India Post_08-14-2009 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Niranjan Shah resigns as chairman of UIC Details on page 12

Death for three in 2003 Mumbai blasts case Details on page 9

17 years for murder of Indian housewife Details on page 12

Fox Star to distribute Shah Rukh film Details on page 54

Deepak Vyas Vice Chairman of Export Council Details on page 52

VOL 15, No. 780

August 14, 2009

50¢

Periodical Postage

BURMA N-BOMB?

Defectors' tales & missing Pak scientists fuel suspicion BANGKOK: Myanmar's military regime has collaborated in recent years with North Korea and Russia to develop a reactor capable of producing one nuclear bomb a year by 2014, a news report based on the testimony of two defectors claimed here. The report, published in the Bangkok Post's Spectrum magazine after a similar article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, was the result of a two-year investigation into Myanmar's nuclear ambitions by Desmond Ball, a regional security expert at the Australian National University, and Phil Thornton, an Australian journalist based on the Thai-Myanmar border. Basing their report primarily on the testimony of two defectors from the Myanmar regime, including one army officer and a book keeper for a trading company with close links to the military, the report claimed that Myanmar, also called Burma, is excavating uranium in 10 locations and has two uranium plants in operation to refine uranium into "yellowcake," the fissile material for nuclear weapons. Since the early 2000s, dissidents and defectors from Myanmar have talked of a "nuclear battalion," an atomic "Ayelar Project" working out of a disguised flour mill and two Pakistani scientists who fled to Myanmar following the Sept. 11 attacks providing assistance. They gave no detailed evidence. Contíd on page 6

Gautier in US to rally Hindus

Andy Shenoy appointed to NY Tourism Board Details on page 30

Bill Clinton to address Pan IIT Conference Details on page 58

Pak arrests another 26/11 suspect Details on page 7

See pages 38-57

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

Should India worry over Burma plans? Last week’s result

Should war against Pakistan be ruled out? YES 33%

NO 67%

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Distinguished journalist, writer and long time friend of India Francois Gautier of FACT-India is touring the US through August delivering a series of lectures and raising funds for a Museum of Indian History to be set up in Pune city in Maharashtra, India. Gautier will be speaking on topics centering India including how terrorism is hitting the country, wrong perceptions of India in the US media, misguided policies of US in Indian subcontinent, what NRIs can do to raise awareness about the real India and how Indian Americans can unite and why India needs a museum of Indian history. Contíd on page 8

CONTENTS Bollywood -------------------------- 26 Classifieds --------------------- 66-69 Community Post -------------- 12-22 Date Book -------------------------- 70 Edit Page --------------------------- 72 HealthScience Post --------- 28-29 Horoscope ------------------------- 65 Immigration Post ------------- 60-67 Life Style ----------------------- 24-25

Francois Gautier

Philosophy ------------------------- 71

‘Special privilege to be born a Hindu’

Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4

SPECIAL INTERVIEW

See page 8

Real Estate -------------------- 35-37 TechBiz Post ------------------- 58-59 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 30-32

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

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August 14, 2009

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his August 15, we will be celebrating the sixty-second year of India's independence. Now, though I'm proud of the fact that India has made its place in the world as a force to reckon with, I must admit some of the euphoria that I felt a couple of years ago when India hit 60, has died down. Without doubt India is still booming as an economy even if only relatively so in comparison to most other economies in the world, but that's not what's dampening my spirits when I think of India - it's actually got to do with the youth in India. My grief is strictly without putting them up in comparison to people of any other country, but in their own right, as a collective psyche, I am convinced there is something terribly wrong with a vast majority of young Indians today. Here's a country that is by far the youngest in terms of population. But qualitatively speaking, they are uncouth, arrogant and irresponsible; they are totally lacking in civic sense, blindly ape the West for all the wrong reasons; take corruption for granted; and care less than a hoot for the lopsided development of the country. Urban India today, is chaotic, loud and vulgar in its display of prosperity. Values have eroded and ethnic cultures are fading away and the very relevance of the freedom struggle is being questioned. I do understand that social trends and societal status quos keep changing with every few generations and hopefully one day Indian society will go back to following traditional values. But how does one explain a collective lack of civic mindedness, orderliness, discipline, a basic sense of public hygiene as also a sense of pride in the country's history, culture and traditions? They do say that Indians settled abroad are more Indian than Indians in India. Sure, to some degree we are, in wanting to hold onto our Indianness in an alien land. But somehow, the minute we set foot in India, we are no different from our fellow Indians or Indians anywhere in the world.

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Bollywood Fake Amrita To counter a fake Amrita Rao playing cheap pranks on her behalf, the actress has herself joined Facebook.

Cover Story: Burma N-bomb? Myanmar has collaborated with North Korea and Russia to develop a reactor capable of producing nuclear bomb.

Community: Shah quits

Prominent businessman Niranjan Shah has resigned as chairman of the board of Trustees at the University of Illinois.

Health: Healthcare showdown President Obama and congressional Democrats are looking ahead to a healthcare showdown on the House floor.

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Is Myanmar moving toward nuclear status? Cont’d from page 1

Now a spokesman for the selfstyled Myanmar government-inexile, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, says according to people working with the dissident movement inside the Myanmar army, there are two heavily guarded buildings under construction "to hold nuclear reactors" in central Myanmar. Villagers in the area have been displaced, said spokesman Zinn Lin. Andrew Selth of Australia's Griffith University, who has monitored Myanmar's possible nuclear moves for a decade, says none of these reports has been substantiated and calls the issue an "information black hole." He also says Western governments are cautious in their assessments, remembering the intelligence blunders regarding suspected weapons of mass destruction in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. To have a capacity to make nuclear weapons Myanmar would need to build a plutonium reprocessing plant. Such a plant is planned in Naung Laing, central Myanmar, where Russian technicians are already "teaching plutonium reprocessing," the army defector Moe Jo, an alias, told the investigators. Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia's atomic energy agency in May, 2007, to build a 10-megawatt light-water reactor using uranium. The report suggests that Myanmar's non-military nuclear ambitions are nonsense. "They say it's to produce medical isotopes for health purposes in hospitals," civilian defector Tin Min, a former employee of the junta-connected Htoo Trading Company, told Spectrum. "How many hospitals in Burma have nuclear science? Burma can barely get electricity up and running. It's nonsense," Tin Win, an alias, said. Htoo Trading, owned by Myanmar business tycoon Tay Za, who has close connections with the military, is handling shipments of yellowcake to both North Korea and Iran, the report claimed. It speculated that in the future North Korea might provide Myanmar with fissionable plutonium in return for yellowcake. The report's two authors urged Myanmar's neighbours in the Association of South-East

In this May 21, 2007 file photo, North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam I is docked at Myanmar International Terminal’s Thilawar port, south of Yangon, Myanmar

Asian Nations (ASEAN) to closely monitor Myanmar's nuclear programme, the subject of much speculation in the past.

Clinton in Thailand US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton raised the spectre of closer North KoreanMyanmar collaboration in nuclear armaments during her visit to Thailand last month to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia's main security event. At the forum, Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win assured the other participants that his government would abide by the United Nations Security Council's recent resolution on North Korea that prohibits any cooperation with Pyongyang in the nuclear sector.

It speculated that in the future North Korea might provide Myanmar with fissionable plutonium in return for yellowcake "We were gratified by Burma's statement announcing its intention to adhere to the UN resolution," Clinton said at the end of the meeting, although urging watchfulness that the adherence was followed up. Reports from Washington focus on the recent aborted voyage of a North Korean ship, photographs of massive tunnels and a top secret meeting which have raised alarm bells that Myanmar

may be aspiring to join the nuclear club with help from its friends in Pyongyang. No one expects military-run Myanmar, also known as Burma, to obtain an atomic bomb anytime soon, but experts have the Southeast Asian nation on their radar screen. "There's suspicion that something is going on, and increasingly that cooperation with North Korea may have a nuclear undercurrent. We are very much looking into it," says David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington, D.C. think tank. Alert signals sounded recently when a North Korean freighter, the Kang Nam I, headed toward Myanmar with undisclosed cargo. Shadowed by the U.S. Navy, it reversed course and returned home earlier this month. It is still not clear what was aboard. U.S. and South Korean officials suspected artillery and other non-nuclear arms, but one South Korean intelligence expert, citing satellite imagery, says the ship's mission appeared to be related to a Myanmar nuclear program and also carried Scud-type missiles. The expert, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said North Korea is helping Myanmar set up uranium- and nuclear-related facilities, echoing similar reports that have long circulated in Myanmar's exile community and media. Meanwhile, Japanese police arrested a North Korean and two Japanese nationals last month for allegedly trying to export a magnetic measuring device to Myanmar that could be used to

develop missiles. And a recent report from Washington-based Radio Free Asia and Myanmar exile media said senior Myanmar military officers made a top secret visit late last year to North Korea, where an agreement was concluded for greatly expanding cooperation to modernize Myanmar's military muscle, including the construction of underground installations. The military pact report has yet to be confirmed. In June, photographs, video and reports showed as many as 800 tunnels, some of them vast, dug in Myanmar with North Korean assistance under an operation code-named "Tortoise Shells." The photos were reportedly taken between 2003 and 2006.

Thailand-based author Bertil Lintner is convinced of the authenticity of the photos, which he was the first to obtain Thailand-based author Bertil Lintner is convinced of the authenticity of the photos, which he was the first to obtain. However, the purpose of the tunnel networks, many near the remote capital of Naypyitaw, remains a question mark. "There is no doubt that the Burmese generals would like to have a bomb so that they could challenge the Americans and the rest of the world," says Lintner,

who has written books on both Myanmar and North Korea. "But they must be decades away from acquiring anything that would even remotely resemble an atomic bomb." David Mathieson of the New York-based Human Rights Watch, who monitors developments in Myanmar, says that while there's no firm evidence the generals are pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, "a swirl of circumstantial trends indicates something in the nuclear field is going on that definitely warrants closer scrutiny by the international community." Albright says some of the suspicion stems from North Korea's nuclear cooperation with Syria, which now possesses a reactor. Syria had first approached the Russians, just as Myanmar did earlier, but both countries were rejected, so the Syrians turned to Pyongyang a step Myanmar may also be taking. Alarm bells about Myanmar's aspirations have rung before. In 2007, Russia signed an agreement to establish a nuclear studies center in Myanmar, build a 10-megawatt nuclear research reactor for peaceful purposes and train several hundred technicians in its operation. However, Russia's atomic agency Rosatom told The Associated Press recently that "there has been no movement whatsoever on this agreement with Burma ever since." Even earlier, before the military seized power, Myanmar sought to develop nuclear energy, sending physicists to the United States and Britain for studies in the 1950s. The military government established a Department of Atomic Energy in 2001 under U Thaung, a known proponent of nuclear technology who currently heads the Ministry of Science and Technology. Myanmar is a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and under a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is obligated to let the U.N. watchdog know at least six months in advance of operating a nuclear facility, agency spokesman Ayhan Evrensel said. Evrensel said the Viennabased IAEA has asked Myanmar to sign a so-called "additional protocol" that would allow agency experts to carry out unannounced inspections and lead to a broader flow of information about Myanmar's nuclear activities. Cont’d on page 7

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August 14, 2009

India Post

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'Myanmar a side issue in context Myanmar accuses Hillary of interfering in ASEAN affairs of North Korea' India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Myanmar watchers have cautioned India not rush to conclusions in view of reports about Myanmar's attempt to go nuclear. An analyst of the Observer Research Foundation says this is not the first time that such reports have come in. This process has been going on for the last eight-nine years. The present alarm is based on the statement of two defectors given to an Australian newspaper. He said the whole issue is still in the realm of speculation. Some scholars, analysts and researchers have come out with articles. However, no government or international organization like the IAEA or the United Nations has made any statement. The real problem is North Korea. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who attended the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phuket, Thailand reiterated concerns that North Korea might be transferring

nuclear technology to Myanmar. In fact, Myanmar came up only as a side issue in the context of its relations with North Korea amid suspicions that it could be helping Myanmar with nuclear capa-

Some scholars, analysts and researchers have come out with articles. However, no government or international organization like the IAEA or the United Nations has made any statement bilities. Strategic expert B Raman has also counseled caution in assessing the reports, claims and allegations from political exiles and army defectors from Myanmar. "Their

reports must be carefully verified," he says. "All one can say with some confidence at present is: firstly, that the Myanmar military junta's interest in acquiring a civil nuclear capability dates back to 1998 when India and Pakistan carried out their nuclear tests; secondly, that since 2001 Myanmar has been in negotiations with Russia for the acquisition of a research reactor; thirdly, that there has been a long delay in the implementation of this project due to Myanmar's lack of funds and the time taken to negotiate a safeguards agreement with the IAEA; and fourthly, that there has been an increase in North Korea's military supply relationship with Myanmar since the two countries re-established diplomatic relations in April, 2007." Has the military supply relationship been expanded now to cover nuclear supply relationship? The evidence on this not yet strong enough to permit a categorical answer, he concludes.

Pak arrests another 26/11 suspect ISLAMABAD: In a "major breakthrough" in its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan has arrested a key suspect with links to the outlawed LeT for allegedly facilitating the 26/11 strikes. The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is spearheading Pakistan's probe into the Mumbai incident, arrested Jamil Ahmed on the basis of information provided by other suspects. Sources in the FIA described Ahmed, a resident of Battagram

in the unruly North West Frontier Province, as an "important suspect allegedly linked with" the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the Daily Times newspaper reported. Ahmed was arrested following the interrogation of five LeT operatives operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abu AlQama, Zarar Shah, Shahid Jamil Riaz and Hamad Amin Sadiq arrested earlier by the FIA. These five men are being tried by an antiterror court in connection with the Mumbai attacks. "The suspects revealed the

Pakistan bans 25 organizations ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has banned 25 religious and other organizations, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkere-Taiba, the Interior Ministry said. The ministry presented a list of the banned organizations in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament. It also said the Sunni Tehrik had been put on a watch list. Among the organizations included in the list of outlawed groups are JuD, LeT, JeM, Tehrike-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-eNifaz-e-Shariah Muahammadi, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Al-Akhtar Trust, Al-Rasheed Trust, Tehreeke-Islami, Islamic Students Move-

ment, Khair-un-Nisa International Trust, Islami Tehreek-e-Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Islam, Balochistan Liberation Army, Jamiat-un-Nisar, Khadam Islam and Millat-eIslamia Pakistan. A majority of the groups have been linked to terrorist attacks and suicide bombings in Pakistan. India has blamed the JuD, LeT and JeM for several attacks on its soil, including the Mumbai attacks and the 2001 assault on the Indian parliament. Pakistan banned the JuD after the UN Security Council declared it a front for the LeT in December last year. The LeT and JeM were banned by the country in 2002.PTI

name of another suspect, Jamil Ahmed, of Battagram during interrogation. Ahmed also allegedly facilitated the acts of terrorism in Mumbai on November 26," a source was quoted as saying by the newspaper.-PTI

YANGON, Myanmar: A Clinton saved some of her Myanmar state-run newspaper toughest criticism during the fohas accused U.S. Secretary of rum for Myanmar and North KoState Hillary Rodham Clinton of rea, which is not an ASEAN meminterfering in the affairs of the ber. She expressed concerns that Association of Southeast Asian North Korea, already a threat to Nations after she urged its mem- its neighbors and the U.S. with its bers to press for more democratic history of illicit sales of missiles reforms in the country. and nuclear technology, is now Clinton, who attended the developing ties to Myanmar's miliASEAN Regional Forum last week tary dictatorship. in Thailand, also called on Clinton also offered Myanmar Myanmar to unconditionally re- the prospect of better relations lease pro-democracy leader Aung The commentary also sugSan Suu Kyi, who is on trial for alleggested that American calls for edly violating the terms of her house Suu Kyi's release were part of arrest and faces a a long-term plan to place possible five-year prison term. someone in power in "It amounts to interfering in the Myanmar whom it can control affairs of the ASEAN," according to a commentary in the state- with the United States, but said run Myanma Ahlin daily. "If that depended in part on the fate ASEAN complies with the in- of Suu Kyi. struction of U.S. Secretary of Myanmar state media rejected State, ASEAN will become the fol- the criticism, accusing those calllower of United States." ing for Suu Kyi's release of "interMyanmar is one of ASEAN's ference" and "showing reckless 10 member countries. disregard for the law." The commentary also sugSuu Kyi, 64, is charged with gested that American calls for Suu violating the terms of her house Kyi's release were part of a long- arrest by harboring an uninvited term plan to place someone in American man who swam to her power in Myanmar whom it can lakeside home and stayed for two control. days in May.

Pak Taliban chief's wife killed in drone strike ISLAMABAD: Targeting Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, US drones destroyed his father-in-law's house, killing him and the militant commander's wife along with two others in a predawn attack in the lawless tribal belt. Official sources were quoted by a television news channel as saying that the militant leader's second wife and her father, Malik Ikramuddin, were killed when the

drone struck their home near Makeen, a village in a remote area of South Waziristan dominated by the Mehsud tribe. There was no official word on the development. Pakistani authorities rarely confirm US drone attacks or provide details of casualties. Reports said the drone fired two missiles at the sprawling compound belonging to Ikramuddin, a cleric, at 12.45 am. Several per-

sons, including two children, were injured in the attack, TV news channels reported. One of the officials said it was not clear whether Mehsud himself was in the house at the time of the attack. The Tehrik-e-Taliban chief used to visit the house very often. Taliban fighters cordoned off the area after the missile strike and did not allow people to approach Ikramuddin's house, local residents said.-PTI

Is Myanmar moving toward nuclear status? Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 6

The regime has remained silent on whatever its plans may be. A Myanmar government spokesman did not respond to an e-mail asking about Russian and North Korean involvement in nuclear development. In a rare comment from inside Myanmar, Chan Tun, former ambassador to North Korea turned democracy activist, told the Thailand-

based Irrawaddy magazine, "To put it plainly: Burma wants to get the technology to develop a nuclear bomb. "However, I have to say that it is childish of the Burmese generals to dream about acquiring nuclear technology since they can't even provide regular electricity in Burma," the Myanmar exile publication quoted him last month as saying. Some experts think the generals may be bluffing.

"I would think that it's quite possible Yangon would like to scare other countries or may feel that talking about developing nuclear technologies will give them more bargaining clout," said Cristina-Astrid Hansell at the California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "This is not unreasonable, given the payoffs North Korea has gotten for its nuclear program."Agencies

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It is a special privilege to be born a Hindu: Francois Gautier SRIREKHA N. CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Noted French journalist and writer Francois Gautier who has made India his home and propagation of Hinduism his cause and mission for over three decades, is currently traveling across the US to raise funds through his foundation, FACTIndia, for the setting up of an Indian history museum in Pune, India. Gautier, perhaps one of the very few Westerners to have unconditionally adopted a Hindu way of life, feels the widely prevalent distorted image of Indian history as propagated by the British, Christian missionaries, communists and the western world in general for over two centuries, has necessitated the museum to portray Hindu civilization in the right light. In an interview with India Post during his visit to New York last week, Gautier spoke about his ambitious museum project, the many threats to Hinduism in today's world and how Hindus can gain the respect of the world. IP: Can you tell us about the Museum of Indian History? Gautier: I have been donated some land in Pune by a private trust where I want to build the museum to be called the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum of Indian History. I see in India there are no museums of Indian history worth the name. So the idea is to start from the Vedas, go on to talk about the greatness of the whole of India and the entire drama of the invasions through history, the Hindu holocaust, and then portray India of today and tomorrow. IP: What kind of funds do you need and how long will it take to complete the museum? Gautier: It's a huge project but definitely it will happen. It's about $40m dollars, and I don't know how long it will take -- perhaps 10-20 years, because I don't have the money right away. But I am ready to start, once I start, the donations will come and people will understand the importance of this museum. IP: Why is it important to have such a museum? Gautier: As a journalist and writer, when I started documenting for my book, I realized that most history books on India are based upon very old theories considered defunct or debatable such as the Aryan invasion theory, which evidence shows has never taken place. Both British historians and later Nehruvian historians have toned down the considerable im-

pact on Indian culture of the invasions starting from Alexander the Great to the Arabs, the Muslim invaders and the British -- that entire part of the history has been swept under the carpet. And even later, the history of India's Independence is very unfairly portrayed. The need of the museum is very important so we can look at India's history in a very scientific manner, which is what my organization FACT India is doing. IP: Will the museum focus only on the Hindu history of India? Gautier: The museum will also broach upon many of India's dark periods in its history like the inquisition in Goa by the Portuguese, the Sufi persecution, the Ahmedi Muslim persecution in Bangladesh, how the Buddhist history was wiped out and how some of the early Syrian Christians of Kerala were persecuted. And of course the Hindu holocaust right from Hindu Kush (massacre of Hindus) to the current terrorist activities against them. I want school children to come to the museum and learn of their own culture and be proud. Kids in Indian schools are learning about Shakespeare and Milton, not about their Hindu or Indian culture. In my country we are

The idea is to start from the Vedas, go on to talk about the greatness of the whole of India and the entire drama of the invasions through history taught about great French people like our poets, social reformers, artists etc… so I grew up proud of my culture, but Indian kids do not grow up learning about or feeling proud of their culture. IP: Do you see any kind of opposition to your project from either the government or any section of the Indian society? Gautier: Of course there's bound to be some opposition, you can't make everybody happy. But one has to go by the truth. Whatever one's limitations, if backed by truth, even if it is opposed, there will be some kind of direction and protection. In fact, there are three reasons for setting up the museum in Pune: One-- of course the land donated is in Pune; second-- since I work in Pune, I found that people

of Pune, irrespective of their political affiliations, are quite nationalistic in nature. I feel my museum will be more protected in Pune than anywhere else in India; thirdly-Pune is Shivaji's birth place. There is no museum of Shivaji anywhere in Maharashtra though he is a true hero. So naming it after Shivaji will be a protection for this museum. IP: Over the many years of your career, how successful have you been in changing western perceptions of Hinduism? Gautier: It's a very difficult task, because unfortunately the image of Hinduism is not that good. But, there is more ignorance than hostility. Westerners do not know that it is a monotheistic religion. Secondly, Hindus, especially Brahmins have been at the receiving end of many like the British, the missionaries, the Islamic invaders all of who created a very negative image of Hinduism -particularly the missionaries emphasized only the negative sides of Hinduism and amplified them a thousand times. Today we still find that even after 200 years, these negative images have survived even in the minds of Hindus in India. Unfortunately it is a great handicap for journalists like me who like Hinduism and want to defend it. I can't say I have been very successful, but at least now westerners are open to going to India and understanding Hindus. There are so many good things to be said for Hinduism, but unfortunately there is no will among Hindus to try to explain to westerners. Hindus are just content to come to the West and melt into local cultures or at best keep their spirituality and religion to themselves. IP: What do you think of the

role of the Indian intellectual elite and media in projecting the image of Hindus? Gautier: The British have left such a mark on the minds of much of Indian intelligentsia and elite, right from the erstwhile Maharajas who have copied the British way of life that it has left a deep impression on generations after that. Today Indians think that everything that comes from the West

In the past there was any one threat at a time like the Greek, British or Muslim invasions. But today, there are the threats of Muslim fundamentalism, Christian conversions, Marxist onslaught, Westernization and so on is good. It's very stupid, because many things in the West have failed like family values etc. This generation of Indian intelligentsia is aping Marxism so brilliantly, which is dead even in Russia, and is probably only left in Cuba, but I don't see why Indians should copy Cuba (laughs).

