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Myth of model minority hurts us: Senator Jayapal Details on page 10

Community pays tributes to Dr Abdul Kalam Details on page 17

VOL 21, No. 1089

August 7, 2015

Periodical Postage

TOP SLEUTH ADMITS PAK HAND IN 26/11

ISLAMABAD: The 26/11 mayhem was planned and launched from Pakistan for which LeT terrorists were trained in Sindh, the former head of Pakistan's investigation agency who had led the probe into the Mumbai attack, has acknowledged while asking the government to admit its "mistakes".

In an article for the Dawn newspaper, Tariq Khosa, who was made head of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) weeks after the 2008 assault that killed 166 people, said, "Pakistan has to deal with the Mumbai mayhem, planned and launched from its soil. This requires facing the truth

and admitting mistakes."

He also demanded that Pakistan's state security apparatus should ensure that the perpetrators and masterminds of the "ghastly terror attacks" are brought to justice.

Noting that the case has lingered on for far too long, Khosa said dilatory tactics by the defendants, frequent change of trial judges and assassination of the case prosecutor as well as retracting from original testimony by some key witnesses have been serious setbacks for the prosecutors.

Jindal ranked 13th in Republican presidential race

Details on page 5

DEVELOPMENT HAI HAI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi shouts slogans with party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, senior leader Mohsina Kidwai and other leaders during a protest against suspension of 25 party members, at Parliament House in New Delhi on August 4.

Details on page 5

Gupta should end challenge to verdict: Bharara Details on page 6

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

Will Congress allow Modi govt to function?

Last week’s result

Was APJ Abdul Kalam a great President?

YES 68%

50¢

Details on page 6

NO 32%

Bay Area gets ready for Awards & unique events RITU MAHESHWARI India Post News Service

FREMONT: Bay area will be surrounded by a different type of FOG for the

next two weeks. The FOG highlight will be a Grand Awards night on August 15 at SAP Center. It will be culmination of 10-day celebration of best of the global movies from 30 different countries and a special focus on 'Women Empowerment'. SAP Center is one of the Bay area's largest event centers with state-ofthe-art stage and event facilities.

Details on page 16

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 30-31 Classifieds ------------------------- 48 Community Post -------------- 16-26 Date Book -------------------------- 47 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 32-35 Horoscope ------------------------- 53 Immigration Post ------------- 44-45 Life Style ----------------------- 50-52 Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 36-37 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

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Publisher’s Diary

I

could not let this column pass without my humble tributes to former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who passed into the ages recently.

As they say, he went with his boots on - doing what he loved and what he did best - on stage, inspiring, while delivering a lecture to students.

Dr. Kalam's stature lay in his humility and what struck me most about him was his utter simplicity of manner and word. And I mean this literally. I had the good fortune of attending one of his community meetings on one of his several visits to the United States in the years since the US lifted sanctions on India for its nuclear program and let Indian nuclear scientists travel to the US. Under the sanctions, India's "missile man" was among the foremost of Indian scientists who could not travel to the US, even when he was President of the country.

Anyway, in that reception at the Indian Consulate, there were gathered many high profile professionals, businessmen, journalists, diplomats and even some American lawmakers. As Dr. Kalam began to speak, initially I was amused at his awkward choice of words - they were too direct, too simple, shorn of complexity, with nary a flowery word, or rhetoric - as if addressing a roomful of fourth graders. I waited for something deeper, current, and nuanced - foreign policy or nuclear hegemony or diplomacy, may be? But none of that came from Dr. Kalam.

As he concluded his speech, he asked everyone to literally repeat after him the mantras of civic and national duties, and honesty and integrity. To my utter amazement, each of those gathered repeated after him, without embarrassment, much like school children before an indulgent teacher. To Dr. Kalam, no one was too high profile to go back to learning the basics.

To him, humans were more important than countries. It then sunk in for me, that greatness of men lies not in their oratorical ability funded by superfluous vocabulary, but in the simplicity of their message. And in the case of Dr. Kalam, his life was his message.

Salute!

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Madam boss In R. Balki's film, Kareena Kapoor wears the pants. And Arjun Kapoor hangs around the house drying her pants.

Cover Story: Pak admission The 26/11 mayhem in Mumbai was planned and launched from Pakistan, admits a top Pak investigator

Community: FOG Awards FOG Awards will be culmination of 10day celebration of best of the global movies from 30 different countries

Mistake rectified Problems have been fixed that led to about 2,100 work permits being mistakenly awarded to immigrants

Life style: Queen is back!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all set to return to the big screen after a gap of five years with Sanjay Gupta's "Jazbaa"

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Obstructionist Congress Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has accused the Congress of adopting an 'obstructionist attitude' in blocking GST

Pench National Park The park gets its name from the Pench River, which meanders through it like a mammoth python, dividing it

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Top sleuth admits Pak hand in 26/11 ISLAMABAD: The 26/11 mayhem was planned and launched from Pakistan for which LeT terrorists were trained in Sindh, the former head of Pakistan's investigation agency who had led the probe into the Mumbai attack, has acknowledged while asking the government to admit its "mistakes".

In an article for the Dawn newspaper, Tariq Khosa, who was made head of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) weeks after the 2008 assault that killed 166 people, said, "Pakistan has to deal with the Mumbai mayhem, planned and launched from its soil. This requires facing the truth

and admitting mistakes."

He also demanded that Pakistan's state security apparatus should ensure that the perpetrators and masterminds of the "ghastly terror attacks" are brought to justice.

Noting that the case has lingered on for far too long, Khosa said dilatory tactics by the defendants, frequent change of trial judges and assassination of the case prosecutor as well as retracting from original testimony by some key witnesses have been serious setbacks for the prosecutors.

In candid admissions, some of which contradict Pakistan's stand on the issue, Khosa lays down the

facts of the Mumbai attack trial in the article.

Listing out the facts of the case, Khosa writes, "First, Ajmal Kasab

‘The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were imparted training near Thatta, Sindh, and launched by sea from there. The training camp was identified and secured by the investigators’

US confronted Pak on Mullah Omar WASHINGTON: The US longsuspected Pakistan of sheltering Mullah Omar and even confronted then President Asif Ali Zardari in 2011 over intelligence inputs that the one-eyed Taliban supremo was being treated at a Karachi hospital, according to a media report.

In early 2011, then-CIA Director Leon Panetta confronted Zardari with a disturbing piece of intelligence that Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader who had become one of the world's most wanted fugitives after the September 11, 2001, attacks, was being treated at a hospital in southern Pakistan, the Washington Post reported.

The American spy chief even identified the facility - the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi - and said the CIA had "some raw intelligence on this" that would soon be shared with its Pakistani counterpart; the report said citing diplomatic files that summarize the exchange.

Their meeting in January 2011 came when Zardari was in the US to attend a memorial service for US diplomat Richard Holbrooke.

Former US and Pakistani officials were quoted as saying that Panetta's disclosure was designed in part to prod Pakistan to detain Mullah Omar but also to serve notice that the CIA was aware of

the Taliban leader's presumably sanctioned presence in Pakistan.

Other US officials also made clear in other meetings their belief that Pakistan was protecting Mullah Omar and other elements of the Taliban, the report said.

In Islamabad in 2011, Vice President Biden warned then-Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that relations with Afghanistan would not improve until Pakistan answered difficult questions including "what do we say about Mullah Omar," the report said citing a diplomatic document.

In 2010, during a briefing with Pakistani officials on a White House strategy review for the region, Lt Gen Douglas Lute said that "while Pakistan has done a lot to deny safe havens to terrorists...senior leadership of the Quetta Shura including Mullah

US officials said that despite intermittent intelligence on Mullah Omar's whereabouts, there was never a concerted push to find him that remotely approached the scale of the manhunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

Omar resides between Karachi and Quetta," according to a third diplomatic document cited by the report.

US intelligence officials now think that Mullah Omar probably died two years later, in 2013, and Afghan officials said he suc-

was a Pakistani national, whose place of residence and initial schooling as well as his joining a banned militant organization was established by the investigators.

"Second, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were imparted training near Thatta, Sindh, and launched by sea from there. The training camp was identified and secured by the investigators," he writes.

Khosa also pointed out that the casings of the explosive devices used in Mumbai were recovered from this training camp and duly matched.

"Third, the fishing trawler used by the terrorists for hijacking an

Indian trawler in which they sailed to Mumbai, was brought back to harbor, then painted and concealed. It was recovered by the investigators and connected to the accused," he writes.

"Fourth, the engine of the dinghy abandoned by the terrorists near Mumbai harbor contained a patent number through which the investigators traced its import from Japan to Lahore and then to a Karachi sports shop from where an LeT-linked militant purchased it along with the dinghy," he added.

Khosa also talks about the money trail that was followed and linked to the accused who was arrested.-PTI

Jindal ranked 13th in GOP presidential race WASHINGTON: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal finds himself placed at a distant 13th spot in a crowded race of Republican presidential aspirants, according to a latest national poll.

This means Jindal, the first-ever Indian American presidential candidate, will not be able to appear in the first Republican debate be-

Trump also tops the "no way" list as 30 per cent of Republican voters say they would definitely not support him. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is next at 15 per cent with Bush at 14 per cent.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is supported by 55 per cent of Democratic voters nationwide, with 17 per cent for Sena-

Bobby Jindal Mullah Omar

cumbed while being treated for a serious illness in a Karachi hospital, just as those earlier intelligence reports had indicated.

Current and former US officials said that despite intermittent intelligence on Mullah Omar's whereabouts, there was never a concerted push to find him that remotely approached the scale of the manhunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The Taliban has confirmed the death of Mullah Omar in a statement. The statement did not say when and where he died but said "his health condition deteriorated in the last two weeks".-PTI

ing conducted by Fox News.

