IndiaPost-05-14-2010 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Yalamanchili wins Ohio Dem primary Details on page 9

VOL 15, No. 818

May 14, 2010

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Periodical Postage

KASAB SOBS AS HE IS SENTENCED TO DEATH

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City of Sparks proclaims 'Rajan Zed Day' Details on page 16

‘Shahzad's arrest vindicates India's stand’ Details on page 9

NY City Council honors Sikhs in US Army

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Khare appointed to UN Peacekeeping Ops

GOPIO honors 3 at awards banquet

India on watch list of USCIRF Annual Report

Nitin Nohria named Dean of Harvard School

US, Indian varsities to collaborate

Ajmal Amir Kasab

MUMBAI: Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab has been sentenced to death for the Mumbai terror attacks by a special court, which said that keeping such a terrorist alive will be a "lingering danger" to society and the Indian government. Ajmal Kasab broke down after hearing the sentence. The special anti-terror court of M L Tahaliyani pronounced capital punishment for the 22-year-old terrorist on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and committing terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 166 people were killed in the carnage. Details on page 7

Details on page 10

Preet Bharara

Times Sq case spotlight on US Attorney Bharara Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam shows a copy of the verdict as he leaves the special bomb proof court at the Arthur Road prison in Mumbai on May 6

US probing Shahzad's links to Af-Pak border

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CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 24-25 Classifieds --------------------- 48-50

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

Will Kasab’s sentence be indefinitely delayed? Last week’s result

Will Indian American candidates make a mark in Nov? YES 37%

NO 63%

NEW YORK: As evidence mounted of involvement of Pakistani Taliban in the Times Square bombing plot, with reports that the suspect had meetings with the group's bombmaker Qari Hussain, US investigators have now shifted focus to tracing the links to the volatile Af-Pak border. The US probe is now focusing on unearthing the Taliban and other militant links to the plot following revelations by Faisal Shahzad that he attended a terrorist training camp in Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qaeda militants. "A big part of that ongoing investigation is to evaluate where he was and what he was doing during his time in Pakistan," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. Details on page 8

Community Post -------------- 11-23 Date Book -------------------------- 52 Edit Page --------------------------- 53 HealthScience Post --------- 40-41 Horoscope ------------------------- 46 Immigration Post ------------- 42-45 Life Style ----------------------- 26-37 Philosophy ------------------------- 51 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 47

Faisal Shahzad

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Publisher’s Diary For those of us who care about anything to do with India, the last few days since the Times Square bombing attempt was pinned on a Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad, would surely have been frustrating for the way the US and Pakistani authorities have been playing the perfect tango in unraveling the plot. It's definitely great for the country, but isn't it amazing the speed with which the Pakistani authorities effected several related detentions and arrests in Pakistan, even before news of Shahzad's arrest hit the headlines? One-and-half years have passed since Pakistani terrorists carried out the most heinous of attacks in Mumbai and Pakistan is yet to even acknowledge that its nationals were involved; and the US is yet to give India access to interrogate Pakistani American David Headley who admitted to have plotted the attacks on Nov 26 2008. As recently as last month, the Indian Prime Minister had to bring up this issue with President Obama in Washington DC and all India got so far are an "assurance" of cooperation from Obama, and an "agreement" to cooperate between the US Attorney General and Indian Solicitor General. While Pakistan's proactive moves maybe to avoid incurring America's wrath at its obvious failure in dealing with terrorist camps in Pakistan and an increasing pattern of terrorists born into elite Pakistani military families, I hope this incident will jolt the American Administration out of its continued mollycoddling of Pakistan as an ally. It's almost laughable that while the US has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Pakistan to fight the war on terror, Pakistani military is covertly encouraging terror camps in the country that are training its natives who have made the US their home, to kill Americans. Shahzad's act only goes to show that an American higher education, a white collar job, a suburban home - if they can be categorized as components of the increasingly elusive American dream - can in no way change the psyche of a crazed Islamic jihadist.

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Cover Story: Death for Kasab Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab has been sentenced to death for the Mumbai terror attacks by a special court.

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Kasab sobs as he is sentenced to death MUMBAI: Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab has been sentenced to death for the Mumbai terror attacks by a special court, which said that keeping such a terrorist alive will be a "lingering danger" to society and the Indian government. Ajmal Kasab broke down after hearing the sentence. The special anti-terror court of M L Tahaliyani pronounced capital punishment for the 22-year-old terrorist on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and committing terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 166 people were killed in the carnage. Kasab was also awarded life imprisonment on five other counts including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and under the Ex-

funded by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba let loose death and destruction on Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing 166 people. The court had on May 3 held Kasab guilty under various sections of IPC, Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act, Explosives Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Customs Act and Foreigners Act. Making a strong pitch for capital punishment, Nikam had warned if he was awarded any less severe penalty, "India will become a soft target for every self-styled terror group". "There has been a high degree of cruelty and Kasab had total disregard for life. Kasab is a killing machine manufactured in Pakistan," he had said.

The court had acquitted two alleged Indian collaborators--Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed--of the charge of conspiracy, saying there was lack of evidence against them. The duo was charged with having prepared maps of terror targets and handed them over to LeT plosive Substances Act. "In the court's opinion, Kasab has no chance to reform. Keeping such a terrorist alive will be a lingering danger to society and the Indian government," Tahaliyani said while pronouncing his verdict, three days after he convicted him for the massacre. The judge cited the example of the Kandahar hijack case in which arrested terrorists were swapped for the passengers held hostage. "If Kasab is kept alive, this situation may occur again," he said. The judge said Kasab had joined terror outfit LeT voluntarily and offered himself to be a "mujahideen"(holy warrior).

Nikam had said Kasab had "lost the right to live" while defense counsel K P Pawar cited Kasab's young age and pleaded for leniency. He contended that Kasab was "blinded by religion and should be given a chance to reform". Nikam had claimed that Kasab was in a "joyous" mood seeing people dying in pain and agony after opening indiscriminate fire at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and elsewhere during the attacks.

Sobbing Kasab

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reacted in a guarded manner to the death sentence handed down to its national Ajmal Kasab by an Indian court for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks, saying its legal experts would study the detailed judgment. "We have seen in India the reported judgment on Ajmal Kasab and the sentence has been pronounced. You will appreciate that our legal experts need to go through the detailed judgment," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said. "At this stage, what I can tell you is that Pakistan has strongly condemned the horrific Mumbai

As special judge M L Tahilyani was reading out the sentence, Kasab was seen sobbing. He asked for a glass of water during the pronouncement. After the sentence was read out, the Judge explained it to him in Hindi that he had been given death penalty on five counts and whether he wanted to say anything. But the Pakistani gunman simply shook his head after which he was taken away by the police back to the Arthur Road jail. The verdict came 17 months after Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists trained, armed and

"There was no remorse and he said in his confession before the magistrate that he wanted to inspire future fidayeens (suicide killers). "If death is not awarded, it would be a mockery of justice," Nikam had argued. According to the prosecution, Kasab had expressed disappointment that he had landed at the CST after the rush hour. Kasab had anticipated a busier station, based on CDs he had been shown of CST before the attack... The prosecution had also said that in his confession to the Mumbai police, Kasab had stated that he was upset that he could not kill more people at the station. At CST alone, Kasab killed close to 60 people in an hour with his partner, Abu Ismael. In his 1522-page verdict, the judge had also held that evidence adduced by the prosecution pointed a finger at Pakistan and established that the absconding accused, including LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and chief of operations Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi had plotted the attacks. Barring a few minor charges pertaining to forgery and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Kasab was convicted of almost all 86 charges he was arraigned for. The terrorist's lawyer's contention that the militancy in Kashmir and the Godhra riots had impacted a young and impressionable Kasab, who was emotionally disturbed, and his impassioned plea for leniency, failed to cut ice with the judge. The court had acquitted two alleged Indian collaborators-Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed--of the charge of conspiracy, saying there was lack of evidence against them. The duo was charged with hav-

Indian soliders stand guard outside the special bomb proof court at the Arthur Road prison in Mumbai on May 6

ing prepared maps of terror targets and handed them over to the Lashkar-e-Taiba for execution of their sinister mission. Ten terrorists from Pakistan had landed on the placid shores of Mumbai near Badhwar Park on the night of November 26, 2008 on a "Fidayeen" (suicide) mission to mount an attack unparalleled in audacity in virulence. A dumbstruck nation and the world watched live on TV the macabre drama of death and destruction unfolding at the city's landmarks for close to 60 hours since the moment the first bullet was fired at Leopold Cafe, the backpacker's

watering hole in Colaba, shattering the gleeful cacophony by the rat-a-tat of bullets. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, teeming with people, Cama Hospital, tending to the sick and dying, India's icons of hospitality-Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Oberoi and Trident hotels, Leopold Cafe and Jewish centre Nariman House-- all got drowned in the staccato of gunfire and grenade blasts as the city cowered in fear. Hundreds were held hostage at the luxury hotels and Nariman House and ruthlessly slaughtered. -PTI

Guarded Pak response on Kasab verdict attacks. It is important that the culprits are brought to justice," he told a weekly news briefing. In response to repeated questions on whether Pakistan government will extend legal aid to

to provide assistance to its nationals abroad but it is important to determine where such aid is required and where it is not. Asked about comments by Indian officials that the verdict

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;At this stage, what I can tell you is that Pakistan has strongly condemned the horrific Mumbai attacks. It is important that the culprits are brought to justice,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he told a weekly news briefing Kasab, Basit said Kasab's lawyers in India will decide on how to proceed further in the matter. He added that it was incumbent on the Pakistan government

against Kasab was a message to Pakistan that it should not export terror, Basit said, "it is important to avoid such far-fetched statements as both countries have

agreed to resume their dialogue." Pakistan would approach the proposed dialogue in that spirit, he added. A special court in Mumbai sentenced Kasab to death for the Mumbai terror attacks, saying that keeping such a terrorist alive will be a "lingering danger" to the society and the Indian government. It pronounced capital punishment for the 22-year-old terrorist on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and committing terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.-PTI

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India wants extradition of Kasab's co-conspirators NEW DELHI: In the wake of sentencing of Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught alive during 26/11 attacks, India has pressed for extradition of his co-conspirators based in Pakistan so that they could be brought to justice here. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the trial and sentence awarded to Kasab sends a message to Pakistan that justice will be meted out to anyone waging war against this country. "In the light of the findings of the trial judge and in the light of the offences that Kasab had committed, I think the judge has come to the most appropriate conclusion which could send a positive message that anyone who wants to wage a war against India is caught and after going through a fair trial, he will find that justice will be meted out," he told report-

ers while commenting on sentencing of Kasab. He said the sentence was based on concrete evidence about Kasab's involvement in the carnage. Asked whether India would seek extradition of other accused who are based in Pakistan, he said, "Certainly we will keep engaging Pakistan that in the light of this sentence and in the light of the investigations that has preceded in connection of these trials, a number of others who acted as co-conspirators will also have to be extradited and they should be brought to justice." Among the co-conspirators named in the case are Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, against whom Pakistan is taking no action despite India providing lot of evidence. -PTI

'Death for Kasab will satisfy families of victims' MUMBAI: Special Public Prosecutor in the Mumbai attack case Ujjwal Nikam expressed happiness over the awarding of death sentence to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab for the carnage, saying the verdict has delivered justice to the families of the victims. "I am happy about the verdict. The verdict will satisfy the families of the victims," Nikam told reporters. Kasab was sentenced to death by a special court for the Mumbai terror attacks, three days after he was pronounced guilty of mass murder and waging war against the Indian state. Nikam, who fought India's biggest terror attack case, said the "fair and open trial in the case" has given the message to the entire world that in India everybody, even a dreaded terrorist, gets full opportunity to defend himself. Speaking on the trial procedure in the special court, he said Kasab, who hails from Faridkot in Pakistan, tried every trick to mislead the court on several occasions. "He tried hard to mislead the trial... He often resorted to various kinds of dramatics to disrupt the court proceedings," NIkam said. "He troubled the authorities a lot...Sometimes he would ask for chicken biryani, sometimes he would tell us that he wanted to tie a rakhi...he used all the theatrics so as to save himself," Nikam said. As per the law, the death penalty will have to be confirmed by

the Bombay High Court. Kasab also has the right to move the High Court against the trial court verdict. Even if the High Court upholds the judgment, he can go in appeal to the Supreme Court. If the apex court too upholds the sentence, he has the option of filing a mercy petition before the President of India. -PTI

India on watch list of USCIRF Annual Report SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has once again put India on the Watch List in its 2010 annual report released last month. In its report to Congress, the White House, and the State Department, the USCIRF recommended that 13 nations-Burma, China, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam-be named "countries of particular concern," or CPCs. Further, USCIRF announced that the following countries are on the 2010 USCIRF Watch List: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Venezuela. While not rising to the statutory level set forth in IRFA requiring designation as a "country of particular concern," watch list countries require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the governments. "Over the past few months USCIRF has visited a number of human rights 'hot spots' where freedom of religion is obstructed and related human rights are trampled,"

said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. "This year's report offers new and important policy solutions to improve conditions where foreign policy, national security, and international standards for the protection of freedom of religion can and should intersect. The report's conclusion is clear-the Administration must do more!" USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government

While not rising to the statutory level set forth in IRFA requiring designation as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;country of particular concern,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; watch list countries require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the governments commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF's principal responsibilities

Don't delay execution: daughter of slain policeman MUMBAI: "My father's sacrifice has paid off," said the daughter of assistant police sub-inspector Tukaram Ombale, who died while trying to capture Ajmal Amir Kasab, after the Pakistani terrorist was sentenced to death in the 26/11 attacks case. An emotional Vaishali Omable said Kasab's execution should not be delayed as in the case Afzal Guru, who was sentenced to death in 2001 Parliament attack case. "I am very happy today that Kasab was awarded death sentence. I welcome the sentence... He deserves it. Finally my father's sacrifice has paid off...," Vaishali told PTI. "The 26/11 terror attacks accused hiding in Pakistan should be nabbed. The Indian government should ensure the arrest of all the accused involved in the attacks and they should be punished," she said. Since the government has given top priority to completing court proceedings to convict Kasab, it should also try to execute the death penalty to the terrorist at the earliest. Tukaram's cousin Navdeo Ombale said, "I am extremely happy that Kasab would be hanged for the heinous crime he committed. But the only wish we have now is that the execution should not be delayed at any cost." An unarmed Ombale was shot dead by an AK-47-wielding Kasab at Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai but not before he ensured that the terrorist was caught alive. -PTI

are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress. USCIRF's 2010 Annual Report documents serious abuses of freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief around the world. The report provides policy prescriptions for each nation on the CPC list. The 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that the United States designate as CPCs those countries whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic and egregious violations of the universal right to freedom of religion or belief. The organization, however, has in recent years been criticized of conflict of interest owing to the fact that majority of its commissioners are Christian evangelicals. Religious groups in India, in particular, have been vocal in expressing displeasure at the USCIRF's biased reports against India. It may be recalled that a USCIRF team was denied visas to visit India in June last year. Critics have found exception to the USCIRF 2009 India report's descriptions of the Sri Amarnath Shrine, the Gujarat violence in 2002, and the Orissa riots. In a study, Institite of Global Engagement concluded that USC IRF policy is often viewed abroad as an attack on majority religious communities, as cultural imperialism, and as a front for American missionaries. USCIRF policy to date has focused more on rhetorical denunciations of persecutors and releasing religious prisoners than on facilitating the political and cultural institutions necessary to religious freedom. Accordingly, US policy has had minimal effect on global levels of persecution and even less on the institutions of religious freedom, it said. A Wikipedia account of the USCIRF says the organization was set up after intense lobbying by Christian evangelical groups and often draws criticism for preparing highly partisan or politically motivated reports on other countries. Very often, their annual reports are based merely on media reports that have little credibility. In 2009, it says, the USCIRF added India to its "watch list" owing to pressure from the US Christian Right. Last year, the Indian government too had criticized the USCIRF report as "regrettable" and rejected claimed made against India in the report.

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Times Sq case spotlight on US Attorney Preet Bharara SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The arrest of Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad involved in the failed bombing attempt in New York's Times Square on May 1 has once again put the spotlight on Indian American Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for New York's Southern District. India-born Bharara was appointed last year by President Obama as US Attorney in and has since plunged headlong into high profile cases including the prosecution of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, multi-billion dollar ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff, and more recently the prosecution of Sri Lankan Tamil Raj Rajaratnam of the Galleon Group and Indian Americans Anil Kumar and Rajiv Goel in connection with the nation's largest

insider trading scam. Both Times Square in midtown Manhattan where Shahzad attempted to wreak havoc by parking the explosives-laden SUV, and the John F. Kennedy International

India-born Bharara was appointed last year by President Obama as US Attorney in and has since plunged headlong into high profile cases including the prosecution of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Airport where he was arrested as he tried to flee the country, fall under Bharara's jurisdiction.

Following the filing of charges against Shahzad on May 4, Bharara said the investigation remains very much ongoing, and that the dedicated agents, detectives, and prosecutors on this case would continue to follow every lead and use every tool to keep the people of New York City safe. "We will not rest until every terrorist, whether homegrown or foreign-based, is neutralized and held to account," said Bharara in a joint statement with FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George Venizelos and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Shahzad is charged with one count of use of weapons of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of use

of a destructive device in connection with a crime of violence, which carries a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of transporting and receiving explosives, which

‘This Office, with all of the agencies who work hand-in-glove, day after day, on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, will not rest until every last terrorist is neutralized and held to account’ carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of damaging and destroying property

by means of fire and explosives, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. In his charges, Bharara stated: "I would like to thank the ordinary and alert Americans, who first sounded the alarm upon observing the startling sight of a smoking Nissan Pathfinder in the middle of Manhattan last Saturday night. As a result of a lot of good oldfashioned police work, that smoking car turned into the smoking gun that led to the capture of Faisal Shahzad, who allegedly put a bull's eye on Times Square, which lies at the heart of our city and the crossroads of the world. This Office, with all of the agencies who work handin-glove, day after day, on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, will not rest until every last terrorist is neutralized and held to account."

US probing Shahzad's links to Af-Pak border NEW YORK: As evidence mounted of involvement of Pakistani Taliban in the Times Square bombing plot, with reports that the suspect had meetings with the group's bombmaker Qari Hussain, US investigators have now shifted focus to tracing the links to the volatile AfPak border. NYPD officer in a bomb suit examines the Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle The US probe parked in New York's Times Square is now focusing on unearthing the Taliban and other militant links to Hillary Clinton and Defense Sec- acted alone, had outside help or the plot following revelations by retary Robert Gates to discuss in was acting on behalf of a larger Faisal Shahzad that he attended a depth the Pakistani links to terror group either in Pakistan or elsewhere. terrorist training camp in attacks in America. In his last trip to Pakistan, Fox Waziristan, a stronghold of The US Ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson has News quoting Pakistani officials Taliban and al-Qaeda militants. "A big part of that ongoing in- held discussions with President vestigation is to evaluate where Asif Ali Zardari and top Pakistani he was and what he was doing cabinet ministers about the search ‘The New York Times' during his time in Pakistan," for leads in the US investigations. quoted officials as White House spokesman Robert The Obama Administration is preparing to push Pakistan for saying there were Gibbs told reporters. Gibbs said Justice Department harder action against dreaded strong indications that and investigating agencies are outfits like LeT, Taliban, al-Qaeda Shahzad knew other actively looking at the time which and Haqqani network, fearing that Shahzad, son of a retired Pakistani these groups are aiming to spread key members of PakiAir Vice Marshal, spent in Paki- their terror footprints to the coun- stani Taliban and the stan and New York Police Com- try, US media reports said. 'Washington Post' said that US group had a role in missioner Raymond Kelly said a team was dispatched to Karachi, Administration was preparing to training him. Shahzad where several people have been deliver to Pakistan detailed rearrested in connection with the quest for "urgent and specific" has admitted to recase. assistance on the case by the end ceiving bomb making US President Barack Obama of the week. training in Waziristan The main fear rankling the US met his National Security Team which includes, Secretary of State investigators is whether Shahzad

said that Shahzad was introduced sure to take decisive action to upto Qari Hussain, the Number 3 in root these groups is growing. the top tier leadership of the Paki- There is a widespread change in stani Taliban, the organization's public mood and perception after bomb maker and suicide trainer. the latest failed terror plot. 'The New York Times' quoted The rise in public ire, The officials as saying there were Washington Post said, would be strong indications that Shahzad hard for the Obama administration knew other key members of Paki- to ignore and this apparently was stani Taliban and the group had a evident at a series of media briefrole in training him. ings held here by top officials and According to charges filed in lawmakers on the botched plot the court, Shahzad has admitted where the inability of Pakistan to to receiving bomb making train- rein in militants and uproot terroring in Waziristan. ists camp were vigorously quesOther Pakistani groups like tioned. -PTI J a i s h - i Mohammad and Lashkaree-Jhangvi also have a presence in the area. Pakistani officials were quoted by CNN as saying that Shahzad had been trained in a J a i s h - i Mohammad terror camp. "There is a link to Pakistan," New York Police Commissioner said. "My guess is you got policemen on their way to Karachi right now who want to talk to the people there," Kelly said. Members of the media outside a house where Faisal Shahzad lived May 4 The Post said, the pres-

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Shahzad's arrest vindicates India's stand: Krishna NEW DELHI: India has said the arrest of a Pakistan-origin national in the failed terror attack in New York vindicated its stand that Pakistan is the epicenter of "all terror activities" and suggested even the US could be affected. "The nature of the development with reference to the particular incident in New York is only the vindication of what India has been conveying to the US government, that epicenter of all terrorist activities comes from only one country, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said in the Rajya Sabha. Although he did not name Pakistan, he was clearly referring to the country where Times Square bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad has his origin. "This strengthens India's assessment in the situation, and, I am sure that US will understand that the reality is terrorist attack can emanate from anywhere. It can strike at any place," Krishna said indicating that even the US could be affected. "So, a constant vigilance is something which we will have to continue," he said answering supplementaries during the Question Hour. The minister was responding when a BJP member asked whether the government, in the wake of Times Square incident, would again bring to US' attention the concerns in India about terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

Shahzad, earlier this week, had parked an explosive-laden vehicle at Times Square but it was detected before it could go off. Within hours he was arrested from the the JKF airport.

S M Krishna

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This strengthens India's assessment in the situation, and, I am sure that US will understand that the reality is terrorist attack can emanate from anywhere. It can strike at any placeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Answering questions on government's stand vis-a-vis US' plan to supply drone aircrafts to Pakistan, Krishna said constant vigil needs to be undertaken on the neighboring country's usage of arms. "During all our high level de-

liberations with the US, whether it is at PM's level, my level or the foreign secretary level, we tell them about the relentless threat we face from Pakistan whenever it receives such assistance. We have consistently shared our concerns with the US on supply of military equipments to Pakistan by it. "We have always drawn the US' attention and cautioned it about our past experience which shows that it has always been used against us. However, the US administration has assured us that regular monitoring is done by it on the usage of military equipment by Pakistan. We are also monitoring it," he said. Krishna said the government always sees to it that the US is kept informed about its concerns over such transactions "and how there is always a lurking danger hanging on our head". He said, "The US government has assured us that our concerns would be kept in mind while giving such assistance and that the use of such assistance would be monitored." At the same time, he said, "India has not opposed assistance being provided to Pakistan to help it combat terrorism. In regard to supply of drones to Pakistan, Indian government has commented that the US government was free to supply military hardware to Pakistan as long as it was not directed against us". -PTI

7 arrested in Pak for links to Shahzad LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Authorities have detained seven men for alleged links with Pakistani- American Faisal Shahzad, arrested for a botched car bombing in New York City, even as the terror suspect's kin claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy. A top police official in Punjab province told PTI that at least seven suspects were taken into custody in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Karachi and shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. He did not confirm whether the detained suspects had links to the Taliban or Al Qaida. "I can only confirm the detentions at the moment. The intelligence agencies are in contact with US authorities about this matter," the officer said. Reports said among those de-

tained in Karachi were Shahzad's father-in-law Iftikhar Mian, his friend Tausif Ahmed who recently traveled to the US to meet Shahzad, and Sheikh Muhammad Rehan, who was picked up from Batkha Mosque in north Nazimabad, which is known for its links to the banned Jaish-eMohammed. Shahzad, a resident of Connecticut and a naturalized US citizen, is the son of a retired Air Vice Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force. His parents live in Peshawar while his ancestral home is in Pubbi area of KhyberPakhtoonkhwa province. The 30-year-old had recently returned from a five-month stay in Pakistan sparking speculation that he might have been in contact with militant groups.