Look at the Chinese, they are so proud of their culture; nobody dares to fiddle with them, even America will not dare to interfere with their affairs. IP: Many Hindus fear the very survival of Hinduism in the face of Islamic fundamentalism. How real are their fears? Gautier: The fear is very real. I see there are five or six enemies that may be covertly or overtly attacking Hinduism. In the past there was any one threat at a time like the Greek, British or Muslim invasions. But today, there are the threats of Muslim fundamentalism, Christian conversions, Marxist onslaught, Westernization and so on which are eroding the Indian culture all at the same time. However, there are many great gurus today like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and others who are repackaging the Hindu tenets like spirituality. pranayama, yoga, ayurveda etc for everyone's easy consumption while not associating them with Hinduism. Though I do not agree with that, it's an important movement today and helping to preserve that culture. It's true that Hinduism is under attack and it looks frightening at times. That's why the museum is so important. Cont’d on page 9

Gautier in US to rally Hindus Cont’d from page 1

The conferences will be followed by presentations on the museum project. After addressing huge gatherings in New York, Dallas and Houston, Gautier is scheduled to address the conferences in Boston, New Jer-

sey, Maryland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Atlanta. Gautier hopes to raise funds through these conferences for the museum. For more information on his US tour schedules and to make contributions to FACT India towards the museum project, go to www.fact-india.com.

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Death for three in 2003 Mumbai blasts case MUMBAI: Six years after two blasts at the iconic Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar here left 52 persons dead, three Lashkare-Taiba members, including a couple, have been sentenced to death by a POTA court for carrying out the explosions. Handing down the noose to the trio -- Mohammed Hanif Sayeed (46), his wife Fahmida (43) and Ashrat Ansari (32), the judge P R Puranik observed that it had been proved beyond reasonable doubt they had committed heinous acts resulting in numerous deaths. The court agreed with special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that this was a rarest of the rare case where capital punishment was justified. This is for the first time that a couple has been convicted by a POTA court for carrying out blasts.

Haneef Sayyed being escorted out of Arthur Road prison, Fahmeeda Sayyed outside Byculla Womenís Jail and Ashrat Ansari standing inside a prison van

The trio was held guilty of planting two bombs in taxis that exploded at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar on August 25, 2003, claiming 52 lives and injur-

ing 244. They had also planted a bomb on July 28, 2003 in a municipal bus in suburban Ghatkopar which killed two persons. Soon after the verdict was pro-

nounced, police whisked away Sayed, Fahimda and Ansari to different jails. Fahmida broke down outside the court while her husband did

not react and stood calm by her side. Ashrat said "Is andhe kanoon se kya insaaf milega (what justice can you get when the law is blind).-PTI

Not enough evidence against Saeed, says Pak again

Hafiz Mohd Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Notwithstanding India's assertion that enough evidence has been provided to prosecute outlawed JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed, Pakistan says the inputs given so far on the Mumbai attacks was not adequate to nail him. Pakistan, which has been accused of dilly-dallying in taking action against the accused in the 26/11 attacks, also made it clear that it will proceed in the case at its own pace.

‘Special privilege to be born a Hindu’ Cont’d from page 8

IP: Have you ever felt conflicted about the culture you were born into and the one you adopted? Gautier: Personally I have never felt conflicted, but people of my country often do not understand why I defend the Hindus-- that has been a bit of a problem. Though my country is sympathetic to India, when you touch the intellectual layer - people who are fed on the Nehruvian history and the downgrading of Hindu culture, I have come into conflict sometimes with these people. But for me living in India is a protection; people often appreciate the work I do. Some of my friends do not understand why I poke the dangerous Islamic fundamentalism by defending Hindus. I started speaking about it (Islamic fundamentalism) 20-25 years ago

when it was not at all politically correct to speak about it. Even those friends who like me sometimes do not really understand me. I have faced a lot of hostility also. IP: What can Hindus living in America do to preserve their culture? Gautier: For Hindus living in the US, whether fist or second generation, it is important that they carry their Hinduness. It is a special privilege to be born a Hindu, because you inherit the knowledge which is very ancient and very practical. Also the many Hindu groups which are scattered should unite to become a lobby like the Jews. They should teach their children to be proud of being Hindu while being faithful to their Americanness. They should create a lobby in the US to be able to influence South Asia policy at the administration level and see that it does not cap India's nuclear

policy. IP: Is there something that really frustrates you? Gautier: Hindus don't think big. Most Hindu movements in the US have mostly people without a vision, they don't unite; it's very frustrating. When I last visited the US in 2002, the Hindu community was more vibrant, today I find many of the Hindu leaders of that time burnt out or taken a back seat or gone back into mainstream life; that is saddening. If only Hindus knew their own power -- there are one billion in the world -- Islam is conscious of its might and its numbers; Christianity though on the decline, is conscious of its greatness in terms of technology and power. Hindus, who are not all that small in number, have to use more muscle. Meekness and submissiveness will not take them far, they have to show muscle power. That's the way to get respect in the world.

"It needs to be underlined that the dossiers and information received from India apropos Saeed are not really enough ... to proceed legally as is being expected," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a weekly news briefing here. He was responding to a question about lawmakers in the Indian Parliament accusing the Pakistani authorities about the lack of action against Saeed. Basit said Pakistan was proceeding in the case of Saeed "according to our own laws." Home Minister P Chidambaram had last week said that India had provided "enough evidence" against the JuD chief in three dossiers it gave to Islamabad. A fresh dossier of evidence on

the Mumbai attacks was recently handed over by India to Pakistan, asking it to expedite the prosecution of Saeed. . Sources said the details given by Pakistan's Interior Minister Rahman Malik to the National Assembly about the ban are "sketchy" and the High Commission is trying to get details. India is also trying to verify details about the Interpol notice being issued with regard to 13 absconding Pakistanis in the Mumbai attacks case. The sources noted that India will be looking for verification of Pakistan's claims. New Delhi is clear that it will have to engage Islamabad despite knowing well that the road to peace is "accident prone".-PTI

Russia President orders hastening of Gorshkov work MOSCOW: With India and Russia at loggerheads over the price of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, President Dmitry Medvedev has asked the staff at Sevmash shipyard to complete the warship at the earliest as it was "causing problems between the two friendly countries." "It should be completed and commissioned at the earliest... it (delay in delivery) is causing problems between the two friendly countries," the Russian President told the workers during a recent visit. Going around the shipyard, Medvedev got to know from the management about the status of

the projects. But despite an upbraiding by the President, the Director-General of the shipyard Nikolai Kalistratov said that though India has agreed to the changes to the Gorshkov contract, Moscow was yet to receive any fresh price revision commitment. "Sevmash has also not received any offers to continue to talk on the revision of the contract," he told Itar-Tass. Russia is asking India for an additional payment of a whopping USD 2.2 billion over and above the contracted price of USD 1.5 billion.-PTI

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Australia assures Krishna it is taking action

Sardar Iqbal Singh felicitated after being sworn in Lt. Governor of Puducherry (India) on July 27. The Lt GovernorĂs nephew, Harbhajan Singh Longman, runs the Longman Studio in California.

Alert over LeT plans to target I-Day functions NEW DELHI: Ahead of Independence Day, Pakistan-based terror group Lashker-e-Taiba is planning to target three major cities including Delhi where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will unfurl the tricolor from the historic Red Fort, Home Ministry officials said. Besides the national capital, other cities on LeT target are Kolkata and Hyderabad, a top Home Ministry official said. Intelligence agencies have given specific inputs that LeT, responsible for innumerable terror strikes including 26/11 in Mumbai, is planning to target the three

Searches and regular screening at all the exit and entry points of Delhi were being carried out to keep a strict watch on anti-national elements metros in the run-up to the Independence Day, the official said. The Centre has already shared the information with the govern-

ments of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh besides informing Delhi Police for necessary action. Searches and regular screening at all the exit and entry points of Delhi were being carried out to keep a strict watch on anti-national elements. Security agencies had fanned informers in the walled city where Singh will unfurl the flag from the ramparts of 17th-century monument on August 15. "The next few days are very crucial. We are taking all necessary steps to foil the designs of LeT to strike at the three cities," the official said.-PTI

Bill to extend Metro rail beyond Delhi NEW DELHI: A bill providing for extension of metro rail services beyond Delhi has been approved by the Lok Sabha with the Centre saying it was ready to introduce such mode of modern transport in any city where the state government bears half the cost. In the immediate future, The Metro Railways (Amendment) Bill would provide legal sanction to extend the operation of the Delhi Metro Rail service to neighboring NOIDA, where services are expected to begin later this month. Moving the bill, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said extension of metro rail across the National Capital Region was an urgent matter to revolutionize transport system in view of the Commonwealth Games to be held here in October next year. The legislation was passed after a brief discussion as most of the members cutting across party

lines supported it with a number of them seeking such modern transport system for their own areas. Responding to the members' suggestions, Reddy said the bill facilitates extension of metro rail transport to all cities of the coun-

try with population over 10 lakh if there is political will. He said the Centre was ready to organize 50 per cent equity to set up metro rail in any city provided the state government takes initiative and arranges for the remaining funds.-PTI

SYDNEY: Australia has vowed mitted that Australia was not a to take "firm action" against those racist country. During their meetresponsible for the recent attacks ing with Krishna, the students on Indian students as External Af- demanded that an emergency fairs Minister S M Krishna be- fund should be created for refundcame the first senior leader to visit ing of the fees in case of closure Down Under to convey New of colleges. Delhi's concerns in this regard. The students also complained During his meeting with New of exploitation by unscrupulous South Wales (NSW) Premier agents, who take fees in advance. Nathan Rees, Krishna, who is on The minister said advertisea five-day visit to Australia, was ments in India about the colleges assured that firm action will be here should be certified by contaken against the perpetrators. sulates to prevent wrong informaRees also assured Krishna that tion from being circulated among inputs from the Indian community will be inThe Indian community leaders cluded in the action plan emphasized that the immedifor international students. He informed the ate action by Australian govminister that a meeting ernment in every case was of the task force on the necessary and asked Krishna issue is to be held tomorto tell authorities to be row. more cooperative Krishna said he was happy with what he has heard from the NSW Premier. the prospective students. "Indians by and large are most "Students should be given welcome in Australia," he was what they are promised of as they quoted as saying by ABC. take loans to come to Australia to The External Affairs Minister, study. We need to reassure our who met the Indian community students as well as their anxious representatives to get first-hand parents in India on this account," information about the problems Krishna said. faced by them, earlier said that The External Affairs Minister "well being and safety of Indians also met NSW Opposition leader overseas is a top priority for the Malcolm Turnbull, police commisgovernment of India." sioner and immigration officials. The Indian community leaders Krishna is scheduled to visit emphasized that the immediate ac- Melbourne as well and meet Intion by Australian government in dian community representatives every case was necessary and there. He will also hold talks with asked Krishna to tell authorities Australian Prime Minister Kevin of this country to be more coop- Rudd and his counterpart Stephen erative. They, however, also ad- Smith during his visit.-PTI

Hillary commends Indian democracy to Africa NAIROBI: US Secretary of said at the University of Nairobi. State Hillary Clinton has hailed "I said only half-jokingly after India as a model of democracy for our problems with our 2000 electhe developing world as she cam- tion, and then our 2004 elections paigned in Africa for better gov- in some of our constituencies, that ernance. we should outsource our elecClinton was speaking to stu- tions to India," she said. dents in Kenya, where politics remain tense afClinton told the students that ter a hotly disputed elecIndia's billion plus people also tion triggered street viohad strong political differences. lence until a power-sharing deal was reached in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;But they have figured out how February 2008. to run an election where the Clinton told the sturesults can be surprising and dents that India's billion unpredicted but acceptedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plus people also had strong political differences. Clinton last month visited In"But they have figured out how dia where she called for greater to run an election where the re- cooperation between the world's sults can be surprising and two largest democracies on a unpredicted but accepted," she range of global issues.-AFP

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Another shipyard seeks loan to build Indian ships

College girls tie rakhis, or sacred threads, around the wrists of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers at the Indo-Pak Wagah Border Post on August 5

Rakhi celebrated with traditional fervor NEW DELHI: Rakshabandhan was on Wednesday celebrated amidst traditional fervor across the country with special programs being held, free transport being offered to women and top political leaders spending time with school children. Sisters, dressed in their fineries, visited their brothers with gifts and sweets, put 'tilak' on their foreheads and tied colorful rakhis on their wrists apart while praying for their well being. President Pratibha Patil celebrated Rakshabandhan with 85 school children from 17 schools in Delhi. Several of the children tied rakhis on her. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur spent time with school children in celebrating Rakshabandhan. In a message on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the festi-

val reinforces the sanctity of our traditional familial ties. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition L K Advani also celebrated the festival with children. A group of mentally challenged children from the national capital

President Pratibha Patil celebrated Rakshabandhan with 85 school children from 17 schools in Delhi. Several of the children tied rakhis on her celebrated Rakshabandhan with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. The Rakhi spirit gripped several places between 11 am and 12 pm, a period considered 'auspi-

cious' by almanacs. The Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh governments offered free travel for women in state-run transport systems to facilitate their journey to their brothers' house. The Himachal government announced a holiday for women employees and most of them took this opportunity and did not turn up for work, sources in the state secretariat said. Volunteers of the Jaipur cancer relief society tied rakhi on the wrist of cancer patients in the Pink City. A similar event was organized at "avedna ashram", a home for terminally ill patients in Santokhaba Memorial Hospital. A diamond rakhi was offered at Shriji Digamber Jain temple in Jaipur. In Lucknow, several girls of Hindu community tied rakhis on their Muslim brethren.-PTI

MOSCOW: On the heels of India has upfront paid USD 1.6 heavy slippage in the delivery of billion to the shipyard to build aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, three more 11356 tonnes Krivak another Russian defense ship- IV class guided missile stealth frigyard is seeking USD 60 million loan ates in July 2006. to complete the construction of The official blamed fluctuathree stealth frigates for the In- tions in the rouble-to-dollar exdian Navy. change rate for the financial woes Yantar defense shipyard, which has got follow-up orders from India The USD 60 million loan for building three more comes on top of USD 110 stealth class frigates, has asked Russian na- million the shipyard has tional development already availed of ‘due to b a n k V n e s h e c o n o m b a n k financial constraints’ (VEB) for a USD 60 million loan to complete the project. of the defense enterprise situated The USD 60 million loan comes in Russia's Baltic exclave of on top of USD 110 million the ship- Kaliningrad. yard has already availed of "due The delivery of the carrier to financial constraints," shipyard Gorshkov has already been dedirector Igor Orlov was quoted as layed to 2012 though India had saying by government-run RIA provided 'sufficient and timely' Novosti. project financing.-PTI

EUM with US doesn't dilute India policy NEW DELHI: The Government has said the End User Monitoring (EUM) agreement with the United States enhances India's access to best technology to meet its security requirements and does not dilute the country's defense policy. "EUM in no way dilutes India's defense policy but rather enhances India's access to the best technology required to meet her security requirements," Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha query. She said that India and US have agreed on a new standard

EUM clause that will be included in Letters of Offer and Acceptance for acquisition of defense articles and equipment to be acquired by Government of India from US Government. "No blanket agreement has been signed," she said. The minister said that as per the agreed formulation, the US will have to consult India before relevant equipment is made available for verification at an agreed date, time and place. During US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to India from July 17-21, India had agreed on a new standard EUM with the US. -PTI

BJP blasts UPA for lauding Pak actions Buta Singh's son granted NEW DELHI: Criticizing the UPA government for appreciating Pakistan's move to ban militant outfits Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Jaish-eMohammed and Lashker-e-Taiba, BJP has said India should verify whether the action by the neighboring country carried seriousness or it was just a "token" gesture. The main Opposition also suggested India should not start any dialogue process with Pakistan unless it is "completely convinced" that Pakistan government is serious about stopping terrorist activities "being controlled from its soil" and it takes an "effective initiative" to bring the Mumbai terror attack culprits to

justice. "Government (UPA) starts appreciating even if Pakistan takes any petty or token step on the issue of terrorism...We will have to

‘No dialogue should be started with Pakistan unless India is completely convinced that Pakistan government is serious about stopping terrorist activities being controlled from its soil’

see whether this is a token ban or there is some truth and seriousness behind it," BJP president Rajnath Singh told reports here at the party headquarters. "No dialogue should be started with Pakistan unless India is completely convinced that Pakistan government is serious about stopping terrorist activities being controlled from its soil and also that it (Pakistan) is taking an effective initiative on the issue of getting the culprits of Mumbai terror attack punished," he added. Pakistan government presented a list of the banned organizations in the National Assembly which included JuD, LeT, JeM among others.-PTI

bail in bribery case MUMBAI: Sarobjit Singh, son of National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Buta Singh, and three others were granted bail by a special CBI court in a bribery case with the judge saying that if kept in jail they would become hardened criminals and may commit more serious crimes. Special CBI judge S P Hayatnagarkar granted bail for to Sarobjit Singh, Anup Degi, Madan Solanki and Dukh Singh Chauhan on a surety of Rs one lakh each. The judge said CBI can investigate the case without having Sarobjit and others in custody as

if kept in jail further, they will become hardened criminals and may commit more serious crimes. CBI had arrested Sarobjit on July 31 for allegedly demanding bribe of Rs one crore from Ramrao Patil, a Nashik- based businessman, for closing cases filed against Patil under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. The judge asked all the accused to hand over their passports to the investigating officer. He also asked them to appear at CBI office -- wherever they may be living for the time being -- every day.-PTI

Desi News Indian owned Mutual Bank changing hands MOHAMMAD GHOUSE

Mangalaore Konkani Christians hold annual picnic STAN D'SOUZA

CHICAGO: The annual picnic of Mangalorean Konkan Christians Association (MKCA) held at Vernon Hills Tennis Court Shelter grounds recently turned out to be a big success. The participants had wonderful time in socializing and enjoying variety of activities well through the day despite weather changing its mood frequently. The members played games like cricket, volleyball, throwball and badminton. Details on page 18

ISKCON Ratha Yatra a grand success! ASHWIN PATEL

ST LOUIS: Attracting hundreds of devotees from all around the US and other parts of the world, the chariot enthroning Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra rolled over the soil of St. Louis on July 25. With the crowd cheering and dancing for the Harinam Sankirtan, the Ratha Yatra went around historic Tower Grove Park on a 1.5 mile parade starting from Turkish Pavilion at 4.30 pm. Details on page 21

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

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Cal Ahmadiyyas condemn attack on Christian in Pak

August 14, 2009

Details on page 22

Niranjan Shah resigns as chairman of UIC Trustee Board India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Niranjan Shah, prominent businessman and chairman of the board of Trustees at the University of Illinois, has resigned his post accepting his moral responsibility in the "clout driven students admission" scandal that surfaced recently. The practice of admitting unqualified students because of political connections had come under scrutiny after an investigative report by the Chicago Tribune. The report, which obtained emails between the admissions department and university brass clearly outlined a pattern of influence peddling. The under-performing students were admitted at the urging of donors and politicos in Springfield. The number of such admissions, though not significant, was at the expense of other deserving students. Though in the majority of cases, there was no direct conflict of interest there was pressure

put on UIC Trustees to resign. Shah in his resignation letter said that, "…many of the stake holders in the University of Illinois system, trustees, university ad-

changing with time and that change is a very good thing." Complimenting him for his bold decision, David Doris, a trustee observed that his resignation is

The practice of admitting unqualified students because of political connections had come under scrutiny after an investigative report by the Chicago Tribune

Niranjan Shah

ministrators and staff, legislators, and others operated under a set of rules and norms that seemed appropriate at the time when I was appointed trustee. Those rules are

consistent with his personality trait. "In difficult times, he has chosen to do what he believes to be in the best interest of University of Illinois." A former reporter and

Commissioner Maribeth Vander Weele said that it was clearly the right thing to do. Shah had joined the Trustee Board as member back in 2003. The Board of Trustees consists of thirteen members, eleven of whom have official votes. Nine are appointed by the Governor for terms of six years, and three student trustees (one from each campus) are elected by referenda on their campuses for one-year terms. One of these student trustees is appointed by the Governor to have an official vote. The Governor serves as an ex officio member. Shah was allegedly responsible for getting a student from India admitted to University. He said that he did not know this student who had done management course in India personally, but chose to help him because there were incongruencies between the grading system in India and the metric used by university admissions. Cont’d on page 13

17 years for murder of Indian housewife SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: One of the three alleged killers of Indian housewife Vatsala Thakkar, 56, of Hanover Park, Illinois, has pleaded guilty to armed robbery and also agreed to testify against his two accom-

Illinois plices. Seneca Berry the youngest of three now turning 16 was sentenced to 17 years in prison by the DuPage County Circuit Court Judge John Kinsella last week. Berry was one of three persons that prosecutors allege took part

Seneca Berry who pleaded guilty to armed robbery. The other two suspects still in custody are Dewaun Tate and Jerry Lockhart

in an attempted robbery of a dollar discount store in Hanover Park last year. The DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett said the trio fled with $135 after rob-

bing and stabbing Vatsala Thakkar, a married mother of two who held a medical degree from her native India. Berry could have been sen-

tenced to 60 years in prison had he been convicted of the murder and 30 years for his conviction in armed robbery. He was 15 at the time of the incident but was charged as adult. The relative lesser sentence is in the light of his guilty plea and agreeing to testify against other two suspects Jerry Lockhart, 40, and Dewaun Tate, 18, both of also from Hanover Park. They are still held in a $2 million dollar bond. Cont’d on page 14

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NRI builds college for girls in native village SRIREKHA N. CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Overcoming a slew of obstacles in the form of red tape and local politics, Indian American businessman Dr. Piyush Agrawal recently realized his dream of bringing education to rural girls by building a degree college in his native village near Agra in India. The Babu Ramchandra Chameli Kiran Agrasen Kanya Mahavidyalaya, established in memory of Dr. Agrawal's parents, was inaugurated according to Hindu religious cer-

New York emony on June 25, after it took more than three years of wading through official red tape. "Despite more than six decades of independence of India, opportunities for higher

Dr. and Mrs. Agrawal at the newly inaugurated girls college in Kagarol village

Agrawal to build the Degree College in the memory of his parents. He met the village

More than one thousand people attended the inaugural event. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The smile and pride displayed by some of the girls who were looking forward to join the college was extremely rewarding,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Dr. Agrawal education for girls are very limited especially in the rural areas," says Dr. Agrawal. "Also, culturally, parents do not like to send their daughters for education outside of their communities. This situation warrants that the education facilities have to be taken to them if girls have to be educated. There is an old saying that an educated mother can do a better job of nurturing, cultivating proper values and sacraments among children than ten fathers." It was these considerations that led Dr.

people in January of 2006 and made the commitment for the building of the Girls College. "It took more than three years to get the building ready and receive all the permissions from the Department of Education of the State and the University system. Though the process through the red tape was a learning lesson, it was worth the effort. Likewise, to deal with the local village politics was not an easy task," he said. The doors to the college finally opened in

Niranjan Shah resigns as chairman of UIC Trustee Board Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 12

He indicated that his role in the process was limited to explaining the situation to the admissions office. Niranjan Shah has been a leading activist in the Indian community. Shah did not have any personal gains, monetary or otherwise in the student admission process. He was and is involved in many community activities, including humanitarian charities in the US and in India. He happened to be the first Asian American to ascend to this high position as the head of UIC Trustee Board. His exit is widely regretted. He is clearly a victim of the circumstances not of his making, said Madhu Patel, the head of NRI Foundation. Sohan Joshi, a former president of the Federation of Indian Associations, observed that the admission practice involving admission of unqualified students had been there even at UIC before and that it is still in practice at many other universities. "Nobody in his right mind would condone this practice and nobody in his right mind would approve of it. The fact remains that it was there and it is still there in many educational institutions in the country. Shah has been an obvious victim

of this practice and let us hope that his "shahidi" leads to the end of the practice," he said. It is interesting to note that the fallout hit only the University and not the politicians involved. It is also interesting to note

He was and is involved in many community activities, including humanitarian charities in the US and in India. He happened to be the first Asian American to ascend to this high position as the head of UIC Trustee Board. His exit is widely regretted that a few students who were admitted as Clout Category were those who had been at the instance of donors. This in its turn helped financing of many others.

