Aggie Conservatives and welcomed debate on the issue. ``I can't be too disappointed. We had great success, and got students talking,'' said Pulliam. Texas law defining residency describes eligibility for in-state tuition with conditions that some undocumented students could satisfy. Those conditions include living in Texas for the three years leading up to high school graduation and signing an affidavit indicating intent to apply for permanent resident status, the BryanCollege Station Eagle reported. Texas A&M last year had about 300 of the roughly 12,000 students statewide who claimed residency under the law, passed in 2001 and revised in 2005, that allows undocumented students to receive in-state tuition. -AP

Lawmakers push tougher immigration laws OKLAHOMA CITY: Some state lawmakers from south Oklahoma City have been pushing harder for tough immigration laws as the city's Hispanic population has grown. The Oklahoman reports the lawmakers come from an area with a rapidly growing Hispanic population. Oklahoma County's Hispanic population grew by 67 percent between 2000 and 2009, according to the U.S. Census. Much of that growth was in south Oklahoma City. ``I call it growing pains. I believe that is what we're going through in Oklahoma, especially in south Oklahoma City,'' Oklahoma City School Board member David Castillo said. New state Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, is among those seeking a crackdown on illegal immigration. He has announced plans to file legislation that would mirror an Arizona law requiring

police to question the immigration status of people they suspect are in the U.S. illegally. ``Nearly all I heard when I was out knocking doors was, 'We want the Arizona law here,''' Shortey said.

‘We're having a tough enough time in Oklahoma,’ he said. ‘Do we want to have the black eye in Oklahoma that Arizona is having?’ Other lawmakers like Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, are working on what Terrill calls an ``Arizona-plus'' law that would keep the children of illegal immigrants from becoming citizens even if the children were born in Oklahoma. It also would allow police to seize ve-

hicles driven by illegal immigrants. Castillo said such laws go too far. ``We're having a tough enough time in Oklahoma,'' he said. ``Do we want to have the black eye in Oklahoma that Arizona is having?'' But Shortey, 28, an American Indian, said he's not anti-immigrant. His mother-in-law came to the U.S. from Vietnam and is a naturalized citizen, he said. ``She did it right, and I respect that,'' Shortey said. ``Legal immigrants deserve our respect.'' Oklahoma City Councilman Pete White represents an area that includes several Hispanic neighborhoods. He said he thinks the proposed laws are misguided but he knows residents are worried about illegal immigration. ``For some people, association breeds disdain and for others it breeds understanding,'' White said, ``and I think you see that in south Oklahoma City politics.'' -AP

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

Former Assistant State s Attorney

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Datebook

India Post

December 3, 2010

www.indiapost.com

NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

Upcoming

Fri Dec 3 • D'Arranged Marriage Venue: Triad NYC, 158 West 72nd Street, 1st Floor, New York Time: 9pm Contact: 212-362-2590

Sat Dec 4 • Revive: Rebuilding a Dream Venue: The Prince George Ballroom, 15 East 27th Street, New York Time: 7:30pm Contact: 347-668-0251

Fri Dec 3 • Arabian Nights 2010: Hosted by Women's Club Venue: Monty's Banquet Hall 703 S. York Road. Bensenville, IL Time: 7pm to Midnight Contact: 224-210-9122 Highlights: Professional Belly Dancer from Egypt, DJ - Arabian, Indian Mix Music & Songs, Non Alcoholic Beverages, Exotic Arabian Dinner & Desserts, Women Social Networking, This promises to be the most colorful Arabian night of your life!

