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US NEWS

US NEWS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

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Cyber ‘vandalism’ is here US President Barack Obama vows to respond “proportionally” to what he called “cyber vandalism” after the FBI blamed North Korea for Sony hacking that led to over $100 million losses to the firm MONISH GULATI, IANS

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s South Asia was watching the terrible tragedy at Peshawar unfold another drama was coming to head in Hollywood. At the eye of the storm was The Interview, a comedy by Sony Pictures Entertainment that depicts a fictional assassination of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un.

What began with the hacking of Sony Pictures computer systems at the end of November escalated when the hackers threatened 9/11like attacks against movie theaters scheduled to show the film that fanned U.S.-wide security fears and resulted in the four top U.S. theater chains pulling the movie from their screens, ultimately causing Sony to cancel the film’s release. U.S. President Barack Obama has vowed to respond “proportionally” to what he called “cyber vandalism” after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) blamed North Korea for it.

Addressing his annual end-ofyear news conference at the White House, Obama said Sony “made a mistake” in cancelling the release of the movie and that “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here”.

North Korea responded stating that it is not involved in the cyberattack and U.S. claims were “groundless slander”.

The Interview stars Seth Rogen

In November, workers at Sony Pictures Entertainment logged on to their computers to find a screen message saying they had been hacked by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace (GoP).

and James Franco as frustrated television journalists recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

In the film’s climactic scene, the North Korean leader’s head is seen exploding when his helicopter is hit by a missile. Pyongyang strongly denounced the comedy as an act of terrorism and called for Sony to cancel the film.

In June this year, North Korea called the plot of the film an “act of war”, and later on praised the hacking as a “righteous deed”.

On November 24 as workers at Sony Pictures Entertainment in

Culver City, California, logged on to their computers they found a screen message saying they had been hacked by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace (GoP).

The massive breach resulted in the leak of tens of thousands of

In June, North Korea called the plot of the film an “act of war”, and later on praised the hacking as a “righteous deed”.

documents, including sensitive emails and personal information.

The GoP also promised a “bitter fate” and warned movie-goers to “keep yourself distant” from theaters showing The Interview, by invoking memories of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. Following threats, Sony which had scheduled a Christmas Day release of the film, currently plans to release the film after several major theater chains said they would not show the film.

The hackers have reportedly caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to Sony Pictures’ comput-

Pay for Sony hacking losses: US to North Korea IANS, WASHINGTON

T

he U.S., which had blamed North Korea for a cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, demanded that the communist country should compensate for the losses, resulting from the attack.

The FBI and the president have made clear that the North Korean government was responsible for the attack, said deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, Marie Harf, according to a Xinhua report. “We stand by this conclusion,” she said.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) claimed that it had “enough information” to conclude that North Korea was responsible for hacking into Sony computers and posting online some of the stolen data in late

Sony has canceled the release of ‘The Interview’ post threats from a group.

November. The North Korean government was outraged by the film’s storyline, revolving around a fictitious US plot to assassinate the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

It claimed to have “clear evidence” that the US government engineered the project as a “propa-

ganda” attack against the country, according to media reports.

While speaking at his end-ofthe-year news conference, US President Barack Obama had said that Sony made a mistake by canceling the release of the movie. He also said that he wished the company

had contacted him before taking the action, vowing to “respond proportionally” to the cyber attack.

North Korea has flatly rejected the US accusations and proposed a joint investigation with the US. Harf said that, if North Korea wanted to help, “they can admit their culpability and compensate Sony for the damages that they caused”.

“We do urge North Korea to exercise restraint (and) to refrain from further threatening actions,” she added.

Harf declined to disclose what the US retaliatory measures would be, reiterating that the US would implement its response. “Some will be seen, some may not be seen,” she said.

The US government has said that it stands by its accusation and will respond “proportionately”.

ers, destroyed valuable files, leaked five films, including four of them yet to be released, and exposed employee information including 47,000 Social Security numbers.

Sony had spent about $80 million to make and market the The Interview.

The cost to Sony from new software and hardware, employee labor to clean up the malware, investigation, lost productivity, and reputational damage, is estimated to be at least over a $100 million.

A few days ago, the FBI for the first time publicly linked North Korea to the cyber-attack on Sony after it concluded that the hacking was based in part on malware previously deployed by North Korean agents.

FBI also saw “significant overlap” between the infrastructure used in the attack on Sony and other malicious cyber activity the US has previously linked to North Korea. It said the tools used in the Sony attack had similarities to a cyber-attack North Korea carried out last year against South Korean banks and media outlets.

The attack was reportedly routed through servers in Singapore, Thailand and Bolivia.

Experts believe that since North Korea lacks the capability to infiltrate Sony’s computers on its own, it would have required the assistance of mercenary computer hackers, and possibly disgruntled Sony insiders.

Sony threatens to sue Twitter over tweets NEW YORK: Still recuperating from the embarrassing disclosure of several emails stolen in a hacking attack by a group called Guardians of Peace, Sony has reportedly threatened to sue Twitter unless it bans accounts that are linked to the leaks.

According to The Verge, the threat was made in a letter sent by Sony lawyer David Boies to Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s general counsel.

His client “does not consent to Twitter’s or any Twitter account holder’s possession, review, copying, uploading, downloading or making any use of the Stolen Information. If Twitter does not comply with this request and the stolen information continues to be disseminated by Twitter, SPE will have no choice but to hold Twitter responsible for any damage or loss arising from such use.”

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INDIA NEWS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

Hung assembly in J&K BJP makes history in Jammu & Kashmir; PDP is largest party with 28 seats

Party position in Jammu and Kashmir Party BJP Indian National Congress National Conference Peoples Democratic Party People Conference CPI (M) PDP (Secular) Independent Total

Won 25 12 15 28 2 1 1 3 87 Jubilant BJP workers rejoice party victory in Srinagar. (R) BJP president Amit Shah being greeted by party leaders in New Delhi on December 23.

SHEIKH QAYOOM, SRINAGAR/JAMMU

J

ammu and Kashmir got a hung assembly on December 23, with the PDP becoming the single largest group and the BJP making history by finishing a close second in a verdict that exposed the deep divide between the largely Muslim Kashmir Valley and Hindu-majority Jammu region.

With no single party in a position to form a government on its own, the Peoples Democratic Party with 28 of the 87 seats hinted it was not averse to sailing with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which bagged all its 25 seats from Jammu region.

The National Conference of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah — who won from Beerwah but lost in Sonwar — won 15 seats, disproving critics who felt it might be wiped

Jharkhand goes to BJP

out. Its estranged ally Congress finished with 12 seats — five less than last time.

Seven seats went to smaller parties and independents including two bagged by the People’s Conference of Sajjad Lone, a former separatist leader. Yusuf Tarigami, a veteran Marxist, won again from the valley.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the record voter turnout in Kashmir as a sign of peo-

ple’s faith in democracy, BJP president Amit Shah credited the unprecedented showing by his party in the state to the six months of good governance by Modi.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, a Lok Sabha member from Udhampur in Kashmir, said: “This will be a turning point for BJP and for Jammu and Kashmir politics.”

The BJP, until now considered a

bit player in Kashmir that too only in Jammu region, not only increased its seat tally from 11 in 2008 to 25 now, but polled the maximum votes — over 23 percent.

The BJP had hoped to win 44 seats — enough to take power on its own in Jammu and Kashmir. That did not happen. But a PDP-BJP coalition would give them the numbers to comfortably form a coalition government.

Militants gun down 65 in Assam; Modi assures all help GUWAHATI: The toll in December 23 militant attacks in Assam’s Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts has risen to 65, officials said on December 24.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was expected to arrive here in the evening to take stock of the situation. He will be accompanied by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and is likely to visit the areas hit by the vio-

lence. The Chief Minister’s Office here said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh called up Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on December 23 night and assured all help to deal with the situation.

The anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants fired indiscriminately at several places killing 40 people.

The attacks began around 6.15 p.m. on December 23 almost simultaneously. The first attack took place at Pakhiriguri in Kokrajhar district of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD), where the militants killed four people and injured four. In another attack at Ultapani, in the same district, they killed three people. Police said 27 people were killed in Maitalubosti.

Conversion issue leaves opposition united BJP supporters celebrate the party’s victory in Jharkhand Assembly elections.

BJP and its ally won 42 seats in the 81-member Assembly.

IANS, RANCHI/NEW DELHI

T

he BJP on December 23 emerged victorious and prepared to form its government in Jharkhand, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the people have “voted for stability which is essential to realize the true potential of the state”.

The BJP won 37 seats, while its pre-poll alliance partner the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) got five seats, taking them comfortably past the magic halfway mark of 42 in the 81-member assembly.

“People of Jharkhand have voted for stability which is essential to realize the true potential of the state. I congratulate them,” said Modi who had campaigned vigorously in Jharkhand, a state that is home to 3.2 million. The vote share of the BJP went up from last time’s 24 percent to 31 percent now.

The party also did remarkably

Party position in Jharkhand Assembly Party Bharatiya Janata Party Indian National Congress AJSU Party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Bahujan Samaj Party Total

Won 37 5 5 19 8 1 80

well in the tribal Santhal Pargana region that has 18 assembly segments. The BJP won seven seats in the tribal belt, a marked improvement from just two seats it held earlier. The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) failed to improve its performance, winning 17 seats and leading in just one — a tally that was same as last time.

IANS, NEW DELHI

T

he performance of the two houses stood in stark contrast as the month-long winter session of parliament concluded on December 23 with the Lok Sabha having passed a “record” 18 bills while the Rajya Sabha lost a majority of its working days to disruption.