July for admission to the B.A., B.Sc. (Mathematics) and B.Sc. (Biology) for the First Year class. The college is located in the town of Kagarol, about 16 miles south of the City of Agra where the world famous Taj Mahal stands. More than one thousand people attended the inaugural event. "The smile and pride displayed by some of the girls who were looking forward to join the college was extremely rewarding," said Dr. Agrawal. The main motto was to start this college to educate rural women and empower them so the social oppression can be minimized and their lifestyle can gain some independence, he explained. "The environment of the college shall weave the cultural aspect through-

out the college curriculum," he added. "Social activism and volunteerism is expected to be encouraged for development of the society and consequently of the country." On the occasion of the inauguration, Dr. Agrawal also announced that he would try to find ways to have two female senior class students spend at least one semester in the US as part of their education. Encouraging other NRIs and PIOs to do similar service to India by getting involved to the extent they can, Dr. Agrawal said, "Though I had to take some serious steps against the bureaucracy and the village politics to get this project moving, in the end it was worth it."

Community Across America

India Post

August 14, 2009

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Dharam Shourie, veteran PTI correspondent passes away India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Veteran journalist and UN correspondent for the Press Trust of India in New York, Dharam Shourie, passed away July 29, after a brief illness. Shourie, 72, was Editor of PTI before being posted to the United Nations as its correspondent in 1989. Family members said Shourie was ill for the past two months and was in a hospital for over a fortnight. He died due to multiple complications that developed in the last few days prior to his passing, they said. Born in Lahore on March 1, 1937, Shourie had his initial education in Shimla and Ambala after his family moved to India after partition. In recognition of his long association with the United Nations, Shourie's demise was mentioned at the daily briefing by the UN Secretary General's spokesperson

who described Shourie as a "friendly and cheerful presence at the United Nations for several decades." Several current and former diplomats and Indian American com-

dian diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan said, "I am sorry to know that Dharam Shourie is no more. He covered my seven years at the United Nations and never in a sensational manner. He regretted that

In recognition of his long association with the United Nations, Shourie's demise was mentioned at the daily briefing by the UN Secretary General's spokesperson who described Shourie as a "friendly and cheerful presence Dharam Shoure

munity leaders attended Shourie's funeral services in New Jersey over the weekend. Reminiscing on his association with the veteran scribe, former In-

the Indian newspapers did not bother to carry the stories he filed on the splendid work India did at the UN. He used to joke that the Indian delegation was not getting

any space in the newspapers because we did not create any scandals! He used to work very hard and often we walked out of the UN building together after Security Council meetings late in the night. He was a virtual encyclopedia on India's role in the UN and I often went to him to get nuggets from the past. He was an avid admirer of V.K. Krishna Menon. He will be sorely missed at the United

New York Nations." India's Minister of State for External Affairs and former Under Secretary General at the UN Shashi Tharoor said, "I knew him for years as the conscientious and reliable correspondent of PTI at the UN, always knowledgeable, always friendly, and always wellconnected to the goings-on at UN Headquarters. Mild-mannered and equable, Dharam was a fine example of a highly competent pro-

fessional who was also a decent and likeable human being." Dean of Students at Columbia University and founder of the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) Sree Sreenivasan said, "He was one of the most prolific, hardest-working journalists around. Being the US correspondent for such a large Indian wire agency meant every development in Desi America was a potential story and every Desi in America was a potential source. As a result, he worked longer, stranger hours than most people, and I was used to seeing messages from him in my inbox at midnight, 1 a.m., or even later. He also had a terrific nose for news and always knew what would be the most interesting to most folks. He was very supportive of SAJA and unnecessarily apologetic for not being able to attend more of our events in person though he was always there in spirit."

Shriya's Bharatanatyam set to Hindi compositions India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: Shriya Kaneriya, a 12th grade student presented a scintillating Bharatanatyam debut performance at Middlesex County College Performing Arts Center in Woodbridge, NJ on July 25. Commencing the program with Pushpanjali set to Nattai raagam, she did the traditional invocatory piece as a floral tribute to Lord Nataraja. Shriya did a Ganapati Stuti on the composition of Muthuswamy Dikshithar seeking the blessings of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Her intricate footwork came out in full bloom in the Alaripu item and her eyes, neck, limbs and movements syn-

chronizing with her changing facial expressions. In Jathiswaram, her versatility in elaborate footwork and graceful movement of the body that are set to swaras or musical notes. In the varnam piece, Shriya depicted emotions and expressions through artful interpretations besides performing

New Jersey challenging pure dance sequences. In the Shiva Stuti raga malika item composed by Thanjavur Shankara Iyer, the dancer glorified the cosmic and majestic dance of Lord Shiva. The unique Bharatanatyam debut was different from other similar performances in the US and even

in India that permits only Tamil compositions, as the dance form had originated in Tamil Nadu. The debut, meticulously planned by guru Sudha Devulapalli, had surprisingly a large number of Hindi compositions to the sheer delight of the audience who could relate to the dance items and songs. For instance, Shriya performed to Meera Bhajan in raagam Hindolam; she hypnotized the audience with her excellent eye movements and facial expressions. The dancer continued her performance with Ram Bhajan - Thumak Chalat Ramachandra of Tulasidas. Shriya continued with Thillana of Swati Tirunal- a vibrant finale in which the dancer uses her body

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movements and postures in rhythm with a climatic tempo. The Nattuvangam support was provided by guru Devulapalli and vocal support by Neela Ramanuja, a student of RK Srikandan and Nagavalli Nagaraj. She runs a music school called Madhura in Bangaluru. A versatile percussion-

ist of Chennai, B.P. Haribabu accompanied the orchestra on mridangam; Vivek Venugopalakrishna was on the flute and N.S. Manjunath was on Kanjira. Shriya is the daughter of Haresh Kaneriya, Corporate Account Director, Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey.

17 years for murder of Indian housewife Cont’d from page 12

Jerry Lockhart and Dewaun Tate are charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. Lockhart faces additional charge of obstruction of justice. Vatsala Thakkar was transported to St. Alexius Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Hanover Park Police Department and the DuPage Major Crimes Task Force conducted a homicide investiga-

tion regarding the stabbing death of Vatsala Thakkar, from India and formerly a resident of Wheaton, Illinois. Jerry Lockhart, Dewaun Tate, and Seneca Berry, all of Hanover Park, were charged with Armed Robbery and First Degree Murder. Tate and Berry listed residence in the 1300 block of Court O, Hanover Park. Lockhart listed residence in the 1200 block of San Simeon, Hanover Park.

August 14, 2009

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India Post 15

Community/Illinois

India Post

August 14, 2009

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Indian owned Mutual Bank changing hands MOHAMMAD GHOUSE

CHICAGO: Probably the fastest growing Indian owned bank in Chicagoland, Mutual Bank, has changed hands. The Texas based United Central Bank has entered into an agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to purchase most of the assets and assume all of the deposit liabilities of Mutual Bank of Harvey, IL. Mutual Bank effective Saturday August 1 is now United Central Bank Analysts say that one of the factors that hurt the Chicago bank the most was the downturn in economy and mortgage crisis felt across the financial world. The bank was owned by an Indian businessman Velu Chamy and he tried his best to bring the bank out of financial morass. Amrish Mahajan, CEO and President, was an experienced banker but he resigned his post four months ago. Mutual is reported to have posted a $15-million loss in the first three months of 2009, after adding $17 million in the first quarter to its reserves for losses from bad loans. That followed a $68-million loss in 2008. A whopping $496 million - or 37% - of the bank's $1.35 billion in loans were at least 30 days past due as of March 31, according to the Fed filing. Seriously delin-

Mutual Bank in Chicago

quent loans, those at least 90 days past due, totaled $247 million, or 18%. It is not only the Mutual bank but four other banks in states of Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oklahoma too have been in trouble and FDIC has secured a foothold with them. Mutual Bank is the 69th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the thirteenth in Illinois. The last FDICinsured institution to be closed in the state was First National Bank of Danville, on July 2. As the economy has soured - with with unemployment rising, home prices tumbling and loan defaults soaring - bank failures have cascaded and sapped billions out of the deposit insurance fund. It now stands at its lowest level since 1993, $13 billion as of the first quarter. The Illinois Department of Banking and Finance declared

Mutual Bank closed last Friday and appointed the FDIC as receiver. The FDIC then assigned the assets and deposit liabilities of Mutual Bank to United Central Bank under a purchase and assumption agreement with loss sharing. "We are extremely delighted to welcome all of the customers of

Mutual is reported to have posted a $15million loss in the first three months of 2009, after adding $17 million in the first quarter to its reserves for losses from bad loans. That followed a $68million loss in 2008 Mutual Bank to United Central Bank," says Keith Ward, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Central Bank. "As a result of our agreement with the FDIC to assume both the insured and uninsured deposits, no customer of Mutual Bank will lose any of their deposits. In addition, we are dedicated to making the changes, as a result of the assumption, as easy as possible for the customers and

employees of Mutual Bank." "United Central Bank's market experience and focus on assisting communities across the United States will complement the business assumed from Mutual Bank," added R. Luke Lively, Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President. "We see opportunities to add new services and support for the benefit of Mutual Bank customers." As of July 16, Mutual Bank reported approximate total assets of $1.6 billion, loans of $1.3 billion and deposits of $1.6 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, United Central Bank has the option to purchase, or to assume the leases on, all of Mutual Bank's locations. The agreement between the FDIC and United Central Bank includes only the assets and liabilities of Mutual Bank and does not include the assets, liabilities, or common stock of First Mutual Bancorp of Illinois, the holding company for Mutual Bank. "This type of partnering is a positive for both the customers and employees of Mutual Bank and our existing United Central family of customers, employees, shareholders and communities," stated James Yoo, Chairman of United Central Bank. "The locations of Mutual Bank provide a wonderful foundation for expanding our growth. The acquisition

fits perfectly into our strategy to continue our expansion, nationally, by adding new locations where we do not currently have a presence. Our position as a wellcapitalized, high performing financial institution is enhanced with the addition of Mutual Bank to United Central Bank." Except for the new name, customers of Mutual Bank will not see any immediate changes in their banking services. All banking hours and office locations for Mutual Bank will remain intact with all former Mutual Bank offices opening, as usual, for business beginning Saturday, August 1. Account numbers will not change and customers will be able to use their current checks, ATM cards and debit cards. Online banking for Mutual Bank customers will remain the same with no changes at present. Deposits of the bank remain insured by the FDIC. About United Central Bank United Central Bank, with headquarters in Garland, Texas, is a $1.2 billion asset bank. Office locations for United Central Bank include: nine offices in Texas {Dallas Metro (4); Houston (3); Austin (1); Killeen (1)}; four offices in Los Angeles; two offices in Northern Virginia; one office in Maryland; and two offices in Georgia. The bank has two new branches planned to open in the Dallas Metroplex before yearend. United Central Bank is one of the top SBA producers in the United States and listed as a Preferred Lender by the Small Business Administration. The bank's parent holding company is Central Bancorp, Inc. United Central's website is ww.unitedcentralbank.com

Kumail Nanjiani at Lakeshore Theater HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Kumail Nanjiani, Funny." once dubbed "one of the funniest This past year, Kumail has also comedians no one had made appearances heard about yet" by on Jimmy Kimmel Eugene Mirman, will Live, The Colbert perform one show at Report and Saturthe Lakeshore Theater day Night Live. on Thursday, August Kumail has written 20 at 8 pm. for VH1's Best Kumail received Week Ever and is critical acclaim for his currently writing one-man show, Unprofor and appearing nounceable, (directed in Comedy by Paul Provenza) and Central's new was named one of show, Michael & Variety's "10 Comics to Michael Have IsWatch," the Hollysues, starring Kumar Nanjiani wood Reporter's "10 M i c h a e l Rising Comedy Talents" and one Showalter and Michael Ian Black. of New York Magazine's "10 CoAudiences raved when Kumail medians that Funny People Find opened for Arj Barker (Flight of the

Conchoids) in July at the Lakeshore. Kumail may have moved to New York, but his comedic training lies in Chicago and he's back to perform in a city he loves. Crowned "Best Place to See Comedy in Chicago" by Chicago Magazine and "Favorite Place for Comedy in Chicago" by MySpace, the Lakeshore boasts a stellar rotation of international superstars, household names and left-field geniuses, representing the best comedy the world has to offer as well as an equally impressive lineup of top flight musicians. With a track record of consistently sold-out shows, the venue is one of the city's premier entertainment destinations, located at 3175 N. Broadway (at Belmont).

August 14, 2009

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India Post 17

Community Across America

India Post

August 14, 2009

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Mangalaore Konkani Christians hold annual picnic STAN D'SOUZA

Kids had fun too

A march with Indian flag

CHICAGO: The annual picnic of Mangalorean Konkan Christians Association (MKCA) held at Vernon Hills Tennis Court Shelter grounds recently turned

mood frequently. The members played games like cricket, volleyball, throwball and badminton. After the games, they savored various homemade

Members enjoy food

out to be a big success. The participants had wonderful time in socializing and enjoying variety

Illinois of activities well through the day despite weather changing its

snacks and meal provided by the members of MKCA. The organizing committee arranged variety of activities like, lemon and orange, lemon and spoon race, sack race, musical chairs, bombing the city, etc. There were group activities like, Dog-n-bone, Tug-of-war, etc.

Local artists play musical instruments

Winners of various activities received prizes from President Lawrence Mascarenhas. The winners are: Kids 6 years and below:

and spoon: 1st place: Shannon D'Souza and 2nd place: Becky Kamdar; Bombing the city: 1st place: Shannon D'Souza and 2nd place: Cheryl D'Souza

Tug of war enjoyed by all (pics: Mark Rodrigues & Anil D'Souza)

Apple and oranges: 1st place: Evelyn D'Souza; 2nd place: Godlyn D'Souza Musical chairs: 1st place: Sharon Mathias; 2nd place: Godlyn D'Souza Kids 7 yrs and above: Lemon

Teenagers: Sack Race: 1st place: Shawn D'Souza and 2nd place Joey Mendonca; Freeze Dance: (had to cancel due to rain) Adults Ladies- Sack Race: 1st place: Dr. Merlyn D'Souza and 2nd place: Cynthia Rodrigues

Food enjoyed by MKCA members Kids enjoy the MKCA Picnic

Adults Gents- Sack Race: 1st place: Elroy Miranda and 2nd place: Royce D'Souza The chairperson of this Annual Picnic celebration, Mrs.

Claudette Fernandes thanked all the members, well-wishers and guests for their great participation and support in the unique

Compere of the program Dr. Austin Prabhu announced the upcoming events of MKCA and immediate one being Monthi Fest on September 12 at Courtland Square Community Hall success of this program. Compere of the program Dr. Austin Prabhu announced the upcoming events of MKCA and immediate one being Monthi Fest on September 12 at Courtland Square Community Hall.

August 14, 2009

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Community/Illinois

India Post

August 14, 2009

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TANA IPP scholars presented awards SURENDRA ULLAL

Divya Yalamanchili

Sahith Aula

Lekhaj Daggubati

Kirsten Seetha Bondalapati

Rekha Kambhampati

HYDERABAD, Andhra Pradesh, India: In a grand function held at the Camp Office of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, six Telugu Association of North America (TANA) IIP Scholars were awarded TANA IIP Brand Ambassador certificates as part of the completion and graduation ceremnonies of 2nd TANA International Internship Program. D. Sridhar Babu, Minister of Higher Education and NRI Affairs, Andhra Pradesh participated in the event mentioning that this program is designed to promote

Telugu culture and bonds to Andhra Pradesh among younger generation of Americans of Telugu origin. The CM in his speech explained various schemes that his government has introduced ("Arogya Sri" with its 940+ various packages). Sridhar Babu informed the gathering that Andhra CM is a medical doctor and has seen the dire needs of the poor patients and has developed this unique program for the first time in the country and that it is being emulated in various other states.

The Chief Minister then distributed the certificates of gradu-

commemmorative plaques. This successful scholars are: 1. Divya Yalamanchili (Dallas, Texas) - Law 2. Sahith Aula (Chandler, Arizona) - Law 3. Lekhaj Daggubati (Marlboro, New Jersey) - Medicine 4. Kirsten Seetha Bondalapati (Detroit, Michigan) - Public Health/Medicine 5. Rekha Kambhampati (North Potomac, Maryland) - Medicine 6. Puja Chebrolu (Columbus, Georgia) - Public Health/Medicine The TANA IPP program began on June 22 and ended on July 31.

Puja Chebrolu

The CM in his speech explained various schemes that his government has introduced ("Arogya Sri" with its 940+ various packages) ation to the new graduates and felicitated local coordinators with

Individual Pooja sponsorships : Day 1 Day 2 Morning Evening Sunday AM

Hindu Temple of St. Louis 725 Weidman Road, Ballwin MO 63011 Phone:- 636-230-3300 Maha Kumbhabhishekam (Oct. 1-4, 2009) Donation

Pledge

Please check the appropriate box. Donations are tax deductible using IRS guidelines. Name____________________________________ Email____________________________________ Phone____________________________________ Address__________________________________ Benefactor $25,000 or more (will get swarna pooja kalasa, silk shawl, participation in all homas, poojas, one full page ad in souvenir, participation in Kalyanam Grand Patron $10,001 (will get a special collectors' item gift, participation in all homas, poojas, one of 108 kalasas, one full page ad in souvenir Patron $5001 (will get a special gift, participation in all poojas, kalasa, half page ad in souvenir) Special sponsor $1001 (will participate in all Poojas, one Kalasa) Kalasa sponsors $501 Individual Event Homa sponsorship $101 (with participation) Each Day Puja Sponsorship $101 (with participation)

$51 $51

Day 3 $51 $101 $151

SPONSORSHIP OF SPECIAL ITEMS: Dhwajasthambham and Balipeetham $20,000 9 inch silver replica of Dhwajasthambham $501 Srinivasa Bhoga Moorthi $2500 Surya Kattari for Lord Vnkateswara $1000 Gold coating of Vimana kalasas (16) 500/ea. Garudavahana $5000 Nandivahana $5000 RAJAGOPURAM: Dwarapalakas (East face) (12) $1000/ea. Varaha Moorthi (North face) (5) $1000 ea. Narasimha Moorthi (South face) $1000 ea. RENOVATIONS; SHRINES-repairs,renovations including replacement of moulds Ashtabandhanam for Moola Vigrahas,repainting of walls, doors. Venkateswara $1000 Rama Parivar $1000 Krishna and Radha $1000 Mahalakshmi $1000 Siva Parivar $1000 KOSTHA MURTHIS (small vigrahas on three sides of each shrine) Venkateswara Shrine Varaha Moorthi $300 Narasimha Swamy $300 Vishnu $300 Rama Shrine Yoga Rama $300

Rama $300 Bhardrachala Rama $300 Radha Krishna Shrine Bala Krishna $300 Santhana Krishna $300 Venugopala Krishna $300 Mahalakshmi Shrine Sri Lakshmi on all three sides $300 each Siva Shrine Brahma $300 Dakshina Moorthi $300 Lingothbhava $300 GOPURAMS (repairs,renovation,replacement of moulds,paint) Rajagopuram $15000 Venkateswara $2500 Rama $2500 Radhakrishna $2500 Mahalakshmi $2500 Siva $2500 FLOWERS (for Puja) All 4 days $10,000 ********** ANNA DANAM *********** October 1st Thursday Lunch $1250 October 1st Thursday Dinner $2000 October 2nd Friday Lunch $2250 October 2nd Friday Dinner $5000 October 3rd Saturday Lunch $5000 October 4th Sunday Lunch $6000 October 4th Sunday Dinner $1500 Individual Sponsorship $200

Other donations - $______________

Groceries or donations towards Anna danam are welcome.

No donation is small. Thank you for your donation

Multiple donations for each item welcomed.

For more info regarding Mahakumbhabhishekam visit www.hindutemplestlouis.org

Community Across America

August 14, 2009

India Post 21

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ISKCON Ratha Yatra a grand success! ASHWIN PATEL

Prabhupad the ISKCON Founder in USA

ST LOUIS: Attracting hundreds of devotees from all around the US and other parts of the world, the chariot enthroning Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra

Missouri rolled over the soil of St. Louis on July 25. With the crowd cheering and dancing for the Harinam

Sankirtan, the Ratha Yatra went around historic Tower Grove Park on a 1.5 mile parade starting from Turkish Pavilion at 4.30 pm. The main chariot was accompanied by a huge Jagannath deity with arms extended to embrace all living entities. Hundreds of devotees blissfully pulled the chariot on both sides accompanied by ecstatic kirtan and danc-

A closer look of Lord Jagannath.

Devotees pulling Rath Chariot and chanting mantras

ing in the middle. Multi-colored flags and mahamantra banners decorated the parade. Children distributed chilled water, fruits and nuts as refreshments for the devotees to cool off on the hot

The main chariot was accompanied by a huge Jagannath deity with arms extended to embrace all living entities. Hundreds of devotees blissfully pulled the chariot on both sides accompanied by ecstatic kirtan and dancing in the middle sunny day. The parade paused briefly at Chinese Pavilion for offering of juice to the Lords and to the devotees. By 6.30 pm the parade came

to an end making its way back to Turkish Pavilion. The Ratha Yatra festival ended with delicious dinner prasadam alongside various cultural programs highlighted by Krishna Balarama School children's drama, Odissi dance by Leena Mohanty and melodious bhajans by various devotees.

Ratha Yatra festival is an auspicious occasion when the Lord of the Universe comes out of His abode to extend His mercy to all the conditioned souls giving an opportunity to escape the miserable repetition of birth and death in this material world and return back home back to Godhead.

Devotees having prasadam & drinks

Patotsav & Ramkatha at Manav Seva Mandir ARVIND THAKKAR

BENSENVILLE: Manav Seva Mandir, a no profit religious cum social organization in Chicagoland, celebrated its sixteenth Patotsav on July 25 and 26. It is an annual event regularly celebrated since the idols were installed by Vedic rituals by Krishna Shankar Shastri 16 years ago. Preceding the Patotsav, a

very popular event of nine days of Ramkatha was narrated by Bhupendra Pandya who has specially come from India. Bhupendrabhai made the katha lively by relating how Ramayan can be implemented in our everyday life. He inspired devotees to donate for two important needs of the temple. One is new carpet in the prayer hall

and the other is renovation of the kitchen Devotees donated the required amount of approximately 70,000 dollars.

