Aug 2016

LeTTeRS MATTeR

THANKS FOR MAKING MY ENGLISH BETTER!

Hi! I have been reading your magazine “NRI Achievers” regularly since 2014. It has been my one of my main sources for polishing my English, as your monthly is so rich with vocabulary as well as how the sentences are constructed and used. This is one reason why I have been sharing the e-version of your maga- zine in my friends groups, who are also getting increasingly interested enough to read it regularly. Now I have a few thoughts on the content part. It is my feeling that NRI Achievers is slowly losing its charm as a ‘magazine with multi content’ which can satisfy all kinds of readers whether they are politics, sport, science, cuisine, lifestyle or healthy-living aficionados. Sometimes your issues lack on current affairs. Its fine that you strive to caters to the needs of a specific category, but even than you ought to gradually increase the heft of your magazine by adding more pages, making space for more topics, issues and discussions. This time you had a cover feature on an Indian achiever who had changed the definition of pure water in India – the man behind Kent RO, Mahesh Gupta. And the quote, ‘Sankalp Karo, Vikalp Mat Dhoondo’ is so inspiring that I have made it my way of life and if at all I take any work in hand, I never look for excuses, and the whole concept of my working has now changed. Thank you for making me an all together different person post your July issue. Next month is Olympic month and India is participating with its biggest ever contingent. Please think of giving it enough coverage. Thanks Vijendra Kumar Kaushik, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

July 2016

IMPORTANT DAYS

DATE COUNTRY DAY

August 1 Benin Independence Day

August 1 Japan International Cooperation Agency JCIA Foundation Day

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¥õÚU ×ñ´Ùð §â ¥´·¤ ·¤ô Öè ÕãéÌ çÎÜ¿SÂè ·Ô¤ âæÍ ÂɸUæ

August 1 Switzerland Foundation of the Swiss Confederation

August 2 Macedonia National day

August 5 Burkina Faso Independence Day

August 6 Bolivia National day

August 6 Jamaica Independence Day

August 7 Cote d’ Ivoire National day

August 9 Singapore National day

August 10 Ecuador Independence Day

August 17 Gabon National day

August 17 Indonesia Proclamation of Independence

August 19 Afghanistan Independence Day

August 20 Hungary National day

August 24 Ukraine Independence Day

August 25 Uruguay Independence Day

August 31 Kyrgyzstan Independence Day

August 31 Malaysia National day

CHIEF PATRON

EDITOR

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHIEF ADVISOR ADVISORS

—AJAY SINGH

(Former High Commissioner, Fiji)

RAJEEV GUPTA

B.K. AGGARWAL

DR. KAMAL KUMAR

SUSHIL TAYAL

DARVESH BANSAL

VARSHA GOEL

CONSULTING EDITOR

CONSULTING EDITOR (REAL ESTATE) BUREAU HEADS

CHAKRAVARTHI SUCHINDRAN

VINOD BEHL

RAJ UPPAL (NORTH AMERICA)

SANJAY KUMAR (EUROPE)

AJAY AGGARWAL (U K)

PREMCHAND RAMLOCHUN (MAURITIUS)

RAJIV KUMAR (FRANCE)

RAVI KUMAR (FRANCE)

BALESH DHANKHAR (AUSTRALASIA)

SUMAN KAPOOR (NEW ZEALAND)

LOSHNI NAIDOO (SOUTH AFRICA)

S URAJ DA COSTA (UAE)

VIJAY MALIK ( BELGIUM )

JYOTHI VENKATESH (MUMBAI)

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

SR. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER AVP (MARKETING)

MANAGER-PR & MARKETING BUSINESS ASSOCIATE (DELHI)

EXECUTIVE

(MUMBAI)

SANDIP THAKUR

BARKHA ARORA

AJEET VERMA

RAJEEV TYAGI

SUMIT SINGH

VINOD SHARMA

CHANDER MOHAN

NITIN AADVANSHI

AARTI BAGARKA

ISMAIL KHAN (NORTH AMERICA)

DR. HARRY DHANJU (CANADA)

M.S. SHALI (UK)

MANJIT NIJJAR (UK)

MOHAN GUNTI (ASEAN)

RAJKUMAR YADAV

SUNNY VYAS

JOGINDER MALIK SHIKHA CHOPRA

MUKESH SAINI

SANSKRITIKA COMMUNICATIONS

MUKESH KASHIWALA

AR. VIVEK KHURANA M ONIKA G ULYANI

CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY PVT. LTD.

S.P. PANDEY

SUCHI DINESH SHARMA

R AHUL R AKESH DR. RAJA VOHRA

EDITOR: RAJEEV GUPTA PRINTED, PUaBLISHED & OWNED BY RAJEEV GUPTA, PUBLISHED FROM A-208, WEAVERS

ALL THE VERY BEST, INDIA

The monsoon month of July brought much needed rain, a boon to many but a bane for some. With India's met-man confident of weathering monsoon deficits abundantly, it might certainly be good for agricultural, but floods are wreaking havoc in the states of Bihar and Assam, and the urban infrastructure in some Indian metros has time and again proved to be woefully inadequate – placing a huge question mark on how much more these citadels need to be 'smartened' in order to meet the most basic expectations of their citizens, and begging the question why still have no strategies to combat the ritual flooding of some riverine states that’s become an annual woe.

On the international stage, world-media's Brexit frenzy of last month has by and large abated and the UK now has a new PM in Theresa May – one of whose first acts was to appoint Indian-born MP Alok Sharma as Under Secretary of State responsible for Asia & Pacific. In the US, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won their respective nominations, and coming months would indeed prove interesting to see how and which way our diaspora swings, as the American election fever hets up. PM Modi embarked on path-breaking 4-nation tour of Africa –where his focus was sharply on strengthening Afro-Indian connects, economic outreach, combating terror, food-security, and last, but not least, defence-diplomacy – boosting India's position in the Indian Ocean Region as a key security provider for countries in this ambit. A game pretty well played.

On the domestic front, parties of all shades and hues are gearing up for an upcoming 2017 election to the state assembly in Uttar Pradesh – rallies are planned, banderoles are being unfurled, and various 'social-engineering' strategies are being contemplated. The monsoon session of Parliament apropos went quite smoothly, and wonder of wonders – the long pending GST – or the goods and services tax bill that aims to clean up India's complicated taxation laws and bring the entire country under one predictable and uniform legislation – passed muster and was cleared by the Upper House, catapulting India instantaneously bang into the centre of the global economy. By far the biggest-ticket reform to come after the 1991 economic liberalisation regime ushered in by Dr. Manmohan Singh – GST will turn India into one mammoth common market, leading to a much greater ease of doing business. Definitely a feather in the cap of the NDA government, and kudos to Modi for pushing it through.

Those were the most important milestones of July. Now let’s see what lies in store for you in our August issue of NRI Achievers. Our Cover Feature has an 'Indiaspora' focus, bringing you profiles and features of some movers and shakers of Indian origin. Realpolitik reports on Modi's Africa overtures, where he has sought to counter China's growing influence and position India as a key Indian Ocean player and Africa's best friend both in need and deed. Real Estate takes a look at the new National Building Code, and presents an analysis on what will be needed for India to succeed in building smart cities. Heritage charts the history of the Hyderabad Nizams and their Deccan Empire, while Travel & Destinations takes you on a trek through the great Indian North East. Chanakya Neeti continues with another instalment, while Diaspora News brings you stories from across the globe. And as usual, news on milestone happenings are all clustered into our various 'newsy' heads – News Scan, Business Buzz, PSU Buzz, et al. What's new is good news – from this issue, we bring you a new column – by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – India's best known irreverent sadhu, yogi and mystic who breaks all stereotypes of godmen … starting with his vision for India.

With Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami both occurring in August – not to mention the world's biggest sports mega-event – the Rio Olympics just about to start, we wish our readers a great festive season ahead, apart from wishing India's biggest ever contingent that's Rio-bound to participate in the Olympics all the very best for improving on their medal tallies. And for those of us who are into political star-gazing, there will surely be enough grist for the windmill in the coming month. So go ahead and have another great month ahead, until we come up with our next issue...

NZ REJECTS 3,864 INDIAN STUDENT VISAS

New Zealand has denied visas to thousands of Indian students after immigration authorities determined that most of the applicants “were not really coming for studies,” according to a media report. According to figures provided under the Official Information Act, 51 institutions – including half of New Zealand’s polytechnics, have experienced visa decline rates of more than 30% for Indian students. At most of these institutions, more than half the applications are being turned down and at one such institution the decline rate is as high as 86%, according to Radio New Zealand. The data is for the period December 2015 to May 2016, and covers only institutions with at least 10 visa applications from Indian students. They show that Immigration New Zealand has turned down 3,864 visa applications and has approved 3,176 during the period mentioned. Immigration New Zealand says that most applications declined were because it believed that the applicant was not really coming to study, or because it felt that they did not have adequate money to support themselves.

MODI INSPIRES DIASPORA TO WORK IN INDIA

In a positive move meant to strengthen ties of NRI’s/PIO’s with India and spur them to work for their country of origin, PM Narendra Modi has sought to expand the purview of the PBS (Pravasi Bhartiya Samman) awards. Now the work done and laurels achieved by NRIs/PIOs who have contributed to India’s economic growth and development will also be recognized. Vikas Swarup, India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, has said, “The addition

is meant to recognize contributions of both NRIs and PIOs including organizations, to development programs in India and through philanthropy for betterment of life in India. Thirty (30) such awards will now be given on a biannual basis, and the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) will be celebrated every alternate January 9 from now on.” A panel led by the Vice President of the Republic has been entrusted to make nominations on its own for at-least 6

Khalaf Al-Harbi is a liberal columnist and a thinker from Saudi Arabia. His views and objective columns on various issues are a big hit and are widely read and discussed across the world. In his latest column in the 'Saudi Gazette', he heaps praises over India, describing it as the 'most tolerant nation on earth.' In his column titled 'India - A country that rides elephants,' Khalaf Al Harbi writes: "In India, there are more than 100 religions and more than 100 languages. Yet, the people live in peace and harmony. They have all joined hands to build a strong nation that can produce everything from a sewing needle to the rocket which is preparing to go to Mars. I

YOUNG SIKH KICKED OUT OF WIMBLEDON QUEUE

A 20-year-old Sikh was kicked out of an overnight queue to watch the Wimbledon as he apparently made other people around him “uncomfortable“. The tennislover then took to Facebook last week to voice his anger at being thrown out and claimed it was an act of racism, cases of which have been on the rise in the wake of Brexit. “Kicked out of the overnight camping line for Wimbledon's centre court 'because you make some people around you uncomfortable, so we're gonna have to report you and ask you to leave immediately , sir',“ he wrote, adding, “Post-Brexit racism and the overt

rise of neo-fascism. Please advise how best to report this.“ The youth was allowed to enter the ground after re-queuing in the line a few hours later and made an official complaint about his treatment. A Wimbledon spokesperson said:

must say that I feel a bit jealous because I come from a part of the world which has one religion and one language and yet there is killing everywhere.

INDIA MOST TOLERANT NATION IN THE WORLD INDIA PLANS E-VISAS FOR ANOTHER 36 COUNTRIES

The e-visa scheme launched in November 2013 has proven to be extremely popular with inbound tourists. Building further on this success, the Union tourism ministry wants India to extend online visas to 36 more countries to include Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Italy, Nigeria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Morocco, to mention a few. The proposal has gone for initial approval by the ministry of home affairs. If accepted, 186 countries will now be able to access online visas to travel to India.

persons for the awards. This would definitely impact positively on our diaspora and motivate them towards philanthropic work in India.

UNEMPLOYED INDIANS IN SAUDI FACING 'FOOD CRISIS'; SWARAJ EXTENDS HELP

Around 10,000 Indians who were working in Saudi & Kuwait recently laid off. Workers staged a public protest in Jeddah at the weekend to demand seven months of unpaid wages at construction firm Saudi Oger and about working conditions in Saudi Arabia. Companies in Saudi have been struggling to pay foreign workers and have laid off workers, leaving many with no money for food. The Indian consulate and community distributed almost 16,000 kg of food to meet their hunger,

UK CURRY RESTAURANTS CAUTIOUS OVER BREXIT PROMISE

Britain’s June 23 vote to leave the European Union may have upset millions, but there is also a cautious optimism that the crisis caused by severe shortage of chefs in the country’s 4 billion-pound curry industry will be eased through recruitment from the Indian subcontinent. It was an explicit promise of the 'Vote Leave' camp during the referendum campaign that leaving the EU would rescue the industry crippled by visa rules which make it difficult to hire chefs from India. Industry bodies say that every week two restaurants have been closing down due to the crisis. “We hope there will be a more flexible system to recruit chefs from abroad, but it will take at least two-three years. Also, the minister who introduced the tough restrictions –

India’s pharmaceutical exports continued its lead over China in 2015, with Indian exports growing from US$ 11.66 Billion to US$ 12.54 Billion in 2015, recording a growth of 7.55%. In comparison, China had increased its exports of Pharma products from US$ 6.59 Billion to US$ 6.94 Billion, showing a growth of 5.3% for the same period. India has moved ahead of China in almost all important markets such as the US, the European Union and Africa. India’s exports of Pharma products to US jumped from US$ 3.84 Billion

Theresa May – is now the new PM. So let’s wait and see,” says celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala. Visa restrictions include a higher salary threshold that not many owners can afford to pay. Manoj Vasaikar, owner of three restaurants in London, says: “Besides the chefs crisis, I am also seeing a curtailment in spend. There was uncertainty before the referendum and now it is worse. If people have less disposable income as a result of Brexit, why will they come to restaurants after it actually happens?”

Swaraj said the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has been directed to serve food to them and that she was monitoring the situation on an hourly basis.

MED TOURISM IN STRIDE WITH INDIA’S DEVELOPMENT

India is seing reasonable success in promoting itself as an anchorage for medical tourism. With its tens of thousands of skilled physicians and nurse practitioners, and no language barrier, inward medical tourism into India is doing well. India's economic boom has seen medical facilities & infrastructure coming up over the last two decades in the country that rival the very best in western medical care. The past few years have also seen a quantum jump in the number of visas given to patients. India's initiative of extending e-visas to patients seeking prolonged treatment has also given an immeasurable boost to the sector.

LA FÊTE EN FRANCE

to US$ 4.74 Billion, a growth rate of 23.4% as against China’s exports to the US which moved from US$ 1.16 Billion to US$ 1.34 Billion for the same period, a growth rate of 15%. India has also maintained its lead with EU and Africa, recording exports of US$ 1.5 Bn and US$ 3.04 Bn respectively.

The French National Day, aka “Bastille Day,” was celebrated on July the 14th across France and several other francophone nations. The day commemorates the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, an important and key event that's part of the lore of the the French Revolution which had erupted two days earlier, as well as a part of the Fête de la Federation, which celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. This year saw celebrations being held throughout France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe was held on the morning of 14 July on the ChampsElysées in Paris with the President of the Republic, along with other French officials and foreign guests in attendance.

INDIA MAINTAINS PHARMA SUPREMACY OVER CHINA

NRI Achievers News Network

NEW VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI

Volkswagen India plans to introduce a new Polo GTI later this year. This threedoor hatch is basically a performance-oriented version of the existing hatchback. Powering the Polo GTI is a 1.8-litre fourcylinder turbocharged unit, which is capable of serving 187 bhp of power and 320 nm of torque. This hot hatch can touch a 100 kmph from standstill in mere 6.7 seconds. Besides a more powerful engine, the new hatch also gets some subtle design updates on the exterior, and several new features inside the cabin. Expected to be launched by end 2016, market intelligence has it that pricing will be in the INR 18 Lakh range.

