26_vol4_epaper

Bollywood 18

2011 Nobel Laureates 24

Books & Ideas 27

Spiritual Awareness 30

NEW YORK EDITION Vol.4 No.26 October 15-21, 2011 60 Cents Mitt Romney emerging as GOP’s ‘inevitable candidate’

Designers’ ode to free-spirited women at WIFW Fashion, Page 15

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Rajaratnam gets longest insider sentence New York: Raj Rajaratnam, the hedge fund billionaire at the center of perhaps the biggest insider trading case, was given the longest prison term in history in such a case.

The 54-year-old Sri Lankan chief of Galleon hedge fund is to serve 11 years in jail, ordered to forfeit $53million and pay a fine of $10 million.

Currently out on a $100 million bail, he has to report for prison on Nov. 28.

The sentence was substantially less than the Justice Department sought: a jail term of 19-24 years—especially severe to deter others from insider trading.

The judge, who cited Rajaratnam's health and his charitable works in granting a lenient sentence, said the defendant is suffering from advanced diabetes and will likely need a kidney transplant.

Continued on page 4...

The Ghazal King also loved horses and races

Dussehra and Durga Puja festivities conclude Festival, Page 16

Raj Rajaratnam, the Galleon hedge fund billionaire, gets 11 years in prison for insider trading

Tribute, Page 26

India, US education partnership to meet challenges ahead

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Indian HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University, at the USIndia Higher Education Summit in Washington, DC on Oct 13.

See story on page 4.

Rotary Hicksville-South makes its presence felt

Rotary Club of Hicksville South members, club president Dan Flynn and charter president Kamlesh Mehta pose for a group photograph with Rotary District 7250 Governor Gabor Karsai.

Hicksville, NY: To create wider awareness about its community, humanitarian and intercultural activities, Rotary Club of Hicksville South will be present in

strength at the 7th Annual Diwali Mela 2011 held by AsaMai Hindu temple October 16 near the temple here.

The club’s philanthropic projects com-

pleted include $67,000 for heart surgeries saving 71 young lives in Delhi under the Gift of Life program, $20,000 Continued on page 4..

Bilingual ballots must for South Asians in 4 states Washington DC: Bilingual ballots, translated voter registration forms, and interpreters must now be provided to Asian American voters in 11 states, covering 22 cities/counties, in six Asian languages, according to US Census Bureau.

For the first time South Asian languages were covered in four jurisdictions. Indian in three: Queens (NY), Los Angeles and Cook country (Illinois), and ‘Bangladeshi’ in Hamtramck city in Michigan.

The Census Bureau just declares the ethnic group – here being “Indian” and “Bangladeshi”. The languages will be determined by the Department of Justice, the board of elections. Based on their long term assessment of voter needs, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will advocate for Bengali, Punjabi, and Gujarati.

"We're ecstatic that more Asian Americans will be able to exercise their right to vote -- and that the voting process will accommodate an increasingly diverse Continued on page 4...

Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

3

October 15-21, 2011

ZOOM acquires Portables Unlimited, wholesale distributor for T-Mobile USA New York: Zoom Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZOOM - News), a leading China-based manufacturer of mobile phones and related products, Thursday announced an agreement to acquire a 55% share of Portables Unlimited LLC, one of the largest exclusive wholesale distributors of T-Mobile products in the US. Portables has direct access to more than 1,000 retail locations across 20 states selling T-Mobile products, including one hundred exclusive T-Mobile carrier locations. It is the first time that a China-based handset manufacturer is joining forces with a US cellular distributor, allowing ZOOM distribution capability in the US market.

Established in 1999 and headquartered in Nanuet, NY, where the current management will remain, Portables has grown to become one of T-Mobile's top sellers among its prepaid (Monthly 4G) wholesale distribution channel. Portables' daily interaction with customers can feed the most current market in-

Raja Amar, CEO of Portables Unlimited, sees growth opportunities in the merger formation to ZOOM for fine-tuning its products particularly manufactured for the US

Dilip Chauhan honored as ‘Rising Star 40 Under 40’ New York: Dilip can Association of Chauhan, an outstanding Physicians of Indian political and community Origin (AAPI) for activist from Flushing, 2011. has been honored as one “As an Asianthe “Rising Star 40 unAmerican serving in der 40” by NY City Hall the State Legislature I News. It is difficult to can say that Dilip's make it to City Hall’s work is important to annual list of top 40 risthe growing South ing stars under the age of Asian community. It 40, which takes into acis important that we count many factors. The work together to enlist includes persons Dilip Chauhan: City Hall News’ sure that our governwho have either run for ‘Rising Star 40 Under 40’ ment services are acpolitical office or have cessible to all combeen elected; political aides who have munities," Assemblyman Grace Meng been instrumental in crafting impor- said. Assemblyman Rory Lancman tant policy decisions, and those who said: “Chauhan has been a leader in fight for the interests of NYC resi- bringing South Asian community into dents and make their concerns known the mainstream of New York civic and to City Hall. Dilip Chauhan fits the political life.” bill. He has tirelessly championed the In 2007 Chauhan showed his rights of immigrants—from helping fundraising skills when he raised them navigate city's bureaucracy to in- fund for New York AIDS Walk, volving them in the electoral process. Tsunami victims, PS 24 Library ProjChauhan is also active in getting ect and many more.

South Asian community involved in City Comptroller John Liu put it the electoral process to ensure that a succinctly, “I would like to congratuSouth Asian district is created when late Dilip for being named a ‘Rising districts are redrawn next year. He has Star’ by City Hall News. This a wellalso worked on many campaigns as a deserved accolade for a true friend of South Asian Outreach Coordinator. the South Asian community, and anHe has also been appointed as Politi- other accomplishment in what has alcal Advisor to the prestigious Ameri- ready been a stellar career.”

market. ZOOM will eventually establish its international headquarters in Portables' Nanuet offices.

Raja Amar, CEO of Portables, said: "We are so excited about the opportunity to merge with a quality handset manufacturer that will enable Portables additional growth opportunities."

Portables, with a working relationship with T-Mobile for over 10 years, is a perfect partner for ZOOM. With the US cellular subscriber base almost saturated, revenue from phone sales becomes the most critical component for growth in the US mobile communication industry. "We are looking forward to the opportunity to grow our business and the strength this combined entity partnership can deliver," said Jonathan Blood, Senior Director National Dealer Programs, T-Mobile USA. "This move is not only a fast track for us to enter the US market, but also will enable us to

accurately target the right product at the right price, which is the key to a successful launch," stated Leo Gu, Chairman and CEO of Zoom Technologies. "We have the goal of expanding to 2,000 retail locations in the near future. I am confident that the knowledge and experience of both companies will result in the delivery of exceptional products to the US while opening new opportunities in other American markets as well."

Terms of the acquisition will be included in a filing with the SEC on Form 8-K. Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP acted as counsel and Marks Paneth & Shron LLP acted as accountants and financial advisors for Portables.

Zoom Technologies is a holding Company with subsidiaries that engage in the manufacturing, research and development, and sale of electronic and telecommunication products for the latest generation mobile phones, wireless communication circuitry and related software products.

GOP gains traction among Indian Americans in NJ

By Ashok Ojha Edison, NJ: With a good image of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and increasing influence of GOP on Capitol Hill, Republican Party is making steady inroads in the Indian American community in New Jersey. Many Indian businesses in Central New Jersey are openly supporting Republican candidates in the coming November elections.

Last month, a number of prominent Indian Americans attended a meeting to pay homage to the 9-11 victims organized by Sam Khan, a Republican hopeful for Edison Township Municipal Council. Among the attendees were Republican Assemblyman Sam Thompson, even Edison Councilman Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad, who is a Democrat. Khan, an entrepreneur, is now seen actively campaigning at South Asian community events in Edison.

South Asian Democrats are also in the fray. Dr. Prasad is contesting to retain his Council seat. Peter Kothari, a well known community organizer who tried a couple times to enter NJ Assembly, is now contesting for the Woodbridge Township Council.

Democrats are currently controlling a majority of Council seats in Woodbridge Township. Kothari gained his standing in the Indian community for organizing annual Navaratri festivals and blunt speeches against administrative apathy towards Indian Americans.

But the trend is of Indian Americans, traditional Democrats, leaning more and more towards the GOP. The change was visible when a cross-section of influential community members recently attended a fundraising event for South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in Bridgewater Township. Nikki Haley

Sam Khan (left), who is contesting for Edison Council as a Republican, seen here at fundraiser for Nikki Haley in Bridgewater Township, which was attended by influential South Asians. earned Democrats’ ire for listing her race as ‘White’ on her voter registration form, but that did not deter her Indian American donors and supporters in New Jersey.

As far back as 2009 many business owners and professionals of New Jersey shifted their allegiance from Democratic Party to Republican that contributed to Chris Christie’s victory in the gubernatorial race. Republican Party, in turn, has reached out to Indian Americans motivating them to enter public life under the umbrella of GOP. Some resourceful members of the community are expected to do so in near future.

The population of Indian Americans in USA is in the vicinity of 3 million. The community’s allegiance is divided among the Democrats and Republicans. As an increasing number of second generation Indians vie for political positions, their presence in both parties is a good sign for the future of the community.

4

Community

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India, US education partnership to meet challenges ahead Washington: India and the United States Thursday set out to forge a new collaborative relationship in education with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling it a “driving force” in the India-US strategic partnership.

“For those of you watching the great rise of India, I hope you share our excitement,” she said inaugurating a daylong education summit she is co-chairing with India’s HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

“This largest democracy, this wildly pluralistic nation is on the path to providing greater benefit to their citizens within the context of freedom and opposition,” Clinton told over 300 higher education leaders, government and private sector representatives participating in the summit.

Noting that the US and India have a long history of exchanges with over 100,000 Indian students coming to the US last year, she said the US wanted much greater exchanges and “particularly we want to see more American students enrolling for academic credit in Indian institutions.”

Clinton also assured potential Indian students that the United States would do everything possible to help them sort out real and sham institutions in the country. “We have

expanded our advisory services for Indian students and their families to help sort out misleading offers that come over the internet.”

The US was also encouraging local officials in the states to engage with their counterparts in India to support education collaboration and connection at every level, she said.

Agreeing with Clinton, Sibal said: “It’s only through education that we hope to involve populations across the globe to confront the challenges of the 21st century.”

“Without doubt you define the milestone of the 20th century while India, as Secretary Clinton described recently, is a ‘defining story line of early 21st century’,” he said.

Sibal told the gathered educationists that they must create an appropriate environment to help the young “face the challenges of tomorrow to reshape the world in a globally inter-connected, mutually inter-dependent world.”

“The way forward is partnerships,” he said. “This historic summit will forge a new collaborative structure in which our young can draw inspiration from your benchmarks of excellence in education.”

Rajaratnam story continued from page 1 The sentence was the culmination of a years-long federal probe of corruption in the stock market, which ensnared many other big players too and pulled back the curtain on a long-suspected dark side of the hedge fund business. According to the government, Rajaratnam gathered inside information about pending corporate deals and earnings announcements from an array of tipsters, including Rajat Gupta, a senior partner at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Rajaratnam was convicted in May of five counts of conspiracy and nine counts of insider trading for illegally using inside information to trade in stocks such as Goldman Sachs, Google, Hilton and Intel.

The trading generated profits or avoided

losses of $72 million, the government estimated. Defense lawyers argued the alleged gains were close to $7 million.

Rajaratnam has not been allowed to remain on bail while he appeals for fears he might flee the country. Defense lawyers asked that Rajaratnam be allowed to go to the medical facility at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina, where Bernard Madoff is serving his 150year sentence for running a Ponzi scheme.

Rotary story continued from page 1 for furniture and drinking water project in rural schools in Karnataka, $13500 for an automobile to transport unclaimed dead bodies in Bhopal, 8500 for CRY Foundation and $2,500 for Haiti Relief.

Gurmeet Sodhi wins “Sikhs In Entertainment” award

London: Gurmeet K. Sodhi has proved yet again to be one of the most influential women in the South Asian media when she recently won the “World Sikh Awards” for “Sikhs in Entertainment” category. She is a New York based television host, producer and perhaps the youngest South Asian woman to launch her own LIVE talk show.

The world’s only awards to recognize Sikh contributions across the globe took place Oct 9 in the UK. Many Sikhs were

Gurmeet Sodhi is a popular TV host

acknowledged for their contributions to business, sports, entertainment, philanthropy, the media, and education.

With her personal touch and ability to connect with her viewers, Sodhi has strived to ensure that her show informs, educates and entertains all ages and demographics.

She brings humor and talent in the way she handles all her guests and focuses her topics to incorporate everyday aspects of life.

Anna says RSS defaming him by claiming proximity

New Delhi: In his reply to Congress leader Digvijay Singh's letter, Anna Hazare has said that the RSS is trying to defame him by claiming to have backed him during his fast in August. Accusing Singh of spreading canards that he was close to the BJP and RSS, he said in his letter Thursday that not a single person from the RSS had come to meet him at Ramlila Maidan during his 13-day fast.

He said the Congress and the BJP were two sides of the same coin as both were not serious about fighting corruption. He also refuted the charge that he wanted to become president. “I neither have the capacity nor the desire to become the President of India.“ In Hisar by-poll, he said he asked people to vote against the Congress, but not in favour of the BJP.

The Rotary Promoting Awareness & Adult Literacy (ROTO-PAAL) Program has recently been introduced as a volunteer driven, free, structured program providing adult learning resources and guidance services to the South Asian community in Nassau County. It is led by M. Quddus, General Secretary of the club and Vimi Sikka, charter president of neighboring Jericho Sunrise Rotary Club.

Rotary Club of Hicksville South was started in 2009 by a group, largely Indian Americans, of like-minded friends drawn by Rotary's diverse, nonpolitical, and nonreligious structure. It was inspired by the then District Governor Ravi Bhooplalpur.

electorate," said Glenn D. Magpantay, Director of the Democracy Program, AALDEF, which has long monitored elections and found that Asian American voters in the newly-named jurisdictions often faced barriers to voting.

Under the Voting Rights Act, when the census finds that 5% or more than 10,000 voting-age citizens speak the same language, have limited English proficiency, and (as a group) have a higher illiteracy rate than the national rate, all voting materials must be translated and interpreters must be provided at poll sites. Although determinations used to be updated only once every ten years, in 2006 it was changed to five years, given the fast changing demographics of the US population.

Ballots story continued from page 1 West Coast Correspondent: Pooja Jain, pj@TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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October 15-21, 2011

Hindu Mahamandir’s foundation Indian Americans to hold anti-corruption protest in stones laid in Robbinsville, NJ Robbinsville, NJ: A crisp autumn Sunday morning dawned on the 102-acre site of Swaminarayan Akshardham in Central New Jersey, complete with the sounds of the mantra-chanting swamis, bustling volunteers and chattering children. October 9th, 2011 was the last of three days of ceremonies organized to celebrate the sacred foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Akshardham Mahamandir. The celebration consisted of six sacred Vedic ceremonies - two on each day - to consecrate the start of construction of the Akshardham Mahamandir.

Devotees and well-wishers participated in the ceremonies while preserving the homely climate of the surrounding neighborhood. The usual green and brown landscape of this site off U.S. Highway 130 was transformed into a paradise adorned with gleaming colors and captivating sounds. Christine Ciaccio, Robbinsville City Council President was awed by the site's transformation. "We have come a long way in the last year. The buildings are coming up fast and I can see the love and excitement radiating everywhere.

When I speak with the youth, I feel their confidence. The parents love it. The community loves it."

The celebrations were organized by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the presence of Pujya Mahant Swami and Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami, two senior swamis and disciples of the organization's guru, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The celebrations included a tour of the entire complex, the Vedic consecration ceremony, and an assem-

NY on Oct 16

The celebration consisted of six sacred Vedic ceremonies to consecrate the start of construction of the Akshardham Mahamandir bly in which Pramukh Swami Maharaj's blessings were broadcast to the audience from Mumbai, India. Inspirational narratives of selfless sacrifice of the many individuals and families involved in the project were also shared with those present.

The shilas, or sacred stones, placed in the foundation were sanctified and blessed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Mumbai, India on August 31, 2011 before being sent to New Jersey. Pramukh Swami Maharaj had blessed those present, "We are engaging in this service to please God. Even our smallest service is considered as a great act of sacrifice by God. We pray that thousands of people may benefit from this Akshardham Mahamandir, and may all those that come to visit be graced with the greatest blessings."

Mayor Dave Fried remarked, "Normally when someone comes in with a project to our community, they tell us what they want and they tell us why we should want what they want. But, BAPS was different. They asked, how do we make this work, what do you want, how can we be part of the community? They showed us

The sacred stones for foundation were sanctified and blessed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Mumbai from day one that they wanted to work with our community and that has really made it feel like a partnership."

The Akshardham Mahamandir is part of the Swaminarayan Akshardham Complex in Robbinsville, New Jersey and is expected to be completed in seven years.

The complex will also be home to a youth and spiritual activity center, a unique Hindu mandir, and a center for spiritual and social development.

The unique Hindu mandir is expected to be inaugurated and open for worship next year.

13 PIOs among 111 charged in biggest identity theft in US New York: In the biggest identity theft scam in the US history, 111 people, including at least 13 of Indian origin, have been charged by federal authorities for stealing credit card data of thousands of customers to buy high-end products worth over $13 million, including Apple gadgets and fancy bags from Gucci.

Among those indicted in 'Operation Swiper' are bank tellers, store employees and restaurant workers who allegedly skimmed customers' personal IDs. Many of the defendants are accused of going on nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets with forged credit cards that contained the account information of unsuspecting American and European consumers.

The defendants are members of five organized forged credit card and identity theft rings based in Queens County and have ties to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Charged in 10 indictments,

the defendants perpetrated fraud that cost financial institutions and retail businesses more than $13 million in losses over 16 months. The indictments charge that Imran Khan, Ali Khweiss, Anthony Martin, Sanjay Deowsarran and Amar Singh were "bosses" of criminal enterprises and received the necessary raw material - lists of credit card account numbers and various blank credit cards. Among the Indian-origin people charged are Vishnu Harilal, Ravindra Singh, Amar Singh, Neha Punjabi Singh, Ravi Ramroop and Kamal Sanasi. Eighty-six of the defendants are in custody and 25 are being sought. In addition, nearly 24 defendants are variously charged in six indictments with burglaries and robberies throughout Queens County. "This is by far the largest and certainly among the most sophisticated identity theft/credit card fraud cases that law enforcement has come across," Queens district attorney Richard Brown said.

New York: The Indian American community will organize a protest demonstration against corruption and against the harassment being meted out to Janata Party president Dr. Subramanian Swamy here on October 16.

A press release issued by Save India From Corruption said that the protest is being organized to express disgust and abhorrence against the unwarranted harassment of Dr. Swamy, a former cabinet minister, who has emerged as the embodiment of resistance against totalitarian and corrupt system.

"The anti-corruption movement in India is the result of Dr. Swamy's efforts started as far back as 2008.

He is the one person out of 1.2 billion who could nail many of the culprits of the 40 billion dollar 2G scam, from Raja, Kanimozhi and many others," the release said.

The release further accused India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram and the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police of falsely registering a case against Dr. Swamy.

"Dr. Swamy cannot be cowed

The protest is also against harassment of Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy down by adopting vindictive attitude or dictatorial techniques. In a recent poll conducted in The Times of India, 81 percent of the people said that Dr. Swamy is being targeted by the UPA Government for his role in the 2G spectrum scam case."

"In addition to filing frivolous FIRs, the government refuses to act on his request for housing in a safer environment in New Delhi to protect from Congress goons and Jihadists.�

The release said that Dr. Swamy had come under attack on three different occasions between 2008 and 2011 in Chennai, Madurai and New Delhi.

6

Tristate Community

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Isha Jain in Glamour’s list of Top 10 college women New York: IndianAmerican Isha Jain finds her name in the list of Top 10 College Women, published by Glamour magazine.