Illinois The katha including daily prasad was sponsored by Kiranbhai and Gitaben Patel. The

celebration of Patotsav started with Mangla Arti followed by Shringar Arti at 8.30 am. Flag hoisting and Kalash puja was performed in the joyous presence of hundreds of devotees. In the afternoon, Maruti yagna was performed in which more than 20 families participated. On the second day, Maha Abhishek of the idols was done

by Bhupendrabhai Pandya, Dr C.L. Shastri, Prakashbhai Pandya and other Vipras. In the afternoon, Navchandi Havan was performed by devotees. Annakut was offered to the Deities and the puja was performed by Madhukant and Jyotiben Shah. After Arti, all the devotees encircled the idols and offered prayers.

Community/California

India Post

August 14, 2009

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Cal Ahmadiyyas condemn attack on Christian in Pak India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) has condemned the violence towards Pakistan's Christian minority in the town of Gojra. In response to a report that a Quran had been defiled, a mob of up to 20,000 individuals in Gojra rioted and attacked local Christian residents for no other reason than their religious beliefs. More than 100 Christian houses were burned and looted in a rampage that lasted eight hours and resulted in 20 injuries and seven deaths. Pakistani authorities later stated that the report that spurred this violence was spurious. Such episodes of religious intolerance and violence have become increasingly

common since the passing of Pakistan's anti-blasphemy laws in 1984. Many legal experts say the laws have been badly mis-

filed by anyone can be subsequently used to stir hatred and justify sectarian violence. "The blasphemy law is being used

More than 100 Christian houses were burned and looted in a rampage that lasted eight hours and resulted in 20 injuries and seven deaths. Pakistani authorities later stated that the report that spurred this violence was spurious. Such episodes of religious intolerance and violence have become increasingly common since the passing of Pakistan's anti-blasphemy laws in 1984 used since their introduction by the military dictator General Muhammad Zia ulHaq. Under the laws, a religious charge

to terrorize minorities in Pakistan," said Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's minister of minority affairs, in an interview in Gojra.

The AMC has also experienced violence towards members of its community in Pakistan due to the anti-blasphemy laws. Because of their belief in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Promised Messiah, over 100 members of the AMC have been killed by extremists in Pakistan. The AMC strongly opposes all violence in the name of religion and advocates universal freedom of religion. "The Quran clearly states that there is no compulsion in religion" stated Imam Shamshad. "Freedom of religious beliefs should be a right given to all citizens of democracy and such [blasphemy] laws demonstrate the lack of tolerance for all religious minorities within Pakistan and should be strongly denounced worldwide."

International conference on Pakistan's prosperity India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: After successful completion of its last global campaign for expatriates "Meri Awaz Suno," Friends of Pakistan

is initiating another global campaign for overseas Pakistanis. It has announced an international conference on Pakistan's prosperity "Meri Ankh Say Dekho" on August 16 at Sheraton Hotel,

Cerritos, California. The keynote speaker will be Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Senior Vice President PML (N), Member National Assembly Pakistan. The issues to be discussed will

be: What expatriates can do for motherland. Among the subjects for discussion are • Reform education system to eliminate illiteracy • Investment in private sector

to create more jobs • Expatriates can increase remittances • Help in agriculture sector • Boost IT industry • Green Energy

Ashtottarsat Shreemad Bhagwat Saptah in Norwalk India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: For the very first time in America, The Gujarati Society/Shree Radha Krishna Mandir (The oldest Vedic Tradition Mandir in SoCal) has organized an Ashtottarsat Shreemad Bhagwat Saptah (with 108 Bhagwat Pothiji) narrated in Hindi with music by Shastriji Shree Bharatbhai Rajgor of Shree Radha Krishna Mandir, Norwalk. The fact that there will be 108 Pothijis provided by the Mandir to 108 Yajmaan families makes the Bhagwat Saptah unique and one of a kind event. The program will be held at Artesia High

School Auditorium on August 16 to 22. The Mandir will also be holding a Free Health Fair between 8:30 am and 12:30 pm. Diabetes, cholesterol, cardio-vascular screening and other services will be provided for the benefit of all with or without medical insurance coverage. Children from the Mandir Bal Vihar will present a cultural program on August 22 between 1 and 3 pm. On behalf of the Gujarati Society / Shree Radha Krishna Mandir, the Spokesperson Dr. Amit Desai has invited everyone to participate and take advantage of this unique spiritual discourse, as well as benefit from the Health Fair.

Grand 9-day celebrations at Ganesh Temple India Post News Service

The highlight of the rituals on all nine days will be the moola mantra chatur laksha NEW YORK: The Ganesh Temple in japam - the chanting of the sacred Ganesh Flushing, Queens in New York is preparing mantra 400,000 times. Each of the nine days will see the deity for the grand nine-day Ganesh Chaturthi bedecked differently. On celebrations August 21 Aug 22, the actual Ganesh through 30. As every year, New York Chaturthi day, the deity the festivities will culminate in a grand chariot procession (Aug 30) would be offered a special kalasa around the streets of Flushing. Thousands abhishekam. There will also be a Ganapati of worshippers are expected to accompany pooja by children on Aug 23. Visiting devotees will be served maha the chariot and dance to the tunes of cerPrasad on all nine days. emonial temple music and drums.

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Holding her varamala, Rakhi went forward to the three contestants. In order to create more curiosity among the them as well as audiences, she made to and pro motions

India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Swayamwar' means choosing one's own husband by organizing a con-

All the three contestants - Elesh Parujanwala dressed in white sherwani with silver linings and petha, Manas Katyal and Kshitija Jain dressed in golden colored sherwani with lot of embroidery work on it and petha, arrived on the show with their family members. The contestants and their families looked very happy, excited and nervous. The show host Ram Kapoor invited the three contestants, who looked like kings, to the stage. Everyone was on their feet to see Rakhi in her bridal dress and to know her decision. Then came Rakhi, who looked like a queen in her bridal dress and jewelery. Ram allowed the contestants to express their last words before she put her 'Varamala' on one of them. All three promised that they would always be her side and keep her happy through out the life. Before going to the reveal her would be husband's name, Rakhi thanked NDTV and its pariwar for provide her a platform to choose her husband. She said, "While taking all the decisions of my life, I have surrendered myself to Lord Ishwar. He has helped me a lot. Now also, I want to pray lord Ishwar and Lord Jesus before taking the biggest decision of life." Along with her friends Anju, Priya and Hema, Rakhi prayed to God. Holding her varamala, Rakhi went for-

Reality television star Rakhi Sawant announces her engagement to Elesh Parujanwala

to choose the best man. After this incident nowhere, no lady has held any such contest in the history. Now Rakhi Sawant has done it! She has recreated history of Swayamwar by holding a contest in modern style. For a month, Rakhi Sawant held the 'Rakhi Ka Swayamwar', which was aired on NDTV Imagine. A total of sixteen contestant participated in the contest to win the heart of

ward to the three contestants. In order to create more curiosity among the them as well as audiences, she made to and pro motions. Finally, Rakhi offered 'Varamala' to Elesh Parujanwala. She revealed the reason why she has chosen him. She said, "I've been watching and examining Elesh from the beginning. His concern for me has been same on onscreen as well as

test. The word 'Swayamwar' was first mentioned in Ramayan. In this great epic, queen Seeta dares to choose her husband on her own. She holds a contest called 'Swayamwar'

Rakhi Sawant. After participating in various competitions, three finalists were left for Rakhi's choice. She was all excited to choose her husband.

offscreen. I understand that he loves me a lot. I too love him a lot. And I promise that this is not a show and I will be with him once for all."

Comcast to launch 14 new networks in Bay Area India Post News Service

LIVERMORE, CA: Comcast Corporation, the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications, has announced launching of 14 new international premium networks on August 10 in portions of the San Francisco Bay Area. Twenty-six communities in the South Bay and North Bay will have access to the slew of new programming in the first phase of channel launches as a result of Comcast's recent digital upgrade of customers from analog to digital. In addition to the new networks, 18 additional international networks are changing channel numbers in order to group together channels that share a similar language or country of origin. Earlier this year, Comcast began a digital migration called "The World of More,"

offering digital upgrades to Standard Cable customers to migrate from analog to digital, and converting channels 31 and above to a digitally delivered format. Comcast's digital upgrade reclaimed analog bandwidth to allow the company to provide more products

later in 2009. "We've heard from customers that they can't get enough multicultural programming, so we're excited to exponentially increase our offering of those networks and give even more value to our customers as part of our digital up-

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We've heard from customers that they can't get enough multicultural programming, so we're excited to exponentially increase our offering of those networks and give even more value to our customers as part of our digital upgrade,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Natalie Rouse, Director of National Ethnic Marketing for Comcast and services to customers, such as faster Internet speeds, more channels and more 'On Demand' content. Comcast continues its digital migration in other portions of the Bay Area and those areas will receive the new programming in subsequent phases

grade," said Natalie Rouse, Director of National Ethnic Marketing for Comcast. "These channel launches are about delivering on Comcast's promise to customers that by converting to digital, we could offer more of the products and services they want, right away.

And this is just the beginning as we roll out 'The World of More' in California." Beginning August 10, the new programming will be available to residential homes and businesses in the following cities: Belvedere, Corte Madera, Cupertino, Fairfax, Forest Knolls, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Lagunitas, Larkspur, Los Altos, Marin, Mill Valley, Milpitas, Mountain View, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Geronimo, San Quentin, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sausalito, Sunnyvale, Tiburon and Woodacre. All cities will receive the 14 international premium networks, which include Antenna One, Band Internacional, C1R, Deutsche Welle, GMA Life TV, MYX, PFC 100% Futebol, RTP, Setanta Sports, Star India Gold, Star India News, Star One, TV Globo and Vijay.

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AR Rahman's son sings for Hollywood movie India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Famous Bollywood music director and Oscar winner A. R. Rahman's sixyear-old son Alim has sung a song

in an upcoming Hollywood movie. Stepping into his father's shoes, Alim, who aspires to become a playback singer when he grows up, has

sung a complete song in the romantic comedy "Couples Retreat", slated for release this October. Rahman, the first Indian to win two Academy awards for his music in Slumdog Millionaire, has given the music for "Couples Retreat", which is being directed by Peter Billingsly of "Sacred Fire" fame. The comedy film is Rahman's first international project since his win at the Academy awards in February this year. Directed by Emmy nominated Peter Billingsly (The Sacred Fire), and releasing on October 9, it is about four couples who go to a tropical island for vacation. Shot in Tahiti and USA, it stars MTV Award winner Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers), Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Golden Globe nominated Kristin Davis (Sex and the City), Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Satellite Award winner Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), among others.

Climate change chair Designer Puneet Gupta has designed this chair to depict climate change. Behind the back of the chair is the realty of the shrinking world with our resources getting extinct. It was displayed at the 'Future of Design' exhibition in New Delhi last month.

BAPPIDA'S TRIBUTE TO MJ: Bappi Lahiri, center who is presently in Los Angeles recording a tribute album for Michael Jackson, is seen here with (from left) Hollywood singers Glenda and Terry Young, Rajashri Chowdhury, wife of Yoga Guru Bikram Chowdhury and Ricky Nelson, who has sung three albums with Michael Jackson

I-View Film Festival from August 28-30 India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Engendered's 'I View Film 2009' festival will provide a compelling lens to view human rights in South Asia through bold and contemporary cinema that provokes newer ways of seeing and understanding the changing landscape of intimacies, desires, genders and sexualities. The film Festival runs from Friday, August 28 - Sunday, August 30 at the Lincoln Center and Asia Society in New York. A complete list of films is available at www.engendered.org This cutting-edge festival includes films from Bollywood to independent Hollywood to groundbreaking shorts and documentaries from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, as well as the Diaspora in the United States and Australia. With a mission to engage, uplift and

transform viewer perceptions around women's issues as well as the LGBT community, I View will showcase a whole range of films from established directors such as Mira Nair and Shyam Benegal to

The festival's programming kicks off on Friday, August 28 with a red-carpet reception emerging directors like Atul Sabharwal and Ram Madhvani; from successful mainstream new Bollywood directors like Tarun Mansukhani and Zoya Akhtar to critically-acclaimed independent directors like Mehreen Jabbar and Parvez Sharma. "I am really excited to have 'Luck by Chance' close the

festival. Engendered is an important platform for Indian cinema in the U.S., and it's great to be represented and featured with such gusto," says Zoya Ahktar, director of "Luck by Chance." The festival's programming kicks off on Friday, August 28 with a red-carpet reception and plenary discussion, followed by a party at the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse at the Lincoln Center. This dynamic evening will bring together Bollywood celebrities, academics and journalists to share the stage and offer in-depth conversation and a lively debate about the role of cinema for gender and sexuality issues within the larger framework of human rights conversations. Confirmed speakers include Mira Nair, John Abraham, Shyam Benegal, Zoya Ahktar, Parvez Sharma, Tarun Mansukhani, Boman Irani and Kirron Kher.

6 Kaminey - Kaminey

1 Dhan Ta Nan - Kaminey

7 Poorza Poorza - Life Partner

2 Khudaya Ve - Luck

8 Meethi Meethi Baatein

3 Twist - Love Aaj Kal

- Morning Walk

4 Dard-e-Tanhai - Jashnn

9 Bhai Re - Phir Kabhi

5 Morey Saiyan - Teree Sang

10 Chal Chal Chal Ke - Chal Chalein

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August 14, 2009

hether it is Farah Khan's closeness to Shahrukh Khan or Shahrukh's Red Chillies Productions being the line producers of the show or may be due to back to back releases, 'Dhobi Ghaat' and 'Three Idiots' whatsoever, Aamir Khan declined to appear on Farah Khan's chat show 'Tere Mere Beech Mein'. Aamir Khan cited date problem for not being on the show. He even expressed uneasiness for not knowing the format of the show. He usually avoids chat shows and even did not appear on Karan Johar's 'Koffee with Karan' earlier. Farah thought Aamir would say yes because she is linked to him for various reasons but his declination did not come as a shock to her. When she called the Ghajini actor, he said, 'I am sorry but I will pass.' Farah then told him, 'I was expecting you to say no but I still had to try.' If not Aamir, Farah will have celebrities like Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Asin, Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham and many more.

others have been known to be the ones who never tire of praying for their children. But such love also seems to exist in Bollywood - that also between professionals! Rajasthan's Ajmer Dargah recently saw a new visitor - Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He wasn't there for himself, but he prayed for actors Hrithik and Aishwarya. Before fans panic about the well-being of the two hot stars, it needs to be mentioned that Bhansali was seeking divine intervention in relation to his movie 'Guzaarish'. Filmmakers put a lot of faith in religious symbols, and observe no end of rituals for that 'hit', but it is the first time that a biggie has gone and prayed for actors. Hrithik and Ash have earned a solid well-wisher it seems! Considering the fact that Guzaarish`s shoot has been already delayed due to the elephant trouble during Raavan`s shoot, one can't agree more with Bhansali.

Bhansali's

lthough Amrita Rao is a gadget freak and very much technology friendly, she never felt the need of being present on social networking sites such as Facebook, Orkut and Twitter until recently. To her amusement, she used to receive phone calls from friends and fans who used to tell her shocking things like "loved your new status, who is the new man in your life," etc. Finally a very close friend told her there was a notorious Amrita D. Rao on Facebook playing cheap pranks on her behalf. She had apparently added all Amrita's close media friends as well as fans. There was even a nasty rumor last year when all her fans and family thought Amrita was to marry a prince who was somehow related to Dr Vijay Mallya. To counter the fakester, Amrita has herself joined Facebook. And yes she wants the world to know that Amrita Rao is very much single and has a lot to look forward to besides marriage!

prayers

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Health

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ACLU prepares for parental notice on abortion CHICAGO: The American Civil Liberties Union is gearing up to provide free legal advice about a law requiring doctors to notify an unmarried girl's parents before performing an abortion. The Illinois law was enacted 14 years ago, but court challenges delayed it from being enforced. Judges can grant exceptions. The ACLU has set up a toll-free phone line and a website to help girls find lawyers who understand the judicial bypass process. Lorie Chaiten of the ACLU-Illinois says the group has been training lawyers. The law requires notification of either a parent, grandparent, a stepparent living in the home or a legal guardian. Anti-abortion activists say the law will make sure parents are consulted so their children aren't forced into abortions. -AP

CDC report says cows can be fatal CHICAGO: Farmers beware: A government report says cattle cause 20 deaths a year on average on U.S. farms. Most involve working with cattle in enclosed areas or moving and herding the animals. Older farmers are most at risk. The report comes from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is based on data from 2003 to 2008. The CDC focused on cattle-related deaths in four states Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. But cattle pose a danger in Illinois too. According to the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois has nearly 20,000 beef cattle farms and more than 1,200 dairy farms. -AP

W.Va. bureau seeks comment on WIC plan CHARLESTON, W.Va.: The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health is seeking public comment on its goals, priorities and objectives for its Women, Infants and Children's program. The federally funded program provides nutrition counseling and education, breast-feeding promotion and support, and health screening, among other services. A public hearing is set for Aug. 17 in Charleston. A copy of the plan can be viewed at the state WIC office in Charleston. It also is available on the Office of Nutrition Services' Web site at ons.wvdhhr.org. -AP

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Spike in suicide calls due to economy WASHINGTON: Economic woes are weighing heavily on some Americans - so much so that the federal government is boosting financial support for suicide prevention centers around the nation. -AP

In rural America, skepticism on health care reform WALSENBURG, Colo.: Don't tell Dorothy J. Tenorio that Washington is nearing a deal to improve her health care. A former grocery clerk, Tenorio's been scraping by on disability benefits for more than a decade. The 60-year-old, and many of her neighbors, are skeptical health care overhauls pending in Congress will change much in Colorado's rural San Juan Valley. ``I would tell Congress, they need to get out here to Huerfano County and see how bad it is, see what we're living with,'' said Tenorio, who suffered a neck injury in 1979 and hasn't worked since 1996. In rural America, many like Tenorio are too poor to afford basic care. People who can afford doctors often can't find them. The lack of health care in small towns like Walsenburg is a problem Congress is just beginning to address. Many folks in Huerfano County, population 7,900, depend on a low-cost outreach clinic for care. There's no eye doctor, no fulltime dentist. The clinic relies on nurse practitioners, midwives and

medical assistants to provide basic exams, but most sick patients are referred to a bigger town about 30 minutes away. ``I don't have any way to get up there to the doctor,'' said Tenorio, who doesn't drive. ``Sometimes I can't even get out of bed because of the pain.'' The 25 percent of Americans who live in rural areas are poorer, older, fatter and sicker than their

According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Rural Health Association, only about 10 percent of U.S. physicians practice in rural areas. The problem: Medical students know they can make more money, and work shorter hours, in a specialty practice in a city. At Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center in Huerfano County, administrators have long offered

In rural America, many like Tenorio are too poor to afford basic care. People who can afford doctors often can't find them city neighbors. They live farther from doctors and have a harder time getting to appointments, many depending on neighbors or church volunteers if public transportation doesn't exist. Small towns often lack specialists and rely on family physicians. But even incentives such as covering student debt for new doctors haven't worked. Many small towns look to nurse practitioners for general care or seek foreign doctors using J-1 visa waivers.

loan forgiveness to entice doctors fresh out of medical school, but have been unable to recruit a single doctor. ``They just don't have a desire to come out here, the young ones,'' said Bill Bolt, clinical manager at Spanish Peaks. When small towns do find doctors, their patients are less likely to be able to afford treatment. About 23 percent of residents in U.S. communities smaller than 2,500 people have no health insur-

ance, compared to 19 percent in urban areas, according to the NRHA. Those covered by Medicare or Medicaid aren't always better off. Because federal reimbursement rates are routinely tied to volume, rural doctors are paid less for the same services and as a result sometimes won't treat those patients. ``If I'm a young physician, I want most of my patients to have insurance, maybe some of them on Medicare. I'm not even touching the Medicaid,'' said Dr. David Zehring of La Veta, Colo., a plastic surgeon who practiced in Seattle and retired to Huerfano County. The proposals in Congress do address some rural disparities. A Senate bill would roughly double funding - an extra $1.1 billion by 2015 - for the National Health Service Corps, which pays student debt for health providers in underserved areas. Bills pending in both the House and Senate would address disparities in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates. Cont’d on page 29

Obama hails 'historic step' on health care changes WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are looking ahead to a health care showdown on the House floor in September following a key committee's passage of sweeping overhaul legislation. ``This historic step,'' Obama said, ``moves us closer to health insurance reform than we have ever been before.'' In a sign of the fight ahead, Republicans quickly blasted the Democrats' proposals as a ``dangerous and costly experiment'' that will run up the federal deficit and overwhelm state budgets. The 31-28 vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee was weeks later than either the White House or Democratic leaders had hoped. Nonetheless, it was a triumph for them. Appealing for passage,

Obama said in a statement that in the coming weeks ``we must build upon the historic consensus that has been forged and do the hard work necessary to seize this unprecedented opportunity for the future of our economy and the health of our families.''

limiting how much insurers can raise premiums, and giving the federal government authority to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower prices under Medicare, the government program that provides health care coverage to the elderly.

In a sign of the fight ahead, Republicans quickly blasted the Democrats' proposals as a 'dangerous and costly experiment' that will run up the federal deficit and overwhelm state budgets The vote came after weeks of negotiations finally satisfied concerns raised by fiscally conservative Democrats - only to produce a compromise that riled liberals. The liberal opposition was quieted with a last-minute series of changes agreed to that included

``We passed a bill out that shows that we can bring together conservative, moderate and progressive Democrats,'' Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman of California, said after the vote. ``We're going to need that coalition on the House floor,

and I feel confident that we'll pass a health care reform bill in the House when we come back in September.'' Five Democrats and all committee Republicans opposed the bill. The measure is designed to extend health insurance to millions who now lack it; at the same time it strives to slow the growth in medical costs nationwide Obama's twin goals. While the pace of action was slower than party leaders had hoped, it was speedier by far than the timetable in the Senate. There, Democrats said a deadline of Sept. 15 had been imposed on marathon talks aimed at producing a bipartisan compromise in the Senate Finance Committee. Cont’d on page 29

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Obama hails 'historic step' on health care changes Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 28

In the Republicans' weekly radio and Internet address, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota contended that the Democrats' current proposals do not improve health care because it would force millions of Americans in employerbased coverage into a government-run system. He also said the proposals would burden states because they expand Medicaid coverage for poorer Americans without a clear source of funding. In South Dakota, for example, the new requirements could require $45 million a year in new state spending that will ``have to come from somewhere, and that means either higher taxes or cuts to other priorities.'' ``That's what we're facing not just in South Dakota, but nationwide,'' he said. Thune said Republicans would seek reforms that allow small businesses to band together to buy affordable health insurance for their employees; protect doctors and hospitals from frivolous lawsuits; encourage wellness and prevention programs proved to

cut costs; and give people who buy their own insurance the same tax breaks as those who get insurance through their employers. Without a bipartisan bill, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana would presumably have to produce a measure tailored to Democratic specifications, a step he has said repeat-

The biggest example is probably the shape of a new government insurance plan that would compete with private insurers edly he would rather avoid. It wasn't clear how much the deadline for the committee to start voting was Baucus' idea, and how much it reflected growing impatience at the White House and on the part of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. The Energy and Commerce Committee was the third of three

House panels to act on the legislation affecting one-sixth of the U.S. economy. A vote in the full House is expected in September, after lawmakers return from a month long vacation. Combining the measures produced by the three House committees could be tricky since compromises agreed to in the Energy and Commerce Committee produced a bill less reflective of liberal priorities than the legislation passed by the Ways and Means and Education and Labor committees. The biggest example is probably the shape of a new government insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. House Democrats originally tied payment rates for providers in the plan to Medicare rates, but fiscally conservative Democrats in the Energy and Commerce Committee pushed instead for rates to be negotiated with providers, as happens with private companies. Many liberals fear that would result in higher costs to patients, and the Ways and Means and Education and Labor produced bills with public plans modeled on Medicare. -AP

In rural America, skepticism on health care reform Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 28

But some advocates say those measures aren't enough to crack the urban-rural divide. And besides, Congress has yet to smooth disagreements about an overhaul that aims to cover more than 46 million uninsured Americans. First, rural health advocates say, reforms must get doctors into rural areas, then worry about insurance coverage. ``We keep hearing about universal coverage. From a rural perspective, that solves nothing,'' said Lou Ann Wilroy, executive director of the Colorado Rural Health Center in suburban Denver. ``You can have an insurance card in your wallet, and that doesn't mean you're going to have care.'' One solution is to start before doctors are licensed. Dr. Allen Perkins, president of the Alabama Rural Health Association, says Congress must address medical education. Medical schools are typically in cities, Perkins says, where they have access to advanced lab equipment and specialists. Their students train in big-city hospitals, where young doctors return to practice.