MOTO Z AND Z FORCE: THE MOTO REVOLUTION

Motorola has plotted a new direction with the Moto Z – incredibly slim, modular, and packing true flagship-level horsepower. At just 5.2 mm, the Moto Z is the thinnest flagship phone we've ever seen, and it's just stunning. The friendly curves and sloping back are gone, leaving us with something more angular and elegant. Honestly, it is the larger view of users that a phone this thin would feel insubstantial, but Motorola has dodged that issue as well. Aside from the Gorilla Glass covering its 5.5-inch, quad HD AMOLED display, the Zee's body is crafted entirely of metal, lending it an air of rigidity. Motorola is so sure of itself that the Z series lacks headphone jacks as well, even though its thicker body could definitely have accommodated one. An improved 21-mp rear camera makes up for Z Force's heftier dimensions.

PIAGGIO TO EXPAND SCOOTER PORTFOLIO

The Piaggio Group is all set to expand its offerings in the Indian scooter segment with its brand 'Aprilia,' with the Italian company announcing that it intends to introduce the Aprilia SR 150 this August itself. The new scooter is expected to bear a price-tag of INR 65,000.

MUZO

A smartphone-sized acoustic device, 'Muzo' promises to do a lot of things that could convenience users. It attaches to flat surfaces and applies antivibration technology to reduce sound vibrations, minimizing intrusive sounds. In its 'sleep' mode, it pairs with its smartphone app on your device to create a silent environment. You can use the app to create a calming soundscape by combining sounds like rainfall, crackling fireplaces, a flowing brook and many such more. Muzo will also wake you up by generating soothing sound waves and since it uses vibration technology, it could use objects in your room, including your wooden desk and wardrobe as a music box. And finally , in 'secret' mode, Muzo will use its sound-masking capabilities to keep your conversations private even from people seated a few feet away. The best part is that this technology works dynamically and adapts from place to place, and across various noise levels. Learn more about Muzo @ celestialtribe.com.

HERO SPLENDOR iSMART 110: THE GEN NEXT BIKE

The all-new Splendor iSmart, with its new, 110 cc motor is Hero MotoCorp’s first indigenously developed product since it’s split-up with Honda. Here’s a quick impression. The bike has become synonymous with the Hero brand, and is in fact the largest selling motorcycle in the world. The bike’s design draws a lot of inspiration from its 150 cc cousin, the Xtreme – headlamp designs, the tail light and split grab rail.

SAMSUNG GEAR FIT 2: A COMPLETE FITNESS TRACKER

With Samsung going all out to get as many people as it can onto its hardware ecosystem, their new Gear Fit 2 wristband works with all phones running newer versions of Android, has built-in GPS, and tracks a boatload of fitness activities. The GF2 has a bright, colour-

ful display – a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED touch screen. It has opted to display all data vertically on the band, which means you don’t have to twist your wrist to read things like notifications, though it is a mite tough to see outdoors. The GF2 can track almost all fitness ac-

tivity except swimming. The one and only reasons why one hesitates to call it the best-in-its-class are inconsistent battery life, its barely-visible display outdoors, and the fact that it only works with Android phones, unlike, say, a Fitbit or Garmin or Microsoft Band 2. But if those things aren’t deal-breakers, then the Gear Fit 2 is a strong choice indeed.

NRI Achievers Business Network

TPG INVESTS INR 224 CR IN HEALTHCARE CO

INDIA WILL NEED AIRCRAFT WORTH US$ 265 BN: BOEING

Private equity firm TPG has invested US$ 33 million (INR 224 Cr) for a majority stake in Bengaluru based Rhea Healthcare, which operates a network of mother & child care centres called 'Motherhood.' Rhea Healthcare was founded by Dr. Mohammed Rehan Sayeed, a cardiac surgeon who was trained at the Cleveland Clinic, a leading US not-for-profit academic medical centre. “This latest investment reinforces our sector focus on healthcare in India and globally,” says Puneet Bhatia, MD and country head for TPG India.

Boeing Corporation is sounding very bullish indeed on the Indian aviation sector – the fastest-growing aviation market in the world, in terms of passenger traffic. It said on the 19th July that the country will need 1,850 new aircraft worth an estimated US$ 265 billion over the next 20 years. The Seattle-based aircraft-maker had last year predicted a demand for 1,740 new aircraft valued at US$ 240 billion for the same time-line. This upwards revision of its perception of rising demand for aircraft in India, it feels, will be driven by single-aisle planes according to Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president for Asia Pacific and India, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

KKR TO INVEST UP TO INR 520 CR IN KWALITY

Noted Dairy firm 'Kwality Ltd.' has raised INR 300 Cr from private equity firm KKR India and secured an additional capital commitment of INR 220 Cr to fund its expansion plan and repay debt. “Kwality Ltd., has received capital commitment of up to INR 520 Cr via structured finance from KKR India … to fuel its aggressive growth

RIL TO PUMP IN INR 15000 CR IN JIO VIA RIGHTS ISSUE

Reliance Industries Ltd., will infuse yet another INR 15,000 Cr into its telecom arm 'Jio' through a rights issue. “We wish to inform you that the Board of Directors of the company, at their meeting held on July 14 have approved the further issue of 1,500 Cr equity shares with face value of INR 10 each, aggregating to INR 15,000 Cr, to existing equity shareholders of the company on rights basis,” said the company in a regulatory filing. The issue is expected to be launched and completed over the next three months.

plans as the company continues to rapidly shift its business model towards B2C retail segment,“ the company said in a BSE filing. When contacted, Kwality Director Sidhant Gupta said the company has already raised INR 300 Cr from KKR India and the remaining amount would come into the company at a later stage.

GOVT ALLOCATES INR 22,915 CR FOR RECAP OF 13 PSU BANKS

The Government of India has revealed that it has sanctioned a sum of INR 22,915 Cr towards a fresh tranche of capital infusion into 13 PSU banks including the SBI and PNB, as part of its recapitalisation drive to help them be able to lend more. This funding is part of the INR 70,000 Cr plan announced by the government last year, for which funds had already been allocated in the 2016 budget.

TAJ SELLS BOSTON HOTEL TO US GROUP FOR INR 840 CR

357 CR

TITAN BUYS 62% IN E-TAILER 'CARATLANE' FOR INR

The Titan Company, part of the salt-tosteel conglomerate Tata Group, is investing INR 357 Cr for a 62% stake in online jewellery retailer 'Caratlane,' it appears. The announcement, first made in a filing to the BSE in May, but gave no details. 'Caratlane' is being valued at INRs 575 Cr.

The Indian Hotels Company, which runs the Taj chain of hotels in India and abroad, has sold its 273-key hotel property in Boston to AS Holding, a consortium of US-based real estate funds, for US$ 125 million (about INR

840 Cr). Taj will however continue to manage the 90-yearold luxury hotel overlooking the picturesque Boston Public Garden. IHCL, in which the Tata Group owns nearly 39%, will use the sale proceeds to pare it’s over INR 4,000 Cr debt.

NRI Achievers Business Network

INDIAN-BORN BRITISH MP IS NEW UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE

Reading West MP Alok Sharma has been appointed as Under Secretary of State at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with responsibility for Asia and Pacific. Sharma is a qualified chartered accountant, and has worked as a corporate finance advisory holding senior roles based out of London, Stockholm and Frankfurt before taking to politics. He is currently a governor of a local primary school in Reading and also the Vice Chairman for BME communities and CoChairman of Conservative Friends of

SWITZERLAND NO LONGER WORLD'S BANKING HUB

appointed by the Prime Minister as Minister for Asia and the Pacific, hugely important parts of the world that are crucial for the UK’s prosperity and security. Britain is a truly great country and I will work tirelessly to ensure we continue to thrive and prosper on the world stage ... and I look forward to working closely with my new colleagues and counterparts across Asia and the Pacific, with particular focus on strengthening commercial ties, increasing investment opportunities in both directions and promoting human rights in the region.”

PIO PLEDGES US$ 1 Mn TO TRUMP

Indian-Americans largely lean towards the Democratic Party, but there are always exceptions like Shalabh 'Shalli' Kumar, an Ambala-born Indian-American Punjabi industrialist from Chicago. After creating a stir some years ago by putting together a trip for US lawmakers to meet

Switzerland, the world’s largest offshore financial centre of yore, is losing its jazz and mojo for some multinational firms. With international regulators cranking up scrutiny of the industry, profit margins are tapering off. Gopichand Hinduja, the eldest among three Indian billionaire siblings based out of London, says it is his belief that Switzerland’s importance as a global banking hub would tend to shrink, with increased tax transparency. People are now looking for new options in the Gulf countries and other havens to place their assets. According to Gopichand, people are now exploring the newer havens, as Switzerland seems to have failed in maintaining it's pre-eminent position of importance in the private banking sector. The no- questions-asked Swiss banks are now being increasingly questioned thanks to the newly emerging system of bank-data exchange between Governments. Coming from no less a person than Gopichand Hinduja, coowner of the Hinduja Group, a globe-spanning industrial conglomerate active in the domains of automobiles, finance, media and energy just to mention a few, this statement does have some substance and will be taken seriously across the board by international business moguls.

Narendra Modi when he was persona non-grata in Washington, Kumar has made a splash at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland by pledging a US$ 1.1 million contribution to the Trump campaign.

DR. RAMI RANGER HONORED

UK based NRI BUSINESSMAN Dr. Rami Ranger, CBE, received an honorary doctorate from the University of West London at their annual graduation ceremony held at the iconic grounds of Wembley Stadium on the 21st of July 2016. He was given this honour in recognition of his services to business, philanthropy and promotion of social cohesion in Britain. The doctorate was conferred upon him by the Chancellor Laurence Geller, CBE, and Vice Chancellor Professor Peter John of the University of West London.

India. Following his appointment Alok Sharma said: “I am honoured to have been

GOPIO SEEKS

AND RAJYA SABHA SEATS FOR NRIS

VOTING RIGHTS

An international convention of people of Indian-origin in the US has demanded voting rights for Indian citizens living outside India and Rajya Sabha seats for NRIs. “The Election Commission of India should finalize the procedure for electronic voting before the next general elections take place

in India,” the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) said in a resolution passed during its annual convention in New York that took place last month. “There are 10 million NRIs who have no representation in the decision making process in the country of their citizenship,” it said. “We urge the Government of India to nominate a few prominent NRIs as members of the Rajya Sabha to reinforce and further integrate bonds between India and the overseas Indian community,” Over 200 delegates from 20 countries participated in convention. Noting that while many NRIs want to support their alma maters, set up schools and colleges in their villages and towns, and support social and environmental causes, they face major hurdles in doing so. “The clearance process through the Home Ministry is time consuming and needs to be streamlined, made more efficient,” it said.

Indian-American professor Dr. Kinshuk, who goes by a single name and who possesses a diverse set of academic expertise in the field of science and technology, has been named the Dean of the University of North Texas College of Information in the US. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Rajasthan, a masters in mechanical computer aided engineering from Strathclyde University in Scotland, and a doctoral degree from England. Before taking the charge as the Dean, he has served as an associate dean at Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada, where he helped lead the Faculty of Science and Technology. Prior to this, he has served as a director in the School of Computing and Information Systems. Kinshuk also served as Industrial Research Chair in Adaptivity and Personalisation in Informatics for the National Science and Engineering Council of Canada. Finley Graves, Provost and Vice President for academic affairs at UNT, states that: “Dr Kinshuk brings with him great leadership and research experience.

GULF BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY RELEASED IN OMAN

The Gulf Business Card Directory, a unique product of Doha-based advertising and event Management Company 'Mediaplus,' was released at a glittering function held at Muscat. Suroor Rahman, the MD of TOPAD Advertising, released the directory by handing over a copy to Mustafa Keethadath, the director of Kerala-based 'Happy Homes.' Addressing a packed crowd at the ceremony, Mediaplus

explained the idea of the business card directory and observed that it was effective and useful in connecting people on a large scale. The Gulf Business Card Directory has become one of the most sought after tool for developing intra-gulf businesses especially in the SME sector. The whole directory is available online at www.gbcdonline.com. A mobile application launched earlier this

year has increased the scope of this publication. The directory facilitates the business community to interact among themselves for concluding mutually rewarding deals, and contains the business cards of both individuals and establishments that can be a ready reference of all leading business concerns in the region.

CEO Amanulla Vadakkangara

DR. KINSHUK NAMED US UNIVERSITY DEAN

APPoI nTMEnTS

Utpal Bora has taken over charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited (OIL). Bora has an experience of over 33 years in the energy & petroleum sector. He has previously served in various capacities at the ONGC Ltd. including OVL, ONGC's international branch.

Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, IAS Officer of Gujarat Cadre (1986 Batch), who serves as an Additional Secretary to the Government of India, has taken over as the Chairman of the AAI (Airports Authority of India) recently.

Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi took over as the new Chairman of Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE). Sharing the vision of CBSE in school education, he emphasized on the need for improving quality of education in schools across the country with ample thrust upon teacher quality to sustain improvement in the standard of education.

ExcEllEncE AwArd for BHEl

BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) has been conferred with the PSE Excellence Award 2015 for Human Resource Management Excellence and for R&D, Technology Development & Innovation, in the Maharatna & Navratna CPSEs Category by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The awards were received by Mr. D Bandyopadhyay, Director (HR), BHEL.

oTHEr AwArdS & AwArdEES

OVL (ONGC Videsh Limited) has received the 'India Risk Management award' in the public sector unit of the year category, at the third edition of The India Risk Management Awards, recognising the understanding and practice of risk management at ONGC Videsh.

The Powergrid Corporation of India Ltd., was awarded with the CSR Excellence award for excellent work done in the area of rural development under their CSR initiative. Anant G. Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, handed over the award at a function in New Delhi.

Dr. M Ravi Kanth, CMD, received the CSR Excellence Award 2016 for HUDCO. The award was given away by Anant Geete, Union Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries & Department of Public Enterprises.

Dr. Anoop Kumar Mittal, CMD of the National Building Construction Co., has been conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, awarded by Construction Times at the “Construction Times Builders Award - 2016” ceremony held recently in Mumbai.

Dr. Mittal had assumed the office of CMD at NBCC in April 2013 and has since then been responsible for achieving many milestones for the company including the Navratna status.

foUr PSUS fIGUrE I n forTUn E 500 lIST

The latest Fortune 500 list, which counts the world's biggest companies in revenue terms, has seven Indian companies in it, including four PSUs. The list is topped by retail giant Walmart, with India's state-run Indian Oil Co being ranked the highest-rated Indian firm at position 161. Other In dian companies in the list are the State Bank of India, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum

from the public sector; and Reliance Industries, Tata Motors and Rajesh Exports from the private sector. Staterun firm ONGC, which was on last year's list, is out this year, while private gems and jewellery major Rajesh Exports has debuted in the list, grabbing the 423rd position. IOC is the highestranked Indian firm with revenue of US$ 54.7 billion, though it has slipped down from its 119th position last year.

AI r I ndIA To rEcrUIT 415 SEn Ior Tr AI n EE PI loTS

Air India has invited applications for recruitment to the post for Senior Trainee Pilot with A-320 Endorsement. The candidates eligible for the post may apply through the prescribed format on or before August 1, 2016. There are 415 Posts for Senior Trainee Pilots with A-320 Endorsement on Fixed Term Contract.