The fate of crucial bills like the insurance bill and the coal mines allocation bill hangs in balance with the Rajya Sabha failing to transact any substantial business.

Both houses witnessed an united opposition with the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, the Left, Janata Dal-United, Bahujan Samaj Party and others speaking in one voice on several issues. The house that bore the brunt of protests was the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling National Democratic Alliance is in a minority.

It was productive for just 67.18

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav and Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav.

percent of its time, compared to 105.71 percent for the Lok Sabha, where the numbers are to the government’s advantage.

Of the total 22 working days, Rajya Sabha saw 16 marked by disruptions as it saw two major protests. The first was over foul remarks by union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, which saw proceedings being disrupted for five days (December 1-5), even as

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a statement urging members to forgive her.

The stalemate ended December 8 following a statement by Chairman M. Hamid Ansari.

However, it was not the end of problems for the government in the upper house, where it wanted to bring and pass a bill to raise foreign direct investment cap in insurance to 49 percent.

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diaspora

DIASPORA

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PBD 2014: Thrust on ‘Make in India’ The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2014 will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to mark the centenary of the return of the foremost Indian diaspora member, Mahatma Gandhi, to India from South Africa IANS, NEW DELHI

T

he Modi government’s key programs, including Make in India, would be highlighted during the January 7-9 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, that is expected to see around 3,000 Indian diaspora attending.

The annual PBD is being held in Gandhinagar to mark the centenary of the return of the “sarva sreshtha pravasi Bharatiya” or foremost Indian diaspora member, Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa, said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is also minister for Overseas Indian Affairs.

An exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution to India’s independence would also be inaugurated besides other events to mark the centenary of Gandhi’s return to India.

Foreign Minister of South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has also

‘Diaspora can help Indian brands go global’

External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressing a press conference on the forthcoming 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi on December 22. (Photo: IANS)

been invited, but her confirmation is awaited, said Sushma Swaraj.

The chief guest of the 13th PBD would be Guyana President Don-

ald Ramotar. PBD is the world’s largest annual gathering of people of Indian origin aimed at enhancing networking and reinforcing

Sushma Swaraj to inaugurate Kerala diaspora meet IANS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Kerala to bat for online voting for its diaspora

T KOLKATA: The diaspora has an important role to play in helping Indian companies make a “solid global impact” and make sure the country has a current account surplus, a famous US-based marketing guru said here on December 19.

“The Indian diaspora are extremely influential entities in the US and the UK,” Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp, professor of marketing at Kenan-Flagler Business School, said on the sidelines of the 13th Brand Conclave organized by Confederation of Indian Industries.

According to him, the diaspora can lead in promoting Indian brands globally and the right global approach will not only help Indian companies reap higher profits but will also help them raise their global brand power. “It is crucial because India is transitioning from a developing economy into an emerging one.

It’s high time Indian companies started investing enough time, energy and money in brand building across the world”, he added.

commercial linkages. There are 25 million people of Indian origin residing outside India.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

would be “different” from earlier PBDs, stressed Sushma Swaraj.

The PBD would be hosting some special events, including a special session for the diaspora youth and also four special sessions. These are — to deal with the concerns of diaspora living in the Gulf countries, for those living in Francophone countries, a session for countries where the descendants of Indian indentured labor live and another session to address concerns of the associations of Indian diaspora, she said.

Gujarat is the partner country for the event. Ten Indian states, including the non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) states of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Nagaland, are participating. The BJP states are Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitey and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be addressing the session between.

he Kerala government’s Non-resident Keralite (NRK) Global Meet-2015 to be held on January 16-17 at Kochi would be inaugurated by Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, said a Kerala minister on December 19.

She will be the chief guest on the first day of the event.

Incidentally, this meet is being held after a gap of three years. The last such event was held soon after the Oommen Chandy government assumed office in 2011.

Kerala Minister for Diaspora K.C.Joseph, Friday launched a website www.globalnrkmeet.com for the benefit of the diaspora to register for the event.

Sushma Swaraj

The delegate fee for the diaspora meet is `500 and for those from within India it is `300.

About 1000 people from various countries are expected to take part in the two-day event.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala cabinet will take a decision next week whether to adopt online voting for its diaspora, a minister said on December 19.

“The decision to include the Indian diaspora in voter lists was taken by the UPA government and the Supreme Court is looking into the matter. The Kerala cabinet will decide next week on the issue. We might consider filing a petition regarding this in the apex court,” K.C. Joseph, minister for diaspora, told reporters here.

He said he will favor the online voting method.

Vijayawada girl Pranathy crowned Miss India USA IANS, HYDERABAD

P

ranathy Gangaraju of Georgia has been crowned Miss India USA, 2014 recently. Raju is the first 19-year-old to win the title and she is also the first Telugu girl in the last 20 years to be crowned Miss India USA. This year’s finals of the oldest running Indian pageant outside India, were held at the Royal

Albert’s Palace, Fords, in New Jersey.

Film actor Richa Gangopadhyay had won the pageant in 2007.

Raju was born in Hanamkonda in Warangal. Her mother, Maitreyi Sharma, hails from the city.

Her father, Ram Gangaraju, who owned a software company earlier, hails from Vijayawada. Ms Raju was raised in Vijayawada before she moved to the US. She is currently

pursuing her studies in Los Angeles.

She will represent USA in the 24th Annual Miss India Worldwide

Recent studies have pegged the number of Kerala emigrants at 2.5 million with 90 percent of them in the various Middle East countries.

“Kerala was the first state to set up a separate department for the diaspora. This was replicated by the center, too. Over the years, this department has done a lot, and the biggest challenge came recently when we were able to repatriate nurses from Iraq and Libya. For this we got a huge support from the ministry of external affairs,” Joseph told reporters here.

He also pointed out that the department took the lead in rehabilitating the nurses who returned from these countries.

The government also provided opportunities to these nurses to get new jobs.

Pageant to be held in Goa in June 2016.

Pranathy has inner beauty too.

She is down to earth with no arrogance. She loves to watch Bollywood and Tollywood movies.

Pranathy is majoring in Film Acting and Production in Less Strsberg School of Acting and Theater, which produced stalwarts like Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Scarlett Johannson, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and others.

Her hobbies include dancing, singing, writing and swimming.

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special report

SPECIAL REPORT

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

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A day ahead of their birth anniversaries, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the late freedom fighter-educationist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya were named for India’s highest civilian honor — the Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna

for Vajpayee, Malaviya IANS, NEW DELHI

A

Former US President Bill Clinton with then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on November 21, 2003.

(Photo: PIB)

day ahead of their birth anniversaries, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the late freedom fighter-educationist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya were named for India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna.

“The president has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said on December 24.

Incidentally, both Vajpayee and Malaviya were born on December 25 — the former in 1924 and the latter in 1861.

Their birthday has also been declared as “Good Governance Day” by the government.

The honor for Gwalior-born Vajpayee, who was the country’s prime minister first in 1996 and then again from 1998 to 2004, came after years of demands from people across

Both Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya (in picture) were born on December 25 — the former in 1924 and the latter in 1861.

party affiliations and the public at large.

The 90-year-old veteran politician had re-started the Bharatiya Jan Sangh as the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980 and was the first head of gov-

ernment from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term.

He served the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, for 10 terms that began in 1957 and concluded in 2009.

An orator par excellence, Vajpayee had earned much fame as India’s external affairs minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai government during which tenure he delivered a widely acclaimed speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi.

Allahabad-born Malaviya was the president of the Indian National Congress for two terms and was also among the first leaders of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha.

Besides being a freedom fighter and politician, he was also an eminent educationist.

The Banaras Hindu University was founded by him way back in 1916.

Malaviya breathed his last a year before India’s independence on August 15, 1947.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Apostle of peace, humanity personified ASHOK TANDON, NEW DELHI

A

28-year-old dhoti-kurta clad young man was jostling to push his blanketwrapped baggage into the unreserved compartment of a passenger train at Delhi Railway station on May 8, 1953.

It was a send off for Shyma Prasad Moookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (predecessor of the present day Bharatiya Janata Party), on a mission to enter Jammu & Kashmir defying the entry-permit order of the government and demanding full integration of the state into the Indian Union.

On the call of duty was a journalist-turned hitherto unfamiliar political secretary to Mookerjee — Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mookerjee was arrested on May 10, 1953 on the J&K border while entering the state and was taken to Srinagar jail.

He sent Vajpayee back to Delhi with a message for the party rank and file to continue the agitation

Left: AB Vajpayee with Narendra Modi.

(Top right) Former Prime Minister Vajpayee welcoming the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair in New Delhi on October 6, 2001. (Photos: PIB)

against what he then termed “Ek desh mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan, and Do Nishan Nahin Chalenge” (in one country there can’t be two constitutions, two prime ministers & two flags).

Mookerjee died under mysterious circumstances while in custody in Srinagar on June 23, 1953. And young Vajpayee, with his oratorical eloquence relentlessly went on to spread his political mentor’s mes-

sage across the country and made an indelible mark as a debutant on the political scene of independent India. Vajpayee entered the Lok Sabha from Balrampur in UP in the second general elections in 1957 and his maiden speech earned him laurels from many contemporary veteran parliamentarians, including the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who, while introducing Vajpayee to a visiting

foreign dignitary once said “this young man one day will become the country’s prime minister”.