The complaint filed against Shahzad by the FBI stated that he received bomb-making training in the volatile Waziristan tribal region. Shahzad, who has a home in the US in foreclosure, is reportedly talking to investigators and has implicated himself in the plot, telling police that he "acted alone". He was arrested at John F Kennedy International Airport as he was about to travel to Islamabad via Dubai. In Shahzad's ancestral village of Mohib Banda near Pubbi, 20 km east of KhyberPakhtoonkhwa capital Peshawar, relatives and friends of his family said they had recognized him from photos that appeared in newspapers and TV channels.PTI

Yalamanchili wins Ohio Democratic primary SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Playing the race card or not, Surya Yalamanchili, the Democratic candidate for Congress from the 2nd Congressional district of Ohio in Cincinnati whose opponent had recently made fun of his ethnicity, won the Democratic primary in a keenlywatched contest May 4. Having defeated sore loser David Krikorian, Yalamanchili will now face incumbent Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt later this November. According to Cincinnati.com, with nearly all precincts reporting in the sprawling district, Yalamanchili had 40 percent, Madeira businessman David Krikorian 38 percent votes. Running up to the primaries, Krikorian is reported to have said at a campaign meeting, "Now do you really think a guy with a name like that has a chance of getting elected." The issue was widely reported in the local and mainstream media. Krikorian all but conceded the Democratic primary after the contest, saying the Hamilton County vote appears to have given the victory to Yalamanchili, a former Procter & Gamble executive with a celeb touch having been a participant in the NBC show The Apprentice a couple of seasons back. "I think we just won," Yalamanchili was quoted by the local news portal. "Jean Schmidt is going to be a formidable competitor, but I don't think the task will be as big as the one we just overcame â&#x20AC;Ś The next five months will be like the primary on steroids." Krikorian blamed his apparent loss on allegations last week that he had made fun of Yalamanchili's name. He had strongly denied the accusations. "That clearly affected the final outcome," he said. "That was the difference. We tried to run a very positive campaign, but one of our opponents stooped to the level of playing the race card." Krikorian, a Madeira businessman, lost to Schmidt when he ran as an independent candidate two years ago. Shmidt, meanwhile, said her general election campaign will be run the same way, regardless of who her Democratic opponent is. "I'm going to run very hard to make sure I'm in the winner's circle in November," she said. Earlier, Indian American political activist groups had criticized Krikorian for his racially-charged

comments on Yalamanchili. Indian American Leadership Initiative (IALI) President, Kathy Kulkarni had commented, "It is unfortunate that in this day and age campaign tactics are being employed to instill fear, prejudice and hatred in the eyes of voters. Moreover, it is stunning that a candidate for federal office would resort to smearing their primary opponent based on their name and ethnic heritage."

Surya Yalamanchili

Running up to the primaries, Krikorian is reported to have said at a campaign meeting, "Now do you really think a guy with a name like that has a chance of getting elected." The issue was widely reported in the local and mainstream media "In my race for Congress in the 2008 cycle I was also subjected to similar attacks on my ethnicity. This kind of nonsense is appalling and has no place in our politics. Surya is an exceptional young man with a desire to serve his country - neither he nor the voters of Ohio's Second District should have to put up with this. Krikorian should immediately and publicly apologize," said Ashwin Madia, an attorney and Iraq war veteran who lost his bid for Congress from Minnesota in November 2008. "Running for office on any level is a tremendous learning experience and Indian American candidates sometimes face a unique set of circumstances." Stating that IALI, as the only national Indian Democratic PAC, provides an infrastructure that first time candidates need to run successful campaigns and win elections, Madia has called on the Indian American community to extend their financial support to IALI and invest in the community's future.

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First cohort of ten US varsities to build Khare appointed to UN bridges with Indian Institutions Peacekeeping Ops SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: At its 5th Annual Best Practices Conference in New York recently, the Institute of International Education (IIE) announced the ten colleges and universities that were selected to participate in the pilot group for the International Academic Partnerships Program (IAPP). This new initiative is funded by the US Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), and is one of the first major programs of IIE's new Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education. The pilot group of these ten US campuses was announced during a special plenary session on developing institutional linkages with India. The US institutions that were selected are: California State University - San Bernardino, College of William and Mary, Florida Atlantic University, Oakland Community College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Spelman College, St. Cloud State University, The University of Tulsa, University of South Carolina and Winston Salem State University. These campuses were chosen from a competitive candidate pool of more than 75 nominations and represent the breadth of US institutions. They include historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), women's colleges, large research universities and liberal arts colleges. The group was selected by an advisory committee of experts in the field to help guide the new partnership program. Over the course of the next year, these ten institutions will participate in a number of training activities and webinars focused on implementing and sustaining partnerships and will join a study tour to India in the fall to meet with potential Indian partner campuses. They have committed to forming a campus task force to work on prospective partnerships, conducting an institution-wide inventory of activities pertaining to India, and developing a strategic plan focused on partnership with India. IAPP is one of several IIE initiatives targeted at strengthening higher education bonds between the US and India. Earlier this month, IIE's President Dr. Allan Goodman and Dr. Martha Kanter, the Under Secretary of Education, led a delegation of US higher education leaders in a week-long visit to India, to promote US higher education and to expand linkages with Indian higher education in-

stitutions. During that visit, IIE released International India: A Turning Point in Educational Exchange with the US, the third in a series of Global Education Research Reports published with support from the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) Foundation, bringing together the perspectives of Indian and US specialists to focus on US-India higher education exchanges at a critical moment in this important relationship. "It is clear from the high level of interest we have seen from US and Indian colleges and universities that institutions in both countries are very eager to develop linkages to internationalize their

These campuses were chosen from a competitive candidate pool of more than 75 nominations and represent the breadth of US institutions. They include historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), women's colleges, large research universities and liberal arts colleges. The group was selected by an advisory committee of experts in the field to help guide the new partnership program campuses," said IIE President and CEO Dr. Allan E. Goodman. "The IAPP initiative will provide important tools and expertise both to the ten selected institutions and to the many other campuses seeking to expand US-Indian academic partnerships. We are looking forward to working with this selected group of very engaged and dedicated institutions, and to sharing best practices widely." The International Academic Partnership Program will focus its initial activities on two key countries, India and China, which are the two leading places of origin for international students in the United States. These countries have also seen dramatic increases in hosting US study abroad students in recent years, according to IIE's Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, an annual research project supported by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational

and Cultural Affairs. India has been the leading place of origin of international students in the United States since 2001/02. There were more than 103,000 international students from India studying in the U.S. in 2008/09, an increase of 9 percent from the previous year. Students from China, the second leading sender, increased by 21 percent to more than 98,500. The numbers of students from the United States studying abroad in China and India have also increased rapidly in recent years, although from a smaller base. According to the latest Open Doors data, U.S. institutions awarded academic credit to more than 13,000 U.S. students studying in China in 2007/08 and more than 3,000 U.S. students studying in India; both totals represented increases of almost 20 percent over the previous year. Since 1950, more than 5,000 Indian students and scholars have come to the U.S. and more than 3,100 American teachers, scholars, and students have gone to India since 1950 through the Fulbright program. The U.S. and Indian Governments recently signed a historic new Fulbright agreement, effectively doubling the number of Fulbright-Nehru grants for American and Indian students and scholars. Given this dramatic growth in exchanges and the increasing priority all three countries have placed on internationalization of higher education and expanded academic collaboration, higher education institutions are increasingly seeking out partnerships with counterparts to enhance the study abroad opportunities for their students, expand curricular offerings, advance joint research, and prepare their students with the international experiences and cross-cultural tools needed in their careers. However, many institutions face significant challenges in navigating education systems in other countries, identifying appropriate partners and developing effective institutional partnership strategies. To meet the growing demand for guidance in creating international partnerships, IAPP will identify and share best practices in academic linkages, conduct study tours to India and China to explore partnership opportunities, and create an online International Academic Partnership portal to provide training materials and information resources on establishing institutional partnerships, guided by an expert advisory group.

Atul Khare India Post News Service

NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced April 30 the appointment of Atul Khare of India as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. The new Assistant SecretaryGeneral replaces Edmond Mulet of Guatemala, who was appointed on April 1 as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti for one year. Khare served with distinction as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste and Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste from December 2006 to December 2009. He had earlier worked as Chief of Staff, and later

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, with the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor. During his tenure with the Indian Foreign Service, Khare served in his country's diplomatic missions in France, Mauritius, Senegal, Thailand and the United Kingdom, as well as the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York. Khare holds bachelor's degrees in medicine and surgery from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, as well as master's degrees in business administration and leadership from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Born in India in 1959, he is married to Vandna Khare, a writer.

Pak wants to invite S M Krishna for talks NEW DELHI: Pakistan intends to invite External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to Islamabad where it will make "certain proposals" to bridge the "trust deficit" between the two countries. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said holding of talks between him and Krishna as agreed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries in Thimphu was "very urgent". He would telephone Krishna after Parliament session ends. "I intend to invite him to Islamabad but I have no issues with that. If he is occupied and he cannot come, then I have no issue in coming to Delhi," he said in an interview to Karan Thapar for 'Devil's Advocate' program. "I think both sides would acknowledge the fact that there is a trust deficit and the Prime Ministers have asked the two foreign ministers to bridge that trust defi-

cit. I have certain proposals which I am going to share with Krishna when I get an opportunity to meet with him." Qureshi said. Asked whether the back-channel understandings reached on the Kashmir issue during Pervez Musharraf regime remain valid, Qureshi said, "The present democratically elected government recognizes the significance of a back channel. "At times, quiet diplomacy is useful. And we do not rule out the possibility of continuing the back channel. But I am of the opinion that the back channel can only work in tandem with the front channel," he said. The understandings, he said, were reached between the then leaderships. "We will have to see. We are a democracy and in a democracy you got to get it endorsed by Parliament," he added.-PTI

Desi News Akshaya Patra launch helps raise $80,000 KRISHNA RAJ

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

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Anjlie Gupta wins top India Heritage Award

May 14, 2010

Details on page 18

GOPIO honors 3 at awards banquet

Details on page 12

Court orders compensation to car accident victims ASHWIN PATEL

Architecture for Tibet to raise funds for orphanage India Post News Service

Senator Dodd receiving the Friend of India award from Mayor Pavia. Others in the picture, left to right, Thomas Abraham, Shailesh Naik and Ravi Dhingra. India Post News Service

NEW YORK: In a packed ballroom at the Italian Center in Stamford on May 2, GOPIO Connecticut honored and celebrated a corporate CEO, a US Senator and a young pediatric diabetes practitioner, for their achievements and contributions to the community -

mances by local artists and live music, was attended by nearly 250 Indian-American community leaders, supporters and public officials - including Ambassador Prabhu

Dinesh Paliwal receiving the Governor's certificate of recognition, with Ambassador Prabhu Dayal and Lt. Governor Michael Fedele

Paliwal, who was awarded the 2010 "Indian-American Achiever Award", has been driving innovation and breakthrough technologies, expanding the company's

"builder of businesses and teams, a person with great personal qualities, and I am honored to be his friend." Paliwal who regards himself as a "global citizen" credited

The elegant raspberrythemed event which included a cocktail reception, dinner, dance performances by local artists and live music, was attended by nearly 250 IndianAmerican community leaders & supporters 2010 awardees with dignitaries and members of the GOPIO-CT Executive Officers

Dinesh Paliwal, Chairman, CEO and President of Harman International; US Senator Chris Dodd, and Neesha Ramchandani, Pediatric Nurse Coordinator at Maimonides. The elegant raspberry-themed event which included a cocktail reception, dinner, dance perfor-

Dayal, Consul General of India in New York, US Congressman Jim Himes, Lt. Governor Michael Fedele, Mayor Michael Pavia, State Senator Andrew MacDonald, and former Stamford Mayor, Dan Malloy.

footprint in emerging markets, and dramatically improving its cost structure. He has lived and worked in six countries on four continents. Rajat Gupta, Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey & Company, who introduced Paliwal, called him a

his team and his supportive family for many of his accomplishments, and lauded GOPIO-CT for the "great community work you have been doing. I am truly impressed." Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

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Akshaya Patra launch helps raise $80,000 KRISHNA RAJ

Akshaya Patra CEO Madhu Sridhar, Board Chair Des Deshpande, Indian CG Ashok Kumar Attri and Ms Usha Attri

CHICAGO: Dubbed as a front ranking NGO by US President Barack Obama that can serve as a model globally for eradicating hunger and illiteracy Akshaya Patra (AP) had its formal launch in Chicago recently. The event helped this service organization raise $80.000. Patra had a modest start in 2000 when some enterprising and enlightened professionals and community activists took upon themselves the task of 'No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.' It commenced with feeding 1500 children in five schools. In less than 10 years, Patra has been feeding and providing education facility to 1.2 million, overreaching its target of one million students, according to CEO Madhu Sridhar. Des Deshpande, Infosys Chief and the head of Patra, was present at the launch and he talked about strides taken by this NGO which has turned a role model for others raking up partnership with government,

commercial bodies and community activists. He touched upon the Hubli Kitchen that prepares meal for 35,000 students every day with an ideal blend of technology and human labor/brain. The food is nutri-

Akshaya Patra Chicago Chairs Dr. Sri Lakshmi Maguluri and Saroj Patel

a study on Akshay Patra operations and included it in its MBA curriculum as a case study on precision and time management. The study was based on Patra engineered kitchens, preparing 100,000 meals in six

Des Deshpande, Infosys Chief and the head of Patra, was present at the launch and he talked about strides taken by this NGO which has turned a role model for others raking up partnership with government, commercial bodies and community activists. He touched upon the Hubli Kitchen that prepares meal for 35,000 students every day tious and seeks to meet local tastes as well. There are scores of such kitchen that combined together serve meals to 1.2 million students in many states in the country. Besides, Karnataka it has its kitchen facilities in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa. Harvard Business School has conducted

hours and need only Rs.1200 to feed two hungry children for a year. The impact of Akshaya Patra program has been astounding. A study by AC Nielsen Org Marg Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, in 2006, has vouchsafed for the efficacy of the meal. Attendance in schools has increased, and

the nutrition levels of children have also increased. This has enhanced their learning abilities and reduced the drop-out rates. It is in light of this that US Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) has awarded an International Fellow to Akshaya Patra out of 35 social organizations around the world. World Economic Forum invited it to share its experiences for The Project Hunger in Africa. Efforts by local volunteers and supporters helped the organization to raise $80,000 in one shot. More pledges and donations are expected. The guest of honor was Indian Consul General Ashok Kumar Attri who came with his wife Ms Usha Attri. Lavishing praise on the activities of this social organization, he underlined the need for enlightened partnership between private and public sector (the government) for the good of society. He assured all help from the Consulate in furthering the goal of education and eradication of hunger in India by agencies like Akshaya Patra.

Congress opens overseas chapter in Chicago AQ SIDDIQUI India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Indian American community members owing allegiance to ruling Indian National Congress Party gathered in large numbers at India House in Schaumburg to celebrate launching of the party's overseas chapter in Chicago. The glittering gala dinner event attracted high ranking business and community leaders from Midwest and New York. The first ever launch of Congress party chapter in United States was also seen as a linking bridge between two great world democracies of India and U.S. Chicago's three prominent lead-

ers, Iftekhar Shareef, Nick Gakhal and Micky Kahlon laid the foun-

The first ever launch of Congress party chapter in United States was also seen as a linking bridge between two great world democracies of India and U.S. dation of "Chicago-Illinois Chapter" of the party together. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

Launch of INC in Chicago in presence of community leaders from New York and Chicago

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Tulsa recognizes Indian American woman scientist DEB MISHRA

TULSA: An India born scientist with numerous achievements under her Belt, Dr. Indurani Meshri, will be honored middle of this month in Tulsa with the naming of a park in her memory. Mayor of Tulsa Kathy Taylor would inaugurate the Dr. Indu Meshri Park at 31st and Peoria street in the city on May 16 this

One of the recipients of Dr. Indu's scholarship for 2009, Carla Landrum of TU, went to Sierra Leone to teach African children while two others Heidi Anderson and Sarah de la Rue - are in pursuit of their Ph.D.s at the University of Idaho year in the presence of city elite and guests from Oklahoma. The recognition of Dr. Indu Meshri is not only from the Tulsa Mayor. The College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Tulsa has also honored her by inducting her in the Hall of Fame of the college. Over 300 guests came to the Gilcrease Museum on April 22 to salute Dr. Indu and her memory on her singular achievements, contributions to science and society and

Dr. Indu Rani Meshri

for humanitarian causes. It is worth noting the one of the recipients of Dr. Indu's scholarship for 2009, Carla Landrum of TU, went to Sierra Leone to teach African children while two others Heidi Anderson and Sarah de la Rue - are in pursuit of their Ph.D.s at the University of Idaho.

School named after Dr. Indu Meshri in Patan, Gujarat

A school in Patan Gujarat named after her - Dr. Indu Meshri School - has enrolled 700 plus students. The Meshri family has also set up a college in memory of Dr. Indu Meshri. Named as "Dr. Indu Meshri Biotechnology College", North Gujarat University, it has 300 plus students. Indo American Center in Chicago has

installed a life size statue of Dr. Indu Meshri recognizing her contributions in the field of education and humanitarian causes. Dr. Dayal Meshri, her husband and a globally recognized scientist in his own right, bore all the expenses related with the statue. Dr. Indurani Dayal Meshri was born on July 16, 1944 and died on May 16, 2005

Unique Veena festival held in Chicago SARADA PURNA SONTY

Nirmala RS

CHICAGO: Chicago saluted and celebrated 'Veena', the enigmatic stringed musical instrument of India at the '2010 Veena festival and conference' on April 24 under the aegis of SAPNA (Sri Annamacharya Project of North America), a not-for-profit organization established in US to promote classical performing arts, in collaboration with India Classical Music Society (ICMS). The rich tradition of Carnatic music was experienced by all attendees as over 70 Veenas dressed

the floors of Pancavati Auditorium at Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) temple of Aurora. It was heartwarming to see next generation students' commitment in enduring rehearsals, lengthy periods of practices to render the thematic presentations. With an amazing inherent feel and understanding, the featured artists of the day Saraswathi Ranganathan, Nirmala Raja Sekher, Rama Gurupalli, Rajeswari Pariti, Jai Shree Prasad, Vasanthi Iyer exhibited their artistry.

Rama students

The festival had a wide variety of features, which included recitals of internationally renowned artists and emerging students, lecture demonstrations and panel discussion

The three schools of Veena played 'Tanjavur sampradayam', which aims to reproduce the vocal style as closely as possible; 'Mysore sampradayam', which brings the deep, profound 'gamaka'; and 'Andhra sampradayam' with varieties of 'meetus.' High speed passages were brought to light by the artists. The festival had a wide variety of features, which included recitals of internationally renowned artists and emerging students, lec-

ture demonstrations and panel discussion. The highlight of the day was the student joint presentation with senior artists. This is the first time an entire conference was based on a singular compositional style. The organizers announced that the 2011 Veena Festival and Conference will be held in April 2011. This year's event was supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council & Sonty Renaissance International (SRI) Foundation along with individual sponsors.

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Hindu and Sikh groups rally for Israel in NYC India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Representatives of Hindu and Sikh organizations in New York were among the more than 2,500 people who rallied in front of the Israeli Consulate in the heart of New York City on April 25 to support Israel's right to exist and to determine its own fate. More than 50 organizations representing Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Sikh faiths took part in the rally. A formidable contingent of Hindus and Sikhs led by Narain Kataria and Arish Sahani, President and Vice President of Indian American Intellectuals Forum respectively, Satya Dosapati and Nand Lal Ramsinghani of the Hindu Human Rights Watch and Bhupinder Singh Bhurji, Chairman, Namdhari Sikh Foundation, USA, participated in the rally. The chief organizer of the event was Beth Gilinsky, Political Strategist, Action Alliance. The supporters carried placards that said since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center buildings in New York, the followers of Islam carried out 15,101 deadly terrorist attacks and killed more than 75,000 people the world over. In his address to the rally Kataria said, "Hindus understand

and appreciate your (Israeli) persecution and pain because we Hindus have suffered unprecedented brutalities and savageries at the hands of Radical Islam for the last 1400 years, hence we both are natural allies."

Court orders compensation to car accident victims ASHWIN PATEL

‘Hindus understand and appreciate your (Israeli) persecution and pain because we Hindus have suffered unprecedented brutalities and savageries at the hands of Radical Islam for the last 1400 years, hence we both are natural allies’ Kataria further highlighted the ethnic cleansing of Hindus from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kashmir. He said Islamists were not just claiming Jerusalem but also Kashmir, Chechnya, Philippines, Sudan, Nigeria, Londonistan, Parts of France, Spain, Belgium, Holland and several other countries.