Jindal, 44, also the first-ever Indian American Governor, has just two per cent of the votes as against the top ranking Donald Trump's 20 per cent, according to the poll.

Trump is the clear leader in the Republican presidential primary field, but he trails any of three leading Democratic contenders by wide margins in general election match-ups, the Quinnipiac University National poll said.

Behind Trump are Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker with 13 per cent and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush with 10 per cent. No other Republican tops 6 per cent and 12 per cent are undecided.

tor Bernie Sanders of Vermont and 13 per cent for Vice President Joe Biden.

No other Democratic candidate tops one per cent while 11 per cent are undecided.-PTI

Jindal, 44, also the first-ever Indian American Governor, has just two per cent of the votes as against the top ranking Donald Trump's 20 per cent, according to the poll

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China's military cites India 'threat' BEIJING: Bracketing India along with the US, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam as "threats" to China's airspace, the PLA in a study has sought the broadening of its air surveillance and attack capabilities with high-speed cruise missiles and a new generation of bombers.

China's Air Force Command Academy in its report last year identified the United States, Japan, Taiwan, India and Vietnam as "threats" to its military airspace until the year 2030, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.

While the massive expansion of Chinese navy with a second aircraft carrier and a new bomber to operate from its decks attracted worldwide attention, the new study showed that the air force has started developing a similar expansion strategy, the report said.

The study called for nine types of strategic equipment to counter the threats, which included highspeed air-launched cruise missiles, large transport planes, an airship that moves in the upper atmosphere, a next-generation

fighter, unmanned attack aircraft, air-force satellites and precisionguided bombs.

It said the 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA), the world's largest, needs to broaden its air surveillance and attack capabilities to the western Pacific, including the areas near

The academy report proposes broadening the scope of surveillance from a "first island chain" linking Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines and one of China's defense lines in the open ocean to a "second island chain" linking the Izu Island chain, Guam and New Guinea.

While the massive expansion of Chinese navy with a second aircraft carrier and a new bomber to operate from its decks attracted worldwide attention, the new study showed that the air force has started developing a similar expansion strategy Japan to ensure its command.

The PLA operates with an annual budget of about USD 145 billion, over three times India's USD 40-billion budget.

The Beijing-based academy, a think-tank of an air force leadership training organization, prepared the report in November last year.

Studies by the academy have previously served as policy guidelines, the report said.

The study affords a glimpse into the Chinese military's confidence in thwarting the US military, which is critical of China's controversial land-reclamation in the South China Sea. It mentions enhancing the ability to attack US bases on Chinese side of the second archipelago line with strategic bombers and "deter US military intervention" in the event of a defense operation involving Chinese islands.-PTI

Gupta should end challenge to verdict: Bharara NEW YORK: The US has opposed India-born former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta's fresh appeal to overturn his insider trading conviction, saying he should now end his challenge to the jury's "well-founded" verdict that he gained from his illegal tips to ex-hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam.

"Three years after being convicted at trial, Rajat Gupta seeks to continue litigating a question that is not now and has never been debatable," said Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

"He violated the securities laws by repeatedly tipping his longstanding business associate, Raj Rajaratnam with material nonpublic information that Rajaratnam used to reap millions of dollars in profits and avoid millions of dollars in losses," Bharara said in the opposition filed in federal court here on July 31.

In opposing Gupta's motion for

Congress a destructive opposition: BJP NEW DELHI: As Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other party leaders protested against suspension of their MPs, BJP Parliamentary Party has accused it of being a "destructive" opposition and passed a resolution against its "obstructionist and anti-development" policies.

On a day Congress MPs led by Gandhi sat on a dharna to protest the Speaker's decision to suspend 25 of their MPs from Lok Sabha, the ruling party lashed out at Gandhi for calling it a "black day for democracy" and raked up the imposition of Emergency to criticise it.

With the main opposition party unrelenting on its demand for the resignation of Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan and Madhya pradesh chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP said there was "no basis" for such a demand and the parliamentary party stands with them.

"Congress has abdicated the responsibilities of a constructive opposition and is using its numerical strength in Parliament, especially in Rajya Sabha, to adopt a negative strategy.

"BJP Parliamentary party condemns the obstructionist, narrow and anti-development mindsent of Congress as it will have a serious and adverse influence in long term on the country which is emerging as an important economic power in the world," said the resolution passed in the meet-

after initially agreeing to a debate on the Vyapam and Lalit Modi issues.

Congress refused to attend a meeting called by Finance Minister and Leader of Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and also declined the government's proposal for an allparty meet on July 31, the resolu-

‘This is unfortunate that a party with 130 years of history and which has ruled the country for over five decades has not been able to get over its shameful loss in 2014. It has not been able to digest the full majoirty given to Narendra Modi by people,’ it said ing, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministerial colleagues.

Congress has become a "destructive" opposition party, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters after the meeting.

The government had made "honest" efforts for the smooth conduct of the Monsoon Session, the BJP meet said and accused Congress of making a "U-turn"

tion said, accusing the opposition party of working with a "narrow political agenda".

The BJP resolution charged Congress with deliberately obstructing the Modi government's attempts for the country's resurgence and said the opposition party had been left "stunned" at Parliament's productivity in the previous sessions.

"A stunned Congress has prepared a policy to stop necessary

economic reforms aimed at reviving the economy and obstruct other welfare and development policies of the government. This policy has become its political strategy which is being executed with more power and commitment

by Congress in the monsoon session," it said.

It said Prime Minister Modi's "increasing popularity" has become a "pain in the eye" of Congress.

"This is unfortunate that a party with 130 years of history and which has ruled the country for over five decades has not been able to get over its shameful loss in 2014. It has not been able to digest the full majoirty given to Narendra Modi by people," it said.

On the Congress demand for the resignation of Swaraj, Raje and Chouhan, it said there is no basis for it.

"In the same way there is no ground for the resignation of Raje and Chouhan and the BJP Parliamentary Party is standing by them," the resolution, proposed

by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and passed at the meeting, said.-PTI

issuance of a Certificate of Appealability, Bharara said Gupta cannot seek to overturn his conviction and two-year prison term, citing the federal Appeals Court's recent decision in which it had reversed the insider convictions

Preet Bharara

of hedge-fund managers Todd Newman and Anthony Chiasson.

In the landmark ruling, the court had ruled that for an insider trading conviction prosecutors must show that a defendant received personal benefit for passing illegal tips.

Gupta, 66, is currently serving his prison term in a federal prison in Massachusetts along with Rajaratnam.

Bharara said when it comes to Gupta's guilt, Newman "changes nothing".

"Because no reasonable jurist would find this court's assessment debatable or wrong, Gupta is not entitled to a certificate of appealability," Bharara said.

Asking the court to deny Gupta's motion for the issuance of a certificate of appealability, the government said it respectfully submits that "his ongoing challenge to the jury's well-founded verdict should now end."

In a July 25 motion, Gupta had resorted to fresh legal recourse, seeking a "certificate of appealability" that will enable him to appeal the ruling made by US District Judge Jed Rakoff on July 2.

In the ruling, Rakoff had disagreed with Gupta's claim that there was "insufficient" evidence at trial of him receiving "personal benefits" in exchange for the insider tips he allegedly passed on to now-jailed billionaire hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam.

This Court concluded that it was "obvious from the very nature of the tips" that Gupta's tips "were part of an exchange that was 'objective, consequential and represents at least a potential gain of a pecuniary or similarly valuable nature'," Bharara said in the papers filed last week. -PTI

August 7, 2015

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Mamata flees London in wake of protests India Post News Service

CHICAGO: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cut short her visit to London in the wake of protests against her callous inaction toward the plight of the Hindu girls kidnapped by organized gangs indulging in rape-jihad. She had blamed it on the weather in her home state but experts watching the political situation find her claim to be a lame excuse.

The protesters successfully shifted the focus from investments in West Bengal to the plight of helpless girls, many of them minors, kidnapped by marauding groups bent on hurting the girl with rape and violence. More than 20,000 girls disappear from West Bengal every year according to one report. Mamata Banerjee's administration as well as other political parties in the state have turned a blind eye to the

Govt to accept recommendations of Par land panel NEW DELHI: Government has expressed readiness to accept recommendations of the Parliamentary panel on land, which restored provisions of the UPA law, insisting that it was not a climbdown as it was always open to changes on which there is consensus.

Rural Development Minister Birender Singh said the government has from the very beginning maintained that it has no objection in accepting good suggestions from any institution, political leader, political party or farmers.

"We, too, must consider the issues on which there has been a consensus because a Joint Parliamentary Committee is after all considered a mini Parliament. If there are dissent notes, we will examine what are the suggestions," Singh told reporters here.

"What will be our stand will be known only after August 7. It all depends on what report the Joint Committee gives and whether there has been a consensus in the report of the joint committee or dissent notes were given," he said after launch of two compilations of his ministry "Panchayat Darpan" and "Samanvay" here.

Singh's remarks came a day after the Joint Committee of Parliament headed by BJP MP S S Ahluwalia approved changes in the Modi government's bill including on the consent clause, that will restore the UPA law.

The way for possible climb down by the government was facilitated by all 11 BJP members moving amendments in the Joint Committee of Parliament seeking to bring back key provisions of UPA's land law including on the consent clause and social impact assessment by dropping the changes brought by Modi Government in December last year and subsequently revalidated by Ordinance thrice.-PTI

kidnappings to appease radical groups.