Vajpayee remained a member of Parliament for 47 years, elected 11 times to the Lok Sabha, and twice to the Rajya Sabha. But the issue of Jammu & Kashmir always remained foremost in his mind.

He was a staunch critic of Nehru’s Jammu & Kashmir policy.

A poet by heart, Vajpayee articu-

lated poetry as one of the means of expressing himself in any given situation. He would often recite one of his poems during the course of his speeches to convey his message for the occasion and enthral his audience. One of his poems on Jammu & Kashmir “Mastak Nahi Jhukega” sums up India’s position on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.

As external affairs minister in the 1977 Janata Party government, Vajpayee pursued the policy of friendly relations with India’s neighbors, including Pakistan, on the principle of peaceful co-existence & mutual respect. His famous quote “you can change friends but not your neighbors” went on to become a dictum in the Indian foreign office establishment. Resolving all the outstanding issues with Pakistan in a peaceful manner through bilateral dialogue without any third party intervention was Vajpayee’s mantra when he became the prime minister, first for 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months in 1998 and again for a full five-year term in 1999.

MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

17

IN MEMORIAM

Narendra S. Patel 1942-2014

'na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire' (For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be.

He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.)

Our heartfelt condolences to family and prayer to God to bless the departed soul with eternal peace

From: Babubhai Patel & Bhavesh B. Patel

Sahil Exclusive

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South Special

SOUTH SPECIAL

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

Ex-DMK leader Napoleon joins BJP Napolean was a known supporter of M.K. Alagiri, another former central minister and a son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi

BJP to lead alliance in Tamil Nadu in 2016 CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will make a serious bid to take power in Tamil Nadu by leading an alliance in the 2016 assembly elections, its president Amit Shah said on December 21.

The announcement was made on a day former DMK leader and former central minister D. Napolean joined the BJP. Shah said the BJP would mobilize

6 million new members in Tamil Nadu and it would be the largest party in the state in 2016.

He also told reporters that the party would lead an alliance during the next assembly elections and also declare its chief ministerial candidate.

According to him, the economy had improved after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power.

He defeated his AIADMK rival by around 77,600 votes. Napoleon did not contest in the 2014 general election.

Earlier, on December 20, music director Gangai Amaran also joined the BJP. The BJP president said that Narendra Modi’s long rule is needed to save the dignity and selfrespect of the people of Tamil Nadu and Tamils elsewhere.

Addressing a public rally at

Maraimalai Nagar near here, Shah in a “heart-to-heart” talk with the people, said: “In order to safe guard the dignity and self respect of the Tamil Nadu people, Modi’s rule at the centre should be there for a long time.”

He listed out seven states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam — where the party should be strengthened so it can rule for a long time at centre.

IANS, CHENNAI

S

idelined DMK leader and former union minister D. Napoleon joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah here on December 21.

Napoleon, 51, had resigned from the DMK on December 20.

He was a minister in the Congressled UPA government.

Napolean was a known supporter of M.K. Alagiri, another former central minister and a son of DMK

Sidelined DMK leader and former union minister D. Napoleon joins BJP in presence of the BJP chief Amit Shah in Chennai on December 21. (Photo: IANS)

chief M. Karunanidhi. Alagiri was dismissed from the DMK this year for anti-party activities.

Napolean was sidelined in the party because of his closeness to Alagiri. Napoleon entered politics as an assistant to his uncle and DMK leader K.N. Nehru.

In 2001, Napoleon entered the

Tamil Nadu assembly from Villivakam constituency here.

In 2006, he was defeated in Mylapore constituency in Chennai. In 2009, Napoleon won the Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency and was made the minister of state for social justice and empowerment in the UPA government.

Police stations in Hyderabad on Facebook Search for a daughter continues IANS, HYDERABAD

VENKATACHARI JAGANNATHAN, CHENNAI

I

n an attempt to move closer to people, Hyderabad police has now become accessible on Facebook, the popular social networking site.

The office of the police commissioner and all police stations on the city have opened Facebook pages as a part of the Telangana government’s vision to transform state police into a citizen friendly and responsive force.

Launching the pages, Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Sharma said the use of such latest technologies would help the people to approach the concerned station house officer with their grievances. He said the interaction between police and the communi-

T Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma launching the Facebook page of the Telangana police in Hyderabad on December 16. (Photo: IANS)

ty in real time on a regular basis would help the police in improving its service delivery standards on a continual basis. The local

Warangal, Amravati to be heritage cities HYDERABAD: The central government has included Warangal in Telangana and Amaravati in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh under a scheme for development of heritage cities, union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu announced on December 21. They are among 12 cities across the country included in Heritage City Development and Aug-

mentation Yojana (HRIDAY).

Naidu told reporters here that the central government would alloM.V. Naidu cate special funds for development of the two cities. This is expected to give facelift to the heritage monuments in the cities.

Goa sleeps on explosive drug nexus report PANAJI: Despite Prime Minister Modi’s implorations on his weekly radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat’ to root out the terror-funding drug mafia, the Goa government continues to sit on an explosive legislative committee report which nails Goa’s

police-politician-drug mafia nexus. The report, tabled in 2013, describes a former police officer as an alleged “kingpin” in the nexus and links the son of a former home minister to foreigners allegedly involved in drug peddling in coastal Goa.

police stations can also keep local communities informed of the initiatives and actions taken by them from time to time.

en years after the 2004 tsunami separated his eight-year-old daughter Apurva from him at the Car Nicobar islands, Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Ravi Shankar still hopes to reunite with her.

Shankar is at present distributing copies of Apurva’s photograph in the port town of Velankanni in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, hoping to hear some positive news about his daughter.

“Every year around this time I visit Tamil Nadu with several prints of Apurva’s photograph and with a hope,” Shankar told IANS over telephone from Velankanni, a coastal town 320 km from here.

Shankar, 44, is now posted in Gujarat’s Bhuj district.

Shankar is sure that his “dear daughter Apurva” is alive as he was told that a girl resembling her was at the tsunami relief camp but was taken away by a nomadic tribe.

It was double tragedy for the Shankars. The couple’s one-yearold son died in the tsunami while Apurva, affectionately known as Bulbul, got separated.

No timeframe for opening new beer parlors IANS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

N

o time frame has been fixed for the opening of new beer and wine parlors a Kerala minister said on December 23. Following the decision of the Kerala government last week to tweak the liquor policy, 418 bars that have not been opened since this fiscal, can if they desire, be converted to wine and beer parlors.

“We have not fixed any time frame when they will open,” state excise minister K. Babu told reporters here.

A report of the accountant general in 2009 had highlighted the unhygienic conditions in the 418 bars. Due to the unyielding stand taken by state Congress president

A report of the accountant general in 2009 had highlighted the unhygienic conditions in the 418 bars in Kerala.

V.M. Sudheeran these bars were not allowed to open this fiscal. But following public outcry over the new liquor policy announced by the Kerala government in August,

the Oommen Chandy cabinet last week tweaked the liquor policy and allowed the 418 closed down bars to convert into wine and beer parlors.

MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

19

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

20

THE WORLD

from ians newswire

‘26/11 biggest intel failure’ India, US, Britain had information about the attack: NYT report IANS, NEW DELHI

I

n one of the “most devastating near-misses in spycraft”, intelligence agencies of India, the US and Britain failed to stop the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack despite information from high-tech surveillance and other tools, The New York Times reported on December 22.

The daily said it had pieced together the story from classified documents, court files and dozens of interviews with current and former Indian, British and American officials. According to the Times, 30year-old computer expert Zarrar Shah “roamed from outposts in the northern mountains of Pakistan to safe houses near the Arabian Sea in the fall of 2008, plotting mayhem in Mumbai”.

The lead conspirators were alleged to be Shah, another Lashkare-Taiba (LeT) chief Sajid Mir and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, reported Pro Publica, which conducted the investigation along with the Times.

Shah, the technology chief of the Pakistani terrorist group, and fellow conspirators used Google Earth to

US begins new era of relations with Cuba

One of the deadliest terror attacks in India, the 26/11 attack claimed 166 lives including six Americans. show terrorists the routes to their New Jersey,” the Times report said.

“Shortly before (the) assault (on targets in the city, it said.

Videos, maps and reconnaissance Mumbai) that would kill 166 peoreports had been supplied to Mir by ple, including six Americans, Shah David Coleman Headley, the Pak- searched online for a Jewish hostel istani-American who scouted tar- and two luxury hotels, all sites of the gets. “(Ajmal) Kasab was trained to eventual carnage,” the Times report locate everything in Mumbai before said. But he did not know that by he went,” said Deven Bharti, a September the British were spying Mumbai police official who investi- on many of his online activities, tracking his internet searches and gated the attacks, said.

“He (Shah) set up an internet messages and classified documents phone system to disguise his loca- from former American security contion by routing his calls through tractor Edward J. Snowden.

WASHINGTON: The US has begun a new era in its relations with Cuba, which President Barack Obama began to work on after being elected to the White House in 2009, and could lead to official state visits between the leaders of both countries.

White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said at a press conference on December 18 that a future visit by Cuban President Raul Castro to the White House could not be ruled out.

Earlier, he had said that if there was an opportunity for Obama to visit Cuba, he would not turn it down. Late next month, Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson will lead a team of US officials to Cuba for talks on migration, which would be the first high-level mission to Cuba.

“We would... use the migration talks as an opportunity to begin to talk about some of the other things on our agenda,” Jacobson told reporters on December 18. On December 17, Obama and Castro announced a historic agreement to normalize bilateral relations after 53 years of hostility.