Priya Muppavarapu

Anita Veerapaneni

ST. LOUIS: A Sunset Hills police officer Christine L. Miller and the O'Leary's Restaurant & Bar that served her alcohol have agreed to pay a total of $2.25 million, the limit of their insurance policies, to compensate the families of four students from India killed and one man injured in a traffic crash in Des Peres, (St. Louis suburb) Mo., last year. Three of those killed were graduate students at Eastern Illinois University. Christine Miller, a Sunset Hills police officer who was off-duty at the time of the accident, is alleged to have been drinking with friends at O'Leary's Restaurant and Bar in Sunset Hills prior to the collision. Both Miller and O'Leary's were named as defendants in the wrongful death suit. Miller is awaiting trial on manslaughter charges. According to files in St. Louis

Nitesh

Satya S. Chinta

County Circuit Court, the families of each victim killed will receive $331,375 as part of the settlement, which was filed Feb. 22. The plain-

Christine Miller

tiffs' attorneys will get a third, about $750,000. The remainder of about $180,000 presumably will go to the sole crash survivor, Nitesh

Anusha Anumolu

Adusumilli, 28, of Ballwin and to his lawyer, settlement fees and other costs. The details of his settlement were not included in the court file. The suit accused Miller, 42, of negligence based on allegations of driving drunk and driving on the wrong side of the road, among other things. Police said Miller's blood alcohol content was 0.169 percent three hours after the crash - double the level for what is considered legally drunk, according to the State Highway Patrol. The civil suit was filed June 15, six days after criminal charges were lodged against Miller. She faces four counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, plus one count of second-degree assault for injuries suffered by the other car's driver. Cont’d on page 19

'Jai ho' & 'Bhangra' rock school in Palatine KRISHNA RAJ

Raj Mago offering Bhangra lesson to school children in Palatine

CHICAGO: Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) has been proactively promoting Asian Indian culture in American mainstream of Metropolitan Chicago area for a couple of decades now. Recently, two very energetic, colorful dance performances helped make

India stand out amongst the rest at Hunting Ridge Elementary School in Palatine, Illinois on April 21at their multi-cultural event. Indian American children were a proud bunch amongst the eighteen countries that showcased their rich cultures at this popular event. A group of fifteen students from Hunt-

The Bhangra team that performed at the Palatine School

ing Ridge presented a Dance/Fashion Show, choreographed by Rajneesh Nandra, a school P.T.A. official and also a PCS volunteer, to the tune of the popular song "Jai Ho." The endearing performance represented dresses and dance styles from every corner of India. Next came "Kaum Punjab Di" Bhangra, cho-

reographed by Pardeep Deol and Navjot Multani. Lead by Rajinder Singh Mago, this energetic performance by Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago children with dhol, colorful costumes, and the lively music was an instant hit with the crowd. Cont’d on page 17

Community Across America GOPIO honors 3 at Congress opens overseas chapter in Chicago awards banquet

India Post 15

May 14, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Cont’d from page 12

Cont’d from page 11

to use insulin pumps on children. I am proud to have accomplished Sen. Dodd of Connecticut, so much and am honored to reChairman of the Senate Banking ceive this award from GOPIO ConCommittee and Co-chairman of the necticut," she said. Senate India Caucus, was honored Along with the awards, each of with a "Friend of India" award in the awardees was presented with recognition of his leadership in an official certificate of recognition advancing economic and political by Lt. Governor Michael Fedele on cooperation between India and behalf of Governor Jodi Rell. Certhe United tificates of recStates, and his ognition were years of sup- ‘Our country would also presented port to the In- not be rich and bounto the awardees dian-American on behalf of tiful a place, but for c o m m u n i t y. Connecticut AtSenator Dodd the gracious generostorney General thanked the or- ity and philanthropic R i c h a r d ganization for Blumenthal. this gesture efforts of people who US Conand said, are giving tirelessly of gressman "Americans of Himes spoke their efforts’ Indian descent fondly of his have become many visits to part of the rich India, "I became fabric of Connecticut and the an honorary Indian 20 years ago, United States and their contribu- when I first traveled to India. I fell tions to our economy and our cul- in love with the country. India is ture can be seen all across our truly taking its place as a leader state and our country." nation in the world. We are seeing "India is a trusted friend to levels of development there that America and an important ally in finally speak to the heritage of addressing the global challenges commerce that is so much of that both our countries face," India's past-- a democracy that will Dodd continued. "I am honored truly thrive and take its rightful to receive this award and have place as a leader among nations." been proud to play a role in develConnecticut State Senator Anoping the relationship between drew McDonald said, "Our counour two countries. "I'm looking try would not be rich and bountiforward to continuing my work on ful a place, but for the gracious strengthening US-India relations generosity and philanthropic efin the Senate India Caucus during forts of people who are giving tiremy last months in the Senate - and lessly of their efforts." beyond." In welcoming the guests and Ambassador Dayal lauded the dignitaries, Shailesh Naik, Presi"contributions of the Indian- dent of GOPIO-CT said, the American community to the awardees were "an asset to the United States as well as to India." community for all that they have Guest of Honor, Stamford's Mayor done and accomplished." Michael Pavia " T h e spoke about evening was a the strength of ‘The evening was a celebration not diversity of the celebration not just of just of the accity of Stamcomplishments the accomplishments ford, and ways of our in which In- of our awardees, but awardees, but d i a n - A m e r i - also a tribute to a also a tribute to cans have ena strong and viriched the local strong and vibrant brant Indianculture and Indian-American American comeconomy. "The community in munity in ConIndian-Amerinecticut," said can community Connecticut’ Ravi Dhingra embraced me in who chaired the the very early 2010 Awards days of my campaign, and I am Committee. grateful for their friendship and The audience was fascinated support," he added. by the performance of Fred Astaire Neesha Ramchandani was Dance Studio. Members of the stuawarded the "Young Person of the dio performed a medley of ballYear Award" for her innovative room dances over Western and research in pediatric diabetes tech- Bollywood music. Anna nology and has presented her re- Stenyaeva had the audience tapsearch all over the U.S., Europe ping their feet with her hula-hoops and South Africa. "I was the first performance to the music of Jai Ho.

The speakers at the event hailed Congress party performance and included community leaders such as Satish 'Sunny' Ghabawala, FIA President, Kanti Bhai Patel, President of Chicago's Gujarat Cultural Association, Mrs.Usha Kamaria official of the Niles Township, Kalpesh Joshi former President of Care & Share USA International, Sarwan Singh Tiwana from Indiana, Satnam Singh Aulakh, Paul Paramveer from Kerala Community, Sunny Dhoorh from Michigan state, Satwant Singh Attal, President Palatine Gurudwara Sahib, Indermohan Singh, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, Hetal Patel, former FIA President and Babu Varma, President of Midwest Christian Federation. The event attracted dignitaries and executive leaders from INOC chapter in New York including Dr. Surinder Malhotra, President of INOC-New York and other adjunct associations in California, Florida, Michigan, and Indiana who are closely associated with the mission of the Indian National Congress. They have joined-in to enthusiastically express their steadfast commit-

ment to promote the mission and the programs of the Indian National Congress party in the U.S. Nick Gakhal, The new Chairman of INOCChicago-Illinois chapter earlier welcomed and thanked all the guests for their enthusiastic support. Iftekhar Shareef, the first dualcitizen of India and Executive Vice President of Indian National Overseas Congress who is close to the

Keerthi Kumar Ravoori described the Congress Party as the party of stalwarts and eminent people of India Gandhi family, eloquently praised the Congress party for its mature leadership lasting several decades that has brought economic prosperity in India. As the Executive Vice President, Iftekhar Shareef said he will use the platform to actively promote the ideals of democracy, tenets of secularism, values of fraternity and the ethos of

justice, liberty and equality as laid out by the Congress party. Outlining the goals of the Chicago chapter, Shareef stated that he would work hard to host community forums and public meetings with NRIs to facilitate a dialogue on public policy issues with visiting union ministers, Indian Members of Parliament (MPs) and other elected officials. This would be aimed at strengthening the partnerships with NRIs and further play a far effective role in further cementing relationships between India and the United States at a micro level. Later, Micky Kahlon was introduced on the stage and administered oath of office by Dr. Surinder Singh Malhotra, National President of INOC -New York chapter. He was presented with a formal letter of appointment by Dr. Surinder Singh Malhotra amidst applause. Earlier, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori described the Congress Party as the party of stalwarts and eminent people of India. The podium was managed by Emcees Ms. Hetal Patel and Dr. Harjinder Khaira. The meeting concluded with a grand cocktail and dinner with a vote of thanks proposed jointly by Inder Mohan Singh and Usha Kamaria.

Community Across America

India Post

May 14, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Architecture for Tibet to raise funds for orphanage India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Architecture for Tibet, a non-profit organization formed by New York City-based architect John Ullman, will take a giant step closer to its lofty goals with a gala benefit at the Rubin Museum of Art on May 25. The event's proceeds will go towards a new Academic Center for the Manjushree Orphanage in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India. The evening, for a prestigious audience of noted supporters, engineers, architects, and members of New York's Tibetan and Indian communities, will feature distinguished speakers, a special Tibetan performance, a silent auction and a screening of Architecture for Tibet's planned project. "We're very hopeful that this

special evening will make our vision a reality," says Ullman. "It's a noble cause, and it will be wonderful to be able to improve the lives of these children living in the icy reaches of the Himalayas." The seeds of Architecture for Tibet were sown in March 2007, when Ullman visited India for the first time. As part of his trip, he volunteered at Manjushree, which is run by Lama Thupten Phuntsok. (Lama Thupten received the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2007 from the Government of India, honoring Manjushree's mission to better the lives of these village children). Ullman taught basic engineering to the older resident students there as part of the community service required for obtaining his American architectural licensebut it also, serendipitously,

brought a unique opportunity to contribute his talents and knowledge of construction. "It became

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It became very clear to me that a substantial new building with a low cost geothermal heating system will give the children a large place to stay active during the long wintersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; very clear to me that a substantial new building with a low cost geothermal heating system will give

the children a large place to stay active during the long winters, which are then followed by 3 months of heavy monsoon rains," he notes. "There is a great need for an adequate indoor learning and activities environment, to enhance the curriculum and care-giving provided at Manjushree." The project has also caught the eye of some notable names in the design world. In a statement of support, famed architect Daniel Libeskind said: "[Tawang] is a part of the world which has been in the news a great deal, as of late, with conflicts of politics and the clashes of protesters. What gets lost is a small boy or girl, carrying a pack that probably weighs more than he or she does, going to a school which has virtually no educational amenities. Education, af-

ter all, is the one and only key to leave the room of poverty behind. That is why architecture -- and the building of a school -- is so important." Ullman plans to return to Manjushree after the May benefit. "Our building plans are together and the building is ready to break ground in early summer," he says. "I have been to the orphanage four times now, and I enjoy every minute a spend with all of my 182 precious brothers and sisters at Manjushree. To be able to offer my services is a privilege, as I am afforded the opportunity of making a contribution towards positive human experience and development, which in turn helps me have a happy life. I am very glad to serve these needy children."

PIA ready for re-launch of Chicago flight AQ SIDDIQUI India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Putting an end to speculation, the much awaited PIA flight will resume Chicago service from June 2. Leaving from Lahore on June 2 at 7.05am the maiden flight will land in Chicago at 4-50pm via Barcelona. The flight PK 794 from Chicago

approval for Chicago. Travel agents have been advised most competitive "beginners" fares for the high season June-July period. The flight will resume service twice a week from Chicago. PIA is inducting new Boeing 772 aircraft for the Chicago service. The Karachi passengers will have customs and immigration at Karachi. The Saturday flight leaves for Karachi via Lahore. The

Aamir Bashir informed that hectic preparations were on for the re-launch of Chicago flight. PIA has already acquired approval for Chicago. Travel agents have been advised most competitive "beginners" fares for the high season June-July period will leave at 8.30 pm for Islamabad and Karachi via Barcelona. The brief 1 hour 50 minutes halt at Barcelona will provide passengers a refreshing break. This was announced by PIA Chicago Manager Aamir Bashir and Sales Manager Sajid Siddiqui in a media meeting with this newspaper. Aamir Bashir informed that hectic preparations were on for the re-launch of Chicago flight. PIA has already acquired

flights make a stop at Lahore to facilitate disembarkation for Lahore passengers. In return the flights coming from Lahore and Islamabad stops at Karachi and makes convenient Karachi-Barcelona-Chicago route. The PIA resumption flight operation is planned in such a way that it makes it most comfortable for all Pakistan destinations. The choice of Barcelona as the 'technical stop' makes it more comfortable in cur-

PIA Chicago Manager Aamir Bashir (Center) and Sales Manager Sajid Siddiqui (Left) being interviewed by A Siddiqui

rent security environment and transit visa regulations. Pakistani travelers are not required transit visa via Barcelona. This will also facilitate travel for overstayed returning Pakistani nationals. The PIA will also announce 'Senior Citizen' discount for passengers over the age of 65

years. "PIA returns to Chicago, thanks to persisting demand from all and God willing, it will remain as the first choice," said Sajid Siddiqui. The PIA Chicago office is already wearing a symbolic celebration look for resumption of flight which was discontinued in 2008.

City of Sparks proclaims 'Rajan Zed Day' MEGHA PANDYA

NEVADA: Geno R. Martini, Mayor of Sparks, one of the fastest growing cities of Nevada (USA), has "proclaimed" October 25 as "Rajan Zed Day" after religious statesman and community activist Rajan Zed. Sparks is known as "City of Promise." Mayor Geno Martini handed over a proclamation to Zed, which read: "religious statesman Rajan Zed has brought honor to the State of Nevada through his various worldwide initiatives and extraordinary efforts to reach oth-

ers of different traditions and beliefs." Issued under the Seal of the City of Sparks, it further reads "Rajan Zed has entered into dialog with leaders of various religions and denominations within and outside the United States to explore similarities and cooperate in common causes such as peace, ecological responsibility, social and human development." Signed by Mayor Martini and City Clerk Linda K. Patterson, it added: "Rajan Zed organizes and

participates in various interfaith activities in Nevada with clergy of various religions and denominations to bring communities together." Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, is one of the panelists for "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com. He has been awarded "World Interfaith Leader Award" by National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families.

Sparks Mayor Geno Martini and Rajan Zed.

May 14, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 17

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Mesmerizing musical night by TANA-TANTEX MEGHA PANDYA

DALLAS, TX: "Uncover musical aptitude by empowering new generation of singers" was the theme of the evening gathering at the L. D. Bell High School in Hurst, TX as a part of the "Navataram Swaramadhuri" musical concert hosted by the Telugu Association of North America

It was a breathtaking performance by the Swaramadhuri team presenting a good mix of songs from old and new movies with a variety of themes by each singer in their own style (TANA). The event was co-sponsored by TANTEX the Telugu Association of North Texas. The major attraction of the night, the "Navataram Swaramadhuri" concert was led by veteran singer and music director G. Anand and the upcoming stars: Pranavi, playback singer; Anjana Sowmya, Super Singers MAA TV winner; Deepu, playback singer; Ravi, Super Singers, MAA TV Runner Up; Bhuvana Kruthi, Zee

Sarigama Runner Up. There was a special appearance of the famous MAA TV cooking show "Mavoori Vanta" team lead by the anchor Chitra Lekha who spoke at length about the focus of the program and thanked the audience for their support. It was a breathtaking performance by the Swaramadhuri team presenting a good mix of songs from old and new movies with a variety of themes by each singer in their own style. The audience was enthralled by every song and could really feel the passion of the singers. Prasad Thotakura, Executive Vice President of TANA reiterated TANA's continued focus on serving the Telugu community with result oriented programs and enabling a new breed of ambassadors to bring the community together. He commended G. Anand for conducting over 6500 musical programs all over the world while encouraging new talent every time. Earlier in the day the "Top Singer" competitions for the South West region were held at the same venue, where about fifteen active participants performed under the supervision of the "Swaramadhuri" team. G. Anand, Pranavi, Anjana Sowmya, Deepu, Ravi were the Judges for this competition. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

'Jai ho' & 'Bhangra' rock school in Palatine Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

PCS Bhangra team "Shaan Punjab Di," coordinated by Mohinderjit Singh Saini enthralled the audience at Owen Elementary School in Naperville on April 25 where Turkish American Cultural Alliance celebrated an International Children's Day. PCS volunteers gave Bhangra lessons to an entire school population of St. Anastasia Middle School in Waukegan Illinois, in a week long all-day classes with instructor residency arrangement. A select team of the students presented an excellent Bhangra dance item at the end of their training at their school multi-cultural event. "We need to share our rich Indian heritage and culture with our friends and neighbors in our adopted land," said Rajinder Singh Mago, President PCS "and it's better to catch them young," he added. "PCS is taking four busloads of children and parents to Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier

on Sunday May 16 to organize and participate in "Passport to the World - India," where Indian music, dances, foods, mehndi (henna), and turban tying will be demonstrated to the general public," said Mohinderjit Singh Saini

PCS volunteers gave Bhangra lessons to an entire school population of St. Anastasia Middle School in Waukegan Illinois, in a week long all-day classes with instructor residency arrangement a long time member of the museum's "Passport to the World" event organizing committee. PCS is devoted to promoting Punjabi culture, language, performing arts, education, sports, good citizenship, and healthy life style in metropolitan Chicago area.

Prasasd Thotakura, TANA Executive Vice President and Chandra Kanneganti felicitating veteran music director and singer G. Anand. From L-R - Narasimha Reddy Urimindi, Murali Vennam, Bhuvana Kruthi, Chandra Kanneganti, G. Anand, Prasad Thotakura, Prasad Thotakura, Dilip Kuchipudi, Ravi, NMS Reddy, Deepu, Ram Yalamanchili, Anjana Sowmya and Pranavi.

Community/California

India Post

Cal News Jain Pratishtha Mahotsav from May 13-17 India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Jain Center of Southern California will celebrate a historic Pratishtha Mahotsav from May 13-17. This is the third and final Pratishtha ceremony which will mark the completion and dedication of the Jain Temple in Southern California. For many of the local Jain adults, this will be the last opportunity in their lifetime to witness and participate in a major Pratishtha Mahotsav in Southern California. Panch Nihika Mahotsva will be celebrated with a bhavana, several poojans, a procession, and various Pratishtha ceremonies which will include the installation of the following: Details on page 19

Yuba City Council has its first Hindu prayer RAJENDRA SINGH

YUBA CITY: City Council of Yuba City, known as "Prune Capital of the World", reverberated with Sanskrit mantras from ancient Hindu scriptures on May 4 which was reportedly its first Hindu prayer since its founding in 1849. Rajan Zed, a community activist, delivered the invocation from Sanskrit scriptures before Yuba City Council followed with its English translation. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in India and the root language of Indo-European languages. Mayor Kashmir Singh Gill welcomed Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism. Details on page 20

FOGANA Raas, Garba contest in June India Post News Service

May 14, 2010

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Anjlie Gupta wins top India Heritage Award

L-R Top Awardee Middle School, Abdulgani Shaikh, Preetam Soundararajan (Top Awardee, Middle School), Dr. Awtar Singh Sponsor, Ashok Madan India Post News Service

LONG BEACH, CA: Anjlie Gupta of Gretchen Whitney High School was declared the top winner in the high school category of India Heritage Award 2010. She was presented a check of $2000 and a revolving trophy in a glittering ceremony at Crystal Ballroom, Golden Sails Hotel, Long Beach. The award for the first place winner in high school category has been instituted by Sanjiv Chopra in memory of his father Kishan Gopal Chopra while the revolving trophy "Profiles in Excellence" has been instituted by Ashok Madan & family in memory of Ashok's parents, Thakar Singh and Shanti Rani Madan. In the middle school category, Preetam Soundararajan took the top award and revolving trophy. The second place winner in high school category was Ketaki Panse of Hemet who got $1000 while the third place winner, Viraj Panchal got a check of $750 and the next five winners, Samvit Ramadurgam, Akshay Sharma, Priya Patel, Arshya Gurbani, and Sumit Mitra, each got $500 as the cash award. The second place winner, Viraj Panchal also won the Outstanding Achievement Award in Visual & Performing Arts and was presented with a check and revolving trophy instituted by Kumar Jawa of India Sweets and Spices, in memory of his father, Jiwan Dass Jawa. Sumit Mitra won the Outstanding Achievement Award in Math, Science and Technology instituted by Dr. Mani Bhaumik in recognition of the "most important numeral Zero invented in India." Priya Patel won top award in Community Service and got cash award and revolving trophy instituted by Dr. Rajesh Kadakia in memory of Maniben Manilal Kadakia. Sumit

Misra won the Outstanding Achievement Award in Sports instituted by Jack Khangura in memory of his wife Rajinder Khangura. Sumit also received revolving trophy for excellence in sports instituted by Dr. M.C. Gupta of Corona in memory of his father RBL Gupta. Dr. Mani Bhaumik and Dr. Rajesh Kadakia were personally present to give the award and trophy to the winners. In the junior high school category, Preetam Soundararajan got $500 cash award and "Founders" revolving trophy instituted by Dr. Awtar Singh, philanthropist and businessman, in memory of his late wife, Teji A Singh. Dr. Singh personally presented the award and trophy to the winner. The second place winner was Anubhav Basuk while the third place winner was Aashray Harishankar. The fourth and fifth place winners were

L-R Front row: Amrit Bhandari, Ajoy Dube, Ashok Madan, Viraj Panchal, Anjlie Gupta, Sumit Misra (back), Sumit Mitra, Priya Patel(back), Dr. Kadakias (W&H), Inder Singh L-R Back row: Dilip Butani, Kewal Kanda, Mallapa Yerasi (back), Kumar Jawa, Dr. Mani Bhaumik, Ajmer Singh, Mayor of Cypress Dr. Prakash Narain, Keynote Speaker Dr. Paul Jhin, Manju Madan, Manjit Bedi

presented awards to some of the winners. The Keynote Speaker was Dr. Paul Jhin, CEO, Information and Technology Corps with initiative to provide 500,000 computers for 10,000 schools for 33,000,000 students in 60 countries. He was formerly Director of Peace Corps' Special Initiatives. During 19831990, he served as Assistant Superintendent for Educational Technology in the District of Columbia Public School system and prior to that, as the Director of Special Projects at the U.S. Department of Education. He stressed the importance of becoming high achievers. His speech was very motivational and the audience frequently interrupted it with claps. He complimented the

She was presented a check of $2000 and a revolving trophy in a glittering ceremony at Crystal Ballroom, Golden Priya Kumar and Apporva Panse respectively. Anubhav Basuk also won the Visual and Performing Arts award instituted by Mollie Rachna Singh in honor of "teachers, parents and family." Other sponsors who came to attend the annual event and to present awards and encourage the young winners included Prof. Viswantathan, formerly chairman of California statewide academic senate of UC system, Harbhajan Samra, who was given the title of "King of Okra" in the US by the New York Times and businessman Avadesh Agarwal and his wife Uma. Mayor of Cypress, Dr. Prakash Narain complimented the winners for their achievements and

winners for their well earned recognition. The Indian American Heritage Foundation has been recognizing the achievements of Indian youth, graduating from high and middle schools in Southern California for the last 23 years. The Foundation is the leading Indian American organization in USA to publicly recognize, reward and celebrate excellence of the community's best and brightest graduating students in Southern California. The Foundation started with eight scholarship awards and now eighteen scholarships are given eight academic excellence awards ranging from $2000 to $500 in the high school category, five rang-

ing from $500 to $100 in the junior high/middle school category, four of $500 each for Outstanding Achievement Awards in math and science, sports, community service, visual and performing arts in high school category and one of $250 in visual and performing arts for the middle school category. To qualify for the awards, the applicants needed to have a GPA equal to B or higher, have at least one parent of Indian origin, and be a graduate from a Southern California school. For high school category, GPA and SAT were evaluated at 70 percent while extra-curricular activities and quiz on India and Indian Americans were each evaluated at 15 percent. There were four applicants with over 2300 SAT score out of 2400. Ketaki Panse and Shaun Mehra had 2400 each, Anjalie had 2390 while Samvit Ramadurgam had 2300. Anjalie was the first in many years to get the perfect score in the quiz which was based on the Foundation material on India and Indian Americans supplied to all applicants. In the Middle school category, Approva Panse had Star Test score of 1145 out of 1200, a remarkable achievement. The annual event has been made possible with the committed support of some well meaning people from the community including Ashok and Manju Madan, Dr.Awtar Singh, Dr. M.C & Usha Gupta, VJ & Simi Singh, Dr. C. R. Viswanathan, Harbhajan Singh Samra, Jagdish Khangura, Kumar Jawa of India Sweets & Spices, Dr. M.L. Bhaumik, Mollie Rachna Singh, Dr. Rajesh Kadakia, Sanjiv and Renu Chopra, Dr. Satinder-Ranjit Bhatia, and State Bank of India. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

May 14, 2010

Community/California

India Post 19

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Jain Pratishtha Mahotsav from May 13-17 India Post News Service

hibit Area, 2nd Floor; Panch Dhatu Pratimaji in Wooden Temple in Main Lobby, 1st Floor; Hemchandracharya / Agam Sutra (Acharang Sutra) and Pujya Bhadrabahu Swami / Kalpa Sutra in Aradhana Hall, 1st Floor. Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) located in the City of Buena Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, was established on September 15, 1979 by several Jain families with one important mandate: To preserve and promote Jainism through practice, education and community outreach activities. The dream of expanding and building an entire Jain Bhavan Complex was conceived by the Jain community nearly 16 years ago. A threephase project - to build a Cultural Complex in Phase 1; a Religious Complex in Phase 2; and an Atma Sadhna Kendra in Phase 3 - came to fruition when the 62,000 sq ft Cultural Complex was inaugurated on March 27, 2005, followed by the 13,000 sq ft Religious Complex on October 6, 2008. Cont’d on page 21

Wooden temple

Anjlie Gupta wins top India Heritage Award Cont’d from page 18

This year, Hamilton Brewart and Uma-Avadesh Agarwal also became co-sponsors and supported the event. All the sponsors were introduced through a power point presentation by Sampurna Dube. In the entertainment program, applicants Kiran Athreya, Anubhav Basak, Arshya Gurbani, Viraj Panchal and Preethi Seshadri gave excellent performances. Sumit Misra, winner of Sports award brought his Bhangra team and gave an outstanding performance. Avtar Chadda, Sunny Singh and Protibha of LA Sargam enthralled the audience by singing in Rafi Mohammed's voice. DJ Karan Chadda provided appropri-

ate music when the winners came to the stage to receive the check from the sponsors. Inder Singh, Foundation president thanked all the sponsors who

In the entertainment program, applicants Kiran Athreya, Anubhav Basak, Arshya Gurbani, Viraj Panchal and Preethi Seshadri gave excellent performances provided necessary funding for the continuity of the awards program. He particularly thanked the panel of judges who undertook

the grueling task of evaluating the applicants. He praised his "working Crew" - team of volunteers who have been working hard to make the event a success. He said, "An individual, howsoever brilliant, intelligent and smart, would find it difficult, if not impossible to match the collaborative efforts of an effective team and he is blessed with a team which has been providing selfless service for the cause of our youth." His team included Abdulgani Shaikh, Ashok Madan, Deepi Singh, Dr. Mallappa Yerasi, Ajoy Dube, Kewal Kanda, Amrit Bhandari, Dilip Butani, and Ajmer Singh. The program was started on time and finished on time, a record for an Indian program.