According to politicians themselves, intimidation using criminals is a common tactic that has been used in West Bengal over the years to win elections. The time has come for the people of West Bengal to plunge into action against these goonda elements with unity and strength to dissuade them to pursue their evil intentions for temporary political gains, if any. People of West Bengal, historically have been revolutionary and patriots of first order, and they must regain their spirit if nationalism and fight for the justice of the young girls.

The protesters welcome foreign invest-

ments anywhere in India, but prefer that West Bengal first sort out the problem of the safety of women and children in the state. Until the climate is made safe for women and children of the state, the business community would be better off investing their money in other Indian states.

TMC spokesman Derek O'Brien's support to the chief minister must be condemned in the case of Tuktuki Mondal, a poor girl who was kidnapped and released only after human rights activists applied immense pressure by organizing global protests forcing authorities to act in her case.

Until the protests took place, the police ig-

nored the dire situation in West Bengal and even refused to entertain complaints from concerned family members.

Mamata Banerjee's hasty retreat from London came soon after her photographs for which they must be held accountable.

O'Brien is also part of the group that has fled London.

The organizers of the protests have vowed to save every girl who has been kidnapped and they have criticized Mamata Banerjee for running away from the issue instead of listening to the protesters and sit down with them to solve the problem collectively.

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Rajan links easing to lower bank rates, monsoon MUMBAI: After opting for status quo in policy rates, Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan has said any more cut will depend on further transmission of previous rate cuts by banks, softening in inflation and progress of monsoon.

"We are looking whether the recent increase in inflation is temporary and whether the monsoon will continue to be near normal.

The oil price development is very beneficial and we will await greater transmission of our past actions by banks while we look and monitor developments for emerging room," Rajan told reporters during the customary post-policy interaction with journalists here.

In the policy statement, Rajan said the RBI continues to have an accommodative stance, which

was adopted in January this year with a surprise rate cut.

Despite favorable base effect, headline inflation surged to ninemonth high of 5.40 per cent in June which resulted in expectations, especially at individual level, getting elevated, RBI said.

"Inflationary expectations do get altered considerably by certain salient items such as food, milk and vegetables.

Given that, yes, it (elevated expectations) is a concern but one should keep that in perspective," Rajan said.

Speaking on the occasion, RBI Deputy Governor Urijit Patel said, at the moment, the risks on inflation are balanced but exuded confidence that the central bank will be able to meet the January, 2016 target of 6 per cent with inflation coming below it.-PTI

Indian doc conducts liver transplant camp in Pak KARACHI: A 'peace clinic' program between a Pakistani and an Indian hospital led to an unusual sight of an Indian doctor conducting a medical camp for liver transplant patients here.

Dr Arvinder Singh Soin, chief liver transplant surgeon from Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, Haryana conducted the camp along with some Pakistani doctors at Karachi's Dr Ziauddin Hospital under the peace clinic program, whereby doctors from across the border share their expertise to help patients specifically in areas of kidney and liver transplant.

Dr Soin said that it was a different experience for him treating Pakistani patients.

"We have even invited the Ziauddin hospital to send their doctors and paramedics for training to Medanta Hospital," he said.

He added that other doctors

"We want to run this joint ward by our doctors with direct assistance from specialists at the Medanta Hospital through the latest IT infrastructure," he said.

from Medanta Hospital will also visit Pakistan in future and treat Pakistani patients in their own country.

"We want to facilitate these patients as much as we can and also conduct surgeries at the Ziauddin hospital," Dr Soin said.

Dr Asim Hussain, Chairman at the Ziauddin hospital said, "The camp was organized as part of a peace program between the two hospitals and we are inviting more doctors from India to come and share their expertise and experiences with us in the field of liver transplant."

Dr Hussain said talks are being held to eventually set-up a combined kidney-liver ward at Ziauddin Hospital.

Dr Anoop Dawani, medical superintendent at the Ziauddin Hospital, said it is good that medical professionals from both countries are taking steps to provide benefits and expertise to patients in Pakistan specifically in areas of kidney and liver transplant.

"A revolution could be brought in Pakistan's healthcare industry so that Pakistani patients can avail world class treatment in their home country," he said.

He said Ziauddin Hospital had earlier also combined with the Apollo Hospitals in India to conduct joint surgeries in Karachi and establish a peace clinic to allow doctors from both countries to share their expertise and experiences. -PTI

Pak singer allowed to stay in India NEW DELHI: Pakistani singer Adnan Sami has been allowed to

Adnan Sami

stay in India for an indefinite period following his appeal to legalize his stay in India on humanitarian grounds.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju conveyed to Lok Sabha that Sami has been exempted from deportation proceedings under Section 3 of the Foreigners Act. This came after 46-year-old Sami had submitted a representation to the Home Ministry requesting his stay in India on humanitarian grounds.-PTI

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MCA lifts Wankhede ban on Shah Rukh MUMBAI: The over 3-yearold ban on Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on entering the Wankhede Stadium has been lifted by the Mumbai Cricket Association, which had imposed it following a 2012 fracas involving the Kolkata Knight Riders coowner and security personnel during an IPL match.

"In the MCA meeting, it was decided that the ban imposed on IPL's Kolkata franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan should be lifted.

With the prior approval of our President Sharad Pawar, it was proposed by me that the ban on him be lifted and the managing committee approved it unanimously.

"Therefore, the ban on his entry in the Wankhede Stadium has been revoked," MCA vice president Ashish Shelar said after the meeting.

The Bollywood superstar was banned from entering MCA premises, including the Wankhede

Stadium, for five years for engaging in a scuffle with the officials of the cricketing body and the security staff on May 16 following KKR's victory over Mumbai

Indians.

The ban order was issued two days later by the MCA's Managing Committee then headed by Vilasrao Deshmukh, a former Maharashtra chief minister.

The actor had rejected the charge of misbehavior and claimed he had reacted only after children who had accompanied him for the match, including his own kinds, were "man-

Minister takes potshots at Sonia NEW DELHI: Rural Development Minister Birender Singh took potshots at Sonia Gandhi over her "murder of democracy" remarks against Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan saying it takes some time for a person to adjust after losing power.

"It is unfortunate but it happens. A person, who goes out of power after remaining with it for long time faces problems in adjustment. So far, only 14 months have passed. It takes some time to adjust," Singh told reporters here, when asked about Gandhi's remarks that Mahajan's decision to suspend 25 of her party MPs was "murder of democracy".

He also took a dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi over his remarks that on the land issue that the NDA government shouted, threatened and later ran off.

"Those who stand at 44, will speak only this language," Singh said.

Congress was reduced to a never before 44 seats in Lok Sabha in the last general elections, which it fought under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

Agitating in Parliament House complex in protest against suspension of its 25 members from Lok Sabha, Rahul said, "on the land issue, Congress stood in front of them. They (govt) shouted, threatened and later ran off.

"Similarly, on the issue of corruption, Vyapam, on the issue of Rajasthan Chief Minister and Sushma Swaraj, we will not minimize the pressure on them even if they throw us out of Parliament or do not let us enter Parliament."

Denouncing Mahajan over the suspension of Congress MPs, Sonia Gandhi said, "It is government's duty to run Parliament. Suspension of our MPs is anti-democratic. Democracy is being murdered." -PTI

handled" by the security staff.

MCA sources said that Khan had called up Pawar and requested for revocation of the ban.-PTI

UN not hearing small nations' voice: India UNITED NATIONS: The "restricted and undemocratic" nature of the UN Security Council is preventing developing nations from being heard in the UN body, India has said as it warned that such a situation cannot be sustained for much longer and the Council must be urgently reformed.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asoke Mukerji said it is a "pity" that the "restricted and undemocratic nature" of the Security Council has so far prevented the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from contributing their unique perspective, as developing countries, into the Council's deliberations.

Participating at the Security Council session on 'Peace and Security Challenges facing SIDS', he said the small island nations have instead participated effectively in

the universal platform provided by the General Assembly to address their specific concerns.

"This situation cannot be sustained for much longer, especially if the Council has to ensure a stable and supportive international political environment for the successful implementation of the post-2015 Development Agenda.

"We therefore call on you to include in your proposed nonpaper a strong endorsement of the call of a majority of UN member states for urgent and early reforms of the structure of the UN Security Council, expanding the membership in both categories in order to allow the voices of developing countries to be heard, and acted upon, more regularly in the Council Chamber," Mukerji said.PTI

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SATYAGRAH BOUND Indian Americans Making A Difference

August 7, 2015

www.indiapost.com

A MONTHLY SERIES - BY RISHI KUMAR

S

atyagrah Souls is a monthly column highlighting the achievements of Indian Americans locally and beyond, raising political awareness for our readers by presenting such role-models of inspiration for each of us to strive for similar uplifting purposes to reach higher zeniths of fulfillment. We Indian Americans are going through a transitional evolution, as we get entrenched, establishing ourselves in this free world, exerting our zealous work ethics and citizenship values as we do some good - as entrepreneurs, high tech geeks, doctors, lawyers and more. We are imposing our good will upon this fantastic country. But in quiet moments we may concur that our involvement can run a bit deeper to make a better impact over issues near and dear to our hearts.

We have this pinching feeling in our conscience of a task that needed our say.

Are we doing enough? Yes we can get involved! Our involvement can simply start with developing a healthy curiosity in our local community, instead of being 'busy' bystanders. Once we get involved, we quickly discover, how easy it is for us to impact change and how freeing and energizing the experience is; personally rewarding and transformative at the same time.

There are some of us who are already beginning to or have made their mark in doing just that. With this monthly series, we want to highlight these SatyAgrah souls as inspiration for all of us. Here is a satyaGrah soul, who has embarked upon a path not trodden‌

Myth of model minority hurts us: Senator Jayapal

P

ramila we were delighted to see you as the first Indian immigrant elected to the Washington State Legislature. But this was a journey that you started almost 20 years ago as an activist in South Seattle. What was the defining moment that set the path for you as a community leader?