Obama was looking to improve relations with Cuba since taking office in 2009 and last April he announced measures to remove certain restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba.

However, the arrest of US contractor Alan Gross in Havana in December 2009, and his imprisonment for subversive activities -- considered unjust by Washington -- turned into a huge setback to improving bilateral relations, Obama admitted on December 17.

SOuTH ASiA ‘No difference between terrorists and abettors’

At least 160 people, mostly children, were killed in a Peshawar school attack.

Peshawar lessons: Pakistan to fortify security across schools were already deployed but now it has been made mandatory for all n the drive to eliminate terrorism institutions to hire armed from the country after the security personnel.

December 16 Peshawar school Walk-through gates should also carnage, the authorities in Pakistan be installed at the entry points of the are taking all possible measures to schools and guards should be stop educational institutions from deployed with metal detectors. becoming targets of militant attacks.

The administrations would also The superintendents of police of be asked to install CCTV cameras all the four zones in Islamabad — for surveillance of the buildings.

City, Saddar, Rural and Industrial The height of the boundary walls Area — have been asked to hold of all schools, colleges and universimeetings with the school adminis- ties should be raised and barbed trations in their respective areas and wires fixed.

The digging of trenches has also brief them on the security arrangebeen proposed around school ments, Dawn online reported.

In some of the schools, guards buildings.

IANS, ISLAMABAD

I

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on December 23 said there was no difference between terrorists and their abettors. Chairing a special anti-terrorism meeting of the country’s civilian and military leadership, Prime Minister Sharif stressed the need to eliminate the mindset associated with terrorism and militancy, The News International reported. It was agreed upon in the meeting that Operation Zarb-e-Azb would continue till the elimination of the last terrorist. Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif, Director General of InterServices Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, among others attended the meeting. Earlier Prime Minister Sharif said that people could not be left at the mercy of terrorists. The prime minister pointed out that extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures.

Myanmar govt, militants to resume talks YANGON: Peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups have set early January 2015 to hold the seventh round of talks to finalize the draft of a nationwide ceasefire accord, sources said.

The technical coordination meeting between the government’s Union Peace Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed groups’ National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) agreed more remaining points for drafting the nationwide ceasefire accord, Xinhua reported citing sources the with the Myanmar Peace Centre on December 23 where a coordination meeting of the two sides was held for two days.

The two sides expected that the nationwide ceasefire accord could be signed in mid-February after finalization. The sixth round of nationwide ceasefire talks were held in September, approving the fourth draft of the ceasefire agreement.

Bangladesh politician sentenced to death DHAKA: Bangladesh’s war crimes court on December 23 sentenced a former government minister to death for rape and genocide during the 1971

Kaiser became the 15th person to be convicted of atrocities by ICT.

independence struggle against Pakistan, media reported.

Syed Mohammad Kaiser became the 15th person to be convicted of atrocities by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which found him guilty of heading an armed group that rounded up and killed at least 150 people in the nine-month conflict, bdnews24.com reported. The 73-year-old Kaiser, who uses a wheelchair, did not react as the judge read out the verdict and said he would be “hanged by the neck until his death”. Kaiser was a former minister with the Jatiya Party.

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2014 In RetRospect: IndIa-us2014 tIesIN RETROSPECT: INDIA US TIES

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

A ‘warm’ White House dinner and Obama vowing to ‘chalein saath saath — together we go forward,’ the India-US ties are set to touch a new high in 2015

‘Modification’ of India-US ties ARUN KUMAR, WASHINGTON

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi hobnobbing with Russian President Vladimir Putin and doing “business as usual” with Moscow, signing deals including one for 12 Russia-built nuclear units when the landmark India-US nuclear deal still remains stalled, made the US unhappy.

The American media too raised questions about how India could be “BFF” with both the US and Russia, but President Barack Obama was unwilling to spoil the party with an “important partner” and stuck to his plans to make a “historic” visit to India as guest of honor on its Republic Day and build on Modi’s “hugely successful” US visit in September.

At the turn of the year, in the midst of a major diplomatic row over the arrest and alleged strip search of an Indian diplomat in New York, US diplomats were still tying themselves in knots over how to deal with an ascendant BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

It was only in mid-February

KEY EVENTS l Year begins with India-US ties at a low over the Khobragade affair l US makes first overture to Modi with then US ambassador Nancy Powell visiting him in mid-February l Obama cuts the visa knot with a May 16 congratulatory phone call to Modi on BJP’s “success in India’s historic election” and an invitation to visit Washington l Obama calls again the day Modi takes up the mantle of prime minister with a pledge to work closely together “for years to come” l Defying prophets of doom, Modi makes a “hugely successful journey” to Washington in September hitting it off with Obama l Modi also praises Indian Ameri-

long after all its Western allies had read the writing on the wall that US Ambassador Nancy Powell chose to travel to Ahmedabad to meet the man whom the US had denied a visa for nearly a decade over his alleged inaction during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

In the end it just took a May 16

cans who give him a rock star like reception in New York l Obama-Modi summit ends with a pledge to “chalein saath saath — together we go forward” to realize the full potential of a renewed US-India partnership l Modi plays another diplomatic card inviting Obama to join India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guest next year l US is upset over India doing “business as usual’ with Russia, but Obama makes no change to his plans to visit India.

congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama to Modi on the BJP’s “success in India’s historic election” with an invitation to visit Washington “to further strengthen our bilateral relationship” to cut the visa knot.

As a somewhat wary US began wooing Modi in right earnest with

Obama again calling Modi the day he took up the mantle of prime minister with a pledge to work closely together with him “for years to come”, the media also discovered a ‘new fashion icon’ in the new Indian leader.

Modi reciprocated in equal measure and came calling in September-end for what he himself later called a “hugely successful journey”.

Breaking the ice at a ‘warm’ White House dinner, a fasting Modi, sipping warm water and

talking yoga, and an indulgent Obama vowed to “chalein saath saath — together we go forward” to realize the full potential of a renewed US-India partnership.

If Narendra Modi promised to take their stalled landmark civil nuclear deal forward and invited US defense companies to invest in India, the US committed to make joint and concerted efforts with India to dismantle terrorist safe havens, including four Pakistanbased groups.

More power to Indian diaspora in United States ARUN KUMAR, WASHINGTON

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otching successes in fields as diverse as poetry and politics, some three millionstrong Indian Nikki Haley Richard Rahul Verma Satya Nadella American comKamala Harris Amiresh ‘Ami’ Bera munity packed more power and influence envoy from the community to far beyond their numbers in the ernor Jerry Brown, while Rohit victories in the states with 23-year- New Delhi. Vivek Murthy became year gone by.

‘Ro’ Khanna nearly upset seven- old law student Niraj Antani, a the youngest US Surgeon General A record 30 Indian Americans term incumbent Mike Honda in a Republican, creating history by win- and the first of Indian descent after jumped into November’s electoral Democrat versus Democrat House ning a House seat in Ohio to cooling his heels for more than a battle with Republican Nikki contest in Silicon Valley. become one of America’s youngest year for Senate confirmation as ‘America’s doctor’.

Haley and Democrat Kamala HarAmiresh ‘Ami’ Bera, the lone lawmakers. ris handily winning back their jobs Indian American in the US House President Barack Obama, whose Software giant Microsoft named as South Carolina governor and of Representatives, repeated histo- administration has more Indian Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella as California’s attorney general ry by winning a tight California Americans than any other before, its new CEO in place of Steve respectively. But Republican Neel House race two weeks after the added many more, including for- Ballmer, making him perhaps the Tushar Kashkari lost an uphill bat- elections as he had four years ago. mer key Hillary Clinton aide most powerful Indian-born tech tle against California’s popular govEight Indian Americans scored Richard Rahul Verma as the first executive in the world.

IN A NUTSHELL l Record 30 Indian Americans jump into November’s electoral battle l Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Kamala Harris handily win back their jobs as South Carolina governor and California’s attorney general respectively l Amiresh ‘Ami’ Bera, the lone Indian American in the US House of Representatives, repeats history with a narrow win l Eight Indian Americans win in the states l Niraj Antani, 23, creates history by becoming one of America’s youngest lawmakers in Ohio. l Former key Hillary Clinton aide Richard Rahul Verma is confirmed as the first Indian American envoy to New Delhi.

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2014 IN RETROSPECT: TERRORISM2014

In RetRospect: teRRoRIsm MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

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In one of the cruelest attack on humanity as we enter New Year, terrorists slaughtered 132 kids in an Army Public School in Peshawar

Where have all the flowers gone?

SAEED NAQVI, NEW DELHI

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ver since U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage threatened to bomb Pakistan to the stone age unless it joined the post 9/11 global war on terror, Pakistan has faced an existential tragedy of choice. It was being called upon to kill the very mujahideen it had trained to become hardened Islamic fighters, also at America’s behest, to help expel the Soviet Union from Afghanistan.

Some in the Pakistan Army got into the drill, led by the Americans, to eliminate the mujahideen; some did not.

The world’s mightiest power and the world’s only nuclear

Islamic state have been fighting the Al Qaeda, Taliban, Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP), one mutating into the other, for the past 13 years without any conclusion. Every year, specifically since 2010, the US threatens to leave Afghanistan but finds itself

heaped such brutality on the families of school children in Peshawar as to leave human beings everywhere numb and speechless.