The result is a shortage of doctors who understand small-town medicine, even if they're willing to take a pay cut to work there. ``If we want to change the lack of doctors in rural America, we've got to look at the pipeline of doctors coming in,'' said Perkins, who is professor of family medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Ala.

'We keep hearing about universal coverage. From a rural perspective, that solves nothing,' said Lou Ann Wilroy The NRHA is pushing for any overhaul to include incentives for medical schools to recruit rural students and encourage them to return to small towns. ``We really need to have a pipeline program to have people come home and treat the people they grew up with,'' said Maggie Elehewany, NRHA's vice president of government affairs. -AP

ainital, the beautiful lake resort nestles amidst seven hills in a lush valley at an altitude of 1938 meters. In 1841, the British first discovered Nainital as a holiday resort. Today, the town has emerged as one of the most important hill resorts of India. Nainital is a modern hill resort of northern India (336 kms from Delhi) connected by best-aligned and maintained roads from the railhead of Kathgodam. Railway line was laid up to Kathgodam in 1882. The road passes through forests where occasionally wild animals can also be seen. "Naini" is derived from the

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August 14, 2009

Naini Lake has facilities for boating and yachting. Facilities for horse riding, skating, golf and rock climbing are also available. Fishing is possible with the permission of local authorities temple of goddess Naini which was built on the bank of the lake but later got destroyed due to landslides in the year 1880. The place is mentioned in Skand Puran as 'Trishul Sarover'. Tri Rishi (three sages Atri, Pulastiya and Pulha) had come there for pilgrimage. While they were at Gagar range (now called China Peak), they felt thirsty and could not find any water. Thereafter, they thought of Man Sarover and dug a hole which at once got filled with water. The lake then formed was called Tri-Rishi Tal (The lake of three sages). Today it has an impressive lake surrounded by the hills from three sides with highest peak Cheena (2610 m) and the valley in between running from east to west. The lake is a little more than three

kms in circumference. Nainital remains packed from April to November with tourists for sight seeing as well as for seeking escape from the heat of the plains. Naini Lake has facilities for boating and yachting. Facilities for horse riding, skating, golf and rock climbing are also

available. Fishing is possible with the permission of local authorities. Talli Tal and Malli Tal are the two main trading centers at Nainital. Places to See Dorothy Seat: (2,292 m) (4 km). Memorial to an English lady believed to have been killed in an air

crash. The spot commands a partial view of the town and the nearby region. Hanumangarhi: (1, 951 m) 3 km. A popular place for worship in the temple of Lord Hanuman. The Sunset view is worth waiting for here. Khurpatal: (1,635 m) 5 to 10 kms.

This is an angler's paradise on NainitalKaladhungi-Ramnagar Road. It is here that the conifers belt merges and gives way to the Sal trees. Fishing permits are available from Deputy Commissioner, Nainital. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 32

Andy Shenoy appointed to NY Tourism Board India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Prominent New York businessman and political activist, Andy Shenoy has been appointed by NY Governor David Paterson to serve on the Tourism Advisory Board of the Empire State Development Corporation. Shenoy, the only Indian-American to serve on the advisory board, is reputed for his work promoting economic ties between State of New York and several Indian states. "It is indeed an honor to serve on the advisory board at such a critical time," said Shenoy, president of Trivision group Inc. "New York State is one of the top travel destinations for tourists from around the world. We must do all we can to enhance the image of our state. The

cade as an informal ambassador between local government officials and the Indian and South Asian communities, and high level government officials in India.

Andy Shenoy with Gov. Paterson

world, especially India loves New York," he said and added that he was "excited to serve the people of New York in his new position." "I want to thank Governor Paterson for this wonderful opportunity," Shenoy said. "We must con-

tinue to strengthen our ties with India and the South Asian community. This is a relationship that provides a mutual benefit for everybody," he said of his appointment. Shenoy is no stranger to the job having served during the past de-

Shenoy is no stranger to the job having served during the past decade as an informal ambassador between local government officials and the Indian and South Asian communities He has also served as President of Indo-American Promotion - a nonprofit organization promoting greater understanding and economic development locally be-

tween India and with the South Asian communities. Shenoy has assisted former US, Senator Alfonse D'Amato, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former Governors George E. Pataki and Eliot Spitzer to promote New York State abroad. In Pataki administration, he served as special advisor for South-Asian Affairs. In 2006, Shenoy lead the New York state delegation and accompanied Frank Levin, the then Federal Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade on a mission to India. Shenoy received the Governor's Award of Excellence for his significant contribution to the social, economic and cultural development of the state and the nation in 2005. Shenoy also serves on the board of the Battery Park Authority.

August 14, 2009

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Haryana Tourism introduces online reservation

Mrs. Kiran Choudhry Haryana Tourism Minister inaugurating the online reservation system India Post News Service implemented in 26 top A &

PANCHKULA: Haryana has launched an "Online Room Reservation System" of accommodation at various Tourist Resorts of Haryana Tourism. In the first phase, the reservation system has been

B category resorts of Haryana Tourism. Mrs. Kiran Choudhry, Minister of State for Tourism Haryana Tourism, told newsmen that Haryana has adopted integrated information system for all the tourist resorts and will utilize the power of Internet to meet the challenges in the new world.

Tourists will be able to book rooms on internet from anywhere in the world. The website provides information about the availability of room resort wise along with the tariff range. The user will be able to book room by using any of the following modes: Using Credit/Debit Cards: Interface is provided for making online payment through credit/ debit card. This booking so made will be a confirmed booking. Booking through Email: The tourist who do not have credit card may use this option. Customer will have to make request for room booking by submitting the form given on this website. He/she has to deposit the required amount in the resort account in the any branch of Axis Bank within 48 hours of the request. After getting the payment, resort will confirm the booking within 24 hours of getting payment and confirmation mail will be sent automatically.

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Nainital: Lake resort amidst seven hills Cont’d from page 30

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Kilbury: (2,194 m) 10 kms. A wooded spot, ideal for quiet and peaceful holidays. It is connected by road. Lariakanta: (2, 481 m) 6 kms. This is the second highest peak of Nainital and commands a glorious view of the lake region. Land's End: (2,1l8 m) 4.08 kms. One can have a magnificent view of Khurpatal and the terraced fields on the hill side. Naini Peak: (2,611 m) (Cheena Peak) 6 kms. Most favored picnic spot of the town. One can view the distant plains and snow clad Himalayas from the peak. A bird's eye view of the lake is also obtainable from here. One can either trek or go on a horse back up to Naina

Snow-View

Peak. Naini Lake: The boat club overlooking the lake offers sailing facilities and also boating. Fishing is allowed with the permission of Executive Officer, Municipal Board, Nainital.

Snow-View: (2270 m). 3 km. This is the nearest easily accessible peak on Sher-ka-Danda hill connected by Ropeway. A powerful telescope is fixed here which enables one to view the Himalayan ranges. State Observatory: (1951 m). 4.4 kms. Devoted to astronomical studies and optical tracking of artificial and earth satellites. Nainital Ropeway: Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam has since installed the most sophisticated ropeway at Nainital which is the first of its kind in India. The ropeway covers a distance of 705 meters with an altitude gain of 300 meters. Carrying a maximum load of 825 kgs or 12 persons in each of its two cars, the ropeway travels at a maximum speed of 6 mts/ sec. It also has the unique adaptability to travel at a speed as low as 0.5 mts/sec. Best season to visit: March to June and Mid-September to the end of October. Clothing: Summer - light woolen/cottons. Winter: Heavy woolen. Language spoken: Hindi, English and Kumaoni. General Information about Nainital Area: 11.73 sq kms. Temperature: Summer 10.6° c to 26.7° c. Rainfall: Average 2794 mm.

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Japanese firms invited to India SEZs TOKYO/OSAKA: Allaying concerns over land acquisition problems in the country, Indian businesses have asked Japanese firms to make investment and forge technological tie-ups in special economic zones during their weeklong visit to Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama. At a conference in Tokyo recently, Japan-India Business Cooperation Committee Standing Committee Chairman Yoshihiro Watanabe expressed concerns that land acquisition in India can take long time for doing businesses there. To remove apprehensions in Japanese minds, L B Singhal, Director General of the Export Promotion Council of EOUs and SEZs, said land has been acquired for 568 SEZs that have been approved in India. Of this, 315 zones have been notified also, Singhal said. "Notified means that after acquisition of land, the developers have completed all formalities required to make these SEZs operational and they are on the verge of starting their operations," he said, adding that 91 SEZs have started operations. -PTI

Hiranandani to enter affordable housing segment

MUMBAI: Real estate developer Hiranandani Constructions is looking to enter the affordable housing segment and may enter into a public private partnership (PPP) with the Maharashtra Government for the same, a top company official said. "We are certainly looking at opportunities in cluster/rental housing. Although we haven't started talking to MMRDA (for public private partnership) for lowincome housing, internally we have started making plans," Hiranandani Constructions Managing Director Niranjan Hiranandani told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here. The company is also exploring the markets of Bangalore, Nashik, Panvel, Thane and Pune among other cities for the affordable housing project, he added. The State Government is focusing on the rental housing model and aims to have three lakh flats/tenements ready in the next three years through the PPP model, Government of Maharashtra, Additional Chief Secretary and Mumbai Metropolitian Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Metropolitan Commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad, said.-PTI

Real Estate 35 India Post

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August 14, 2009

Anant Raj invests Rs 450 cr to buy land NEW DELHI: Taking advantage of the fall in property prices, real estate firm Anant Raj Industries plans to invest Rs 450 crore to acquire a land bank, which it would use for developing low-cost housing in north India. The Delhi-based firm has Rs 750 crore as cash-inhand, out of which, it has earmarked Rs 450 crore for land acquisition while the rest would be utilized to complete existing projects. -PTI

New multi ethnic (desi) shopping center in 'heart of Bay' India Post News Service

HAYWARD, CA: The Village Shopping Center is located in the city of Hayward "Heart of the Bay". The new redeveloped area will be a unique retail center concentrating on bringing the diversity of taste and style together in one shopping arena with spaces from 1000 sq ft to 4000 sq ft. The focus of this project is a casual dining and shopping center that captures the complete experience of multi-ethnicity. The center will offer a satisfying atmosphere of shopping, dining, cafés, Tea & Coffee house along with Chat corner, Kabob house and Thai cuisine for the spice lovers and Pizza. The current tenants in the center are Sudagar Grocery Store (month to month lease), Curry Corner and Sagar Boutique (month to month lease). New leases have been signed for Fiji Sweets and Snack, Blaze Hookah Lounge, Suroor Restaurant for 8600 sq feet, a fine upscale large seating capac-

ity restaurant and banquette hall, beauty plus hair and nail salon.

verse community in cities of Hayward, Castro Valley, Fremont and

The center will offer a satisfying atmosphere of shopping, dining, cafés, Tea & Coffee house along with Chat corner, Kabob house and Thai cuisine for the spice lovers and Pizza This center will cater to all the moods of the ever-growing di-

Union City along with surrounding areas.

The center is centrally located at the intersection of Sorenson Rd and Mission Blvd across from Walgreens/Bank of America and Food Source in the city of Hayward. It is about two blocks from Cal State Hayward and a block from Mission High School. Within two miles of the center many new residential developments have been recently completed and sold.

Retail rentals decline 25 % in Delhi NEW DELHI: Country's capital New Delhi continued to witness a decline in retail rentals of 25 per cent and ranked 69th in rentals among the list of major cities across the world during the first quarter of 2009, according to global real estate consultancy CB Richard Ellis. Prime retail rentals continued with their downward trajectory

worldwide during the period which saw New York maintaining the top slot among cities with high rentals despite a 10 per cent annul decline. New Delhi ranks 69th globally with an average rental of USD 109 per sq ft each month. "Demand for retail space has declined in most markets across the world as consumers cut back

3C Company residential project in NCR NEW DELHI: Real estate firm 3C Company has announced launch of Rs 1,550-crore residential project in the national capital region, the first phase of which would be completed in the next two years. The project, Lotus Boulevard, would be funded by real estate private equity firm Red Fort Capital,

which has 50 per cent stake in it. The global equity firm, which has invested USD 300 million in India, said it has already put in Rs 150 crore (USD 30 million) in the project. "The total cost of the project would be around Rs 1,100 crore and the realization value is around Rs 1,550 crore. Cont’d on page 37

on spending and unemployment continues to rise in many countries. New Delhi in India saw a 25 per cent decline in a six month period," CBRE said in its report 'Global Retail Rents Market View Q1'. The report said since the end of last year, most major economies barring India and China, have seen significant economic de-

cline. "Rentals in Delhi NCR have corrected further when compared to the beginning of 2008. Retailers feel that rentals have corrected to sustainable levels and are using this period judiciously to take up positions on favorable terms," CB Richard Ellis Chairman and MD Anshuman Magazine said. -PTI

36 India Post

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August 14, 2009

Real Estate

August 14, 2009

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Jet Airways gets time to buy Mumbai property MUMBAI: Jet Airways has got time till September for paying Rs 800 crore for a property in Bandra- Kurla complex, but failure to meet this deadline would mean Jet would have to forfeit its security deposit. "MMRDA has extended the time limit for Jet Airways till September for payment of Rs 800 crore for the land in BKC," Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Chief

Ratanakar Gaikwad told reporters here. In the event of the airline failing to make the payment, it would have to forfeit its security deposit, Gaikwad said. In March 2008, Jet Airways bought 3,44,000 sq mt of commercial plot for Rs 826 crore for developing its global headquarters in the central business district of Bandra-Kurla. The company, which made

part payment at the time of purchase, sought time till mid-October 2008 for making full payment but failed to honor it. Subsequently, it sought further extension. After examining the matter, Jet Airways has been given extension till September but any failure to comply with the time limit, the Airline will have to forfeit its security deposit, Gaikwad said. -PTI

India Post 37

3C Company residential project in NCR Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 35

We will developing the project in phases," The 3C Company Senior Vice President (Sales and Marketing) Brijesh Bhanote told reporters here. He said the first phase would be ready for occupancy in the next 21 months. Spread over 40 acres, the project will have up to 3,000 residential units and is likely to be completed in the next five to six

years. "The first phase will have around 900 residential units, costing up to Rs 50 lakh. The unit areas range from 987 sq ft to 1,820 sq ft," he said, adding that the inaugural price will be Rs 2,825 per sq ft. The company said the residential complex will be located at Greater Noida and will have various facilities, including business centre, shopping malls and sports complex. -PTI

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August 14, 2009

What I-Day means to youth ABHISHEK MUKHERJEE

Many college students feel that India ought to learn from nations like South Korea and Malaysia who have been able to bring a huge turnaround in their fortunes. Japan, in fact, was in ruins after the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945

lag-hoisting ceremonies, cultural programs, flying of tricolor kites, patriotic songs and movies on television strive to ring a bell in the Indians on August 15. It is a striking reminder of our extraordinary struggle for the right of our own country, the lives that were shed to drive out foreign oppressors. “A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being - a vision long cherished materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed! We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people,” said Jawaharlal Nehru when the fateful moment arrived. Today India has vastly improved, yet for youngsters it is the responsibility that freedom gave us which lacks fulfillment. For every sixth person in this planet, Independence Day holds infinite more significance than just the achievement of freedom. 00:00 hours August 15, 1947 presented a blissful moment of new-found dignity and honour – a new life, a new dawn of another era. What makes it even more special is the fact that our exceptional leaders laid the foundation of a principled nation. The real unified India was given birth at that moment.

The nation took off then, but has not been able to achieve a smooth and successful ride. Many college students feel that India ought to learn from nations like South Korea and Malaysia who have been able to bring a huge turnaround in their fortunes. Japan, in fact, was in ruins after the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. They have not looked back since. Says Sanjay Gupta, a second year engineering student in IP University, Delhi, “For me, Independence Day means the celebration of our freedom, but we can’t leave it at that. We also need to look at the harsh realities – our country is economically better than just the SubSaharan Africa. Cont’d on page 42

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Indians brace for grand celebration of Independence Day SANTOSH RAMESH

CHICAGO: The economic downturn notwithstanding, the Chicago Indians are bracing for celebrating India's 63rd Independence Day on August 15 this year with quite gusto and enthusiasm. This is despite the fact that Bollywood stars, who are usually star attractions during the Parade, might be absent this time. "We are not in a position to lure them with a hefty monetary incentive as we are short of funds but

that should not matter, judging from the enthusiasm shown by the Indian public and other political celebrities alike here," said Dr. Hyder Mohammad, President of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA). In a talk to this paper, he said that the India Day celebrations will have the "same luster, the same quiet dignity and the same pomp as before as we have lined up 30 plus colorful floats depicting diverse Indian culture, are sure

of presence of front ranking political personalities, a unique banquet on August 14 and grand cultural program on August 10 besides the traditional Parade on August 15. Adding some spice would be the presence of a couple of Bollywood artists - past and upcoming- and sports heroes." The FIA will have the start this time with a flag hoisting and cultural event at 11.30 am on August 10 at Chicago Daley Plaza in Down-

(L-R) Amy Mehta, Sohan Joshi, Babu Patel, Freed Shareef, Sunil Shah (Secretary) Dr Hyder Mohammed,â&#x20AC; (President) Sher Rajput (Vice President) Omkar Sangha and Shaid Razvi

town area. The Mayor of Chicago Richard Daley has kept up the City Hall tradition of celebrating India Day by organizing a get together of Indians and other guests at the Chicago Culture Center on Washington Ave Chicago Downtown. On August 10 at 5-30 pm, he is expected to recognize prominent Indian Americans for their contributions in the field of art, culture, science and business. Close on the heels of FIA Flag

hoisting, the Association of Indians in America (AIA) headed by Naren Patel too has slated its traditional India Day event on August 12 at Daley Plaza. The program starting at 11.30 am will see the flag hoisting by Indian Consul General Ashok Kumar Attri in the presence of prominent political bigwigs like Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and others. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 46

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‘India needs to listen more and react less’ India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: During an interactive session with Aspen Institute India on the topic "China and India: New Global Players, New Leadership Models?" Dr Vishakha Desai, President of Asia Society pointed out the inevitability of the rise of India and China on the global stage means that the leadership models of each country would inform geopolitical and geo-economic shifts in the world. Dr Desai pointed out that one of the biggest difference between western countries and India and China was the notion of the 'self', which in the former is individualistic and in the latter, is very relational. In China however, Confucian philosophy dictates that a leader does not have to do anything, but simply lead by example. The ruler's activities are expressions of his moral value systems. In India on the other hand, leadership is seen as a duty or 'dharma' or obligation towards the people. Because of India's colonial past, our tendency is to stand up for ourselves and defend ourselves. China's revolutionary history on the contrary dictates that reactions are practical, with the focus that what needs to be done must be done.

In terms of leadership in the corporate world, Dr Desai said that speeches of Indian corporate leaders have traces of nationalism as well as community responsibility, which is not discernible amongst American business leaders. The Chinese business leaders again prefer to lead by example. The three leadership models are hence very different. Dr Desai pointed out that as notions of inter-dependency and the drive for sustainability become important, leadership models would require a more relational framework. Thus, there is much in Asian values as embodied in Indian and Chinese leadership styles that will be important in the 21st century. During the interactive session that followed, many questions were raised about the debate on climate change in particular and the ways in which leadership presented by India, US and China informs the same. Dr Desai said that there is a need for leadership models to be flexible, and for the various styles to come together so that common problems can be addressed more effectively. The session was moderated by Ravi Bhoothalingam, Chairman and CEO of Manas Advisory, who spoke about Aspen Institute India's focus on leadership development.

India Post August 14, 2009

What I-Day means to youth Cont’d from page 38

Our system needs a re-look. The fact that we have a coalition government is itself testimony to the fact that there is confusion and stagnation in our system. Our administration is just too lackadaisical. A single proposal to be legalised takes years for being passed by parliament and then implemented. Moreover, everything gets diluted because of corruption and confusion at all levels. Lack of education among masses and a huge population makes it look worse. I’m proud to be an Indian, but I only wish there weren’t so much corruption and a struggle for survival everyday.” It must be kept in mind, however, that India’s founding fathers stressed on the purity of means. Having people from all kinds of backgrounds, faith, A single proposal to be caste, language, legalised takes years creed and colour, India strives to em- for being passed by brace all. The slowness and stagnation parliament and then is only a repercussion to achieve this. implemented “Every theory applied will have a side-effect. If there is brainwashing and lack of clarity of thought among voters during elections, it is because Universal Adult Franchise attempts to give a fair chance to the illiterate adult people of India in its administration. India will have to face problems for such justness and fairness in the means, but it is worth it, because our founders have chosen the morally right way of running this most unique and diverse country in the world. Though slowly, India has been developing the correct way. China may be much more developed and competent than us, yet fact remains that it is virtual dictatorship there. Independence Day means a lot to me,” says Deepak Shenoy, a call centre employee. Many youngsters feel it is India’s population which poses a hindrance to faster development. They believe small towns of India need to be revitalised to ease the pressure off metropolitan cities and achieve urbanisation at a faster rate, which is quintessential for overall development of the nation. “15th August every year prompts us to look ahead. To be flourishing we need to move out of villages as soon as possible. 70% of Indians are still very poor and survive on farming in villages. It is a long way ahead,” adds Megha Choudhary, a class 12 student in Delhi. The optimists among the youth To be flourishing we today, though appearing to have need to move out of been smitten by the villages as soon West, do admit that as possible the family values, deep-rooted culture and the rich heritage of India is something they cherish and have always been proud of. Being an Indian involves immense responsibility, they feel. There are never-ending problems that India faces that cannot be solved in a day, yet there have been numerous known and unknown instances in which Indians have shown courage and risen above all odds to achieve miracles. Independence Day, thus, acts as a reflection of today’s India in comparison to 1947. It is not just a walk down memory lane, but also a reminder of the duties as a citizen of the nation. It is time we focus on abiding by the duties and fulfilling them.

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Asian American contractors included in Chicago's M/WBE Program SURI SWAMY

CHICAGO: The Chicago city administration has finally decided to meet the demand of Asian contractors half way by getting them the minority status recognition for getting city contracts. The victory is half way thru since the city has announced a review of the status at the end of 2012.