NRI Achievers Corporate Network

THE UBIQUITOUS NON RESIDENT THE WIZARDS OF BANKING & FINANCE

I N THE laTE 60S aND EaRly SEvENTIES, wavE UpON wavE Of EDUcaTED yOUNg I NDIaNS, IN aBjEcT DISI llUSIONmENT wITH THE SNaI l’S pacE Of gROwTH aT HOmE, lEfT I NDIaN SHORES IN SEaRcH Of a fUTURE ElSEwHERE. THIS acT Of THEIRS fOR SEEkINg a BETTER lI fE waS lOOkED UpON aS aN acT Of BETR ayal IN SOmE QUaRTERS. “BR aINDR aIN !” ScREamED THE papER HEaDlINES Of THaT TImE. pOlITIcIaNS Of all HUES aND SHaDES RUED THE facT THaT THE ENORmOUS SUmS Of mONEyS SpENT ON THEIR EDUcaTION By THE STaTE HaD gONE TO waSTE … THESE wERE DOcTORS, ENgINEERS, TEacHERS aND maNy OTHER pROfESSIONalS THaT THE cOUNTRy NEEDED BaDly TO fORm THE RIgHT fR amEwORk fOR gROwTH. THERE waS DESpaIR all ROUND. S RavI paINTS aN EvOcaTIvE pIcTURE Of THE DIaSpOR a ScENaRIO OvER THE yEaRS aND cHERRy pIckS TO pROfI lE SOmE Of THE NOTaBlE acHIEvERS ...

Prem Watsa

The western world chose to acknowledge these young guests, giving them the untrammeled freedom to innovate and thrive, and thrive these young voyagers to distant lands did, through sheer gait and hard work rising up to the very top in their respective adoptive countries. We, apropos, will focus here on people who made it big in the allied domains of international finance, monetary policy and banking. There have been numerous names of achievers who got polished in India, then went on to shape up their careers abroad and rise to the top ranks. A few of these known names are Anshu Jain of Deutsche Bank, Victor Menzes of Citibank, Jay Sidhu of Sovereign Bancorp, Rana Talwar of Standard Chartered, Aman Mehta of the HSBC, and Vikram Pandit of Citigroup Inc. And then there are some other top-notch bankers and financial bigwigs who are lesser known, given their consciously-kept low-profile, and those who are still clattering up the hierarchy – like Sanjiv Das of First Data Corp., Purna R Saggurti of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and V Shankar of Gateway Partners (formerly with Standard Chartered PLC).

However, not all of them have chosen to remain away from their motherland. With the era of liberalization and the permit-raj dispensation dwindling away … new winds

aditya Puri

romesh sobti

have began to blow over the Indian financial landscape. The young men who were once berated as deserters now hear the call of the mother and return in droves. They bring with them the dynamism and discipline of the western world … and that coupled with their boundless love for the motherland workes like magic. So did the saga of the return of the NRIs begin, who have helped reshape the India story. Here is a list of a few of such exceptionally talented Indians who have made India proud …

aDITya pURI

Puri has been a Managing Director of HDFC Bank Ltd., since September 1994 and also serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this assignment, he was the CEO of Citibank Malaysia from 1992 to 1994, and has nearly 40 years of experience in the banking sector in India and abroad to his credit. He has contributed significantly to enable the Bank scale phenomenal heights under his stewardship. During his tenure, he has led the Bank through two major mergers in the Indian banking industry i.e., merger of the Times Bank Limited and the Centurion Bank of Punjab Limited with HDFC Bank Limited. The subsequent integrations have been smooth and seamless under his inspired leadership.

pREm waTSa

Prem, popularly known as the Warren Buffett of Canada, founded Toronto-based financial services firm Fairfax Financial Holdings in 1985, and remains its chairman and CEO. Fairfax now maintains property and casualty insurance and reinsurance interests across four continents and holds stakes in numerous companies, including IBM and phone maker BlackBerry. He also owns a stake in Fairfax India, a publicly traded subsidiary investing in Indian businesses (which has so far

dr. raghuram rajan

Vinod Khosla

invested approximately US$ 370 million into Indian enterprises). He strongly believes in the philosophy of “doing good by doing well'.

ROmESH SOBTI

Sobti has been the Managing Director and CEO of IndusInd Bank Ltd., since February 1, 2008. He has 33 years of banking experience in large state owned and multinational banks, including ANZ Grindlays Bank plc., and the State Bank of India. He has served as an Executive Vice President – Country Executive, India and Head – UAE and Sub-Continent at the ABN AMRO Bank N.V. His responsibilities have included consumer & commercial businesses in India, Pakistan and oversight on UAE support.

DR . RagHUR am RajaN

'Rockstar Rajan' is currently the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Prior to this he was the Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India., and the Eric J Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University

javED kHaN HIS TaSk IS SEcURINg THE INDIaNapOlIS TEmplE

meet Javed Khan, an Indian-born Muslim who heads the security at the largest Hindu temple in the United States. Throughout the world there exist many local, regional, national and international interfaith initiatives; several are formally or informally linked and constitute larger networks or federations. But some initiatives are also at personal levels. One such small but really significant initiative is the appointment of an Indian-Muslim as head of the security at the largest Hindu temple in the United States of America.

Javed Khan heads the security at the Indianapolis Temple, which is said to be the largest Hindu shrine in the US. Lt. Javed Khan was appointed as the Director of security for the temple, an institution that has been in existence for several years but which had held its opening ceremony only in 2015. On his appointment, Lt. Khan says that it all started a few years ago, when he married off his daughter to a Telugu boy at this selfsame Hindu temple, after which he began getting to know more and more people at the temple. "We are all Indians. Half my

family is Hindu. I do not believe in this Hindu-Muslim thing … and I am just doing my duty. I am not doing anything special or extraordinary," says Khan, also adding "My message is this – we are all one. We are all the children of God. There is but one God and then there are different forms and names that we choose to worship".

Many of the temple visitors tend to think of him belonging to the Hindu faith. According to Ravi Pattar, the Chairman of temple's Board of Trustees, "He (Khan) provides us security on the weekends and at major events".

Khan settled in Indiana in 2001, a year after he migrated to the United States. He had been coming to the US since 1986 for participating in various martial arts championships. A Muslim protecting a temple is unheard of in these days and times. It sends a strong message of interfaith cooperation and social harmony at a time when rhetoric on religious intolerance is on the rise worldwide.

A. Srivastava

The author, an IITian is an Engineer by training & a citizen journalist by passion. He takes interest in stories of a quirky nature that involve the diaspora in their different countries of adoption.

of Chicago’s Booth School.

Between 2003 and 2006, he was the Chief Economist and Director of Research at the IMF (International Monetary Fund). He is known to be a diehard pragmatist, which is reflected in his various papers, especially the controversial piece of writing, ‘Has Financial Development Made the World Riskier?’. Though initially ridiculed, he was later commended abundantly for predicting beforehand the US economic crisis of 2008. His straightforward and practical approach has been instrumental in battling inflation which had relentlessly plagued India when he assumed the role of RBI Governor.

vINOD kHOSla

Khosla is an entrepreneur, investor & technologist. In 1982, he co-founded Sun Microsytems and served as its first chairman and CEO till 1984. Thereafter he became a recognised venture capitalist, with several successful earlystage investments. He formed his own venture capital firm 'Khosla Ventures' in 2004. He also invested in an Indian microfinance company 'SKS Microfinance,' which offers small loans to poor women in rural India. He has committed around US$ 450 million of his personal wealth to various “green” initiatives like ethanol factories, solarpower parks, et al. His green investing has made him immensely popular in the media globally.

vISHwavIR aHUja

Ahuja is the Managing Director and CEO of RBL Bank Ltd., and is an accomplished Banker with a career spanning 29 years. Prior to joining RBL Bank, he was the Managing Director & CEO of the India operations of the Bank of America, from May 2001 to August 2009. During his tenure the Bank of America was rated as the 'Best Foreign Bank in India', 'Most Efficient bank in India (across the entire Industry)' and

was rated amongst the top 2 in Credit Quality by Ernst & Young Financial Express survey in 2008 and 2009. During his long stint at BoA, he has had assignments in the USA, Hong Kong and all four Regional Offices in India.

alka BaNER j EE

Alka Banerjee, known as the Queen of the equity cult, reached American shores in 1994. She is the Managing Director – Product Management at Standard & Poor’s 'Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI)'. She heads up S&P DJI’s Product Management Group, which has global responsibility for the commercial success of each of S&P DJI’s product lines: US Equity, Global Equity, Fixed Income, Commodities, Real Assets, Strategy, and Custom indices, as well as Data. Since September 2013, she has also been serving as the CEO of Asia Index Private Limited, a joint venture between S&P DJI and the BSE of Mumbai, India’s premier stock exchange. In 2015, she was recognized as one of the twenty most influential global Indian women by The Economic Times, one of India’s leading newspapers.

SRINIvaSaN paRTHaSaR aTHy

Srinivasan is a Senior Executive Vice President and the Chief & Appointed Actuary of HDFC Life, with 18 years of experience in Life Insurance and Pensions both in India and the UK. He was one of the two candidates from Asia to be selected by the President of Institute of Actuaries, UK, in the year 2000 to work for Watson Wyatt, UK, where he provided a range of consultancy services to clients on various aspects of company pension schemes. He then moved on to work with Aviva UK where he worked in different areas including pricing, reporting and stochastic modelling, before being seconded to Aviva India.

This trend of Indians returning from

abroad to work here has picked up pace with the widening recovery trend in the country's economy. NRIs are in demand as they have gained experience in developed markets. Generally, they are considered to have worked in a more professional environment, where ownership and decision-making has been encouraged. In addition to this, they have a good understanding of the cultural differences between India and other developed markets. Today's new-age employers value the international experience and exposure NRI's bring with them. It is perhaps now more feasible to imagine the fructification of the spiralling aspirations of the Indian Dream.

The author is a practising CA with over 26 years of experience. He has served on the boards of more than 36 companies across sectors, including Public Sector Banks and

S Ravi

PSUs

sriniVasan Parthasarathy

SHalaBH “SHallI” kUmaR

DON'T j UST BE HUmaN, BE a HUmaNITaRIaN

Having his roots in the Ambala district of Haryana, Shalli, as Shalabh Kumar is best known to those who know him, is an expatriate Indian American entrepreneur, industrialist and a philanthropist who is based out of Chicago in the US. The tycoon, apart from being active philanthropically, is also a bourgeois interpreter, kinship mover-and-shaker and a political donor to boot. A conservative commentator, he is a community activist who often hits the news for his stands on various issues. NRI Achievers profiles this remarkable man, who has made it all by himself in his life ...

Having graduated from the Punjab University in 1965, Shalabh Kumar is also an alumni of the Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh, with a BS in electronic engineering that he completed in 1969. It was from here that he cultivated his passion for electronics. In the US, Kumar went to the Illinois Institute of Technology, where apart from academics, his key role in organising an exhibition of rare vintage photographs of Indian freedom fighters like Subhash

Chandra Bose, Chandrashekhar Azad and Sahid Bhagat Singh for the first ever time won him accolades.

He was instrumental in eventuating a company called “AVG Advanced Technology,” an enterprise that is into automation controls, semiconductors, telecommunications, thick-film hybrids, as also into electronic component manufacturing and distribution. Shalabh Kumar Kumar is the Chairman and CEO of the AVG Group of Companies, headquartered in Chicago with operations

across the globe. He has also served several multinational companies in lead management roles – notably Circuit International Inc, Microfast Controls Corp, Electronic Support Systems, PEC Reliance, Lika Tandy Corporation, Mc Technologies, and Hi-Tech Systems Corporation.

Shalabh Kumar has, since his migration to the US in 1969, been politically active in the diaspora community. While during initial years he was a supporter of the Democrats, a coincidental

meeting with President Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp impressed him so much that he jumped ship to evolve into a staunch Republican. Adding his standing and heft within the Indian-American community to Republican politics in 1983, he threw his weight behind Don Totten, Reagan’s mid-west campaign manager, successfully converting a significant segment of the community to form the first ever Indian American Republican organization in the US. He has also served on Reagan's Small Business Advisory Council during the early eighties, apart from heading the Indian American Advisory Council of House Republican Conference, US Congress (Parliament).

During 2011-12, right after the Bin Laden affair in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Kumar became an active citizen lobbyist and power-broker on Capitol Hill, supporting Texas Congressman Ted Poe’s bill to cut-off all foreign aid to Pakistan. The bill was subsequently passed in August 2012. Kumar is also credited with founding the National Indian American Public Policy Institute (NIAPPI), a think-tank focusing on issues relevant to Indian Americans. Apropos NIAPPI and Kumar even had the uncanny foresight to take a high level Congressional & Business delegation in March 2013 to visit the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, and invite him to the United States. Modi, who was back then subject to 'diplomatic isolation' by the US Administration, literally swept the India General Elections in 2014 to become the Prime Minister.

Asked by the Indian electronic media his motives about this venture, Shalabh Kumar described Modi as his idol, who would architect a great future for India and US-India relationship. The Hindustan Times while reporting on this 'adventure' of Shalabh Kumar, ended up describing him as 'the Punjabi Tycoon, the biggest supporter of Modi in the US.'

Kumar, energetically active in his selfassumed role of India lobbyist, has also been instrumental in raising voice

against efforts to make legislation that is perceived to be detrimental to Indian interests. In 2014 for instance, it was Shalabh Kumar and Ramesh Patel, the Chairman of the FIA-Tristate NY (Federation of Indian Organizations), who were instrumental in preventing the 'S-744' bill passed by US Senate to be taken up by the House of Representatives. The S-744 Bill, it was felt, would adversely affect the economies of both India and the US, by putting uncalledfor restrictions on Indian IT professionals working on temporary work-visas in the US. The S-744 was also unequivocally opposed by US Chamber of Commerce.

Kumar has been closely working since the early eighties with Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the US House, and even ran the Gingrich Presidential Campaign in Scott County, Iowa in 2012. Of late, galvanized by the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), Kumar is engaged in forming a Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC), with Newt Gingrich as the honorary Chairman, and with support from the leadership and members of the US Congress as well as the RNC. Congressmen Ed Royce (Chairman, Foreign Relations Committee), Pete Sessions (Chairman, Rules Committee) and George Holding (Co-Chair of the India Caucus) are leading the effort.

So whatever he does, Shalabh Kumar is 'big' news – even if it be his son’s wedding. January 2011, his son Vikram Aditya tied the knot with Pooja Chitgopekar (2007 Miss Earth India). This 'Big Fat Indian Wedding' was touted as the biggest ever wedding extravaganza to take place in NZ history, featuring 9 helicopters forming the “Barat,” and a musical extravaganza that extended into 3-days – with Daler Mehndi, RDB Rhythm Dhol Bass of Canada and UK, and dance group Signature (of 'Britain has Talent' fame) from the UK.

He hit the news once again just last month, when he became a public supporter of Don Trump’s candidature in the upcoming 2016 US Presidential Elections. Kumar's reading of Trump’s stance on Pakistan is positive, and well, he thinks that Trump could well prove to be the most Pro-Indian President that the US could have. Kumar views about Newt Gingrich's calls for increased scrutiny of American Muslims and increased surveillance on mosques in the United States are also laudatory, views that have largely been getting negative press as 'Islamophobia.' The Hill, an American publication, quoted Kumar as specifically saying: “The policy setting is that we need to have a lot of scrutiny. I totally agree with [former Speaker] Newt Gingrich ... Mosques ought to be monitored, ... vetting should take place. ... If you need to profile, what is the fuss?”

Shalabh Kumar was also in the news for his more recent pledge of US$ 2 Millions to Trump’s campaign from his own personal kitty, which would in fact be part of some US$ 10 million which the RHC and its members plan to donate to GOP candidates over the year, as it pushes Republicans to compete for the majority of Indian-Americans, who traditionally have been seen to lean towards the Democratic Party.

Have no doubt, Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar probably has more aces up his sleeve, and is likely to be in the news more often as momentum gathers on the race to Presidenthood in the United States of America.