Since I left the world of Wall Street and the private sector back in 1991, I was searching for how I could make a real difference to creating a better world. I wanted my avocation and my vocation to be the same, not different. I wanted to do work that would make me wake up every morning and know that I would do something that mattered for the lives of those around me. That led me to nonprofit, international social justice work with a public health organization that worked all over the world. But 9-11 was the moment that really politicized me, pulled me forward into a very public kind of advocacy, into community organizing, and into pushing for political change.

the year before. I decided I had to do something-so I started calling around, got a meeting with our Congressman for that Monday after 9/11.

That is really how Hate Free Zone (the original name before we changed the name to OneAmerica in 2008) started-first around education and advocacy for those experiencing hate crimes by individuals against other individuals.

But within just a few weeks, we realized that we had to fight the Federal government at the time for massive abuses of civil liberties, things like "disappearing" Arab and Muslim men, stopping deportations, and many other things that were being done in the name of civil liberties. It's incredible, too, what happened once we started standing up and speaking out.

People flocked to us-we had volunteers, partners, built coalitions and started fighting-and even winning. We produced education curriculum that we and our partners delivered in school districts around addressing bullying, understanding different religions and cultures, and building new bridges between immigrants and other communities. That fledgling effort-no staff, no money, nothing but passion and determination for a better and different world-led to the creation of what is now the largest immigrant advocacy organization in the state and one of the largest in the country.

What prompted you to establish OneAmerica, Washington state's largest immigrant and refugee advocacy organization?

I knew when 9-11 happened that nothing would ever be the same for people who looked like me. I remember getting a call from a friend, early in the morning on that day, and pulling a tiny television out of my boxes (I had just moved into a new home the day before) and watching the horrifying events on TV. Soon after that, I started getting calls from friends and acquaintances about the hate crimes that Speaking at a press conference for the first bill she sponsored to raise were happenWashington state's minimum wage to $12 in four years ing in the South Asian, Arab American and Muslim communities.

Now that 9/11 is behind us, how much The crowning call came from a school of a priority is OneAmerica today?

I am so proud of what we created together teacher friend of mine in South Seattle just five days after 9/11. She was in tears telling and what OneAmerica continues to advome about the third Muslim family that had cate and stand for. While the issues being taken their kids out of school because they addressed may be different today, the sad were being harassed. I cried too-and reality is that OneAmerica is as needed tocouldn't believe that this was the country day as it was then. We have also helped to that I had literally just become a citizen of foster the birth and growth of a larger

P

ramila is serving her first term in the Washington State Senate. She represents the 37th Legislative District, which stretches south from Capitol Hill to Skyway and downtown Renton. Her home of nearly twenty years, the 37th is one of the most racially and economically diverse districts in the state.

Born in India, Pramila came to the U.S.

Nice portrait of the Senator on the Capitol grounds

by herself when she was sixteen to attend Georgetown University. She worked on Wall Street as a financial analyst following graduation and then went on to

community of ethnic and immigrant organizations who are reaching even deeper into their own individual communities.

OneAmerica continues to address the issues of civil liberties abuses of post-9/11 communities, of human rights abuses along the border, of immigration reform and immigrant rights, as well as improving education, jobs and other important issues to immigrant communities and communities of color.

How relevant is OneAmerica for our Indian American community? Do you see the Indian American community as passive when it comes to addressing issues of our rights?

In terms of the Indian American community, OneAmerica is still strongly connected to it. It works in strong partnership with the Sikh Coalition, as well as with other service organization serving the South Asian community. However, some of the issues are different.

Our Indian American communities still deal with hate crimes-but now we also focus on how we help get more South Asians

earn a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University. After working in the medical equipment industry for a year, she decided to leave the private sector and pursue work in the social justice arena.

Pramila has spent the last twenty years working both internationally and domestically as a leading national advocate for women's, immigrant's, civil and human rights. She led one of the largest voter registration efforts in Washington State, helping over 23,000 new Americans to register to vote.

She is the founder of OneAmerica, Washington state's largest immigrant advocacy organization and key player in the passage of the 2014 Dream Act. In May 2013, Pramila was recognized as a White House "Champion of Change."

In addition to her work as an advocate, she is an author of a book and a contributor to numerous publications, including The Nation, Crosscut and Reuters.

She lives in Columbia City with her son and husband, and has another grown stepson who lives in Colorado.

elected, how we increase civic participation of South Asians, how we help young South Asians or South Asian families who are affected by a broken immigration system.

There is plenty of relevance for the South Asian community, to be sure!

It is not that South Asians are passive, but it is true that so many more can be active and engaged. That is a goal of mine!

We need to understand in our community that to speak up and speak out IS the most patriotic thing we can do. That is what is so great about America.

Our ability to have freedom of speech, to vote, to be engaged right here in our own community, and to be very, very proud of our Indian heritage even as we celebrate our place in this country we call home. I want more South Asian Americans to be involved in fighting for democracy-because if we don't fight for democracy, then how can we expect to preserve it, grow it or make it better? That's a challenge to everyone out there reading this!

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August 7, 2015

SATYAGRAH BOUND Indian Americans Making A Difference

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Myth of model minority hurts us: Senator Jayapal Cont’d from page 10

How important is race? You as an elected leader - how invested are you to address issues that are important to ethnic minorities and our Indian American Community.

Race is critically important. As both an advocate on the outside and now as an advocate on the inside, I have been and will continue to be devoted to addressing the issues that are important to ethnic minorities and our Indian American community.

We cannot be shy about asserting our deep knowledge and understanding of our community's needs. Of course, I advocate

Senator Jayapal's swearing in ceremony

for everyone-but there is no question that I take my responsibilities to represent Indian Americans seriously as well. I will never forget where I come from, and I have a deep understanding of our community in a way that others may not. We do not have enough legislators of color, enough immigrants, enough ethnic minorities and so as a representative of those communities, I feel I have a special obligation to bring their needs, accomplishments, challenges and opportunities forward. The myth of the model minority hurts us-our ethnic communities have varied needs. We need these communities to be deeply invested in government and government needs to invest deeply in our ethnic communities.

It was a great privilege by the way, as the first South Asian elected to the State legislature in Washington, to present a resolution celebrating Republic Day and Indian Americans in the state of Washington. No one had ever done that before, and to be able to acknowledge the depth of culture and contribution that Indian Americans bring to Washington and to educate others in the Senate about our Indian American community was wonderful and brought so much pride to our community as well.

And the flip side, how strongly should our community align with leaders such as yourself and others like Governor Nikki Haley (South Carolina) and Governor Bobby Jindal (Louisiana). Being an Indian American is good enough to deserve support?

I believe that being Indian American alone is simply not enough to deserve support. The first and foremost reason to support a candidate is because that candidate stands for something you as a voter and constituent deeply believe in and respect.

You have to educate yourself about a candidate's platform and make your choices

carefully and thoughtfully because it is critically important who we elect. My values and platform differ sharply from Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal, and if I were one of their constituents, I would not vote for them because our values and beliefs differ dramatically. Now, if there is an Indian American candidate whose values you DO support, I think Indian Americans should go out of their way to support them in any way possible, because those candidates really need our help.

It is hard to run for office, and candidates of color and ethnic minorities often suffer great disadvantages in running. We desperately need all the help possible for our own communities of origin-and we hope that a win for us is a win for them! Often, though not always by any means, we can help represent our communities better than those who don't know our communities-but we need the support and the help, as long as the first condition of similar values and beliefs are satisfied.

On a personal note, it makes me so proud to see other Indian Americans proud of helping to elect me, of being so involved in my campaign, of contributing to me. It also makes me proud to be a role model for our younger Indian Americans, and to continue to forge a path forward for more of us to be elected to office.

coalitions and collaborating together as a broad South Asian community makes us so much more powerful.

Do you see the Indian community as united working, collaborating to make a difference? In certain areas of the United States, we still see regional politicism emerge, that brings the language and caste oriented communities together but are still impacting the united, cohesive force of the Indian community from collaborating and building upon our success.

Here is the segue question then. We quote you from your election night "given the scale of the change we seek we have to prepare ourselves to what amounts to a permanent campaign. And this is just the beginning." What defines a permanent campaign and this is the beginning of what?

A permanent campaign is a campaign that

What are you doing to encourage up and coming leaders in the community?

How are you seeding leaders to follow your path?

This has been a critical priority for me from the start! During my campaign, I created internships and fellowships for young people, particularly people of color and women, and I actively sought out young South Asian Americans. They were fantastic! Many stayed involved all the way through the campaign, coming and volunteering every week. After I got elected, we have the opportunity to have Senate pages with our office, and we actively recruited young high schoolers from the South Asian community to come and page in the office with us. I speak to numerous groups of young people here and around the country on why it's so important to run for office and be engaged in democracy. I help mentor those who are running and share my own experiences of what it has been like. I am currently actively supporting several Indian American candidates running for office here locally and will continue to do so.

I am also starting an active effort to fund and operate a permanent campaign that keeps our organizing and engagement going.

A bill signing ceremony with Governor Jay Inslee and constituents, for a bill the Senator sponsored to increase access to dental care

I do see this to some extent, but I also see the younger generation of leaders really changing this. Organizations like SAALT and the Sikh Coalition and the many domestic violence organizations across the country have been so important to bringing the Indian American communities together. I also think many people do realize that in a new country, we are more alike with others from our broad communities than we are different-in this new country, building

doesn't just follow the cycles of electionstoo many voter engagement campaigns start and end with an election. Groups parachute in and out. No work is done to engage those who are not currently votingmost campaign work focuses on those who are already good voters or registering new voters to vote. However, we have such a huge portion of our communities that are registered but have lost faith in the political process, don't know how to vote or don't

believe it's important or that their voice counts.