Mesmerizing musical night by TANA-TANTEX Cont’d from page 17

Vikram Gandikota and Gopinath Peturi were the two finalists who performed on the stage again in the evening. In the end Vikram Gandikota was declared Winner of the competition and Gopinath Peturi, the Runner Up. Speaking on the occasion G. Anand congratulated all the participants. Seeing is believing and give the gift of clear eyesight is the motto of one of the popular TANA Foundation Projects, namely "Operation Envision", serving the rural areas of India by conducting the

much needed eye camps. The "Swaramadhuri" team was recognized and felicitated with a Certificate of Appreciation and a bouquet of flowers by the TANATANTEX officials. The felicitation ended with a special recognition and presentation of the Certificate of Excellence to the 10-year old Chetan Reddy of Plano, TX who recently secured 1st place in the 52nd Annual Dallas Morning News Regional Spelling Bee competitions held on March 21 at WFAA-TV (Channel 8) studios in Dallas, TX. The music concert came to an

end with the vote of thanks to the audience, volunteers, LD Bell High School management, and the sponsors; Horizon Travel, Aahar Indian restaurant, Aries Tours & Travel, Masala Wok, Flavors, Pasand, Our Place, Lawson Travel, PBM Academy, Unicon Travels, The Law offices of Sherin Thawer and Discover Travel. TANA, founded in 1977, is one of the oldest and largest Indo-American national level organizations while TANTEX, founded in 1986, seeks to preserve and perpetuate the cultural heritage of Telugu speaking people of North Texas.

Wooden temple stair details

Court orders compensation to car accident victims Cont’d from page 14

Miller is awaiting trial on four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and a single count of felony assault relating to the injured survivor. The crash occurred about 1:45 a.m. March 21, 2009. Miller is reported to have been driving her 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse eastbound in the westbound lane of Dougherty Ferry Road when she struck a 1997 Honda Accord that had turned onto Dougherty Ferry from Des Peres Road. Four passengers in the Honda were killed: Satya Subhakar Chinta, 25, of Aurora; and Anusha Anumolu, 23, Anita Lakshmi Veerapaneni, 23,

and Priya Muppavarapu, 22, all of Charleston and graduate students at Eastern Illinois University. All four passengers were natives of India. They had studied and worked in the United States for several years. Of the five persons in the vehicle, only the driver, Nitesh Adusumilli of Ballwin, survived. Adusumilli was also a plaintiff in the civil suit against Miller and O'Leary's. Adusumilli, the Honda's driver, suffered a head injury, fractured rib, liver trauma lung contusion and contusions to the skull. He eventually returned to work.

Community/California

India Post

May 14, 2010

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Yuba City Council has its first Hindu prayer RAJENDRA SINGH

Rajan Zed recited from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita, both ancient Hindu scriptures. He started and ended the prayer with "Om", the mystical syllable containing the universe Rajan Zed, a community activist, delivered the invocation from Sanskrit scriptures before Yuba City Council followed with its English translation. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in India and the root language of Indo-

Rajan Zed (left) with Yuba City Mayor Kashmir Singh Gill before the historic invocation.

European languages. Mayor Kashmir Singh Gill welcomed Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism. Before the invocation, Zed sprinkled Gangajal and presented a copy of well-known Hindu scripture Bhagavad-Gita to Gill. Wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala (rosary), and tra-

ditional sandal paste tilak on the forehead, Zed said before the prayer: "It is a day of honor for us when prayers from ancient Sanskrit scriptures are being read in this great hall of democracy of great city of Yuba City." Rajan Zed recited from RigVeda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, besides

Rajan Zed praying before City Council of Yuba City.

lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita, both ancient Hindu scriptures. He started and ended the prayer with "Om", the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious works. Mayor, Council members and public stood quietly in prayer

mode with heads bowed during the prayer. Key agricultural center, Yuba City is adjoining the "smallest mountain range in the world". Kashmir Singh Gill is the Mayor of Yuba City, one of whose "values" is: "Encourage broad-based public dialogue". It was here that the first immigrant from India got settled.

Ahmadiyyas condemn Glen Beck owes India an apology! NY car bomb attempt DEEPAK B. JHAVERI

India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has in a statement strongly condemned the attempted bombing in New York City and all acts of terrorism. The statement urged all American Muslims to condemn this attempted attack and stand up for loyalty to the United States of America. Imam Shamshad, the southwest regional missionary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in America, said that "Islam teaches peace and commands Muslims to follow the law of the land and be loyal to the land they live in because this is what the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad taught -- that love for one's country is a part of one's Faith as a Muslim." Imam Shamshad called on all Muslims in this region to join in loudly condemning all kinds of violence and terrorist activities. He said "We are all enjoying freedom in this country and we must respect the law of the land, which is in our benefit." The holy founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, declared 120 years ago that there is no place or justification in Islam for any

kind of violence whatsoever. Imam Shamshad further said "It is clear from the events happening in many places around the world that a very small minority of fanatic and extremist Muslims have hijacked the faith of Islam and continue to mislead the Muslims and ruin their lives.

‘It is clear from the events happening in many places around the world that a very small minority of fanatic and extremist Muslims have hijacked the faith of Islam’ He said that any actions to create chaos are nothing short of "cowardly attempts" to hurt the innocent and unsuspecting people of the city. "It would disturb me deeply if it turned out to be an act of any so-called 'Muslim' no matter what the rationale might be. There is simply no excuse or justification for such terrorist acts, period." Imam Shamshad said.

len Beck, it seems, he has constipation of mind and diarrhea of words. Really! Watch him http:// www.youtube.comwatch?v=A7NUQZiWl6w&feature=player_embedded) ranting about India recently, and it should infuriate you, to say the least. And we desis are yet taking it lying down. It's a shame! Glen Beck is so obnoxious about India and Indian Americans that it is not even funny. Of course, his ignorance is blatantly exhibited when he criticizes the educational intelligentsia of the Indian doctors in India. It is a pity that he airs a talk show on the mainstream television but has no knowledge of what India is today. And Fox does not even stop him. Glen is totally ignorant that some of the best education one can get is in India. Had it not been the case, India would not have been the world leader in IT industry today. In a segment of CBS 60 minutes, sometime ago, it showered heaps of praises on IIT, India's (and the world's) top most engineering institute when it said that " IIT = (Harvard + Princeton + MIT)". And here you have Glen, talking from God knows where. It wasn't a joke or a passing

remark by Glen. He kept going on and on and on….treating India as a piece of shit that you'd shun to look at or touch. He words, his tone, his body language, gave the impression he is racist and has a distinct prejudice against India and the IndianAmericans. Glen certainly did not do his

Glen does not stop here. He goes on to insult the vast majority - stroking their religious beliefs and playing with their sentiments, by calling the most sacred river (to most Indians) Ganga as a "disease". Yes, he calls Ganga a "disease" and no Indian-American has the nerve to say " Stop it Glen homework well. The tragedy is, he does not know that today in the US, a very high percentage of medical professionals are Indian-Americans. Some of the highly successful doctors are Indian-Americans. The top most

position, Surgeon General of America was first offered by President Obama, to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, also an Indian-American. There was an interesting column by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times recently ....It stated: "When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, think of the starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my children: 'Finish your homework. Think of the children in India who would make you starve, if you don't." But poor Glen, he is so preoccupied in thrashing India that he does not realize the new facts of today's world. Glen does not stop here. He goes on to insult the vast majority - stroking their religious beliefs and playing with their sentiments, by calling the most sacred river (to most Indians) Ganga as a "disease". Yes, he calls Ganga a "disease" and no Indian-American has the nerve to say "Stop it Glen, enough is enough!" No national bodies, no federations, no embassy has stood up to question Glen. Cont’d on page 23

Community/California

May 14, 2010

India Post 21

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NY City Council honors Sikhs in US Army

Pictures from the ceremony at which Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and members of the New York City Council honored Captain Kalsi for his accommodation into the U.S. Army and Captain Rattan for his graduation from "Boot Camp."

FOGANA Raas, Garba Jain Pratishtha Mahotsav from May 13-17 competition in June Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 19

India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Following the success achieved in 2006, 2008, and 2009 the Federation of Gujarati Samaj of Southern California (FGSSC) says it is once again thrilled to host this year's Western Regional FOGANA Raas, Garba and Folk Dance competition. The competition will be held on Sunday, June 27 at the renowned Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton, CA. 2006 not only marked the first time FGSSC hosted this competition, it also marked the first time in FOGANA's 26 year history that the National Competition was hosted on the West Coast. The national competition was held on August 26, 2006 at the distinguished Long Beach Performing Arts Center. The FOGANA Raas, Garba, and Folk Dance competition is the only nationwide event dedicated to preserving Gujarati culture through traditional dances performed by participants of all ages. Founded in 1980, FOGANA aims to bring together Gujaratis living across North America by providing a common platform to sustain and perpetuate the cultural heritage of Gujarat. In 29 years, FOGANA has become the largest organization representing the vibrant Gujarati community. One of

the means FOGANA uses to achieve its objectives is to conduct competitions of Raas, Garba and Folk Dance that form an integral part of any celebration in the Gujarati culture. FGSSC was founded in 2005 by various leaders of the Gujarati community, as a platform for the promotion of social, cultural and educational development. The primary mission for creating this

The FOGANA Raas, Garba, and Folk Dance competition is the only nationwide event dedicated to preserving Gujarati culture through traditional dances performed by participants of all ages platform was to offer an avenue through which our youth can learn about Gujarat's rich traditions and cultural heritage and be able to pass on their culture to future generations. It is this spirit of passion and commitment which FGSSC aims to instill in the local Gujarati community through the FOGANA Western Regional competition.

The 62,000 sq ft Cultural Complex includes a large auditorium, a dining area, and a commercial kitchen on the 1st floor; several classrooms, a museum, an office, and two apartments on the 2nd floor; and a subterranean parking for 53 cars. The entire complex was built at a cost of approximately $11 million dollars. The entrance lobby of the complex was custom designed to accommodate a 15ft x 20ft x 35 ft high 104-year old replica of the famous Palitana Jain Temple, which is intricately and exquisitely carved of teakwood. This wooden replica was originally commissioned by the British Government and first displayed in the USA during the 1904-1905 St. Louis World Fair The 13,000 sq ft Religious Complex, including a Derasar (temple), an Aradhana Hall, and a museum, was built at a cost of approximately $6 million dollars. The unique design of the rangmandap,

dome, and ceiling of the Derasar was inspired by famous Jain temples in India. Phase 3, which is currently in the planning, will include study rooms and a JAINA/JCSC Library. This library will be one of the larg-

The entrance lobby of the complex was custom designed to accommodate a 15ft x 20ft x 35 ft high 104year old replica of the famous Palitana Jain Temple, which is intricately and exquisitely carved of teakwood est collections of Jain literature outside of India. The library, with nearly 15,000 books, manuscripts and multimedia resources, will be accessible via the internet and will prove to be a valuable resource

for researchers and students throughout the world. The exterior of the Jain Bhavan Complex is constructed of intricately carved limestone elements, which were imported from India, and installed using secure steel supports to address relevant earthquake codes. The window surrounds and roof parapets, designed and finished to match the exterior carved stonework, were constructed locally using a light-weight FRP material. Marble, colorful granite and other natural stones have been used extensively throughout the interior in the floors, staircases, and walls. The distinctive main entrance of the Religious Complex is made of white carved marble and includes an opulent zarukha with peacock and flower designs. Two elephants and Dwarpals located at the base of the two ornate columns which flank the main entrance, welcome the visitors and devotees. The complex is finished with a dome and a shikhar located at the highest peak of the structure.

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May 14, 2010

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Sagar Exclusive Showroom opens in Sunnyvale RAAJ D

Store owners (Left to right) Ruben Kanhai, Manu Tandel, Varsha Patel, Rohan

SUNNYVALE, CA: The grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony of Sagar Exclusive Showroom took place on Saturday, May 1. It is the biggest bridal boutique showroom in Bay Area, Northern California, offering top quality sherwanis, lehengas, sarees, jewelry and accessories. It carries all kinds of men's, women's and children's Indian outfits. It is a very well displayed show-

Sagar Exclusive inaugurated by Manu Tandel (Motorsport Division/Hillsdale Car Care)

room with a very warm welcoming atmosphere. It also has an on-thespot tailor to do alternations. Sagar Exclusive offers the best designer collection of Indian couture with easy online shopping. You will feel here the luxury of rich fashions to complement your various moods. You will fall in love with this unique showroom, only one of its kind in the area.

Sagar Exclusive Team (Pics:Raaj D)

Ganesh Navgrah & Lakshmi Kuber Pooja by Acharya Pandit Krishna Kumar Pandey of Fremont Temple

Front of the store

Store inside

May 14, 2010

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India Post 23

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Inter-Faith Peace Symposium for women India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The L.A. East Chapter of the Women's Auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held an Inter-Faith Peace Symposium for women at the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino on Saturday April 17. Speakers from Judaism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Buddhism, Christianity and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community presented the Teachings of Peace based upon their respective beliefs and Holy Books. The presentation by the Ahmadiyya Muslim speaker, Prof. Amtul Mujeeb, addressed the grossly abused concept of Jihad or holy war by the Muslim extremists in the light of extremism that has existed in all religions over the centuries. Prof. Mujeeb explained how the concept of "Holy War" is used by negative forces for political gains. All presentations were very well received. These were followed by a lively Question-and-Answer session between the guests and speakers. Questions were asked about segregation of women from men in Jewish and Islamic religious gatherings, kosher food and the like. This Q&A session continued even after the close of the event, when several guests stayed after to talk to the Ahmadiyya Muslim speakers, getting clarifications about Islam on various topics. One Muslim participant spent half an hour with the Ahmadiyya Muslim speaker

Glen Beck owes India an apology! Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 21

Peace symposium group photo

and her comment afterwards, in a nutshell, was: "I belong to a different mosque and my mother to yet another [mosque]. But this is the first time in my entire life, as a Muslim, where I came and heard no negative talking about other Islamic faiths. The foundation of entire conversation is the Holy Quran. I would like to come here more often." Some other comments by the participants were: "Getting to know Ahmadiyya Muslims

is like getting to know your family." "It was a very interactive and highly intellectual session that has clarified several misconceptions about Islam." The Symposium had a very respectable attendance of 75 ladies from several different faiths, including Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Ahmadiyya Muslims and others. The organizers were requested to hold more such events to clarify misconceptions about religion in general and Islam in particular.

Why? Why are we so spineless? Are we all wearing bangles? Or have we become so self-centered that we don't care, however badly one humiliates us and throws dung at us? It's all okay. It is time to stop Glen and ask him for a public apology, the same way he ridiculed India in public. If we don't, we'll have a new Glen every day and very soon we will have no identity for ourselves; and our self respect and pride would meet the dust. Till then let us boycott Glen, and boycott Fox. Let us write to our Embassy and our Congress representative that this is a very serious matter and is just not acceptable! I pray, for the sake of his family, nothing serious should happen to Glen, because if he needs to be at all treated, he'd rather die than being treated at any hospital even here in the U. S. because chances are high it could be an IndianAmerican doctor educated in some funny named Indian college in India and not in Harvard, who could perhaps be the only specialized doctor for that treatment. And who knows, probably this doctor may have in his lifetime, had a dip in the Ganges, which for him is some kind of a deadly disease.

1 Dont Know What To Do - Housefull

6 Chaska - Badmaash Company

2 Mein Tenu Samjjawan - Virsa

7 Rang De - Bumm Bumm Bole

3 Ghum Suhm Ghum Suhm - IAWA

8 Roshni - Admissions Open

4 Khili Re - Raavan

9 Shaam Ki - Chase

5 Bekarar - Paathshaala

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e's given us hits like "Garam Masala", "Dhoom" and "Dostana", but they've all been multi-starrers. Now John Abraham says he is in pursuit of solo hero movies after taking a sabbatical to groom himself and restructure his life to step into the best phase of his career. John's last film "New York" (2009) received much critical acclaimed, but that too was a multi-starrer. "I am trying to do solo films, which could be commercially successful. I'm aiming to do that with certain directors who I believe will kind of create a platform for me and the kind of scripts that will work also," John said in an interview. The 36-year-old, who made an impressive start with romantic thriller "Jism" in 2003, has experimented with comedy, action and family drama. He says he is open to doing different genres but adds that he would prefer working on real stories. John, who disappeared after "New York", will be seen on the big screen in Abbas Tyrewala's romantic comedy "1800-Love". "It's a romantic comedy. It's like 'Notting Hill'...And I think Abbas has done a great job." Talking about his sabbatical, John said: "I was designing my house and reading books. I was restructuring my professional life and trying to understand how I could give better films. I took time off so that I could do quality work."

May 14, 2010

10 Tumhare Liye - Trump Card

he Mexican beauty Barbara Mori who will be seen opposite Hrithik in upcoming flick Kites says she would love to work with Bollywood Badshah Shahrukh Khan. After venturing into Bollywood and sharing good friendship with Hrithik's wife Suzzane the actress says, "My best friend in India is Sussanne Roshan. I am good friends with Hrithik too. But Sussanne really gets a bit personal when it comes to taking care of me. She will keep me at bay from the 'do not do that' or 'do not go for that' list." It was learnt that Hrithik and Suzzane took Barbara to meet Shahrukh and wife Gauri to his Mannat. So what she felt about the actor, "Shahrukh Khan was really nice as a host on that day and as a person. Shahrukh has got a very big heart. He takes care of his guests a lot." On being asked if she would like to work with SRK in future, she replies, "Yes, I'd love to work with Shahrukh Khan. I haven't seen any films of his but I can say he is a great actor from what I hear and have been told by Sussanne and Hrithik."

atrina Kaif is all alone these days. She is feeling so lonely in spite of the presence of her boyfriend Salman Khan in the city, which is in turn taking a toll on her health. Katrina revealed that she is beginning to miss her family more and more. Her mother Sussane Turquotte can't live with her in Mumbai, as she is committed to a cause in Nilangarai, Tamil Nadu. Her younger sister Isabelle is in New York studying acting and the rest of her family are not in the mood to leave England. So, she is left all alone in Mumbai, working day in and day out to fulfill her dream. She admitted that she doesn't know what to do all alone at home and doesn't bother about her food. She has even lost a few kilos of late due to eating disorder. "I keep wondering if it is the heat that has caused this loss of appetite. Honestly, I don't know. Something is bothering me and I can't pin-point what it is. But I just feel that if my family was around, I would enjoy a normal home life. It's nice to have people at the dinner table,'' a magazine quoted her saying so. Well Katrina, wealth is not everything in life. May be it is a call to settle down and start a family of her own.

May 14, 2010

Bollywood

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reida Pinto's lover Dev Patel insists that he would love to see Freida to be a part of the super-spy series though she has dismissed reports of playing the next Bond Girl. "She is stunning. There have been rumours about her being a Bond girl on the next film. I would love her to get the role, she'd be amazing," Patel was quoted as saying. Pinto had earlier admitted that she's too "young" to be a part of 'Bond 23', which will be helmed by filmmaker Sam Mendes. But would Patel ever like to step into the shoes of the British agent and play the 25year-old beauty's on-screen lover once again? "I'm not sure I could ever play 007 though. I'm too much of a wimp," said Patel, who had starred alongside Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire.

Twice shy

eepika Padukone seems to be once bitten, twice shy. The model-turned-actress says that after her break-up with Ranbir Kapoor, she would reconsider revealing private matters in public. Sporting a leaner-than-ever look on the cover of the May issue of Vogue India magazine, courtesy "religious workouts", and a glow on her face, the 24-year-old actress doesn't regret coming out about her affair but confesses to having second thoughts about revealing such details in the future. "We were young and in love and I really didn't see anything wrong in being vocal about that. I thought being honest would work well but yes I would definitely think twice (about being so public) again," Deepika said in an interview to the magazine. Photographed by Atul Kasbekar and styled by Edward Lalrempuia, the actress admitted she has evolved in terms of personal style. "My style has been evolving and I am experimenting with new silhouettes. Overall though I just believe in being well-turned-out at all times," said Deepika, who is "obsessed" with anklets and ripped jeans.

hahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor left behind a brigade of other celebrities in popularity to top the Bollywood Barometer ranked by eBay India. The Bollywood Barometer judges on the basis of number of celebrity products available for sale on eBay India. Shah Rukh tops amongst the actors, followed by Akshay Kumar and John Abraham. Kareena tops amongst the actresses, followed by Rani Mukherjee and Aishwarya Rai, according to a statement. The barometer chose the top 10 actors and actresses from the celebrity-related merchandise of around 50 Bollywood stars. The range of products listed to judge included movie memorabilia like film magazine covers, DVDs, posters, press booklets, lobby cards, movies and books. Shilpa Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan's popularity seems to be low as they were on the 10th position.