Immediately after the carnage in Peshawar, Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif and ISI

The world’s mightiest power and the world’s only nuclear Islamic state have been fighting the Al Qaeda, Taliban, Tehrik- e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP), one mutating into the other, for the past 13 years without any conclusion. unable to. Islamabad and Kabul are both obliged to fight a continuous war against their own people. To get even in an asymmetrical war, a faction of the TTP has

chief Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar flew to Kabul for an emergency meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. They also met NATO commander Gen. John

Campbell. There is no Afghan counterpart to Raheel yet in harness. What would they have discussed? Hot pursuit of Maulana Fazlullah, the faction of the TTP allegedly responsible for the massacre? Can Ghani, who held onto the presidentship only by the skin of his teeth, oblige? His political rival and the CEO, Abdullah Abdullah, has already raised the bar for both sides.

There is no such thing as a good Taliban as opposed to a bad Taliban, he says. The implication is to have no talks with Taliban — which knocks out the Pakistani expectation to have a structure in Kabul which is leavened by Talibani presence.

Remember the spells of Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani opposite

A woman mourns the death of her child during a memorial ceremony in Peshawar, Pakistan. (Photo: IANS)

numbers. When they coordinated action against the Taliban, Pushtoon nationalism grew in geometrical progression. Among the numerous flip flops of the Americans in Afghanistan has been their inability to have a consistent policy on Taliban. Initially, the Taliban had to be destroyed. Then they had to be only weakened.

This latter line suited Kabul’s calculations. A weakened Taliban was useful so long as it expanded horizontally. The Pushtoons in control in Kabul believed Taliban expansion was Pushtoon expansion which, in the long run, was in their interest.

Sanctions against terrorists ineffective: India ARUL LOUIS, NEW YORK

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nited Nations: The killing fields of Peshawar inspired anew an international resolve at the Security Council to combat terrorism by adopting a resolution urging nations to choke the flow of resources to the extremist organizations and to increase cooperation to fight them, even as India criticized the ineffectiveness of sanctions against them.

During the debate leading up to the resolution speaker after speaker invoked the massacre of the innocents this week in Peshawar and Pakistan vowed to go after the “jugular” of the terrorists. “Pakistan mourns today but we will, Insha’Allah, ensure the total annihilation of terrorists and their twisted ideologies,” Sahebzada Ahmed Khan, its Deputy Permanent Representative, declared.

A child attends a protest to condemn the Taliban attack on the Army public school. (Photo: IANS)

With his country reeling from the Taliban killing 132 schoolchildren, Khan admitted that states bore

the primary responsibility for taking effective measures against terrorism. Bilateral, regional, and international cooperation, including exchange of information, was

crucial to fighting terrorism, he said. Bhagwant S. Bishnoi, India’s Acting Permanent Representative, criticized Council’s Sanctions Committee as

ineffective the in dealing with the “open and brazen violations” of the Council’s sanctions against terrorist organizations. He said that putting a group on the list of terrorist organisations “is supposed to lead to travel bans, freezing of assets and an arms embargo. In other words, cutting off the lifeline that sustains terrorism. This unfortunately, does not always happen.”

He cited the example of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, which is on the roster of terror organizations and whose role in the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat in May had been documented in the latest report of UN’s Al Qaida/Taliban Monitoring Team.

“Lashker-e-Tayyaba obviously does not live on love and fresh air.,” Bishnoi said. He referred to the international web of crime, trafficking and ideology that sustains organizations like the ISIS, Al Shabaab, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, the Taliban and the Al Qaida.

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2014 In RetRospect: south

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

2014 IN RETROSPECT: SOUTH

The year gone by can be described as one of rapid change for Tamil Nadu — most of it owing to court decisions — with political big-wigs staring at uncertainty

TAMIL NADU IN FLUX VENKATACHARI JAGANNATHAN, CHENNAI

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he state saw the exit of J. Jayalalithaa as chief minister following her conviction in a corruption case, the appointment of finance minister O.Panneerselvam as the new chief minister, the Supreme Court deciding the Mullaperiyar Dam case in Tamil Nadu’s favor, the expulsion of M.K. Alagiri from the DMK and former union minister G.K. Vasan reviving the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) after quitting the Congress.

The year also saw Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK bagging 37 of the state’s 39 seats in the April-May general election and the Vaiko-led MDMK walking out of the BJPled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over its Sri Lankan policy.

“It is a year of rapid turbulence for the state’s political scenario.

There was greater uncertainty for the actors in the political arena.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced the Congress in the state as a national party,” Ramu Manivannan, professor of political science in the University of Madras, told IANS. On September 27, Jayalalithaa was sent to the Bangalore Central

The arrest of former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa and the expulsion of M.K. Alagiri from the DMK were two key events of the year.

Jail after being sentenced to four years in prison and fined `1 billion for corruption, dealing a huge blow to the charismatic former actor who, ahead of the general election, had dreams of becoming prime minister.

As a consequence the 66-yearold former movie star was disqualified from being a member of the Tamil Nadu legislature and lost her chief minister’s post.

Pronouncing his verdict on a legal battle that began in 1996, judge John Michael Cunha held

Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The other three are long-time Jayalalithaa associate V.K. Sasikala, now disowned foster son V.N. Sudhakaran and former aide J. Illavarasi. All three were also sentenced to four years in prison and fined `100 million each.

The convictions came under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Subsequently, the apex court

released Jayalalithaa on bail.

It was certainly a big blow for Jayalalithaa who was basking under two major glories — winning the Lok Sabha elections and the apex court allowing an increase in the storage level at the Mullaperiyar Dam. The Supreme Court May 5 decreed in favor of Tamil Nadu and permitted the state to raise the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam to 142 feet from 136 feet.

Though the dam is located in Kerala it is owned, maintained and operated by Tamil Nadu.

For the other major Tamil Party, the DMK, the year began with the suspension of party president M. Karunanidhi’s son and former union minister Alagiri for continuously criticizing party leaders and also defaming the party.

In the general election, the DMK and its former ally, the Congress, drew blank.

In order to protect his turf with his Congress party drawing blank in the general election and no one to ally with former union minister, Vasan floated his new party in November.

Chandy had a whale of a time in 2014 SANU GEORGE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

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ust as 2014 began when Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saw the withering away of the Left-sponsored protest against what is known as the Solar scam, the year is coming to a close with a morale-boosting victory over his state party president V.M.Sudheeran when the liquor policy was tweaked.

Overall for Chandy, it was more or less a roller coaster ride with the pendulum of fortune swinging back and forth — and whenever it mattered, it really swung his way.

The trouble was at its peak for Chandy over the Kasturirangan report that sought to bring just 37 percent of the Western Ghats under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zones — down from

the 64 percent suggested by a previous panel.

The report rocked the hilly districts of Idukki and Wayanad districts since November 2013 and this peaked when the present year began. The report was cleared by the union environment and forests ministry.

Vested interests jumped in too, adding fat to the fire by suggesting that the “unfriendly” recommendations made in the report, if implemented, would Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen make life miserable in the 123 vil- Chandy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on October 16. lages in these districts.

Acting under duress, the Chandy government raised this istry to re-look the report, eventuissue at the highest-level involving ally clearing it, in the nick of the both the then prime minister time before the Lok Sabha polls.

Manmohan Singh and the United The Lok Sabha polls was yet Progressive Alliance chairperson another acid test for Chandy and Sonia Gandhi, forcing the min- with the BJP under Narendra

Modi swamping the Congress across the country, in Kerala, despite a vociferous Left opposition election campaign, Chandy managed to cling on with respectability by winning 12 out of the 20 seats.

In the process, Kerala became the second state after Karnataka to send the maximum number of

Congress Lok Sabha members.

The highly image-conscious Sudheeran started giving Chandy sleepless nights by forcing him to come out with a non-practical policy, which, at one stroke, permitted only bars in five star hotels to operate, resulting in the closure of close to 700 bars in August.

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2014 IN RETROSPECT: DIPLOMACY2014

in retrospect: diplomacy MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

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Narendra Modi has pulled off a kind of diplomatic coup in getting President Barack Obama to accept his invitation to be the chief guest at the R-Day in 2015

Modi era: Diplomacy at its peak RANJANA NARAYAN, NEW DELHI

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ndia’s foreign relations appear on a humming, happy front as 2014 draws to a close, with ties with many countries, including the US, China and Russia, on the uptick, especially after the Narendra Modi government kicked off a blitz of active foreign policy engagement since it took over in May. The year 2014 began with India-US relations on the ebb, with the bitter hangover of the Devyani Khobragade episode very fresh. The arrest and strip search of Indian diplomat in New York in late 2013 continued to reverberate in early 2014.

Both sides made serious efforts for a patch-up, with then foreign minister Salman Khurshid breaking ice with US Secretary of State John Kerry and India’s new envoy S. Jaishankar moving actively to smoothen the ties. The US also moved quickly to recall then US envoy Nancy Powell, who was perceived to be unfriendly towards the Modi juggernaut that was surely headed towards Delhi.

After Modi was installed at the helm, the outreach with the US started in earnest, culminating in his visit to America, a country that had declared him a pariah over the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Before Modi came to power, India had two important guests Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as chief guest of the Republic Day parade and South Korean President Park Guen-hye, who vis-

immediate neighbors and also A Pakistan court’s decision last reassured them of the new gov- week to grant bail to 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind ernment’s intentions.

While the Modi government’s Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi came as outreach to neighbors appears to a shocker, and India will have to have worked well to assuage the wait for three months to know if concerns of most, in the case of the Lashhkar-e-Taiba terrorist Pakistan the blow hot, blow cold will get off the hook or Islamabad relations between the two contin- will heed India’s concerns and ue, despite the early promising bring him and other perpetrators noises in the wake of the Modi- of the 26/11 carnage to book.