Sat Dec 11

Thurs Dec 30 • Last Basement Bhangra Of The Year Venue: SOBs, 204 Varick Street, New York Time: 7pm to 4am Contact: 212-252-2392

• Sri Subrahmanya Utsavam

Swamy

Venue: The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, 10915 Lemont Road, Lemont, IL Time: 9am to 9pm Contact: (630) 972-0300

Fri Dec 10 • Shaam-E-Ghazal with Ghazal Prince "Jaswinder Singh"

Sun Jan 30

Venue: Condon bleu banquet hall, 96-01 Jamaica Ave, Woodhaven, New York Time: 8pm Contact: 347-513-8526

Venue: Holiday Inn Rolling Medows, 3405 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows, Illinois Time: 11am to 6pm

• South Asian Bridal Expo

Wed Dec 15

Fri Dec 31

• Asian Women In Business 2010 Holiday Party

• New Years Eve Party with Udita Goswami

Venue: Flat Iron District, 12 West 18th Street, New York, NY Apt. # 3E, New York Time: 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 212-868-1368

Venue: India House Banquet, 1521 W.Schaumburg Rd., Schaumburg, Illinois Time: 7pm Contact: 630-904-5157

NEW JERSEY

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Sat Dec 4

Fri Dec 3

Sat Dec 4

• Iyyappa Pooja Saastha Preethi

• Boney M. concert

• Meet your Soul Mate

Venue: Sri Venkateswara Temple, 1075 Route 202/206, Bridgewater, New Jersey Time: 7am to 1pm Contact: 732-910-2910

Venue: Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California Street, San Francisco, California Time: 7pm to 10pm Contact: (415) 933-7172

Venue: Chakra Cuisine, 151 S Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills, California Time: 8:30pm to 11:30pm Contact: 310-985-5014

Sun Dec 19

Sat Dec 4

• A Unique & Spectacular Dance Show by Sonalee's Bollywood Dance Studio

• Yeh Shaam Mastani - A Nostalgic Musical Tribute to RD Burman

• Bollywood Dance Nite

Venue: MCC Performing Arts Center, 2600 Woodbridge Ave, Edison, New Jersey Time: 5pm to 8:30pm Contact: (732) 213-4333

Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple Auditorium, 420-450 Perisan Drive, Sunnyvale, CA Time: 5pm Contact: 510-421-3535

Sat Dec 25 • X-mas Party

Sat December 11

Venue: Clove Indian Cusine, Rt 17th South, East Rutherford, New Jersey Time: 4pm to 7:30pm Contact: 973-713-1075

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Sat Dec 4 Bollywood Musical Night Venue: Westfiled High School, 4700, Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly, Virginia Time: 5:30pm to 10pm Contact: 202-255-1431

Sat Dec 4 The Grand Magic Show - Hollywood Famous Jeff Parmer Venue: Oakton high School, 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, Virginia Time: 5:30pm to 9:30pm Contact: 571-969-1160

Fri Dec 31 Two Premier blockbuster Bollywood New Years Eve Parties Venue: HYATT - Reston Town Center - Virginia, 1800 Presidents Street, Reston, Virginia Time: 8pm Contact: 703-468-1820

Fri Dec 31 Arora's New Years Eve Gala 2011 Venue: Saint Peter Paul Party Hall, 10620 River Rd, Potomac, Washington Time: 8pm Contact: 301-340-9564 Highlights: A Gala New Years Eve Party With Appetizers, Dinner, Dessert and Cocktails. Lot of Fun and Dancing.

Venue: Art of Living Center, 948 West Adams Blvd, Los Angeles Time: 7:30pm to 11pm Contact: 310-820-9429

Sat Dec 18 • Yan Can Cook! At the Fremont Main Library

• Winter Concert: A Christmas Extravaganza! Venue: Smith Center at Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Boulevard, Fremont Time: 2pm Contact: 510-659-6031 Highlishts: Get into the holiday spirit at the third annual Ohlone College Christmas Extravaganza, featuring all four of Ohlone's wind ensembles. The concert features traditional holiday favorites such as Patapan, The Christmas Song and The Little Drummer Boy, and contemporary festive works including Cowboy Christmas and The Eighth Candle. And don't miss the special treat of Bass' The Night Before Christmas, with poem narration by a surprise special guest!

Venue: Alameda County Library, Fremont Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Boulevard, Fremont, CA Time: 2pm Contact: 510-745-1401 Highlights: Martin Yan, Master Chef, noted author of more than 30 books and television personality, will discuss his latest book and demonstrate his cooking skills at the Fukaya Room A&B.