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communities dropped by to buy and browse. Among the most gifted of authors, writer Abu Zubair attended to promote his latest work, The Silent and the Lost.

titled Memoirs of a Child. His piece achieved recognition by the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, not to mention other young writers of the time. As he has been a published writer since the age of 10, readers can expect nothing short of brilliance in his upcoming novel. In The Silent and the Lost, readers will become engaged by the trials and tribulations of a Bangladeshi war baby, Alex McKensie. According to a flyer presented at the author's booth, "The Silent and the Lost, is a unique sociopolitical historical novel as much May 14, 2010 about today as it is about yesterday. Written in an experimental style, this novel is crafted using literary techniques that include multiple point-of-views, vignettes, diaries, letters, poetry as well as parallel plots." For readers who enjoy an artistic and explorative type

Relating to 'The Silent and the Lost?' RIA PATEL

he two-day celebration of Festival of Books at University of California, Los Angeles hosted hundreds of talented authors, creative exhibits, and sponsors from all from over Southern California. Thousands of book lovers, aspiring authors, and visitors from neighboring

Zubair's passion for writing developed during his early years as a child. Born and raised in Bangladesh, young Zubair experienced the difficult period of his country's War for Independence. At the tender age of 13, he expressed those encounters in a creative essay, titled Memoirs of a Child Zubair's passion for writing developed during his early years as a child. Born and raised in Bangladesh, young Zubair experienced the difficult period of his country's War for Independence. At the tender age of 13, he expressed those encounters in a creative essay,

of novel, you may have found your match. Decorative fonts and historical footnotes are scattered throughout to maintain excitement not only in the story, but also in style. The flyer continued, "Set against the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, Alex's search leads him into a heart wrenching story of suppressed Genocide - the untold stories of newlywed Nahar Sultana and her husband Rafique Chowdhury, a freedom fighter, and millions of others." Apart from its artistic value, The Silent and the Lost offers a deep mystery and suspense, as it is a "composite story of millions," says Zubair. The author shared that this book is meant for readers of all types, as they will come across a wide spectrum of characters. Its purpose is to entertain, but even more importantly, to educate readers on the harsh times of genocide. In a one-on-one interview, Zubair expressed, "It's a book I've been working on my whole life." This novel will take readers on a journey all around the world, and that journey can begin as early as this June. The Silent and the Lost can be found online, and will be released throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and possibly other countries.

May 14, 2010

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Stars welcome Sachin Tendulkar on Twitter

ricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has joined Twitter, and film personalities went all out to welcome the ace cricketer on the micro blogging site. One of Sachin's early tweets were: "By the way this time its real me. No more wrong information..." Soon after, many actors posted messages on their Twitter pages welcoming him.

Sameera Reddy: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Twitter got more awesome. Let's welcome the undisputed king of cricket! We Love u Sachin! Sachin Tendulkarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; "The original rock star is here. Welcome Sachin Tendulkar. He is here. Give him all the love he deserves," posted Arjun Rampal. Deepika Padukone wrote: "The only record left for him to break is maximum number of followers. Welcome the one and only and my favorite Sachin Tendulkar." Karan Johar: "A big welcome shout for the Sachin Tendulkar himself. Enjoy!" Shilpa Shetty: "Finally on twit-

'I Am She' contestants at Miss Sixty MUMBAI: 29 gorgeous looking contestants from 'I Am She' beauty pageant spent a beautiful afternoon at the Miss Sixty store at Palladium. The contestants were extremely taken away and enjoyed trying out Miss Sixty's new Spring / Summer collection. Miss Sixty collection comprises bright colors and embellished flats, wedges made keeping in mind for the marriage season. The stunning collection reflects an expression of strong and determined

personality in today's woman. This uber chic collection had left everyone for wanting more. The accessories lines draw inspiration from the exuberance and energy of the '80s: Miss Sixty reprises the structured shapes, the extreme attention for accessories featuring electric colors searching for sparkles through the use of laminated, metal fabrics. As an appreciation Miss Sixty gifted all the girls pretty embellished with silver and gold stones Cell phone pouches.

Vinod Chopra and his childhood friend Atul with Sachin

ter, the god of cricket himself. A big welcome shout for Sachin Tendulkar himself. Spread the word." Riteish Deshmukh: "Sachin Tendulkar is on Twitter. We want him to beat Ashton Kutcher hollow. Spread the word. Follow Sachin." Rahul Bose: "Welcome Sachin. What a pleasure!" Arbaaz Khan: "Amcha Sachin Tendulkar aala re (Our Sachin Tendulkar has come)... Welcome India's favorite son on twitter!!!"

Even internationally popular Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said: "Welcome Sachin." Sameera Reddy: "Twitter got more awesome. Let's welcome the undisputed king of cricket! We Love u Sachin! Sachin Tendulkar." Atul Kasbekar: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my proud privilege to introduce finally to Twitter, Sachin Tendulkar, follow the King now, go go go!!! Let's get Sachin on top of the Twitter verse in world record time, how cool to have an Indian displace Ashton Kutcher."

Contestant with Grey Embellished flats

Mums say good old hug is the best present The survey of 2000 people also showed that flowers were the top gift to mothers on their special day, with 42 per cent men and 36 per cent women planning to give flowers. The average sum spent on Mother's Day gifts was 14.85pounds, with sons dishing out more money than daughters

rit mums voted the goodold hug as the best present on Mother's Day, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by mystery shopping company Retail Active, saw nine out of ten mothers saying all they wanted was a hug. A Mother's Day card took the second spot with, eight out of ten

getting one on the day. Mums with young kids valued a homemade card more than one bought from a store. The survey of 2000 people also showed that flowers were the top gift to mothers on their special day, with 42 per cent men and 36 per cent women planning to give flowers.

The average sum spent on Mother's Day gifts was 14.85pounds, with sons dishing out more money than daughters. Glaswegians emerged as the least extravagant, while Essex mums saw an average of 22.35pounds being spent on them. The survey revealed that men were almost twice as likely to take

their mums out to lunch than women. Actress Joanna Lumley was named Britain's most ideal mother in the poll. "We were very surprised by this heart-warming result that what the majority of mums, 92 per cent, really want is just a simple hug and a big thank you," the Scotsman quoted managing director Julian Chamberlain, as saying.

He added: "More than a third of those polled, 66 per cent, said they thought mother's day had become over-commercialised, with men in particular believing the day had been hijacked by commercial interests. "The majority of men, 63 per cent, said they spend more on their mum than on their Valentine sweetheart."

Mothers spend five months washing, ironing

he average mother spends five months of her life do ing the laundry, according to a new study. As per the survey done by cleaning firm www.ecozone.com, a mother spends 26 minutes on it every time she turns on her washing machine, reports express.co.uk. "It is a staggering amount of time. Carrying out tasks like pull-

ing tissues out of pockets, pairing up socks, looking under beds or behind doors for underwear take up a large chunk of their life," said Simeon Van Der Molen, managing director of the online portal. "To make matters worse many mums are washing clothes that aren't even dirty while a quarter are wasting electricity and water by not using a full load," she added.

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Sports Track I-T dept gets Rs 400 crore as TDS from IPL-III MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Income Tax department probing alleged financial irregularities in the IPL has collected TDS of nearly Rs 400 crore from the third edition of the T20 tournament. The department has accrued the amount as Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) from the remuneration paid to players, umpires, coaches, commentators and from payment of overseas publicity rights. I-T authorities are putting together the "final figures" of TDS collections as they are collecting information from various of their offices across the country where the IPL franchises are registered. "The TDS collections from the third edition of the IPL are cruising towards Rs 400 crore-mark. The department is finalizing the collections from across the country," a top I-T officer said. -PTI

Bombay HC wants Pawar as party on IPL tax case MUMBAI: Raising questions over "conflict of interest" if a minister was a member of a cricket body, the Bombay High Court has directed impleading the Union Government in a PIL seeking levy of entertainment tax on IPL matches and allowed making Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar a party to the case. A division bench of Justices P B Majmudar and R G Ketkar, while hearing the PIL filed by Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government to recover entertainment tax from IPL, asked the petitioner to make Pawar a party if he wanted to make allegations against him. -PTI

SPORTS 30 India Post

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Revise rain rules, demands angry Collingwood

May 14, 2010

PROVIDENCE (GUYANA): Angry and frustrated after the Duckworth-Lewis system cost them a win over West Indies in the Twenty20 World Cup here, England captain Paul Collingwood has demanded that rain rules be revised for the shortest format of the game. "There's a major problem with Duckworth-Lewis in this form of the game," Collingwood said after the eight-wicket loss to the hosts. -PTI

Government row with sports bosses over tenure NEW DELHI: Unfazed by the strong reaction to its controversial guideline on tenure limitation of sports bosses, the Government has sought to clear the roadblocks on its implementation by sending a senior official to deal with the IOC even as worried administrators met the Prime Minister to seek his intervention on the issue. A day after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) warned that government interference may invite an international ban on the country, the Sports Ministry hit back by deciding to directly interact with the International Olympic Committee on the issue, a move which is being interpreted as hardening of stance. The government said it would send a detailed response and offered to send an official to IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, to discuss the matter. "Government is immediately sending to the highest authorities in IOC, a detailed response on the matter," said an official statement. "Government is also proposing

to IOC that in order to have a thorough and conclusive discussion on the subject, Government would be deputing a senior official, to the IOC headquarters, at a mutually convenient date to sort out the matter across the table," it added. The Sports Ministry's move came after the IOA flaunted letters of support from the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia which

to us. If you fiddle with the autonomy, you get into trouble. If IOC imposes sanctions it can bring to a standstill all sports activity in the country," IOA president Suresh Kalmadi told reporters. Apart from Kalmadi, the 20member delegation included IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh, Archery Association of India chief V K Malhotra and All India

A day after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) warned that government interference may invite an international ban on the country, the Sports Ministry hit back by deciding to directly interact with the International Olympic Committee warned India of dire consequences in case of governmental interference. The day unfolded with sports bosses, many of whom are parliamentarians, meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his intervention in the matter. "The PM told us that he will look into the matter and get back

Football Federation president Praful Patel. Kalmadi yet again lashed out at Sports Minister M S Gill for the timing of the move. "Dr Gill should have come up with this idea after the Commonwealth Games. The timing (of the sports ministry's move) was not good," he said.

Dilip Tirkey retires from international hockey NEW DELHI: Olympian and experienced Indian defender Dilip Tirkey has announced his retirement from the international hockey. "I took the decision to retire from international hockey because I have been suffering from fitness related problems for quite a long time. My legs are not fit and I don't think it is possible for me to return to the national squad in near future," Tirkey told 'PTI Bhasha'. Tirkey, who made his international debut in 1995 against England in the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup, did not play the recent World Cup held here earlier this year. -PTI

AFTER THE HEAT: Indian tennis player Sania Mirza accepts water from her husband Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Mallik at a practice session in Hyderabad on May 6

The Sports Ministry subsequently retaliated as it singled out Randhir Singh for his "conflict of interests"â&#x20AC;Ś"It has to be regrettably emphasised that Randhir Singh, who is an independent member from India on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has clearly a conflict of interest on the tenure issue, in view of his 23year-long continuous tenure as Secretary General, Indian Olympic Association(IOA)," it said. "Further, it is noted with regret, that the IOC member did not consult Government before approaching IOC. The IOC too did not seek any inputs from Government before its NOC Relations Director sent the letter to Randhir Singh, who, in turn, has sent it to Government in his dual capacity," it added. The government maintained the regulation came after the Delhi High Court had criticised the Sports Ministry for its inaction in implementing the guideline introduced back in 1975. "The Court categorically stated that the tenure regulations were valid, binding and enforceable and could not be blocked by executive instructions. The Court also ruled that these regulations were not in violation of the Olympic Charter," the statement said. The government said there was a consensus in parliament on the regulation and pointed out that it would apply from the next elections of the NSFs, including IOA, most of which are scheduled after 2011. Sports administrators are up in arms against the new regulation which says National Sports Federation (NSF) presidents cannot continue for more than 12 years, with or without break, while secretaries and treasurers can serve eight years at a stretch but would have to take a four-year break before seeking a reelection. The new regulation seeks to end the long stay of NSF chiefs like Kalmadi, VK Malhotra (archery), Jagdish Tytler (judo), VK Verma (badminton), BS Adityan (volleyball) and SS Dhindsa (cycling) among others. -PTI

May 14, 2010

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India Post 31

andu is situated in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is around 283 km away from the capital city Bhopal. Mandu enjoys an extreme climate. The best season to visit this place is during the monsoon, that is, from July to September. While other places in Madhya Pradesh and most of the north and peninsular India are closed for tourism during monsoon, Mandu is more of a monsoon resort than anything else. The natural surroundings are in full bloom during this time. Mandu was founded as a fortress and retreat in the 10th century by Raja Bhoj. It was conquered by the Muslim rulers of Delhi in 1304. After the victory of Mughals in the early 16th century on Delhi, Mandu came under the administration of Afghan Dilawar Khan, the

Governor of Malwa. Hoshang Shah, son of Dilawar Khan, transferred his capital to Mandu. Until 1561, it remained under the Afghans when Akbar defeated Baz Bahadur, one of the Afghan chieftains ruling a part of central India. Baz Bahadur fled Mandu instead of facing the Mughal army. During the administration of Marathas,

32 India Post

the capital of Malwa was shifted back to Dhar and Mandu became a ghost city for some time. Tourist attractions For convenience, the buildings of Mandu can be divided in three groups: the Royal Enclave Group, the Village Group, and the Rewa Kund Group.

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Mandu was founded as a fortress and retreat in the 10th century by Raja Bhoj. It was conquered by the Muslim rulers of Delhi in 1304. After the victory of Mughals in the early 16th century on Delhi, Mandu came under the administration of Afghan Dilawar Khan

May 14, 2010

Royal Enclave Group Jahaz Mahal (or the Ship Palace) is probably the most famous building in Mandu. This ship-like structure was constructed by Ghiyas-ud-din, son of Mohammed Shah, for his harem. According to the legends, this harem was home to 15,000 maidens. There are two lakes on the east and west side of the palace that create a perfect illusion of a ship with its rectangular shape. Taveli Mahal is located just south of Jahaz Mahal and now houses the antiquity gallery of the Archeological Survey of India. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 35

May 14, 2010

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L.A. Zoo announces birth of bighorn sheep India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: On April 26, a female desert bighorn sheep was born at the Los Angeles Zoo. The healthy newborn lamb is on exhibit with her parents in the North American area of the Zoo. As male desert bighorn sheep mature, they develop massive spiraled horns that may add up to one third of their total body weight. Females have much smaller horns. However, both sexes have excellent vision and hearing as well as an innate ability for climbing rugged terrain. In the wild, a herd is comprised of females and their lambs. When the males reach the age of two, they separate from the herd and set off by themselves in bachelor groups. Desert bighorn sheep are native to the high mountains and deserts of the south western United States and northern Mexico. Preferring to reside in places with rocky terrain and access to water, they completely avoid forested areas. Bighorn sheep can be seen in our local San Gabriel Mountains, though their population is threatened by many factors such as the recent Station Fire. "This species is considered threatened across its range," says,

Big Horn Sheep-Mom & baby

Curator of Mammals Jeff Holland. "Population is declining due to drought, predators, disease from domestic sheep and goats, and an inability to move from one mountain range to another because of over development by humans."

The L.A. Zoo participates in a cooperative program alongside the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Phoenix Zoo and Living Desert in Palm Desert, Calif. to ensure the population of these majestic and symbolic animals.

Jaipur's solar rickshaws a big draw JAIPUR: Solar powered cycle rickshaws, which were launched recently by a private company to provide tourists with an ecofriendly way to browse through the city, have become a big draw for foreigners. Be it for local sight-seeing or a joy ride through the lanes of Jaipur, tourists are falling for the charm of the leisurely pace of the

rickshaw to take them around. Sanjay Rathod, Managing Director of Solarick Tourism Company, a privately-owned firm that brought the concept of the ecofriendly vehicle to the town, said, "We are planning to launch these rickshaws in 10 more cities soon. Talks are going on in this regard and the launch may happen soon." -PTI

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May 14, 2010

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Ropeways to connect tourism, pilgrim spots DEHRADUN: In a bid to boost tourism sector in the state, the Uttarakhand government has decided to connect inaccessible areas, including famous Hindu shrines of Kedarnath and Yamunotri, with ropeways. Officials said the ropeways will help pilgrims and tourists visit most of the remote places which they cannot travel now due to arduous trek. For instance, the pilgrims have

to undertake an arduous trek of 14 km to reach Kedarnath shrine (3,584 meter), cradled in the Garhwal Himalayas. A similar distance has to be covered by foot to visit Yamunotri shrine in Uttarkashi district. The state tourism department is proposing altogether 17 ropeways at different places to strengthen infrastructure facilities. Bidding process for several of these ropeways has already

The state tourism department is proposing altogether 17 ropeways at different places to strengthen infrastructure facilities. Bidding process for several of these ropeways has already started

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started. New ropeways will be exempted from the payment of entertainment tax for a period of five years from commencement, says a tourism department progress report for the year 2009-10. For this purpose, the tourism department has roped in Uttarkhand Infrastructure Project Company (UIPC) Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between the state government and IL&FS besides U-DEC, a state government enterprise, to prepare DPRs of these projects and invite the developers. Some of the famous routes for the ropeways include RishikeshNeelkanth, Rambara-Kedarnath,

Binsar Road-Kasardevi (Almora), Snow-view zoo at Nainital and Muni-Ki-Reti- Narendranagar. Mussoorie-Dehradun ropeway will reduce the travel time between the two places to just 40 minutes. The state government is also trying to develop George Everest Estate in Mussoorie as a hub for eco-tourism through the ropeway project where an investment of Rs 700-800 crore is proposed. The new project will be a gondola-type ropeway which will have the carrying capacity of taking 1,100 passengers per hour, the officials said, adding there would be 3-4 points where the cable car would halt for three-four minutes. The officials said that at the halting points, the department has proposed to build amusement parks and budget hotels. -PTI

MP to develop water tourism KOLKATA: Madhya Pradesh, known as the 'Tiger State', has identified water tourism as another area to attract tourists and is looking forward to the participation of private players in investing and developing some sites. The state government's new water tourism policy has given exclusive rights to the tourism department for developing water tourism activities in huge water reservoirs like Indira Sagar, Gandhi Sagar, Ban Sagar, Bargi etc., H R Rao, Managing Director of M P tourism, told PTI. The Expression of Interest is likely to be floated within the next two months. Currently, the tour-

He said MP Tourism's emphasis would be to conserve the ecosystem and provide world class facilities without compromising on the habitat ism department is in the final stages of seeking requisite clearances and land allotment, he said. He said the private sector has now shown keen interest in wildlife tourism in MP, and good resorts have come up around national parks. He said MP Tourism's emphasis would be to conserve the ecosystem and provide world class facilities without compromising on the habitat. Madhya Pradesh Tourism, he said, was opening a new hotel at Burhanpur shortly, which is a beautiful heritage town on the Maharashtra border. -PTI

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May 14, 2010

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Mandu: Natural surroundings bloom during Monsoon Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 32

Hindola Mahal (or Swing Palace) was a pleasure dome that gives the impression that the inward slopes of the walls are swaying. Champa Baoli is an interesting step-well on the north edge of the tank situated there. It was a popular hot-weather retreat and featured cool wells and bathrooms.

finest example of Afghan architecture in India. Hoshang's Tomb is located immediately behind the mosque and reputed to be the oldest marble structure in India. The tomb was constructed in 1435 and depicts typical Hindu influences including carved marble lattice screens (jali). It is said that Shahjahan sent his architects to study this doubledomed structure before constructing Taj Mahal.

Jami Masjid in Mandu

Village Group Jama Masjid is a huge mosque built in 1454 dominating the village of Mandu and is considered the

Ashrafi Mahal was originally built as a madarsa (a Muslim religious school), but later extended to become Mohammed Shah's

tomb. Now only the ruins of this building are visible. The Jain Temple is a complex of numerous buildings. There is also a Jain museum in the complex. Rewa Kund Group Baz Bahadur was the legendary king featuring in many folk stories of India for his love with Rupmati. He was the last independent king of Malwa. His palace was constructed in 1509 beside Rewa Kund. The palace displays a curious mix of Rajasthani and Mughal style of architecture. There was a water lift at the northern end of the tank to supply water to the tank. Rupmati's Pavilion is situated on the very edge of Mandu Fort. It is a very romantic building, a perfect setting for fairytale romance. Nevertheless, unfortunately, the love story of Baz Bahadur and Rupmati had a tragic end. It is said that Akbar attacked Mandu for the sake of Rupmati and Baz Bahadur fled Mandu leaving Rupmati to poison herself. There are some other monuments in Mandu like Darya Khan's Tomb, Hathi Mahal, and Neelkanth Palace that can be visited. Places around Bagh Caves is around 50 km off Mandu on the road between Indore and Vadodra in Gujarat. These Buddhist caves date from

China to encourage its tourists to visit Maldives BEIJING: Promising to provide a boost to tourism-dependent Maldives, China has said it would encourage its cash-rich citizens to visit the Indian Ocean archipelago and facilitate more Maldivian students to study in Chinese institutions. Chinese President Hu Jintao, who met his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nasheed said China would further encourage citizens to visit Maldives, advance China-Maldives cooperation in tourism and help more students from that country to study in China. According to official estimates, about 54 million Chinese were expected to visit abroad this year and many countries including India are trying to woo a substantial number of them to boost tourism. Maldives with its exotic islands is mainly dependent on tourism. Hu also said the two countries would benefit by increased economic and trade cooperation as Nasheed called on him in Shanghai. Nasheed is currently visiting China to attend the Shanghai Expo. China would further implement measures to boost imports from Maldives and encourage major enterprises to invest in Maldives, official Xinhua news agency said. He also called for more efforts from both sides to increase communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

Hu said China attaches great importance to the issue of climate change and fully understands the special concern of small island states, such as Maldives. "China is willing to enhance dialogue and cooperation to safeguard the common interests of developing countries," Hu said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, who met his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nasheed said China would further encourage citizens to visit Maldives, advance ChinaMaldives cooperation in tourism and help more students from that country to study in China Thanking China for helping Maldives on the economic and social development front, Nasheed said his country appreciates China's efforts in pushing forward international cooperation to address climate change. -PTI

Rewa Kund - a reservoir that supplies water to Roopmati's Pavilion

AD 400 to 700 and were in a poor condition until few years back when the restoration work began. There are some government guesthouses and dak bungalows nearby. Fairs & festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated all over the Malwa region with much fun and gaiety. The festival is celebrated during September/October. The celebrations provide a window to the rich and colorful cultural heritage of the region. The Malwa Festival is organized in Mandu by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department. The traditional art and cultural heritage of the region are displayed during

this festival. How to reach Air - The nearest airhead is Indore, 99 km away from Mandu. Regular flights connect Indore with Delhi, Mumbai, Gwalior, and Bhopal. Rail - Ratlam is the nearest railhead (124 km) on the DelhiMumbai main line. There are many trains linking Ratlam to other important cities of India. Road - Mandu is connected with other cities in the region by a good road network. There are direct buses from Indore via Dhar. Mandu is also connected with Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh by direct buses.

May 14, 2010

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Tech News Dainik Jagran top paper with 1.63 crore readership

he Media Research User Council has released its recent data of the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) conducted along with Hansa Research. The top three spots in the most widely read dailies have been acquired by the Hindi dailies - Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar and Hindustan respectively in the AIR. In the IRS Q1 2010 the newspaper Dainik Jagran added 2.17 lakh readers with its current AIR (Average Issue Readership) at 1.63 crore. Dainik Bhaskar added 4.5 lakh readers in the current round with total readers at 1.33 crore, while, Hindustan added 578,000 readers with its AIR being 99.1 lakh.