Twenty-year-old Isha of Harvard University, was prompted to enter Glamour‘s competition by her pre-frosh host at MIT, who was also a winner of the coveted award.

According to Glamour magazine, Jain’s dream is to “to research disease mechanisms, and help find cures.

And to see as many women as men in the highest levels in all science fields.”

The chemical and physical biology major per-

formed her first experiment in the fourth grade, testing candy to figure out why some is chewy and some is hard. Since then, her accomplishments have only gotten sweeter: at 16, she won $100,000 for her research on bone growth in zebra fish; she’s coauthored six published scientific papers; and she helped direct Harvard’s National Symposium for the Advancement of Women in Science.

“If only a small percentage of women are involved in science, we’re slowing the rate at which we’ll make new discoveries,” she says.

Isha Jain

NYPA honors Ashok Vyas New York: ITV’s versatile host Ashok Vyas was recognized for his outstanding dedication by the New York Puja Association at the “Durga Puja Festival” held at Gujrati Samaj, New York from Oct 7-9.

While receiving the award with his wife Sheila Vyas, Ashok Vyas dedicated the award to ‘Dr Banad Viswanath and Sathya Viswanath’ founders of ITV. Referring to ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram,’ he said, if we are ‘true to ourselves,’ it leads to ‘auspiciousness’ and that adds to the beauty and harmony in the world.

Vyas has presented ‘News in Hindi’ for many years. The presenter of popular shows, ‘Jeet Gaye Geet’, ‘Shabd Star ’, ‘Kids’ Kingdom’ and “Govind Dham’, he has two new shows on ITV now, entitled ‘Wide Angle with Ashok Vyas’and cultural show ‘Raag Rang.’

An acclaimed poet and practicing Hindu priest, Vyas was conferred ‘Community Leader ’ Award by ‘National Indian Association of Senior Citizens’ last year. He was given excellence award by Viswayogi

TV host Ashok Vyas receiving the award along with his wife Sheila Viswamjee Maharaj in Seattle and Washington DC. Vyas’s dedication and spirit to work for the community has been recognized by various cultural and religious organizations, such as, Rajasthan Association of North America, India Community Club, Staten Island, East West School of Dance, Shikshaytan and Paramananda Yoga and Vedanta Institute. He has translated several spiritual books from English to Hindi.

Husain paintings’ exhibition at Hema Malini's NY event canceled after Hindus’ protests New York: Forum for Hindu Awakening has learned from the organizers (SAMAA) of Late M. F. Husain’s paintings’ exhibition at Hema Malini’s October 1 New York dance concert that they had canceled the exhibition upon receiving emails from protesting Hindus. The organizers wrote, “On behalf of SAMAA, we apologize to all of you if we hurt your sentiments. Hemaji was unaware of such an exhibition. As soon as we received your emails, we canceled the exhibition. As soon as Hemaji came to know about the

exhibition, she totally opposed it and did not want to be any part of it.”

On October 1, Forum for Hindu Awakening had received a complaint about the exhibition to be held during the post concert reception that evening. Forum for Hindu Awakening immediately appealed to Hindus across USA and India to write to the event organizers, requesting cancellation of the exhibition by Late M. F. Husain, whose paintings have offended Hindus for portrayal of Hindu Deities in nude.

In the Jewels of India series, the Consulate General of India, New York, organized two popular music programs in quick succession. Anup Jalota, renowned for devotional singing, gave a recital on October 6 for about 200 guests.

He was welcomed by Consul General Prabhu Dayal (left). Talat Aziz (right), known for his versatile singing skills which includes ghazals, film and sufi songs, graced the stage at New India House on October 10. He dedicated the evening to Jagjit Singh who had passed away the same day in India.

Teenage Indian Classical dancer makes a debut at Carnegie Hall New York : Aditi Ahuja, a 15-year-old sophomore at the Riverdale Country School performed Arangetram on October 7 at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The evening included Melaprapti, Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Solkam, Padavarnam, Bhajan, Keertnam and Tillana, all flawlessly performed by Aditi.

Aditi’s teacher, Guru Swati Gupte Bhise, recited program notes, explaining in a detailed manner the meaning of hand and eye gestures that are characteristic of the Bharatnatyam.

Aditi has been learning Bharatnatyam since she was six years old. In preparation for her big debut at the Carnegie Hall, Aditi went to Goa for two weeks to immerse herself in the culture and practice of Bharatnatyam. Her daily routine there included studying for three hours with Guru Goswami, a renowned professor of Bharatanatyam from the ancient Kalakshetra tradition who has taught for 27 years. In addition to Bharatnatyam, Aditi has also studied the cello intensively since age six under David Krieger and is a student at Hoff-Barthelson Music School

15-Year-Old Aditi Ahuja performed Arangetram at the elite venue where she plays in the Festival Orchestra.

Aditi’s parents, Tania and Anilesh Ahuja, say, “We are very proud of Aditi and what she has accomplished at such a young age.

She is an exceptionally disciplined person who can do whatever she wants if she sets her mind to it.”

Tips from ageless wisdom on joyful living

By Parveen Chopra Hicksville, NY: Even if you have read it or heard it all before, it merits repetition and renewal. Besides, each competent speaker adds his own color and insights, and some wisdom talk is bound to seep into your being.

Sri Chandra Kumar Sharma is a guru-like figure, minus the godman trappings. The founder-president of Delhibased CKS Foundation is in America giving a series of talks on how to live a life inspired by the collective wisdom of the centuries. He spoke last Sunday at Diwan Restaurant in Port Washington, where a few came to listen to him, a free vegetarian lunch being an added incentive.

A retired IAS officer who also served for some years in New York, CKS said his teaching is not restricted to any tradition or culture.

Laced with stories and personal anecdotes, he gave tips on joyful living. Quoting a verse from the Bhagavad Gita--which in a sense is Lord Krishna giving talk therapy to Arjuna—he said we should overcome negative emotions like despondency and inaction by repeating to oneself, “I am bigger than the situation.” If Helen Keller could achieve what she did, we with all faculties intact can certainly too.

Forgetting and forgiving also help to stay joyful, because why should we let our actions be governed by somebody else’s, CKS said.

So does giving, compassion and selfless service best exemplified by Christian missionaries, notably Mother Teresa. He quoted a Kabir couplet which says, “the (foolish) world worships stone idols and not the grinding stone at home which feeds them”--implying that

Sri CK Sharma gave a talk in Port Washington last Sunday. more than God, we should serve God’s creation.

Another secret of being joyful is that old chestnut -- to cherish and feel grateful for what we have than what we don’t. CKS referred to the oft-told Tolstoy short story, ‘How much land a man needs.’ It denounces greed because we will all end up in a 2’ by 6’ space—Hindus don’t even need that much.

CKS’s next talk is also at Diwan in Port Washington this Sunday, Oct 16, at 11 am.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

7

October 15-21, 2011

Obama honors 3 young Indian American scientists Washington, DC: Three Indian Americans, Dr Kartik A Srinivasan, Sumita Pennathur and Hari Shroff, are among 94 researchers honored by President Barack Obama with Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

The presidential early career awards embody the high priority the Obama administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the nation’s goals, tackle grand challenges and contribute to the American economy, according to the White House.

El Paso, Texas-born Srinivasan, 31, is the project leader of the research group on nano-fabrication at the Centre for Nanoscale

(L to R): Dr Kartik A Srinivasan, Sumita Pennathur and Hari Shroff Science and Technology. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals.

Foxboro, Massachusetts-born

Vijaya Emani to receive 2011 Citizens Medal posthumously President Obama to honor the 13 recipients at White House

Vijaya Emani fought against domestic abuse Washington, DC: On October 20, 2011, President Obama will welcome to the White House the 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor. “This year’s recipients of the Citizens Medal come from different backgrounds but they share a commitment to a cause greater than themselves,” said President Obama.

“They exemplify the best of what it means to be an American, and I am honored to be able to offer them a small token of our appreciation.”

The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. Like last year, President Obama is recognizing Americans this year whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention.

In May, the President called on

members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, including individuals.

Nearly 6,000 public nominations were submitted, and the President selected the 13 awardees, one of which is Indian American Vijaya Emani from Strongsville, Ohio.

Emani became a role model for victims of domestic abuse because of her strength and determination in overcoming domestic abuse in her own life, and by speaking out about the issue publicly, she broke a long held taboo in the Indian American community. Emani lived and breathed many causes including projects to aid the homeless and promoting diversity.

Although she was killed in a tragic vehicle accident, her example and message live on. Emani posthumously receives the Citizens Medal for her courage in overcoming and speaking out against abuse.

Pennathur, 33, is assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California in Santa Barbara. Her research is

focused on using fundamental fluidics knowledge at both microscale and nanoscale to create novel devices for practical applications.

Kerala-born Shroff, 29, heads the lab at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, a part of the National Institutes of Health under the Department of Health and Human Services.

Obama said, “It is inspiring to see the innovative work being done by these scientists and engineers as they ramp up their careers-careers that I know will be not only personally rewarding but also invaluable to the nation.”

“That so many of them are also devoting time to mentoring and other forms of community service speaks volumes about their potential for leadership, not only as scientists but as model citizens,” he said.

Indian-American develops next-generation computer chip Washington, DC: IndianAmerican Birendra (Raj) Dutt, an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus, has developed a next-generation energy-efficient computer chip that has caught the attention of the Pentagon, which is testing its application in the ambitious F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

The breakthrough technology by Dutt, Chairman and CEO of privately-held APIC Corp and Photonic Corp, helps computer processors consume up to 90 per cent less energy and run up to 60 per cent faster.

"The significance of the technology is that information transfer on the semiconductor chip as well as between components, will now be done using light - photons - instead

of just electrons (electronics)," said California-based Dutt.

There are many advantages in size, weight and especially power consumed, he explained during his recent trip to Washington, where he met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Photons do not generate heat, thus thy do not need to be cooled.

For electronics, cooling is one of the largest cost components.

"Photonic interconnects do not generate heat and use less size than electronic copper interconnects, so more transistors can be put onto a chip. Most significantly, we have figured out how to do this using the same economical process used in manufacturing semiconductor chips today, enabling them to be

Dr.Birendra (Raj) Dutt stamped out by the millions," Dutt said.

Well aware with the potential of the computer chip, the US Department of Defence is fully supporting Dutt and his company.

Kal Penn’s NBC comedy set in United Nations Washington, DC: Indian American actor Kal Penn’s new project for NBC will be a singlecamera workplace comedy set at the United Nations, with Penn playing a key assistant to the U.S. ambassador. Writer-playwrightcomedian Raphael Bob-Waksberg has been tapped to write the UMS-produced comedy, which is eyed for next fall. Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan’s American Work, which has a first-look deal with UMS, has come on board to co-produce the comedy, with Armstrong and Nandan executive producing alongside Penn and his manager Dan Spilo.

Going for a single-camera workplace comedy on NBC is not surprising — Penn told Mike Fleming in an interview earlier this month that “the shows I’ve most loved in the last couple of years were NBC’ 30 Rock and The Office”, both workplace

Kal Penn

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8

National Community

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Sikh International Film Festival, Leadership Summit and Heritage Gala in NYC from October 13-15 New York : The Sikh Art & Film Foundation will present its eighth annual Sikh International Film Festival and inaugural Leadership Summit, October 13-15, 2011 at the Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue (at 70th St) in New York, with the Sikh Heritage Gala and awards ceremony closing the festival the evening of October 15 at Cipriani, 55 Wall Street.

Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham, It’s a Wonderful Afterlife) will be a featured guest during Sikh Heritage Week, including Leadership Summit on October 13, and the Heritage Gala on October 15, where she will receive one of the three awards given by the Foundation.

The festival will present 11 documentary and short films featuring Sikh stories from across the globe, from both established and emerging filmmakers.

The opening night festivities on Friday, October 14, include two U.S Premieres with an after party to follow at the Asia Society. U.S. Premiere films opening Oct. 14 are Harpeet Kaur’s featurelength documentary A Little Revolution, a gripping story of hope, empowerment,

A still from "Hew McLeod" and dreams in the rural village of Punjab where orphans of farmers have committed suicide; and The Ulysses, by directors Alberto Garcia Ortiz and, Agatha Maciaszek, which centers on Punjabi Indian immigrants in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast, living in shanty community they've built to avoid deportation.

On Saturday, October 15 the two competitive categories of documentaries and shorts will screen at the Asia Society and be judged by the festival jury. The shorts program

Neha Gupta honored with 2011 World of Children Award New York: Neha Gupta, expand Empower Orphans an Indian American teen to Africa and other Asian from Yardley, Penn., was countries this year. recently announced as a “The experience and ful2011 World of Children fillment that I have received Award recipient for her by making a difference in extraordinary success in the lives of orphaned and providing some of the underprivileged children, is world’s impoverished incomparable to any other Neha Gupta’s orphans with lifesaving experiences I have had or Empower care.Gupta began volun- Orphans non- any accolade or gift that I teering in orphanages have received,” Gupta said profit has while visiting her grand- touched more in an interview last year parents in India when she than 10,000 lives with Tootlee. “By interactwas only nine years old. ing with the community, I Realizing that the orphans were have gained confidence, marketing, receiving neither a proper education and communication skills. Accepting nor the love and guidance of a parent, rejection and persevering despite it, she was moved to do more and is just part of the process. Through founded Empower Orphans, which becoming involved with issues at strives to help orphaned and under- hand in the world, it has opened my privileged children gain a basic edu- eyes to the level of poverty and chalcation and become productive mem- lenges faced by people.” bers of society.

Having been selected as a 2011 Since that time, the all volunteer- World of Children Award winner, run Empower Orphans has served Gupta will be flown to New York more than 10,000 orphans in India City for special recognition Nov. 2 and the United States by establishing along with brand-name New York health clinics, libraries, computer dignitaries and powerhouses in fashlabs and sewing centers, and provid- ion, philanthropy, publishing and ing the orphans with food, schooling, finance to receive a cash grant to furbooks, bicycles, clothing and other ther expand her nonprofit’s work. basic necessities.

The World of Children Awards proGupta has also motivated her peers gram is the only global recognition to follow suit by developing teams of and funding non-profit that recogyouth volunteers in the United States, nizes individuals who are changing UK, Australia, New Zealand, the lives of children around the Singapore and India, and will soon world.

runs on Saturday from 11:30am1:30pm and documentaries will screen from 2-5pm.

Canadian Soldiers Sikhs will make its world premiere during the documentary session. The film, by director David Gray, chronicles ten Sikh men in the Canadian army struggling through enlistment, training, and the battlefield.

The short film program includes the world premiere of Let It Out, a music video addressing bullying in schools from a Sikh point of view, and New York premiere of The

Harpreet Kaur's documentary A Little Revolution will be screened at the film fest Reunion, about two Sikh friends and their different way of assimilating into American society. Preceding the film festival, the Leadership Summit on October 13 from 7-9pm will bring together leaders and mentors in the Sikh community and beyond to discuss the next generation of leaders and provide an opportunity to network.

Participants include Gurinder Chadha, Dr. Mohanbir S. Sawhney (professor, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University), and Gurvendra S. Suri

(founder and CEO, Optimal Solutions Integration, Inc.) with moderator Matthew Breitfelder (chief talent officer, BlackRock).

Announcing the 2011 festival and Sikh Heritage Gala, Mr. Tejinder S. Bindra, President of the Foundation, said, “we’re proud to celebrate Sikh culture through the wonderful medium of film.” He continued, “the lineup we’ve acquired for this year’s festival will excite and move audiences while shining a light on our often underexposed and sometimes misunderstood culture.”

Indian American writer Rajan Gangahar’s Punjabi movie ‘Khushiyaan’ released worldwide on Friday New York: US based Non-resident Indian, Rajan Gangahar recently wrote the screenplay, dialogue, jointly wrote the story and creatively developed the film as a consultant including running an actor’s workshop for Punjabi Movie 'Khushiyaan.'

The movie released worldwide on Friday.

Punjab born Gangahar’s father’s employment with the government made them make a move every three years and gave Rajan an opportunity to live in many cities in India and also in Paris.

He discovered his love for art while playing a small part on stage during an Independence day celebration and pursued it during his college days.

Winning many accolades including a gold medal in a competition kept his artistic tendencies validated and motivated.

He spent his youth in India, teaching acting, directing plays and being in a theater company.

He came to USA as a part of a cultural troupe.

Staying back, he started his own business, Eastern Air Couriers with a headquarter in New York, that quickly grew from a two employee until to an international company with multiple branches.

Though he had to come to terms with the harsh reality of earning a living and to make a steady income, Rajan never gave up on his true passion embedded in acting and related pursuits. Through his company he remained dedicated to all forms of art from award shows to fashion shows to plays and book launches.

He kept his dream alive and it paid off through several ventures like an Off Broadway play Indian Wants The Bronx where he got an opportunity to portray a character from his own roots.

'Khushiyaan' is his first film as a scriptwriter. “I got the offer to write the screenplay for 'Khushiyaan.'

Initially I did hesitate thinking it would be very different from writing a play but characteristically, I

Rajan Gangahar on the sets of ‘Khushiyaan’ grabbed the bull by its horns and decided to give it a try.” It also happens to be his first movie.

“The Director of the movie knew what he wanted.

He had the subject and he was working on it with writers from India but was not successful and then he met me and we both shared same ideas,” he adds.

It was not just about writing a screenplay and dialogue. With a keen artistic point of view, Gangahar analyzed every character, their personalities, their innermost fears and insecurities, in short every aspect that shaped their personalities and individuality, their responses to circumstances, their individual perceptions of all values in life including selfishness, greed, morality etc all. “I involved myself personally in every aspect of the film from choice of location down to every minute detail of the making of the film.”

The storyline had deep roots in his journey as an immigrant into a foreign country. He has written this screenplay and dialogue as an original, emotional and passionate artist, taking cues from his own life.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 15-21, 2011

Sigmatech’s Dr Gurmej Sandhu gifts $1 million to UA Huntsville Huntsville, Ala.: Sigmatech has provided a $1 million endowment for the establishment of an eminent scholar chair to the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Dr. Gurmej Sandhu, the Chairman of Sigmatech, initiated the dual-chair concept. Having established the Chair at UAHuntsville, he is now following through with the establishment of the Baba Deep Eminent Scholar Chair in Amritsar, India.

Dr. Sandhu is a 1979 electrical engineering graduate from The University of Alabama in

Dr.Gurmej Sandhu (extreme left) Huntsville. He was inducted into the Distinguished Engineering Academy of The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2001 and was a recipient of the distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in

2004 for his contribution to system science and signal processing.

Dr. Sandhu said he strongly supports corporate contributions to develop the future workforce through the university environment. The Baba Budha Eminent Scholar Chair in Global Understanding, with specialization in Indian studies, is the first part of a dual-chair concept, originating at UAHuntsville. The second part is the Baba Deep Eminent Scholar chair in Global Understanding, with specialization in American Studies, to be established at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, India.

Doctor charged with hiding India accounts Washington, DC: A Indian American neurosurgeon has been re-indicted by a US grand jury on new charges that he failed to declare an HSBC bank account in India valued in 2009 at $8.7 million.

Arvind Ahuja was indicted again by a federal grand jury in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was initially charged June 28 with willfully filing materially false tax returns and four counts of failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.

The court has added the charges of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).Dan Webb of Winston and Strawn, Chicago, the attorney representing Ahuja, said the government's allegations are "far off-base," and he will continue to present a vigorous, fact-based defence.

"Dr. Ahuja is innocent of these allegations, and we remain confident that a jury will acquit him of all charges, including the charges announced today," Webb said.

According to the superseding indictment, Ahuja wire transferred and maintained millions of dollars

Bioenergy Scientist Suresh Babu Receives Don Klass Award for Excellence Chicago: Dr. Suresh Babu was presented with the Don Klass Award for Excellence in Thermochemical Conversion Science by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to recognize his pioneering and innovative contributions in the field of bioenergy. He received the award at a tcbiomass2011 dinner event held at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Dr. Babu works in the Global and Regional Solutions Directorate at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY, where he is responsible for Biomass Program Development for NE Biomass. Prior to that, Babu worked with Battelle Science & Technology, Malaysia and The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi, India to develop pyrolysis of Malaysia’s oil palm biomass and gasification of India's biomass, respectively.