Sat Dec 18 • Bollywood Holiday Celebrations Venue: Chakra Beverly Hills, 151s. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills, California Time: 9:30pm Contact: (310) 323-7500

Sun Jan 30

Fri Dec 31

• South Asian Wedding Expo 2011

The 5th Annual Desi New Years Eve Bash - Fantasy Ball 5

Venue: One Industry Hills Parkway, Industry Hills, Bay Area, California Time: 11am to 5:30pm Contact: 714-493-7900 Highlights: The unique expo will feature the leading designers, wedding planners, decorators, DJ's, photographers, florist, food vendors, videographers hair and make up artist and all sorts of great vendors that can help you plan your next big event.

Sat Nov 12, 2011 • Hello Namaste Satsriakal Masti

Salaam

Venue: Chandni Restaurant, 5748 Mowry School Rd, Balentine Plaza, across Hilton Hotel, Newark, CA 94560 Time: 7pm Contact: 510-299-1138 Highlights: Bollywood Singers and Lollywood Music Director Hungama Musical Live Band Dance Party Dance Performances Banquet Style Dinner, Single Ladies and Men - Come and Register with Hamraahi Matrimonial. Prizes for Best Dressed Couples or Pairs Let us Celebrate Diwali and Eid Together.

Venue: Grand Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 6101 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles Time: 10pm Contact: 323-205-5594

Sun, Jan 30 • South Asian Wedding Expo 2011 Venue: Pacific Palms Hotel & Conference Center, One Industry Hills Parkway, Industry Hills, California Time: 11am to 5:30pm Contact: 714-493-7900

Mon Aug 1, 2011 • Yogalicious! Venue: Art of Living Center Los Angeles, 948 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, California Time: 6:30pm to 9pm Contact: 310-820-9429 Highlights: Its programs teach a blend of ancient eastern breathing techniques and wisdom that help eliminate stress, restore the highest human values and encourage people from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions

Readers Write... www.indiapost.com

Stop displaying jewelry in public

n the subject of 'Burglaries in Cerritos', the information gathered suggests the involvement of an Indian (desi) gang. The reason is simple - our Indian community is known for keeping expensive jewelry at home instead of keeping them in bank locker. Or if they do have to keep some at home, they should have a big strong safe bolted to the ground. Unfortunately our Indian folks just do not do that and then when their homes are burglarized, they blame that the law enforcement is inefficient. Those who break in know the details of the homes and the home members.

They have knowledge how to cut off or deactivate the security alarm. They have studied the household members' timings and pattern and then strike gold. Nowadays, incidents of such burglaries are heard happening in other cities as well, especially where the Indian population is high. Also, these incidents are more especially before marriages and other such major events because certainly there is a lot of gold jewelry and others in the household at such times. It may sound very unconventional or even stupid, but yet it is my sincere request to the community that they should stop dis-

playing heavy jewelry on their bodies in public, like when they come to Little India or any such public places. It is common sense that open display of such flashy jewelry is inviting trouble. No single burglary has been reported from Indian households in Cerritos. Our people should realize the cause is their own inaction and should not put unnecessary pressure on the law enforcement authorities. They cannot expect to have a cop car patrolling outside their home 24/7. If they cannot take precautionary action and be more vigilant, they cannot blame and condemn the police.

Disclaimer :- India Post does not endorse opinions expressed in the letters.