Has web started dominating print?

ith the recently released re sults of Indian Readership Survey, many interesting facts have been revealed. According to the results, Print Media has registered no prominent growth in past 4 years. The sector has stayed stable around the figure of 38-39% during the period in terms of reach to the readers. The results show that the new tech savvy generation likes to stick to Internet and mobile phones for news content. That clearly indicates that TV, Internet and E-newspapers have posed a significant threat in front of print media. The trend of relying on Internet for news content is already quite prevalent in Western media and it seems that in India also the trend is strongly making its presence feel.

Minicom brings Data Center Alliance to India

inicom Advanced Systems, the company that provides KVM remote access, extension and management solutions for expedition and simplification of IT services has collaborated with Emarson IT Solutions (P) Ltd. in order to provide Data Centre Alliance (DCA) in India. To over come IT challenges related to physical space, power consumption, remote access or budget, these two companies have joined hands mutually. The alliance will adequately meet the requirements of every CIO. The Data Center Alliance (DCA) was initiated by Minicom to fill the information gap in the marketplace by providing a centralized, comprehensive source for building successful IT infrastructures.

TechBiz 38 India Post

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May 14, 2010

DQ registers Rs.130.89 million profit

Q Entertainment has recently posted its financial results for the recently concluded quarter that ended on 31st March 2010. The company has managed to elevate its profits up to a good Rs.103.89 million. These good results are the outcome of better operations and controlled expenses. The results have been posted on BSE, in which the company has just managed to find space. DQ is a Hyderabad based entertainment company which has been scaling prominently in the verticals of animation, gaming and Visual effects. During the fiscal year 2010, company's net profit soared up to 65%. Company's total net profit stood at Rs.266.18 crore for this quarter, whereas, for the same period in year 2009 it was registered at Rs.161.23 million. Overall the company's revenue has grew at a rate of 17%.

Nitin Nohria named Dean of Harvard Business School India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Nitin Nohria, Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration, has been named the Dean of Harvard Business School, making him the first Indian American to be named to the prestigious academic position. Nohri will become the venerated School's 10th dean, announced President Drew Faust on May 4. A scholar of leadership and organizational change, Nohria has previously been the School's senior associate dean for faculty development and chair of its organizational behavior unit. Current co-chair of the HBS Leadership Initiative and a member of the HBS faculty since 1988, he will take up his new role on July 1. Nohria succeeds Jay Light, who in December announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2009-10 academic year after five years as Dean and four decades of distinguished service on the HBS faculty. "At a pivotal moment for Harvard Business School and for business education more generally, I'm delighted that Nitin Nohria has agreed to lead HBS forward," Faust said. "He's an outstanding scholar, teacher, and mentor, with a global outlook and an instinct for collaboration across traditional boundaries. “He has an intimate knowledge of the School and a strong appetite for innovation. He cares deeply about the School's commitment to both rigor and relevance to serious scholarship that has a powerful impact on practice. And he's a person who not only studies leadership but embodies the

Nitin Nohria

qualities of a leader in how he engages people and ideas, in how he thinks about organizational change, and in how he sees the consequential challenges ahead." "I am grateful to President Faust for this opportunity, and I feel humbled and privileged to follow many outstanding Deans, includ-

to equip future leaders with the competence and character to address emerging global business and social challenges. As we enter our second century, I look forward to working with the School's faculty, staff, students, and alumni to forge a vision for Harvard Business School that will enable it to

‘Nitin Nohria will be a wonderful Dean of Harvard Business School,’ said Light. "He is widely respected within our extended community as a perceptive scholar of leadership and as a thoughtful and able academic leader. He believes deeply in the distinctive mission of the School and its role in the world’ ing Jay Light," Nohria said. "I feel a profound sense of responsibility for continuing Harvard Business School's proud legacy of groundbreaking ideas and transformational educational experiences. With business education at an inflection point, we must strive

remain a beacon for business education for the next 100 years." "Nitin Nohria will be a wonderful Dean of Harvard Business School," said Light. "He is widely respected within our extended community as a perceptive scholar of leadership and as a thoughtful

and able academic leader. He believes deeply in the distinctive mission of the School and its role in the world. He will effectively carry forward the objectives and the strategies that make this institution a very special place." Nohria received his bachelor of technology degree in chemical engineering in 1984 from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, which awarded him its distinguished alumnus medal in 2007. He received his Ph.D. in management in 1988 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, where he earned the outstanding doctoral thesis award in behavioral and policy sciences. He joined the HBS faculty as an assistant professor in 1988, was appointed associate professor in 1993, was promoted to tenure in 1997, and became the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration in 1999. His current academic interests include the theory and practice of leadership, the study of human motivation, the analysis of management practices critical to corporate success, and the strategic and organizational challenges of globalization. He has co-written or co-edited 16 books, and is author of more than 50 articles and dozens of teaching cases and notes. His most recent book, "Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice" (2010, co-edited with Rakesh Khurana), reflects a colloquium he organized as part of the HBS centennial in 2008 to stimulate serious scholarly research on leadership. Cont’d on page 39

Rs 2.04 lakh cr remittances to India in Apr-Dec 2009 NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding the global financial meltdown, India received a whopping Rs 2.04 lakh crore remittances during April-December 2009. The country had received around Rs 2.34 lakh crore remittances from the Indian expatriates in the financial year 2008-09.

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told Lok Sabha that the country received USD 40,810 million (around Rs 2,04,050 crore) during April to December 2009. The remittances to India has been on the rise in the last few years and it has become one of

the preferred destination of global remittance flow. The Minister said in 2006-07, the country had got USD 30,835 in remittances while the amount increased to USD 43,508 in 200708. The Gulf region accounts for an average of 27 per cent of the total remittance inflows to India,

with major source countries being the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The Reserve Bank of India recently had said North America continues to be the most important source region of remittances to India despite its share in total remittances falling to 38 per cent from 44 per cent in 2006. -PTI

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May 14, 2010

World Bank bars Videocon from doing biz NEW DELHI: Accusing Venugopal Dhoot-led Videocon of indulging in fraud and corrupt practices in dealings with it, the World Bank has blacklisted the Indian company for three years, ending January 11, 2013. Videocon Industries Ltd has been barred from doing any business with World Bank for violating "procurement guidelines", for a period of three years, beginning January 11, 2010, a notification on the Bank's website said. The World Bank had taken a similar tough line with Satyam Computer months before the IT company's founder chairman confessed to an accounting fraud. Videocon was sent a "letter of reprimand subsequent to an administrative process" permitting the company to respond to the allegations, the World Bank said in its latest update of companies blacklisted for doing business due to fraud and corruption charges. Videocon's name has been listed among firms and individu-

als ineligible to be awarded a World Bank-financed contract, as it has violated fraud and corruption provisions of the procurement guidelines. "The period of ineligibility of Videocon Industries Ltd extends to any firm directly or indirectly

Videocon was sent a "letter of reprimand subsequent to an administrative process" permitting the company to respond to the allegations controlled by the sanctioned firm," World Bank said. It further said that the ineligibility might be reduced by up to one year, if after two years of ineligibility, the Bank's Sanctions Board finds Videocon of having taken "satisfactory" remedial actions. -PTI

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Nohria has served in a series of senior roles at HBS over the years: chair of the organizational behavior unit from 1998 to 2002, director of the division of research in 2003 to 2004, and senior associate dean for faculty development from 2006 to 2009. He became co-chair of the HBS Leadership Initiative in July 2009, and sits on the executive committee of the University's interfaculty initiative on advanced leadership.

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India's exports slipped 4.7% in 2010 Even as India slowly seems to be coming out of the economic slowdown, the exports and imports data of FY10 has nothing to cheer up the markets. India's exports have slipped 4.7% to $176.5 billion (YoY) in the year ended 31 March, 2010 says CNBC TV-18 quoting Newswire18. During the period imports also fell 8.2% to $278.7 billion (YoY). In FY10, trade deficit was at $102 billion as compared to $118

billion in the previous fiscal. "We are in talks with the Finance Ministry in matters related to the exports decline. We will be providing sops to sectors having negative exports growth," Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told CNBC-TV18. He also added that neither the rupee appreciation had nor the European crisis had not impacted the Indian trade. However, he said that India was targeting an export of $200 billion in FY11.

Exports in March 2010 alone has registered a growth of 54%, he explained. "We have made up for the heavy decline in exports during early FY10, "he assured adding, "However, there are some sectors that are still in the negative area. Exports from engineering handicrafts, electronic goods are still in the negative zone. " Sharma explained that the ministry was carrying out industry consultation to understand the decline in exports.

Auto companies may plan expansion in Uttarakhand DEHRA DUN: Auto companies in the state are likely to go on an expansion drive buoyed by better-than anticipated sales over the past few quarters. Tata Motors, Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto, which have set up their manufacturing units here, are in talks with the state government in this regard, industry sources said. The government, on its part, is collecting information on free land that could be given to companies that want to expand. "We have got information that most of the auto companies are expanding their units in the state,"

Nitin Nohria named Dean of Harvard Business School Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 38

India Post

Nohria has taught across the Business School's M.B.A., doctoral, and executive education programs. He is past head of the required first-year "Leadership and Organizational Behavior" course, and he co-directed the team that designed the required first-year course on "Leadership and Corporate Accountability." He recently taught in such executive education programs as "Building a Global Enterprise in India" and the "New CEO Workshop."

said Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who is keen to develop the state into a hub for automobiles manufacturing. Several large companies, including Tatas, Hero Honda and Ashok Leyland, have set up units in the state drawn by its investorfriendly investment policy that offered excise exemptions. Though the excise waiver came to an end in March this year, certain other benefits like income tax rebate and capital subsidy continue to make the state a lucrative destination for investors, officials said.

Ashok Leyland's new manufacturing unit at Pantnagar began production of commercial vehicles in March this year and the government is hopeful of other companies expanding their manufacturing units as well. Tata Motors, which still have over 300 acres of vacant land at Pantnagar, have assured the government that they won't exit from the state after their Sanand plant goes on stream. Meanwhile, the government has also cleared a proposal to provide 55 acres of land to Tata Motors for a housing project. -PTI

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Save millions with mental illness care

COLUMBUS, Ohio: A new report says Ohio could save millions of dollars annually by changing how it treats mentally ill offenders who commit minor crimes. The Ohio Department of Mental Health forensic strategies workgroup says the state is spending too much money arresting and booking mentally ill people who need treatment. The workgroup's report issued late last month says the court process, including attempts to find someone competent, can take months and cost thousands of dollars. The department's deputy director of hospital services Jim Ignelzi says it's better to get a mentally ill person what they need upfront. -AP

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May 14, 2010

HMSA initiating health care provision early HONOLULU: Hawaii's largest health insurer isn't waiting for a new federal health care provision to go into effect in September. The Hawaii Medical Service Association said that it's allowing hundreds of young adults to remain covered on their parents' health plan. -AP

Punjabi Dental Society supports RAM free dental camp

Ill. project to educate about diabetes prevention CHICAGO: It was a startling number: 21 percent of Puerto Ricans living in Humboldt Park and West Town had been diagnosed with diabetes - more than double the national rate and higher than rates among Puerto Ricans elsewhere. That's what researchers from the Sinai Urban Health Institute found in a study published four years ago on the health of Chicago's neighborhoods. Now, a group of Humboldt Park residents have teamed up with Rush University Medical Center and Norwegian American Hospital to try to do something about that. They're launching a research project called Block by Block to educate people in the neighborhood about diabetes, push for more early diagnosis and provide diabetics with resources to help manage their condition. -AP

Radical treatment offered for severe asthma WASHINGTON: People with severe asthma are getting a radically different treatment option: A way to snake a wire inside their lungs and melt off some of the tissue that squeezes their airways shut. Bronchial thermoplasty isn't for everyone, just a subset who wheeze despite today's best medications. It's neither a cure nor without risk. But the Alair system, rolling out this month, offers the first method of physically altering spasm-prone airways. -AP

Dr Nagra with Stan Brock at RAM free dental camp India Post News Service

he vision for Remote Area Medical® was developed in the Amazon rain forest where founder Stan Brock spent 15 years with the Wapishana Indians. He lived with the pain and suffering created by isolation from medical care. He witnessed the near devastation of whole tribes by what would have been simple or minor illnesses to more advanced cultures. When he left South America to co-star in the television series, "Wild Kingdom, " he vowed to find a way to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world's inaccessible regions The organization was founded in 1985 and years of research and planning yielded a vast, carefully devel-

oped network of men and women who have come together to make RAM a highly mobile, remarkably efficient relief force. Volunteers are doctors, nurses, technicians, and veterinarians who go on expeditions at their own expense and treat hundreds of pa-

RAM free dental camp in Los Angeles

borne medical treatment center, a permanent clinic site in Guyana, and a program start-up in Africa. And there are dreams. Dreams for a comprehensive center of operations. Dreams for learning the medicinal secrets of the rain. On March 3, 2004 the Senate at the state capitol in

'Stan Brock had a dream and he made it a reality', said Dr Nagra. 'The least we can do is to support his dream for a cause' tients a day under some of the worst conditions. Volunteers have provided general medical, surgical, eye, dental, and veterinary care to tens of thousands of people and animals, with 60% of the expeditions serving rural America. There are plans for expansion of US expeditions, an air-

Nashville Tennessee passed a resolution honoring Remote Area Medical® for "Compassion and Dedication to providing medical care." This year Free RAM Dental Camp was conducted in Los Angeles from April 27 to May 3. Punjabi Dental Society under the leadership of Dr D.P. Singh Nagra

along with over two dozen members participated. Dr Nagra feels giving back to needy community is a very satisfying experience. "Stan Brock had a dream and he made it a reality", said Dr Nagra. "The least we can do is to support his dream for a cause.' Punjabi Dental Society also conducted a hands-on course in Peacock Gardens in Diamond Bar. Dr Kim was the guest speaker. Dr Kim is a Board certified Periodontist practicing in Diamond Bar. Dr Kim visited the latest developments in Implant dentistry. Dr Salwan updated all the members on upcoming legislative changes in Sacramento affecting dentistry. This event was sponsored by Bio Horizon Implants, Dowell Dental, Med-Pro Insurance and Ashtel Studios.

Oregon has lowest rate of childhood obesity CHICAGO: What's the magic in Oregon that keeps kids lean? It's a mystery health officials would like to solve as they admit all states are failing - by a mile to meet federal goals for childhood obesity. Oregon has the nation's lowest rate of hefty kids, according to a new government study, which found big gaps between regions and ballooning obesity rates in many states from 2003 to 2007. More than 16 percent of American children ages 10 to 17 years were not just overweight, but obese, in 2007. That's a 10 percent rise from 2003. Missis-

sippi topped the nation with more than a fifth of its kids obese. Oregon was the star, with the lowest rate of obesity defined as body mass index in the 95th percentile or above at just under 10 percent. And Oregon was the only state whose childhood obesity fell significantly from 2003 to 2007. Even the best states fell short. The federal Healthy People 2010 initiative set a childhood obesity goal of 5 percent. Only Wyoming girls came close to that, according to the study appearing in May's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Wyoming girls in the study had the lowest obesity rate in the nation at 5.5 percent in 2007, but the obesity rate among Wyoming boys was more than twice that at 14 percent. In 2007, about 10 percent of all Wyoming children ages 10 to 17 were obese, according to the study. That was an increase over 2003 when 8.7 percent of kids in Wyoming were obese. ``You've got such wide differences at the geographic level, which means there is potential to further reduce obesity,'' said lead author Gopal Singh, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Health Resources and Ser-

vices Administration. What works? It's unclear how much states can overcome the effects of poverty, race and family history all of which have complex links to obesity. Black and Hispanic young people in the study were twice as likely as whites to be overweight or obese, even when the researchers took into account other risk factors like inactivity and poverty. Oregon is 90 percent white. It also has a high rate of breast-feeding, and some research suggests that protects against obesity. -AP

Health Science Post

May 14, 2010

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Kansas doctor looks for a bone No big rate hike for Anthem policyholders marrow transplant LAWRENCE, Kan.: For 32 years, Dr. Rod Barnes has provided a road map to help others get better. ``Now, I am a passenger on the bus and I am not driving,'' he said. ``It's a tough transition to make and it's not what I had in mind for retirement.'' Barnes, 60, has been battling leukemia for five years. He has Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. ``I didn't feel poorly at all. I just had a little bit of fatigue and thought it was part of the aging process, so I basically just ignored it,'' he said of how he felt before his 2006 diagnosis. Barnes, a Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics partner, said a blood count machine in his office had broken, so he volunteered to ``get stuck'' to see if the machine was fixed. Lab employees thought it was still broken because the results weren't normal. "I knew there was some trouble,'' he said. He began a chemotherapy regime at Lawrence Memorial Hospital's Oncology Center. After nine months of treatments, he was in remission.

In 2008, the cancer returned. This time, he was advised to get a second opinion at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Again, he was prescribed chemotherapy. His doctor there said many people live with CLL and most grow old with it and die of something else.

'I can't stay on my feet as well after these treatments. It's like having the flu, and it will last for about two weeks. Then, the clouds kind of part and I start feeling a little better' After six months of treatments, Barnes was back in remission. In January, he developed swelling in his abdomen. The cancer was back for a third time. Barnes returned to MD Anderson where he was prescribed a more intense chemotherapy regime. His third round of chemotherapy treatments is scheduled soon at LMH.

Until Feb. 16, Barnes was able to do what he loves most - care for patients. Not this time. ``With this one, my immune status is so tapped that I really can't be around people that much,'' he said. ``I can't stay on my feet as well after these treatments. It's like having the flu, and it will last for about two weeks. Then, the clouds kind of part and I start feeling a little better.'' Barnes' only cure is a bone marrow transplant because he has an aggressive form of CLL. The transplant involves an infusion of stem cells from a donor that, it is hoped, would take over his bone marrow and replace his bad cells. Barnes would be hospitalized for a month and then closely monitored for three months in Houston. He won't be able to work for a year after the transplant. Barnes said there is a 50-percent success rate. Dr. Joseph McGuirk, medical director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant program at Kansas University Cancer Center, has said it's every bit - if not more complex than a heart and lung transplant. -AP

LOS ANGELES: Insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross drew public outrage and criticism by President Barack Obama as a poster child for out-of-control health care costs when it proposed raising rates for Californians by as much as 39 percent. The Los Angeles-based Anthem has now withdrawn plans for the increase. Anthem made the decision after an independent audit determined the company's justification for raising premiums was based on flawed data, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said. The decision also came one day after Anthem's parent, Wellpoint, Inc. of Indianapolis, announced its first-quarter profit soared by 51 percent. Anthem said separately it will file a new application for a rate increase with the California Department of Insurance and the Department of Managed Health Care, perhaps as early as next month. It added that any errors in its original application were inadvertent. ``The current application that was withdrawn was just flawed,'' Poizner said during a conference

call with reporters. He added that it contained mathematical errors and in some instances double counting of data. Neither Poizner nor Anthem officials said just how big the insurance giant's next proposed increase would be. But Poizner, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, said he expected it would be substantially less than the original. ``You can count on this,'' he said. ``A 25 percent average rate increase up to a maximum of 39 percent rate increase, that's not going to happen in California.'' Obama's criticism of Anthem's initial proposed hike signaled the turning point in the health care debate as he seized on Anthem as a rallying point for skyrocketing health care costs. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius praised Anthem's decision to withdraw the rate hike. ``This announcement is good news for the more than 800,000 Californians who could have been hit with massive rate increases and gives them some much-needed temporary relief,'' Sebelius said. -AP

In Brief Immigration rallies draw 1,000 in Vegas, 300 in Reno RENO, Nev.: More than 1,000 people marched in Las Vegas and hundreds rallied in Reno in support of immigration reform while protesting Arizona's new illegal immigration law with signs that read ``Say No to Arizona Racism'' and ``No Human Being is Illegal.'' Union workers, local activists and some families with children on bicycles were among about 300 people in Reno who marched a few miles from a park near downtown to a Cinco de Mayo Festival in the parking lot of a hotel-casino. Several waved American flags and others carried banners that read ``God Bless America, Land of Immigrants'' and ``We Speak English, We Pay Taxes, Let Us Live in Peace.'' -AP

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ADL denounces Orange County immigration proposals COSTA MESA, Calif.: The Orange County branch of the AntiDefamation League is urging the mayor of Costa Mesa to reconsider his call for stepped up enforcement of federal immigration laws in the city. -AP

SACSS celebrates 10th Anniversary

Immigration suddenly a hot issue in Mass. politics BOSTON: Massachusetts' most contentious border may be the one it shares with anti-tax New Hampshire, but that hasn't stopped the question of illegal immigration from catapulting to the front burner of state politics. In just the past several months, Massachusetts has seen Republican Scott Brown elected to the US Senate in part by opposing driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, while Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick was forced to concede defeat on a bill to give undocumented students the same in-state tuition rates as legal residents. Then this past week, the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts House came within a hair's breadth of passing a bill that would have required the state to use a new identification system to deny illegal immigrants access to taxpayerfunded benefits from public housing to food stamps. -AP

Perry optimistic on Fed immigration enforcement DALLAS: Gov. Rick Perry is praising the results of his immigration enforcement talks with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. That's after a steady drumbeat of criticism from Perry about the federal approach toward those enforcement needs and fears that Mexico's drug-related violence might spill into the United States. According to The Dallas Morning News, Perry told a Washington, DC, round-table of the US Chamber of Commerce that he has “a real good feeling'' after his meeting with Napolitano, a former Arizona governor. -AP

SACSS Awards Gala Dinner in New York City. L- R: Arthur Gianelli, Sudha Acharya, Hon Fatima Shama, Dr Vasundhara Kalasapudi, Chung-wha Hong and Dr Suni Mukherji-Ratnam India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) celebrated its 10th anniversary with a Gala dinner at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Manhattan on April 24. Among the 200 guests attending the gala were a number of notable personalities who were speakers and honorees at the event. They included Fatima Shama, NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition and Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi, founder of India Home. In support of SACSS' mission to promote health care, prominent members of the medical community also attended. Among them were Arthur Gianelli, President and Chief Executive Officer of the

SACSS Award recipients Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi and Chung-wha Hong with New York Immigration Commissioner Fatima Shama and SACSS Board Members and office staff at the Awards banquet held on April 24th in New York City

Nassau Health Care Corporation and cardiologist Dr. Sanjay Doddamani. Notable literary and media personalities mingled among the guests and were also featured speakers at the gala: Suketu Mehta, award winning author of Maximum City: Bombay

the critical needs of the South Asian community during that time. Executive Director, Sudha Acharya said, "The last ten years have been a very rich experience for us, not often in the monetary sense, but in the quality of services that we were able to pro-

Added Shama, ‘I am a child of immigrants. What our parents came to this country for is exactly what SACSS stands for’ Lost and Found, Hari Sreenivasan of PBS NewsHour and Sreenath Sreenivasan, Dean of Student Affairs at Columbia University School of Journalism. Artist Anil CS Rao, who works with digital media, displayed his paintings. Chair of the SACSS board, Runi Mukherji-Ratnam, welcomed the guests and spoke about how SACSS was born in response to

vide, in the relationships we have developed and the lessons we have learned." Both Fatima Shama and Chung-Wha Hong elaborated on the important role that SACSS plays in the community. "Nurturing an organization and bringing it to a ten year mark is a huge, huge accomplishment," said Hong. "When the government

Controversial Arizona statute signed into law CYRUS D. MEHTA

n April 23, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a tough new measure (S.B. 1070) into law that directs local police to make immigration status determinations if there is a "reasonable suspicion" a person may be undocumented, and makes it a misdemeanor to lack proper immigration documents. The law is scheduled to take effect by August. Gov. Brewer said the new law "represents another tool for our state to use as we work to solve a crisis we did not create and the federal government has refused to fix."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who is campaigning in a primary against a challenger who has made immigration a main issue, came out in favor of the law only hours before its passage by the state Senate. Controversy and protests have swirled around the new law. Those opposed are especially concerned about racial and ethnic profiling and the effects of criminalizing a person's failure to carry immigration documents. "A lot of U.S. citizens are going to be swept up in the application of this law for something as simple as having an ac-

cent and leaving their wallet at home," warned Alessandra Soler Meetze, president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona. The ACLU plans to sue to block the legislation. Moments after Gov. Brewer signed the law, the Board of Governors of the American Immigration Lawyers Association called for a boycott of Arizona, instructing its Executive Committee to move the Association's fall 2010 conference, previously scheduled for Arizona, to another state. Cont’d on page 43

shuts out access, when the government says "No", SACSS maximizes access and helps those individuals access the safety net and makes sure they have a place to turn to. This is so important because otherwise we will never close that gap." Added Shama, "I am a child of immigrants. What our parents came to this country for is exactly what SACSS stands for. They come in search of opportunity and they come in search of providing incredible ways for their children to thrive. But it is that community network they aim for and that makes SACSS and the work that they have done so profound in the lives of so many people." Honoree Vasundhara Kalasapudi gave a moving account of how her own personal experience drove her to start India Home, a center for seniors, and how she hoped to collaborate with organizations like SACSS to provide services to seniors at more locations. Arthur Gianelli spoke about working with SACSS to bring services to the South Asian community in Nassau County. Author Suketu Mehta summed it up in a heartwarming speech saying, "I want to say this to everyone at SACSS on behalf of all New Yorkers. You are doing your dharma. You have loved. You are loved." Sreenath Srinivasan added, "SACSS is one of the most important non-profits in New York City and you are supporting it by being here. And by supporting Sudha and her team you are supporting our entire community."