Harendra Mangrola

Welcoming the City decision, Harendra Mangrola, foremost Asian contractor, said that Chicago City administration has taken the right decision to continue the inclusion of Asian Americans as a presumptive category in the city's minority- and womenowned business enterprise program for construction contracts

Asian Americans, other minority groups, and women work toward the goal of having equal footing in the public contracting arena," she added. The Chicago City Council had previously removed Asian Americans as a presumptive minority group in the M/WBE program because a federal court case opined that there was insufficient evidence that Asian Americans The current M/WBE suffered from discrimiprogram was set to nation. There was a reexpire at the end of sulting outcry in the Asian American comthis year, but the munity, which does inordinance passed deed face discriminaat the City Council tion, particularly in the realm of public conmeeting extends tracting. the M/WBE program Recently, AAI and the Association of Asian through the Construction Enterend of 2015 prises testified at recent budget committee heardence that Asian Americans face ings to secure the inclusion of Asian ongoing discrimination in public American contractors in the M/ contracting," said Ami Gandhi, WBE program, attempting to disLegal Director of the Asian Ameri- pel the untrue myth that Asian Americans are the "model minority." can Institute (AAI). Harendra Mangrola, who "Past exclusion from the City of Chicago's M/WBE program has heads Sumit Contraction, said that harmed Asian American construc- Asian American contractors very tion contractors. The extension of much need this program in order the M/WBE program will help to have a fair chance at obtaining (the M/WBE program.) The current M/WBE program was set to expire at the end of this year, but the ordinance passed at the City Council meeting extends the M/WBE program through the end of 2015 and calls for an interim review by the end of 2012. "We applaud the City Council for recognizing the sound evi-

public contracts, "While we are very pleased with the City Council's vote, our work is not done," said Tuyet Le, Executive Director of AAI. Before the interim review in 2012 and before the ordinance expires in 2015, additional comprehensive studies of minority contractors must be completed. "The City must use researchers who not only understand minority com-

munities but who also know how to accurately study the discrimination that they experience." The Asian American Institute (www.aaichicago.org) is the region's pan-Asian nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering and advocating for the Asian American community through coalition-building, education, and research.

Indo-Pak artists to perform for peace on Aug 14/15 India Post News Service

the coexistence program at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine, Indian, Pakistani and American facilitators challenge the youth to open the wounds of history and delve into the religious, political and territorial battles that have sown so much mistrust and bloodshed. Over the course of the three-week coexistence program, insults, tears and rage are gradually replaced by words of compassion, understanding and sincere attempts at reconciliation. Fawzia Afzal-Khan is a performance artist, working in the classical vocal North Indian tradition, and founding member of the theatre collective, Faim de Siecle, with whom she recently performed in the World Premiere of Five Streams at the Asia Society. In addition to her

NEW YORK: In response to terror attacks and violence in India and Pakistan, The Brownstar Revolution -- an emcee-poet-performers duo - is presenting Unification: A Demonstration for Peace, in New York City. The one-night only performance starts at 10pm on Aug 14 and ends Aug 15 -- the Pakistani and Indian Independence Days respectively. "Brown" artists of every medium are expected to come together to explore the tensions of the motherlands while celebrating 62 years of independence. Featuring performances from poet/singer/ scholar Fawzia Afzal-Khan, comedian Hari Kondabolu, the spokenword duo Brownstar, and others, 'Unification' hopes to The one-night only perfordeconstruct the mance starts at 10pm on Aug region's politics and 14 and ends Aug 15 -- the the politics of being Brown in America Pakistani and Indian Indepenwhile fostering a con- dence Days respectively. versation about how "Brown" artists of every medium to move forward towards a more peaceful, are expected to come together unified South Asia. to explore the tensions of the Proceeds from Uni- motherlands while celebrating fication will support Seeds of Peace, an or- 62 years of independence ganization working to foster peaceful dialogue and rec- career as a musician and academic, onciliation between South Asian she is an accomplished poet and was a finalist in the 2000 Annual youth leaders. The event is co-sponsored by Greenburgh Poetry Competition. Hari Kondabolu, whom the Sethe Asian American Writers' Workshop, Indo-American Arts Council, attle Times described as a "young Pakusonline and Salaam Theater man reaching for the hand-scalding torch of confrontational comwith support from Indaba Music. Seeds of Peace, a public charity ics like Lenny Bruce and Richard founded in 1993 by journalist John Pryor" is an accomplished and Wallach, is dedicated to empower- socially-minded comedian. He ing young leaders from regions of holds a Masters in Human Rights conflict with the leadership skills from the London School of Ecorequired to advance reconciliation nomics and has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy and coexistence. Brownstar is a two-man spoIn 2001, Seeds of Peace launched a program for Indian and ken-word duo of emcee-poet-perPakistani youth from diverse eco- formers Pushkar 'North Star' nomic and religious backgrounds. Sharma and Sathya 'South Star' Through a year-long program and Sridharan.

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Indians brace for grand celebration of Independence Day Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 40

The cultural presentation would involve traditional Indian folk and classical dances. FIA has slated a grand banquet on the eve of India Daythat is on August 14 at Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows. Dr Hyder said "it would be really unique this time in as much as it would not involve lot of speech making but will take those present down the memory line with a black and white presentation of Indian film songs rendered then by Indian Bollywood stars of yester years." The FIA Parade will have a good number of front rankChicago Mayor Richard Daley ing Indian citizens-busi-

nessmen and American political personalities present besides artists and sport heroes from India. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn will lead the Parade as Grand Marshal. "We have invited and are sure that they would comeAld Bernard Stone, Ald Joe Moore, State Treasure Alexi India Day parade crowd last year Giannoulias, Comptroller Raja Krishnamoorthy, Secretary of State Jesse US Rep Jan Schacowaksi, Sen. Dick Durbin and many othWhite, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, ers besides Indian Tollywood, ex Bollywood Jayaprada, M Motesha (Body builder) and cricketer turned Indian MP Mohd Azharuddin," he said. Over 30 organizations and business interests would participate with their colorful floats in the 30 plus floats parade which would be preceded with bands and Jesse White Tumblers. The Parade staring around noon will wade its way from Western Avenue to California Avenue on a stretch named Mahatma Gandhi Marg. Dr Mohammad said that organizing the parade is not the only activity that FIA has undertaken so far. It has launched its own informative website recently and it gets numerous hits everyday. "We have planned other activities too. Probably it would be again for the first time that we would celebrate Gandhi Jayanti in the first week of October as also organize Children's Day on November 14 that happens to be Pandit Nehru's birthday. We are considering to have some sort of educational seminar or activity on that day inv o l v i n g young Indian Americans here. We want more and more Indian Americans to come to FIA as it is this class that needs to reestablish its AIA President Naren Patel (left) with Beena roots to InPatel, Prof Ghanshyam Pandey and Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown dian culture wearing Indian dress and its rich heritage. Our website is designed to get them involved and we feel that we are getting good results," he said. The Indian Consulate will have a flag hoisting on August 15 at the Consulate office where the message from Indian President will be read. Besides, it has organized its annual India Day banquet dinner on August 17 in the evening at Chicago Cultural center. Apart from usual informative social interactions and speeches, there would be a cultural program too. The Indian community in Naperville has announced it would celebrate India Day with a crowded program covering flag hoisting, cultural program and light refreshments courtesy India Harvest. The event will take place at Naperville Municipal Center and the Mayor of Naperville George Pradle will be the chief guest. The entrainment program will include Bollywood songs, dances and classical Oddisi dance by Bollywood Rhythm Group, Rang De India and Utkalla Center. For more information contact Suresh Khattar at 847 274 4032

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India Post August 14, 2009

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India Post August 14, 2009

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India Post August 14, 2009

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India Post August 14, 2009

Ajit Gandhi to get top life insurance industry honor MOHAMMAD GHOUSE

Ajit Gandhi

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ajit exemplifies everything that MDRT stands for - the highest standards of professionalism, competence, integrity, and putting the needs of our customers firstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NAPERVILLE: Prudential Financial, Inc. announced here that Ajit Gandhi, a financial planner with the Naperville Illinois office of the Prudential Insurance Company of America, has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) - one of the life insurance industry's most prestigious organizations. "Ajit exemplifies everything that MDRT stands for the highest standards of professionalism, competence, integrity, and putting the needs of our customers first," said John Greene, president of Agency Distribution at Prudential. "We are very proud of Ajit and congratulate him on an outstanding year." MDRT membership is based on excellence in customer sales and service, and only a small percentage of life insurance and financial services professionals qualify for membership each year. Gandhi, a resident of Naperville, can be reached at ajit.gandhi@prudential.com and at (630) 904-9229 x7100. MDRT, the Premier Association of Financial Professionals. Founded in 1927, is an international, independent association of more than 35,000 of the world's best life insurance and financial services professionals. Its

membership is recognized internationally as the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. Investment advisory services is offered through Prudential Financial Planning Services, a division of Pruco Securities, LLC. Prudential Financial, Inc, a financial services leader with approximately $542 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2009, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more information, please visit http:// www.news.prudential.com/.

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PATEL BROTHERS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA ILLINOISHEAD QUARTERS: 2610 W. DEVON AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60659 T: 773-262-7777/773-764-1857 F: 773-764-7941 873 E. SCHAUMBURG ROAD SCHAUMBURG IL 60193 T: 847-524-1111 F: 847-524-1558 INDIANA PATEL BROTHERS 4150 FAFAYETTE RD, SUTIE F&G INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46254 T. 317-293-8345 F: 317-293-8395 KENTUCKY PATEL BROTHERS 1830, HURSTBOURNE PKWY LOUISVILLE, KY 40220 T: 502-499-9791 F: 502-499-9216 GEORGIA PATEL BROTHERS 1711, CHURCH STREET DECATURE, GA 30033 T: 404-296-2696 F: 404-296-2698 MISSISSIPPI PATEL CASH & CARRY 6800 W. OLD CANTON RD SUITE 102 RIGDELAND, MS 39157 T. 601-952-0332 PATEL BROTHERS 1999 HWY 80 WEST SUITE 15 JACKSON, MS 39204 T: 601-353-6611 F: 601-353-0420

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India Post August 14, 2009

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India Post August 14, 2009

Deepak Vyas elected Vice Chairman of Export Council India Post News Service

ST. LOUIS: Deepak Kant Vyas, a front ranking Indian American businessman, was recently elected Vice-Chairman of Missouri District Export Council. Deepak Vyas is first Asian Indian to be elected to this prestigious position. Members of export council are nominated by United States Secretary of Commerce for a fouryear term. Vyas is a civic leader, philanthropist, a successful businessman and a long time resident of St. Louis, MO. He is Chairman of Redberri Global Corporation with diversified business interest in pneumatic tools, tele-medicine, international trade (Recognized by U S Government with Export Trade Certificate) real estate, information technology, and medical education and soon launching Redberri Earth - World's first Alternate Medicine and Green Lifestyle Portal. Vyas has closely worked with U S Department of Commerce, Invest America, RCGA and Governments of India, Australia, and various South Asian countries in bringing business to Midwest United States. Recently Premier of

Deepak Vyas with former President Bill Clinton

State of Victoria invited him as his guest for Australian Open, a rare honor amongst many honors bestowed by world leaders on him. He was invited by U S Department of

Commerce and US Under Secretary - Commerce to closely work for the official US Business Delegation to visit India. The visit was a big success making a mark as the largest delegation of U S business to India in over 50 years. He is nick-named in Commerce Department as Mini India - a richly deserved recognition Amongst his notable contribution to regional Business Landscape is his hard work in bringing U S - India Business Center to St. Louis with multi - million dollar endowment from Vyas family. MOU signed in 2006 between Commerce Minister of India, Consul General of India in Chicago and Vyas family was inaugurated in 2007. It was a historic event attended by Mayor of St. Louis, County Executive, U S Government and State dignitaries along with Congressman Russ Canada, Indian business, government and administrators. The Indian delegation coming to St. Louis for the event was lead by Chief Minister of second largest state of India- Madhya Pradesh - along with key officials of FICCI, one of the largest trade associations in India. He has promoted a unique "Book Bank" project in inner tribal districts of India to provide text books to students for college education touching the hearts and minds of hundreds of students, and will be soon launching Global Council on Arts for Children - Enriching cultures through Arts. This charity will focus on promoting art thus enriching cultures and traditions worldwide working closely with Clinton Foundation, UNICEF and various governments across the world. Vyas also serves as Life Trustee of Lions Bhavan Trust in Secunderabad, India which manages Lions Clubs International Auditorium and Cultural Center.

Film industry seeks Bharat Ratna for Dilip Kumar NEW DELHI: From South Indian superstar Rajnikanth to Bollywood Baadshah Shahrukh Khan, members of Indian film fraternity are putting their might behind a petition appealing that the Bharat Ratna be conferred on movie legend Dilip Kumar. The initiative started by director Mahesh Bhatt has been backed by some of the biggest names in showbiz including Aamir Khan, Kamal Haasan, Yash Chopra, Mamooty, Rakesh Roshan, Subhash Ghai, Chiranjeevi, Ramesh Sippy, Mukesh Bhatt among others. "Dilip Kumar, the icon is as old as the Indian film industry. He is the symbol of secular India and has an unmatched career record spanning from pre-independence years till the last decade," Bhatt told PTI. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 53

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India Post August 14, 2009

Diaspora Indians suffer from anxiety of invisibility: Vinay Lal India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: In a session organized by Aspen Institute India, Professor Vinay Lal, Professor of History, University of California, Los Angeles suggested that Diaspora Indians suffer from the anxiety of invisibility—about not being taken seriously enough as Indians, and about Hinduism being an ‘invisible religion’. In the interactive session, Prof. Lal said that while the Indian Diaspora is an incontestable fact of contemporary history, the recent interest in the wider Indian community of NRIs, PIOs, OCIs etc generally refers only to the highly educated and affluent Indians in US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand etc. What is generally ignored is the older Indian Diaspora in places like South East Asia, in the Caribbean and in Africa, who went as indentured labour, and to whom India paid scant attention. Thus, in some ways it can be said that India disowned its older Diaspora between the 1940s and 1980s to early 1990s—perhaps in part because at the time India had no real capability to help Indians in other countries, and also because the Indian communities in these countries represented everything India wanted to forget. He drew upon the examples of Trinidad, Fiji, Malaysia, South Africa and Guyana in this regard, and said that Indians had suffered considerable injustice and oppression in these countries in different ways. Referring to the ‘new’ Diaspora in the US in particular, Prof. Lal observed that until the ascent of Bobby Jindal as the Governor of Louisiana, Indians were barely represented in the political system. This, coupled with the fact that many Diaspora Indians perceive that the world runs roughshod over them has created an ‘anxiety of invisibility’. There is consternation over why China, a communist regime is given so much importance over India, the world’s

Film industry seeks Bharat Ratna for Dilip Kumar

Cont’d from page 52

With a plan to involve millions of Dilip Kumar fans in the initiative, a Facebook community "Dilip Kumar for Bharat Ratna" has been started which has 1000 members till date with its ranks swelling very day. "The people of India would like to send their fervent request to the Government of India to confer the prestigious Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, for the best actor in the country, Shri Dilip Kumar," reads the web page of the community. "The imitative is not an agenda being pushed by the film industry but it also has the support of thousands of Dilip Sahab's fans," Bhatt added. -PTI

Professor Vinay Lal

largest democracy—there is great insistence for parity. The corollary to this is the fact that Pakistan is seen as being given equal parity with India. There is thus an anxiety of influence. There is also great anxiety over the “invisibility of Hinduism” and the fact that the religion, though has millions

of adherents across the world, is not seen as a ‘world religion’ like Christianity, Islam, Judaism etc. This is in large part the reason why affluent Indians are investing so much money in building temples across America. Prof. Lal lamented that perhaps the money could have been better spent on development programs in India. In terms of Diaspora politics, Prof. Lal pointed out that there are sustained efforts by some groups to forge closer relations between India, the US and Israel , under the rhetoric of each country being surrounded by fundamentalist Islamic forces. He concluded by saying that Diaspora Indians must display greater political awareness and need to make ethical, sensitive and democratic choices, such as forging linkages with other disenfranchised and disadvantaged groups. Trumpeting of family values, refusal to engage with the wider community, and over-investment in temples are some of the distressing aspects of Diaspora Indians. Rather than looking at the rise of India as a great power, more attention needs to be paid to making ethical choices.

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India Post August 14, 2009

Fox Star acquires distribution rights of 'My Name is Khan' MUMBAI: Fox Star Studios, a joint venture between 20th Century Fox and Star, has announced that it has acquired the marketing and distribution rights of Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'My Name is Khan'. The deal had been at the centre of media reports claiming that the rights were acquired for a whopping Rs 100 crore but the figure has been brushed off as "inaccurate" by the studio. "We have acquired the rights of the film at the most appropriate value. All the figures doing rounds the media are inaccurate. We don't discuss numbers. Nothing you have been reading is correct," said Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star

Studio when asked if the film has been acquired for the staggering amount. Both Singh and Sanford Panitch, President of Twentieth Century Fox International Productions, declined to divulge the amount at which the deal had been sealed. Fox Star will also finance the film in which Shah Rukh essays the character of Rizwan Khan who suffers from 'Asperger Syndrome', a form of autism that impacts social interaction abilities. Shahrukh expressed confidence that the deal with Fox will help Indian cinema reach international audiences. "It is a very important film for me personally hence I decided to become the co-producer as well. It's a brave, new entertaining film and I hope we will not let Fox Studios down," Khan said. . Fox Star will market and distribute the film in India while Fox Searchlight Pictures will release the film in United States. 20th Century Fox International will distribute the film outside of India and the United States. Starring Shah Rukh and Kajol, the film has Khan's Red Chillies production house also on board as co-producer. It is slated for release early next year.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol shoot a wedding scene for their forthcoming Karan Johar film My Name Is Khan

Panitch said 'My Name is Khan' is an emotional journey which crosses borders and cultures while hoping that the deal will prove to be the first step towards a long term relationship with Bollywood. "This is the first mainstream Bollywood film that we will be distributing worldwide. This is an ongoing commitment from our side to Bollywood," Panitch added. Karan Johar, who is directing and co-producing the film, said his film explores human emotions that are relevant to people across the world. "This movie is about human emotions that are relevant to people across the world and I am happy that the audience which is unfamiliar with these films will get a chance to see what Indian cinema has to offer to the world," said Johar. "For us, this tie-up was important to find a partner who is like-minded, has a similar vision and the capability to take Indian cinema to the international market," said Johar, who has directed blockbusters like 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham'.

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India Post August 14, 2009

Pak writer is fond of Indian classical music NEW DELHI: Whatever be their views on relations between the two countries but there has always been admiration in Pakistan of Indian art. One among the many such admirers is Ali Sethi- a young Pakistani writer, who has recently came out with his debut novel "The Wish Maker". "I am a writer but I also want to become a singer. It's my passion and that is why I am learning Indian classical singing from Ustad Naseeruddin Saami of Delhi Gharana," says Sethi. "I have been always close to Indian music as my mother used to sing ghazals and thumris," he adds. Sethi, 25, a major in SouthAsian Studies from Harvard University, is a new entrant in Pakistani English literature, which in recent times has witnessed resurgence with names like Kamila

Shamsie, Mohammad Hanif, Nadeem Aslam, Mohsin Hamid and Daniyal Mueemuddin.

Pakistani author Ali Sethi speaks of inspirations behind the book

"Post 9/11, there is sense of self-consciousness and constant scrutiny among the more literate Pakistanis and this has led to the emergence of a new breed in Paki-

stani literature," says Sethi. He also attributed the resurgence to the freedom of media in later 90's and earlier this decade. "Freedom to the media during Musharraf regime- an undoing for himself- gave us the opportunity to see both sides of the coin. Earlier in Zia-ul-Haq span we had only PTV, which only showed the views of clerics. Sethi, who has witnessed Pakistan politics closely and also suffered due to it as his father Najam Sethi, a noted Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Friday Times was arrested by ISI in 1999 and released only after a month due to global outcry. He blames the regime of Gen Zia-ul-Haq during 80's for the present tumult in Pakistan. "He brought the idea of a Islamic Pakistan. He wanted to make Pakistan similar to Saudi Arabia, which was the biggest funding source for

Pakistan at that time." He also blames USA for giving a boost to extremist organizations Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The protagonist of "The Wish Maker" Zaki Shirazi is close to his identity. "There are a lot of simi-

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Don't separate us, Pakistan is a part of the sub-continent, and world should look at us and find solution to this problemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; larities. The backdrop of the novel is Lahore in early 1990's, where I spent my childhood. Even Zaki's mother is a journalist so as my mother Jugnu Mohsin." He says that though due to Islamisation of Pakistan in Zia's regime, there was a strong hold of clerics in the society but cities like Lahore and Karachi (which was facing ethnic violence) had a modern outlook. "In my childhood, donning veil and scarf was a rarity. Many females used to

wear jeans and tops but now women are forced to wear veil." He also says that these all is due to rise of media. "It will take a lot of time to undo the polices of 80's and early 90's," he says. He also says that because of so much violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the region is treated as war-zone. "Don't separate us, Pakistan is a part of the sub-continent, and world should look at us and find solution to this problem keeping sub-continent scenario in mind along with India." Sethi also thanked his education in USA, where he studied a lot about the history, culture, society and the politics in South Asia. "It inspired me to write the novel." He says "Everyone is a wish maker. When you will read the book, you will know that everyone makes a wish but it may not come true." He also makes a wish for India and Pakistan. "Let more Indians to travel Pakistan and let more Pakistanis to visit India, this will be a solution to all the issues. -PTI

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India Post August 14, 2009

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India Post August 14, 2009

Tech News Negative growth in aircraft movement, freight traffic NEW DELHI: After witnessing a double digit increase in percentage terms in the last four years, aircraft movement as well as passenger and freight traffic have recorded a negative growth rate during the last fiscal, the Government has said. "Aircraft movements, passenger and freight traffic registered negative growth rate of -00.10, 06.80 and -01.00 per cent during 2008-09," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said in a written reply to a query in Lok Sabha. The minister also said that the foreign airlines had increased their operations by 85 per cent in the last five years in the country. -PTI

Jaypee to set up cement plant in Assam NEW DELHI: Diversified business house Jaypee Group has announced an investment of Rs 1,050 crore to set up a greenfield cement plant in Assam with an annual capacity of two million tonnes. The group's flagship company Jaiprakash Associates has signed a memorandum of understanding with Assam Mineral Development Corporation (AMDC) for setting up the plant at Umrangshu in North Cachar Hills district, the company said in a statement. The plant would be developed by a joint venture, to be incorporated soon, where Jaiprakash Associates would hold 82 per cent stake and the balance 18 per cent would be allotted free of cost to AMDC, it added. -PTI

CII to sign an MOU with Denmark firm

TechBiz 58 India Post

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NEW DELHI: A Swiss company that supplies India a special ink for printing currency notes has run into trouble with security agencies for importing the ink using an allegedly rigged duty free license. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had last year seized about 450 kg of OVI Intaglio ink imported by SICPA, a leading provider of security inks and solutions for banknotes, on the grounds that the value of the ink far exceeded the value for which the duty free import licence was granted. SICPA had legally acquired the licence from a rice exporter through a middleman. Exporters are allowed to import raw material worth up to 10 per cent of their goods' export value duty free. -PTI