I want to change all this. And I want to do it through getting more young people, women and people of color engaged in making this happen. A permanent campaign is also not just focused on electing someone, but on keeping the momentum and organizing going after they are elected-to help us all achieve our goals. Yes, elected officials have to be accountable to the community that elects them, but they also need the community to turn out, to organize and to help continue to push in collaboration from the outside and inside.

That's what the permanent campaign I am working on now will entail and I'm excited to create new models for this kind of permanent organizing so that we can expand our democracy and achieve the change we want to see in the world.

Senator Jaypal thank you! Very happy that you joined us today, sharing your perspectives rather candidly, and definitely learning and inspiration for all of us. Your passion, your commitment, your enthusiasm to do some good came out loud and clear. ******* Dear Readers Do you have a story to share? We invite you to introduce us to folks in your community who are making a difference - we would love to profile them. Are there similar stories you are familiar with locally. The ones who helped address a simple issue in the community to make life a bit better.

Perhaps someone you know decided to make a run for school board, was appointed to the planning commission. Provide us your insights on Indian Americans locally and nationally who are making things happen. These perspectives will help construct roadmaps for our community to empower ourselves, to hopefully ignite a desire in all of us to represent our local communities as doers, leaders, establish and entrench ourselves in this glorious country of America and help make it a better place ABOUT RISHI: Rishi is Silicon Valley's energizer bunny deeply engaged in his local community. He is an elected city councilmember in Saratoga, CA who continues to follow his passion for community service and community building. Rishi's day job is as a Silicon Valley hi-tech executive but his zeal for community service effervescent. Rishi Kumar is the President of the Bay Area Indian American Democratic Club (www.baiadc.org) whose charter is to further the interests and values of Indian Americans, work towards political empowerment and advance ethical standards in the political system. Rishi would love to get your recommendations for coverage of engaged Indian American leaders who are trailblazers in your community.

You can reach him via his website www.RishiKumar.com.

Tech News 'India should invest in whole of Africa' KOLKATA: Indian investment in Africa should be considered for the entire continent rather than any individual country, High Commissioner of Ghana, Samuel Panyin Yalley has said.

"India needs to look for strategic investment in Africa and consider the entire continent as a single market," Yalley said here at an event organized by CII. "Africa will be the next frontier in economy," the envoy said.

He suggested that Indian companies can look at areas like infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, mining and other possible opportunities in the continent with a 200 million strong consumers.

Yalley reasoned that land is readily available and cheap in the continent and the firms will not face challenges in sending profits back to the home country.

"Profits can be sent back home without any concern.

Investment are also safe," said Leluu O Abdallah, Counsellor, Tanzania High Commission.

South Africa High Commission Counselor (economic) Stefanus Botes is of the view that Airtel's plan for 'partial' asset sale in Africa won't lead to any negative investment outlook in the sub-continent.

Meanwhile, an Indo-African business seminar has been scheduled for October this year to explore areas of cooperation between India and African countries. -PTI

Task force to help Mitsubishi and employees NORMAL, Ill.: Officials in Bloomington, Normal and McLean County have set up a task force to help Mitsubishi Motors employees who will soon lose their jobs and help the company as it tries to find a buyer for its central Illinois auto plant.

According to The Pantagraph in Bloomington, the 27-member task force includes Gov. Bruce Rauner, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis.

Mitsubishi announced last month that it will shut down the plant in Normal. The company hopes to find a buyer but the plant's 1,200 employees will be out of work when the facility closes in November.

The task force hopes to help those workers find new jobs and help look for a buyer for the plant. -AP

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August 7, 2015

Berger plans 2 new plants in Assam KOLKATA: Berger Paints India has said it was contemplating two new plants in North East.

"We are planning two units in Assam. One under Berger and another British Paints brands," Berger chairman Kuldip Singh Dhingra said here after the AGM. British Paints is a division of Berger.

Dhingra said they were yet to sign a pact for land with Assam government. "We will place the proposal with the board shortly." he said.

Berger Managing Director Abhijit Roy said total land will be around 12 acres and investment in the initial phase was expected to be around Rs 60 crore. -PTI

Congress obstructionist tendencies hurting economy: Jaitley NEW DELHI: Accusing the Congress of adopting an 'obstructionist attitude' in blocking GST, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the points of dissent being raised now on this legislation did not find favor with either of the two UPA Finance Ministers - P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee.

Jaitley said the Congress may be upset with the government for 'political reasons', but it must "accept and seriously introspect" that negativism and its "obstructionist tendencies" would hurt the country and the economy.

Giving a point-wise rebuttal to all eight instances of dissent put forth by the Congress, he said the present government has not made "any significant modifications" to the GST legislation accepted by the previous UPA government and it has also been supported by the Congress-ruled states.

Acknowledging that there may be merit in Congress' demand for 18 per cent GST rate, he said this needs to be decided by the GST council and the only significant change introduced in the present bill was "to bring a consensus be-

tween manufacturing and consuming states".

"Is it only out of an obstructionist attitude that the Congress party has adopted a negative role? Since Parliament is not functioning and there is no way to clarify these

power in the GST Council to threefourth, Jaitley said, "Is it the Congress proposal that the Union should cease to economically survive? Is it their proposal that the Centre should have no say in the system of national taxation?

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

points before the same, I am constrained to place the above facts in public domain," Jaitley said in a post on his Facebook page.

Rejecting the Congress proposal for raising the states' voting

"The Congress appears to have made this proposal without adequate application of mind."

Jaitley further said: "The Congress party and its leader may be upset with the government for po-

litical reasons. They may be upset with the electorate for the 2014 verdict.

"The Congress party should accept and seriously introspect after having ruled the country for the longest period of time, that negativism hurts the country. Should its obstructionist tendencies inflict an economic injury on the country?"

Stating that it was a Congressled government that proposed GST in 2006-07 Budget and the Constitution amendment was also piloted by the UPA, Jaitley said changes suggested by the Empowered Committee and the Standing Committee at that time were also accepted by the UPA government.

For GST rollout from April 1, 2016, Parliament needs to approve the Constitution Amendment Bill in the current monsoon session, ending August 13, after which half of 30 states would need to clear it.

The nation-wide Goods and Services Tax (GST) seeks to replace all existing indirect taxes.

However, Parliament proceedings have been repeatedly getting disrupted over issues like Lalit Modi controversy and the Vyapam scam for the past two weeks.-PTI

PM favors export of surplus sugar NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favored raising sugar exports to liquidate surplus stocks because of low domestic demand that has led to huge cane arrears of over Rs 14,000 crore to farmers.

Modi chaired a meeting of ministers and officials to review issues related to the sugar sector where he called for increasing the ethanol-blending with petrol.

"Taking note of the current supply-demand issues with regard to sugar, the Prime Minister called for assiduous efforts to increase ethanol blending of fuel. He also called for exploring all possibilities for export of sugar," a PMO statement said after the meeting.

Sugar industry, which owes about Rs 14,398 crore to cane farmers, is unable to make payment as

it is facing severe liquidity crunch on account of surplus production that has resulted in low prices of sugar in the domestic market.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, among others, participated in the meeting.

"The Prime Minister emphasized that the farmers' interest be kept foremost at all times, and issues related to sugar sector be monitored regularly. Long-term measures with regard to the sector were also discussed," the statement said.

Modi also reviewed the progress with regard to the Rs 6,000 crore incentive package approved by the government in June 2015 to enable sugar mills clear

cane arrears to farmers.

Ex-mill sugar prices have fallen to below Rs 20/kg in the country, while the cost of production is over Rs 30/kg. There is still sur-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

plus stock of 10 million tonnes in the country.

Sugar production of India, the

world's second largest producer and biggest consumer, is estimated at record 28.3 million tonnes in 2014-15 marketing year (October-September), as against 24.3 million tonnes in the previous year.

The total annual demand is pegged at 24.5 million tonnes.

Senior officers from the Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs, Finance, Commerce, External Affairs, Petroleum and Natural Gas, besides NITI Aayog and PMO, were also present in the meeting.

Food ministry is believed to have proposed various short and long term measures to overcome the crisis that includes mandatory higher exports, increased ethanol (bye-product of sugarcane) blending with petrol and expansion of co-generation power capacity. -PTI

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August 7, 2015

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Bihar bans 11 noodle brands; No probe into purchase of aircraft by Air India ITC, HUL among them PATNA: After Maggi being off the shelves in Bihar, the state government has banned sale, advertisement and storage of 11 other brands of instant noodles after lab tests found presence of monosodium glutamate in them.

One of the 11 brands also contains lead over permissible limit, Bihar Food Safety Commissioner Anand Kishor said.

Nestle's 'Maggi' noodles has been banned in the state since June 5.

The banned brands include 'Knorr Mast Masala Soupy Noodles' manufactured by Hindustan Unilever Limited, 'Foodles Multigrain' and 'Ata Masala Noodles' by Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Healthcare, 'Ching's Manchurian' and 'Veg Hakka Noodles' of Capital Foods Private Limited.

'Top Ramen Super Noodles', 'Top Ramen Curry Noodles' were also banned along with the 'Curry Veg Noodles' manufactured by Indo Nissin Foods Limited and its 'Cup Noodles Veggie Manchow', whose tastemaker was found to contain more lead than permitted.

Sunfeast 'Yipee Noodles Magic Masala' and 'Yipee Noodles Classic Masala' made by ITC Limited Foods Division too have been banned, Kishor said.