SUNNy vaRkEy

a vISIONaRy IN THE mISSION mODE

1957 born Sunny Varkey, a non-resident Keralite from India, is a well-known Dubai-based entrepreneur and education philanthropist. He is both the founder and chairman of global advisory & educational management firm 'GEMS Education,' by far the largest operator of private 'kindergarten-to-grade-12' schools in the world, with a network of over 130 schools in more than a dozen countries. He also chairs the umbrella organisation 'Varkey Group,' and is founder and trustee of the philanthropic Varkey Foundation. Recognising his contributions, India had honoured him with a Padma Shri in 2009, and as of 2012, Varkey is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. NRI Achievers features and profiles this remarkable man for your reading pleasure ...

Sunny Varkey was born to Kerala Christians Mariamma and KS Varkey, who were both teachers and educators. Their sincerity and dedication to the cause of educating and nurturing young minds found reflection in Varkey's psyche right from infancy. As a two year-old tot, Varkey moved with his parents to then undeveloped Dubai in 1959, where his father had taken up an assignment for the British Bank of the Middle East. It was a time when Dubai had no electricity, water or schools. KS and Mariamma Varkey's passion for teaching found manifestation in their initiative to teach English to local Arabs. They opened a small coaching centre in Bur Dubai, to groom locals in the intricacies of the English language for a monthly tuition fee of INR 25 – Indian currency was apropos legal tender in Dubai that time. A tutorial college with no name, it was simply known by word-of-mouth as the 'Varkey's school'. So successful were they that even members of the royal family were among their students. Their unstinting effort ultimately culminated in the founding in 1968 of a school –'Our Own English High School', to cater to the boom spurred by the 1966 discovery of oil in the Gulf, which brought in wave after wave of foreign workers, including many from the Indian subcontinent. With demand for English-lan-

guage education spiralling, the school was in retrospect but a natural consequence. More about that later, let us now get back to our protagonist ...

When he turned four, Sunny was sent back by his parents to Kerala to get a well-rounded education. Enrolled with the Infant Jesus School – a Catholic boarding school in Kollam city, enterprising Sunny soon took his first tentative steps in creating wealth, if only to bolster his pocket money. At the young age of 11, he sold fresh fruits by the roadside to augment his allowance. It was not until 1970 when he and elder

sister returned to Dubai, where Sunny completed his O-Levels from the St. Mary's Catholic High School there, before he was packed off to the UK to pursue his A-Levels at the Bembridge School. His sojourn all of a year, and he returned to Dubai to complete his ALevels at the British Council over there. The year was 1977.

Sunny had found gainful employment with the Standard Chartered Bank; and also had his fingers in a few more pies – a small trading company and a maintenance firm; becoming the part-owner of the Dubai Plaza Hotel, making an entry into the healthcare sector, and involved in the affairs of at least another six companies. All was well until some three years later when an ultimatum from the Dubai authorities arrived. One fine evening Varkey comes home to find his parents in a depressed state of mind. They had received yet another missive from the Dubai Municipality (there had been several such letters earlier as well) unequivocally telling them either to construct a purpose-built facility for their school or close it down. Getting on in years, his parents felt they could no longer cope, and had decided to shut down the school, which had under 400 students at the time. Varkey decides to take a hand, and tells them he would purpose-build a facility for the school if they permit him to run the school his

way, without interference. Deal done, and he takes over operations, and soon enough finding his task quite a handful, dumps his other businesses to concentrate on expanding the education business. Armed with the foresight that the Gulf education scenario was poised for explosive growth, Varkey goes the full monty by opening many new schools, offering quality education under multiple curricula – Indian CBSE & ICSE, US, British, and later also the International Baccalaureate Programme.

His schools thrived and soon grew into strong and close-knit network of educational institutions in the GEC states. Sunny, still dissatisfied with his handiwork, takes the step of setting up GEMS (Global Education Management Systems) in 2000, an advisory and educational management firm, as a precursor for worldwide expansion. The first GEMS schools abroad came in 2003, first with the Sherborne House School in Hampshire followed by Bury Lawn School in Milton Keynes, both in England. Very soon, the Sherfield School also in Hampshire, came under the GEMS umbrella, with Sunny Varkey not stopping just there, he went on to acquire another 10 schools in England, mainly in the north.

On the India front, the advent of the first schools run by GEMS came in the year 2004, and Varkey continued to add

more schools in the subcontinent, also purchasing a controlling interest in India-based Everonn Education, which today is jointly managed by the Varkey Group and GEMS. Subsequently his serial entrepreneurship took Varkey to Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Singapore, the US, Switzerland and some other corners of the globe as well, making GEMS the largest operator of private 'kindergarten-to-grade-12' schools in the world, with over 130 institutions functioning in over a dozen countries as of 2014.

He attributes his success to faith in God and sheer hard work. “I make decisions on the spot,” he says. “When I go home with a problem I dwell on it for maybe 15-20 minutes, decide on a solution and implement it immediately. After the deed is done, I don't regret my decision, whether it is right or wrong. A businessman must accept gains and losses with equanimity,” he avers. “Today, as in the olden days, Dubai is a place where when you see an opportunity, and if you have the courage, you take it," he asserts.

His phenomenal successful in the domain of education has earned Varkey many accolades as well as immense wealth, pushing him into the A-List of Asian billionaires. Varkey is married and lives in Dubai. His two sons – Dino and Jay – have chosen to take up leader-

ship roles in GEMS, giving Sunny the elbow and headroom to focus and pursue his philanthropic bent of mind, and occupy himself with the affairs of his not-for-profit foundation. Varkey's sister Susan Mathews runs pre-schools, with his wife and octogenarian mother working behind the scenes, oft posing tough questions about his endeavours. Sunny's personal interests outside of work include a passion for keeping physically fit, and custom-made fashionable attire.

Sunny Varkey, at 58-years today, recently took a step that put him in the same league as fellow Indian and chairman of Wipro Azim Premji and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, when he signed Bill Gates' “The Giving Pledge,” committing to give away more than half of his personal wealth for helping teachers around the world. “I am delighted to sign the Giving Pledge. It was indeed fortunate that I grew up in a family where charity ran in our blood, ingrained in us from a very early age. I recall, even when my father earned some small amount, a large portion of it was shared with the community we lived in, sometimes at the cost of our own comfort,” says Varkey. “To this day, our underlying philosophy remains that good giving 'pinches', meaning that the sacrifice you make has to be felt. Therein lies the appeal of the Giving Pledge to my family. I have also always believed that education is the key to fixing so many of the world's great problems: violence, poverty and health," he adds.

The Giving Pledge was founded by American magnate Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill and his wife Melinda Gates, to help address society's most pressing problems by inviting the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropic and charitable causes. Varkey joins some 136 billionaires from around the world who have signed the pledge, including Richard Branson, chairman and founder of Virgin Group and Ted Turner, founder of CNN.

SaBa ZaIDI aBDI

fROm THEaTRE TO Tv pRODUcER TO mEDIa pERSONalITy

Saba Zaidi Abdi is a familiar name to those of us who belong to an earlier generation, when almost every second drama programme on television would have her indelible stamp on it … during the heydays of Doordarshan, India's state-run terrestrial public broadcaster prior to the big channel boom that saw the advent of satellite TV and myriad private channels vying for an elusive pie in the sky, Saba was a Drama Producer with DD. She has numerous landmark productions to her credit … not to mention her foray into quality cinema and involvement in productions of doyens like Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal and MS Satyu. She migrated to Australia some three decades ago, and is today wellknown in media circles down under, and almost everywhere the Indian Diaspora is present. NRI Achievers treats you to a slice of life of Saba Zaidi, Abdi – a personality beyond compare ...

atelevision career has always been centrestage on Saba Zaidi Abdi’s antenna. Be it production, direction, or chairing a landmark DTH platform offering Indian channels in lands foreign, TV has been one medium Saba has always stayed tuned and attuned to. These days, at the helm of her own Australian media firm 'Nuvera Media,' she has forged a partnership with 'Fetch TV,' bringing a whole lot of homegrown telly to the South Asian diaspora community. Referring to it, Saba says she is literally living her dream and enjoying it enormously.

Born into the family of Maulana Hali that has served Urdu literature for seven generations and the daughter of eminent poet & writer Prof. Sajida Zaidi, Saba inherited a passion for Urdu poetry and literature at a young age. This passion has manifested itself in all her future endeavours, and continues to this day, where she is actively promoting Urdu Theatre in her country of adoption.

Saba, after she graduated from the Aligarh Muslim University and subsequently the National School of Drama in Delhi, had taken to working as a TV producer for several years with Doordarshan, India's National Broadcasting house, making and directing countless telefilms and teleplays, not to mention producing numerous documentaries focusing on literature, fine arts, performing arts and personalities. She had

even tried her hand at designing for films, in the productions of renowned Indian directors like Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal and M S Sathyu.

Quite early on in her career, Saba earned much recognition for her creativity and talent, winning many national and international awards for her drama productions and becoming a household name during her 13-year long association with Indian media and film. No less adept with single and multi-cam set-ups and equally comfortable with both video and film formats, she has many a classic to her credit. Almost all her programmes were made for and broadcast on the national network. Saba has to her credit some path-breaking films like the “Story of Indian Diamonds”, “Riots Post Mrs Gandhi’s Assassination”, the “Raza Library”, “Brecht and His Impact on Indian theatre,” and coverages on “Film Festivals of India” among others. Also to her credit are live OB's of national and international events like Beating Retreat & Republic Day ceremonies, Apna Utsavs, Mrs Gandhi's Death Anniversary Music Concerts, the Bolshoi Ballet open air coverage, live broadcasts of the Festival of India Moscow 1987 Opening Ceremony and Inaugural Ceremony of the Festival of USSR in New Delhi 1988, to mention a few.

When Saba migrated to Australia in 1989 with her husband, her career took a nose-dive. “There were hardly any oppor-

tunities here in Australia. I was supposed to start afresh. There was a preference for people who were groomed here, so my confidence level dropped. It was a tough phase for me and nothing was going in my favour. Wherever I applied, the first questions they would ask me was what level of expertise a person has while working in India ? What do I know about Australian culture, etc. For a person new to a country it takes time to get familiar with the conditions,” shares Saba.

She then decided to embark on short industry courses like ‘The Producer, the Market, and the Audience’ and ‘The Market, the Law and Business Essentials’ from the Australian Film Television & Radio School, Sydney; and also did a masters in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney with a special focus on her first love — TV Journalism.

“I am happy that the perspective of the western world towards India has now changed. The South-Asian community's level of comfort in Australia has also increased,” adds Saba. She avers that as the community grew she realised that people were curious to see stories from the other side. “I then realised there is a need to do something to connect the community. There was only one community newspaper and one radio programme, which used to run once a week for an hour. Job opportunities in media were limited. That was when we conceptualised the idea of a South

Asian media setup in Australia,” says Saba.

Saba set about work, toiling to establish South Asian media in Australia, and in 2000 became the founding director and CEO of Vision Asia, the first ever independent DTH platform on the continent offering Indian TV channels in Australia and New Zealand – thus linking the South Asian communities in Australia and New Zealand with the Indian subcontinent. “As satellite TV was getting popular, we thought of bringing Indian television channels here and approached Foxtel for that. That was how Vision Asia came into being. Later on, we met some people in Delhi and told them we want to introduce some private channels to Australia. They showed

interest and we launched Zee Life in 2002.

We brought eight channels in Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Bengali. Though it took us some time to build our clientèle, the feedback was really good,” says Saba.

Eight channels and eight years later, Vision Asia went on to become the market leader and the only successful South Asian Subscription Television platform in Australia and New Zealand. Having satisfactorily building up that business, Saba divested it four years ago, and in association with Fetch TV launched the first state-of-the-art South Asian IPTV service, on a dynamic mainstream platform that was much larger in scale, taking the first step in leading South Asian media into future technologies.

“In November 2010, as the founder, pro-

moter and director of Nuvera Media, I entered into a strategic partnership with Fetch TV to launch three South Asian subscription TV packages in Australia, atop Fetch TV’s IPTV platform and TVOD service for South Asian movies. The two current packages, viz. Hindi and Pakistani, offer 13 major Hindi and 4 major Pakistani channels of various genres of GEC, news, movies, lifestyle and music. Recently, we have launched the Tamil and Telugu Sun Pack with 8 channels. We are also working on a Sri Lankan package,” she says.

“We have selected only the premium channels and the best quality content available from South Asia Fetch TV,” she adds. “You don’t need a satellite dish or any special cable device to install Fetch TV, as all that is needed is a broadband connection and set top box that delivers content straight to the TV. It does this without impacting the normal internet connection or download quotas, and because it doesn’t touch the open internet, the quality is the same as that of any normal TV service. The set top box also allows pausing, recording and rewinding live TV, and can store over 500 hours of recordings,” she says, adding that the basic package is available from iiNet at a mere AU$ 29.95 a month with no installation charge, with the South Asian packages being available for an additional AU$ 19.95 a month each.

“The media industry is now established, but there is still a need for people to come forward and work sincerely for the welfare of the community,” says Saba.

Besides the strategic alliance with Fetch and her other media initiatives, Saba is nowadays actively involved with Sydney Theatre, having recently launched the ‘Adakar Theatre & Cultural Group’ as its founding Artistic Director, along with likeminded theatre enthusiasts. After her Urdu adaptation of Molière’s comedy ‘The Miser’ (Kanjoos), became a runaway success, she is currently at work in adapting Girish Karnad’s celebrated play ‘Wedding Album’ for the Sydney stage. Saba is also actively involved with and supports several community organizations in Sydney.

NRI Achievers Bureau Network

THE AFRo oUTREACH MoDI'S RENDEZVoUS WITH AFRICA PUTS INDIA UPFRoNT

Right from the time he assumed office, Prime Minister Modi has oft been lauded for opening up new vistas for India, with his setting foot on countries that have almost forgotten what it means to receive an Indian leader. For instance, Modi's visit to Kenya and Mozambique took place after 35 and 34 years of time span since an Indian PM had visited them. Though Manmohan Singh also visited South Africa in 2013 as Prime Minister, it was more in the context of a BRICS Summit than any exclusive bilateral visit to further one-on-one cooperation. Modi, on the contrary, by undertaking dedicated bilateral missions to key nations of southern Africa, has signalled that he values these countries intrinsically for what they are.

While this visit came after two plus years of his assuming office, it would indeed be wrong to presume that Africa has been off his radar – recall that it was only last year that Delhi hosted the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III), when for the first time ever all 54 Heads of State/Government of African countries, as well as the President of African Union were present. The PM’s visit followed closely on the heels of two high-ranking visits – the first by VicePresident Hamid Ansari to Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa from the 30th of May to the 3rd of June; and the second by President Pranab Mukherjee to Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Namibia in West Africa, between the 12th and 17th of June. Modi’s visit to South and East Africa was very much a part of this chronology, and represents a sincere attempt by India to reach out

to all parts of the Dark Continent.

The sum and substance of PM Modi’s Africa tour may be condensed into a few succinct paragraphs, which are presented here without much ado. The first has to do with strengthening India Africa connects. At every stop, Modi supplicated India’s past links with the continent and the shared experience of struggle against colonial powers. Modi has also rooted for future cooperation in the face of competition from

the connect – our Diaspora. Modi addressed meetings of Indian communities in all four countries, underlining the links between Africa’s east coast and India’s west coast and their common connect across the Indian Ocean.