He is globally recognized as a leading bioenergy researcher with over 38 years of alternative energy RD&D experience, focused on biomass gasification, coal gasification, and natural gas utilization. Dr. Babu's research experience covers the entire spectrum from hands-on research to planning and deployment of technology.

Dr. Babu has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University in India and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Fuels, and Combustion from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, India. He earned his Ph.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, IL.

9

in bank accounts in India and the Bailiwick of Jersey at The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. (HSBC).

In 2009, the HSBC bank account in India had a balance of $8.7 million. The superseding indictment alleges that Ahuja failed to report these bank accounts to the IRS on his 2006-2009 tax returns.

The indictment further alleges that Ahuja failed to report more than $1.2 million in interest income that he earned from his HSBC India account and failed to pay the taxes due on that income.

The new indictment also alleges Ahuja conspired with HSBC bankers who worked at an HSBC India office in New York to conceal from the IRS the existence, ownership and income derived from his undeclared bank accounts at HSBC India and HSBC Jersey. Ahuja faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a $250,000 fine. Each false tax return charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Indian-American community’s ideas needed to boost ties: Mitul Desai New York : With a growing Indian American community which has increasing influence, the US sees the Indian diaspora as an important partner for forging closer ties with India, according to a senior US official.

The long-standing work of Indian community groups in organizing the community and having a dialogue with policy leaders embodies the importance of proactive civic engagement, said Mitul Desai, senior advisor for outreach in the South Asia bureau of the State Department at a Mitul Desai is senior advisor for outreach in South Asian bureau of the State meeting with them here Department Monday.

“The US-India relationship will linkages, the diaspora has a crube one of the defining partner- cial role to play,” he added.

Desai’s job at the bureau is to ships of the 21st century but we know governments alone cannot build a dialogue and partnerships realise the full promise of this with private sector, NGOs and potential and that is why we need diaspora organizations.

The meeting was organized by the Indian-American community’s ideas, energy and commit- the major national Indian comment,” said Desai, a second gen- munity organizations, including GOPIO, National Federation of eration Indian American.

“On a range of issues, from our Indian-American Associations Passport to India internship proj- (NFIA), American Association of ect to exciting new initiatives Physicians of Indian Origin aimed at enhancing philanthropy (AAPI) and Society of Indo in India and further accelerating American Engineers and US-India state-state and city-city Architects (SIAEA).

10

US Affairs

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US looking to punish Iran Romney emerging as GOP’s ‘inevitable candidate’ for alleged terror plot Washington DC: Attorney General Eric Holder has announced a plot was foiled involving men allegedly linked to the Iranian government planning to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US. Now the Obama administration plans to leverage charges that Iran plotted to kill the Saudi envoy on American soil to wage a "new global campaign to isolate the Islamic republic," AP has reported.

Administration officials plan to lobby for new international sanctions against Iran, as well as for individual nations to expand their own existing penalties.

"This really, in the minds of many diplomats and government officials, crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the AP, adding that she and President Obama hope to "enlist more countries in working together against what is becoming a clearer and clearer threat" from

Mansour Arbabsiar, part of the alleged Iranian plot to kill a Saudi envoy to US. Iran.

It appears as though the White House won't have much trouble rallying their base. The BBC reports that British Prime Minister David Cameron's office released a statement promising to "support measures to hold Iran accountable for its actions."

The E.U.'s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, meanwhile, expressed "grave concern" about the

plot, adding via a spokeswoman: "Should the facts be confirmed, this would constitute a major breach of international law with serious international implications."

At home, a top Republican in the House suggested that the United States should not rule out any action, including a military response, in the wake of the alleged terror plot. In an interview with CNN, House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King called the alleged scheme an "act of war" five times during a five-minute interview.

For its part, Iran is denying any involvement in the plot. "These are cheap claims" Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, said.

"By giving it a wide media coverage, it was evident that they are trying to cover up their own problems. ... We have normal relations with the Saudis. There is no reason for Iran to carry out such childish acts."

Nashua, N.H.: Following a series of strong debate performances, Mitt Romney has started to attract new support from major donors and elected officials, some of whom had resisted his previous entreaties, as people across the GOP grow more accepting of the presidential contender as the party’s standard-bearer, reports Washington Post.

“He’s viewed as an almost inevitable candidate,” said longtime strategist Ed Rollins, who until last month managed the campaign of Rep. Michele Bachmann, one of Romney’s opponents. “He’s the heavy favorite.”

The party establishment seemed to be moving Romney’s way. Endorsement from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who criticized Rick Perry, the other presidential hopeful, has boosted Romney’s campaign. But a new national poll highlighted the volatility of the race. A Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll showed the surging businessman Herman Cain numerically ahead of Romney for the first time, 27 percent to 23 percent, with Perry third, at 16 percent. On Wednesday, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and former House speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) became the latest in a

At Tuesday’s GOP debate, Mitt Romney (right) and Herman Cain stole the show. string of current and former elected officials who have backed Romney over the past week.

Former Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, hedge fund manager Paul Singer and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone are among the major Republican fundraisers supporting the candidate.

The shift is being noticed not just among Republicans, but Democrats as well. In Chicago, President Obama’s campaign advisers increasingly view Romney as the most likely general-election foe and on Wednesday they attacked the former Massachusetts governor as taking “diametrically opposite positions” on key issues during his political career.

President’s jobs bill fails key Senate test Washington DC: In a setback for President Barack Obama, the Senate has blocked his $447 billion jobs bill, forcing the White House and Congressional Democrats to scramble to salvage parts of the plan, central to Obama’s push to revive the sputtering economy. The legislation, announced with fanfare by the president at a joint session of Congress last month, fell short of the 60 needed to overcome procedural hurdles in the Senate. The vote in favor on Tuesday was 50: 49.

Two moderate Democrats facing difficult re-election campaigns,

Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jon Tester of Montana, joined a solid phalanx of Republicans in opposition. In addition, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid switched from yes to no so that he could move to reconsider the vote in the future.

After the vote, the president criticized Republicans for balking at a measure that included initiatives they supported in the past.

Votes on pieces of the bill could begin this month, perhaps as early as next week, Senate Democratic aides said. Party leaders said they needed to consult their cau-

cus before they decided on the timing or chose the provisions to be considered separately.

Several Democratic senators said they might join a handful of Republicans in searching for job-creation proposals that could gain bipartisan support — a formidable challenge in a chamber where comity seems to worsen by the week.

House Republican leaders have said they do not intend to take up the president’s bill as a whole. But they welcomed the signal from the White House that the administration would be open to a piecemeal effort.

‘Occupy’ protest movement spreads Denver, CO: Whatever the original impulse behind “Occupy Wall Street,” or the speculation of what the movement might become, the groups of protesters, now camping or hanging out in many American cities, and the police agencies that have responsibility for public safety and order, are both shifting into new postures of action and response.

Whether the two are headed toward more confrontation remains unclear. But the new and growing number of participants and, new police tactics are clearly opening an uncertain chapter in a story that from its inception has embraced the notion of unplanned, unscripted civil action. People like Darrel Egemo, 75, a former money manager, are joining up. He came to the protests, now in their third week, on the grounds of the State Capitol here in Denver for the first time on Tuesday.

“I decided they needed one person in a necktie and sport coat,” he said, looking dapper as he waved a sign to motorists, reading, “Integrity sold short by greed.”

Larger numbers are pushing protesters into

new areas as well, raising tensions.

In Boston early Tuesday morning, about 100 protesters were arrested when the group expanded from its previous area in the center of Dewey Square in the financial district to a nearby part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, part of the necklace of open park space through downtown. By Tuesday morning, protesters were in sharp disagreement at their general assembly meeting whether the group should have expanded its turf, and whether it had been a collective decision.

In Los Angeles, where protesters as recently as last week were dominated by young people in what seemed a tie-dye and guitar-circle subculture, a second wave of older protesters and homeless people has gravitated toward the encampment at City Hall, demonstrators said.

Elise Whitaker, 21, a freelance script editor and assistant film director, said she thought it was about technology — older protesters took longer to tune in to the gatherings, she said, which had been organized largely through Internet social networks.

Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info

11

October 15-21, 2011

Has Manmohan got personality disorder?

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

By Sumit Mitra wenty years is long enough for even a hyperactive man to start wearing thick bifocals, forget for a moment the name of his secretary, or look embarrassingly cheerful on solemn occasions.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, though, seems to have undergone an identity shift that is quite puzzling.

Nobody suspects that between 1991 and now - he has forgotten his economics. Yet

T

there is something badly amiss in his personality. As finance minister in the Cabinet of the late PV Narasimha Rao, he dismantled controls, broke monopolies and embraced globalization - all in a short span - and seemed unstoppable, driven by a religious zeal. But all that is water under the bridge. Singh has lost his 1991 spirit.

His senior-most ministers fight like querulous schoolchildren while he looks on.

When his 'boss', UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, went on a

long and private foreign tour, it was not Singh, the prime minister, but another minister under him who was put on the list of 'night watchmen.' There is no unanimity in the government on policy issues.

The change in him was evident from 2004, when it became clear that although he had come back to government with a designation loftier than before, he was, in fact, a stuffed bandh-gala invited to fill a chair. The oligarchy running the government had ideas of policymaking that were totally inconsistent with Singh's hardheaded approach to economic growth and reform.

He kept quiet when, in 2008, Rs 60,000 crore was squandered in the name of loan waiver for farmers, the trigger being large-scale suicides by cottongrowers in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. As a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Singh would

have known better than the NAC bleeding hearts that farmers entitled to borrow from banks are seldom driven to suicide.

It is not clear if the populist policies of UPA 1 were driven by a welfare doctrine or an intention to trade off taxpayers' money for the incumbent to hold on to power. But that's when Manmohan Singh seemed getting wedded to a vow of omerta, the code of silence of the Italian mafia.

He became quieter after UPA 2, when cash-for-vote became the government's guiding creed, in total disregard of an economy buffeted by corruption and a lack of will to reform. Singh's writ seemed limited over his conceited finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is habitually long on promises.

Despite Mukherjee's attempts to talk up the market, the world has begun to feel that India, after a great promise, is begin-

ning to lose out the race. Gone is the hyphen between India and China. Foreign capital is fleeing the Indian capital market like on a fire alert. But Singh is unfazed.

Never a team leader but a good second-in-command, especially when the commander is on leave (as Narasimha Rao nearly was) - when Sonia Gandhi's famous "inner voice" prevented her from being the PM herself, Singh gladly accepted this travesty of the Constitution, thinking he'd be the horse and coachman both, pulling the coach and pocketing the tip.

Probably he didn't expect that the fate of the horse is only to suffer the spur of the rider squatting on the saddle.

(Sumit Mitra is a Kolkatabased political commentator.

The views expressed by the author are personal.)

Time for Pak to do a new Afghan deal playing the Islamic card. The lesson of Taliban attacks on Pakistani civil and military outfits, including the attack on the high security Navy base in Karachi, has not been learnt.

The other obsession which Pakistan must get rid of is its concept of using Afghanistan as its “strategic depth” backyard.

If super powers like the erstwhile Soviet Union, Britain and America can’t control Afghanistan, what chance has Pakistan got? Instead Pakistan should join India and Afghanistan in trilateral cooperation with others for a better world all round.

By Subhash Chopra fghanistan President Hamid Karzai’s latest critique of Pakistan that the Taliban cannot lift a finger without the help of Islamabad has predictably taken the ties between the two neighbors to a new low. The candid criticism comes on the heels of his visit to India where he signed a “strategic pact” of mutual cooperation and on the eve of the tenth anniversary of US-led invasion which brought down the Taliban regime in Kabul in 2001.

Karzai’s remarks in an interview to the BBC about the “failure” of Nato allies till now in tackling Taliban and Pakistan have not just infuriated his critics in Pakistan but also emboldened his detractors in the West who regard him as the weakest link in the fight against the Taliban. What has sharpened their attack on him is his reported declaration that he would quit office at the end of 2014, the deadline which the US and British have set themselves for withdrawal of their forces and handover of security to the Afghan authorities.

Ridiculing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurance to President Karzai that “India will stand by the people of Afghanistan,” a Guardian columnist warned: “India’s leaders one day may come to rue their vainglorious generosity in picking up the hot potato that the US, Britain and the rest all gingerly dropped, it seems a high price to pay for outflanking Pakistan.”

What Karzai’s critics fail to understand is that his talk of resignation and Nato’s failure is a reflection not of defeatism but of desperation at the failure of US and Nato allies to the drive home the message to Pakistan that it must end its clandestine links with Taliban and their operations against Afghanistan.

US President Barrack Obama’s exhortations to Pakistan to stop regarding India as its “mortal enemy” have fallen on deaf ears so far. For long the US was

A

Hamid Karzai with Manmohan Singh. almost afraid of mentioning the India word to Pakistan, as only a couple of years ago Washington bowed to Pakistan’s insistence to exclude India from the London conference on Afghanistan attended by almost 60 countries.

No longer so. The US is now repeatedly and openly asking Pakistan to change its mindset on India which would be beneficial to itself and the entire region.

Pakistan, like India, should join in the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Short of asking Pakistan to emulate India, the advice from the US -- and Britain – has shown a full circle change.

Karzai’s signing of the strategic pacts with India last week clearly has not endeared him to the Pakistani establishment.

His description of Pakistan as Afghanistan’s “twin brother” and India as a “friend” hasn’t cut much ice.

Pakistani establishment’s paranoia about India shows no sign of diminishing at least for now. Nor does Pakistan look any nearer to realizing the full danger it faces from the Taliban.

Perhaps it still believes that it can control Taliban by

(Subhash Chopra is a freelance journalist and author of “ Partition, Jihad & Peace -- South Asia after bin Laden.”)

12

India Newswire

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Shivani murder: Ex-cop Sharma walks free New Delhi: Three years after he was convicted in the 1999 murder of Indian Express journalist Shivani Bhatnagar, former police officer R.K. Sharma walked out of the Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court acquitted him and two other coaccused because the evidence against them was "not convincing enough".

Shivani, a journalist with the Indian Express, was murdered at her Navkunj Apartments flat at I.P. Extension in east Delhi on January 23, 1999.

"The quality of evidence before us is not of a high caliber," said the division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Manmohan Singh while acquitting former Indian Police Service officer R.K. Sharma along with co-accused Sri Bhagwan Sharma and Satya

Former police officer R.K. Sharma. (Inset) Shivani Bhatnagar.

Prakash.

The high court upheld the life sentence of the fourth convict, Pradeep Sharma. "Although the

I won’t let down Maran brothers: Karuna M. Karunanidhi.

Chennai: A day after the CBI booked M. Karunanidhi's grandnephews -- former union minister Dayanidhi Maran and promoter of Sun TV and SpiceJet airline Kalanithi Maran -- the DMK president said that he would never let them down. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa dismissed the action against the Marans as an eyewash.

Conducted across three cities Chennai, Hyderabad and the national capital - the Central Bureau of Investigaton (CBI) searches in connection with the second generation (2G) telecom airwaves case involved the premises of the Marans as also of Apollo Hospitals director Suneeta Reddy.

Refuting media reports that he and the DMK party were unconcerned about the Maran brothers, Karunanidhi said: "Kalanithi and Dayanidhi are like my children, entrusted to me by their father Murasoli Maran, and I will protect them."

Karunanidhi said he would support them in their legal battle.

Former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran is under the CBI scanner following a complaint by industrialist C. Sivasankaran that

Maran forced him to exit mobile telephone company Aircel.

Sivasankaran alleged that Aircel was not given telecom licensees and he was forced to sell his holdings to Malaysia-based Maxis Group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan.

The CBI Sunday registered a case against Maran brothers -- Dayanidhi and Kalanithi -- under the Prevention of Corruption Act, a probe agency official said in Delhi.

A first information report (FIR) was also registered against Ralph Marshall, CEO of Astra TV that invested in Sun TV, and T. Ananda Krishnan.

Karunanidhi said he did not react to the CBI raids and the case against his daughter and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi as he did not want to politicise the issue. Kanimozhi is in judicial custody in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

He said he kept quiet on the case against his daughter as the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was not responsible for the raids.

Kanimozhi is in jail now charged as co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum scam, alongwith DMK leader and former communications minister A. Raja.

motive behind Pradeep Sharma killing Shivani Bhatnagar is unclear and has not been established, we have already found, on the basis of

other overwhelming scientific and circumstantial evidence, that he was the person who killed her," the court said.

The trial court had March 24, 2008, convicted the four of the murder and acquitted co-accused Dev Prakash Sharma and Ved alias Kalu.

The four convicts, sentenced to life terms, appealed against the verdict before the high court, which reserved its verdict Dec 21 last year.

"The three appellants, R.K. Sharma, Sri Bhagwan Sharma and Satya Prakash, get the benefit of doubt and they stand acquitted of all charges," said the high court.

While acquitting the three, the high court said: "Judges, like other human beings, also have suspicions but judges, unlike others who are free to arrive at their own conclusions, cannot and do not convict on

the basis of mere suspicion. The prosecution has to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt."

"We are afraid that the prosecution, in our view, has failed to do so insofar as appellants R.K. Sharma, Sri Bhagwan Sharma and Satya Prakash are concerned. The prosecution, however, succeeded in proving its case insofar as Pradeep Sharma is concerned," the court said in its 84-page judgment delivered nearly after 10 months of reserving the order.

"Pradeep Sharma's conviction under section 302 Indian Penal Code (murder) stands confirmed and so does the sentence awarded to him," said the bench.

The court's order came as a big relief for R.K. Sharma, who was languishing in jail for nearly over eight years.

SC criticizes law minister’s businessmen remark New Delhi: The Supreme Court took a serious view of union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid's statement that keeping businessmen in jail was affecting the investment climate of the country. The apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice H.L. Dattu said that the minister's statement gave an impression as if "we are interested in keeping businessmen behind bars". "This is disturbing for us, if it (statement) is true," Justice Dattu said.

He said that there "is a confusion created by a newspaper report. A newspaper has reported a statement attributed to an honorable minister that gives an impression (that) we are interested in keeping businessmen behind bars".

Federal Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid.

Justice Dattu said the statement was made "when we are in the midst of a serious matter going on for six hearings".

The court was hearing the bail pleas of Sanjay Chandra, the head of the telecom arm of Unitech, and Vinod Goenka of DBA Realty in the second generation (2G) spectrum allocation scam.

The court voiced its exception to Khurshid's statement when Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal was arguing the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) plea opposing the bail pleas.

Justice Dattu said that in the wake of the union minister's statement, "we thought that there would be a change in Rawal's stand."

Justice Singhvi said: "We did not read newspapers for four days nor watched the television. Somebody rang us to inform about the report in the newspaper."

India objects to Chinese troops in PoK New Delhi: Concerned over the presence of Chinese military personnel in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, India said it had conveyed its objections to Beijing in this regard.

Defense Minister A.K. Antony told reporters after opening the four-day navy commanders conference here that India was aware of the presence of Chinese People's Liberation Army troops in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"We are aware of their presence there. We have conveyed our concern to China in this regard," Antony said in reply to questions regarding the presence of some combat engineers among the 3,000 odd Chinese in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"Over the last many years, we are consistently developing our own military capabilities so that we can meet any challenge to protect our territory and our sovereignty," he said.

To a question on China's objections to India exploring oil in parts of the South China Sea off Vietnam that Beijing claims to be its own territory, Antony refused comment as Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang is in the capital for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Federal Defense Minister A.K. Antony.

"There is no question of India going there (South China Sea) in large scale. We will go there for exercises and other things.

We will go there uninterrupted for passage of ships and trade. There is no question of any naval presence...that is not our intention. Our main concern is to protect our core area," he said.