ITC chairman Y C Deveshwar had said in Kolkata earlier that

noodles manufactured by the company under the 'Yippee' brand are safe and had passed all the tests.

"Lab tests conducted in New Delhi of samples of all these noodles have detected presence of MSG in all of them.

This is not allowed in dry food products and also involves the issue of misbranding under provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. We are banning all these products for a month from August 2 to September 1 as of now," Kishore added.

The government has also asked the companies to recall the products immediately from the market. Apart from sale of the products, their advertisement, publicity and storage have also been banned.

Kishor said it will initiate legal proceedings against retailers and distributors found involved in sale, purchase, display of these noodles after the ban.

The samples of these brands of noodles were collected from different parts of the state and were sent for tests in May and June after the 'Maggi' controversy broke out and led to its nation-wide ban.

The samples were sent for testing to Kolkata, Bhopal, and New Delhi among others as Bihar has no laboratories which can conduct the required tests. -PTI

Volvo eyeing 10% car market share KOLKATA: Eyeing 10 per cent market share in luxury car segment in India by 2020, Swedish carmaker Volvo plans to introduce four new models in the country, a senior official said here.

ing the company's first dealership in the city.

"We are targeting at 10 per cent segment share. Currently we have 4.5 per cent segment share and with the upcoming launches

"We have grown quite a bit last year and want to continue that growth. We grew 30 per cent and sold 1,200 units," said Volvo Auto India managing director Tom von Bonsdorff while inaugurat-

and expanding dealership, the target can be achieved.

India is one of the fastest growing markets for Volvo," he added.

Volvo, which started doing

business in India in 2008 and competes with German brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi in India, has decided to start "focusing properly' on the country and making its presence in more cities.

"We have variants and new products. In the next two years, we will launch three to five allnew cars, besides some variants," von Bonsdorff said.

Towards this goal, the company has plans to add four new models and increase its dealership strength to 20, he added.

"We want to be on par with our German competitors, both in pricing and brand value besides improving our products to be more human-centric and safe," he said.

Incidentally, Volvo launched the T6 variant of its S60 in India earlier this month.

Besides, there are four other luxury models - V40 (luxury hatch back), V40 Cross country, XC 60 (luxury SUV), and XC90 (a 7-seater luxury SUV), followed by the subRs 25 lakh car V40. -PTI

NEW DELHI: Government has not ordered any probe into largescale purchase of aircraft by the Air India, Lok Sabha was informed.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the government "has not ordered any probe into the matter."

"However, the CBI, on the is-

In 2004-6, with the approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the Air India, the erstwhile Indian Airlines (now merged into Air India Ltd) and Air India Express, had placed an order for a total of 111 aircraft of which 102 have already been inducted, Raju said.

sue of creation of MRO facilities and a training centre, in an agreement signed between Indian Airlines and Airbus Industrie, on the basis of a preliminary enquiry (dated 14-1-2010), has filed an FIR (on 27-2-2013) and the matter is under investigation with the CBI," he said.

He also said that no purchase order for aircraft has been placed

by Air India in the last three years and the current year.

The Minister said the delivery of three B777-300 ER aircraft has been postponed, while the balance six B-787 Dreamliner aircraft will be completed by 2016. -PTI

14

TechBiz Post

India Post

August 7, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Centre asks Delhi to sell cheaper onions NEW DELHI: With onion retail prices touching Rs 50 per kg in the national capital, the Centre has asked the Delhi government to open makeshift retail outlets near ration shops for selling the key kitchen item at lower rates.

It also directed cooperative NAFED to expedite onion imports to boost domestic supply and curb rising prices.

The central agency Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) and co-operative Nafed have together procured 7,0008,000 tonnes of onions from Nasik, Maharashtra using the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF).

On its part, Delhi government has procured 2,000 tonnes of onions and the stocks have been

stored with SFAC. These decisions were taken at

availability and prices of onions and pulses. Delhi government of-

a meeting called by Union Consumer Affairs Secretary C Vishwanath here to assess the

ficials were also present in the meeting.

Retail prices of onions in Delhi

have touched Rs 50-55 per kg and rates may rise further in the coming days.

"We took stock of the price situation of essential commodities especially onion and pulses with representatives of SFAC, cooperative Nafed, trading agency MMTC, and the Delhi government," Vishwanath told PTI after the meeting.

In the meeting, SFAC was asked to increase onions supply in the Delhi retail markets.

"To increase supply in national market, the Delhi government - which also has procured about 2,000 tonnes of onion and stored it with SFAC - has been requested to open retail points at Fair Price Shop locations to fa-

cilitate sale of onions for the benefit of common man," the official said.

SFAC is already selling onions 100 tonnes of onions per day in the national capital through retail outlets of Mother Dairy's Safal, Delhi Milk Scheme and Big Bazaar.

That apart, Nafed has been asked to expedite the import of 10,000 tonnes of onion and offload them in the domestic market at the earliest.

According to sources, the Delhi government informed in the meeting that it would take a decision next week on the issue of onion subsidy as well as opening of retail points to increase the supply in the national capital.-PTI

Guj govt websites to connect UP wants SIDBI's head office in Lucknow to social media AHMEDABAD: Websites of various departments of the government in western Indian state of Gujarat will soon be seen in a new avatar with fresh user-friendly content along with integration of social media platforms in a bid to deliver more reliable, accurate and updated information to people.

The state government has also directed all its departments to ensure that content of all its websites is in both Gujarati and English languages.

Apart from making websites more accurate, attractive and user-friendly, the government has also planned to make them more secure and participative, said Science and Technology department secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi.

"Our objective is to improve the overall content of the websites and deliver more reliable, trusted and updated information to users.

We also want to streamline the entire process of website design.

Thus, we have issued guidelines

to all the departments to achieve this objective," he said.

Dwivedi's department recently formulated a comprehensive set of guidelines for integration of social

media and for designing, maintaining, promoting, updating, developing and securing the websites.

These guidelines have now been sent to government departments, boards, corporations and societies for their implementation and follow up.

One of the key features of the

guidelines is the use of Gujarati language and use of social media platforms to promote the website and engage with users.

Now, all the departments will have to ensure that content of their website would be available in Gujarati as well as in English against the present case wherein several websites have only English text.

"Websites shall be bilingual (Gujarati and English).

In case the current website is not bilingual, the respective organization shall take necessary steps to render it bilingual within six months", stated the guideline document sent to various departments.

The departments have also been asked to integrate various social media platforms into their websites. These platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should also be used to promote the website, stated the guidelines.-PTI

First woman CGM in BSNL, Tamil Nadu CHENNAI: State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has announced the appointment of N Poonguzhali as the first Woman Chief General Manager, Tamil Nadu Circle.

Poonguzhali, an officer of the 1979 batch of Indian Telecommunication Service, is also an alumni of IIT Madras.

She has more than 34 years experience in department of Tele-

communication and in BSNL in various responsibilities, an official release said.

She underwent training in switching technology in Korea and Malaysia, it added. -PTI

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to set up the head office of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in Lucknow.

In the letter, Yadav requested the PM to immediately transfer the departments which have been shifted to Mumbai as well

head office of SIDBI in Lucknow, keeping with the slow pace of industrialization here, and an act was also passed in this direction.

In the letter, he also said that infrastructure like offices and housing buildings were also constructed here but gradually important departments were shifted from Lucknow to

Akhilesh Yadav

as the office of the chairman/ managing director here, an official release said.

He (Yadav) stressed on the point that this step will boost small industries as well as encourage economic and business activities in the state and lead to economic development not only of Uttar Pradesh but also of adjacent states which have remained backward, it added.

Yadav recalled that earlier in 1990 it was decided to set up the

Mumbai in 2003.

He pointed out that SIDBI is the only national level financial institution of the central government in the state, the release said.

Set up on April 2, 1990, SIDBI is the principal financial institution for the promotion, financing and development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector and for coordination of the functions of the institutions engaged in similar activities. -PTI

August 7, 2015

TechBiz Post

India Post 15

www.indiapost.com

Fed regulators reject Pot industry's bank bid DENVER: A Colorado credit union is hoping a federal judge will intervene to let the booming marijuana industry move its finances from cash-stuffed suitcases to the regulated banking system.

A pair of lawsuits filed in Denver challenge recent decisions by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the National Credit Union Administration to deny applications from Fourth Corner Credit Union.

The credit union was set up last year to serve Colorado's marijuana industry, but it needed permission from federal insurers and regulators before opening for business.

The Federal Reserve rejected Fourth Corner's application earlier this month. The decision means many pot businesses still use elaborate banking workarounds - from paying the power bill with money orders to spritzing skunky cash with Febreze to avoid

An employee works the register, receiving cash at a retail marijuana store, in Denver.

scrutiny.

The U.S. Treasury Department issued guidelines last year for how banks could accept pot money. But many large banks considered the guidelines onerous and still won't take deposits related to marijuana businesses, prompting Colorado banking regulators to set up a proposed credit union to comply with those guidelines.

Fourth Corner would have allowed pot shops and growers to access not just basic checking but also lines of credit and other financial products the expanding industry wants. ``We thought it was a good model,'' said Andrew Freedman, marijuana adviser to Gov. John Hickenlooper. ``It's an under-banked industry, and that's a problem not just for them but for the people of Colorado'' because of the security risks of doing business in cash, he said.

The marijuana industry isn't completely without banking services. Some 400 financial institutions have filed thousands of marijuana-related reports with federal banking regulators in compliance with last year's guidance.