China. In Mozambique, Modi offered to share India’s expertise in agriculture infrastructure. He also noted that healthcare was a sector where India’s capabilities would match the needs of Mozambique. In Tanzania, Modi offered US$ 500 millions of concessional credit for water-supply connections to 17 cities, in addition to an existing US$ 100 million. The prime minister also offered assistance in public health, with the supply of Indian medicines and equipment. In South Africa, Modi sought a partnership between businesses of both countries which, he says, could give new shape to India-Africa partnership and drive it to new levels. The other important aspect of

The second important aspect of Modi's visit was economic outreach. Economics – commerce and trade have always been one of the key dockets when India interacts with Africa. But here too what incredible Mr. Modi did was to flagship the ‘Make in India’ campaign that excited the whole of Africa. With the Chinese economy sinking and its absorption rates for African minerals at a new nadir, African governments and people are on the lookout for an alternative big Asian power that can generate steady export revenues for them, and also help them industrialise. India seems to punch the clock as the best surrogate to many Africans as a preferred, democratic partner whose outreach is not totally statedriven and whose private sector is increasing its footprint on the continent. The Prime Minister’s personal interest in connecting Indian agribusinesses with African nations for food security, and accent on joint exploration and harnessing of energy sources is a big draw in Africa.

Some sardonic sections of the Western commentariat seek to club India into the same category as China, as a mineral-grabber that is out to loot Africa and denude it of its vast natural wealth. These critics question India’s real intentions in befriending African nations. Modi needs to disprove these cynics by not only offering more novel schemes to bring Indian techni-

PM Narendra Modi's historic four nation tour of Africa (July 7th to July 11th) was in essence a sincere attempt to add a new dimension to his government's motto of making India a leading global power. The tour succeeded in large measure – by strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing India’s strategic, economic and soft power aspirations, and bringing India closer to Africa. NRI Achievers bring to readers a reading of this initiative...

cal and educational expertise to Africa, but also show how well-hooked India and Africa are in the twenty-first century. We need export markets as we industrialise, and Africa has the youthful demography and the rising purchasing power that will eventually take our two-way trade to prominence. It is wise to understand that we will be handicapped unless Africa grows in wealth and power. And without Africa on our side in dealing with the series of megacrises that confront this planet, we possibly may never metamorphose into that great power in world politics that we so desire to be. Our fates are thus convolute not merely due to geography, identical views at the United Nations or common historical experiences as colonised people, but also due to the fundamental complementarities of the future that awaits both sides. So while China has been heralding its South-South cooperation model as a resounding success in Africa, the absence of a human resource component, a transparency element, and a social sector or democracy angle in that model seems to suggest that India has an indispensable place on the continent. Especially so as we already occupy a rather special place in the hearts and minds of the African people, going back to centuries.

The third aspect to Modi's Africa sojourn is his adeptness in building personal empathy with African leaders. Personal connects with leaders has been a key facet of Modi’s diplomacy ever since coming to office in 2014. Of the four countries visited, three have had elections in recent years — Kenya in 2013 bringing president Uhuru Kenyatta to power, Mozambique in 2014 that elected president Filipe Nyusi and Tanzania in 2015 that saw president John Magufuli assume office.

Modi had met Kenyatta and Nyusi last year while this was his first meeting with Magufuli. The Indian PM invited the Tanzanian president to visit India, which was accepted. South Africa’s Jacob Zuma is better-known to the prime minister, given that he has met and conferred with him on several occasions, like the annual BrazilIndia-Russia-China-South Africa (BRICS) meetings and during the India-Africa summit last year.

Terrorism was a topic that figured in all the key discussions PM Modi had with African leaders. In fact, dog-earing a consensus on terrorism was a vital theme that took up some heavy-duty confabulations, moreso with Africa seeing its own fair share of the problem, what with the threat from the Sunni Islamic State in the north of Libya and Tunisia to the Boko Haram, which draws its ideology from the Al-Qaeda in West Africa.

Make in India. India's new mantra inviting the world to come to India and manufacture there had its own pre-eminent place on Modi's agenda as well. During his visit to South Africa, Modi invited defence businesses to set up manufacturing bases in India, which could service the domestic requirements of India and South Africa as well as export to third countries.

Food security. India signed a long-term agreement for the import of pulses from Mozambique. Mozambique grows the commodity without much consumption. The pact will help India tide-over the shortage of pulses in the country that has led to uneven spikes and spurts in the prices of dal. Significant given it was only last month that India’s cabinet had cleared a proposal to enter into an agreement with Mozambique for importing 100,000 tonnes of pulses in 2016-17, with an option to scale it up to 200,000 tonnes by 2020-2021.

Securing the east coast. One of the hallmarks of Mr. Modi’s foreign policy has been an emphasis on defence diplomacy to boost India’s position as a nett security provider for fellow developing countries. Ergo, the choice of the four African nations on his itinerary this time was no coincidence, but possibly part of a well-thought-out doctrine to give primacy to the Indian Ocean Region

(IOR), whose westernmost edge is defined by these countries. The east coast of Africa is the flank to which India’s expanding naval and commercial strategy needs to be aligned with, if it is to emerge as a shaper of stability and peace in the IOR. It is therefore noteworthy that Modi’s government has purposefully re-initiated a serious defence dialogue with Mozambique in 2015, after years of neglect. I recall meeting the Deputy Minister of National Defence of Mozambique, Patricio Jose, earlier this year when he said to me that they “eagerly look up to India” to enhance their coastal surveillance, military training and maritime security capabilities. Seen from this perspective, it now seems that Modi’s megamodernisation project of ‘Sagar Mala’which involves coastal area development, port infrastructure advancement, connectivity and sea-based industrial synergies, is not merely a domestic policy priority but is in fact interlinked to our strategic drive to be the defence and logistical partner for Africa’s eastern coast.

Modi has already been to Mauritius and Seychelles — two pivotal African countries off the mainland — and ramped up India’s security assistance to them. Now, by drawing in the countries of east Africa into a trustful embrace where they can have faith in India to share and transmit sensitive technology and know-how in intelligence, reconnaissance and training, he is making a proactive push to be not merely an economic actor on the continent but also a political one. The message sent out by the Prime Minister and his team to the continent was that “we are not here to exploit” and “we want to be partners in development.”

NRI Achievers Bureau Network

Complimenting the Modi government's emphasis on real estate and construction sector reforms, the updated and revised National Building Code 2016 (NBC 2016) that is set to be unveiled later this year will bring out the stateof-the-art and most contemporary version of the building code, dealing with futuristic developments. Have a look on the impact this legislation is likely to have on the realty scenario ...

NATIONAL BUILDING CODE 2016

A REGULATORY BOOST TO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

The national building code is meant to help regulate building construction in the country, lay down a set of minimum provisions for buildings, designed to protect the safety of public with regard to structural efficiency, fire and earthquake hazards, health aspects etc., including environmental concerns. It mainly contains administrative provisions, development control rules and general building requirements, as well as stipulations regarding building materials, struc-

tural design and construction, plumbing services, landscaping, signage and outdoor displaying structures etc.

The NBC 2016 will provide detailed guidelines on construction management and come up with comprehensive regulation and certification of the structural safety of buildings, with a series of improvements in the safety provisions to meet the challenges associated with the new trend of building high rise buildings, including super-tall structures and mixed-

used developments such as malls, multiplexes and integrated townships. The new and revised code will give an overall direction for practical application of the provisions of different specialised aspects of spatial planning, design and construction, creation of services, et al., proposing an integrated approach for utilising appropriate knowledge and experience of qualified professionals, right from conceptualisation through construction and completion stages of a building project during its en-

tire life cycle.

NBC 2016 compliments the government's ambitious mission of 'Housing for All' that has a special focus on low-cost affordable-housing. The new code has detailed provisions for use of pre-fabricated technology for speedier construction with quality, to meet the acute housing shortage that plagues India. Further, to check project delays the code focuses on 'Streamlining Procedure for Real Estate Projects' (SAPREP) through single window concept. It incorporates suggestions mooted by the SAPREP panel constituted by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, as part of Model Building Bylaws. The revised code also has a renewed focus on an integrated approach to get maximum benefit from the building and its services in terms of timely completion and cost-effectiveness with quality.

Dovetailing well with the Modi govern-

ment's other relevant missions 'Accessible India, Empowered India', the 'National Policy for Persons with Disabilities' and the 'UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities', the national building code has for the first time ever made elaborate provisions for making buildings and public places to be accessible to millions of disabled and elderly persons. The code for a barrier-free built environment will be applicable to all forms of public housing undertaken by government and private builders.

In view of the growing popularity of green/sustainable buildings, NBC 2016 promotes ecologically appropriate practices, the use of eco-friendly construction materials, conventional and alternative technologies, reduction of pollution, protection and improvement of the local environment, and the application of socioeconomic considerations towards the

creation of sustainable human settlements. With a view to boost sustainability, the building code has, also for the first time, included provisions for glazing in buildings with respect to their effect on energy, lighting (natural and otherwise) in the building, and the selection and manifestation of glass with respect to safety. It will also focus on energy conservation, use of solar energy and efficient lighting.

Keeping pace with the era of smarthomes and smart-cities, NBC 2016 has come up with a new chapter on 'Information & Communication Enabled Installations' with general guidelines for planning and provision of ICT (information and communication technology) services in the building and execution stages. Also, in view of the growing significance of property management, once again another first is the addition of a new chapter on 'Asset Facility Management.' Other new additions include use of escalators, moving walks and solid waste management.

The building code was first formulated in 1970 and subsequently revised in 1983 and 2005, It is implemented through municipal corporations, local urban bodies, public works departments and other construction wings and agencies. Tyis new NBC 2016, a revised version of NBC 2005, will turn out to be a game changer in regulating building construction to be in line with the contemporary trends and advancements in the sector, taken together together with the new age reforms in the real estate and construction sector that are being ushered in.

Vinod Behl

The author is a senior media professional & the consulting editor of NRI Achievers magazine. He may be reached at: vb@nriachievers.in

THE RIO OLYMPICS

THE VERY BEST OF THE INDIAN SQUAD

Carrying the hopes of billions of Indians, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), has sent one of the largest ever contingents of around 120 members to participate in the worlds biggest sports carnival, the Summer Olympics in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning from August 4 and coming to a close on August 21. From the hockey pitch to the badminton and tennis courts, from wrestling to archery and shooting, there are real medal prospects among India's men and women's teams. Besides the 12 member squad for shooting, medals may also have been predestined for our tennis, archery, badminton, boxing and hockey teams. All eyes will also be on the wrestling mat at Rio, where Yogeshwar Dutt will try his mettle to improve on the metal of his last silver.

Abhinav Bindra will lead the squad bearing the Tricolor at the opening cer-

emony. Apropos the most encouraging aspect of India's participation at Rio is the number of women participants –43%, accounting for 52 members of the 120 member squad. Given the unprecedented largeness of the group, it is not surprising that most of the members are first timers. A mere 35 athletes from the squad have represented India at the Olympics earlier, which puts first timers at 70.34% of the contingent. Among

the first timers, it will be the maiden appearance for 23-year-old Gita Karmakar, woman gymnast from India who created history a few days ago. In table tennis, India will see four paddlers taking part for the first time, and it will be only the second time in the history of the Games that the Indian women's hockey team will be seen in action at the Olympics. Lalita Babar, Dutee Chand, Anirban Lahiri, Kidambi Srikanth, Jitu Rai would also give their debut appearance in various other categories of the games. Dutee Chand, in

an interview recently said, “Abhi to bas shuruat hai, medal lane ki koshish karungi.” On one hand where a number of players would be representing the nation for the first time, there are experienced players like Abhinav Bindra and Yogeshwar Dutt, who would be representing India for the last time in the Olympics. We of NRI Achievers wish the Indian squad all the very best for their performance at the World sports feast, the Rio Olympics.

NRI Achievers Sports Network

H ERE IS THE lIST OF All pARTICI pANTS

Sports Men Women Total Events

Total 67 54 121 66

SpORTS- ARCHERY, EVENTS- 3 Men- 1 Event

Atanu Das Men's individual Women- 3 Event

Bombayla Devi Women's individual & Women's team

Deepika Kumari Women's individual & Women's team

Laxmirani Majhi Women's individual & Women's team

SpORTS- ATH lETICS, EVENTS- 21 Men- 20 Event

Dharambir Singh 200 m

Jinson Johnson 800 m

Muhammad Anas 400 m & 4 × 400 m relay

Ayyasamy Dharun 4 × 400 m relay

Mohan Kumar 4 × 400 m relay

Sumit Kumar 4 × 400 m relay

Mohammed Kunhi 4 × 400 m relay

Arokia Rajiv 4 × 400 m relay

Thonakal Gopi Marathon

Kheta Ram Marathon

Nitender Singh Rawat Marathon

Baljinder Singh 20 km walk

Gurmeet Singh 20 km walk

Irfan Kolothum Thodi 20 km walk

Sandeep Kumar 50 km walk

Manish Singh 50 km walk

Renjith Maheshwary Triple jump

Ankit Sharma Long jump

Inderjeet Singh Shot put

Vikas Gowda Discus throw Women- 17 Event

Dutee Chand 100 m

Srabani Nanda 200 m

Tintu Luka 800 m

Nirmala Sheoran 400 m & 4 × 400 m relay

Lalita Babar 3000 m steeplechase

Ashwini Akkunji 4 × 400 m relay

Debashree Majumdar 4 × 400 m relay

Jisna Mathews 4 × 400 m relay

M. R. Poovamma 4 × 400 m relay

Anilda Thomas 4 × 400 m relay

O. P. Jaisha Marathon

Kavita Raut Marathon

Sudha Singh Marathon & 4 × 400 m relay

Khushbir Kaur 20 km walk

Sapna Punia 20 km walk

Manpreet Kaur Shot put

Seema Antil Discus throw

SpORTS- BADmINTON, EVENTS-4 Men-3 Event

Srikanth Kidambi Singles

Manu Attri Doubles

B. Sumeeth Reddy Doubles Women-4 Event

Saina Nehwal Singles

Pusarla Sindhu

Jwala Gutta Doubles

Ashwini Ponnappa Doubles

SpORTS- BOxINg, EVENTS-3 Men-3 Event

Shiva Thapa Bantamweight

Manoj Kumar Light welterweight

Vikas Krishan Yadav Middleweight SpORTS- FIElD HOCkEY, EVENTS-2 Men-16 Event

Surender Kumar Men's tournament

Danish Mujtaba Men's tournament

V. R. Raghunath Men's tournament Akashdeep Singh Men's tournament

Chinglensana Singh Men's tournament

Harmanpreet Singh Men's tournament Kothajit Singh Men's tournament

Manpreet Singh Men's tournament Ramandeep Singh Men's tournament Rupinder Pal Singh Men's tournament

Sardara Singh Men's tournament

P. R. Sreejesh (C & GK) Men's tournament

S. V. Sunil Men's tournament Nikkin Thimmaiah Men's tournament S. K. Uthappa Men's tournament

Devinder Walmiki Men's tournament Women-16 Event

Savita Punia (GK) Women's tournament

Deep Grace Ekka Women's tournament

Deepika Thakur Women's tournament

Namita Toppo Women's tournament

Sunita Lakra Women's tournament

Sushila Chanu (C) Women's tournament

Lilima Minz Women's tournament

Renuka Yadav Women's tournament

Nikki Pradhan Women's tournament Monika Malik Women's tournament

Navjot Kaur Women's tournament Anuradha Devi Women's tournament Poonam Rani Women's tournament

Vandana Katariya Women's tournament Preeti Dubey Women's tournament

Rani Rampal Women's tournament avita Punia (GK) Women's tournament

SpORTS- gOlF, EVENTS-2 Men-2 Event

Shiv Chawrasia Golf

Anirban Lahiri Golf Women-1 Event Aditi Ashok Golf

SpORTS- gYmNASTICS, EVENTS-1 Women-1 Event

Dipa Karmakar Artistic

SpORTS- J UDO, EVENTS-1 Men-1 Event

Avtar Singh Men's −90 kg

SpORTS- ROwINg, EVENTS-1 Men-1 Event

Dattu Baban Bhokanal Men's single sculls SpORTS- SHOOTINg, EVENTS-11 Men-9 Event

Abhinav Bindra 10 m air rifle Gagan Narang 10 m air rifle, 50 m rifle prone & 50 m rifle 3 positions