India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

13

October 15-21, 2011

‘Meaningful autonomy’ for Kashmir: interlocutors New Delhi/Jammu/Srinagar: Advocating "meaningful autonomy" and speedy development, the three interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir have submitted their report to Home Minister P. Chidambaram that outlines a roadmap for the government to address various sensitive issues linked to the state.

A year after they were appointed, the interlocutors -- journalist Dileep Padgoankar, academic Radha Kumar and former civil servant M.M. Ansari -- are learnt to have also recommended the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Disturbed Areas Act from the state that has seen a murderous insurgency for over two decades. "The minister has told us he would now take the report forward," Padgaonkar told media persons after presenting the report.

While avoiding the "pre-1952 status" phraseology, the report speaks about ensuring "meaningful autonomy" for the state, while preserving its distinct regional and ethnic diversities, said sources.

The report, sources said, has recommended developmental councils for all the three regions - Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh - and devolution of powers to the sub-regions.

It also recommends a massive

SAT NOV 05 SUN NOV 06

tations with the heads of the police, para-military forces, the army, and we have got their side of story. All this has been reflected in our report."

The report is based on the inter-

locutors' meeting with nearly 700 delegations and three round table conferences they attended. It factors in various shades of opinion, including various inputs from both Hurriyat factions.

NC worker died of heart failure: Forensic report

The interlocutors are learnt to have also recommended the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). economic package to tackle the huge unemployment in the state and major infrastructure development to provide connectivity and boost tourism, officials in the know said.

Flanked by his team members, Padgaonkar stressed that the document would have been "far more worthwhile" if the separatists had engaged in a dialogue, and rued the fact that they "missed the bus".

"Indeed, our prime focus in the report is the welfare of people of Jammu and Kashmir and it is along this key concept that we have made out recommendations," Padgaonkar said. "We have taken into account

the stated public position of various separatist groups. These have been reflected in our report. The fact of the matter is that we have tried again and again to engage them and again and again they refused. I believe they have missed the bus," he said.

Although Padgaonkar declined to divulge the recommendations in the report, he mentioned that people's views on "questions related to Armed Forces Special Powers Act to the Disturbed Areas Act to various other legislations that are in force," have been incorporated.

"We have also had regular consul-

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) worker Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf, whose death has kicked up a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir, died of cardio-respiratory arrest and not of any torture, a forensic science laboratory (FSL) report confirmed.

Yousuf died on September 30 in police custody, a day after he visited Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's house. A team of doctors nominated by the principal of the Government Medical College Srinagar had conducted the autopsy on the body of Yousuf.

Samples were collected by the team of doctors for forensic examination at the forensic sciences laboratory of the local medical college. "The FSL report has confirmed that the deceased had died of cardio-respiratory arrest and not

Relatives mourn the death of Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf near Srinagar. of any torture," a senior official of the state government said here.

A political storm had followed the NC worker's death with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah so that the judicial probe into the death could be carried out impartially. Omar had said he had done nothing wrong and ruled out resignation.

14

India Newswire

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Team Anna member Bhushan roughed up New Delhi: As a TV news channel stood by filming the entire incident, three Sri Ram Sene activists roughed up Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan inside his Supreme Court chamber for his comments on Kashmir. The brazen attack sparked massive public and political outrage with Bhushan calling for ban on the outfit.

Three youths stormed into Bhushan's chamber and one of them, identified as Inder Verma, started beating him up. Verma, later on, was overpowered by lawyers and others present in the room, the TV visuals showed. The youths said they objected to his comments on Kashmir, Bhushan said later.

"The accused, Inder Verma who lives in Nangloi, has been arrested from the Supreme Court premises and his two accomplices -- Vishnu Gupta and Tejender Pal -- are on the

Sri Ram Sene activists beaten up Prashant Bhushan inside his Supreme Court chamber for his comments on Kashmir.

Kashmir were anti-national and run," said a senior police official.

Police said that raids are on to nab anyone who will make such comthe two youths. Taking responsibili- ments will not spared."

Bhushan was taken to the Ram ty for the assault, Sri Ram Sene's state unit general secretary Tushar Manohar Lohia Hospital for his Agarwal, said: "Comments made by injuries, which doctors said were Prashant Bhushan on Jammu and not major. Speaking in the evening

Congress disapproves of Digvijay's letter to Hazare New Delhi: The Congress has disapproved of party leader Digvijay Singh's second letter to Anna Hazare, saying there was no need of a communication after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written to Hazare a day earlier.

"After the prime minister's letter to Shri Hazare, I don't think it was required to send any communication to him," party general secretary and media department chairman Janardhan Dwivedi said.

In his letter, Singh sought to question Hazare over the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh support to his anti-corruption agitation, and wondered if the activist had not read the letter sent to him by Sangh leader Suresh Joshi.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

Dwivedi said the whole country knows that the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had repeatedly said they are with Anna and were making "certain arrangements" for their campaign.

A Congress party leader said on condition of anonymity that issues were important and not individuals.

Ram Sene activists thrash Anna supporters New Delhi: Some Sri Ram Sene activists Thursday clashed with volunteers of Team Anna as they gathered outside Patiala House

court complex in support of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who was assaulted at his Supreme Court chamber on Wednesday.

The incident took place after all three JOB OPPORTUNITY accused arrested in the Bhushan assault case Company: UTOG Corporate Car were sent to judicial cusService Inc. tody.

Industry: Corporate & Luxury The scuffle started Car Service when Team Anna volunIndustry Experience: 40 Years teers objected to the sloImmediate Opening: Drivers ganeering by Sene Requirements: TLC License activists against Misc: No Car, No Problem, Bhushan and Anna Hazare and wanting We Can Supply One Hazare to clear his stand on J&K. Recruiter: David Laguerre The Sene activists allegedly beat up two of Contact: (P) 718.361.2370 x 6028 the five Anna supporters, Website:www.utog.com who were taken to a hosEmail: dlaguerre@utog.com pital by police.

at a press conference at his residence in suburban Noida, Bhushan called for a ban on the Sene.

"This is an organization which needs to be socially boycotted in this country and perhaps banned by the government. This Sri Ram Sene is known for its goondaism for its unprovoked assault on unarmed people who are totally caught offguard," said Bhushan.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram, condemning the attack, said: "Nobody has the right to take law in their hands and I have asked Delhi Police to take appropriate action against the people involved in the attack."

TV channel TIMES NOW, which showed visuals of the incident, said its crew was with Prashant Bhushan at the time for his comments on the Lokpal bill.

Anna Hazare condemned the

attack on Bhushan, a key member of his team, and demanded security for his aides for "some time."

Veteran lawyer Shanti Bhushan, the father of Prashant Bhushan, said: "I don't mind if any attack takes place on our men. I will still keep on doing right things. Those who are afraid and fearful will never be able to do correct things."

"No words are enough to describe this barbaric act. Strictest punishment should be given to these people and the true identity of these people should be found," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Condemning the attack, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said: "Whatever is the due process of law, it should be taken on this.

BJP has nothing to do with these people,"

Team Anna favors constitutional status to Lokpal New Delhi: Team Anna welcomed the government's reported intention to give the Lokpal (ombudsman) a constitutional status but said that should not prevent it from being made a statutory body.

The Congress said giving Lokpal constitutional status was a very important suggestion but a decision will depend on the collective wisdom of the parliamentary standing committee examining the bill.

"Well, we have been saying that it will be great if Lokpal could be made into a constitutional authority.

But making it into a constitutional authority should not prevent it from being made into a statutory body," Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan told reporters. Bhushan said if the constitutional amend-

ment could not go through, the enactment of the law should as the Congress was in power at the centre.

"They (Congress) should at least ensure that an act is made... in the process of making it into a constitutional body it should not happen that the whole things falls through," said the eminent lawyer. He said the team would be happy if the Lokpal was made a constitutional body and the entire provisions of the Jan Lokpal bill - their version of the bill - were included.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid was reported as saying Tuesday that the government was mulling making Lokpal a constitutional body as suggested by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Congress will be routed in Hisar: survey New Delhi: The Congress is set for a "comprehensive defeat" in the Hisar Lok Sabha by-election in Haryana where Team Anna is campaigning against the party, according to an opinion poll.

The LensOnNews pre-poll survey said the Congress was expected to finish third, with the Haryana Janhit CongressBharatiya Janata Party candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi tipped to win comfortably.

Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) Ajay Chautala would be "a distant runner-up", the survey said. The Congress candidate is Jai Prakash.

The survey was carried out Oct 8 and 9 across six of the nine assembly segments of Hisar constituency among a representative 593 voters. The poll findings carry a margin of error of five percent. Team Anna has urged Hisar voters to hand a "historic defeat" to the Congress for not supporting

Team Anna has urged Hisar voters to hand a "historic defeat" to the Congress. the Jan Lokpal Bill proposed by Anna Hazare.

Hazare confidant Arvind Kejriwal hails from Hisar and has been carrying on high-voltage campaign against the Congress, distributing handbills and CDs containing Anna's personal

appeal.

Corruption has evidently become a huge issue in the byelection, the survey said. Asked if they were aware of Hazare's call to vote against the Congress, 84 percent interviewed answered in the affirmative.

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week TheSouthAsianTimes.info

15

October 15-21, 2011

With over 120 designers, 200 buyers and an expected revenue of at least Rs.30-35 crore, the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) kick-started with a heady mix of color, contrast and bling for the modern woman. The focus of the spring-summer edition was plain business though. A look.

Designers' ode to free-spirited women at WIFW

Models in creations by designer Shantanu Goenka at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012.

New Delhi: Bohemian gowns, maxi-dresses, kaftans, body-hugging suits, shorts and skirts -all this and more splashed on the ramp of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) as designers Hemant-Nandita and Pallavi Mohan presented an ode to free-spirited women.

Hemant-Nandita's collection "Happily Unmarried" was inspired by the 1960s and 1970s and had a wide spectrum of body-hugging suits, straight fit dresses, jackets, shorts and skirts.

Fabrics like organza, satin and crepe in hues of blue, yellow, mustard, purple and grey were a visual delight for the audience.

"This is the first time we have showcased a pure western collection. Embellishments have always been our forte but we have tried keep it minimal this time. We have focused a lot on cuts and structure. We have tried to give every garment a different look. It's a complete pret collection," Hemant said after the show.

For designer Pallavi Mohan, Miss India Earth Hasleen Kaur walked the ramp and the petite, young designer focused on chic bohemian gowns, kaftans, maxi dress, hot pants, jacket accompanied with dresses and georgette gowns.

The designer used hues like, ecru, blue and peach and stuck to her signature style of flower motifs.

Bollywood people not very stylish: Kangana

A model in a creation by designers Alpana and Neeraj during the 18th edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Show in New Delhi

If Deepika has a Christian wedding

Actor Kangana Ranaut wears a creation by designer Shantanu Goenka at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.

Actor Deepika Padukone with designer Wendell Rodricks at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012 in New Delhi.

New Delhi: Actor Kangana Ranaut, who walked for designer Shantanu Goenka at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW), says the people in Bollywood are not very stylish except for her contemporaries Priyanaka Chopra and Sonam Kapoor.

"I don't want to hurt anyone with my remarks, but I find that the style quotient is missing in Bollywood except for Priyanka and Sonam who know how to carry well," Kangana told reporters here.

The Kolkata-based designer presented a line inspired by the French queen Marie Barrios.

According to him, Kangana was the perfect muse for this collection. "I wanted

Kangana to look feminine, I didn't want to go overboard and I thought she completely justified the theme," he said.

Dressed in a white and beige gown, she looked confident while sashaying down the ramp. "I never feel uncomfortable while walking the runway as I have done it in films like 'Fashion' and 'Raaz 2'. So it has become a part of my character," Kangana said.

"Also, I love Shantanu's design and admire his creativity. He always makes something which suits my complexion and figure," she added. When asked about her future projects, she said: "I am working on the sequel of 'Tanu Weds Manu' and 'Ishqiya'."

New Delhi: Deepika Padukone's wedding plans may not be on cards anytime soon but actress has already decided who to contact for her D-day.

The actress, who walked the ramp as a showstopper on the third day of Will Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Monday night, feels Wendill Rodricks would be best for her.

"If I will do a Christian wedding I will definitely wear Wendill's designs. He is just superb," said the 25-year-old, who walked the ramp as the brand ambassador of Fiama Di Wills. She walked the ramp wearing a white colour gown with lots of surface texture.

Being the last show of the day, it started off on a high note with a band called The Other People performing live on the stage

to set the mood. Wendill showcased a variety of beautiful garments varying from gowns, camisoles, palazzos, jumpsuits and jackets.

For the very first time, the Goa-based designer introduced malkha cottons in his collection with colours like black, brown, white, beige and cream.

However, the show had a little 'oops' moment when model Indrani Dasgupta was about to fall while walking the ramp as her gown came in her way. But as a true professional she managed to hold herself and completed her walk with elan.

Indrani's professionalism won her accolades from designer Rohit Gandhi, Rohit Bal and Sunil Sethi, chief of Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) who were present to watch the show.

16

Festival

Festival

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info TheSouthAsianTimes.info

17

October 15-21, 2011

Five days of frenzied puja festivities came to an end as idols of Goddess Durga and her children were immersed in the Ganga river and other water bodies across the nation on Bijoya Dasami, marking an end to the celebrations. On Dashmi, people celebrated the victory of good over evil by celebrating Dusshera where effigies of demon king Ravana and his two brothers were burned across the nation. A glimpse.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi throws an arrow as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and vice president Hamid Ansari look, at the Dusshera festival at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.

People watch an effigy of demon king Ravana being turning into flames in Amritsar.

Kolkata: Five days of frenzied puja festivities came to an end in West Bengal as idols of Goddess Durga and her children were immersed in the Ganga river and other water bodies across the state on Bijoya Dasami, marking an end to the celebrations.

A sense of sadness pervaded the atmosphere as devotees bade farewell to the goddess. In Kolkata, the streets were choked with immersion processions. All roads led to the Ganga where millions gathered to watch the idols being immersed in the river. Bijoya Dasami marks the end of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of eastern India.

"Security arrangements were beefed up across the city and at the ghats (river banks), where immersion of idols was held. CCTV cameras were installed at the immersion sites.

Policemen were deployed at every crossing to maintain law and order," Kolkata Police Commissioner R.K. Pachnanda said.

In keeping with tradition, the idols of Goddess Durga along with those of her four children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik - are immersed with much fanfare across the state.

Married women smeared the deities and each other with 'sindur' or vermilion and offered sweets to the idols. They prayed for the well-being of their families and the long lives of their husbands.

Leading Bengali film actress Ritu-

parna Sengupta was also seen smearing vermilion on the deity at a community puja at Robinson Street in south Kolkata.

"Every year I enjoy sindur khela on Bijoya Dasami. This year is no exception," said 42-year-old house maker Moumita Basu. Students of schools and colleges were seen at marquees with their books and pens in the belief that the goddess would bless them with a good academic record.

After the immersion of idols, Bengalis wish each other "Shubho Bijoya" - or Happy Bijoya Dashami and visit each other's place with sweets. All sweet shops in the state were crowded since morning.

However, not all idols across the state are immersed on the same day.

While the traditional puja organisers conduct the immersion on Dashami, some community puja organisers keep the idols in the pandals for one or two more days.

Thousands of people thronged Babughat, a popular stretch on the banks of the Ganga, to watch the grand immersion spectacle as chants of "Bolo Bolo Durga Mai Ki Jai" (Hail, Mother Durga) rent the air.

Men and women were seen dancing.

Film actress Munmun Sen was also seen enjoying the immersion ceremony at Babughat. The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) deployed heavy-duty cranes and barges this year for the first time to clear the river quickly after the immersion of the idols.

Bengal bids farewell to Durga Devotees carry an idol of the Goddess Durga for immersion in Kolkata.

Kashmiri pandits burn the effigy of demon king Ravana in Srinagar.

Dussehra festivities conclude Kullu (Himachal Pradesh): The weeklong Kullu Dussehra festivities, unique to this town, ended as 226 assembled deities started their journey back to their temples in beautifully decorated palanquins amid the blowing of trumpets and beating of drums.

Kullu Dussehra is a centuries-old festival and celebrations begin on Vijaya Dashami, the day Navratra and Durga Puja festivities end in the rest of the country.

"All the assembled deities at the Dhalpur grounds have started moving back to their respective areas after performing the Lankadahan ceremony. The festival ended peacefully," Deputy Commissioner B.M. Nanta, chief organiser of the festival, said.

The Dussehra festivities came to end with the chariot of chief deity Lord Raghunath, being pulled by thousands of devotees, returned to

the Lord Raghunath temple here.

The festival dates back to 1637 when Raja Jagat Singh was the ruler of Kullu. He invited all local deities in Kullu from various temples to perform a ritual in honour of Lord Raghunath during Dussehra.

Since then, the annual assembly of deities from hundreds of village temples has become a tradition.

The administration has been inviting the deities ever since the rule of princely states came to an end and has been giving an honorarium to the 'kardars' (attendants of the deity concerned) for participating in the festival.

Unlike other places, effigies of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhakaran are not burnt here.

All the assembled deities, before departing for their temples, participated in the Lankadahan ceremony on the banks of the Beas river, Nanta added.

People watch fireworks during the Dussehra festival in New Delhi.

A devotee immerses Durga idol on Durga Puja in New Delhi.

185-foot Ravana goes up in smoke

Priests worship Goddess Durga during the Durga Puja festival in New Delhi.

Chandigarh: Brara village in Haryana's Ambala district is in the Limca Book of Records for having erected the tallest effigy of demonking Ravana at 175 feet in 2009.

This time, as the effigy went up in smoke to mark Dusshera, it stood 10 feet taller at 185 feet.

The Ravana effigy, which took a few months to make at a cost of up

to Rs.4 lakh, was loaded with several quintals of fireworks.

The effigy is erected with the efforts of a village club comprising of local youth and some philanthropists. The village, 60 km from Chandigarh on the Ambala-Jagadhri highway, had first shot into fame in 2006 after it erected a 150foot-tall Ravana.

"Artisans come specially from Uttar Pradesh to make the tallest Ravana. Simply making it stand requires several cranes and is a difficult job.

But we are happy that our efforts have paid off and people like it," village Ramlila committee president and philanthropist Tejinder Singh said.

18

Ultimate Bollywood

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Priyanka is India's Best Dressed! ctor Priyanka Chopra, known for her simple yet stylish wardrobe, has been given the title of India's Best Dressed by People magazine.

Annually, the magazine honors style icons with the Best Dressed edition. This year, Priyanka has featured on the cover of its India edition.

About being chosen as the face

A Priyanka features on the cover of People magazine’s Indian edition.

Ranbir replaces SRK in ‘Two States’

of People's special issue of India's Best Dressed for 2011, Priyanka said: "I'm excited because I never thought I would get this title."

Talking of the one style accessory she has at all times, she said: "I wear confidence."

The former Miss World will walk the ramp for Manish Malhotra at the Mercedes-Benz Best Dressed Show 2011 in

Mumbai, in a celebration of the special issue of the magazine.

She will wear an Indo-Western creation.

"The Best Dressed show marks the coming together of the entertainment industry's most stylish people on one platform. My collection for the evening is my signature style of opulent glamorous Indian wear," Malhotra said in a statement.

Reviews

'Love Breakups…' - a fresh rom-com here is only one death in ‘Love Breakups Zindagi’ (LBZ). And it isn't the death of our faith in the power of the rom-com to move and engage us. When during a long wedding festivity in Chandigarh, the affable Beejee (Farida Jalal) quietly passes away, you are suddenly awakened into a world beyond the love and breakups that consumes the zindagi of the average 20-something urban youngster today.

Blessedly, the characters who inhabit debutant director Sahil Sangha's plot are young, urbane, hip and happening, but not annoying in their shallow concerns. This is the world that the writer, Sanyukta Shaikh Chawla knows insideout.