The crime surge reported in Artesia is scaring visitors but there should be really no such alarm. A couple of incidents have been genuine and the criminals have been caught and merchandise recovered. However, while some others which smell fishy are not too convincing. According to the law enforcement authorities and some pioneer merchants, an inside hand is not ruled out and is therefore are under close scrutiny and thorough investigation. Ramesh Mahajan Founder and Chairman of Little India

Horoscope

December 3, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

by Pandit Parashar

Dec 3 - Dec 9

his could be a turning point before the year ends. Developments will bring the energy and confidence back. You will gain edge over your opponents and the decision in ongoing litigation is close by and favorable. Preparations will start for the upcoming trip and you may be calling overseas more frequently.

pouse will be spending a lot of money this week. Deal you have been working on for past several months will finally g through bringing relief and smile on every body's face. You can earn a lot if you give others a chance to speak. Things will be more relaxing at work. You may also visit a holy place with family.

ou will have to let past go and maintain a balance when it comes to emotions. There will be improvements in your efforts to find another job. Prompt actions on your part can take you closer to goals quickly. You will receive very good advice from a female. A big family reunion will take place soon.

ars in sixth will help those seeking for a change in career. You will be negotiating with a well known company. Do not open up so quickly with new friends this week. Financially you will continue to do well and keep hitting the bulls eye. Some one will send or bring nice gifts. Mind will be at peace and relaxed.

ngoing legal matters will take a favorable turn and ultimate victory within reach. You will be slightly anxious and uneasy for no known reason. Business will continue to move in right direction and of course you will be on your feet most of the time. It will be in your best interest to listen to spouse seriously.

ou will be excited about an upcoming family reunion. If you wait for another day, you will take better financial decisions. Chances of money coming through stocks also strong. You may be in market to change one of your cars. Spouse will be little nervous and need to take more rest this week.

alculated moves will take you closer to goals quickly. You may dispose off some stocks also and pocket the profit. Children will be excited about an upcoming trip. A colleague will come to seek some advice. You will enjoy the company of new friend. You will also attend a big party and meet many old friends.

t will be another expensive week. Some money will go towards some high tech gadgets. You will become more popular and will be in great demand at the party. Let spouse finish and then analyze whether the suggestions are valid or not. Park your vehicle at proper place and keep an eye on your possession.

he news you had been waiting for will be delivered in a dramatic way. You will have few other reasons to celebrate this week. Money will go on buying few expensive items. Spouse will be very emotional and need your support. You will be writing a big check to government. Party will lighten you up.

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

ou will learn a lot even from your opponents. Quick recovery from minor illness also indicated. You may plan a small get together with some colleagues.Go through all legalities or consult some one before you file the claim. A business partner will put some pressure and ask you to change your mind also.

o not get into an argument whether its a friend or close family member or the impact will be long lasting. You may need to make several changes before you send the contract to other party. Money will go on buying some expensive gifts for others. Listen to your inner voice and then decide about relationship.

ou will be waiting for a response from other side. Expenses will come down a lot and you will receive less bills. A close friend will call to invite you to a small party. You will be making good use of extra time on hands and help spouse clean up the house. soon you will be leaving for an exciting long distance trip.

925-833-7170 website: www.parashar.com

India Post

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December 3, 2010

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Philosophy

December 3, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Page Sponsored by Sahanis

shtavakra was born deformed, with eight crooks in his body. Ashtavakra means `eight bends'. Everyone who saw him laughed in derision. The crippled child was an enlightened master who took birth to reveal in simple words the essence of mystical experience. Janaka, king of the known world, father of Sita, the bride of Lord Rama, became this crippled boy's disciple. The book based on that event is called The Song of the Eightfold Cripple, or Ashtavakra Gita. Asthavakra was not keen on accepting students, and so had few. When King Janaka came to hear of the wisdom of the crippled child he approached the boy as a humble student, not a commanding king. The boy accepted the king instantly as his disciple. This caused some talk in the sangham. "Ah, Ashtavakra does have favorites after all, he accepted the king without any of the trials he had all of us face!" This grumbling became a quiet force, and Ashtavakra knew of it. One day the King was late and so the boy delayed his discourse. The moment the king arrived, Ashtavakra spoke: `This day I have had a vision, the capitol city will erupt in terrible fires and earthquakes - all there will die. Those who have loved ones or valuables there must hurry now if they wish to save anything!'