But many in the marijuana industry say they face significant hurdles, even fielding offers from shady entrepreneurs offering to fly their cash to another country to set up offshore accounts. When a pot business wants to expand - perhaps by building a new warehouse or renovating a storefront it typically has to find a cash investor willing to accept the risk of fronting money to a

business that's illegal under federal law, usually in exchange for a steep interest rate. ``They have to pay a premium to get those banking services,'' said Tyler Henson, head of the Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, which represents pot growers and retailers as well as ancillary businesses such as grow-light manufacturers. ``Everyone wants a solution because nobody wants to give their retail employee a paycheck, $1,500 in cash, and ask them to walk home with that late at night. It's just not safe.''

But the National Credit Union Administration cited uncertainty about the marijuana

business in declining Fourth Corner's application for deposit insurance. In a July 2 letter, the agency told the credit union that the marijuana industry ``does not have an established track record of success and remains illegal at the federal level.''

Two weeks later, the Federal Reserve rejected the credit union's application for a ``master account,'' which Fourth Corner would need to interact with other financial institutions.

The credit union filed two lawsuits challenging the decisions. ``The NCUA lacks expertise in the op-

eration and regulation of the state legalized cannabis industry,'' the credit union argued in its complaint.

Representatives of the NCUA and Federal Reserve declined to comment on the lawsuits.

Other federal agencies are starting to talk about the marijuana industry's finances, though.

The Internal Revenue Service released a memo saying that a Washington state marijuana business owner could subtract state excise taxes on pot from the proceeds of selling it. -AP

Desi News Master Co here with Pranic Healing program SANDHYA KARKERA

M

aster Stephen Co is a senior disciple and per-sonal student of Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, the founder of Pranic Healing®. He and his wife, Daphne, started the first Pranic Healing® center outside of the Philippines, the U.S. Pranic Healing Center/ American Institute of Asian Studies, LLC, in Chino, California, to promote and teach Pranic healing® the United States. Master Co is visiting the Bay area and we had a chance to talk to him about his upcoming trip Details on page 20

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

www.indiapost.com

God is eternal, yet he takes Janm in the world Details on page 25

August 7, 2015

Bay Area gets ready for FOG Awards & unique events RITU MAHESHWARI India Post News Service

Gujarat comes alive at New Jersey exhibition SUDHIR VYAS

EDISON, NJ: The popular adage `Jyan Jya Vase Ek Gujarati Tyan Tyan Sadakal Gujarat' (wherever there is a Gujarati there will be Gujarat all the time) came alive with the launch of the fourth edition of Chalo Gujarat at the Raritan Expo Center here.

Details on page 21

New First Bank branch on Main St

FREMONT: Bay area will be surrounded by a different type of FOG for the next two weeks. The FOG highlight will be a Grand Awards night on August 15 at SAP Center. It will be culmination of 10day celebration of best of the global movies from 30 different countries and a special focus on 'Women Empowerment'. SAP Center is one of the Bay area's largest event centers with state-of-the-art stage and event facilities.

The week leading to FOG awards will feature a harmony of beautiful dance performances, song renditions and a unique evening of recognitions for some of world's best movie and musical personalities.

The FOG awards will be held on the largest ever scale at SAP

Hollywood celebrities at FOG Awards

Center. It is expected to have 20,000 attendees and will be graced by more than hundred invited

Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities. The welcome addresses will be by Consul Generals of various

countries followed by a press conference.

STEPHAINE KULKE

EVANSTON: First Bank & Trust is moving its branch located at 741 Main St. in Evanston to Chicago + Main, a new mixed-use, high-rise building being constructed at 835 Chicago Ave. The new branch will continue to be managed by First Bank & Trust's Assistant Vice President Chris White and is scheduled to open in summer 2016.

Details on page 23

Inspiring & informative Hindu Heritage Day ARVIND PATEL & JAYANTI OZA

CHICAGO: It was the very first attempt on the part of a group of community activists headed by Shamkant, Ajit Gandhi, Jdivenkar, Harendra Mangrola, Nirav Patel, Vinesh Virani and Ms Jhingan to host Hindu Heritage Day to showcase the basic thoughts and philosophy that mould Hindu behavior and action as also its rich cultural heritage.

Details on page 23

Cont’d on page 25

Festival of Globe Events

Location

Date/Time

FOG Awards SF Global Movie Fest Opening Night Mixer Global Movie Screenings Global Movie Screenings World Premieres 1 & Red Carpet World Premieres 1 & Red Carpet

SAP Center, San Jose

August 15, 2015 (6pm - 11pm) August 7 - 14 August 7 2015 (5:00 pm - 11:00 pm) Aug 8-9, 2015 (11 am - 11:00 pm) Aug 10-12, 2015 (11 am - 11:00 pm) Aug 13, 2015 (5:00 pm - 11:00 pm) Aug 14, 2015 (11:00 am - 11:00 pm)

Camera 12 Cinemas, San Jose, CA Camera 12 Cinemas, San Jose, CA Camera 12 Cinemas, San Jose, CA Camera 12 Cinemas, San Jose, CA California Theaters, San Jose, CA

Women Empowerment: Panel -1 Camera 12 Cinemas Screen 9, San Jose, CA August 8, 2015 (6 pm to 9 pm) Nyna Caputi Director of the movie "Petals in the Dust" & Founder - The Expat Woman; Shraddha Chaplot Cisco SVBJ 100 Women of Influence & Forty under 40- 2014; Shalini Govil-Pai Global head, YouTube; Divya Khosla Kumar Indian Actress, Producer, Director, Owner T-series; Lida Mohaghegh TV Anchor, Journalist, Face of Persia; Ipsita Pati Model, Miss Universe, India finalist; Chhitra Subramaniam Vice President, Rose Audio-Visuals Pvt Ltd Women Empowerment: Panel - 2 Camera 12 Cinemas Screen 9, San Jose, CA August 13, 2015 (6 pm to 9 pm) Pooja Batra Indian Actress & Model; Richa Chadha Bollywood Actress; Kieu Chinh Vietnamese Actress; Shelly Kapoor Collins CEO, Enscient Corporation; National Women's Business Council Member- Advisor to The President, Congress & SBA, USA; Kat Kramer Actress, Singer, & Producer; Thanh Lan Vietnamese Singer; Guneet Monga Indian film producer cofounder of Sikhya Entertainment; CEO at Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt. Ltd; Deepti Naval Indian actress, Director, Writer, Painter, and Photographer; Mariah Parks Actress, Singer, Dancer; Shani Rigsbee Singer, Producer, and Actress; Sonu Walia Bollywood Actress, Model; Lauren Gotileb Dancer Forums & Discussion: Investor's Pitch Cinema and Technology Movie Makers Panel Discussion Fair Mela (Cultural & Musical Extravaganza With Art And Food Fest & Free Health Fair) Grand Parade

Camera 12, Theatre 9 Camera 12, Theatre 9 Camera 12, Theatre 9 Paseo Padre, Fremont, CA

August 10, 2015 (6 pm to 9 pm) August 11, 2015 (6 pm to 9 pm) August 12, 2015 (6 pm to 9 pm) Aug 15 & 16, 2015 (10:00 am to 6:00 pm)

Paseo Padre & Walnut Ave

Aug 16, 2015 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

For more details visit www.FOGsv.org

Community Across America

August 7, 2015

India Post 17

www.indiapost.com

Dr Kalam greater in death than in life SURENDRA ULLAL & RAMESH SOPARAWALA

CHICAGO: Members of Indian community across US have strung a common note of sorrow and anguish banishing regional, religious and linguistic barriers at the sudden death of a former Indian Presi-

dent Dr Abdul Kalam - remembered and respected for his academic brilliance and intellectual honesty.

Midwestern Indian Americans - from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee to St Louis and Houston - held

NRI Press Club recalls spiritual Kalam MADHU PATEL

CHICAGO: NRI Press Club members paying their homage to the memory of late former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), observed that he was

Dr Abdul Kalam

one of the India's best known scientists and yet a deeply spiritual person at heart. A real secular leader, President Abdul Kalam embodied all religious thoughts: He was a devout Muslim quoting profusely from the Holy Quran on

one hand and reciting at will from Hindu scriptures on the other. It is a known fact that he began his day with the words of the Bhagavad Gita.

In fact, at his first press conference after his nomination for the President's role, Abdul Kalam recited verses from the Holy Gita. Dr. Kalam became the 11th President of India on July 25, 2002 and worked relentlessly for his vision of a developed nation till the last breath of his life -July 27, 2015.

Many of his poems and books, including Guiding Souls - Dialogues on the Purpose of Life, reveal the spiritual side of this great nation builder. Five poems from Kalam's pen show his affinity towards age old Indian culture, namely Rakhi Day is Righteous Day; Guru Prakasham; Earth Shining in Glory; Radiating Message from Sree Siddaganga Maths

Prayer at Gayatri Mandir, Itasca JAYANTI OZA & SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Chicago organized

prayer session on July 31 mourning the death of the 11th former President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam at Gayatri Gyan Mandir in Itasca.

Closet to 100 community activists, members and leaders attended the meet which started with recitation of Shloka by Hindu Temple Priest Sri Narsimhacharay.

Indian Consul OP Meena paying tribute to Dr Kalam. Also in the picture Harendra Mangrola and an attendee

Cont’d on page 19

prayer and condolence meets to mourn Dr Kalam's death and most of the meets were well attended by community leaders and members at large.

The Chicago Indian Consulate was among the first in announcing and mourning his death. A release from the Consulate said that it was a moment of shock that the nation heard of the sudden demise of former President Abdul Kalam even as he was engaged in talking to students. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam , former President of India breathed his last at

19.45 hrs. on 27 July at at Bethany Hospital, Shillong.

A humble man, of humble ori-

gins, a great scientist, humanitarian, visionary, well meaning, and gentle person who won all our hearts.

India has lost a precious gem.

We the people will truly miss him.