Sangha occupies the rom-com territory with confidence, dignity and pride. But luckily, it isn't the arrogant pride of a filmmaker, who thinks he knows it all.

The debutant seems to share our bemusement and curiosity about the characters. He seems to

T

explore their world with inquisitive candor, giving them space to grow even as they groan and whine and dine their way through a series of well-written misadventures that never end in an embarrassing deadend.

Yes, you know the culmination. You know Jai (Zayed Khan) will get rid of his bossy fiancee and Naina (Dia Mirza) will be out of a suffocating association with a man, who loves her but not in the way she yearns to be. You know how it will finally turn out. And yet you get involved with the lives of these mismatched pairs looking for love, warmth and togetherness in a fast-moving world of cut-throat dreams.

Sangha lets the lives of his protagonists take their own time to get to know their hearts and mind. He is in no hurry to tell his story. The pace is steady and the flow of events, not quite out of the rapidfire round in a quiz show.

Cinematographer Aseem Bajaj has shot the characters in warm detail. The cities of Delhi,

The film is a mellow and lingering look at lives that don't seem borrowed or faked.

Mumbai and Chandigarh are never accentuated by the visuals.

There are questions to be answered on what makes the urban relationship an endangered phenomenon. As the characters explore their own befuddled emotions and their misplaced devotions, the narration acquires its own momentum.

'Rascals' – not funny at all t some point in this pointless parody of all of David Dhawan's Tom and Jerry comedies from the past, Devgn and Dutt, playing a pair of warring, snaping, snarling, sneering con-persons, call for each other.

'Chetan? Bhagat? Chetan?

Bhagat? …."

In that pause between the last blast and the next you know the script writer (Yunuz Sajawal) is thinking of how to carry the plot to the next gag.

Wish they had actually roped in author Chetan Bhagat to write some of the episodes. We would at least be looking at more than just an endless raunchy wordy ramble into the realm of toned bikini bodies. And these include the two leading ladies Kangna Ranaut and the striking Lisa Haydon.

In fact the film looks like one long excuse to let the camera ogle at semi-nude female figures in Thailand and Bangkok. The laughter, if it was ever intended, is strictly incidental.

The gags in "Rascals" are so

A Ranbir Kapoor. anbir Kapoor, 29, will now play the lead in the film ‘Two States,’ which is based on author Chetan Bhagat’s novel by the same name.

Earlier actor Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly been finalized for the role. The film will be produced by filmmakers Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala.

“Sajid has the rights of the book and we are in discussions about an association,” says Johar. Sajid confirms, “Karan and I are in talks to produce a film together.

He approached me but nothing has been finalized yet.”

While SRK is busy promoting his sci-fi superhero film RA.One, Ranbir is currently shooting for Barfee opposite Priyanka Chopra.

R

Sanjay Dutt, Kangna Ranaut and Ajay Devgn in a still from the movie. stale and tasteless and the situational comedy so devoid of any kind of originality or freshness, you wonder if David Dhawan just made this unfunny comedy to please his friends who play the major roles in the film.

As Chetan and Bhagat, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn get to ham

to their hearts' content. Not their fault. It's the need of the hour.

Make that two hours. Two long painful hours of mirthless gags and skits adding up to no sense of hilarity.

Kangna Ranaut is the funniest thing in the film. And not in any intended way.

But nothing matches up to the brazen insulting nature of the dialogues. At one point Chetan or Bhagat (hard to say which one speaks, as they're constantly interrupting and shouting down one another) look at a dark-skinned man and comment: "How did this black gulab jamun get a white rashogolla for a daughter?"

Go get a laugh, Mr. Dhawan.

The prolific and trendsetting director has clearly run out of tricks to make the Tom and Jerry act any further.

And really, Anil KapoorGovinda in "Deewana Mastana", Salman-Govinda in "Partner" did the sniping and snarling, so much better.

The film is carpeted with dreadfully unfunny jokes that insult every community including, of course, the movie-going community which is expected to laugh at a scene where Sanjay Dutt puts on an unconscious woman's underwear on and wonders: "Why is it so much easier to take off a woman's clothes than put it on?"

Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

19

October 15-21, 2011

Big B in flashback mode on birthday oing back in time on his 69th birthday on October 11, megastar Amitabh Bachchan revealed that when he was born he was brought home wrapped in a 'gudari' - a cheap form of cloth. And the actor proudly calls himself "gudari ka lal".

"I was born today ! 11th of October 1942 in Allahabad in a small private maternity outfit run by a missionary Dr Brar, in the most crowded market area of the city, Katra.

I was brought home by my parents in the best possible transport machinery that they could afford - a tonga!" Amitabh wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

"Wrapped in a 'gudari' I still refer to many that I am a 'gudari ka lal' - a human that is affiliated with the cheapest form of clothing. I loved being in that form and still love it," he added.

Amitabh says he finds himself close to the people who have led a life in adverse

conditions.

"I have noticed on many occasions that the life and the style of those that live in such conditions, are closest to me in temperament.

There is a certain sense of attachment every time I come in close contact with people and circumstances that narrate to me stories of the time," he said.

"That is my most alluring possession.

The complete ease that I feel and identify with when in the company of those that inhabit those lands," he added.

And what does the actor wish on his birthday?

"I wish another day to pass in peace!

One of the best ways to bring in birthdays is to be working at what you need to be working on ... I work because I need to ... love !!" he wrote on his Twitter page.

G

Hema snubs Akshay for SRK!

Shah Rukh Khan, Hema Malini and Esha Deol, at the music launch of Tell Me O Khuda. t seems Hema Malini has her announcement, Akki, along taken Shah Rukh Khan's on- with Dimple, waited for the music screen avatar as a superhero in launch and then just stormed out "RA.One' a little too seriously. of the venue. He was very unhapReportedly, at the music launch py to have been left out of Hema's of "Tell Me O Khuda", Hema address to the audience, especially gave SRK too much importance, since he was present on time, much to the humiliation of the unlike SRK." other guests - Akshay Kumar, SRK and Hema have known Dimple Kapadia, Yash Chopra each other since 1992, when and Shatrughan Sinha.

Hema gave the actor his break in A source said that when Hema Bollywood in "Dil Aashna Hai", introduced the film's cast and but her preferential treatment for invited them on the stage, she him at the music launch has made a special announcement to reportedly strained her relationsay that they were awaiting the ships with others in the industry. arrival of a special guest - none The source told us that after other than SRK. While the rest of Akshay stormed out, the rest of the invitees tried to be more gra- the invitees followed suit. cious about her special treatment, "When SRK finally landed up Akshay made it a point to show at the event, Hema once again his displeasure. took the microphone to announce The source said, "Ignoring Yash that her special guest has finally Chopra, Akshay Kumar and arrived. But, by then Yash Chopra Dimple Kapadia at any event is a and Shatrughan Sinha had left the big insult to the fraternity. What event," added the source. Despite made it worse was that Hema repeated attempts, Akshay made a special mention about remained unavailable for comSRK, who was running late. After ment.

Angry young man Amitabh Bachchan turns 69.

Finally! Madhuri is back in India eeping her promise to return in October, Madhuri Dixit Nene returned to India with her husband Dr Sriram Nene and two kids. The actor got a warm welcome at Mumbai International airport from journalists and fans.

Looking gorgeous in black, Madhuri looked cheerful after returning to her homeland. She was accompanied by her parents. The actor has shifted base from Denver, US, where she has stayed for nearly a decade.

Madhuri is planning to stay at her Juhu pad after redoing it.

Madhuri Dixit had announced earlier on Twiiter that she is relocating to India in October.

K

Madhuri Dixit Nene "Excited! Should be back in Mumbai by middle of October,"

she had written on her Twitter page.

Rani in two minds about Aditya

I

Actor Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra. ctor Rani Mukerji reportedly shocked chat show host Simi Garewal recently. Rani, 33, who appeared on

A

Simi’s show, allegedly spoke about her relationship with filmmaker Aditya Chopra off the camera, but denied dating him on

camera.

“Even Simi was surprised by Rani’s about-turn on camera. No one saw it coming,” said an eyewitness.

"Before the shoot started, both Simi and Rani Mukerji were discussing Aditya Chopra at length.

In fact, Rani was looking rather happy sharing the details of her love life with the elder actress.

Simi did not want to take the actress by surprise with her questions related to Aditya Chopra," a source told Mumbai Mirror.

But the actor denied to share any details about her love life on camera. "When Simi asked Rani about Aditya on camera, the younger actress immediately denied being in any relationship," the source continued. A few days back Rani's father said that the actor would get married by 2012.

20

Diaspora

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

First Sikh judge of UK high court Rabinder Singh sworn in London: Rabinder Singh, a leading lawyer who successfully appeared on behalf of Indian doctors in an immigration case in 2007, has been sworn in as the first Sikh judge of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Singh, 47, is the son of Indian immigrants, and studied at the Bristol Grammar School and the University of Cambridge.

Singh is the first Sikh judge of the High Court, but not the first Sikh to be appointed to a senior level in Britain's judiciary.

The first Sikh and Asian to be

Rabinder Singh appointed a judge was Mota Singh, who was knighted in 2010.

A leading human rights lawyer,

Rabinder Singh told the Law Society Gazette: "I am a barrister who happens to be a Sikh. I have always tried to be a role model, by the work I do. I haven't said, 'I'm a Sikh barrister, look at what I do'. I've just said, 'Look at what I do'. Everyone can see what I am."

Singh is best known through his work suggesting that the 2003 invasion of Iraq broke international law and for his part in the landmark 2004 House of Lords case that outlawed indefinite detention of foreign terror suspects.

Sikh soldiers to be honored in UK London: Sikh soldiers who fought with British troops in conflicts around the world will be honoured in the UK by showcasing the 'Khanda', which is one of the important symbols of Sikhism, and reflects the sacrifices and contribution of the Indianorigin community.

The charity organization that raises funds for soldiers who served or are serving in Britain's armed forces will honor Sikh soldiers this year by including the Khanda in

its annual Poppy Appeal.

The appeal is organized annually by the Royal British Legion and is held on 'Remembrance Sunday', which this year falls on November 13.

In this year's appeal in Leicestershire - which has a significant Sikh population the Khanda will join the Christian cross, the Jewish Star of David and the Muslim Crescent which have been introduced in recent years.

The Khanda, made up of a solid circle, two interlocked swords and a double-edged sword, will be on sale alongside poppies and the other wooden emblems.

Jennifer Leach, the Legion's community fundraiser in Leicestershire and Rutland, told the local media: "We have had representations from the Sikh community nationally and locally and we felt it was time to produce the Khanda."

Indian tycoon accused of one of biggest corporate frauds in Oz Melbourne: Indian-origin PPB Advisory alleged Oswal transferred huge tycoon Pankaj Oswal has been amounts from his partaccused of one of Australia's owned Burrup Fertilizers to biggest corporate frauds for his private companies, siphoning an additional 113 million dollars out of his many registered in Singapore, either through Burrup Fertilizers, according the use of inflated invoices to court documents. or direct transfers.

The 'Further Amended In a statement last night, Statement of Claim" was filed Billionaire Pankaj Oswal Oswal strongly denied the in the WA Federal Court in July by receivers PPB Advisory on behalf allegations and said this is another hit and of Burrup Fertilizers and was heard in court miss claim by the receiver which has no merit. The Australian Securities & last week.

The receivers are seeking the repayment Investments Commission, which was alertof an additional USD 115 million on top of ed to the case eight months ago, appeared USD 95 million demanded to be re-paid in reluctant to mount an investigation because March. of the likely difficulties in bringing Oswal The extra funds allegedly taken out of back to Australia from Dubai.

Oswal previously claimed that he was Perth-based Burrup Fertilizers, which operates one of the world's biggest ammonia entitled to funnel money into his private producers in the Pilbara, takes the claim companies as payment for guaranteeing cost against Oswal to USD 210 million, The overruns during construction of Burrup's ammonia plant.

Australian newspaper reported.

Stranded TASMAC students will be admitted in other colleges: UK London/New Delhi: UK has said that many Indian students affected by the closure of a business school in London will be accommodated in other colleges even as India asserted that it will do "everything possible" to ensure that its students are not adversely impacted.

The London campus of the Punebased TASMAC, which offered MBA and other courses validated by the University of Wales, was shut down last week following the tightening of the norms for the short-duration courses.

The University of Wales said

arrangements were being made to transfer the affected students to courses at other institutions.

The university said in a statement: "The university has been in discussions with other collaborative centres to arrange for the 650 students on University of Wales programs to transfer to programs at these institutions."

It said that any transfers of students would be subject to the requirements of the UK Borders Agency (UKBA).

The UK Border Agency said that TASMAC had indicated that it wanted to stop sponsoring foreign students and would surrender its licence to do so.

Jataka tales add to Buddhist books in Poland Warsaw: Poland is essentially a Catholic country but of late the interest in Buddhist literature has been growing for two reasons.

One, there is the immense popularity of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and two, the translation of Buddhist literature into Polish language - the latest being the Jataka tales.

Among the foremost translators is Janusz Krzyzowski who has in the last five years produced five monumental and seminal works on Buddhist literature.

His latest book, “Girlanda Dzatak” (Jatakas) was released Saturday at the Indian House by Indian Ambassador Monika Kapila Mohta in the presence of renowned Polish and Indian literary figures.

Ambassador Mohta congratulated the author, saying, “It is a great service to Buddhism and Indian civilization that Janusz with his great efforts has brought out this unique work for Polish people.”

Krzyzowski has been very active in translat-

Dr Janusz Krzyzowski has translated Jataka tales into Polish ing oriental literature into his native Polish language for the past 15 years. Apart from Persian poets, such as Maulana Rumi, Omar Khayyam and Hafiz, he has translated Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and many others with the help of Surender Bhutani, an Urdu poet and historian based in Warsaw. Together they produced eight volumes of Urdu and Sufi poetry in the last six years.

Man held in France over death of 'Indian hero' Paris: A man here has been arrested over the death of a 33-year-old Indian man, who is being hailed as a hero for going to the rescue of a young woman being harassed on the metro.

Rajinder Singh, 33, who hails from India's Punjab state, was electrocuted Sep 29 when he fell on the metro rails. Some accounts say he was pushed by the 22-yearold suspect.

Rajinder Singh stopped the suspect from harassing a young woman in the train in which all three were traveling.

They got off at Crimee station. During a row, Singh was electrocuted, RFI radio web site reported.

The French media is describing Rajinder Singh as a hero.

The woman has not come forward to testify, RFI said.

Police said they do not know if the suspect pushed the man.

The suspect was arrested from a bar in the Pigalle red light district after detectives recognized him from CCTV footage.

Rajinder Singh came to France seven years ago and found work delivering pizzas. According to media reports, he sent money home to his family every month.

Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info

21

October 15-21, 2011

Obama slams Pak's terror ties

Obama comes down heavily on Pakistan at a White House news conference.

Washington: Slamming Pakistan for maintaining ties with "unsavory characters", President Barack Obama has asked its key ally to stop hedging its bets in Afghanistan and adopt a peaceful approach towards India. "They see their security interests threatened by an independent Afghanistan in part because they think it will ally itself to India, and Pakistan still considers India their mortal enemy," he said at a White House news conference.

"Part of what we want to do is actually get Pakistan to realize that a peaceful approach towards India would be in everybody's interests, and would help Pakistan actually

Pak governor survives bid on life at rally

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kausar (centre) Islamabad: Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province's governor Masood Kausar survived an assassination attempt as militants fired rockets at the venue of a rally to be addressed by him, in a tribal area , leaving at least one person dead and seven injured.

The incident took place in Kalaya area of Orakzai tribal region shortly before the governor was scheduled to reach the spot.

Tariq Hayat, a senior administration official for the tribal belt,

said at least three rockets were fired from nearby mountains. One person was killed and seven others were injured, TV news channels reported. There was no official word on the casualties.

Governor Kausar, who was in a meeting, had not reached the venue of when the rockets were fired, officials said.

Most of those injured were tribal elders, witnesses said. No group claimed responsibility for the strike but such attacks are usually blamed on the local Taliban.

develop," he said.

Chiding Pakistan for backing Afghan insurgents to prevent India from consolidating its influence in Afghanistan after US-led forces withdraw at the end of 2014, Obama said: "I think they have hedged their bets in terms of what Afghanistan would look like."

"And part of their bets is having interactions with some of the unsavory characters who think they might end up regaining power in Afghanistan after coalition forces have left," he said in his sternest comments amid a growing rift with its key ally in the region.

His use of the term "unsavory

characters" clearly referred to the Taliban and the Haqqani network, whose leader served in the Taliban regime that was ousted by the 2001 US-led invasion.

Obama's comments came in response to a question whether he agreed with Admiral Mike Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who last month called the Haqqanis a "veritable arm" of the Pakistani spy agency, the InterServices Intelligence (ISI).

Obama said: "What we've tried to persuade Pakistan of is that it is in their interest to have a stable Afghanistan; that they should not be feeling threatened by a stable, inde-

pendent Afghanistan. We've still got work to do."

He said the United States would "constantly evaluate" its relationship with Pakistan but indicated that a substantial cut in US military and civilian aid - which has totaled some $20 billion since 2001 - was unlikely because he was "hesitant to punish flood victims in Pakistan because of poor decisions by their intelligence services."

"There's no doubt that, you know, we're not going to feel comfortable with a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan if we don't think they're mindful of our interests as well," he said.

1,400 Haqqani men held in Afghanistan Kabul: Afghan army and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) kept up pressure on insurgents as over 1,400 Haqqani network militants have been captured in Afghanistan so far this year, ISAF spokesperson said.

"Haqqani is a mixture of insurgents and criminals in its network and finances itself out of all types of criminal activities including drugs," ISAF spokesperson Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson told a joint press conference with Dominic Medley, NATO's civilian representative's spokesperson.

"We chase Haqqani in the field, killing and capturing more than 100 last week alone, and more than 1,400 were captured this year. We also have to break their financial trends," Carsten said.

"Haqqani network has link with Al Qaeda and receives support of any kind from (some foreign) governments and that support must be stopped," Xinhua quoted him as saying.

A Taliban-affiliated militant group, the Haqqani network mostly operates in eastern Afghan provinces and capital

An undated photo of Jalaluddin Haqqani (centre), founder of Haqqani network.

Kabul, and were blamed for many high-profile attacks, including a truck bombing on a US military base in Wardak province Sep 10 and a coordinated attack on ISAF headquarters and US embassy in Kabul Sep 13.

Regarding the security transition process from ISAF to Afghan security forces, Medley said the second phase of transition will be announced by Afghan government in coming

weeks.

The first phase of transition of security responsibility began in July this year, and the process will be completed by the end of 2014.

NATO civilian representative's spokesman also stated that the alliance would support Afghanistan beyond 2014.

"The NATO commitment is clear. Afghanistan will not be abandoned and the Alliance will stay committed," Medley said.

Chinese moves in Maldives worry India New Delhi: Alarm bells are ringing afresh in the Indian security establishment over renewed efforts by China to expand its footprint in Maldives, even as New Delhi and Beijing continue with their strategic shadow-boxing all across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

With China poised to establish a full-fledged embassy at Maldives, strategically located southwest of India astride major sea lanes in IOR, officials say Beijing has stepped up its "lobbying" to bag a couple or more of crucial development projects in the 1,190-island archipelago.

China, in particular, seems interested in developing Ihavandhoo and

Maarandhoo Islands, with transhipment ports among other things, as well as grabbing a piece of action in the development of the country's second international airport at Hanimaadhoo.

"The islands in question are located in the Haa Alif Atoll, situated in the north of Maldives. China wants a presence in these islands since they are the closest to India and Sri Lanka,'' said an official.

China's main aim is to ensure the security of its sea lanes facilitating its critically-needed energy imports.

But there is no getting away from the fact that it also amounts to a virtual encircling of India, in what is called the "string-of-pearls� con-

struct. Indian military brass's concerns about the "serious challenges" posed by China's expanding footprint in IOR as well as South Asia, incidentally, are expected to figure once again during the annual combined commanders' conference to be addressed by PM Manmohan Singh.