All the monks left. As the dust settled, only the boy and the king were sitting. The boy said softly, `Great king, is there nothing you would save?` Janaka replied, "My lord and my friend, you are my only treasure." The cripple nodded and softly said, "Well then if I am indeed your treasure, mount your horse now and go and gather my students back to me, tell them I have been mistaken, the capitol city is in no danger. Take your horse, and go."

Rising to do as bidden, the King put his foot into the stirrup, and as he swung up over the saddle, realization dawned in his mind. He swallowed, looked about him at this new earth, heard new birds singing for the first time, and then looked at the cripple at his feet. The two looked at one another, and then the king left to find the other students. Once back, the other students

Ashtavakra said: If you are seeking liberation, my dearest one, shun the objects of the senses like poison. Draught the nectar of tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment and truthfulness. You are neither earth, water, fire, air or even ether. For liberation know yourself as consisting of consciousness, the witness of these five.

purely of the mind and are no concern of yours. You are neither the doer nor the reaper of the consequences; you are always free. You are the one witness of everything, and are always totally free. The cause of bondage is that one sees the witness as something other than this. Excerpted from the Ashtavakra Gita

SISTER NIVEDITA

When this is done, when the intensest vibration of the whole being is reached and every faculty is convergent on the point of attention, then declares India, we, being one, perceive oneness, the mind sees truth face to face. How we shall interpret and express the vision is determined wholly by our own past language

as an end in itself. The man is overpowered by a beauty and a truth that he must needs share with the whole world. Or the finite personality is completed, transcended, in union with the absolute and universal. There are thus, as the East counts, two modes of existence-one the personal, or egoistic, and

vine intoxication? And what are the paths by which we are ordinarily led to overcome such hindrances? For it is to be supposed that, if the experience be authentic, men first stumbled upon it by accident, and formulation of theory came afterwards. The mind of man sweeps an infinite circle, and from every point

o the Eastern intellect man himself is the universe, for all differentiation is within the mind. India may accept as a working hypothesis the theory that sociology is the synthesis of all the sciences, but her own fundamental conviction is that psychology occupies this place. Hence to her, power is always lodged in personality. Mind is the lord of body, undoubtedly; but mind, like body, is only the tool of the great Self of Things that stands behind and uses both for its own purpose. Like a strangely complex telescope, one part of the instrument stands pointed to give reports of many kinds - of light, sound, weight, smell, taste, and touch; and by another we are led to conceive of vast ranges of these, outside the possibilities of our immediately perceiving, by which we can build up the conception that we call the Cosmos. But, according to Indian thinking again, perfect control over the apparatus has only been attained when every part of it can be directed at will to a common point the whole power of investigation brought to bear on any object.

grumbled at being sent about here and there on foolish errands. One or two however did soon understand why the master had chosen the king as a student in his own way. This is what was said that day, as all sat about and heard these words of nectarine wisdom. Janaka said: How is knowledge to be acquired? How is liberation to be attained? And how is dispassion to be reached? Tell me this, sir.

If only you will remain resting in consciousness, seeing yourself as distinct from the body, then even now you will become happy, peaceful and free from bonds. You do not belong to the Brahmin or warrior or any other caste, you are not at any stage, nor are you anything that the eye can see. You are unattached and formless, the witness of everything - now be happy. Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are

Shun the objects of the senses like poison Asthavakra

You are neither earth, water, fire, air or even ether. For liberation know yourself as consisting of consciousness, the witness of these five

Mind is only a tool of the great Self Sister Nivedita

and discipline. The mother comes out of it to love and serve; Joan of Arc commands armies with unfaltering insight; Sir Isaac Newton gives us the law of gravitation; Mozart produces his Requiem Mass, and the Messiah comes down from the mountain side whispering, "I and My Father are One." That is to say, the self-limited joys of sense have given way to the pursuit of the good of others

Each man is, as it were, a new window through which all others may look upon the Infinite, each life a new name for That which we call God the other the impersonal, or suprapersonal, where egoism and altruism are alike forgotten. The realization of this illimitable existence is itself salvation, and is to be reached in life, not death. Concentration is its single secret, and real power is always power over oneself. What, then, are the common hindrances to this centering of thought and feeling that we are not all constantly immersed in the Di-

upon the immeasurable circumference runs a life-path to the division of Unity as the common centre. Each man is, as it were, a new window through which all others may look upon the Infinite, each life a new name for That which we call God. The paths, therefore, are countless. No two methods can be exactly the same. Yet there are certain broad characteristics which are more or less general.