Kynan Chenai Trap Mairaj Ahmad Khan Skeet Prakash Nanjappa 50 m pistol

Jitu Rai 10 m air pistol, 50 m pistol

Chain Singh 50 m rifle prone, 50 m rifle 3 positions Gurpreet Singh 10 m air pistol, 25 m rapid fire pistol Manavjit S. Sandhu Trap Women-3 Event

Apurvi Chandela 10 m air rifle

Ayonika Paul 10 m air rifle Heena Sidhu 10 m air pistol & 25 m pistol SpORTS- SwImmINg, EVENTS-2 Men-1 Event

Sajan Prakash 200 m butterfly Women-1 Event Shivani Kataria 200 m freestyle SpORTS- TABlE TENNIS, EVENTS-2 Men-2 Event

Sharath K. Achanta Men's singles Soumyajit Ghosh Men's singles Women-2 Event Manika Batra Women's singles Mouma Das Women's singles SpORTS- TENNIS, EVENTS-3 Men-2 Event

Rohan Bopanna Men's doubles Leander Paes Men's doubles Women-2 Event Sania Mirza Women's doubles Prarthana Thombare Women's doubles Mixed doubles Event S. Mirza & R. Bopanna Mixed Double SpORTS- wEIgHTlIFTINg, EVENTS-2 Men-1 Event

Sathish Sivalingam Men's −77 kg Women-1 Event Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Women's −48 kg SpORTS- wRESTlINg, EVENTS-8 Men-5 Event

Sandeep Tomar -57 kg

Yogeshwar Dutt-65 kg Men's freestyle Narsingh P. Yadav-74 kg Men's freestyle Ravinder Khatri −85 kg Hardeep Singh −98 kg Women-3 Event Vinesh Phogat−48 kg Women's freestyle

Babita Kumari−53 kg Women's freestyle Sakshi Malik−58 kg Women's freestyle

SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV MAN, MYSTIC & VISIONARY

“How deeply you touch another life is how rich your life is ... the greatest thing that you can do in life is to live to your peak and to set an example that there is a way to live beyond all limitations ... this life for me is an endeavour to help people experience and express their ultimate nature ... it is … also … an endeavour to help people experience and express their divinity … .” – Sadhguru

Sadhguru – sant, sadhu, seer, mystic, visionary – much has been written, said and broadcast about this selfrealized Indian yogi, who apropos is also a prolific writer and teacher, waxing eloquent on myriad topics and themes. There exists a whole treasure trove of information on him in the public domain, from features and profiles to his discourses and writings, from media interviews and con-

the special consultative status it enjoys with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Sadhguru was born in Mysore, Karnataka, on Tuesday the 3rd September 1957 to Susheela and Dr. Vasudev, an ophthalmologist with the Indian Railways. Jagadish, the youngest of four siblings, or Jaggi as has come to be known, evolved a deep interest in the workings of nature at a very young

then, teaching him a set of simple yogasanas that Jaggi religiously maintained and practised … “without a single day's break, this simple yoga that was taught to me kept happening, leading to a much deeper experience later.”

Schooling over, Jaggi Vasudev went to Mysore University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. This was the time he developed a fascination for

versations to talks given at various world fora – he certainly is no stranger to many of us. Founder of Isha, a group of globe-spanning non-for-profit organisations that offer yoga and wellness programmes to people from across the world, Sadhguru is based out of Coimbatore, India; while maintaining a presence in the United States and Great Britain, Lebanon and Singapore, Canada, Malaysia, Uganda, China, Nepal and Australia. His Foundation's deep involvement in serious social and community development activities has won it much acclaim, like

age. Snake-catching and truancy came naturally to him during his school days, even as he forayed frequently into the woods and jungle nearby, with sojourns sometimes lasting up to three days at a time. And in youth, his blunt clarity in life earned him the unenviable job of unofficial counsellor to problem-prone mates. But it was a chance encounter with Malladihalli Sri Raghavendra Swamiji when Jaggi was all of 12 years, as it turns out later, the watershed event that changed his life making him what he is today. The Swamiji takes Jaggi under his wing

motorcycles, and indulged in its logical corollary – travelling places on one. Chamundi Hill for him and his friends was an oft frequented haunt, where they rendezvoused and took off on long nocturnal drives. Jaggi Vasudev has apropos travelled extensively to many nooks and corners of our country astride his motorcycle in his lifetime. This new-found passion and wanderlust egged him on “to earn some quick money,” and just ride off somewhere at every whim. His attempts to put this plan into action saw him taking up a whole bunch of profitable busi-

nesses soon after graduation – a poultry farm, a brickworks and a construction business are well worth mention here.

The year was 1982 and Jaggi had just turned 25. One fine September day, something in him drove him to ride up Chamundi Hill ... and there he sat alone still as the rock he was perched on, when all of a sudden, an overwhelming spiritual experience assailed him. Sadhguru tells us about it: “Till that moment in my life I always thought this is me and that's somebody else and something else. But for the first time I did not know which is me and which is not me. Suddenly, what was me was just all over the place. The very rock on which I was sitting, the air that I breathe, the very atmosphere around me, I had just exploded into everything. That sounds like utter insanity. This, I thought it lasted for ten to fifteen minutes but when I came back to my normal consciousness, it was about four-and-a-halfhours I was sitting there, fully conscious, eyes open, but time had just flipped.”

Six weeks passed before Jaggi simply left his businesses to a friend and took off on a motorcycle on a soul-searching expedition, travelling wherever his fancy took him … virtually leading the life of a nomad, in an attempt to grasp that elusive trigger which had led to his mystical experience. A year of travel and meditation passed by before Jaggi came to a conclusion – he would teach yoga to share his inner experience with others. His first class happened in 1983 at Mysore, with just seven participants. Over time, he took his yoga classes all across Karnataka and to Hyderabad, travelling from class to class on his ever-present and ubiquitous motorcycle, living off the rental proceeds of his poultry farm, and refusing to take any payment for the classes – any collections that came from participants he would donate to a local charity on the last day of class. Jaggi Vasudev had taken the first step to become Sadhguru, as he is affectionately known today to his followers and well-wishers.

What transpired from then on till now is a rather amply well-documented story – on how the first ashram in the Velliangiri foothills came about to the gradual expansion of Isha to become a world-girdling organisation with millions of followers, volunteers

and devotees who have pledged their lifetimes to full-time work with the various Isha endeavours ... the Dhyanalingam, the Linga Bhairavi temple, the Adi-Yogi Aalayam – its all very much there in the public domain, which spares us the need to delve into it. After all, google’s your friend, just go ahead and google it! We, instead, shall tentatively explore and glean a few subjective aspects aspects of Sadhguru from that ocean of material available about him in media archives – some of them insightful and some simply anecdotal – to better understand the man, the mystic, the visionary and seer – and attempt getting a bit more closer to him through the effort…

The Sadhguru, at the very first sight, while he surely defies any stereotype of godmen or spiritual gurus, comes across as a man who loves all good things in life. “Oh, you are still using that Apple 4,” he quips to a journalist using it to record the tête-à-tête. This by the way is the real Jaggi Vasudev –modern day tech-savvy yogi and mystic who takes pleasure riding sports bikes, plays golf and, of course, is at home with modern gadgets. “If your idea of a guru is from a calendar, who has candy-floss beard and a

constipated look on his face, then definitely I am not that. If someone has to be a guru he has to be contemporary, otherwise what sense will he make to modern day people,” he questions. And narrating how he reacts to people who often ask why he drives his own car or flies a helicopter when yogis in ancient times just used to walk, he says: “I tell them that in those days everyone used to walk, not merely the yogis !”

Sadhguru, who is known to hold radical views on a whole range of issues, is however quite vocally disapproving and anxious about every aspect of our lives getting blatantly commercial. “For me, health, education and spirituality should never be com-

mercialised. Unfortunately, the first two have already succumbed to commercialisation, and now it’s slowly creeping into the spiritual sphere as well.”

Passionate about sports, Sadhguru is of the view that sport is a path to spirituality as well. This conviction of his has found ample expression in the path his foundation adopted decades ago, when they promoted an annual sports-focused event called ‘Gramotsavam’ in the Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu. “It all started some 24 years ago when we set up a yoga centre near Coimbatore. We thought we would teach yoga in the surrounding villages. On the first day, about 150 people came and after the programme, we served them meals. Next day, only 70 people turned up. When I asked the reason, I was told that many people have reservations about eating with certain caste members. I realised the 1,000-year-old caste practice was not going to go away in a day. So, instead of the afternoon meal, I made them play together. No scripture, after all, says you should not play together.”

In due course, his experiments with sport have only strengthened his convictions –

sport was indeed a powerful medium that overrides caste and religion barriers to bring people of all ilks together. “I observed this is America, where till the late 1960s many whites hated the blacks, but loved to have Magic Johnson’s photo in their bedrooms,” recalls Sadhguru. By the same logic the Isha promoted Gramotsavam reveals yet another another spin-off – it has in a sense become a liberating activity for village women, who according to the mystic have never played a game since they were eight or nine years of age. “Today, even a 73-year-old grandmother walks onto the throwball court to the applause of thousands of spectators. This is indeed liberation ... .”

As far as mystics go, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has consistently defied every preconceived notion you might hold about spiritual leaders. He admits to being as comfortable walking barefoot in the Himalayas to riding a BMW motorcycle on the highways or skimming hilltops in a helicopter. So it's really not all that unusual to see him spend lunch hour playing a game of frisbee with Isha volunteers, or writing a poem on the nature of money ... in the handmade paper journal he always carries around with him. His schedule is often an eclectic mix – ranging from addressing a gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos to conducting an ‘Inner Engineering’ yoga programme in London. Recollecting the resentment of some people the first time he was invited to speak at the World Economic Forum, Sadhguru says, “I met a few people who questioned what a mystic was doing there. I told

them that whether you make computers or software, the most essential business is human well being, and that's my business too.”

Closely attuned as he is to the business world, he is much critical of CSR efforts by corporates. “CSR has become a guilt-washing process. Instead, why can't companies structure their businesses such that it benefits the world and its people?” he asks. His logic is rather simple – Instead of letting your money lie idle in a bank account, why not use it to set up a new business with lower profit margins, but offering more widespread services? If you are good at it, your venture will expand and grow with more people benefiting from it, and it might just do away with the need for charity. “Nobody likes receiving a dole – it's not in the human dignity to do so. People may accept it because they are desperate, but nobody is happy to be at the receiving end of charity” he says. “Once you nourish a plant, you don't have to worry about what it will create because it will blossom all over the place, whether you like it or not,” is his view.

Well, much much more can be written about Sadhguru and his extraordinary approach to living and dying. I am in fact actually very tempted indeed to pen a piece that will take off from Sadhguru’s views on ‘the art of dying,’ but I will reserve it for some other time. That said and done, it is not my intention to write a hagiography, but instead point to the truism that the life Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has led reads like a well-structured life-manual for good living. And yes, Sadhguru ... he is a strange man — a very strange man indeed — but ... he's for real.

Suchindran Chakravarthi

The writer is a technocrat who dabbles in Journalism print & Broadcast photography & creative visual arts.

SADHGURU'S VISION FOR INDIA

It is indeed providence we need to thank for this column by Sadhguru enriching our magazine, which actually happens to be the culmination of a chance encounter between two patients in a Kovai (Coimbatore) hospital … our senior editor and the Swami at Isha responsible for English publications. So here we are – a column penned by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – self-realised yogi, modern mystic and prolific author, the man behind the Isha Foundation. What does India need in the next 10-15 years ? Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev puts forth and shares his vision for India.

Idon’t want to impose my vision on everyone. All I am saying is, every human being is aspiring to live well, and whichever way they are aspiring, that should happen to them. They don’t have to live the way I think they should live. But definitely our aspirations should not be crafted on western models because they are not sustainable. Western countries are managing it because their populations are in a certain way. The land to population ratios in United States and in our country are a completely different game. For example, today the average

right on the threshold, and if we handle the situation smartly, we can be a tremendous power because we are a population of 1.3 billion. A population of 1.3 billion with the necessary intellect, is as good as anything can be. If we handle ourselves right, we can be a tremendous power.

“Power does not mean, 'Will we have the biggest army in the world ?' Power means if they want to live well, everyone looks at you for guidance. This culture has always had this power. People always looked east when they thought of living well. So this is not empty talk. This was

think or what you think. What people need is what needs to happen. Right now, what people need is at least reasonably decent levels of living. So the most important thing is nourishment, which must happen. Today, sixty percent of the Indian population is considered malnourished – even the reasonably well-to-do – because their skeletal systems are not growing to full size. If your body does not grow to full size, your brain will also not grow fully. We are producing an underdeveloped humanity, which is a very great risk for the future. If you have 1.3 billion people, healthy, active, focused and trained for something, you can make a miracle out of it. But if you have 1.3 billion people unhealthy, undernourished, uneducated, unfocused and uninspired, you have a major disaster on your hands.

amount of water that is available for one Indian citizen is only 25% of what we had in 1947. They say by 2050, it will be 15%. So our ideas of well-being have to change. We cannot dream to create our vision or build a nation just like some other country. We have to adjust our vision as it is needed for us, as it will work for us.

“Today, India is on the threshold of an economic upsurge. Various things that we did not even dream were possible for a larger segment of the population could be possible in the next few years – if we handle things right. Large segments of the population could benefit hugely. We are

there but the culture has fallen. One must understand, this happens to all cultures. There will be peaks and there will be downtrends. If we as a generation have any sense, we have to pull it up. It does not happen free of cost, everyone has to work for it.

“Every individual, whatever sphere of life he is in, whatever responsibility he holds, whatever influence he has, has to stand up and make that happen in his area. Just the governments cannot do this, some other leader cannot do it. Every human being has to do it.

“A vision for India is not about what I

“Are we going to turn this population – which is the youngest population on the planet in terms of nations – into a possibility, or are we going to turn this into a disaster? We are going to determine that in the next ten to fifteen years’ time. And every human being who breathes on this land has to participate in making this happen in whichever way he can do it. That is my vision: to draw as many people as possible to actively participate in this, in whichever way possible.

“Because if this time passes, it may be too late.

“If you sit on the threshold for too long, you will be run over by someone else.”

ÎêâÚUô´ ·¤è çÙ´Îæ ·¤ÚUÙð ßæÜæ âÕâð ÕÇ¸æ ¿æ´ÇæÜ ãñ

¥ŠØæØ. ãÚU ¥´·¤ ×ð´ ã× °·¤ ¥ŠØæØ ÂÚU ÙÁÚU ÇæÜÌð ãñ´. v. Ÿæß‡æ ·¤ÚUÙð âð Ï×´ü ·¤æ ™ææÙ ãôÌæ ãñ, mðá ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñ, ™ææÙ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ×æØæ ·¤è ¥æâçQ¤ âð ×éçQ¤ ãôÌè ãñ.