India, too, has been taking steps to counter China's strategic moves by stepping up its defense engagement with countries like Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. After defense minister A K Antony's visit to Male in August 2009, for instance, Indian warships and Dornier reconnaissance aircraft are helping Maldives in maritime patrol

Beijing has stepped up its "lobbying" to bag a couple or more of crucial development projects in the 1,190-island archipelago. and surveillance.

New Delhi is also assisting Male to set up a network of ground radars

in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems.

22

Business

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Infosys profits up, cuts BlackBerry services affected again Delhi: Millions of BlackBerry users across India, down revenue forecast New Middle East, Africa and Europe faced another cut-off Mumbai: IT bellwether and India's No. two software services exporter, Infosys reported a 9.72 per cent growth in its consolidated net profit to Rs 1,906 crore for the second quarter ended September 30. The results matched forecasts, as outsourcing The company had posted a net profit of Rs 1,737 orders rose and a crore for the September quarter of the previous weak rupee boosted fiscal (2010-11). margins.

The company had posted a net enable it to build long-term partnerprofit of Rs 1,737 crore for the ships with clients and help drive September quarter of the previous their business objectives, he added.

The company expects operating fiscal (2010-11), Infosys said in a filing to the Bombay Stock margins to fall about one percentage point in the fiscal year ending Exchange.

The consolidated revenue of the March 2012, its chief financial officountry's second largest software cer said on Tuesday, as the firm exporter rose to Rs 8,099 crore in warned about global economic the reporting period from Rs 6,947 uncertainty.

Infosys, which counts Goldman crore in the year-ago period, translating into a 16.58 per cent increase. Sachs , BT Group and BP among its "The global macroeconomic envi- main clients, cut its dollar revenue ronment is still uncertain. It is and growth forecast to 17.1 per cent to should be a concern for the IT 19.1 per cent for the fiscal year, industry. In this scenario, clients are from 18 per cent to 20 per cent prolooking for new opportunities for jected earlier.

Revenues are expected to be in the growth, accelerated innovation and increased returns on investments," range of Rs 8,826 crore to Rs 9,012 Infosys CEO and Managing crore for the quarter ending Director SD Shibulal said in a state- December 31, a year-on-year ment. Infosys' strategic initiatives growth of 24.2 per cent to 26.8 per and organizational structure will cent.

from online services, just a few hours after the Canadian cell phone makers claimed it had fixed the problem.

"BlackBerry services have been affected due to an unplanned international outage at RIM. Inconvenience is regretted," one of the leading Indian telecom service provider Reliance Communications said in a message to its users.

Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM) that makes BlackBerry claimed early Tuesday that it had fixed the problem and services have been restored. BlackBerry services collapsed in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East early this week.

It took nearly 20 hours to restore the services.

However, within a few hours the services collapsed

again, causing hardships to the users, many of whom rely on it for their business communications.

In India, over one million people use BlackBerry, the popular smartphone brand.

India for reform of global economic architecture United Nations: Noting that the world economy is in trouble, India has called for urgent reform of global economic and financial architecture in pursuit of sustained economic growth to bring the global economy firmly back on track.

"The roadmap of our global economic and financial reform agenda is clear and unambiguous," Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan said during a UN General Assembly panel discussion on international financial system and development. "Let us pursue it."

"The world economy is in trou-

Strike at Maruti's Manesar unit continues New Delhi: The ongoing strike at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant entered its 7th day, with no production taking place at the unit, as workers continue to demand that the management take back all suspended and casual employees.

The strike by workers at Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd (SPIL) and Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) in support of their colleagues at Maruti Suzuki India's (MSI) Manesar plant has worsened the situation.

"The plant is still captive in the hands of striking workers. There is no production today also at the Manesar plant," a company spokesperson said.

The company has been hit hard, not only by strike of its own workers, but also due to the supply shortage of engines and transmissions from SPIL. MSI's production is now heading toward a complete halt, with its main unit in Gurgaon rolling out 64 per cent less cars yesterday than the normal daily output of 2,800 units due to parts supply constraints caused by

In India, over one million people use BlackBerry, the popular smartphone brand.

The striking workers at Maruti's Manesar plant. the strike at SPIL. On October 10, the Haryana Labor Department slapped a notice on workers for "breach of settlement" in connection to the agreement that was signed on October 1 to end the 33-day-long impasse and asked them to respond within the next 48 hours.

ble," he said noting, "The shoots of recovery which were visible after the economic and financial crisis of 2008 have yet to blossom."

In many respects the crisis has deepened even further, Khan said with the traditional engines of the global economy such as the United States, Europe and Japan faced with continued economic slowdown.

But "We should not allow the global economic slowdown to become a trigger for building walls around ourselves through protectionism or erecting barriers to movement of people, services

and capital," he said. "Our foremost priority, however, must be to pursue sustained economic growth to bring the global economy firmly back on track," Khan said.

"The development agenda must be brought firmly back to the centre stage of the United Nations' priorities," he said.

Calling for deploying effective ways and means to promote coordination of macro-economic policies of major economies, Khan said: "India fully recognizes that the global economic and financial architecture, so overwhelmingly loaded against the developing world needs urgent reform."

RBI may raise rates if inflation persists Jaipur: While its tolerance of inflation has gone up with rising income levels, the Reserve Bank of India will raise rates further if high inflation persists, central bank deputy governor Subir Gokarn said.

The RBI will discuss domestic growth and inflation at its board meeting Thursday, central bank governor Duvvuri Subbarao added at a joint panel discussion, as he reiterated that controlling inflation is the main focus of monetary policy.

The comments from both RBI officials come amid a debate on

whether the central bank should stick to its hawkish stance on inflation even as Indonesia cut its key policy rate amid moderating global economic growth.

The RBI's next monetary policy review will be unveiled on October 25.

International TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 15-21, 2011

Terror plot: US issues travel alert

Washington, : The United States has issued a worldwide travel alert for Americans after a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington was exposed.

"The Department of State alerts US citizens of the potential for anti-US actions following the disruption of a plot, linked to Iran, to commit a significant terrorist act in the United States," authorities said in a statement.

The alert said the "Iranianbacked plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian government on terrorist activity", which was aimed at diplomats from certain nations, including the US. The worldwide terror alert, which will expire on

US says Iran backed plot to kill Saudi envoy to Washington Adel al-Jubeir.

January 11, came after the US, reported Xinhua.

Iran's foreign ministry US Justice Department Ramin Tuesday accused two men, spokesperson including an Iranian-born Mehmanparast rejected the US citizen, of conspiring to US accusations, terming kill the Saudi Arabian envoy them as an "incorrect" and Adel al-Jubeir and planning "prefabricated scenario", the bomb attacks against Saudi semi-official Fars news and Israeli embassies in the agency reported.

Spaniard to sue FBI over Osama poster Madrid : Spanish lawmaker Gaspar Llamazares, spokesman for the United Left coalition, plans to sue the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for using his image to create an updated wanted poster for the late Osama bin Laden.

The photomontage representing bin Laden was distributed in 2010 and published on the FBI web site, which later removed it at the politician's request.

Llamazares, who received a letter of apology from FBI representatives at the US Embassy in Spain shortly after the incident, said Tuesday that the bureau "has not corrected the situation at all" but only offered "a tiny apology".

In a statement on Cadena SER radio, the lawmaker recalled that his photo was used not only to recreate a likeness of bin Laden, but also of Atiyah Abd AlRahman, whom the CIA killed in August.

Osama was slain in May in the city of Abbottabad, Pakistan, during an operation by US Navy SEALs. Llamazares noted that the two people

ing deliveries of aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis, which left 138,000 people dead or missing and prompted international criticism of the regime's slow response.

The famous satirist was sentenced to 59 years' imprisonment, later reduced to 35 years. He is believed to suffer from heart disease. It was not immediately clear exactly how many other dissidents were included in the amnesty.

But a government official, who did not want to be named, said about 30 political detainees, would be freed in Yangon, mostly members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).

Zarganar, a prominent comedian and vocal government critic, was among those released as part of a pardon of more than 6,300 prisoners.

The freedom of an estimated 2,000 political prisoners, including pro-democracy campaigners, journalists, monks and lawyers, has long been a key demand of Western powers that have slapped sanctions on Myanmar.

25 killed in sectarian riots in Egypt Cairo: At least 25 people, including three soldiers, were killed in deadly clashes between Christians, Muslims and security forces in the Egyptian capital, the worst unrest since the uprising that toppled the Mubarak regime.

The violence erupted after Coptic Christians protesting against an attack on a church in Aswan clashed with security forces, forcing authorities to declare curfew in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square area.

Reports of protesters in the capital being crushed by military vehicles further heightened tensions, news reports said.

Prime Minister Essam Sharaf held an emergency meeting of the cabinet to contain the crisis as the military rulers ordered a swift probe into the unrest.

"These events have taken us back several steps," Sharaf warned in a televised address. He said the riots were a setback to the country's already fraught transition to civilian rule.

He put the blame on foreigners, claiming it was part of a "dirty conspiracy".

The unrest started outside the state TV building but

Spanish lawmaker Gaspar Llamazares. represented in the photos made with parts of the lawmaker's face "have been killed". United Left sources have said that since 2010 the politician has contacted several US law firms to file suit against the FBI. In fact the case was accepted by one law office, but a few months later the US attorneys refused to proceed with the suit without ever saying why. Llamazares has found a Spanish attorney's office to take over the case.

Ukraine jails former PM

Myanmar frees top dissident in mass amnesty Yangon: Myanmar freed one of its most famous political prisoners under an amnesty by the new leadership that was believed to include at least dozens more dissidents in the authoritarian state.

Zarganar, a prominent comedian and vocal government critic, was among those released as part of a pardon of more than 6,300 prisoners by the new leadership, his family said.

"I have talked to him. He is free now," the activist's sister-in-law Ma Nyein said, adding that that he was expected to be flown home from Myitkyina in northern Kachin State where he was being held. Zarganar was arrested in 2008 after organiz-

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The violence erupted after Coptic Christians protesting against an attack on a church in Aswan clashed with security forces. soon spread to the Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the demonstrations that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down in February.

Copts comprise almost 10 per cent of the population in Egypt and is considered the largest Christian community in North Africa.

Moscow: Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was given a seven-year prison sentence after being found guilty of abuse of office in her signing a gas deal with Russia in 2009.

Judge Rodion Kireev said Tymoshenko had exceeded her powers by personally issuing directives related to the deal.

He also ordered Tymoshenko to pay compensation of $189 million for losses incurred by Ukraine's gas monopoly Naftogaz.

Tymoshenko said she would contest the con- As a convicted criminal, Yulia Tymoshenko viction, and spoke up as would be unable to participate in Ukraine's next presidential elections in 2012. the judge read the verdict, saying the judge was "taking tence depended on the extent of Ukraine's freedom". The judge Yanukovych's "amorality".

Tymoshenko said she was in paid no attention and continued good health despite her prolonged reading.

"The verdict won't stop me," she custody, and would keep fighting said. Tymoshenko said she would the Yanukovych regime. She called ask the European Court of Human on Ukrainians to join her in the Rights to "defend my honor" and struggle against what she decide whether her conviction was described as the "authoritarian a vendetta by President Viktor regime" of President Yanukovych.

"I ask you, don't be afraid of the Yanukovych.

Tymoshenko has consistently regime! Ukraine will definitely get claimed the trial is politically rid of this authoritarian regime. A motivated and accused President dictatorship and an authoritarian Yanukovych of masterminding the regime will be removed in the near future," she said during a break in prosecution.

As a convicted criminal, she the court hearing at the Pechersky would be unable to participate in district court in Kiev.

She repeated that she was not Ukraine's next presidential elections in 2012. Tymoshenko said guilty, and said the verdict was a earlier that the severity of her sen- falsification.

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2011 Nobel Prize Winners

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Service to humanity honored Last week several distinguished individuals were bestowed the prestigious Nobel Prize for their contribution to their chosen fields. SATimes presents a brief profile…

Liberian President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf, her compatriot Leymah Gbowee and Yemen's Tawakul Karman were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Born Ellen Euphemia Johnson in October 1938, she grew up in Monrovia and attended Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government where she obtained a Master's Degree in Public Administration in 1971. JohnsonSirleaf earned the nickname "Iron Lady" by challenging warlord Charles Taylor for the presidency in 1997 during Liberia's brutal civil war. She lost by a landslide, but that never shook her resolve. She won the 2005 presidential runoff against soccer icon George Weah, who alleged fraud although the polls

2011 presidential election, to be held on Oct. 11.

(L to R): Tawakul Karman, Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf received a clean bill of health from observers. She was sworn in as Africa's first elected female head of state in January 2006. JohnsonSirleaf vowed to create a "government of inclusion" to heal the wounds of war and toured the streets

American economists share Nobel

to win over Liberia's poor youth, many of them former child soldiers who believe Weah was cheated. In January 2010, she went back on her campaign promise to be president for only one term when she announced she would contest the

Leymah Gbowee Leymah Gbowee, 39, mobilized and organized women across ethnic and religious divides to help bring an end to the war in Liberia and to ensure women's participation in elections. Following the 2003 peace treaty, her network mobilized women to vote and was instrumental in the victory of Johnson-Sirleaf.

Since 2004, she has served as a commissioner on Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Since 2006, Gbowee has been executive director of Women in Peace and Security Network - Africa, an organization that works with women in Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone to promote peace, literacy, and electoral politics.

Tawakul Karman Both before and during the "Arab Spring", Tawakul Karman, 32, has played a leading part in the struggle for women's rights and for democracy and peace in Yemen, the prize committee said.

Founder in 2005 and chairwoman of Women Journalists without Chains, Tawakul Karman is a Yemeni journalist and activist who has devoted herself to the fight for media freedom.

She is also a member of the Islamist party Islah Was. A thorn in the side of the government, she was briefly arrested early this year after leading protests against autocratic Arab rulers. She vowed in February to galvanise a youth-led uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 33 years.

Three scientists share 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics hree scientists won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for their studies of exploding stars that revealed the universe was expanding quickly. Saul Perlmutter and Adam G. Riess, from the US, shared the honour with Brian P. Schmidt from Australia.

They studied several dozen exploding stars called supernovae and discovered that the universe is expanding at an ever-accelerating rate.

Perlmutter was honored for his contributions to the Supernova Cosmology Project and Riess "for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae".

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Thomas Sargent (L) and Christopher A Sims he Nobel prize in economic science was awarded to Thomas J Sargent at New York University and Christopher A Sims at Princeton University for their research looking at the causeand-effect relationship between economic policy and the broader economy. Their work uses statistical analysis to disentangle the question of whether a policy change that happened in the past affected the economy or whether it was made in anticipation of events that policymakers thought would happen later. This research has also helped economists better understand how people's expectations for policy affect the economy. Sims said on Monday that his research was relevant for helping countries decide how to respond to the economic stagnation and deci-

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mated budgets left by the financial crisis. Sims, 68, who is presidentelect of the American economic association, has primarily looked at temporary policy changes, such as a surprise in government finances or a change in the interest rate. For example, his methods have been used to determine whether a central bank's decision to raise the interest rate affected inflation or whether bank officials raised the interest rate precisely because they expected that inflation change later on.

The prize committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement that his research has tried to develop a systemic way for distinguishing between unexpected shocks to the economy, such as a change in oil prices or government finances, and expected changes.

Three scientists share 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine merican Bruce Beutler and French scientist Jules Hoffmann shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine with Canadian Ralph Steinman.

Ironically, Steinman used his own discoveries to treat himself for cancer but died of the disease just days before he could be told of the award.

This year's Nobel Laureates have revolutionized our understanding of the immune system by discovering key principles for its activation.

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Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffmann discovered receptor proteins that can recognize such microorganisms and activate innate immunity, the first step in the body's immune response. Ralph Steinman discovered the dendritic cells of the immune system and their unique capacity to activate and regulate adaptive immunity, the later stage of the immune response during which microorganisms are cleared from the body.

L to R: Adam G Riess, Saul Perlmutter and Brian P. Schmidt Schmidt is associated with the High-z Supernova Search Team in Australia. The acceleration is

thought to be driven by dark energy but what that dark energy is remains a mystery.

Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature. he Nobel Prize in Literature Baltics (1974); Paths (1973) and Windows and Stones 2011 is awarded to Tomas Transtromer for ‘because, (1972), according to his biography. through his condensed, translucent His style has gradually shiftimages, he gives us fresh access to reality. ed from the traditional and ambitious nature poetry written One of Sweden’s most important poets, Transtromer was born in in his early twenties toward darker, personal and more open Stockholm, Sweden in 1931. He verse. attended the University of The wheel-chaired poet has Stockholm, where he studied psybeen mentioned to be nominatchology and poetry. He now lives with his wife Monica in Vasteras, ed as a Nobel winner for many west of Stockholm. years.

Tomas Transtromer His works have sold thousands of Transtromer ’s honors and volumes in his native country and have been translated awards include the Aftonbladets Literary Prize, the Bonnier Award for Poetry and the Neustadt International into more than fifty languages.

Transtromer’s books of poetry include The Great Prize for Literature.

He is also a respected psychologist, has worked at a Enigma: New Collected Poems (New Directions, 2003), The Half-Finished Heaven (2001); New Collected juvenile prison, with the disabled, convicts and drug Poems (1997); For the Living and the Dead (1995); addicts.

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Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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October 15-21, 2011

Bhajji, Yuvi reject ‘match fixing’ allegations New Delhi/Melbourne: The cricket world was hit by allegations of nexus between players and bookies but the two Indian players -- Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh -- who were mentioned in the reports as also Cricket Australia rubbished suggestions of any wrongdoings.

Pakistani players' agent Mazhar Majeed reportedly made the claims that he had "access" to Yuvraj and Harbhajan along with several other international players during his conversations with the now-closed 'New of the World' undercover reporter Mazhar Mehmood.

While Harbhajan threatened action, Yuvraj simply ridiculed the report and Cricket Australia said the claims "appear to be outlandish and made by a person of dubious repute."

"I don't know who this person is, I have never met him. We will definitely take some action against him. I don't know whether it will be a legal action or whatever," Harbhajan said in Nagpur, where he is playing in the Challenger Series.

"But I will definitely bring it to BCCI's notice and I am sure that they will take right kind of action against these kind people who are

firm in its conviction against corruption in our sport. If there are allegations that have any sense of credibility around them then it's very important we take all of the necessary action to investigate," CA CEO James Sutherland said.

'Fake sheikh' denies phone hacking Pakistani players' agent Mazhar Majeed reportedly made the claims that he had "access" to Yuvraj and Harbhajan. trying to spoil the game," he added.

Yuvraj took to Twitter to rubbish the report. "...And who is majid!! absolute rubbish! Don't know never met!" he wrote.

"The problem in India is if someone says a rooster has given an egg it will become news!!

Whether its true or not its doesn't matter," he fumed.

According to media reports, Majeed named the two Indian cricketers along with a host of other international players, who have also rejected the reported claims.

The name-droppings took place during the fourth day of the trial of former Pakistan captain Salman

F1: Chandhok may not race at Indian GP

Karun Chandhok.

Chennai: Karun Chandhok’s hopes of driving at the Indian GP received a setback as Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandez hinted that regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli could keep their seats for the country’s first Formula One race to be run on October 30.

However, it was learnt that Karun will be behind the wheel of the green-yellow liveried car during the free practice session. Malaysian businessman Fernandez said his focus was securing the 10th spot in the constructors’ championship rather than pleasing the Indian and his fans.

“We have two extremely experi-

Meanwhile former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's manager dismissed Majeed's claims of having access to him while pacer Nathan Bracken has threatened legal action after their name also cropped up in the spot-fixing trial.

enced race drivers (Kovalainen and Trulli) and I’ve got to do what’s right for them and for the team, not for Karun or for the Indian fans.