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. -Swami Vivekananda Look at you, you madman! Screaming you are thirsty and dying in a desert, when all around you there is nothing but water! -Kabir In this universe it is love that binds everything together. Love is the very foundation, beauty and fulfillment of life. -Amritanandamayi Happiness that depends on anything outside of you, be it a wife, a child, money, fame, friends cannot last. But if you find happiness in God who is everywhere, all pervading, who is your own self, that is real happiness. -Anandamayi Ma As wind removes a cloud, so does the name of God disperse the cloud of worldliness -Sarada Devi The greatest comforts and lasting peace are obtained, when one eradicates selfishness from within. -Guru Gobind Singh

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December 3, 2010

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Obama's nuclear evolution and Indo-US deal LYDIA WALKER

ver the past four years, US Senator, now President, Barack Obama's public policies towards nuclear non-proliferation in general and the IndoUS Nuclear Deal in particular have shifted. How and when did Obama change from a critic of the Deal in 2006, to a supporter with reservations in 2008, to an advocate in 2010? Has the translation of a personal commitment to nonproliferation into pragmatic politics hampered the Obama Administration from actively strengthening the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime? Obama's announcement on Saturday, November 6, that the US would support India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) indicates that he will continue to work around the NPT legal regime with regard to India. However, the announcement also confirms a sustained commitment to the NPT normative framework - NSG membership is considered quite important even to a nation for whom it is largely symbolic since it is not a nuclear supplier. In the run up to the 2008 IndoUS Nuclear Deal, some US Democrats, including (then) Senator Obama, argued against the IndoUS Civilian Nuclear Agreement. Obama supported an amendment proposed by Senator Jeff Bingamen (D-New Mexico) which would only allow US nuclear exports to India if New Delhi stopped producing fissile materials. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) called the Bingamen amendment a "killer" precondition as India was certain not to accept it since neither Pakistan nor China had halted fissile material production. When the bill in its entirety came before the Senate, Obama voted for it, but he supported two different revisions (that entered the final deal) which brought the bill more in line with the norms of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. Obama expressed his reservations: "I have concerns with potential non-proliferation consequences of this agreementâ&#x20AC;ŚI remain concerned about the issue of nuclear testing. A decision by the Indian government to conduct such a test could trigger an arms race in South Asia that would be extremely dangerous and destabilizing."

During the 2008 Democratic primary, facing attacks from Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain that he was lukewarm in his support of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, Obama affirmed his support for the deal and admiration for Senator Lugar's efforts in facilitating its passage. When he was elected, Obama's top foreign policy picks - Clinton for Secretary of State and Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense were strong supporters of the Deal. However, lower level administration appointees were not as

united in their support. Robert Einhorn was chosen as State's Special Advisor for Non-proliferation and Arms Control. Einhorn had argued that the second Bush administration "gave away the house" in the Indo-US Nuclear Deal: By making "India an exception to longstanding nonproliferation rules, the Bush administration ha[d] given India virtually all that it wanted and ha[d]

On non-proliferation and the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, Obama has tried to span the divide between hard-line NPT enforcement and NPT regime evolution over time run major risks with the future of the non-proliferation regime." While Einhorn ended up turning down the position, his selection signaled (to some Indian commentators) that Obama Administration was sympathetic to nonproliferation traditionalists who had opposed the Deal.