By means of hearing one understands dharma, malignity vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from material bondage is gained.

w. ÂçÿæØô´ ×ð´ ·¤õßæ Ùè¿ ãñ, Âàæé¥ô´ ×ð´ ·¤éžææ Ùè¿ ãñ, Áô ÌÂSßè Âæ ·¤ÚUÌæ ãñ ßô çƒæÙõÙæ ãñ, Üðç·¤Ù Áô ÎêâÚUô´ ·¤è çÙ´Îæ ·¤ÚUÌæ ãñ ßã âÕâð ÕÇ¸æ ¿æ´ÇæÜ ãñ. Among birds the crow is vile; among beasts the dog; the ascetic whose sins is abominable, but he who blasphemes others is the worst chandala.

x. ÚUæ¹ âð çƒæâÙð ÂÚU ÂèÌÜ ¿×·¤Ìæ ãñ, ÌæÕæ §×Üè âð âæȤ ãôÌæ ãñ, ¥õÚUÌð´ ÂýÎÚU âð àæéh ãôÌè ãñ, ÙÎè ÕãÌè ÚUãð Ìô âæȤ ÚUãÌè ãñ. Ashes to polish Brass; tamarind to clean copper; for a woman her menses; and a river its flow.

y. ÚUæÁæ, Õýæ±×‡æ ¥õÚU ÌÂSßè Øô»è ÁÕ ÎêâÚUð Îðàæ ÁæÌð ãñ´, Ìô ¥æÎÚU ÂæÌð ãñ´, Üðç·¤Ù ¥õÚUÌ ØçÎ ÖÅU·¤ ÁæÌè ãñ Ìô ÕÕæüÎ ãô ÁæÌè ãñ. The king, the brahmana, and the ascetic yogi who go abroad are respected; but the woman who wanders is utterly ruined.

z. ÏÙßæÙ ÃØçQ¤ ·Ô¤ ·¤§ü çטæ ãôÌð ãñ´, ·¤§ü âÕ‹Ïè Öè ãôÌð ãñ´, ÏÙßæÙ ·¤ô ãè ¥æÎ×è ·¤ãæ ÁæÌæ ãñ ¥õÚU ÂñâðßæÜô´ ·¤ô ãè ´çÇÌ ·¤ã ·¤ÚU ÙßæÁæ ÁæÌæ ãñ. The wealthy will have friends around them, and relatives too. Only the rich fellow is called a man, and only the affluent are respected as pandits.

{. âßü àæçQ¤×æÙ ·¤è §‘Àæ âð ãè Õéçh ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÌè ãñ, ßãUè´ ·¤×ô´ü ·¤ô çÙØ´ç˜æÌ ·¤ÚUÌæ ãñ, ©âè ·¤è §‘Àæ âð ¥æâ Âæâ ×ð´ ×ÎÎ ·¤ÚUÙð ßæÜð ¥æ ÁæÌð ãñ´.

As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's intellect; one's activities are also controlled by Providence; and by the will of Providence one is surrounded by helpers. |. ·¤æÜ âÖè Áèßô´ ·¤ô çÙÂé‡æÌæ ÂýÎæÙ ·¤ÚUÌæ ãñ, âÖè

Áèßô´ ·¤æ â´ãæÚU Öè ·¤ÚUÌæ ãñ, Áæ»Ìæ ÚUãÌæ ãñ ÁÕ âÕ âô ÁæÌð ãñ´U, ·¤æÜ ·¤ô ·¤ô§ü ÁèÌ Ùãè´ â·¤Ìæ.

Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.

}. Áô Á‹× âð ¥´Ïæ ãñ ßô Îð¹ Ùãè´ â·¤Ìæ, ©âè ÌÚUã Áô ßæâÙæ ·Ô¤ ¥ÏèÙ ãñ ßô Öè Îð¹ Ùãè´ â·¤Ìè, ¥ã´·¤æÚUè ÃØçQ¤ ·¤ô ·¤Öè °ðâæ Ùãè´ Ü»Ìæ ·¤è ßã ·¤éÀ ÕéÚUæ ·¤ÚU ÚUãæ ãñ ¥õÚU Áô Âñâð ·Ô¤ ÂèÀð ÂǸð ãñ´ ©Ù·¤ô ©Ù·Ô¤ ·¤×ô´ü ×ð´ ·¤ô§ü Âæ çιæ§ü Ùãè´ ÎðÌæ.

Those born blind cannot see; likewise blind are those who are in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions. ~. Áèßæˆ×æ ¥ÂÙð ·¤×ü ·Ô¤ ×æ»ü âð ÁæÌæ ãñ ¥õÚU Áô Öè ÖÜð-ÕéÚUð ÂçÚU‡ææ× ·¤×ô´ü ·Ô¤ ¥æÌð ãñ´U ©‹ãð´ Öô»Ìæ ãñ, ¥ÂÙð ãè ·¤×ôü âð ßã â´âæÚU ×ð´ Õæ´ÏÌæ ãñ ¥õÚU ¥ÂÙð ãè ·¤×ô´ü âð Õ´ÏÙô âð ÀêÅUÌæ ãñ. The spirit soul goes through its own course of karma and it itself suffers the good and bad results accrued thereby. By its own actions it entangles itself in samsara, and by its own efforts it extricates itself. v®. ÚUæÁæ ·¤ô ©â·Ô¤ Ùæ»çÚU·¤ô´ ·Ô¤ Âæ ܻÌð ãñ´, ÚUæÁæ ·Ô¤ Øãæ¡ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð ßæÜð ÂéÁæÚUè ·¤ô ÚUæÁæ ·Ô¤ Âæ ܻÌð ãñ´, ÂçÌ ·¤ô Â%è ·Ô¤ Âæ ܻÌð ãñ´, »éL¤ ·¤ô ©â·Ô¤ çàæcØô´ ·Ô¤ Âæ ܻÌð ãñ´. The king is obliged to accept the sins of his subjects; the purohit suffers for those of the king; a husband suffers for those of his wife; and the guru suffers for those of his pupils.

vv. ¥ÂÙð ãè ƒæÚU ×ð´ ÃØçQ¤ ·Ô¤ Øð àæ˜æé ãô â·¤Ìð ãñ´U- ©â·¤æ Õæ ØçÎ ßã ãÚUÎ× ·¤Áü ×ð´ ÇêÕæ ÚUãÌæ ãñ, ©â·¤è ×æ¡ ØçÎ ßã ÎêâÚUð ÂéL¤á âð â´» ·¤ÚUÌè ãñ, âé‹ÎÚU Â%è ¥æñÚU ßã ÜǸ·¤æ çÁâÙð çàæÿææ Âýæ# Ùãè´ ·¤è. A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are all enemies (in one's own home).

vw. °·¤ ÜæÜ¿è ¥æÎ×è ·¤ô ßSÌé Öð´ÅU Îð ·¤ÚU â´ÌéC ·¤ÚUð´, °·¤ ·¤ÆôÚU ¥æÎ×è ·¤ô ãæÍ ÁôǸ·¤ÚU â´ÌéC ·¤ÚUð´, °·¤ ×ê¹ü ·¤ô â×æÙ Îð·¤ÚU â´ÌéC ·¤ÚUð´, °·¤ çßmæÙ÷ ¥æÎ×è ·¤ô â¿ ÕôÜ·¤ÚU â´ÌéC ·¤ÚUð´. Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an obstinate man with folded hands in salutation, a fool by hunouring him, and a learned man by truthful words. vx. °·¤ Õð·¤æÚU ÚUæ’Ø ·¤æ ÚUæÁæ ãôÙð âð Øã ÕðãÌÚU ãñ ·¤è ÃØçQ¤ ç·¤âè ÚUæ’Ø ·¤æ ÚUæÁæ Ùæ ãô, °·¤ ÂæÂè ·¤æ çטæ ãôÙð âð ÕðãÌÚU ãñ ·¤è çÕÙæ ç×˜æ ·¤æ ãô, °·¤ ×ê¹ü ·¤æ »éL¤ ãôÙð âð ÕðãÌÚU ãñ ·¤è çÕÙæ çàæcØ ßæÜæ ãô, °·¤ Â%è ãôÙð âð ÕðãÌÚU ãñ ·¤è çÕÙæ Â%è ßæÜæ ãô. °·¤ Õð·¤æÚU ÚUæ’Ø ×ð´ Üô» âé¹è ·ñ¤âð ãUæð´? °·¤ ÂæÂè âð ç·¤âè àææç‹Ì ·¤è Âýæç# ·ñ¤âð ãô? °·¤ ÕéÚUè Â%è ·Ô¤ âæÍ ƒæÚU ×ð´ ·¤õÙâæ âé¹ Âýæ# ãô â·¤Ìæ ãñ, °·¤ ÙæÜæØ·¤ çàæcØ ·¤è çàæÿææ Îð·¤ÚU ·ñ¤âð ·¤èçÌü Âýæ# ãô.

It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one.

should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.

v{. Õéçh×æÙ ÃØçQ¤ ¥ÂÙè §ç‹ÎýØô´ ·¤ô Õ»éÜð ·¤è ÌÚUã ßàæ ×ð´ ·¤ÚUÌð ãé° ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ·¤ô Á»ã, â×Ø ¥õÚU Øô‚ØÌæ ·¤æ ÂêÚUæ ŠØæÙ ÚU¹Ìð ãé° Âê‡æü ·¤ÚUð.

The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.

v|. ×é»ðü âð ¿æÚU ÕæÌð âè¹ð´... âãè â×Ø ÂÚU ©UÆð´U, ÙèÇÚU ÕÙð´ ¥õÚU ÜǸð´, â´Âçžæ ·¤æ çÚUàÌðÎæÚUô´ âð ©ç¿Ì ÕÅUßæÚUæ ·¤ÚÔ´U, ¥ÂÙð ·¤C âð ¥ÂÙæ ÚUôÁ»æÚU Âýæ# ·¤ÚÔ´U.

To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand and fight; to make a fair division (of property) among relations; and to earn one's own bread by personal exertion are the four excellent things to be learned from a cock.

v}. ·¤õßð âð Øð Âæ´¿ ÕæÌð âè¹ð´... ¥ÂÙè Â%è ·Ô¤ âæÍ °·¤æ´Ì ×ð´ Âý‡æØ ·¤ÚÔ´U, ÙèÇÚUÌæ, ©ÂØô»è ßSÌé¥æð´ ·¤æ â´¿Ø ·¤ÚÔ´U, âÖè ¥ôÚU ÎëçCU ƒæé×æØð´, ÎéâÚUæð´ ÂÚU ¥æâæÙè âð çßEæâ Ùæ ·¤ÚÔ´U.

How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom? What peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What happiness can we have at home in the company of a bad wife? How can renown be gained by instructing an unworthy disciple?

vy. àæðÚU âð °·¤ ÕæÌ âè¹ð´, Õ»éÜð âð °·¤, ×é»ðü âð ¿æÚU, ·¤õßð âð Âæ´¿, ·¤éžæð âð Àã, ¥õÚU »Ïð âð ÌèÙ.

Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane; four from a cock; five from a crow; six from a dog; and three from an ass. vz. àæðÚU âð Øã ÕçɸØæ ÕæÌ âè¹ð´ ·¤è ¥æ Áô Öè ·¤ÚUÙæ ¿æãÌð ãô °·¤çÎÜè âð ¥õÚU ÁÕÚUÎSÌ ÂýØæâ âð ·¤ÚÔ´U.

The one excellent lesson to learn from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing

Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; these five things are to be learned from a crow. v~. ·¤éžæð âð Øð ÕæÌð´ âè¹ð´... ÕãéÌ Öê¹ ãô ÂÚU ¹æÙð ·¤ô ·¤éÀ Ùæ ç×Üð Øæ ·¤× ç×Üð Ìô Öè â´Ìôá ·¤ÚÔ´U, »ãUÚUè Ùè´Î ×ð´ ãUæð´ Ìô Öè ÿæ‡æ ×ð´ ©Æ Áæ°´, ¥ÂÙð Sßæ×è ·Ô¤ ÂýçÌ Õðçã¿·¤ §×æÙÎæÚUè ÚU¹ð´, ÙèÇÚUÌæ.

Contentment with little or nothing to eat although one may have a great appetite; to awaken instantly although one may be in a deep slumber; unflinching devotion to the master; and bravery; these six qualities should be learned from the dog. w®. »Ïð âð Øð ÌèÙ ÕæÌð´ âè¹ð´- âÎèü-»×èü ·¤è ç¿´Ìæ Ùæ ·¤ÚÔ´U, ¥ÂÙæ ÕôÛææ ÉôÙæ Ùæ ÀôǸð´, âÎæ â´ÌéC ÚUãð´U.

Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these three things should be learned from the ass. Áô ÃØçQ¤ §Ù Õèâ »é‡æô´ ÂÚU ¥×Ü ·¤ÚUð»æ ßã Áô Öè ·¤ÚUð»æ âÈ¤Ü ãô»æ.

He who practices these twenty virtues shall become invincible in all his undertakings.

Source: www.hindisathityadarpan.com

SALMAN LAUNCHES AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANIA MIRZA

Sania Mirza is a name synonymous with the sport she excels in – Tennis. Salman the Khan recently released the tennis star’s autobiography in Mumbai. 'ACE AGAINST ODDS' is the story of this iconic Indian player who overcame incredible odds to get to the top of her sport. Sania writes with candour of the hardships along the way, of the physical and emotional trauma caused by injuries and medical procedures, of the friends and partners who became her mainstay along with her family, about the pressures of constant public scrutiny and last, but not least, the politics and heartbreaks that inevitably accompany success. Salman Khan said “Sania has been an inspiration to a lot of young girls today. It’s her undying spirit with which she keeps going is what makes her special.” The book 'ACE AGAINST ODDS' is published by HarperCollins India.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER WITH LESLE LEWIS LIVE

Lesle Lewis has done it yet again by re-inventing Bollywood in his own unique & inimitable style. This time, the Tap Resto Bar at Saki Naka resonated with the sound of his music, with over a 1000 youth singing along at Lesle's Live Performance, which showcased contemporary & nostalgic Bollywood hits with a plethora of high energy international background scores ranging from rock, salsa, jazz, pop & EDM – numbers with ageless appeal to one and all. From Dum Maaro Dum, Roop Tera Mastana, Yaaron Dosti, Pari Hoon Main, Jaanam Samjha Karo and a Sa Ni Dha Pa, to today's fare and much more.

A young man from Hyderabad – Rohit Khandelwal – has created history, he is the first Indian to wrest the coveted title of Mr World 2016 from Asia. He puts 46 participants from across the world behind him in the race for Mr. World, bringing immeasurable honour to India. The event was judged by a reputed panel of judges comprising experts from various countries. After several rounds of sub-contests, including Mr World Talent, Mr World Sports Event and Mobstar People's Choice Awards, he was adjudged Mr World 2016 at a grand ceremony held on July 19 at Southport Theatre, Floral Hall, The Promenade, Southport (UK). He has also won the Mr World Multimedia Award at the event and a cash prize of US$ 50,000. Winning the pageant was important to him as no one else from the country has brought the title home so far. Rohit says: “My parents had tears in their eyes and said that I've made them proud. I gave my best in every round. For instance, I performed to Malhari (from Bajirao Mastani) in the talent round. Though it was a short act, I actually learnt sword fighting for it. In those 10 days that I spent with my co-contestants, I made a lot of friends. They liked my attitude and voted for me. The fact that I've been actively involved in causes and have conducted workshops gave me an edge over others.

INDIA'S ROHIT KHANDELWAL IS MR WORLD 2016

NRI Achievers Mumbai Bureau

VARUN DHAWAN A STAR ON HIS OWN STEAM

The affable actor who has come to in his own right up the ladder of success after his humble debut with Karan Johar’s THE STUDENT OF THE YEAR and proved his mettle in films like MAIN TERA HERO, HUMPTY SHARMA KI DULHANIYA, BADLAPUR, ABCD 2 and DILWALE tells NRI Achievers that though he finds the process of acting very boring, he finds it is very much worth it.

l What is your latest film Dishoom about ?

The action adventure film is based on just a one line. What happens when India's top batsman goes missing in the Middle East and two cops from either side of the Arabian Sea set out for a 36hour man hunt for him.

l What is your role in the film ?

Play Junaid Ansari, a rooky cop, who is on the trail of the cricketer. To prepare for my part in the film, I had to undergo three months of strenuous physical training.

l What is Akshaye Khanna doing in the film, which is a sort of comeback for him as an actor ?