In the over six months that Nawaz Sharif handshake and the

Modi, who initially started off in Hindi but has began addressing diplomatic gatherings in English with the aid of teleprompters, has got the eyes and the ears of the international community. ited in the second week of January.

Abe was the first Japanese prime minister to grace the Republic Day and his visit helped reinforce India-Japan ties that got an even higher trajectory under the Modi government.

The new government launched its foreign policy with a bang — by inviting eight South Asian neighbors, including Pakistan, to the swearing in. It gave Modi an opportunity to get to know his

shawl-sari and twitter diplomacy.

The relations with Pakistan, in fact, witnessed a major downslide after the continuous border firing incidents and after India called off the foreign secretary-level talks over Islamabad dabbling with Kashmiri separatists.

The horrific Peshawar school terror attack last week helped bring both neighbors together in sharing concerns over terrorism and sympathy over the great loss.

Modi has been in power, he has met all the Permanent Five members of the United Nations — U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — some more than once, including U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The prime minister, who visited Bhutan in his first bilateral outing, has since visited Nepal, Myanmar, Australia, Fiji, the US, Brazil and

President Barack Obama welcomes Narendra Modi at the White House dinner in Washington, D.C.

attended several bilateral and multilateral summits. Among the multilateral summits are: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Kathmandu, the G20 in Brisbane, Australia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit in Myanmar, and the first India-South Pacific Island nations forum summit in Fiji - all in November, and the BRICS summit with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Modi, who initially started off in Hindi but has since began addressing diplomatic gatherings in English with the aid of teleprompters, has got the eyes and the ears of the international community with his promise of the ease of doing business in India.

His invite to US President Barack Obama to be chief guest for the Republic Day parade on January 26 is being viewed as a diplomatic masterstroke.

From right, Narendra Modi with French President Francois Hollande; with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jingping in 2014 (Photos: IANS and PIB)

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cinema news

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

28

CINEMA

Omung to begin filming his next by October

Mallika uncomfortable with Om Puri?

The Murder fame actor is pairing against veteran actor Om Puri in her latest film ‘Dirty Politics’, directed by K.C. Bokadia IANS, MUMBAI

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ctor Mallika Sherawat has done bold scenes for various films in the past, but she says she was not at ease performing bold sequences with veteran actor Om Puri in Dirty Politics.

The Murder fame actor was present at the trailer launch of the film on December 21, with the entire cast.

Asked how comfortable was she while doing bold scenes with Om Puri, she said: “I was not at all comfortable, but he made me comfortable.”

Directed by K.C. Bokadia, Dirty Politics is said to be based on the Bhanwari

Devi sex scandal. Om Puri plays a politician in the film.

Talking about her character in the film, Mallika said she essays an ambitious woman who uses her sex appeal to move up in life.

“I play a character called Anokhi Devi in the film and she is very greedy kind of woman and very ambitious.

She can do anything to get her ambitions fulfilled,” the actress said.

“She is from a poor family. So, when she is noticed by this politician, she does not leave the opportunity as she wants to move up in life and she uses her sex appeal to dominate the politician to go up in her life.”

‘Happy New Year’ a click away IANS, NEW DELHI

‘PK’ — provocative, yet gentle and cute Film: ‘PK’; Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma; Sushant Singh Rajput; Director: Raj Kumar Hirani; Rating: ****

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fter making a mark with the worldwide theatrical release, Shah Rukh Khanstarrer Happy New Year will now be available for the international fans to view directly online.

The movie will use the directto-fan (DTF) model so that fans in unconventional distribution markets are able to view it as well.

The idea behind the development, by Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt. Ltd., is to make the film reach the maximum amount of people.

“We at Red Chillies have always taken pride in establishing new trends and delighting our fans. Along these lines we bring

MUMBAI: Mary Kom fame director Omung Kumar says he will start shooting his next film, based on World War II, by mid-October 2015.

Kumar told IANS: “It’s a period film and I feel their stories haven’t been told on screen. I will shoot in some real locations and also create a set. I will start shooting by mid-October.”

The period film, which will also touch upon emotions and love, is tentatively titled War. Kumar said it will be a multi-starrer film with one lead actor.

“I haven’t locked anyone for the film yet. Talks are on. I need good actors for the film. I don’t believe in A-listers and B-listers.”

N the biggest entertainer - ‘Happy New Year’, directly to our fans through online streaming for the first time ever,” Venky Mysore, CEO, Red Chillies Entertainment. While the traditional distribution markets like India and China enjoy a wide release of a Hindi film, DTF will release in other countries.

I was guided by Anurag: Ronit MUMBAI: Happy and working with Kashyap. excited that his long-pend“I’ve worked in an ing film Ugly will hit the Anurag Kashyap producscreens before 2014 ends, tion Udaan before. But I actor Ronit Roy says that had not been directed by while shooting the movie, Anurag before. So I was he felt like a little boy who very excited. He adopted a was being guided by unique method of working. director Anurag Kashyap.

He didn’t give any of the Ronit, who was last actors a script. I was a bit Ronit Roy seen as Arjun Kapoor’s puzzled. autocratic dad in 2 States, says he “When I’d call to ask Anurag about has a complex and tough role in Ugly, the script, he wouldn’t listen. ‘Just which is a mystery and thriller movie. come on the set on and we’ll see,” the But he enjoyed the experience of actor said.

oticed how the word god rhymes with fraud? Tired of anaemic films in 2014?

Then here comes the year-end heartwarmer about the fraud that’s pulled on unsuspecting humanity in the name of that overworked miracle-maker called god.

PK is a film designed to warm the cockles of the heart. And I use the word ‘designed’ on purpose, and with emphasis.

Many times you feel that the aura of childlike innocence that emanates from Aamir Khan’s character, is deliberately manipulating our feelings by questioning the sacred cows and haloed institutions in that tone we often hear little children adopt in tions have been raised in a satirical ads for insurance schemes.

Many times you feel film. Umesh Shukla did it with a lot Let’s straightaway say this. Rajkuof....to use a a term from that the aura of mar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi’s writHaider....chutzpah. childlike innocence ing is smooth, skilled and PK does it with a lot more tenderthat emanates from ness. sexy....Quite like what Katrina Kaif In fact, the mood gets percepAamir’s character, is tibly treacly specially towards the achieved in her “Chikni chameli” manipulating our item song. You can see the words end when our alien hero turns all feelings. being polished, sparkled and flauntmoony-eyed over the televisioned, just like Katrina’s waist line. She journalist. He’s in love although he gyrated with her hips. Aamir does the outsider to be chronically bewil- thinks it’s ‘bhest of time’. from the lips. dered by all the things that we earthIt tells us, life is beautiful even In his state of innocence, accentu- lings take for granted. when it seems to suck. Provocative ated by his Dr. Spock ears, Aamir Why do we depend on god-men and yet gentle, evocative and quite looks as spaced out as Munnabhai to take us to god when god is sup- often, heartbreakingly artless, PK is on speed. And that is not an unde- posed to be omnipresent? This is not just what the healers ordered after sirable thing at all. The film requires the first time that theological ques- the savagery in Peshawar.

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2014 IN RETROSPECT: CINEMA

2014 In RetRospect: cInema MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

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Aamir Khan starrer Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial ‘PK’ and Salman Khan’s ‘Kick’ were the two biggest blockbusters in 2014 in an otherwise lackluster year

Two of a kind in Bollywood HIGHLIGHTS

UMA RAMASUBRAMANIAN, MUMBAI

l Overall, a disappointing year for Bollywood boxoffice. l Films featuring young talent like Tiger Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor surprised with their profit and performances, giving the year a decent headstart. l Salman Khan’s Kick turned out to be the biggest grosser so far. It made over `2 billion l Only seven of the approximately 180 films were `1 billion grossers. l November turned out to be a dampener with most big ticket releases bombing at the box- office. l Movies like Mardaani, Queen, Mary Kom, Highway, Dedh Ishqiya and Revolver Rani were noteworthy, and gave a fillip to the trend of women-centric movies. l Differentiated content and performance-oriented movies like Citylights, Hawaa Hawaai, Jal, Lakshmi and Haider were a welcome addition to the year’s big screen Hindi entertainers. l There were high expectations from Aamir Khan-starrer PK. And Aamir has not failed to stand up to the expectations of his fans.

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he year started on a positive note with young guns bringing in the moolah, but overall, 2014 has so far turned out to be a disappointing one for the Bollywood box office, say trade gurus, pointing out at how only seven of the nearly 180 releases surpassed the `1 billion ($16 million) mark in the Hindi film industry, which has grossed an estimated turnover of `23.5 billion so far. Then Aamir Khan turned the table at the fag end of the year like he did in 3 Idiots. The most successful movie of the year came at the end in the form of PK. Whether it was Tiger Shroff’s Heropanti, Sidharth Malhotra’s Ek Villain, Varun Dhawan’s Main Tera Hero, Alia Bhatt’s Highway or Alia and Arjun Kapoor-starrer 2 States — they set the stage for a decent year in the first six to eight months, by not just recovering their money, but also making profits. But the “second half was a major disappointment and most of the films didn’t live up to expectations,” Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines told IANS. “This year was very bad...so far,” he added. Terming 2014 an “average year”, trade analyst Komal Nahta told IANS: “The start of 2014 was good, but towards the end there was a downfall. November was the worst month for the film industry in the last 15 to 20 years. All the films, including Happy Ending, The Shaukeens and Kill Dil bombed.”