India poised to shape emerging world order: Prof. Prahalad India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: India today is poised to actively shape the emerging world order, as all global institutions are facing trauma due to the downturn. This has to be done by gaining economic strength, technological vitality and quality moral leadership opined Professor C K Prahalad, Paul & Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor, The University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. He was speaking at a session in India @ 75: Next Phase Call for Inspired Action organised here by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Suggesting a 'Sandbox' approach for realising the vision of India@75, he stated that we should be able to achieve innovation within constraints by maintaining the following: global scales, environment sustainability, new price-performance level, market based approach, social equity and individual rights. He further stated that India should innovate to bring in a model educational system that would work towards achieving the President's vision of educating 500

million people. We should not emulate benchmarks and standards of other countries which have never tried to achieve such huge scale for skills. He said that people must have ability to be employable. We have to also think about getting the children to

for inclusive urbanisation with habitation acceptable in the 21st century. He upheld the spirit of entrepreneurship as the idea of bringing in a positive change in the society. He called for decentralisation with a district level approach and generate ca-

We should not emulate benchmarks and standards of other countries which have never tried to achieve such huge scale for skills. He said that people must have ability to be employable Professor C K Prahalad

school before imparting skills to them. It is not a hidden fact that rural schools don't function and therefore a new education delivery mechanism should replace it. Speaking on urbanisation, he outlined that 40-50% population in cities are living in slums. Planners should find ways and means

pacity to accept benefits of India's diversity. Rajesh V Shah, Past President, CII & Chairman, CII Urban Development Council and Co-Chairman and Managing Director Mukand Limited presented the concept of intelligent cities. He said that concentrated efforts should be made

in drafting world class architectural codes and bringing in PPP arrangements. City development should clearly have a people's perspective as a truly democratic approach. Sanjaya Mariwala, Chairman, CII Kerala State Council & Managing Director, Kancor Ingredients Ltd proposed creating more vision ambassadors for India@75 theme. Sharing his insights from Kerela@75, a state level segment of the theme, Mariwala said that building quick milestone actions is imperative. District level administration should be the key focus for India@75, to see effective results, he added. Dr Rahul Mirchandani, National Chairman, Young Indians (Yi) and Executive Director, Aries Agro Limited said that Yi aims to become the fireflies of the India@75 programme. Yi is a key stakeholder in national, state and district level development of India. It has been generating awareness about what needs to be done, advocating to get heard at the right platforms and has been into action by undertaking fieldwork projects. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 59

Bill Clinton to address Pan IIT Conference India Post News Service

CHANDIGARH: Industry body CII would sign a memorandum of understanding with investment agency Copenhagen Capacity in October this year to promote bilateral ties with Denmark. At a seminar on "Opportunities with Nordic Markets", CII Chandigarh Council Chairman Partap K Aggarwal invited Copenhagen Capacity to sign a MoU to promote bilateral ties between Denmark and companies in north India. Morten Deudahl, Director (Business Development), Copenhagen Capacity welcomed the proposal saying that the step would go a long way in promoting growth of companies in the region. -PTI

August 14, 2009

Swiss company used rigged license

NEW YORK: Former President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation will speak at the Seventh Annual PanIIT Global Conference 2009 to be held in Chicago October 9-11, on the theme of "Entrepreneurship and Innovation in a Global Economy." He will speak to attendees about innovative ways to address challenges and opportunities in the critical areas of education, energy & climate change, and public health, with a focus on transforming ideas into action. The conference theme is aligned with the goals of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative in bring-

ing together a community of global leaders and private citizens in

high profile attendees at the conference, including academics, ex-

He will speak to attendees about innovative ways to address challenges and opportunities in the critical areas of education, energy & climate change Bill Clinton

identifying and implementing innovative solutions for the world's most pressing challenges. The

ecutives and professionals from leading institutions and corporations, are in a position to have a

real impact in these critical areas. Besides President Clinton, Aneesh Chopra and Ambassador Meera Shankar, other speakers at the event include James W. Owens, Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc.; Sharon M. Oster, Dean and Frederic D. Wolfe Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at the Yale School of Management; Sam Pitroda, Chairman of India's National Knowledge Commission; Tulsi Tanti, Chairman of Suzlon Energy; Carl Shramm, President and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, the world's largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship; and Raghuram G. Rajan, Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago and Former Chief Economist of the IMF.

TechBiz Post

August 14, 2009

India Post 59

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India poised to shape emerging world order: Prof. Prahalad Rajan Navani, Chairman, CII Mission on India@75 and Managing Director, Jetline Group of Companies urged for entrepreneurial transformation, and the constraints within which India has to innovate. According to him

three critical areas for the country today are education with skills building, inclusive urbanisation and sustainability. A high level of leadership should be brought in upholding localised actions. While delivering the vote of thanks, Chandrajit Banerjee, Direc-

tor General, CII said that CII will continue to support the theme of India@75 with a mission to make dream India a reality. As the theme has been internalised, it is not just CII's but also its membership's organisational agenda. The work on this theme will be development and motivation oriented.

Global ad soon for Air India COO NEW DELHI: Ailing Air India will soon issue a global advertisement to appoint a Chief Operating Officer to carry out day-to-day operations under CMD Arvind Jadhav, Civil Aviation Ministry sources said. The COO, who will be a professional airline manager with a proven track record, will be appointed on a contract of three to five years, the sources said. The government had last month announced that the top management of the national carrier would undergo an overhaul within 30 days. "We are working on a turnaround plan for Air India and not on its privatization," a source said in reply to questions. Civil Aviation Minister Praful

Patel had earlier said, "You are going to see a major change in the Air India board. We are going to

The option of issuing an ordinance to reduce sales tax on aviation turbine fuel was also considered but it was not acceptable bring high-quality people of great integrity and people with a proven track record in business."

To questions regarding the recent strike call by private carriers, which was later withdrawn, the sources said the Ministry had done its bit on their demands relating to high taxes on jet fuel and high airport charges. On the high incidence of sales tax on fuel, the sources said the matter was taken up at the level of the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, besides the Empowered Group of State Finance Ministers headed by West Bengal Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta. The option of issuing an ordinance to reduce sales tax on aviation turbine fuel was also considered but it was not acceptable as the Centre cannot take away a major source of revenue for state governments, the sources said. -PTI

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In Brief Study shows decline in illegal immigrants in Ariz PHOENIX: Illegal immigrants are leaving Arizona and returning home because of a dismal job market and stricter enforcement of immigration laws. A new report by the Center for Immigration Studies shows the illegal immigrant population has fallen by one-third over the past two years. Researcher Steven Camarota says that after reaching a high of 530,000 in 2007, Arizona's undocumented population now numbers about 350,000, a drop of about 180,000 people. Some are disputing the findings. A report issued last week by the Pew Hispanic Center used analysis from government population surveys from the US and Mexico as well as Border Patrol apprehensions. -AP

Fake ID operation busted in Phoenix PHOENIX: Authorities say they have arrested an illegal immigrant and shut down a fake ID manufacturing operation in Phoenix. Arizona Department of Public Safety detectives operating with the Arizona Fraudulent Identification Task Force executed a search warrant this afternoon at a central Phoenix home. They say a man inside of the residence was in the process of delivering a fraudulent Arizona drivers license that he had just manufactured. Detectives say they seized high dollar computers/printers along with card stock, lists of names to be used for fraudulent documents, $1,200 and a CD that was an instruction template for making ID cards in other states. -AP

Prosecutor denies violating rights in ID probe DENVER: Colorado authorities say they did not violate anyone's privacy rights when they seized thousands of tax documents to investigate undocumented immigrants for identity theft. In a filing, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck and Sheriff John Cook also said a judge erred in halting the probe. They asked the Colorado Supreme Court to overturn the April ruling by District Court Judge James Hiatt and argued there is substantial evidence that hundreds of undocumented immigrants were stealing people's identities to file their taxes through a tax preparer. -AP

Immigration 60

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www.indiapost.com

August 14, 2009

Arizona sheriff balks at feds' enforcement change PHOENIX: The self-proclaimed ``toughest sheriff in America'' has never gotten so much resistance from the federal government. The Homeland Security Department wants Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., to stop arresting illegal immigrants whose only crime was crossing the U.S.Mexico border without documents. The thing is, Arpaio doesn't much care. ``I'm not going to bend to the federal government, I'm going to do my job,'' he said. ``I don't report to the federal government, I report to the people.'' Shifting winds in Washington have led the Homeland Security Department to rework a federal program that has allowed Arpaio's deputies to make federal immigration arrests since February 2007. It's not yet known whether Arpaio - who has 160 deputies and jail officers trained to make federal immigration arrests and speed up deportations - will sign the new deal. If he doesn't, the feds say he would lose his authority to make any federal immigration arrests.

The revamped program would require Arpaio to clear plans for immigration sweeps beforehand with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and coordinate with ICE before releasing information about such enforcement actions to the news media. Those requirements don't sit well with the sheriff, who is

them go, while Homeland Security says the decision was exclusively Arpaio's. That sweep was the latest of 10 Arpaio has conducted in the last two and a half years. Many were held in heavily Latino areas in metropolitan Phoenix, with deputies stopping drivers for traffic violations.

Even as he considered whether to sign the deal, Arpaio launched a three-day immigration sweep east of metro Phoenix on July 24 known for his independence and well-oiled media operation. Even as he considered whether to sign the deal, Arpaio launched a three-day immigration sweep east of metro Phoenix on July 24. Deputies arrested 74 people; 25 of them were illegal immigrants. Ten of the illegal immigrants were released because they had committed no other crimes, and that fact pitted Arpaio against Homeland Security. Arpaio says the feds told his deputies to let

The sweeps sparked several angry protests from critics who said they amounted to racial profiling and led to a Justice Department investigation of Arpaio. Arpaio said the people who were pulled over were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes. Homeland Security's revamped program focuses on the most serious criminals and creates three priority levels for immigrants who are to be arrested and detained.

Immigrants convicted or arrested of major drug offenses or violent offenses such as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery or kidnapping are the top priority. The other two levels pertain to immigrants with prior convictions, but people whose only crime is being in the country illegally are not covered under the program. Eleven agencies in the country have signed the new so-called 287(g) agreement, while 66 agencies operating under the old program - including Arpaio's - were given 90 days starting July 10 to decide whether they want to agree to follow the revamped program, said DHS spokesman Matthew Chandler. Arpaio called the new program an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Chandler said changes to the new program were designed to spend Homeland Security resources wisely. ``We feel that, you know, with the limited resources we have we need to be focused on criminal aliens who pose a public safety threat,'' he said. -AP

Immigration rights activists retool reform efforts CHICAGO: Activists disappointed that the Obama administration has not given immigration top billing are trying to yank the issue off the back burner by pressing ahead with their own lobbying and legislation plans they hope will reinvigorate reform efforts. By honing in on national lawmakers they believe are sympathetic or can be swayed to support their cause and drawing on voters who said reform was a top priority, many immigrant rights advocates are striving to make headway at a time when the economy is top priority. ``We're not going to just be chanting, 'Yes we can! Yes we can!''' said Jorge Mujica, an immigration advocate in Chicago, which held the largest May 1 rallies and often sets the tone for activists nationwide. ``We are going to put the pressure on dis-

cussing the details.'' It's been a roller coaster ride for immigrant rights advocates pushing for reform over the past few years. When a call to action came in 2006, more than a million people nationwide marched in solidarity to fight a

Many activists hoped Obama would push for immigration reform during his first 100 days in office. Some even thought the president would go so far as to put a moratorium on immigration raids. But the first hint of movement

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We're not going to just be chanting, 'Yes we can! Yes we can!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Jorge Mujica, an immigration advocate in Chicago, which held the largest May 1 rallies and often sets the tone for activists nationwide bill considered anti-immigrant. Since then, two legislation attempts failed. The movement fractured and May 1 rallies lost attendance. Then came a surge of energy with massive voter registration drives and the election of President Barack Obama, whose father moved to the U.S. from Kenya.

didn't come until late last month when Obama met with about 30 lawmakers. Though some immigrant rights advocates praised the meeting and Obama's vow to take up the issue this year, others complain he's been too vague on his plans for border security, employer-based verification for work-

ers and the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the US. ``People are disappointed that things haven't moved further,'' said University of California, Los Angeles professor Raul HinojosaOjeda. ``They're beginning to organize their own set of priorities.'' At this week's annual convention in Chicago of one of the country's largest Hispanic advocacy organizations the National Council of La Raza attendees got tips on how to lobby lawmakers. During a session called ``Take Your Advocacy to the Next Level! Getting Immigration Reform Done,'' panelists specializing in political strategy told activists to create a ``power analysis'' of their US senators and representatives that would include finding out their political donors, stances on immigration and core values so activists could better appeal to them. -AP

Immigration Post

August 14, 2009

India Post

www.indiapost.com

SC audit turns up no violations of immigration law

Ill. congressmen call for immigration reform CHICAGO: Seven members of Illinois' congressional delegation are joining immigrant rights activists in pushing President Barack Obama for immigration reform this year. U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez, Mike Quigley and Danny Davis have signed a letter to Obama that says laws need to be passed that keep immigrant families together, protect workers and provide safe migration opportunities. U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Phil Hare also signed the letter, which is circulating in the U.S. House. Their announcement echoes calls for reform by activist groups who are getting impatient that a reform bill isn't before lawmakers. The groups include the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Obama has vowed to deal with immigration reform but has offered few specifics. -AP

The new provision requires businesses with 100 or more employees to check the workers' legal status through a federal database. The investigators are checking to be sure companies have documentation that new hires' legal status has been verified, either

Knight said the verification audits are random because there are about 2,700 large employers in the state through a federal electronic database, a South Carolina driver's license or the driver's license of an approved state. Employers who fail to verify their new workers under the new law, which some legislators last year boasted was the toughest in the nation, could be fined, while those who knowingly hire new workers could be shut

down. Margaret Thompson, a Pickens County advocate for tough immigration enforcement, said she isn't surprised that no violations have surfaced yet among large businesses. But she says she believes some will be found eventually, especially when small businesses are checked. ``If they think they are squeaky clean, they are not,'' she said. Knight said the verification audits are random because there are about 2,700 large employers in the state. ``A government agency is expected to be a good steward of the taxpayers' money and to use it effectively,'' Knight said. ``The department has designed a system of random selection within an administrative plan drawn from neutral sources.'' Sen. Larry Martin of Pickens, who helped push the law through the Legislature last year, said he believes once people understand LLR is the agency enforcing the new law that more complaints will be filed. -AP

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COLUMBIA, SC: Investigators have yet to discover any violations of South Carolina's tough new immigration law after checking large businesses for a month. The Greenville News reported that Jim Knight, spokesman for the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, said no one has written to his agency about immigration problems concerning companies with 100 or more workers. Knight said the fact that no violations were found isn't surprising, given that most of the telephoned immigration complaints his agency has received are about small businesses, which cannot be checked until next summer. Investigators have audited 50 to 55 businesses since July 1, when the provisions for enforcing the law against big companies went into effect.

India Post

Immigration Post

August 14, 2009

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Dodge City woman gets prison for paying smuggler WICHITA, Kan.: An illegal immigrant accused of threatening a federal prosecutor in Arizona has been sentenced to a year in prison for paying a smuggler $1,000 to bring her nephew into the United States. Angela Ramos-Ocana, 60, had pleaded guilty in June to intentionally encouraging an alien to live in the United States. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of time served with immediate deportation for the Dodge City woman. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson told a federal judge that Ramos-Ocana had ``expressed to our office her remorse for what happened here.'' Her defense attorney, David Freund, also argued for leniency, noting her age and saying this was her only exposure to the courts in the United States. The woman made no comments in court other than saying that she agreed with her attorney.

But U.S. District Judge Monti Belot rejected the recommendation, calling it ``a very serious offense'' while handing down the maximum prison time under federal sentencing guidelines. In addition to the prison time, Ramos-

Belot read aloud in court a transcript of some of those profanity-laced threats before handing down his sentence Ocana was also given three years' probation after release. ``The public has to be protected from people like you who are here illegally and are encouraging others to come here illegally,'' Belot told her. As part of a plea deal, the US attorney's office dropped

charges alleging she made threatening comments about a federal prosecutor in Arizona. The threats were recorded during jailhouse conversations she had while living in Dodge City with her nephew, who was imprisoned in Phoenix in a human smuggling case. In one recording on Sept. 6, she repeatedly asked her nephew, Freddy Ovando-Ocana, to get the name of the assistant U.S. attorney in Arizona who was handling his case to see ``what we can do here, to shut her mouth up.'' Belot read aloud in court a transcript of some of those profanity-laced threats before handing down his sentence, telling her it would be his recommendation that she be prosecuted in Arizona. He also said that as an older person she should know better. ``This kind of behavior - I wouldn't tolerate it,'' Belot said.-AP

Conn. police: Melee breaks out at ransom exchange GREENWICH, Conn.: A family asked to pay a ransom to free three immigrant relatives showed up with baseball bats instead, sparking a melee involving 19 people, police said. The brawl happened in a shopping center parking lot in Greenwich. The family members, who live about 90 miles away in Willimantic, told investigators their relatives had been kid-

napped in Texas, police said. They had agreed to meet the captors with ransom money, but showed up armed with baseball bats and rescued the three, police said. Greenwich police said they arrived to find a large group of men fleeing in four vehicles. The vehicles were later found. Police declined further comment. The kidnapping suspect and the three victims were being

held for questioning on immigration violation charges, police said. The brawl followed an alert by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to area police describing a human-smuggling investigation. Citing the ongoing investigation, ICE declined to comment except to say that four people had been detained for immigration violations.-AP

Immigration Post

August 14, 2009

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US agrees to diversion deal with ex-terror suspect DETROIT: A North African immigrant once put on trial in Detroit for terror-related charges made a deal to close a case of alleged insurance fraud. If Karim Koubriti stays out of trouble for six months, a pending indictment will be dismissed and his record will be clean, defense lawyer Richard Helfrick said. ``He's been through a lot,'' Helfrick told The Associated Press. "The overriding emotion is just relief. It's a relief to everybody involved from our side, from the government.'' In 2003, Koubriti, a native of Morocco, was convicted of conspiring to aid terrorists, an outcome celebrated by the Bush administration as a key victory against terrorism. But the conviction was tossed in 2004 after the U.S. Justice De-

partment said prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense. Koubriti, 30, was subsequently hit with a new charge that same year: conspiracy to commit mail

Koubriti, who lives in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, briefly appeared in court to accept the government's offer of a diversion program fraud. Prosecutors said he falsely told an insurance company in 2001 that he was injured in a car crash. The alleged scheme was mentioned at Koubriti's botched terrorism trial. Helfrick tried to get the

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indictment thrown out but failed. Koubriti, who lives in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, briefly appeared in court to accept the government's offer of a diversion program. He must perform 20 hours of community service and stay in touch with authorities during the next six months. ``Hopefully all goes well and six months from now everything's done,'' Helfrick said. Messages seeking comment were left with Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Straus. Koubriti, a truck driver, declined to be interviewed. He hopes to become a U.S. citizen. Koubriti still has a lawsuit pending against Richard Convertino, who was the prosecutor in the failed terrorism trial. He is seeking $9 million, claiming a violation of his constitutional rights. -AP

Salt Lake law firm indicted in visa fraud case SALT LAKE CITY: Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment alleging a law firm arranged thousands of fraudulent visas for foreign workers at Utah companies. None of the employers was indicted, but two unidentified companies remained under investigation over allegations that executives knew the visas were obtained improperly, prosecutors said. Attorney James H. Alcala, two of his partners, five employees and his firm, Alcala Law Firm PC, were indicted on charges of visa fraud, alien smuggling and conspiracy. Most of the defendants were arrested and held for a court appearance. If convicted, penalties could range up to 10 years in prison with fines of $250,000.

Among the indicted employees was former Border Patrol agent Carlos ``Chuck'' Manuel Vorher, a paralegal for the law firm. Another worker, Andres Lorenzo Acosta Parra, was previously a visa officer at a U.S. consulate in Mexico. Authorities said both employees used their inside knowledge to carry out the fraud. Alcala didn't return a phone message left on an answering machine at his law firm. The U.S. attorney's office didn't know if any of the other defendants had lawyers. The law firm was accused of falsifying paperwork to help companies get visas for unskilled laborers such as roofers, painters and landscaping crews, US Attorney Brett Tolman said. -AP

64 India Post

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August 14, 2009

Horoscope

August 14, 2009

India Post

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ARIES Mar 21-Apr 20 Deal will finally take place. You will sign some papers and enter a long term commitment. You will have healthy discussion with a fatherly figure and learn some thing new. Financially things will stay under controls even after spending lots of money on children this week. You will make travel to a nice place but for business purpose.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22 Favorable planets will provide you with more than one good opportunity to make money. Any contract signed this week will be profitable for long time to come. It will be a very good week for brokers. Be patient with other business partners. Spouse will give few ideas which you may dislike initially but will act on all of them later on.

SAGITTARIUS

August 14 to August 20

Nov 23-Dec 22 It is going to be another expensive week. Separation from some one close will hit you hard. Uncertainty will go away and some one will make room for your promotion. Do not open up too quickly with a new friend. Idea of taking a trip overseas in next few months will cross your mind and you will start working on it.

Rakhi Sawant making news in Pak too ISLAMABAD: Bollywood item girl-turned-reality TV star Rakhi Sawant's 'swayamvar' is also making news in Pakistan with reams being written in the English and Urdu media about her impending marriage. Sawant chose Indo-Canadian businessman Elesh Parujanwala as her bridegroom on NDTV Imagine's reality show 'Rakhi Ka Swayamvar' late on Sunday evening. "Rakhi Sawant ne jeevan saathi chun liya" went the headline in an Urdu newspaper. The news was also put up on several news portals, including popular pakmahfil.com and e-zine pakteahouse soon after the grand finale of the much followed reality show. Titled "Bollywood, Reality TV and Indian secularism," a post on e-zine pakteahouse talked of Sawant who became "a sensation in Bollywood through her hard work and determination despite an obvious lack of education and family background". While a post on pakmahfil.com

said, "The 30-year-old Gujarati NRI came all the way from Toronto to marry television's drama queen...Rakhi has been bowled over by Elesh's charm. He is the quietest of the lot and most sensitive when it comes to showing his emotions." Sawant had zeroed in on Delhi's Manas Katyal and Chittiz Jain, but finally chose Parujanwala. A blogger who uses the nickname Bradistan Calling wrote, "The eligible bachelors are invariably unknown wannabe actors and smalltime professionals. Without doubting their intentions, at first impression they all look as if they want to use Ms Sawant's moderate success in Bollywood movies as a stepping stone to fame and fortune. "I do not want to talk about my cynicism about limited talent and education or the apparent opportunism of the boys." His post also talked about the episode where a Kashmiri police officer wanted to take Sawant as yet another wife. -PTI

TAURUS Apr 21-May 20 New location will be lucky and prosperous for you. You will end up spending lot more than budget. You will be full of bright ideas and not wait for another second to work on them. A close family member will give more good news. You may take some time out of busy schedule and visit a holy place. You will also relish and hot and spicy food.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sept 22 Be diplomatic and polite if you want to get the work done and escape a tricky situation. Hard work performed in the past will pay off and the contract will be finally signed. It will ease off lots of financial pressure building for past few months. You will arrange a small party at your place and will invite only close friends or relatives.