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Controversial Arizona statute signed into law Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 42

AILA President Bernie Wolfsdorf explained, "We cannot in good conscience spend association dollars in a state that dehumanizes the people we represent and fight for. What Governor Brewer has done by signing this bill into law is to validate all of the irrational fears by people who are not willing to acknowledge the economic and cultural benefits of immigration to our country. If Arizonans are serious about ending illegal immigration, they should be the first in line at the United States Capitol to urge Congress to the do the right thing and pass comprehensive immigration reform." AILA stated that in addition to being unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the law effectively authorizes police to engage in racial profiling and permits citizens to sue any state or local agency if they believe it is failing to enforce the law. "On top of making laws that will be struck down in the courts, it will hurt business and even bankrupt local municipalities. We've seen this happen in other localities trying to be tough on immigration but in the end hurting their own economies," Mr. Wolfsdorf said. AILA cited the example of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where two months after a harsh 2008 law went into effect, construction work was being left unfinished and local businesses were losing customers. AILA also noted that such laws add enforcement of federal immi-

gration law to already overburdened local police departments. Police unions backed the new law, but the state police chief's association opposed the bill, noting that it could damage trust in immigrant communities among potential witnesses. The text of the new Arizona law is at http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/ 49leg/2r/bills/sb1070h.pdf. A summary of the law is at http:// www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/ summary/h.sb1070_04-15-10_ houseengrossed.doc.htm. USCIS conducts comprehen-

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If Arizonans are serious about ending illegal immigration, they should be the first in line at the United States Capitol to urge Congress to the do the right thing and pass comprehensive immigration reformâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sive policy review, holds session on RFEs US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a comprehensive effort to review all agency policies with the participation of both its workforce and the public. USCIS invited outside stakeholders to identify their highest priorities for the policy review through a two-week survey that ended on April 29. USCIS said it will publish a summary of the results later this spring. Throughout the policy review,

USCIS said it will continue to seek feedback from its workforce and external stakeholders to ensure that the resulting policies are "informed, responsive, and effective." As part of USCIS's overall efforts to review agency policies, on April 12 USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas and the head of the Service Center Operations Directorate, Donald Neufeld, held a listening session for U.S. national stakeholders to review and revise the Request for Evidence (RFE) templates. This was the first time that the USCIS helda dialogue with stakeholders to obtain their feedback on how to improve the RFE process and to clarify any concerns that have arisen due to recent changes, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers noted. The reviewed visa types included the O (extraordinary ability or expertise), P (athletes and entertainers), Q (cultural exchange), and EB-1 (first preference extraordinary ability) visa categories. At the session, a number of people asked about a January 8 guidance memorandum by Mr. Neufeld, and expressed unease about the number of RFEs that are being issued on cases that used to be approved. Mr. Mayorkas and Mr. Neufeld replied that they will offer more opportunities for the public to understand the adjudication process while taking into account the needs of employers, attorneys, and immigrants. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

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Law re-opens immigration debate in Ark. ROGERS, Ark.: Another state's controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants is renewing a familiar debate in Arkansas about what the state should do with those who are here illegally. The issue is an attractive one for election-year politics, but whether it will translate into a major policy shift in Arkansas is a cloudier question. A group of Arkansas lawmakers is looking at proposing an antiillegal immigration law similar to one that was just enacted in Arizona. The Arizona law requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. It also makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally. The law already faces legal challenges and a backlash from opponents who claim it is unconstitutional and will lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the federal government may challenge the law, and President Barack Obama has called the law misguided. The measure has emboldened Republicans in Arkansas to push for more stringent immigration measures. That's especially true in the 3rd congressional district in

northwest Arkansas, where eight candidates are vying for the GOP nomination. The one who may benefit the most from the immigration debate is Rogers Mayor Steve Womack, who has made immigration enforcement part of his focus as the top elected official in his northwest Arkansas city. ``The immigration phenomenon here is the direct result of the federal government, a Congress and a president _ and it goes back to Bush and Clinton _ that failed in their capacity to uphold the laws of this country and to secure this border,'' Womack said in interview in his office last week. Womack said the shooting of an undercover Rogers police officer while serving a warrant on an illegal immigrant spurred him to push for the city's inclusion in a U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement program that allows local and state police officers to perform immigration checks and take part in operations in the field. But the city's focus on immigration enforcement has also faced racial profiling concerns. In 2003, Hispanic motorists sued the city claiming police racially profiled them. A settlement required police to form a committee that would meet at least twice a year to dis-

cuss efforts to improve relations with the Hispanic community. Womack and the other Republicans running for the 3rd District seat say they want immigration reform that focuses first on securing the borders and enforcing the country's immigration laws. Chances that the federal government will step in anytime soon seem slim, with Obama saying law-

A group of Arkansas lawmakers is looking at proposing an antiillegal immigration law similar to one that was just enacted in Arizona makers may lack the ``appetite'' to take on immigration while they are up for re-election. At the state level, the appetite among Republican lawmakers isn't the problem. It's the political clout. Rep. John Burris, who said he's working with a group of lawmakers on a potential proposal, said he's not sure how much the measure they're crafting will look like Arizona's law. He said that one concern is addressing the racial

Entertainers speak out on Arizona immigration law PHOENIX: Singers and protesters at a baseball game joined in the backlash against a new Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigration. A lawsuit from 15-year Tucson police veteran Martin Escobar, meanwhile, was one of three filed less than a week after Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill that critics claim is unconstitutional and fear will lead to racial profiling. US Attorney General Eric Holder has said the federal government may challenge the law, which requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally, and which makes it a state crime to be in the US illegally. Brewer and other backers say the state law is necessary amid the federal government's failure to secure the border and growing anxiety over crime related to illegal immigration. “Mexican-Americans are not going to take this lying down,'' singer Linda Ronstadt, a Tucson native, said at a news conference on a lawsuit planned by the Ameri-

can Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Immigration Law Center. Colombian singer Shakira visited Phoenix to meet the city's police chief and mayor amid her concerns the measure would violate human and civil rights. “It goes against all human dignity.'' she said.

Brewer and other backers say the state law is necessary amid the federal government's failure to secure the border At the Billboard Latin Music Awards ceremony in Puerto Rico, singer Ricky Martin denounced the law, too, saying it ``makes no sense.'' While divisive debate over the law swirled nationwide, Arizona lawmakers approved modifications to the law that requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to

suspect they're in the country illegally, and makes it a state crime to be in the US illegally. The changes include strengthening restrictions against using race or ethnicity as the basis for questioning by police and specifying that possible violations of local civil ordinances can trigger questioning on immigration status. The law's sponsor, Republican Sen. Russell Pearce, characterized those changes as clarifications “just to take away the silly arguments and the games, the dishonesty that's been played.'' In Mexico City, Mayor Marcelo Ebrard announced he would try to join lawsuits seeking to overturn the law, with a statement from his office calling the measure “a planned Apartheid against Mexicans.'' And officials in El Salvador urged countrymen to avoid traveling to Arizona, according to the Foreign Ministry. In Nicaragua, officials called on the Organization of American States and the United Nations ``to take the necessary measures to safeguard the rights of the Hispanic population.'' -AP

profiling questions that have been raised by Arizona's law. ``We've got to do something. Anybody looking at the problems we're facing as a state right now has to understand that we've got to do something,'' said Burris, RHarrison. ``What we're doing right now isn't working.'' Efforts to push for stricter immigration measures have mostly fizzled in the Legislature and among voters. Secure Arkansas, a grass-roots organization, couldn't gather enough votes in 2008 to place on the ballot a measure that would have required state government agencies to verify that all those seeking benefits are legal U.S. residents. The measure faced opposition from Gov. Mike Beebe, who said it would duplicate laws that are already on the books. The group, which is trying again to get the same measure on this fall's ballot, won a small victory last year with its opposition to legislation would have granted the children of illegal immigrants instate tuition rates at Arkansas colleges and universities. The state Senate ultimately rejected the proposal, which had also faced opposition from Beebe and the state's higher education director. Beebe has taken a different ap-

proach from his predecessor, Republican Mike Huckabee, on immigration. While Huckabee championed the idea of in-state tuition - as well as scholarships - for the children of illegal immigrants, Beebe was a vocal opponent. But Beebe's been unwilling to push for the strict measures that Secure Arkansas and conservative Republicans in the Legislature want, saying it would be too much of a financial burden. ``The first questions remain - if you want the state to take a bigger role in doing the federal government's job, how do you want to pay for it; and what taxes do you want to raise? We hope that any proposals we see contain those answers,'' Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said. Opponents of laws like Arizona's say they do agree that it's a signal that the federal government needs to take up immigration, but they say it's dangerous to view the measure as one that could gain support in Arkansas. ``I'm not sure the climates of the two states are the same,'' said Steve Copley, a Methodist minister and activist on immigration issues. ``I'm not sure that the people of this state are willing to be that punitive to people at this point.'' -AP

GOP Gov candidates clash over immigration SAN JOSE, Calif.: Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner says he now supports Arizona's tough immigration law after previously opposing it, and he applauds California's neighbor for taking action where the federal government failed to do so. ``I support what's going on in Arizona. They've taken, finally, the power in their own hands to do something about illegal immigration in Arizona,'' he said at the start of the second debate of the Republican gubernatorial primary. Poizner, the state insurance commissioner, said he previously had concerns that the law encouraged racial profiling, but supports it now that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has approved some changes to the measure. Poizner squared off against rival Meg Whitman, the former eBay Inc. chief executive, at the Tech Museum in San Jose. Whitman and Poizner quickly took shots at each other. Poizner attacked Whitman repeatedly over her ties to Goldman Sachs, the embattled Wall Street firm

that gave Whitman preferential access to stock offerings while she was head of the online auction house. At the same, Whitman accused Poizner of flip-flopping in his positions on immigration, taxes and abortion.

Poizner is trying to overcome a double-digit deficit in the race against Whitman ahead of the June 8 primary Whitman, who opposes the new Arizona law, said Poizner's shift on it was ``a classic case of Steve Poizner changing his mind. ... He has changed his position on virtually every single thing.'' Poizner is trying to overcome a double-digit deficit in the race against Whitman ahead of the June 8 primary. The winner will face Democratic state Attorney General Jerry Brown. -AP

Immigration Post

May 14, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

'Politicians have failed on immigration' of comprehensive immigration reform, but has abandoned his principles while he fights off a GOP primary challenge this year from former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, the Republic said. Kyl has also dropped efforts for comprehensive reform and is no longer willing to work with Democrats on the issue now that he's a member of the Senate Re-

‘The result is a state law that intimidates Latinos while doing nothing to curb illegal immigration’ public leadership, the paper said. The editorial also named Gov. Jan Brewer, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former governor and current Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. ``Ensconced in a Democratic administration, she forgot all the arguments she once used to demand the Bush administration address immigration reform and reimburse Arizona for the costs of the broken border,'' the Republic said. ``Put in charge of Obama's

effort to craft immigration reform, she couldn't get the thing out of neutral.'' Napolitano, speaking on NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' criticized Arizona's new law, saying it was bad for law enforcement and could invite racial profiling. She vetoed similar laws as governor. ``I think what Arizonans are saying is that we need comprehensive immigration reform. And our ... state simply can't afford to keep waiting,'' Napolitano said. The newspaper called for reform that allows for current undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship, secures the borders and puts tough sanctions in place for employers who hire undocumented immigrants. Changes must also be made to ``create a legal pipeline for future workers that is demandbased and temporary,'' the newspaper said. “When migrant labor is channeled through the legal ports of entry, the Border Patrol can focus on catching drug smugglers and other criminals, instead of chasing busboys across the desert,'' it said. ``Real leaders will have the courage to say that. Real leaders are what we need.'' -AP

Fed docs can't be sued for immigrant death WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court has ruled that the family of a now-deceased immigrant who was denied medical care for cancer while in custody cannot sue federal medical officials for damages. The law clearly states that the federal government, not individual federal medical personnel, must be the defendant in lawsuits arising out of claims of harm by federal employees during the course of their official duties, the high court ruled in a unanimous decision. ``We are required ... to read the statute according to its text,'' said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for a unanimous court. Salvadoran immigrant Francisco Castaneda was denied a biopsy for a painful penis lesion while in prison in California, despite outside specialists' recommendations.

According to his attorneys, Castaneda was treated with ibuprofen, antihistamines and antibiotics and was given extra boxer shorts for a penis lesion that bled and festered. His penis later was amputated but by then the cancer had spread and he died. The federal government has admitted liability for medical negligence. But Castaneda and his estate also sued individual U.S. Public Health Service medical officials for damages. The government says its medical personnel have absolute immunity against lawsuits for their official actions. Congress in 1970 passed a law which gave immunity to Public Health Service doctors who treat immigrants in detention. Under that law, Castaneda's survivors can only sue the federal government under

the Federal Tort Claims Act, which bars jury trials and punitive damages and limits economic damages to those allowed under state law. A federal judge and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused to throw out the lawsuit, however. The high court however reversed that decision. Castaneda spent eight months in state prison after being convicted in 2005 of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He complained about the lesion while at the San Diego Correctional Facility, and again when he was transferred to immigration custody in San Pedro, Calif., because he was in the United States illegally. Castaneda informed Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff in 2006 that a ``lesion on his penis was becoming painful and growing,'' a federal judge said. -AP

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PHOENIX: Arizona's largest newspaper criticized U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl and a host of other elected officials in a rare front-page editorial on Sunday, saying the politicians have failed to find solutions to illegal immigration. The state has become the target of calls for boycotts since adopting a law that requires local and state law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. ``The federal government is abdicating its duty on the border. Arizona politicians are pandering to public fear,'' the Arizona Republic said in a full-page editorial. ``The result is a state law that intimidates Latinos while doing nothing to curb illegal immigration.'' The editorial appeared one day after thousands marched against the law in Phoenix and Tucson, while May Day demonstrators in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and other U.S. cities also criticized the measure. In Los Angeles, police said about 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets. McCain was once a champion

Horoscope

46 India Post

May 14, 2010

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ARIES Mar 21-Apr 20 There is a strong chance that a marriageable child will get the final commitment from other side. Even few other positive but rapid changes in life could make you little nervous. You will be taking a short trip to a nice area with family. Appeal made long time ago may get accepted and big financial relief is on its way.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22 You will be given the deal that will be hard to ignore. Planets causes sudden and interesting developments in career. There are strong chance of getting a favorable outcome from law suit. Sun in tenth will help you get the justice. You will meet and quickly get acquainted with a well known and famous person at the party.

SAGITTARIUS

May 14 to May 20

Nov 23-Dec 22 Investing in property at this point will be a good idea. Some of you may meet and quickly get involved with a person who is not only good looking but successful too. You may make small contribution to some kind of charity and may visit a holy place with family. Keep working on your ideas, success just around the corner.

TAURUS Apr 21-May 20 One of your bright idea will take you towards financial freedom. Your other actions will also make you more popular in social as well as professional circle. Some one creating hurdles at work will move out of state making room for progress and get proper credit for performance. Venus in second can get some sudden and easy money.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sept 22 Favorable planets will bring lots of relief in mind. Business will again start rolling and you will start to see lots of money in pipeline. A female will be the main factor in getting you all these deals. Bachelors are leaning towards making the commitment. You will gain from overseas and far off places and travel in near future.

CAPRICORN Dec 23-Jan 19 Things may start shaking a bit in career and some of you will be called for second interview at new place. You will make a very useful contact at the get together. There are strong chances of making money through stocks also. You have a big check coming from insurance soon. Spouse will start paying more attention to health.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20 You will enjoy life and in a restrictive way. Some one who was too close will come back in your life causing extra excitement. You may need new prescription for glasses now. You will be working on a great idea with some motivated people. Jupiter in tenth will start laying ground work for some massive changes in career.

LIBRA Sept 23-Oct 22 Once again you will feel luck to be on your side. Some one lot younger will be instrumental in your success or hitting the target. You may have your eyes set on a nice piece of property. You will be making some plans about taking a trip to a new exciting place. You may also make large chunk of money through stocks.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18 Jupiter will open new doors to make money. It will be really helpful to people already in banking, finance or food industry. Travels in direction East will be specially rewarding. Some one else will try to take credit for the good work you performed at the job. You may dispose off an old vehicle and purchase newer model.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22 Physical exercises and going to gym will help a lot. There will be big changes in way you take life and you will suddenly become very mature and plan many good deeds in life. Be careful with a person who is trying to flirt with you. Recent developments improve your chances in ongoing legal battle and may even get some money.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 22 New doors to make money will open up. Deal will come through an older person you know for long time. There will be minor changes in earlier travel plans. Planets will give you an opportunity to meet and get acquainted with powerful people. Rahu is second can get you some extra money through stocks or other speculations.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 20 You will become very polite and diplomatic. It will help in resolving few difficult assignments. Property related documents will finally get signed. You have some kind of clearance coming from a government agency this week. Money wise you will continue to well. You may take family out for dinner or to attend a social event.

Maoists' chief Prachanda meets Indian ambassador KATHMANDU: As political crisis deepened in Nepal over demand for a change in government with the Maoists' cadres paralyzing life in the country for the fifth day in a row, party chief Prachanda met Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood. The meeting in the wake of efforts being made by ruling coalition government to defuse the crisis by feelers to the Maoists comes at a time when main opposition is reportedly fanning antiIndia feelings. The meeting took place at Prachanda's residence at Nayabazaar in Kathmandu. The Maoists did not disclose the details of the meeting. Senior Maoist leader Ram Karki has left for India to meet leftist leaders. His visit is regarded here as an effort by the Maoist leadership to lobby India's leftist groups in their favor. Meanwhile, Norwegian Ambas-

sador to Nepal Thor Gislesen and Country Director of Carter Center Sarah Levitshore separately met vice-chairman of UCPN-Maoist Baburam Bhattarai and discussed the current political situation.

Senior Maoist leader Ram Karki has left for India to meet leftist leaders. His visit is regarded here as an effort by the Maoist leadership to lobby India's leftist groups in their favor During meeting, Gislesen expressed his country's willingness to play a role in ending the longstanding political deadlock in Nepal, according to media reports. -PTI

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Realty Tidbits

Wadia's major entry into property business

Real Estate

adia Group chairman Nusli Wadia is diving headlong into the property business, putting his younger son Jeh Wadia in charge of projects for building malls, five-star hotels and upscale homes on the family's sprawling land assets. Senior group executive Kaushik Kona was recently shifted from the corporate headquarters to head struggling lowcost airline GoAir so that the younger Wadia can fix his attention on the growing property business of flagship Bombay Dyeing, said two executives close to the group. The group's renewed focus on property means that Bombay Dyeing, whose mainstay has long been textiles, is effecting a significant change in strategy.

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UAE firm to launch mega townships in India

AE-based realty major Rakeen has announced plans to launch integrated mega township projects in India, it was revealed to Property Pulse. Dr. Khater Massaad, Executive Chairman, Rakeen and CEO, RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA) said that India has become the most attractive destination as there is a huge demand for real estate projects. "Moreover, the country enjoys an excellent relationship with the Emirate," he added. Rakindo Developers Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Rakeen and Chennai-based Trimex Group, is currently engaged in completing its first integrated township project in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. "The date for booking for this project will be announced in June," informed Dr. Massaad.

Â&#x201E; Bangalore innovations to attract tenants

ith corporates, especially in the IT sector, looking to expand again, commercial spaceowners in Bangalore, badly beaten by the real estate market crash, are competing with each other to attract good clients. Space-owners are now "bending over backwards" to get a good client, and consequently, "a lot of hard options are now available for tenants," says Prakrut Mehta, national director - office and industrial agencies, Knight Frank India, a real estate consultancy firm. These hard options have, in fact, become a way of life, he adds.

47 India Post

www.indiapost.com

May 14, 2010

Unitech expects more bookings in 2010

eal estate company Unitech Ltd has said it has sold 16.6 million square feet of residential and commercial space during financial year ended March 2010. This is more than five times the bookings clinched in FY09 (three million square feet), when slowdown in the property market and cash crunch faced by various builders had dented the fortunes of the industry. Unitech had reported 10 million sq ft of bookings during FY08.

Hilton may bring luxury chains to India NEW DELHI: The US-based hospitality giant Hilton International Co is understood to be planning to bring more of its global brands, including luxury chains Waldorf Astoria and Conrad, to India. The company, which is keen to expand its presence in India, beyond its existing joint venture with real estate major DLF, is also believed to have sought permission to either invest or acquire stake in other Indian hospitality firms. "Hilton has sought an approval to operate in India across all its brands. It will look at different prospective partners for bringing its different brands into the country," a company source said. According to official sources, Hilton International Co has sought an approval from the For-

eign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to allow it to bring forward more brands such as Doubletree and Hampton by Hilton, Waldorf Astoria and Conrad. It had sought an amendment to an existing approval by the FIPB, under which it operates a joint ven-

The group had formed a JV with country's largest realty player, DLF in 2006-07, in which the American chain holds a 26 per cent stake ture with DLF for running four of its brands in India. The brands include the service segment Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn, and serviced apartments under the Hilton Residences and Homewood Suites.