Thadani estimated that instead

of adding to the list of movies making their way into the `1 billion club, November’s releases contributed to a loss of `1 billion at the box office in the month.

Box office-wise, the sunshine in the gloomy year was brought by seven films — Jai Ho (approximately `1.1 bn), Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (`1.1 bn), 2 States (`1 bn), Kick (over `2 bn), Bang Bang (`1.45 bn), Happy New Year (`1.88 bn) and Singham Returns (`1.40 bn).

Trade expert Vinod Mirani

IANS: “Raking in `1 billion is not a benchmark anymore in this industry. Besides, the films that have crossed `1 bn were made on a huge budget, so they have not made any profit.”

Hindi filmdom forms a major chunk of the globally popular Indian film industry, estimated at a little over `12.50 bn in 2013, according to the FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2014.

Content-wise, some womencentric movies like Mardaani, Mary Kom, Queen, Highway, Dedh Ishqiya came to the fore, as did films like Citylights, Hawaa Hawaai and Haider which found critical acclaim.

“Few women-centric films have done well and that’s certainly a great change,” Manoj Desai of Gaiety Galaxy told IANS.

Role reversal of fashion and films in Bollywood NIVEDITA, NEW DELHI

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ilms and fashion go hand in hand and their relationship went a step forward in the year gone by,with designers going behind the camera to make movies and film stars taking to scissors and measuring tapes to showcase their expertise in designing.

If Vikram Phadnis crossed over to direct a film, Deepika Padukone also did so to reveal her creativity with fabrics.

Phadnis, who will celebrate 25 years in the entertainment indus-

try in 2015, announced his big Bollywood directorial debut with Nia, starring Bipasha Basu and Rana Dagubatti. To be shot in Australia, the film will go on the floors in January 2015. Excited about his new venture, Phadnis said that Nia is a great subject that touches an emotional chord.

Ace designers Manish Malhotra, Rocky S and Sabyasachi Mukherjee are also interested in the movie business and if things go as planned, they would soon announce their projects.

While some will choose to

Lara Dutta

Deepika Padokone

Karan Johar

direct a film, others would start their production ventures.

Rocky, who is behind some of the oh-so stylish appearances of Bollywood divas like Bipahsa and Shilpa Shetty, owns production banner E-Sense Motion Pictures and may soon launch a movie.

The evolving Indian fashion industry is estimated to be worth `7.2 billion ($114 million), while the Indian film industry is estimated at `125.30 billion the creative crossover may spell profits. The credit for this migration largely goes to Muzaffar Ali: he was perhaps the first designer to wield the megaphone and his effort, titled Umrao Jaan, a period drama starring stunning Rekha in a never seen before avatar, was a huge success.

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EntErtainmEnt

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

2014 has been great for me: Surveen Chawala

Sushmita likes shopping online

MUMBAI: Actor Surveen Chawala, who made her debut in Bollywood with the erotic thriller Hate Story 2 this year, says she had a great start to her career.

“The year 2014 has been great for me and I am already feeling that I have been welcomed into the industry,” said Surveen who was first seen on the small screen. She did shows like Kahiin to Hoga, Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Kaajjal.

Asked about her future projects, the actor replied: “After Hate Story 2, my next film is Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly. It is releasing on December 26, which was supposed to be my debut venture, but due to some reasons Hate Story...’ was released earlier.

Then I am doing a special song with John Abraham in Anees Bazmee’s Welcome Back.” She has a few more projects lined up.

NEW DELHI: Former Miss Universe and actor Sushmita Sen says shopping online helps her find a variety of brands within no time and that the e-commerce world has enabled local creative talent of the country to get a global reach.

The 39-year-old was here recently to announce and promote the second edition of Jabong Online Fashion Week.

“One of the greatest things about online shopping is that there one can find designers that we couldn’t reach out to (earlier), and I’m not taking about the mainstream big brands, but the ones coming out of small regions,” Sushmita told IANS. “The best part about it is that I can find anything that I want on a single website in the least possible time.”

“Everytime an Indian artist, designer or photographer makes his presence felt globally without really going there, I feel that by doing that, they are really putting India back on the map,” she added.

Sushmita enjoys online shopping.

What’s her favorite purchase been?

“I’m actually looking out for a bag similar to the one which I had lost earlier. But it’s my hard luck that I haven’t found it yet. Apart from that, I like to buy belts, jewellery and shoes online,” said the Bengali beauty. She lauded the Jabong Online Fashion Week.

Aayush wants to act, says Arbaaz Khan MUMBAI: Arbaaz Khan says his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, who recently married his sister Arpita Khan, aspires to become an actor. However, the actor-filmmaker doesn’t know when and how it will happen.

Asked if Arpita’s husband is interested in joining the film industry, Arbaaz said: “Aayush is a very handsome boy. He is interested in films and he wants to be an actor.

How and when he will be launched, we don’t know. I wish him luck. Let’s see.”

Nargis Fakhri on a historical mission

Sunny’s date with 100 lucky contest winners

NEW DELHI: Actor Nargis Fakhri, who loves travelling and clicking selfies, says the country is full of locations worth capturing.

On a recent trip to the capital, Nargis clicked her selfies with the Lodhi tomb in the backdrop as part of the Romancing India with Lumia 535 campaign. She was thrilled to be part of it as it brought together two of her passions — travel and selfies.

“There is so much to capture across the country, from the historic India Gate and Taj Mahal to evergreen popular haunts such as Leopold café and Koshy’s.”

MUMBAI: As many as 100 men dined and wined with actress and adult star Sunny Leone as part of the grand finale of Mankind Pharma’s AdictionDeo Contest. The brand launched its three-month online contest on the two variants of the deodorant — Greece and Brazil — proposing that 100 lucky winners would get a chance to dine, interact and know more about their favorite star.

The contest commenced on July 1 and lasted till October 8. In the scratch-and-win contest, the winners were chosen every day and the names were announced on the brand’s official Facebook page.

x

2014 IN RETROSPECT: SPORTS

The YearMIDWEST In reTrospecT: DECEMBER 26, 2014 EDITION FRIDAY,sporTs

Controversy shrouds Indian cricket in 2014; the only silver lining being Indian batsman Rohit Sharma who smashed the highest score ever in ODI

Topsy-turvy year for Indian cricket I SAYAN MUKHERJEE, NEW DELHI

ndian cricket went through another tumultuous year on and off the field with a controversy that shook the very foundation of the game’s governing body in the country — the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — that refused to die down and spilled over to the New Year after raising several tough questions for its beleaguered president, N. Srinivasan.

Srinivasan was under the spot-

light, for all the wrong reasons, throughout the year, as his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was implicated by the Mudgal Committee report in the IPL betting and match-fixing scandal. He himself faced several embarrassing, potentially imagedamaging questions before the Supreme Court and was forced, after seeking the apex court’s permission, to postpone the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections till Jan 31, 2015.

He also faced the uncomfort-

31

HIGHLIGHTS l Mudgal Committee on betting and match-fixing in the 2013 IPL implicates BCCI president N. Srinivasan’s son-in-law and asks the president to explain his stance in the conflict of interest issue l West Indies controversially pulls out from its India tour l Sachin Tendulkar releases his autobiography Playing it my Way l Rohit Sharma sets the record for the highest individual score — 264 — in ODIs l ‘Big five’ omitted from 2015 World Cup probables squad l Tragic death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes after being hit by a bouncer.

able task of addressing the contentious ‘conflict of interest’ issue since he continued to defiantly hold on to the BCCI post as well as owning the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL team.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s name also cropped up in the report after his deposition to the committee was found to deviate from reality as Meiyappan was a prominent team official and not just a ‘crick-

et enthusiast’. While off-thefield events kept the BCCI busy, its team’s on-field performance also began on a wrong note, losing its away two-match Test series against New Zealand 0-1 and the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series 0-4.

The team’s form nosedived further in the Asia Cup final in Bangladesh and the subsequent Twenty20 World Cup, getting

outplayed in the final by Sri Lanka. The lucrative IPL gave players and the fans the option of forgetting their sorrows with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), lifting the trophy for the second time. The hurriedly arranged fivematch ODI series with Sri Lanka not only eased BCCI’s financial loss but also helped the team return to winning ways as it thrashed the admittedly underprepared visitors 5-0.

Indian batsman made merry to topple several records, the prominent of all being batsman Rohit Sharma’s 264 in Kolkata, the highest individual score in an ODI. The series whitewash restored the team’s confidence before their tough away series Down Under, succeeded by the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

ISL gives Indian football a re-launch pad SANTOSH RAO, NEW DELHI

F

ootball in India will never be the same again and Indian Super League (ISL) can take all plaudits for this monumental change in the country’s sporting culture. The inaugural ISL — a tournament borrowing on cricket’s incredibly popular Indian Premier League (IPL) concept — has managed to recapture the imagination of football fans and effected a dramatic turnround in it, shattering old biases.

Football had largely become a ‘sofa sport’ in India — fans sitting at home watching and debating about European leagues rather than going out to watch Indian players. ISL, however, managed to turn these couch potatoes into stadium goers and this was clear from the average attendance of the tournament being the fourth highest of all leagues in the world.

The average match attendance for the tournament since its commencement on October 12 is

Atletico de Kolkata players with the trophy after defeating Kerala Blasters in the ISL final in Mumbai. (Photo: IANS)

24,357, the highest across Asia, and according to the organizers the league trailed only Germany’s Bundesliga, the Barclays Premier League and Spain’s La Liga.