Alongside with Einhorn, another "non-proliferation hawk," (former) Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher was named Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Tauscher was a harsh critic of the Deal in 2008. In an op-ed in The New York Times, Tauscher said that the (then proposed) Deal would "shred" "the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty â&#x20AC;Śand India's yearly nuclear weapons production capability would likely increase from 7 bombs to 40 or 50." However, right before the Spring 2010 NPT Review Conference, Tauscher, speaking as a spokesperson for the Obama Administration, made an about face: "We don't believe we weakened the NPT in our peaceful civilian nuclear deal with India," she said at a press conference. With the appointments of both Einhorn and Tauscher, the Obama Administration made gestures that it would place increased emphasis on aggressive non-proliferation. However, with Einhorn's demurral and Tauscher's reversal in opinion, these gestures became more evidence of the Administration's continued commitment to the Deal. President Obama's oscillation on the Deal from 2006-2008 foreshadowed a pattern of personal investment in serious non-proliferation undercut by political necessity. In a phone interview immediately following Obama's Prague Speech in the spring of 2010, Ben Rhodes - deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and the author of the Prague Speech - articulated that the President's advocacy for non-proliferation was personal and dated from Obama's student days. The Speech was an opportunity to put long held personal beliefs before an international audience. On non-proliferation and the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, Obama has tried to span the divide between hard-line NPT enforcement and NPT regime evolution over time. He has made a non-proliferation bet that the NPT regime is not a currency that can be debased by adulteration; instead, it is a culture that can be enhanced through diversity. The writer is Research Intern, IPCS

India Post Carry on Raja

ameras following the Prime Minister at a function noticed Manmohan Singh affectionately patting former Telecom Minister A Raja, the DMK minister who he had recently sacked from his cabinet for manifest corruption which caused a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer. What message does this convey in this age of television? The leader of the country telling the corruption accused - Carry on doing what you have been doing, old boy. Or what you have done is nothing unusual. It is all part of the game of politics. Was this a message to the ally down South, the DMK in Chennai, that all is well and that the 18 DMK MPs should continue to support the Congress government as it was going to see that no harm comes to the DMK Rajas whatever the people of the country or the media might be saying. DMK support is vital for the Congress to survive the remaining years in power. The nation may be aghast at the level of corruption but all this will pass, believes the leader. The attention of the people could be diverted by some coming events and the Congress government could carry on as before. The Supreme Court, which had questioned the "silence and inaction" by the PM on the petition seeking the prosecution of Raja, has softened its stance saying its criticism was not directed at the PM. Even petitioner Subramaniam Swamy stressed that he never accused the PM of wrongdoing. His grouse was directed against PMO mandarins and the law ministry. However, it is clear that by relying so much on his advisors and the law ministry, the Prime Minister was acting more like a bureaucrat and not a man of politics. The function of bureaucrats is to get involved in technicalities and delay things. The PM himself has been a bureaucrat, thus his inability to respond like a politician when weighty issues demand early action. By entrusting the task to his juniors he is almost abdicating his authority. It is not as if he is innocent of the need to be seen as acting with probity. The plain truth is that actions to control corruption could jeopardize his government. That is why a man of integrity like him allows wrongdoing around him. The robust defense of his government in Supreme Court by a couple of top lawyers is just clever explanation and machinations to let the government continue in office. There is also the unhealthy precedent of Narasimha Rao buying support of small parties to defeat a no-confidence motion. So the Congress government is functioning true to its nature. At the other end of the spectrum, The BJP has not exactly covered itself with glory by delay in acting against the party's chief minister in Karnataka, B S Yeddyurappa who has been accused of transferring public resources to his family members and aides. The main opposition has stalled the functioning of Parliament on the issue of setting up a joint parliamentary committee to go into the 2G spectrum scam led by DMK's ex-minister A Raja. But by dithering on Karnataka CM and demanding action against the Congress wrongdoings at the Center the BJP is refusing to hold its own partymen to the standards it recommends for political rivals. The opposition unity has also cracked with some sections accusing the BJP of double standards and demanding probe into illegal mining and land grabbing in BJP-ruled Karnataka. In this mess of the pot calling the kettle black, the people of India will not be mistaken if they get the message that politicians of either hue are not to be trusted.

December 3, 2010

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December 3, 2010