We have to finish tenth and we have the right people to do that for us,” Fernandez was quoted as saying.

Sources said driving at the Indian GP was on the cards when Karun signed a contract with Lotus earlier this year, but both their main drivers were not willing to step aside for the Indian racer. The Air Asia owner, whose father was born in Goa, said there was no point in putting Karun in driver’s seat at the Indian GP just for the sake of it.

Butt and pacer Mohammad Asif, who are alleged to have bowled predetermined no balls for cash.

Both the players have denied the charges.

Cricket Australia said the claims made by the alleged bookie seem "outlandish" as had there been any truth in them, CA would have known and acted.

"According to Majeed, Australian players were notorious for betting on 'brackets', periods of matches in which some bookmakers accept bets about how many runs would be scored," media reports said.

"These would appear to be baseless allegations, but at the same time cricket needs to stand very

New Delhi: Mazher Mahmood, the former News of the World investigations editor, has denied any knowledge of phone hacking during his time at the paper, telling a court he hoped perpetrators would be "sent down" for their activities.

The NoW "fake sheikh", now at the Sunday Times, was giving evidence at Southwark crown court in the trial of two Pakistan cricketers and an agent accused of trying to fix part of last year's Lord's Test.

The NoW gave him £150,000 in cash that was handed to the agent, Mazhar Majeed, in an effort to prove his commitment to fixes.

Mahmood, whose identity was shielded by protective screens, said the sum was the largest he

had been given in 20 years of undercover investigations – a measure of how convinced the NoW management was of the guilt of the players involved.

Alexander Milne QC, acting for Mohammad Asif, the fast bowler who along with Salman Butt is standing trial for cheating at gambling and accepting corrupt payments – charges both deny – suggested to the court that his managers' certainty denoted something else.

"The News of the World has experienced several problems," he said. "Do you know of [convicted phone hacker] Glenn Mulcaire?" Mahmood replied: "I have read about him but I have never met him, never spoken to him."

Sahara invests $100m in Force India

New Delhi: Formula One team Force India received a shot in the arm with the Sahara Group investing $100 million, an amount that will be used for research and development involving the cars, upgrading the wind tunnel, acquiring a new simulator — all aimed at improving the chances of the team finishing among the top three in the constructors title over the next few years.

With this the Sahara Group has picked up a 42.5 per cent stake in the Force India and have become co-owners. Mallya has a similar stake of 42.5 per cent, while the Mol family own 15 per cent.

The team will now be known as Sahara Force India and Sahara Group’s Subrata Roy will be the chairman of the board of directors, while Mallya will retain his position as team principal. Mallya said he is still not ready to have an Indian driver in his team as the current "lot does not suit me".

Mallya asserted that he is committed to have an Indian driver in his team in the future but his current focus is taking Force India to higher level in the pinnacle of motorsports.

"The current Indian drivers don't suit me. I am

The team will now be known as Sahara Force India. happy with the current lot of drivers that we have got. The more important thing is that we have got an Indian team on the grid, and I am really proud of that," Mallya told reporters here.

"Our one in a billion hunt for a F1 driver is on the right track. We will take the winner to the United Kingdom which is a hub for motorsports.

He will be training with the local drivers and his expenses will be borne by us," said Mallya.

Dhoni expects his bowlers to perform better at home Mumbai: India's skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels the bowling attack, which let him down in the one-day series in England, should deliver at home when the two teams begin their five-match series here Friday.

The attack will be led by medium-pacer Praveen Kumar in the absence of injured Zaheer Khan and spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was dropped. Kumar will be assisted by offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin, medium-pacers Vinay

Kumar, Umesh Yadav, and uncapped Varun Aaron and Sreenath Aravind and leggie Rahul Sharma.

Dhoni sees it as a great opportunity for the fresh-looking bowling line-up in familiar conditions.

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Tribute

October 15-21, 2011

JAGJIT SINGH 1941-2011 he soulful voice behind many a popular ghazal was stilled forever with the death of Jagjit Singh Monday.

But some of his songs like "Hontho se chhoo lo tum", "Jhuki jhuki si nazar" and "Tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya", will live on.

His death left not just his friends, family and colleagues teary-eyed, but also a huge void in the music industry, which was enriched with his soul-stirring and lilting melodies.

Singh was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai Sept 23 following a brain haemorrhage. He is survived by wife Chitra Singh, who was by his side when he breathed his last Monday.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info The film industry remembered the singer and many paid condolences through Twitter.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan posted on the microblogging site: "The sonorous silk voice of Jagjit Singh silent now!! A great loss to the world of music and Ghazal ...Prayers and condolences."

Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman tweeted: "Rest in Peace Jagjitji...No one can replace your voice and the perfection you had towards your art."

A Padma Bhushan award recipient, Singh sang for many popular Hindi films as well as in several languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati and Nepali. His career boasted a repertoire comprising 50 albums, and he readily contributed to the ghazal, devotional and Bollywood market.

Music icons like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle feel his music will live on.

"I can't imagine the days when I will no longer be able to hear his silken voice, no longer be able to talk to him or listen to his new songs. Now his old ghazals is all we have. His soothing voice, his warm hearted nature are all gone now. He was the pride of India. I also feel bad for his wife Chitra, she is all alone now," said Asha Bhosle.

Lata, with whom Singh collaborated for bestselling album "Sajda", said: "It is such a big loss, an end of an era. He was one artist who never needed films to get popular. He was an instant hit."

Singh also worked with his singer wife Chitra, whom he mar-

Ghazal has lost its soulful king ried in 1967, on various compilations, including "Ecstasies", "A Sound Affair", "Passions" and "Beyond Time".

Their son's death in 1990 was a major setback as Chitra stopped singing, but it didn't curb Jagjit’s zeal to create soul-stirring music, and touch a million hearts.

The singer gave the industry memorable numbers like "Hontho se chhoo lo tum" ("Prem Geet"), "Tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya" ("Saath Saath"), "Jhuki jhuki si nazar" ("Arth"), "Hoshwalon ko khabar kya" ("Sarfarosh") and "Badi nazuk hai" ("Jogger's Park").

Among his other classic numbers are "Kal chaudhavin ki raat", "Koi ye kaise bataaye", "Woh kaagaz ki kashti", "Chitthi na koi sandesh", "Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho", "Shaam se aankh mein namin si hai", and "Kiska chehra".

He was the first Indian composer and, together with wife Chitra, the first recording artist in the history of Indian music to use digital multi-track recording -for the album "Beyond Time" (1987).

Singh also voiced his concern over the politicization of arts and culture in India and the lack of

support for practitioners of India's traditional art forms, particularly folk artists and musicians.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his condolence message, said: "I count myself among his admirers and share their sorrow. His music legacy will continue to enchant and entertain."

In Srinagar, Shabir Ahmad, an Urdu teacher, said the likes of Jagjit Singh might not be born for ages.

"There are only three big names who have sung Ghalib and helped him reach the masses. These are K.L. Sehgal, Talat Mehmood and Jagjit Singh," he said.

Lover of horses and racing

By Prakash Bhandari agjit Singh had a strong Rajasthan connection and was raised in Ganganagar where he studied in Khalsa School. His father Amar Singh Dhiman worked for the public works department. It was his father who after encouraged Jagjit’s love for music by getting him training. Jamal Khan, a well known khayal, thumri and dhrupad singer, gave him training in Hindustani classical music. Jagjit Singh gave his first public performance at a gurdwara in Amritsar, where he was lauded for his singing talent. Later, in Jalandhar, Jagjit honed his singing skills learning from the singers of Sainia gharana before moving to Kurukshetra pursue his post graduate studies.

Yet, his father wanted his son to become a bureaucrat, but Jagjit’s mind was made up. To pursue a career as a singer, he went to Bombay on the advice of the then vice chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Suraj Bhan.

From his six brothers and sisters Jagjit was very close to his elder brother, Jaswant Singh Dhiman, who retired as director of physical education in Jaipur. Whenever in Jaipur, Jagjit would visit his home and the family would enjoy a sumptuous Punjabi meal.

“He lived in a luxurious flat in Mumbai, but when he came to our house he never felt

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uncomfortable and mixed with the children and loved them. He helped my husband Paramjit Singh buy a shop at Jaipur and we are indebted to him for this,” said Himmat Deep Kaur, wife of Jagjit’s nephew Paramjit Singh. Two of his younger day friends from Ganganagar, Onkar Sharma and L.M. Sharma, also fondly reminisced: “I had gone to Mumbai to meet him and shared the small room where he was staying for a rent of Rs 30. He had performed at the birthday party of matinee idol Dilip Kumar, for which he was paid Rs 275. He spent most of the money in hosting me to a big dinner,” said Onkar Sharma, a former bank official. L.M. Sharma said he too would have been a singer, but had no patience and could never have struggled the way Jagjit did in Mumbai to establish himself.

“Jagit gave his first concert at Jaipur’s MGD School in 1974 and people loved hearing him.

I had the honor of compeering three of his concerts in Jaipur. In fact in the eighties when Jaipur Jaycees organized his program I managed to get Jagjit chachaji for a fee of Rs 25,000 when he commanded Rs 50,000 then.

He readily accepted a smaller fee because he wanted to come to meet his family at Jaipur,” said Sanjay Pareek, well known compere and advertising personality.

Jagjit Singh was passionate for horses and

racing and he bought four horses in partnership with the former Cricket Board president P.M. Rungta from breeder Digvijay Singh.

Jagjit Singh visited Digvijay’s stud farm at Jaipur’s Khatipura to see how the horses he bought were getting groomed. Digvijay is also the honorary secretary of the Rajasthan Polo Club.

Digvijay Singh, who left for Mumbai to attend the singer’s funeral, said Jagjit agreed to donate a few colts to the Rajasthan Polo Club to enable young polo buffs learn polo.

“My father co-owns four horses with Jagjit Singh and both of them would spend their morning at the Mahalaxmi race course in Mumbai to supervise the training of these horses,” said Kishor Rungta, son of PM Rungta and a former treasurer of the BCCI (The Board Of Control For Cricket In India).

“It’s an irony that when Jagjit Singh was fighting for his life in the ICU of the Leelavati hospital in Mumbai following brain hemorrhage, Rajasthan Royals, a horse co-owned by the singer and my father, won Saturday's feature race, the Pelican Trophy, at the Pune racetrack. Ridden by CS Jodha and trained by young Adhiraj Singh Jodha, Rajasthan Royals came up with a spirited gallop in the last 100 meters to sweep past the front-running Angelo to post a sensational victory in the main event,” said Kishor Rungta.

His wife, Chitra, stopped singing when their young son died in 1990, but it didn't curb Jagjit’s zeal to create soul-stirring music, and touch a million hearts.

Jagjit Singh was desperate to be in Pune for this race and accompany his horse on the victory lap, but fate had other design, said a sad Kishor.

"He told me I'm sure my horse is going to win and I will travel to Pune after finishing my show with Ghulam Ali in Mumbai.

Unfortunately, he had to be rushed to the hospital," said Adhiraj Singh Jodha, the trainer of Rajasthan Royals.

"But now that his prediction has come true, we took the trophy to the hospital room, but he could not see it,” added Jodha.

Books & Ideas TheSouthAsianTimes.info

27

October 15-21, 2011

Islamophobia: Fostering hate, building hysteria

By Arun Gupta, editor of the Occupy Wall Street Journal, voice of the nascent protest movement merican history is no stranger to opportunists posing as experts on fifth columnists or foreign subversives plotting to undermine our hallowed way of life.

Nearly a century before Sarah Palin, there was Seattle Mayor Ole Hanson. Months after the 1919 Seattle general strike, Hanson resigned his post, penned Americanism Versus Bolshevism, in which he warned that “the preaching and teaching of anarchy, syndicalism, sabotage and Bolshevism is being carried out throughout the nation,” and cashed in with a lucrative speaking tour.

During the McCarthy era, in addition to the infamous junior Senator from Wisconsin, there was a legion of self-styled experts on the grave threat posed by the monolithic Communist menace. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover scrutinized in Masters of Deceit the Marxist method of “divide and conquer” so as to “soften up a democracy.” In The Politician, candy manufacturer and John Birch Society founder Robert Welch labeled FDR, Truman and Eisenhower as knowing agents of the Communist conspiracy. Fred Schwartz of the Christian Anti-Communist Crusade, “once suggested that communists promote abortion, pornography, homosexuality, venereal disease and mass murder … as a way to weaken the moral fiber of America and pave the way for a communist takeover,” according to Political Research Associates, a group of scholars and journalists that studies the right.

Historian Richard Hofstadter argued in The Paranoid Style in American Politics that panic over foreign subversion stretches back hundreds of years. In the late 18th century,

they receive the funding to produce hyped-up reports on nonexistent threats. The reports are disseminated through the right-wing media and prominent evangelical ministers, often becoming part of the mainstream debate.

Having established a solution — that Islam, and by implication Muslims, need to be politically and socially restricted because they are a danger — Islamophobe activists search for a problem such as the “Ground Zero Mosque,” while politicians stroke the bigotry for votes.

The efforts came to fruition in 2010 with media disinformation, hate-spewing rallies and numerous attacks on mosques in the lead up to the 9/11 anniversary. Islamophobes also inspired Anders Breivik, the radical Christian extremist who confessed to slaughtering 77 people in Norway on July 22, saying he wanted to save Europe from a Muslim takeover.

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Scottish scientist John Robison stoked hysteria in the fledgling United States with his tract on the Illuminati, claiming it was formed “for the express purpose of rooting out all the religious establishments and overturning all the existing government of Europe.”

This dime-store Manichean resurfaced with dismal predictability after the Sept. 11 attacks with a new class of demagogues, ones who specialize in spreading Islamophobia. While anti-Muslim hostility found root in the fertile soil of American nativism, Islamophobia has become a national pastime thanks to the funders, think tanks, fear mongers and right-wing media and politicians promoting it.

Experts play a crucial role in the network as

New biography throws intimate light on Sonia Gandhi new biography of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, written by an NRI with a foreword by Mikhail Gorbachev, casts new and intimate light on her life through exclusive interviews with members of the Congress party, political opponents and family friends.

The 268-page book, 'Sonia Gandhi: An Extraordinary Life, An Indian Destiny' is written by Rani Singh, a former senior BBC journalist. It documents the 'greatest transformational journey made by any world leader in the last four decades'.

The biography, released in London at the DSC South Asian Literature Festival Monday, will arrive at bookstores Oct 18, a statement by the DSC Literature Festival said Tuesday.

It will be published in India by Pan Macmillan.

'Circumstance and tragedy, rather than ambition, paved her path to power,' the writer says in the book.

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Born into a traditional, middle-class Italian family, Sonia Gandhi met and fell in love with Rajiv Gandhi, son of prime minister Indira Gandhi and grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, while studying English in Cambridge, the book says.

'Cruelly tested by the assassinations of her motherin-law and of her husband, Sonia grew into a strong, authoritative but always private figure,' Singh says.

According to Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, 'the biog-

raphy was an insightful portrait of an extraordinary woman and a compelling and important story of tragedy, family and a nation of upward trajectory'.

In his foreword, Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of Soviet Union, said 'Sonia Gandhi has served India in many ways - as Rajiv's wife, as the mother of two remarkable children, as an example of dignity and strength, and as a political leader of high caliber. India must be proud of her'.

'The book draws back the curtain, allowing the reader to encounter Sonia as the person behind the largerthan-life figure that she is for India's millions,' Ashley Tellis, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.

For Tim Marshall, foreign affairs editor Sky News, 'the book is a compelling love story woven into the complexities of Indian politics'.

'If you want to understand modern India

Building hysteria * In the past year in the US, the anti-sharia movement has gathered a full head of steam in the Deep South and Southwest, which is apparently in danger of being overrun by the Taliban. Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee have passed laws banning the use of Islamic law in state courts, which is unconstitutional, while some two dozen states have seen similar legislation introduced since 2010. * Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, convened hearings in March 2011 on alleged radicalization within the Muslim-American community. He has said there are “too many mosques in this country,” 85 percent of which are “ruled by the extremists,” and “we should be looking at them more carefully and finding

out how we can infiltrate them.” King also authored Vale of Tears, a fictional account of Muslim terrorist attacks on Long Island that he called “half truth.” * ‘Stop the Madrassah’ is a purported community coalition that opposed the Khalil Gibran International Academy, New York City’s first Arabic dual-language school.

Through Fox News, and New York’s rightwing media, Pamela Geller, Daniel Pipes and others demonized principal Debbie Almontaser as a “9/11 denier” and “jihadist,” and fomented anti-Muslim sentiment in general. Mayor Bloomberg forced Almontaser to resign in 2007, starved the school of funds and support, and announced the school’s closure in April 2011. * Neither a mosque nor located at Ground Zero, Park51 is planned to be an Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan. Pamela Geller lit the Islamophobic fires with a May 2010 post on her Atlas Shrugs blog, calling Park51 “Islamic domination and expansion …

It’s a stab in the eye of America.” By the summer, regular demonstrations at ‘Ground Zero’ picked up the vicious rhetoric — portraying Islam as the enemy, with all Muslims wanting to “conquer unbelievers,” with the “megamosque … an Al Qaeda triumph.” While protests quickly faded after the 9/11 anniversary, the center was injected into the national discourse and Republican candidates around the country continue to shrilly denounce it as a wedge issue. Meanwhile, civil liberty groups have documented an increase in mosque attacks, saying “the anti-mosque and antiMuslim sentiment expressed in the opposition to Park51 was not an isolated incident.”

No scriptwriting for Bollywood: Chetan Bhagat is books have invariably found a visual spin in Bollywood, but writer Chetan Bhagat, whose latest work 'Revolution 2020' has just hit the stands, says he isn't game to sit and script a film.

The corporate executiveturned-author, who admits he has imbibed a lot from the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, reasons he would rather continue the magic of words with good old books.

'I am quite busy with my books, man! I don't mind scripting, but my books are, in any case, being turned to film scripts.

There are a lot of people who can write scripts, but very few who can do that as books...so I would like to be in my space of being a book writer,' Bhagat, 37, said.

'Besides, in today's world of smartphones and apps it is important to retain the charm of books. There are

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people who want to read and I want to keep that urge in them alive,' he added.

So far, two films have been inspired by his books.

His first novel, 'Five Point Someone', about the college life of three engineering students, went on to become the 2009 blockbuster '3 Idiots', while his 'One Night @ the Call Center', around a group of six call centre employees, was made into 'Hello'.

His other two books 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life' and '2 States: The

Story of My Marriage' are also set to be converted into movies. The first has found the fancy of 'Rock On!!' director Abhishek Kapoor and “Sajid Nadiadwala is taking forward 2 Statges seriously.”

Bhagat is hoping 'Revolution 2020', which takes a look at corruption in the non-elite institutes in the Indian education sector with a love story in the backdrop, will also find its way to the big screen. It came out in the market Friday.

The IIT graduate's popularity has grown manifold over the years thanks to his books and also the films made on them. In fact, the lead characters of David Dhawan's recently released comedy film 'Rascals' were named Chetan (played by Sanjay Dutt) and Bhagat (Ajay Devgn) respectively.

An English author getting such popularity in India was unheard of some years ago.

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Humor

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Humor with Melvin Durai

If you want to see chivalry, go to the hospital

ome people believe that chivalry is dead, but I don't think that's true. Chivalry isn't dead –- it's just on life support.

Doctors are trying their best to revive it. But do we really want them to?

That's a question women need to answer. Men are ready to open doors for you and give up seats on buses and trains for you. We'll do almost anything for you, except carry your handbags while you shop. Even the most chivalrous man has to draw the line somewhere, especially with so many video cameras around. No one wants to be featured in a viral video titled “Lost at the mall: this guy’s manhood.”

Granted, not all men are eager to jump to your assistance. Some of us are ill-mannered buffoons. You know the type: the only door they’ll open for you is the door to the kitchen. And when you’re done cooking an elaborate meal, they’ll wait for you to serve them, saying, “Opening that door really tired me out.”