CAPRICORN Dec 23-Jan 19 Relocation plan will take final shape. Life will become more challenging because of recent developments. You may seek advice from an old and trusted friend. Changes taking place at this point will prove to be blessings in disguise in time to come. Keep working on your plans and financial freedom is nearby.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20 Try to hold your emotions or will spill the beans too quick. A very exciting person will enter your life making things little adventurous for you. Wait will be over the letter from government agency will arrive in mail. You will forcefully convey the message across and quickly prove your point. You will be recognized by every one at the party.

LIBRA Sept 23-Oct 22 There will be big movement in overseas projects and the big contract will be in your pocket. Financial pressure will go away but only after making the final payment on several bills. Any partnership started at this pint will prove to be lucky. Money stuck for long can also come during the week. Spouse will give excellent ideas.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18 Money you need, will come from a totally unexpected place. You will continue to work on your plans as you will keep getting positive signals from other side. You will prove the edge your product has, at the meeting. You may have to travel out of state on a very short notice. Spouse may need to see a specialist for the problems.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22 Try not to stay indoor too much this week. Pick up the phone and call old friends. Changes in career coming very soon and a fast pace. You will spend money on buying expensive gifts for others. Eye sight will need to be re examined. Letter you write will do the magic and work will be done. It will be in best interest to hold on to good news.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 22 Sacrifices made in the past will not go waste. There will be some interesting developments in career. You may be assigned to a prestigious project. There will be some bonus added to it. An old health issue could flare up again and you may try over the counter medication to control it. You will gain friendship of an important person.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 20 Relationship will become permanent. Deal will be signed with only minor changes. Malefic in sixth will help you overcome health issues and help you wipe out competition and people creating hurdles. You may call a matured person for some advice. You will spend quality time with children and help them with shopping. An old friend will send message.

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August 14, 2009

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Datebook

India Post

August 14, 2009

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NEW YORK Upcoming

WASHINGTON DC Upcoming

NEW JERSEY Upcoming

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming

Thurs Aug 6 to Thurs Aug 27

Thurs Aug 13

Fri Aug 14 to Sun Aug 16

• 6th Annual Traveling Exhibition

• Shri Krishna Janamastami

• Shri Krishna Janmashtami

• 17th FIA & Parade Celebration

Venue: Elizabeth Foundation For The Arts, Project Space, 323 West 39th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenue), 2nd Floor, New York Time: Opening Reception- Thurs Aug 6: 7pm to 9pm, Monday - Saturday, 11am to 5pm Contact: 917-346-0551 Highlights: Erasing Borders 2009 Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora Curated by Vijay Kumar.

Venue: Hare Krishan Temple, 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, Maryland Time: 6pm Contact: 301-299-2100

Venue: Bharat Sevashram Sangha, 3490 Rt. 27, Kendall Park, New Jersey Time: 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 732-422-8880

Fri Aug 14

Sat Aug 15

Venue: 1900, Mowry Avenue, Suite 201, CA 94538 Time: Friday- Indian Flag Raising : 6pm, Sat- Free Health & Cultural Program: 10am to12noon, Sun- Cultural Program Prade 12am to 2pm Contact: 510-661-0111 & 510-938-8668 Highlights: Festival of India & Parade Grand Marshal Bollywood Singer Mauli Dave. Health Fair Cultural Program etc.

• India Independence Day Mela

• Jisne Lahore Nahin Dekha - Play

Fri Aug 14 • Gammat Karilo Gujjubhai Venue: Hindu Temple Auditorium, 143 - 09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, New Jersey Time: 9pm Contact: 732-763-0118

Sat Aug 22

Venue: Terrace Theater, 2700 F Street, Washington DC Contact: 240-354-1127 Time: 7:30pm Highlights: Jisne Lahore Nahin Dekha" is a highly acclaimed Hindi drama set in 1947 during the time of partition. The story depicts the strength of human relationships in an atmosphere charged with communal hatred, intolerance, and vendetta.

Venue: Holiday Inn, 3050 Woodbridge Ave., Edison, NJ Time: 11am to 5pm Contact: 732-277-6687 Highlights: Lots of Desi Shopping, Food and Desi Entertainment. Live Performances by Rasika Shekar, SaReGaMaPa Fame.

Thurs Aug 27

Venue: Royal Albert Palace, 1050 King George, Post Rd, Fords, New Jersey Time: 6:30pm Contact: 732-369-6626 Highlights: Bollywood Star and Big Brother UK winner Ms. Shilpa Shetty - Grand Marshall.

• Bollywood Nights

• Spin In Midtown w/ music by Bikram Keith

Venue: Kemia Bar, 630 9th Ave, New York Contact: (212) 582-3200

Venue: Midtown, 1219 Connecticut Avenue, Washington Contact: (202) 466-7529

Tues Aug 17 • FIA's Annual Reception Gala Dinner

• UFICA Announce: Independence Day Celebration Venue: 15711 PIoneer Blvd, Norwalk California 90650 Time: 5pm to 10:30pm Contact: 562-544-6001 Highlights: Star Attraction Grand Marshal Manisha Koirala.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Every 4th Sat every Month

VEDIC DHARMA SAMAJ

• Durga Mata Ka Jagaran

HINDU TEMPLE & CULTURAL CENTER

Venue: 2335 S. Diamond Bar Boulevard, DBC Center, Diamond Bar, CA Time: 6:30pm Contact: 909-519-1579, 626-810-2345

Every Sat (start from Sat Aug 8) • Gurukul Classes for Children

3676 Delaware Drive, Fremont, CA, 94538 www.fremonttemple.org Tel:

Sat Aug 22

(510) 659-0655

Weekly Services Open M-F 8:30 AM-1PM, 4 PM-8 PM, Sat & Sun 8:30 AM to 8 PM DAILY AARATI 9 AM MORNINGS AND 7:30 PM EVENINGS. Sunday Services: 11am to 1pm, Aarti at 1:15pm followed by Prasad & Pritibhoj EARLY MORNING Bhajans by Khanna, Surendra @ 10 AM

Venue: Sindhu Center, South California Time: 2pm to 4pm Contact: 818-541-1754 & 909-576-1114 Highlights: Children between the ages of 5 and 18. Children will be taught the Fundamentals of Hinduism, Prayers, Shlokas, Bhajans and Values of our culture.

Sat Aug 15 • 10th Annual India Independence Day Venue: Pierce College, Woodland Hills, CA Contact: 818 458-5595 Highlights: Over 80 booths offering variety of Indian foods, merchandise and informational services.

Sun Aug 16

DATE

BHAJAN GROUP (11 AM - 11:45 AM)

PRAVACHAN (12 PM - 1PM) PRITIBHOJ (1:30 PM - 3:00 PM)

08/16/09

DR PRABHA BHATNAGAR

KESHAV JI

RAMESH IYER

08/23/09

PRIYA KASTURI

KUSUM BEN

MANOJ PANDA

08/30/09

BHARTI JOSHI

SWAMI SHASHWATI NAND GIRIJI

UPCOMING TEMPLE EVENTS YOGA CLASS: MON.-FRI. 7 TO 8 AM SAT. 8 TO 9 AM GEETA CLASS: SAT. 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM Gayatri Mantra Saturday - 11 AM - To 12 PM by Gayatri Pariwar Contact: Naresh Sethi (For Jagrata). TEL: 510-825-1927, 510-487-2544

Sundar Kand Ka Paath on 3rd Saturday of everymonth from 10:30 am to 12: 00 pm

MANOJ PANDA

• Ashtottarsat Shreemad Bhagwat Katha Venue: Artesia High School, 12108 E. Del Amo Blvd., Lakewood, CA Time: Sunday Aug 16- 2pm to 3:30pm Pothi Yatra Pooja, 4pm Katha Starts, 7pm Aarati & Maha Prasad, Mon Aug 17- 3pm to 5pm Shiv Maha Puja, 5pm Katha Starts, 8pm Aarati & Maha Prasad, Tues Aug 18- 5pm to 6pm Maha Prasad, 6pm Katha Starts, 8:30pm Aarati, Sat Aug 221pm to 3pm Cultural Programs, 3pm 108 Thakorji's Puja Archan by Tulsiji followed by Purnahuti, 7pm Maha Prasad, Sat Aug 22- 8:30pm to 12:30pm Health Fair Contact: 714-484-0404

Sun Aug 16

ABHISHEKA: MON: 6:30 PM SHIVJI, FRI: 6:30 PM LAKSHAMIJI, SAT: 10 AM BALAJI, SUN: 6:30 PM GANESHJI & NAVAGRAHA

• 4th Annual India's Independence Day and Kick-off for Sidhu For OC Supervisor 2010 Venue: The Sidhu Family Residence, Elegant Old Yorba Estate, 145 S. Vista Grande, Anaheim, CA Time: 6:30pm to 8:30 Contact: (714) 920-4151 Highlights: Featuring special elected official guests, fun, Entertainment & taste of Indian cuisine

TO PARTICIPATE IN

Mata Ka Jaagran 8/22/09, 7:00 pm - 10 pm Janamashtmi celebration on 8-8-09 from 6 pm to 12 Midnight

TEMPLE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES CONTACT:

SUNDAY, 1:15 PM FREE CONSULTATION WITH DR. PAWAN CHADHA

510-659-0655

AND DR. MRS. NOOTAN CHADHA

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REGULAR PROGRAMS & POOJAS & RITUALS: FOR ALL INFO CALL TEMPLE ADMINISTRATOR AT: (510) 659-0655. SASHTRIJI: (510) 490-8979, BHUSHAN KUMAR JI - 510-862-5834 GOVIND SRINIVASAN: (510) 226-6479 WEDNESDAYS: RAMAYAN KATHA (KISHIKINDHA KAND) BY SHASTRIJI. SUNDAYS AFTER AARTI FREE CONSULTATION WITH DR. PAWAN CHADHA SUNDER KAND KA PATH EVERY 3RD SATURDAY AT 10 AM TO 12 NOON. CALL TEMPLE (510)569-0655 (HANUMAN CHALISA) EVERY TUESDAY 7:30 PM AARATI FOLLOWED BY PRASAD AND PRITIBHOJ. SENIOR CITIZENS MEET WEDNESDAYS 10AM TO 1PM BHAJANS & DISCOURSES. For sponsoring Pritibhoj Anita Kapoor, Contact: 510-659-0655 VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.FREMONTTEMPLE.ORG AND VISIT GALLERY

HOUSTON Upcoming Fri Aug 14 • Memories of Ghantasala Venue: Maharaja Restaurant, 9593 Country Creek Dr, Houston, Texas Contact: 281-480-1209

Sat Aug 15 • India Fest 2009 Venue: George Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de Las Americas, Houston Time: 11am to 10pm Contact: 713-542-2779

Sun Aug 16 • Krishna Janmashtami Venue: Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 1150 Brand Lane, Stafford, Texas Contact: (281) 765-2277

Tues Aug 18 • Art of Living Course Venue: All Faiths Chapel, 4110 Guadalupe St, Austin, Texas Contact: 512-786-6871 Ticket: $350, $250, $100

Philosophy

August 14, 2009

India Post

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(Cont'd from last week) appiness needs to be understood at several levels. There is a happiness involved with our basic needs. A child is born in a family. Does the family have a house and can it provide clothes for the baby? Is there enough food for the baby? These are basic physical needs. Only a poor person in an unhealthy society understands the pain of not having these basic needs. The society or a nation needs to take care of these situations. It is our moral obligation to make sure that these basic needs are met. There is no point talking about Dharma or spirituality in a society that is irresponsible enough not to take care of these basic needs especially so in our modern times.

Fear: Let us say that the basic needs are taken care of. The family has enough to be able to contribute to the society and the country as well. His child grows up and is going to school. A child has been abducted while he is going to school. This has been happening in Bihar, India in recent past. One child has been abducted for a ransom. There are hundreds and thousands of children going to school every day. This has a stunning effect on the whole society in Bihar. The fear has gone deep in every parent's heart. This can happen to my child as well.

ew societies have been so tamasic, so full of inertia and contentment in increasing narrowness as Indian society in later times; few have been so eager to preserve themselves in inertia. Few therefore have attached so great an importance to authority. Every detail of our life has been fixed for us by Shastra and

examination times. This was in 1960s. I go back to same town now. My relatives try to stop me from going out after dusk. My friends have security guards. What has happened? Fear, insecurity and suspicion do not go well with happiness. They denote a downturn in the level of dharma. Dharma index in these situations is on the downturn. Possibilities of healthy growth are restricted. A healthy social environment is needed for further growth of an individual. Drastic measures are sometimes needed to be able to reverse such trends in society.

H for happiness: Basic needs, fear & desire complex DR KRISHNA BHATTA

There was nexus of bad rulers and the growth of any individual was suffocated. Krishna had no choice other than that of Mahabharata war left to him for any healthy changes

I grew up in a village in Bihar. We used to travel from Ara to my village Balbandh on a regular basis. We did not care if it was night or day. I went to Patna Medical College in Bihar. We used to go to cinema in the late night show. We did not think twice about it. It was a regular affair to go out late night for a tea during our

This is what was happening in Krishna's times. There was nexus of bad rulers and the growth of any individual was suffocated. Krishna had no choice other than that of Mahabharata war left to him for any healthy changes in those times. Let us hope that we do not have to go to that extent in our times.

These are psychological and political issues. Happiness now has come to individual level. "I do not want to be happy" syndrome might be taking place here. This desire complex which includes greed, jealousy, anger and what not is the most difficult one on path of happiness. (To be continued)

fresh impulse and rejuvenated strength has arisen. Otherwise we should long ago have been in the grave where dead nations lie. The result of this well-meaning bondage [to the outer forms of Hinduism] has been an increasing impoverishment of the Indian intellect, once the most gigantic and original in the world. Hence a certain incapacity, atrophy, impo-

Successful rejection is possible only if we have intelligent possession of that which we wish to keep. Our rejection too must be an intelligent rejection; we must reject because we have understood, not because we have failed to understand. But our Hinduism, our old culture are precisely the possessions we have cherished with the least

least, the process by which we lost it, by liberating our minds in all subjects from the thralldom to authority. That is not what reformers and the Anglicized require of us. They want us, indeed, to abandon authority, revolt against custom and superstition, to have free and enlightened minds. But they mean by these sounding recommendations that we should renounce the authority of Sayana for the authority of Max Muller, the Monism of Shankara for the Monism of Haeckel, the written Shastra for the unwritten law of European social opinion, the dogmatism of Brahmin Pandits for the dogmatism of European scientists, thinkers and scholars. Such a foolish exchange of servitude can receive the assent of no self-respecting mind. Let us break our chains, venerable as they are, but let it be in order to be free, - in the name of truth, not in the name of Europe. Excerpted from 'India's Rebirth' The 137th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo will be celebrated on August 15

Let us break our chains in the name of truth SRI AUROBINDO

We do things without knowing why we do them, we believe things without knowing why we believe them, we assert things without knowing what right we have to assert them

custom, every detail of our thought by Scripture and its commentators, but much oftener by the commentators than by Scripture. Only in one field, that of individual spiritual experience, have we cherished the ancient freedom and originality out of which our past greatness sprang; it is from some new movement in this inexhaustible source that every

Desire Complex: Let us say that we have the basic needs and there are no such fears in our society. Are we happy in these situations? I now live in Skowhegan, Maine, USA. It is a small town. There is hardly any crime here. Law and order runs smoothly. I practice medicine in a hospital. I have competition. Some people do not like me. There is politics in the town and there is politics in the hospital. I can't take vacation when I like and I can't go places that I like. I am miserable. My wife wants to go to Mexico but I want to go to Spain. We cannot come to agreement.

tence have marked our later activities even at their best. The most striking instance is our continued helplessness in the face of the new conditions and new knowledge imposed on us by the recent European contact. We have tried to assimilate, we have tried to reject, we have tried to select; but we have not been able to do any of these things successfully.

intelligence; throughout the whole range of our life we do things without knowing why we do them, we believe things without knowing why we believe them, we assert things without knowing what right we have to assert them, - or, at most, it is because some book or some Brahmin enjoins it. How shall we recover our lost intellectual freedom and elasticity? By reversing, for a time at

No action which is not voluntary can be called moral. So long as we act like machines there can be no question of morality. -Mahatma Gandhi One cannot attain divine knowledge till one gets rid of pride. Water does not stay on the top of a mound; but into low land it flows in torrents from all sides. - Ramakrishna Paramhamsa I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. - Aristotle If you are a religious person and have a strong belief that there is immortality, this belief acts as a resistance to life and hinders the very understanding of immortality. -J Krishnamurti Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you'll be a success. - Albert Schweitzer Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. - Helen Keller "The mind generally takes up various objects, runs into all sorts of things. That is the lower state. There is a higher state of the mind, when it takes up one object and excludes all others." - Swami Vivekananda

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India's options if US ratifies CTBT D SUBA CHANDRAN

n his Prague speech, Obama mentioned categorically, that he would work towards getting the US Senate to ratify the CTBT. The general expectation amongst the non-proliferation lobby is that the US ratification of the CTBT will cause China to follow suit, which would then be followed by India, Pakistan and Israel. There is not much of a debate in India, yet, on India's options,

ing nuclear arsenals. In fact, Obama himself hinted that these two events could be considered as benchmarks. If Obama is serious and there is visible progress in these benchmarks, India should consider it as a yardstick in signing the CTBT. This will be in tune with India's longstanding demand that the CTBT should be a means to a larger goal of nuclear disarmament and not an end itself.

President Obama speaking in Prague

once the US ratifies the CTBT. Undoubtedly, there will enormous pressure on India to sign the CTBT; the Indo-US nuclear deal will be used as a pressure point by the US vis-Ă -vis New Delhi. Or at least, this is what the American non-proliferation ayatollahs will expect of the Obama administration. What should India do, if the US ratifies the CTBT and pressurize India to follow the suit? India may like to consider signing the CTBT, provided three of its basic security concerns are met. First, the primary objective of the US ratification needs to be clear to the international community. Why is Washington willing to ratify now, after blocking all such efforts in the past? Is the US serious about nuclear disarmament, as Obama mentioned in Prague, and therefore wants to ratify the CTBT as a part of its commitment? Or, does the US want to gain tactical advantage before the NPT RevCon in 2010? If Obama is sincere regarding global nuclear disarmament, he is likely to pursue a path that he has outlined in his Prague speech, which included ratifying the CTBT, and working closely with Russia towards deep cuts in their exist-

Second, more importantly, from an Indian perspective, develop-

Is the US serious about nuclear disarmament, as Obama mentioned in Prague, and therefore wants to ratify the CTBT as a part of its commitment? Or, does the US want to gain tactical advantage before the NPT RevCon in 2010? ments in its immediate neighbourhood should be of greater concern, than the US ratifying or reaching a deep cut in the existing arsenal with Russia. Four countries in particular are of importance - China, Pakistan, Iran and to an extent North Korea. All four countries are in Asia and a part of India's immediate and extended neighbourhood. The progress towards nuclear disarmament should not be seen merely as the US ratifying the

CTBT, rather it should be seen in terms of how much the US along with other nuclear powers is able to convince/pressurize these four countries into signing and ratifying the CTBT. If there is visible development on this issue, then India should consider this a second yardstick for signing the CTBT. This will be in tune with its regional security interests. Finally, the general expectation is that the US ratification will start a domino effect, with China, India, Pakistan and Israel following it. Presuming that US and China ratifies the Treaty and India following suit, will Pakistan sign and ratify the CTBT? Is Islamabad's nuclear strategy so simple, that it is India-specific? Will Pakistan sign and ratify the CTBT, if India does? If the answer is in the negative, then there is no point in India signing the CTBT. India's interests will be best achieved if the domino effect that starts with the US ratification, makes the full trip, and includes Pakistan, Iran, Israel and North Korea. If the movement is intended to stop with India, then New Delhi should ensure it stops actually with China. If the above three yardsticks are met, then India should consider signing and ratifying the CTBT. Let New Delhi make its position and the yardsticks clear to the international community. India needs a CTBT debate, not based on nuclear nationalism, as happened during the 1990s and also not on the grand old hypocritical theme of global disarmament, as has been happening for the last six decades. Rather, it should be based on cold strategic calculation and also the effectiveness of New Delhi's contribution to an international effort. Instead of merely harping on global nuclear disarmament or calling the present nuclear regime a failure or a failing one, India should move forward leaving aside the debates of the 1950s and 1990s. Haggling over a hypocritical statement is not the sign of a growing global power. The writer is Deputy Director, IPCS

India Post

Manmohan's naivetĂŠ

t has been analyzed that Manmohan Singh takes a major policy initiative early in his tenure which then becomes the hallmark of his innings. In the nineties as finance minister he freed the economy from license-permit raj. Early in the UPA's first foray in government he staked his all on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. And in his second avatar in UPA-II, he has ventured to give concessions to Pakistan to bring it into the fold of his larger vision for peace in South Asia. That he has burnt his hands this time is because Indo-Pakistan relations are a heavily mined field. He has been seen to be making up with Pakistan even while the wounds of 26/11 are still fresh in the minds of people. The leadership of our western neighbor has responded to his initiative by scoring propaganda points on Balochistan and provocatively, withdrawing the case against LeT chief Hafeez Sayeed. Manmohan Singh's initiative has thrown up divisions within the Congress leadership and even among his cabinet colleagues. They are hard put to defend the joint statement at Sharm-el-Sheikh with Pakistan's premier Gillani two points in which continue to stick out as sore thumbs. The statement goes back on India's earlier stand that there will be no talks with Pakistan unless it takes action against the perpetrators of Mumbai attack, including LeT chief Hafeez Sayeed. Instead, it agrees with Pakistan's stand that action against terrorists need not be linked with dialogue. And, unbelievably, it mentions Balochistan where Pakistan implies that there is Indian interference. Although Pakistan has been making allegations of Indian hand in Balochistan, no one in the international community took it seriously. But now with India agreeing to discuss Balochistan, even veteran diplomats are mystified. Critics point out that whatever India wins in a war, it is given back to Pakistan on a table. A certain naivetĂŠ marks India's approach to Pakistan which has repeatedly gone back on previous agreements. Even at Vajpayee's landmark visit to Lahore in 2004, Pakistan promised that it will not allow its soil to be used for terrorist activities against India. And very soon after this accord, Kargil happened. Even Indira Gandhi was fooled by Bhutto when she agreed at his persuasion not to sign an accord on Kashmir after Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war. Manmohan Singh is on very thin ground here both as a politician and in foreign policy experience. In fact, as pointed out by historian Ramachandra Guha, our three top foreign policy makers are around the age of 77 - Foreign Minister SM Krishna, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Manmohan Singh himself - and all three lack foreign policy experience. Pakistan's reason for putting in Balochistan in the statement was not a peace gamble. It was a form of blackmail, where Pakistan threatened to expose India's complicity. Manmohan's gesture was more defensive than magnanimous. It has given Pakistan ammunition to score propaganda points. It has now shifted the entire focus from Pakistan sponsored terrorism in India to alleged Indian sponsored terrorism in Pakistan! Instead of Pakistan, India is being forced to come clean on its role in Pakistan. One charitable view is that Manmohan's government now wants to break away from a Pakistan-centric view of its Pakistan policy and join the US in the larger project against terrorism, thereby globalizing its Pakistan strategy. Manmohan Singh's weakness is that he doesn't have the party or the people to back him on his initiatives. He needs the wisdom of a Pranab Mukherjee to support and cover up for his gaffes or a Sonia Gandhi to clean up his act. Whenever he tries to go solo, he has stumbled.

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