2.5% hike expected in housing prices

eal estate industry has hailed the concession an nounced by the government on service tax but said housing cost will still go up by about 2.5 per cent. However, the developers were disappointed that their demand to exclude land cost while calculating the service tax was not met. In his reply to the Lok Sabha,

Service tax of 10 per cent will now be levied on 25 per cent of the gross sale value of property compared to 33 per cent proposed in the budget in February this year finance minister Pranab Mukherjee offered tax relief on the construction of real estate complex, which has been brought under ambit of service tax, by increasing the rate of abatement from 67 per cent to 75 per cent of the gross value, including the land value. "It's a good relief for small buyers," DLF group executive director Rajeev Talwar said. He, however,

In its application to the FIPB, the hospitality major also sought permission to invest in or acquire equity stake in other Indian companies, which are into hospitality and tourism sectors. The sources, however, said Hilton's proposal was deferred by

said the industry was asking for more concessions, mainly exclusion of land cost from the service tax component. CREDAI, the apex realtors body, chairman Kumar Gera said "its unjust because the abatement which is meant to cover land cost is not fair". Gera said land cost should have been excluded from the service tax. He said the property prices would increase by about 2.5 per cent as the tax is always payable by consumers. Parsvnath Developers chairman Pradeep Jain also thanked the finance minister for the relief and hoped that the government will consider excluding land cost at a later stage. Omaxe Chairman Rohtas Goel also expressed similar views saying it would have been better if land cost would have been excluded from the ambit of service tax. "Reduction of abatement to 75 per cent will reduce slight burden on customer, but still buyer has to pay extra 2.57 per cent approximately," Raheja Developers managing director Naveen Raheja said. Service tax of 10 per cent will now be levied on 25 per cent of the gross sale value of property compared to 33 per cent proposed in the budget in February this year. This means property prices would rise by about 2.5 per cent.

the FIPB in its meeting held last month. "The existing JV remains on track. The new partnerships will be for its other brands that it intends to bring to the country," the

from the company said. Hilton Worldwide has a global revenue of over USD 8 billion and currently operates over 3,200 properties around 80 countries. It owns, manages or franchises a portfolio of over a dozen brands. The group had formed a JV with country's largest realty player, DLF in 2006-07, in which the American chain holds a 26 per cent stake. At that time, the JV had announced plans to invest USD 1.5 billion to open 50-75 properties across the country over next few years. The government had, accordingly, given it permission to bring the four brands in India. Hilton currently operates two hotels in Delhi, of which one is under the JV and the other opened under a franchise agreement with a local partner. -PTI

50% decline in Mumbai property sales

ity developers, who witnessed a revival of sales at hefty prices in the past six months, are now up against buyer resistance. With demand dropping like a stone, the sale of residential flats across segments has nosedived, property experts said. The drop is as high as 50% in some segments. Says Pranay Vakil, chairman, Knight Frank, property consultants: "It is a different dilemma. On the one hand, demand for land has begun. On the other, demand for residential prices is slowing down. The number is big, compared to last October-November. Those two months saw many flats being sold even as developers increased prices to almost the peak levels of

2008.'' Sandeep Sadh of Mumbai Property Exchange says it is a weird situation. "In South Mumbai, where there are no new constructions, people are deferring buying due to high prices even in resale flats. In contrast, despite having a large number of flats available in the suburbs, buyers are unable to buy due to unrealistically high prices.'' Sadh says his clients are sitting on the fence and have deferred buying till after August when prices may just become a bit realistic. While high property prices is the biggest reason, Anuj Puri, chairman, Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj, says the increase in mortgage rates had added to buyer

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May 14, 2010

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Philosophy

May 14, 2010

India Post

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis SRI ADI SANKARACHARYA

nowledge of Truth alone redeems man from all the shackles, limitations and problems of life. Basically man has no intrinsic problem. He is that divinity itself. There is no problem in the world too. It is a perfect creation, extremely beautiful too. All problems are man-made and have to be solved by man himself, with the help of right knowledge. This is what the scriptures do, provide right knowledge. This is what my teacher gave to me, and this is what I present for all such seekers of Truth. With due respect to all teachers, some keep spoon feeding their students with even small and simple things of life. They keep taking decisions for their students, thus not only stunting their growth, but also bringing about dependence on their teachers for even small things in life. Such teachers may help solve some problems, but the basic dependence always remains. This is not an ideal condition. Even though all gurus will have to help their students in their fields just like our parents and other well wishers do in helping solve their problems, but the responsibility of a teacher does not end here. Ultimately their students

J KRISHNAMURTI

he gentleman asks: is the love that you talk about a feeling? What is feeling? Feeling is like thought. Feeling is a sensation. I see a flower and I respond to that flower, I like it or dislike it. The like or the dislike is dictated by my thought, and the thought is the response of the background of memory. So, I say, Ì like that flower', or Ì do not like that flower; Ì like this feeling' or Ì do not like that feeling'. Now, is love related to feeling? What is your answer? Look at what my question is. Listen to it. Is love a feeling? Feeling is sensation, obviously - sensation of like and dislike, of good and bad, of good taste and all the rest of it. Is that feeling related to love? That is the question; and what does love mean to you? Do you associate love with women or men, do you associate love with sex? You must, because you have denied beauty; all your saints have denied beauty. And beauty is associated with women. So, you have said, `No feeling; and so you have cultivated rough personalities, crude egos

should become mature and enlightened enough to not only take their decisions themselves but also attain heights attained by their teachers themselves. For this one has to go one day into the very 'Knowledge of Truth'. When this understanding dawns in a person that all our problems are only because of ignorance of Self then alone a true seeker is born. The goals of life: There are four goals of life.

Kama is the ability to make the best of every sensual experience and pleasures. Mere availability of objects of pleasures is not enough, we should know how to make the best of each moment. These two - Artha and Kama, are very important worldly goals. The majority are pursuing these alone. These two help bring about a relatively higher degree of sense of security and happiness in man. The joys of man can be com-

quirements is generally considered an ideal man. The scriptures don't agree. They say that it is good and also important that a person is virtuous, but it is also important to see whether all activities are an act of love and freedom or an escape from oneself. Many a times a person just cannot be with himself. He or she just has to have some company, some entertainment, some escape. By being with oneself, he

All problems are man-made; solution also with him Sri Adi Sankaracharya

One should be as sensitive to others as he or she is to oneself. That is the spirit of Dharma

Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. All are important requirements of everyone's life. Artha is working to bring about financial security, in short bringing about the ability to generate resources. It modern context it basically implies the ability to earn money, the basic resource of human setup, with which all transactions are possible. With basic resource available with us we can go about planning and getting other aspects of life.

pounded greatly if the person is also a 'very conscientious and sensitive being'. Thus comes the third goal called Dharma. One should be as sensitive to others as he or she is to oneself. That is the spirit of Dharma. Man being a social being this spirit of mutual respect, love and cooperation is extremely important for his very existence too. A person who is living a very conscientious and righteous life, after fulfilling his own personal re-

feels bored, lonely. A deep rooted sense of lack lingers in spite of all initial achievements, and this lack just doesn't seem to go by any thing. He thereafter just aspires for freedom from this sense of lack. This is what the ultimate goal is all about. It is called Moksha - total sense of freedom. Excerpted from Tattva Bodha The 1222nd birth anniversary of Adi Shankaracharya will be observed on May 18

which deny beauty. Have you watched your street, have you watched the way you live in your houses, the way you sit, the way you talk? And have you noticed all your saints whom you worship? For them passion is sex, and therefore they deny passion, therefore they deny beauty - deny in the sense of putting those aside. So, with sensation you have put away love because you say,

So is love a feeling? When you have understood feeling completely, not partially, when you have really understood the totality of feeling, then you will know what love is. When you can see the beauty of a tree, when you can see the beauty of a smile, when you can see the sun setting behind the walls of your town - see totally - then you will know what love is.

"what is". You know, sirs, although we differentiate them, love, death, and sorrow are all the same; because, surely, love, death, and sorrow are the unknowable. The moment you know love, you have ceased to love. Love is beyond time; it has no beginning and no end, whereas knowledge has; and when you say, "I know what love is", you don't. You

Love, death and sorrow are all the same J Krishnamurti

`Sensation will make me a prisoner, I will be a slave to sex-desire; therefore I must cut'. Therefore you have made sex into an immense problem. Sex is a problem to all of you; and all your gods whom you want to reach, say that you must be without feeling, you must never look at a woman, never look at a man, never look at the tree, at the river, at the beauty of the earth.

The moment you know love, you have ceased to love. Love is beyond time; it has no beginning and no end, whereas knowledge has We know only fragmentarily this extraordinary thing called life; we have never looked at sorrow, except through the screen of escapes; we have never seen the beauty, the immensity of death, and we know it only through fear and sadness. There can be understanding of life, and of the significance and beauty of death, only when the mind on the instant perceives

know only a sensation, a stimulus. You know the reaction to love, but that reaction is not love. In the same way, you don't know what death is. You know only the reactions to death, and you will discover the full depth and significance of death only when the reactions have ceased. The 106th birth anniversary of J Krishnamurti will be observed on May 11

We see that every external motion, act, gesture, whether voluntary or mechanical, organic or mental, is produced and preceded by internal feeling or emotion, will or volition, and thought or mind. -H P Blavatsky Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there? -Richard Bach God is not a toy for your security or a concept for your convenience. God is love. God is the substratum of this universe, the basis of this existence. God is the space in which all things happen. -Sri Sri Ravishankar The happiness of one's own heart alone cannot satisfy the soul; one must try to include, as necessary to one's own happiness, the happiness of others. -Paramahansa Yogananda We exist at two levels one at the level of waves and another at the level of the ocean. As waves we are individual human beings and as the ocean we are the supreme being. -Osho Rajneesh Love and exclusive possession can never go together. -Mahatma Gandhi The right and wrong of every person is according to his understandings. -Hazrat Inayat Khan

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52 India Post

May 14, 2010

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NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

NEW JERSEY

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming

Fri May 14

Sat May 15

Every Sunday

Sat May 15

• A Bollywood Cruise

• Chicago Booth Tata India Leadership Summit 2010

• Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan host Satsang, Bhajan & Meditation Program

• Tamil Musical Nite By Washington Shruti

Venue: Booth School of Business, 5807 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, Illinois Time: 8am to 5pm Contact: 281-685-3969

Venue: Woodbridge township ambulance and Rescue squad, 77 Queen Road, 3rd Floor, Iselin, NJ 08830 Time: 10:30am to 1pm Contact: (732) 485-0647 Highlights: Lecture by close disciple of Shree Ashutosh Ji Maharaj, Bhajans, free meditation and Mahaprasad.

Venue: Woodson High School, 9525 Main St, Fairfax, Virginia, WDC Time: 5:30pm to 10pm Contact: 703-801-7725

Venue: TEMPRESS at World Yachts, Pier 81 World Yachts WEST 41ST ST. & 12 AVE, New York Time: 6:15pm to 11:15pm Contact: 917-771-9030 Highlights: NY music by DJ Ladla, DJ Karma, Jay Dabhi

Sat May 15

Fri May 21

• Tabla Workshop

• Bouquet of Hindustani Classical Music

Venue: Ashtanga Yoga New York, 430 Broome Street, # 2, New York, NY Time: 2:30pm to 4:30pm Contact: 121-2475-2348

Venue: The Meadows Club, 2950 W. Golf Rd., Rolling Meadows, Illinois Time: 7pm to 9:30pm Contact: (815)404-3803

Sun May 9

Sun May 30

• Yoga, Meditation And Spiritual Talks By Swami Mukundananda

• ABCD Chicago presents The White Out Party with DJ Aqeel

Venue: Hindu Center, 45-52 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, New York Time: 4:30pm to 9pm Contact: (917) 362 6838

Venue: Sound-Bar, 226 West Ontario Street, Chicago, Illinois, CA Time: 10pm Contact: 773-490-0975

Thurs May 20

Fri June 18 • A R Rahman Jai Ho The Journey Home World Tour 2010

• Singles Speed Dating Party Venue: Pranna Lounge, 79 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York Time: 8pm to 10pm Contact: 866 WE SPEED

Sun May 23 • Jai Ho Live In Concert With Sukhwinder Singh Venue: Colden Center, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, New York Time: 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 732-763-0118

Thurs June 10

Fri May 14

• ORB Festival 2010

• A Bollywood Cruise 2010 Venue: Aboard The Temptress World Yacht, Pier 81, W. 41st St. & 12th Ave, New York Time: 6:15PM Contact: 917-771-9030

Venue: Ramblewood Resort, Darlington, MD, Maryland Time: 5pm to 8pm Contact: 917-569-1177

Fri May 21 • Satwaro Shri Radhey Shyamno - 2

Thurs May 20 • Singles Speed Dating Party Venue: Pranna Lounge, 79 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York Time: 8pm to 10pm Contact: 866 WE SPEED

Venue: High Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, Maryland Time: 8pm to 11:30pm Contact: 703-449-0772

Sat May 22

Venue: Sears Centre, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, Illinois Time: 9pm Contact: 847-770-1088

Sun May 23 • Jai Ho Live in Concert with Sukhwinder Singh Venue: Colden Center, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, New York Time: 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 732-763-0118

• Grand Vocal Concert by P.Unnikrishnan Venue: Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, 6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham, Maryland Time: 5pm to 9pm Contact: 301-251-0378

Sun May 23 Sat July 10

• Stars of SaReGaMaPa Live in concert

• Dealmaas 2010 USTAD AMJAD ALI KHAN

Sat May 15

Venue: North Shore Center For Performing Art, Skokie, Illinois Time: 7:30pm to 9pm Contact: 414-336-5982

• End of The Semester Party Venue: Fire n Ice, 85 Lafayette Road, Fords, New Jersey Time: 9pm to 2am Contact: 201-320-9810

Venue: Northern Virginia community College, Ernst Cultural Center, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Virginia Time: 6pm Contact: 202-460-5626

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Fri May 14

Every Sat (start from Sat Aug 8)

• Sri Karunamayi Lalita Sahasranama Puja

• Gurukul Classes for Children

Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, Community Center, 420-450 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale, California Time: 6:30pm Contact: (408) 865-0709

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.

Fri May 7 to Sun May 11 • Amma Sri Karunamayi 2010 Los Angeles Tour Venue: May 7&8: Bhakta Cultural Center, 12311 Firestone Blvd., Norwalk, CA 90650, May 9: 1443 Edgecliff Lane, Pasadena, CA 91107, May 10 & 11: Hindu Temple Ventura 6085 King Dr., Unit 110 Ventura, CA Contact: www.karunamayi.org/tour/2010losanglese.html

Sun June 20 • Pan-IIT, SoCal Chapter Annual Picnic

Sat May 15 • Sukhwinder Singh...Live In Concert...JAI HO Venue: Redwood Amphiteare Great America, 4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, California Time: 6pm Contact: 510-449-1665

Sun May 16 • Basant Kite Festival Venue: Baylands Park, 999 Carribean Drive, Sunnyvale, California Time: 12pm to 6pm Contact: 408-656-7818 Highlights: PACC, in cooperation with ICC, is pleased to announce its annual Basant festival, Jashne-Baharan 2010. The festival marks the arrival of spring and is traditionally celebrated with colorful kites and kite fighting competitions. This year, PACC and ICC will join hands to bring this colorful festival to the Pakistani and Indian communities of the Bay Area.

Venue: Cerritos Park East Shelter 1, 13234 166th St Cerritos, California Time: 12 noon to 5pm (12:00 noon to 12:45 pm: Registration and network, network, network, network, 12:45 pm to 1:30 pm: Games/Entertainment for all + snacks + Network, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm: Catered lunch : General music and hungama + Network, 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm: More Games/Inter IIT Antakshari + Raffles, 3:45 pm to 4:30 pm: Chai / Soap Box / Game Prizes, 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm: Wrap-up, Clean-up and promises to meet soon) Contact: 818-209-0172

Sat May 15 • TASC Picnic -TORRANCE Venue: Columbia Park, 4045 190th St, Torrance, CA Time: 10am to 3pm Contact: 818-445-5358

Sat May 22 • Jab Yaadein Milte Hain - Culture Show 2010

Fri May 21

Venue: Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA Time: 6:30pm to 9pm Contact: (650)380-4858

• Gata Rahe Mera Dil - An evening remembering Kishore Kumar

Sun May 23

Venue: Mehran Restaurant - Banquet Hall, 5774 Mowry School Road, Newark, California, 94560 Time: 7:30 pm to 11:45 pm Contact: Sudhir Aravindan Phone: (408)802-5128

• Nachle India II Venue: Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4646 Campus Drive, Irvine, California Time: 6pm to 9pm Contact: 949-300-8912

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May 14, 2010

India Post

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A moment of hope or despair in Pakistan? PROF. SATISH KUMAR

he adoption of the 18th ence of the army chief General But, Mushahid Hussain, a senior Constitutional Amendment Ashfaq Kayani, as an important leader of PML (Q) and a former Bill by Pakistan's Parliament interlocutor in the strategic diachairman of the Parliamentary and its assent by President Asif logue with the US in Washington Committee on Balochistan wrote Ali Zardari on 19 April 2010 is an in March. in Newsline of June 2009, "The event whose importance cannot The strategic dialogue in track record of the federal governbe minimized. Its significance ema- Washington which gave Pakistan ment in dealing with Balochistan nates not merely from the fact that the most important role in the Afis truly abysmal â&#x20AC;Ś. There is a long an incumbent President has ghan settlement is the prime extrail of missed opportunities, brosigned off his own powers volun- ample of civil-military harmony on ken promises and outright deceptarily but also tion in dealing with a that an all-party proud people who committee of parrightly feel they have liamentarians neither received the reprepared the bill, spect they deserve nor just as the 1973 been treated with dignity constitution by the central authoriwhich it restores. ties, who have a propenThe convensity to use force to imtional view of Papose their diktat." kistani politics is Pakistan has alleged that being a milithat river waters are betary-dominated ing stolen by India. But, country, such a Pakistan's Foreign Mindrastic constituister Shah Mehmood tional change canQureshi stated in an innot come about terview to a Pakistani peacefully. In fact, news channel on 2 April Army chief Ashfaq Prime Minister Yousaf there were appre2010, "The average caParvez Kayani Raza Gillani hensions in the nal supplies of Pakistan last few months that the country was security-related issues. If that be are 104 million acre-feet and the heading towards a military coup. the case, can the same be said water available from the farmgate While such apprehensions have about political issues? Would the is about 70 million acre-feet. Where been belied, the implications of this 18th amendment have been posdo the 34 million acre-feet go? It is important political development sible without the support of the not being stolen in India; it is beneed to be examined for internal army? Does it mean that Pakistan ing wasted in Pakistan." stability as well as foreign and se- is headed for a good working relaAs regards India's complaint curity policy of Pakistan. tionship between the civilian govabout Pakistan sponsored terrorThe last two years have wit- ernment and the army? ism, read the following lines in The nessed a simultaneous process of Working on this hypothesis, it Herald of February 2010, "If you restoration of civilian rule as well is important to examine the implilive in central Punjab and are inas reassertion of military's power. cations for India. There are three terested in waging 'jihad' against The successful conduct of parlia- issues which currently bedevil India, all you have to do is follow mentary elections in February 2008 three easy steps. One: sign up at a was followed by the exit of Genrecruitment office; you can find at If we accept the fact eral Pervez Musharraf in August least one of these in almost every that Pakistan's military 2008 and the reinstatement of town in the region â&#x20AC;Ś. Two: attend and civilian authorities Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in a three week long training program March 2009. â&#x20AC;Ś at a camp in Muzaffarabad or have tended to work Some of the achievements of the Manshera. Three: cross the bortogether on matters PPP-led government are the 7th Nader into Indian-administered pertaining to domestic tional Finance CommissionAward and Kashmir with arms and instrucpolitics and those a package of rights for Balochistan. tions provided by the people who The military earned its kudos by recruited and trained you." related to the United starting military action against If we accept the fact that States and AfghaniTaliban militants in Swat in May Pakistan's military and civilian austan, it would be fair to 2009, extending it to South thorities have tended to work toWaziristan in June 2009 and to gether on matters pertaining to doassume that they are North Waziristan in 2010. It is said mestic politics and those related to in complete unison on that action in North Waziristan the United States and Afghanistan, matters pertaining to which is the stronghold of al Qaeda it would be fair to assume that they was the result of a deal with the US are in complete unison on matters India as well whereby the Pakistani army would pertaining to India as well. While be allowed to play a dominant role India-Pakistan relations, apart the adoption of the 18th amendin all strategic decision-making. from Kashmir. The three issues are ment could provide hopes of a true The army was allowed to arrest Balochistan, river waters, and Pademocratic revival in Pakistan, it will nine leading Afghan Taliban lead- kistan sponsored terrorism as albe a matter of deep despair if the ers, including Mullah Baradar, so leged by India. consequence will be a hardened that it could call the shots while It has been alleged by Pakistan national stance against India. negotiating the final dispensation that India has contributed to the The writer is Director, Founin Kabul. The army's leading role rise of nationalist agitation in dation for National Security Realso became obvious by the pres- Balochistan in the last few years. search

India Post Change of strategy

jmal Amir Kasab, sentenced to death for the Mumbai attacks of 26/11, is a pure Pakistani export the kind of which they are not making in the Pakistani factories any more. They need such Kasabs for internal consumption as the demand for terror deeds is rising within Pakistan. Although Pakistan is not ashamed of the bad name the exportable Kasabs bring to the country, they had to change the terror export strategy to minimize the damage to the reputation. It doesn't help when the Kasabs, who are meant to be martyred to be frolicking with the virgins of paradise, are actually caught in foreign lands and willingly spill the beans about the Pakistani handlers and masterminds. The new strategy is catching citizens of the very country they want to target, bring them to their factories for training, and after proper brainwashing send them back to their own countries to wreak havoc. The blame for the terror incidents would then lie within the targeted country. This strategy too has been exposed with some recent arrests which lead the smoking trail back to the mother country. The suspected Times Square bomber in the US, Faisal Shahzad is a naturalized American who was born in Pakistan. The US authorities who nabbed him from a plane departing for Dubai said he had recently returned from five months in Pakistan, where he received training in a terrorist camp. Mohammad Zia Ul Haq, an Indian citizen who worked as a driver in Hyderabad, has been caught and revealed during investigation that he had been directed by his Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers to bomb the HITEC City, a major IT township in Hyderabad and the office of a multinational auditing firm. According to police, Haq came in contact with LeT when he went to Saudi Arabia in 1995. In 2002, following the Gujarat riots, he went to Pakistan and took terror training in Karachi and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir capital Muzafarabad. Members of the now nearly neutralized Indian Mujahideen were also trained and indoctrinated in Pakistan. The modus operandi in all these cases has been visiting Saudi Arabia, Dubai or any other Gulf country where the Pakistani handlers catch them, show them videos to heighten their hatred to the point that they are willing to die in order to kill according to their masters' instructions. Faisal Shahzad was also on way back to Pakistan via Dubai in order to report back to his masters that the deed had been done. It is a different matter that the amateur contraption did not go off as planned. The most notorious case of citizens of other countries doing the evil biddings of Pakistani masters is that of David Headley, the son of a Pakistani father and an American mother. Headley was responsible for the recce of Mumbai targets and photographing them to facilitate Kasab and company to carry out their murder and mayhem. Other US based Pakistanis caught planning terror acts in the US include Najibullah Zazi and Nidal Malik Hasan. Indeed, a US think tank has warned authorities to focus on extremists born and raised in the US. They face fewer restrictions, can travel to link up with terror groups, get training and return to carry out attacks. What does this speak of the Pakistani civilian state which seeks to disassociate itself from non-state actors? In his first gush of enthusiasm, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik declared that Faisal Shahzad is a US citizen hence his actions are the responsibility of the US. One may be tempted to ask then whose responsibility are the lovely Taliban now on a murdering spree in Pakistan?

54 India Post

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