But most of us do want to be considered gentlemen. In fact, there was a time when we went out of our way to be courteous to women.

My memory isn’t perfect, but I do recall a moment in 2001 that I opened a door for a young lady. Or

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did I just dream it? No, I’m pretty certain it really happened. I parked the car, ran around to the other side and opened the door for my lovely wife. She looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, “What did you do this time?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, you must have done something wrong and are trying to make up for it.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just trying to be a gentleman.”

“A gentleman? Let me guess: you’ve been watching Oprah again.”

Yes, women can sometimes be a little suspicious when you try to be nice to them. But that’s not the main reason chivalry is on life support. What has really hurt it is the Women’s Liberation Movement.

Women want to be treated as equals –- and before I get myself in

hot water, I should state that I fully support equality of the sexes, especially if it means that my wife gets to climb out of bed and investigate any suspicious sounds in our house at night, while I hide under the blankets.

Women’s Lib has opened many doors for women, including doors to the boardrooms of major companies. “I can do anything you can,” the liberated woman says to the man in her life. “You don’t need to treat me like the weaker sex.”

“Okay, fine,” the man responds.

“I’ll just sit on the sofa and watch some cricket.”

“Please do that,” the woman says. “But before you go, can you open this bottle of mango pickle for me? It seems to be stuck.”

The man is confused: Didn’t she just tell him not to treat her like the weaker sex? It appears to him that she can’t do everything he can.

After all, when was the last time she grew a moustache? It’s also apparent to him that he can’t do everything she can. After all, when was the last time he gave birth to a baby?

But both sexes are equally capable of certain tasks, he realizes, so he stops opening doors for women, stops giving up his seat in buses.

And then one day, an old woman on the bus gives him a glare and

says, “Whatever happened to chivalry?”

“I’m asking the same thing,” he replies. “I was on this bus yester-

day and not one woman stood up to let me sit.”

(This piece originally appeared in Times of India, Chennai edition.)

Tribute to Steve Jobs

Tech Life

Facebook launches iPad app San Francisco: Facebook released its long-awaited iPad app and introduced support for social games on the mobile versions of its online service.

The dual announcements plug two key holes in Facebook's product offerings and could provide a way for Facebook to generate revenue from the more than 350 million users who access its service on mobile devices every month.

Facebook said that the mobile versions of its website will now offer tighter integration with third-party social games and applications. Those games, such as Zynga's Farmville, are extremely popular among Facebook users who access the service on their

PCs. Similar to the experience on a PC, Facebook users on mobile devices such as Apple's iPhone and Android smartphones will receive alerts in their newsfeed when their friends play certain games or invite them to play along with them.

Facebook's mobile service will also offer bookmarks within the website of a user's favorite games, for quick access. Many of those games offer users the ability to purchase virtual goods -- such as additional equipment or clothing to enhance the experience in a game -- using Facebook's special so-called Credits currency. Facebook takes a 30 per cent cut of the revenue from those transactions.

Disney takes on Angry Birds with Swampy game Los Angeles: It's not surprising, perhaps, that a game based on a sewer-dwelling alligator named "Swampy" ranks as the top paid app for iPhones and iPads. What's surprising is that the game is a product of Walt Disney Co. Swampy is the title character on a quest to stay clean in a low-cost, mobile video game called "Where's My Water?" that Disney hopes will lead to a turnaround of its struggling gaming business.

Within 24 hours of its release on Sept. 22, "Where's My Water?" -- a 99-cent puzzle game where players try to help Swampy keep clean by digging paths to guide water to his subterranean bathtub -- rose to the top of Apple Inc's App Store and has stayed there since.

The game featuring Swampy, who is the first Disney

character created specifically for a mobile game, currently ranks ahead of Rovio's wildly popular "Angry Birds" as the top paid app for iPhones and iPads, underscoring the threat that established, deep-pocketed companies like Disney and Electronic Arts pose for upstarts like Rovio and Zynga.

Astrology TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 15-21, 2011

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Stars Foretell: October 15-21, 2011 Aries: Excellent week for making new contacts and reviving old ones.

Dabbling in speculation and lending money should be avoided. You would be highly creative. Take advantage by putting your ideas into practical use. Partnership opportunities would present themselves to you, but you should put everything in black and white.

Gains from past investments seem certain.

Avoid overeating to stay physically fit.

Taurus: This week harsh words and actions would cause major damage to your reputation, but you can stabilize sour relationships if you are willing to make few concessions. Someone in a position of power would provide major support to your plans.

Affairs of the heart need attention. Home front seems perfect and family members go out of their way to make you happy. Businessmen should avoid extending credit. Travelling would be highly educating.

Gemini: This week you would feel somewhat let down. Don’t let someone you love play havoc with your heart. Problems with people could go out of hand if you do not control your emotions. Involve yourself in physical activities that would help you alleviate frustration that you experience.

Businessmen can expect to sign an important contract towards the end of the week. Property matters will materialize.

Cancer: This week female colleagues and relatives would be difficult to please. Do not discuss your personal matters and secrets with others. Your moral and confidence would not be to its optimum level.

Practice restrains and focus positive energies in sorting complicated problems. Take additional care of your health and do not spend unnecessarily. Educational pursuits and creative endeavors will yield excellent results.

Leo: Next few days you are likely to be torn between your personal and professional responsibilities. You should say no if you don’t want to do something. You possess a big heart and have always accommodated and helped others, but now is the time when you should start thinking about yourself. A greater involvement with children is likely to take place. Your interest in religious activities would make you spend time on puja/ hawan.

Virgo: Your witty talks would make you star at social gatherings. Travelling undertaken during this period would be rewarding. Business deals should be done very carefully. You are likely to be presented with various new schemes for immediate gains.

Verify the credentials for the company before making any investments. Relations with your spouse might get strained due to work pressure. Purchases made during this week are likely to cost you more than usual.

Libra: This week do not count your chickens before they hatch. Dubious financial ventures would only result in losses.

An eminent person provides support on your ongoing ventures. There might be some tensed

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moments at work. Tact and patience would ultimately be rewarding. Do not pay attention to humours and stick to your job. Jealousy is likely to upset your relation with a close friend.

Scorpio: Not a very fruitful period. You would differ with the views of people around you, which would make it extremely difficult for you to get along with others. Your critical nature would make you say things, which would lead you to isolation. It would be best for you to work alone and avoid seeking help from others. Check your water tap, gas connections and electricity switches before moving out of the house.

Sagittarius: This week you would be in the mood to travel and spend money on expensive items, but you would be sorry if you do. You are best to put your extra money into a safe place for an emergency. Time to relax and sit amongst close family members and relatives. Your friends would offer you vast amount of information and help you complete few important jobs. New ventures should be avoided this week.

Capricorn: Work pressure would cloud your mind leaving you with no time for romantic entanglements. Avoid arguments and confrontation, as it would only lead to dismay and embarrassment. Outstation journey is on the cards for some of you. Some changes around your house would be essential. Health of some elderly person in the family may cause some stress and anxiety.

Aquarius: This week if you present your ideas and opinions to others, you would receive more support than you anticipated. Talk to people who are enterprising and who would help you turn your dreams to reality. Friends would bring pleasure and share some wonderful moments with you. Travelling and educational pursuits would be to your benefit. Parties and pleasure jaunts for youngsters.

Pisces: This is an excellent week to beautify your surroundings and entertain people at home. You can also help others with financial problems and work for social organizations and groups. Financial gains through property or shares transactions cannot be ruled out.

Hectic work schedule would give you less time for family and friends. Do things that would help you stay in perfect health.

Before you consult... i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date, Time and Place of birth is accurate. ii) Careful: Did you check background of the astrologer before disclosing your secrets. iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, don’t feel shy. It’s his business. iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the outcome is not as desired, never give up. v) Consult: Take second opinion before spending thousands on cure/remedies.

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week October 15 Ruled by number 6 and the planet Venus, you are energetic, smart, attractive, accommodating, diplomatic & highly practical person. Your greatest assets are your confidence and determination. You do not shy away from challenges and fight till the end, but you need to control your tendency to behave outspoken and spendthrift at times. This year your career seems to move towards some most unexpected direction. Although results would be slow but should prove beneficial in the long run. You would have new set of responsibilities. Your seniors would depend a lot on your performance and if you fail their expectations, things would prove difficult for you. Wonderful period to put efforts towards creative works. Your ideas will be helpful to those around you. The months of October, January and May would prove to be highly important.

October 16: Influenced by number 7 and the planet Neptune, you are trustworthy, affectionate, creative, sensitive and an emotional individual. You have a strong attachment to people who are sincere and open in their thoughts, but you face extreme criticism because of your tendency to behave stubborn and arrogant at times. This year you would witness some significant changes at your place of work. You would be loaded with additional responsibilities and your time schedule would be shorter than ever before, leaving you with very little time for family matters. Rewards at the completion of project would be excellent. Promotions and monetary gains are most certain. New love affairs would be pleasant, exciting and promise a romantic future.

The months of September, February, April and June would be highly exciting.

October 17: Influenced by number 8 and the planet Saturn. You are smart, practical, honest, disciplined, methodical and authoritative person. You are very sober, docile and caring and you love spending time especially with children, but you need to check your tendency to behave rigid, jealous and introvert at times. This year you would form several great business partnerships that would be beneficial for your career. You are likely to receive financial benefits from more than one source. Your current employer would depend a lot on your skills and capabilities, which would ensure you lot of rewards in the long run. Unexpected financial gains can come through affairs associated with land or its product.

The months of August, November, October and July will be highly significant.

October 18: Ruled by number 9 and the planet Mars. You are intelligent, energetic, confident, enthusiastic and courageous person. You make firm commitments and once you make decisions it lasts forever. You are bold and possess a sharp analytical mind, but you need to check your tendency to behave short tempered and vindictive at times. You would travel excessively because of your work this year. You would meet new and important people, who would help you gather valuable information and work on new ideas. Some of these new ideas would also improve your finances. Financial gains are certain but speculation should be avoided on all fronts. Family members, especially spouse may behave bit erratic, primarily due to health reasons. Overall this

year is highly promising and ensures rewards for times to come. The months of October, December, May and June will prove to be highly important.

October 19: Influenced by number 1 and the Sun, you are authoritative, confident, determined, responsible and creative person. You enjoy to lead an unusually busy life. You are fond of moving about with important people and do things, which bring you instant fame, but you need to curb your tendency to behave stubborn, spendthrift and hypocrite at times. This year you would be attracted to new philosophies, religions, people and investments.

Your openness and views would win you new friends. With luck on your side you have strong chance of bringing pending transactions and negotiations to your benefit. Real estate transactions can also be made profitable if done with minimum risks. New alliances are certain but some of your independent views would conflict with those of family members. The months of September, November, January and May will prove to be highly beneficial.

October 20: Ruled by number 2 and the Moon, you are highly imaginative, practical, emotional, honest, simple and generous person. You are very shrewd businessmen. You search out for best bargains before you invest your hard earned money, but you need to check your tendency to behave jealous and hypocrite at times. Although your employer would consider you a great asset and would be pleased with your performance but rewards would fall short of your expectations. It is likely that you would work on more than one important project and would lay the foundation stone for excellent future income. You would also invest more time and money on education or improvement of skills. Your spouse would be your best friend and the two of you would have memorable time together. The months of October, February and April will be highly eventful.

October 21 Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter, you are energetic, honorable, ambitious, dignified and an intelligent person. You are the one who never gets bored as you always find new and interesting things to keep yourself busy. You are full of life and you have the ability to pep up the atmosphere around you, but you need to check your tendency to behave over ambitious and dictatorial at times.

This year you would be part of an important delegation. You would hold additional responsibilities and take decisions, which would be highly crucial.

Your responsibilities would increase and it's likely you would move into a new management position.

Real estate matters would take shape. The months of July, October, February, April will be highly significant.

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Spiritual Awareness

October 15-21, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The soul is a spark of God Concluding part of a two part series of Sant Ji’s discourse on finding Spiritual Love

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj ant Mat is the path of love.

Sant Mat translates into "teachings of the Masters or saints." Study any of the world’s religions and we find that the founder of each religion taught the same exact message, which is that God is love, our soul is love, and the way back to God is through love.

How simple and clear this message is, but we lose sight of it.

Thousands of books are written to speculate about God, but the founders of every religion had it correct. They boiled it down to one word, and that is love. God is the power of love. It is love that blossomed forth into expression as creation. Whether we poetically describe God as a parent whose love wanted to create children, or God as an artist whose love to create burst forth into song, paintings, poetry, or sculpture, the essence of that creation is love.

If we look at nature we find at the core of all the physical sciences is the law of attraction. This whole universe is held together by the law of love expressed as physics.

Gravity is the law of attraction that keeps objects within the atmosphere of the planet, or we would all float off into space. The dance of neutrons, electrons, and protons is a pull of attraction that keeps them tied together as molecules of matter, or we would be just one loose universe of floating energy with no matter.

Electricity is the flow of charged particles from the positive part of a circuit to the negative part.

Magnetism is based on the flow of energy between positive and negative poles. Physics is just an expression of the law of love.

As God’s love flows out, creation comes into being. Love lies at the heart of all God’s expressions, from the spiritual realms of creation, to the physical realm, and all matter and energy that exists within these realms.

Love is at the heart of all forms of life in creation as well. It exists within every living thing from the plants, to the animals, to humans.

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We name that love within us as the soul. The soul is a spark of God, and as God is love, our soul is also love—pure and simple.

All problems that exist in creation are due to forgetting the love of God within us. If we were to remember God’s love, we would be one with God, from whom we were created.

If we are here on this planet today, it is because we have forgotten that love. Our separation from God is due to forgetting this love.

This outer shell of the body we wear is formed from the actions and reactions of a long stream of lifetimes in which we cycled away from God’s love. We may have been sent out for one experience but if we became enamored by God’s universes instead of God, we ended up being attracted to living in the realms of creation instead of returning to God. How few returned to God. It is said that only ten percent wanted to go back to God but they had already accumulated karma in their sojourn away from God and that had to be paid off before they could return. Think of the ninety percent who have not yet remembered they came from God and how much karma they are accumulating in each successive life away from God. As long as we think we are the body and mind and not the soul, it is easy to forget love. What we call love in this world is really a manifestation of desire. How many of us really love the essence of other people for the pure love within them?

How many love others conditionally because we want something? Some people claim to love others but really want something from them, like money, possessions, control, power, favors and the like. When we love someone for who they are at their core, that is love. When we just love someone for the sake of loving them and do not care to gain anything from them, that is love. But most people call something love when it is nothing more than filling a desire for money, belongings, security, attachment, control, or power. These reasons for loving end up dragging us through the mud of anger, greed, attachment and ego. Thus, the socalled love only adds to our karmic load. True love frees us from karma because we do not want anything for ourselves.

So long as we have forgotten love, we are in separation from God. To end the separation from God, we need to illumine ourselves with love, the expression of God. That love is innate within all of us. When we are illumined with that love within, we connect back to God. Every religion stressed this key purpose of life. Each religion has love at its core. Each saint taught the way to illumine ourselves with that

love. Once we find the love within ourselves, we have found God. We think finding God is so complex and technical. We think that it is something that only a lucky few throughout history have done.

Finding love is so easy it can be done by a child or person of any age, whether literate or illiterate. It is like digging for a treasure hidden under your house. Just dig and you will find it. Instead we are looking for the treasure everywhere else instead of where it waits for us.

Imagine there is a treasure. Yet we are ignorant of it. How can we find it? We need someone with the map to show us the right place to dig for the treasure. That person can show us the right tools we need, the right place to dig, and the technique for digging. Similarly, the treasure of God’s love is within us. We have

the treasure of God’s love within us.

That roadmap is that they initiate us into the Light and Sound of God. They teach us the process of meditation by which we can contact that Light and Sound within. That Light and Sound are two manifestations of God’s love that brought all creation into being. That love of God is a stream or current of Light and Sound that flowed out from God, creating all that exists including us.

God, the Light and Sound, and the soul are all one, and that oneness that is at their core is love.

When we connect with the Light and Sound we are connecting to a stream of love. That love leads us back to the source of that love, God. Meditation is the process of making daily contact with the love within us. When we meditate on the Light and Sound, we are meditating on that love. That is why those who experience success in their meditation are blissed out. Why? They are

Whoever came in contact with a Master-saint came in contact with walking love on earth

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj – the great Master forgotten it is there, forgotten how to dig for it, and forgotten the technique. Masters are the catalyst by which we can find and reawaken that love within.

The Masters are in tune with the love of God. They have a physical form and they have a mind but they have found the source of love within them, connected with it and have become one with it. Thus, when we come into the presence of a Master we are in the presence of love itself.

Every saint has been described in the same manner, a being of all love.

Christ was all love. Moses was all love. Buddha was all love. Mahavira was all love. Guru Nanak was all love. Kabir was all love. The founders of all religions were all love. Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj was all love. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj was all love. Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj was all love.

Whoever came in contact with a Master-saint came in contact with walking love on earth. When we become disciples, apostles, followers, students, initiates, satsangis, or whatever we want to call it, we are learning from them how to love.

They give us the roadmap to find

contacting that love within them.

See the faces of those who rise above body-consciousness. They are enraptured with love. Those who have had a near-death experience describe their entry into a world of Light where they experienced more love than they ever had on earth.

Those who meet a Master in the physical form or the radiant form within during meditation describe experiencing more love from the Master than from anyone else they met in this world. Meditation is not a dry set of physical steps, such as sit down, close your eyes, and look within; meditation is an act of love.

It is the dance of love between the soul and godly love within us.

The term spiritual "Master" means "one who has mastered meditation on the Light and Sound and can teach us to do the same." The Master of meditation of the inner Light and Sound is teaching us how to reawaken our love within us through connecting with the stream of love to take us back to the source of love, which is God. The Master radiates love through his eyes, through his words, through his smile, through his touch, through his presence in the physical realm, and through his spiritual or radiant form which we meet in meditation.

His ethereal form radiates even more than his outer form. His radiation of love increases as we travel with the Master within through each higher realm of creation. The love

we experience from the Master without is but a reflection of the love we experience when we meet the Master within.

We know about the art of divine love of God through the saints and Masters who have experienced this love for themselves. Saints have described what it is like to meet their Master within in terms of bliss so incredible there is little comparison to it in the language of this world.

They may say something like: "Every pore of the body is filled with ecstasy." It is not just one experience of ecstasy, but it is multiplied by thousands, if not millions, of times over. Some people cannot even contain themselves with one single drop of ecstasy, let alone millions of times that amount. That is why we speak of those touched by this love as having the madness of love.

We think of love in this world as a matter of giving cards to our loved ones that say, "I love you," or giving flowers or candy to our loved ones.

These are some outer ways in which lovers and their beloveds honor the love they have for each other. But the greatest love relationship in this creation is that of the soul and God, lover and Eternal Beloved. That is a love that never ends. It is a permanent, eternal love that elevates the soul into the arms of the Beloved.

There is no greater love than that of the soul and God. The closer we come to identifying with our soul, the closer we come to having greater and greater love for God. There is nothing sweeter than the sweetness of love in the heart of a disciple for the Master. This sweetness is that of the soul in love with God. We think of outer sweets as being delicious. But there is nothing more delicious than the love the disciple experiences for the Master and the love of the soul for God. Love is the sweetest nectar in the world.

What is Naam, or the Light and Sound? It is not a principle of physics. It is love itself. It is the love flowing out of the heart of God in the form of Light and Sound that created all. It is the God power or the Master that is actually love itself. The Master is one with that power and exudes that love in all directions. It is the soul that is a drop of that love. When we strip away the world and the mind, we find ourselves as a drop of love. We are soul, and as such we, too, are made of love. When the love of the soul meets the love of God, there is no duality. Two become one. It is love meeting love. When the disciple meets the Master, it is recognizing the love within us is the same love that is within the Master, and all separateness is gone. Love meets love and there is nothing but love.

For more visit www.sos.org