Akshaye Khanna, who was last seen in GALI GALI CHOR HAI is all set to make a comeback with DISHOOM as the main antagonist. His role will be that of a flamboyant smart-talking villain, who rattles off one wisecrack after another. Though Akshaye has previously played villainous roles, in this film he will be garbed in a flashy, slightly over the-top wardrobe, as an Afghan man.

l Whose idea was it to cast Akshaye Khanna in Dishoom ?

It takes a lot of courage for a director to take a decision to cast an actor who is unwilling to take up roles in films. It was my brother and director Rohit’s idea to cast Akshaye Khanna in the film, because he felt that he will be perfect for the role. Rohit even went out of the way to go to Akshaye’s house several times to convince him to be a part of the film.

l What is Sajid’s contribution to the song Sau Tarah Ke in DISHOOM ?

Sajid Nadiadwala’s contribution to the song Sau Tarah Ke in DISHOOM has been immense. It was more like a theme song in the beginning. He suggested it be made into a complete song. A film like DISHOOM could only be produced by Sajid. He has that sensibility.

l How was the experience working with Jacqueline Fernandez for the first time?

We shot in Morocco, Abu Dhabi and the Middle East. I knew John earlier as he had worked with my brother in DESI BOYZ. It was for the first time that I shot with Jacqueline, who is very chilled out.

l Can you go on a flashback on your career ?

After doing my Business Administration at Nottingham, I came to India, became an assistant director and then started learning from Barry John and even directed three short films. I showed to Karan the short film ADRENCHROME in which I had acted. He liked it and asked me to audition for STUDENT OF THE YEAR which he was planning to direct himself. To prepare me and Sidharth Malhotra, Karan sent us to Pineapple School of Dancing in London.

l Was acting always in your mind even when you were a kid ?

Till I obtained training in acting for two years from Barry John when he shifted from New Delhi and set up his acting school in Mumbai, I did not know how difficult it would be as an actor, because an actor’s life isn’t just about glam-

our. I went through the grind by being part of several plays that Barry conducted as part of his acting curriculum. Barry Sir knew that I wanted to act in films eventually and hence he encouraged me a lot to be well versed in not only acting but also dancing and bodybuilding by going to the gym. I learnt

been able to learn in that case from him. My father has to his credit as many as 40 films, but unlike Karan Johar or Yashji who launch new faces, my dad hasn’t launched even one single new face. I am glad I made my debut with Karan Johar’s STUDENT OF THE YEAR. Dad and Karan do not even know each other socially because both their schools of films are different. Dad was happy when I told him that I had joined Karan’s unit as an AD.

l You acted with your father in MAIN TERA HERO after you delivered a hit in STUDENT OF THE YEAR. Why did you not like to piggyback on his name before ?

Street Jazz from Shiamak Davar and dancing from Sanjay Yadav. It was sweet on the part of Prashant to offer to teach me gym training, without even taking a paisa from me.

l What is your basic approach to acting?

I hate makeup because though I am an actor, I find the process of acting very boring. I feel that it is very taxing to portray and project emotions on the screen. I also feel that the working hours for an actor are crazy but then at the end of the day, frankly I feel that acting is worth it.

l Why did you prefer to be launched by Karan Johar instead of by your own father David Dhawan ?

I confess that I did not want to work with father, because I would not have

I am very practical and feel that cinema is no one’s birthright and hence I feel that I should come up on my own without piggybacking on my father’s brand name. People felt that David Dhawan ka beta tho comedy karega but I wanted to be an actor, not just somebody’s son. I’d like to do something edgy, because I get a kick by doing what people do not at all expect from me. I am proud of being the son of David Dhawan, who is a self made man. I knew that if I do not slog it out on my own, as his son I can go to any producer’s office, get a cup of coffee but will not bag a film, just because I am his son.

l What was your father’s reaction ?

I am proud of my father and happy that he had stoically told me to make it on my own steam and not to expect him to launch a film for me, especially since even my elder brother Rohit had bagged his debut film as a director on his own steam.

l What next ?

After DISHOOM, I am working in Karan Johar’s Shashank Khaitan directed BADRINATH KI DULHANIYA and Sajid Nadiadwala’s JUDWAA 2.

Jyothi Venkatesh

The writer is a well-known & established film critic.

THE FALL OF HYDERABAD 1948

20th August, 1671. A son was born to Aurangzeb's favoured general Ghaziuddin Khan Siddiqui Feroz Jung, who had commanded the siege and capture of the famous Golconda fort. The child was named 'Mir Qamaruddin Khan Siddiqui,' and grew up to serve his emperor as well. In 1724, Qamaruddin was sent to the Deccan to replace an existing viceroy who had fallen out of favour, and Qamaruddin had to wage war with him to take up his new assignment. He won. As a reward, he was bestowed the title of ‘Asaf Jah’ (one equal of Asaf, prime minister of King Solomon). Over time, with his devout loyalty to the Mughal court and his hard work in the Deccan, Qamaraduddin earned the title 'Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asif Jah I', to become the first Nizam of Hyderabad. Vikramjit Singh Rooprai tells the story of Hyderabad and its Nizams, in this glimpse into Deccan's History ...

Hyderabad in later times became a princely state under British rule. The Nizams had during their 224year reign, assiduously developed their empire – they established railways, an airline service, postal and telecommunication systems, and even a radio broadcasting system. With its own currency and a stable economy, a robust education system and good civic services, Hyderabad Deccan was, for all practical purposes, an independent country. With 16 million subjects and covering more than 215,000 sq.kms, the state was bigger than today's Bangladesh and Sri Lanka combined.

It prospered. 1911 saw the state ruled by it's 10th ruler, Nizam Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi Asaf Jah VII, who

was highly respected. He supported the British during WWI and contributed large sums of money, he even gifted several aircrafts to the RAF which bore his mark, and were known as the 'Hyderabad Squadron.' Financially strong, he established the Hyderabad Bank (today the State Bank of Hyderabad) to manage the 'Osmania Sikka.' During his period, Hyderabad was the only state allowed its own currency.

Then came a day in the August of 1947, when the British decided to move out of India and leave the princely states to decide their own fate. The Nizam chose to declare 'independence' and refused to join India or Pakistan – approaching the crown for grant of dominion status – implying that British India be partitioned into the Dominions of

India, Pakistan and Hyderabad. The British turned down his proposal, influenced by the results of the 1936-37 Indian elections where Jinnah had tried to create an Islamic State centred around the Nizam. This campaign, which was not supportive of the idea of democracy, suffered a major defeat handed to it by the Congress with support from the Hindu Mahasabha and Arya Samaj. This British rejection of Hyderabad’s independence bid was also fuelled by fears of Balkanization.

Partition saw communal riots erupting across the subcontinent, also engulfing Hyderabad. The Nizam deployed Razakars and Deendars, his islamic militia responsible to restore law and order. The Razakars however turned hostile towards Hindus soon

after partition, indulging in mass kidnappings, rapes and killings of non-muslim Hyderabadis, and hindus started fleeing Hyderabad. The communist rebels from the Telangana Rebellion rose in support of the people, joined forces with the Andhra Mahasabha and fought the government, leading to even more bloodshed with killings of muslims in the state. All this was taking place when Hyderabad had signed a 1-year standstill agreement with the Dominion of India, whereby India would not invade Hyderabad or interfere in its affairs as long as Hyderabad does not join the Dominion of Pakistan.

By mid 1948, however, it was found that Hyderabad was not only importing arms from Pakistan, but had also stationed a bomber squadron near Karachi to take action if India invaded Hyderabad. The state had also passed 200 million rupees to Pakistan through the Bank of England, against which India had to take a stay, and it is said that this matter remains pending even today. Hyderabad banned Indian currency and the import of ground-nuts, beefed-up their irregular army of Razakars to 200,000, and prepared for an all-out liberation battle, with arms supplied by Pakistan, Portugal (via Goa) and an Australian company. The Razakars, meanwhile, were getting increasingly out of control. On the 6th of September 1948, the Indian police post near Chillakallu was fired upon and when Indian soldiers came to investigate, they were also fired upon by the Razakars. Indians were forced to send backup, which met with stronger opposition from the 1 Hyderabad Lancers. An Indian army unit of Poona Horse then chased the Razakars to Kodar and forced the surrender of the state garrison.

This incident added fuel to the fire for Sardar Patel, then defence minister of India, who was in favour of annexing Hyderabad outright. Lt. General Eric Goddard of the Southern Command was asked to prepare a plan and the Indian Army moved out from Vijaywada and Solapur. Codenamed Operation Polo, this campaign became famous as the 'Hyderabad Police Action.' On 13th September 1948, the first battle was fought at Naladurg Fort on the Solapur Secundarabad Highway. The first day ended

with heavy casualties for the Hyderabadi forces. By the next day, Indians had captured towns like Aurangabad, Osmanabad and Rajasur. Day 3 and 4 were equally painful for Hyderabad and by the evening of Day 4, the Nizam had ordered his PM Laiq Ali to resign. By the next morning, the entire cabinet of Hyderabad had resigned, and within a few hours a messenger was sitting in the office of India’s Agent General to Hyderabad, Shri K.M. Munshi. At 4pm, Munshi reached the Nizam’s office, who said,

wab of Chhatari, in whose wisdom I had complete confidence, and that of Sir Walter Monkton, my constitutional Adviser. By duress they compelled the Nawab and other trusted ministers to resign and forced the Laik Ali Ministry on me. This group, headed by Kasim Razvi, had no stake in the country nor any record of service behind it. By methods reminiscent of Hitlerite Germany they took possession of the State, spread terror ... and rendered me completely helpless.”

Mir Laik Ali, held partly responsible for this act, was kept under house arrest in Begumpet. He escaped to Pakistan in 1950 and lived on to serve as a high ranking official in the Pakistani government. He died in New York in 1971, and now rests in Medina.

“The vultures have resigned, I don’t know what to do now”. Munshi advised him to order a 'cease-fire' to ensure public safety and stop further damage.

By 5pm on the 5th Day – 17th September – with India already in possession of most of Hyderabad and the Razakars reduced to a few hundred, the Nizam announced a cease-fire, signalling his surrender.

At 4pm on the 18th September 1948, Major General (later Army Chief) Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri led a small unit into Hyderabad, where Major General Syed Ahmed El Edroos surrendered on behalf of the Hyderabad State Forces.

5 days later, on 23rd September, the Nizam reached Hyderabad Radio Station and addressed his subjects: “In November last [1947], a small group had organized a quasi-military organization and surrounded the homes of my then Prime Minister the Na-

Hyderabad was merged into India and Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur maintained the title 'Nizam of Hyderabad' till 1950, after which he was known as the Rajpramukh till his death on 24th February, 1967. He had wanted to be buried in the Mosque opposite King Kothi Palace, and his funerary procession was the largest that India had ever seen. During his lifetime the Nizam had 7 wives, 42 concubines, 34 children and 104 grandchildren. He was portrayed on the Times Magazine cover in February 1937 for being the world’s richest man, with a worth equivalent to 2% of the then US economy and double that of the then Indian treasury. The State of Hyderabad was first split into Andhra Pradesh, with some portions going to the Karnataka and the Bombay state, which was later further bifurcated into Maharashtra and Gujarat. And as late as in 2014, Telangana State was also carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

Vikramjit Singh Rooprai

The writer is a heritage lover and activist who found it fit to leave a lucrative career in IT to take up the promotion of the heritage and cultures of India.

NORTHEAST SOJOURN

BEAUTY BEYOND COMPARE

The tiny Maruti 800 labours up the winding roads of Kohima. It is a Sunday and most of the city is closed. Beautiful people dressed in their Sunday best emerge from the lanes after the mass at the churches end. We make our way up, to the top of Aradura Hill. Few hours ago, the train from Delhi had brought me to Dimapur, a station in Nagaland.

Kohima is the first stop of this maiden visit of mine to India's beautiful and picturesque Northeast. A few more

twists and turns and we are at a soaring Catholic Cathedral. Up here, away from the hustle and bustle of the growing city, I am in a virtual state of bliss. The Northeast springs its first surprise when I see jewel like pink flowers blooming all over, adorning the tall trees. Cherry Blossoms – popularly known in Japan as Sakura flowers. Here on the hill, the tranquillity

is in total contrast to those times of yore, when fierce battles of the Second World War were fought here between British Indian and Japanese troops. This Cathedral was built by the Japanese people to honour all the brave soldiers who died here. Just beyond, on the edge of the hill with the city spread out below, I am treated to a flaming and spectacular sunset.

The next day, I head out into the city. The city is gridlocked with traffic jams, characteristic of a working day. But the traffic is disciplined – restricted to single lanes from opposite sides, with the empty middle lane reserved for emergency and security forces vehicles. Yes, the presence of security forces is a constant reminder that fuels hopes of things soon getting better.

We turn off the main road to arrive at another serene oasis – the Garrison Hill. This is the Kohima War Cemetery, the final resting place of more than 1420 Commonwealth soldiers including 330 Indians, who died during the Kohima Siege of the spring of 1944. Walking among the immaculately maintained gravestones and reading the moving in-

scriptions on the gravestones of mostly young brave men is heart rending. Today the soothing blanket of green grass and flowers seem to comfort the traumatised souls. The WWII memorial is another reminder of the absurdity and futility of war.

In the afternoon, I leave for the nearby Naga Heritage Village of Kisama, where the annual Hornbill Festival takes place during the first week of December every year. A time for all the tribes of Nagaland to come together and showcase Nagaland’s culture and beautiful diversity.

All good things come to an end. And so did my time in nagaland. So after soaking in some Naga culture, it was time for me to move on. Next on my agenda was a visit the famous Kaziranga National Park – home to the Great Indian Onehorned Rhinoceros. I go back to Dimapur

to catch a train to Jorhat in Assam. From there, buses available that go upto Kohora, which is a base from where we can explore Kaziranga. It has hotels and resorts to suit all budgets.

Come next morning, it is time for jungle safari. This is the tea country of Assam, and the road leading to the Western Range of the Sanctuary is lined with lush green, glistening tea gardens. Soon we are bouncing along in the bountiful jungles of Kaziranga. Afar in the distance,

through the tall grass I espy some rhinos munching in the abundant grasslands and wading in the swamps created by the Brahmaputra. The driver and the guard are experts and help spot elephants, wild buffaloes and birds too.

Refreshed with culture and wildlife, it was again time for me to move ahead, this time to head out to Scotland of the East. Catching a bus to outskirts of Guwahati, I take a shared taxi to Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya.

The name Shillong conjures up images of waterfalls, dew fresh meadows, lakes and beautiful people. On the way, I stopover to take a quick look at the Umium Lake. In Shillong, Police Bazaar is the nerve centre and home to hotels and shops. It seems the whole town has descended here on a chilly winter afternoon. I walk the streets enjoying the views and getting smitten with the sharply dressed pretty girls of Shillong.

The Meghalaya Tourism office runs day-trip buses to attractions around Shillong. I take the opportunity to visit Cherrapunji, hoping to get all wet – but too bad for me, it is as dry as Marathwada. I duck through the Mauwsmai Caves with its hanging staglacites, and enjoy the perpetual roar of the Seven Sisters and Nohsngithiang waterfalls. The next day, I cross a river via a living root bridge formed by training roots of trees to span the entire breadth of the river. Nearby, I am in a flower-filled wonderland called Mawlynnong, which is Asia’s Cleanest Village. Walking through the flowery lanes, I wondered why we can’t make all our cities this clean.

All in all, it has been a wonderful trip. Getting to know the friendly and beautiful people of the Northeast has been a great revelation. The trip has introduced me to our very own paradisical wonderland nestled in India's Northeast. In the coming years, we hope to get to know each other even better, as I travel to the region again … and again.

The Author is a history buff who has a passion for travel photography