The tournament kicked off with 65,000 people attending the opening game between Atletico de

Kolkata and Mumbai City FC October 12. Only in its nascent stage, the football league definitely has had its fair share of issues but when a country, which is ranked 170th in the world, has a league that has an attendance more than the Italian Serie A and

French Ligue 1, there is little you can fault ISL with.

The league also recorded over 16 million online video views through the course of the tournament. Additionally, the official ISL online channel registered 28.7 million visits. On social media

too, the ISL captured the minds of football fans, recording over 1.8 million conversations, 10 billion impressions and 275,000-plus unique authors.

ISL’s football semi-final clash between Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC recorded the highest number of online video views — 1.1 million — ever witnessed in India for any single sport game.

These numbers indicate that football has managed to create a huge fan following across India and is a step closer towards its ultimate goal of placing India on the global football map.

Besides making football popular again, the most important thing ISL did was to make young footballers see the sport as a viable career and this in turn is expected to increase the pool of players and improve the quality of the national team. One of the many attractive features of the tournament was the constant presence of Bollywood celebrities.

A

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

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2014 IN RETROSPECT: BUSINESS

2014 In RetRospect: busIness MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

33

Though the first half of the year was challenging for the industry, the sentiment turned around and has been upbeat for the past six months, especially in the post-elections phase with stable government in New Delhi

IT INDUSTRY dons innovation FAKIR BALAJI, BENGALURU

R

ecovering from a slowdown and sustaining a double-digit growth, the $120-billion Indian IT industry had a remarkable 2014, consolidating operations and using disruptive technologies, which ensures innovation to shed the old and adapt to new products and services. Though the first half of the year was challenging for various reasons beyond the industry’s control, the sentiment turned around and has been upbeat for

A SUCCESS STORY

the past six months, especially in the post-elections phase, with a l Industry recovers from slowdown; new technologies and demands stable central government in l Software exports poised to touch sustains double digit growth place, stakeholders said. l Adopts disruptive technologies and $100 billion in 2014-15 “We have seen enterprises and l Braces for Digital India programme product firms stabilizing, delivering new models of engagements l Turnaround in sentiment and and Make in India campaign more business value and bringing l Generates 150,000 direct and transformation to their clients over- upbeat mood l Industry’s perception turns positive 450,000 indirect jobs seas, using disruptive technologies l Infosys co-founders exit, make way such as cloud, big data, analytics, overseas for new CEO. mobility, social media and the l Re-structuring to keep pace with Internet of Things,” a top official of Nasscom told IANS. “There is a dramatic shift in sentiment, as evi- platforms, using different business The $120-billion Indian IT dent from positive perception of models and competing with glob- industry comprises small, mediIndia abroad. Embracing new al firms has enhanced our indus- um and large firms, including

y k s e h t in e ic p s o N ROHIT VAID, NEW DELHI

I

ndia’s civil aviation industry faced turbulent weather in 2014 even as two new airlines with foreign collaborators joined the five scheduled operators to trigger a price war that squeezed margins further, with falling fuel costs giving some respite in later months.

The Tatas-promoted AirAsia, in collaboration with the Malaysian budget carrier and Delhi-based entrepreneur Arun Bhatia’s Telstra TradePlace, took wings in June as a regional carrier, while Vistara, again a Tatas ven-

try’s value proposition,” said Nasscom president R. Chandrashekhar.

try was saddled with high interest cost in 2014, which stretched the bottom lines further, with high fuel cost adding to its woes for the bulk of the year save from midNovember when the global crude prices started to plummet.

Between January and October, the latest month for which data is available, state-run Air India and private airlines ferried 55 million passengers, which was a healthy growth of 8.61 percent over the 50 million in the like period of the previous year.

Yet, as per industry estimates, the carriers are expected to log a collec-

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR ture with Singapore Airlines, secured air operator permit.

This apart, AirCosta, led by Andhra Pradesh-based industrialist L.P Bhaskar Rao, saw its first full-year operation. But these new entrants apart, the aviation indus-

l Hits high growth trajectory returns after two years of slump l Nearly 60 million passengers ferried between January and November l US regulator downgrades flights of Indian carriers into US l Airport privatization plans stalled l Nod for 50 new low-cost airports

l Six new applications approved for new airlines l SpiceJet faces financial meltdown, attrition l Air India joins Star Alliance l IndiGo places order for 250 Airbus aircraft l Tata’s Vistara gets flying license

global software majors like TCS, Infosys captive units of multinationals and sectors providing software, hardware, process management, engineering, research and development, and innovative products. “The industry is restructuring to keep pace with the new wave of technologies. The outlook is good, especially overseas, thanks to the optimism in the US economy,” said Chandrasekhar, adding the American market still accounts for some 60 percent of India’s software exports. As the IT-BPM industry’s representative body has projected 15 percent export growth for this fiscal (2014-15) as against 13 percent last fiscal. tive loss of more than $2 billion in the current calendar year. The passenger load factor, which is a key indicator of operational efficiency, varied between a low of 63.3 percent and a high of 85.9 percent.

“We are trying to review the policies to make it easy for the sector. We have a draft policy and we are considering a couple of reforms to help the industry. But there is much to do and we in the government know it,” Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati told IANS. But experts said mere talk will not help. “Good days ‘Acchhe Din” appear far away.

The Indian aviation industry is in ICU. It needs an urgent shock therapy,” said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defense at global consultancy KPMG. “Indian aviation has survived on hope for a very long time. It’s time for the government, given its huge mandate, to finally do some long term corrections.”

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

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2014 In RetRospect: busIness

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION

2014 IN RETROSPECT: BUSINESS

A friendly budget and a series of reforms and policy initiatives boosted confidence and laid a strong foundation for revival in India’s realty industry

Building hope for millions VINOD BEHL, NEW YEAR

A

mixed bonanza greeted India’s realty sector in 2014 with anomalies that were plaguing it for some years now still at play, but a stable government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with promises of reforms, giving rise to much hope among stakeholders.

Factors like low demand and slow sales due to a struggling economy coupled with huge debt, high interest rates and liquidity crunch continued to exacerbate the industry. Yet, a friendly budget and a series of reforms and policy initiatives boosted confidence and laid a strong foundation for revival.

It was a year of abysmally-weak sales due also to high home loan rates and property prices. One also saw large scale delivery defaults and low buying sentiment, resulting in the piling up of inventory.

So much so that even the festive season could not lift the industry’s fortunes.

This, despite real estate companies going to the extent of luring

HIGHLIGHTS l Launch of real estate investment trusts l Norms for foreign equity in real estate liberalized l Policy decision to develop 100 smart cities and allocation of funds in the budget l Mission of “Housing for All by 2022” announced l Home loan entitlement raised from 80 percent to 90 percent of the cost of property l Home home loan interest exemption limit raised by `50,000

l First-ever Japanese real estate company, Tama Homes, enter India l For the first time a global pension fund invests directly in Indian real estate firms l Real estate regulatory bill deferred l Low demand for newly launched projects and under-construction projects l High demand of ready-to-move homes l Rise of transactional realty portals.

buyers with marketing schemes of booking property with just 10 percent down payment and no payouts till possession. This was evident from the fact that festive bonanza was extended into the new year.

On the commercial real estate front, too, it was a weak year.

But compared to 2013, the office space absorption considerably improved.

According to global realty

research firm CBRE, leasing business touched 23 million sq ft in first nine months of the year, while another such firm Cushman and Wakefield expects rentals to go up by 20-25 percent in the next one year. Data put out by Jones Lang Lasalle pointed to improved demand with the expected completion of 30.7 million sq ft of good quality office space in 2014.

On the retail front, it was a subdued year with weak demand espe-

cially as online retail gave a tough time to brick and mortar retail.

However amid signs of growing demand, commercial real estate, including office and mall developments, were expected to get further boost with real estate investment trusts (REITs) likely to get opera-

tional next year.

Further on the positive side, this fiscal year’s budget reflected the government’s clear vision to improve investment climate with a view to stimulate growth — and was regarded as one of the best in many years.

Call drops annoy telecom users as spectrum remained scant APARAJITA GUPTA, NEW DELHI

T

he lack of adequate spectrum, or radio frequency, for mobile phone operators for the better part of the year, due to delays in auction resulted in poor voice quality and call drops in 2014, even as the wait got longer for the people to migrate to superior 4G for broadband services.

The lack of spectrum got further exacerbated with local administrations delaying permissions for setting up mobile towers while some groups kindled fear among the people over the ill-effects of radio waves emitted from such infrastructure over their health.

This too spoilt service quality.

“This was a troubling year. Most

IN A NUTSHELL l Auction of spectrum in February for mobile and data fetches $10 billion. l No further auction conducted during the year. l Several court orders say fears over ill-effects of mobile tower radiation misplaced.

problems, especially relating to spectrum and licensing remained pending. But with defense’s decision to release spectrum, some of pending issues should be easier to resolve,” said Mahesh Uppal, director of telecom consultancy firm Com First told IANS. The year actually began on a good note for the industry. The

l Government announces “Digital India” campaign to wire India with $16 billion investment. l Regulator gives recommendations for spectrum trading and sharing. l Host of pacts signed for sharing of telecom towers.

government mopped up `611.62 billion ($10 billion) by auctioning airwaves in two bands for mobile phone and broadband services.

Meanwhile, the telecom subscriber base continued to grow from 915 million at the beginning of the year to 963 million by endOctober, while that for broadband rose from 55 million to 73 million.

MIDWEST EDITION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 MIDWEST EDITION