Hope we have the strength to follow his timeless ideals in our lives.

Deepest and heartfelt condolences to our fellow global citizens on this moment of grief and despair.

As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days State Mourning was declared in India and Indian Missions/ Posts abroad. During the period of State mourning, our National Flag flew half-mast on all buildings where it is flown regularly and there was no official entertainment.

Mourning the death of Dr Kalam, Salil Mishra, president of the Association of Indians in America at one of its annual programs here in Hinsdale, paid rich tributes to Dr Kalam and urged all those gathered to observe silence for a minute.

Community Across America

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August 7, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Dallas Indians shocked & saddened India Post News Service

Dallas, TX: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas (MGMNT) organized a candle light vigil condolence meeting to pay tribute to Bharata Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza in Irving.

More than 250 people from all walks of life gathered to pay rich floral tribute to Dr Kalam. MGMNT had arranged 83 candles in remem-

brance of Dr Kalam's life.

Dr Prasad Thotakura, Chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, said that it is a great loss to the entire nation to lose a multi-dimensional personality, a patriotic, scholar, scientist, engineer, humanitarian, youth icon, Bharat Ratna, the 11th President of India Dr Avul Paki Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.

Even though he is no more with us he will be remembered for genPrasad Thotakura addressing the gathering eulogizing the qualities of the late Indian President

erations to come as a gentle, sincere, saintly human being full of passion, love and affection towards motherland. Dr Kalam was always interested in interacting with youth to inspire and motivate them to go in right direction in serving India.

Taiyab Kundawala, the Cochair, MGMNT in his opening remarks said that an aeronautics engineer from Madras Institute of Technology, Kalam was considered the brain of missile program

nation especially to the younger generation. Jack Godhwani, MGMNT Board of Director said, "Dr Kalam spent his whole life in serving the country. Whatever position he was in always his heart and mind was Mother India.

MVL Prasad, a local community leader who worked with Dr Kalam in 1970s at ISRO, India said Dr Kalam's affection, hard work, inspiration and concern for others were remarkable. ISRO em-

Portrait of Dr Kalam at MGM in Texas

in India and as Chief Scientific Adviser to PM Vajpayee was also instrumental in the Pokhran nuclear test in 1998.

He once said "I will work and sweat for a great vision, the vision of transforming India into a developed nation!" And sure he did.

"In his passing, we have lost a great son of India who dedicated his entire life to the welfare of his motherland. Dr Kalam was a people's president during his lifetime and will remain so," John Hammond, MGMNT Board of Director said that Dr Kalam receiving more than 40 Honorary Doctoral degrees from different Universities across the globe illustrates his knowledge and wisdom.

Mrs Shabnam Modgil, MGMNT Board of Director said, "It is a great loss to the whole

ployees had a great opportunity to work with him and dearly miss him.

MGMNT Board of Directors, Shabnam Modgil and Jack Godhwani also paid rich tributes in their condolence messages.

Former DGP of Andhra Pradesh Dr K. Aravinda Rao recalled his interactions with Dr Kalam in connection with Lead India, a movement initiated by Dr Kalam.

Several community leaders from different organizations including Satish Reddy, Ananth Pajjur from ATA, Srikanth Polavarapu, Anil Veerapaneni from TANA, Paresh Patel from BAPS, Neelu Gonuguntla from Indian American Chamber of Commerce, Narasimha Reddy Urimindi, Subbu Jonnalgadda from TANTEX, joined the gathering to pay their respects to Dr Kalam.

Community Across America

August 7, 2015

India Post 19

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Prayer at Gayatri Mandir, Itasca

A section of the gathering Cont’d from page 17

Sara Rananathan paid homage to Dr. Abdul Kamal playing Veena (Sitar) and singing an ever popular Bharan 'Ragu Pati Ragav Raja Ram.' Harshit Patel acted as MC and did a good job. O.P. Meena, Consul from Indian Consulate of Chicago, touched upon the life of Dr Kalam and expressed his deepest condolences on behalf of the Indian Consulate of Chicago and

Indian community to the family of Dr Kalam and Indians at large globally.

Dr Abdul Kalam, he mentioned was a scientist and well known as the Missile Man. He came from a middle class family working hard during his student days. Dr Kalam worked out space cooperation with NASA during a 1962 visit to the USA. Dr Kalam's humility and dedication to the country was unparalleled and was an inspiration to millions of Indian students and

Oath to commemorate Dr Kalam legacy ASHWIN PATEL & VIJAY MANIVEL

ST LOUIS: A memorable solemn prayer meeting and taking 10 oaths were the highlights of an event in St Louis where the mem-

Mahatma Gandhi Center in St. Louis The Friday July 31 evening had the hall almost filled to capacity.

Indians around the world.

Imam Mohammad Vahidullah Khan, Masjid Al Huddah of Schaumberg, prayed for the soul of Dr Kalam in Arabic language.

Gayatri Gyan Mandir Priest Hashmukh Patel paid tribute with Gayatri Mantra. Vandana Jhingan from TV Asia, Hina Trivedi, Iftekhar Sharif, Prahlad Patil, Shamkant Sheth, Nirav Patel,

Sara Rananathan playing Sitar and singing Bhajan

Jdigvenkar and Ajit Gandhi were all there.

Gandhi said that the loss of Dr Kalam would be irreparable since he was the embodiment of secu-

larism that the Indian nation stood for and stands even now. In a way, the loss is not only for Indians but for all the communities across the world.

A highly successful MKCA picnic SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Mangalorean Konkan Christians Association (MKCA) hosted its annual picnic at the Vernon Hills Tennis Court Shelter and it turned out to be a well attended, successful affair.

It was a bright, sunny summer day and the program started with the youth playing Cricket and Volleyball. There were competitions

Participants line up for games

Enjoying picnic with a pet St Louis gathering

bers of Indian community came to pay tribute to the late president of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at the

People from all walks of life came and participated. Many spoke and expressed their feelings about the great soul, about how Dr Kalam's life and teachings impacted their life personally in one way or the other.

Flowers were offered and garlands were placed in front a of a huge portrait of the late Dr Kalam sitting in front of huge tri-colored flag of India.

Cont’d on page 20

arranged for children as well as adults. In the kids (under 7) Musical Chairs Justin Carvalho was the winner and Arian D'Souza was the runner-up. In the Kids 7-12 year age group, Isabel D'Souza was the winner in the Lemon n Spoon Race, and Karen Rodrigues was

Teens and adults at Volleyball game

the runner-up.

In the teenage group, Jason Mendonca was the winner in the

Tug of War had a great participation

Sack Race, and Jovan Monteiro was the runner-up.

Cont’d on page 26

Community Across America

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August 7, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Master Co here with Pranic Healing program

M

SANDHYA KARKERA

aster Stephen Co is a senior disciple and personal student of Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, the founder of Pranic Healing®. He and his wife, Daphne, started the first Pranic Healing® center outside of the Philippines, the U.S. Pranic Healing Center/American Institute of Asian Studies, LLC, in Chino, California, to promote and teach Pranic healing® the United States.

Master Co is visiting the Bay area and we had a chance to talk to him about his upcoming trip Master Co, you started a world wide Pranic Healing program.

Can you explain to us what is Pranic Healing and what brings you to the Bay Area?

I'm a US representative of the originator of the worldwide MCKS Pranic Healing® organization.

This program is in 120 countries.

Pranic Healing® is a simple and easy to learn energy healing modality that harnesses prana, or life

force, to accelerate the body's natural healing ability.

I come to the Bay area several times a year to share these powerful healing techniques to help people from all walks of life to release stress, have mental clarity and have better health.

Could you give us a little history about PH? How and when did it start and who started it.

Pranic Healing was originated in the Philippines by my Spiritual Teacher, Grand Master Choa Kok Sui. After over 30 years of researching many different healing modalities and spiritual practices, Grand Master Choa synthesized this information into a simple to follow energetic healing system that anyone can learn in order to boost one's vitality and accelerate healing from physical & emotional ailments.

There are many different healing techniques that the Far East offers for us here in the west. Why

PH? Pranic Healing was developed with the intention of creating an optimal energy healing system that synthesizes both eastern and western traditions of healing.

Pranic Energy Practitioners use Prana, Chi, Ki or simple "Energy" Vital Life Force - to facilitate the Balancing or "Healing" of one's physical, etheric, emotional and mental bodies without ever touching the physical body of the client.

This technology springs from a basic concept that Subtle Energy

Oath to commemorate Dr Kalam legacy

Dr K Group Cont’d from page 19

All of them lit candles in front of the portrait. A slide show with over two hundred pictures from many phases of Dr Kalam's life, both while he was alive and at the funeral services across India including the one at his birth place in Rameswaram, were shown.

The eulogy prayer meeting also had the audio played out loud with Dr Kalam's voice and speakers reciting the 10 oaths with everyone in the crowd standing up and taking the oaths one after another. A group of Dr Kalam's former students in the USA also took his well-known oath of principles meant for the Indian youth. All the attendees registered their presence at the event by signing in personal notes on a 'Wall of sympathy for Dr Kalam' that was posted at the venue. The touching sight was tears flowing from eyes of many people.

The meeting was organized by Sarath Rao, president of the India Association of Greater St Louis area with many other local non profit organizations including MG Center, Tamil Sangam of Missouri, Telugu Association and Kerala Association participating and pitching for realization of Dr Kalam's dreams.

Signing personal notes on Wall of Sympathy

or Prana, may be used to rebalance, align and normalize the flow

Master Stephen Co

PH heals! Are there specific use cases that you can discuss that patients from around the world have experienced?

There are countless simple as well as severe cases that many of our students have been able to alleviate with Pranic Healing. The common cases that have been substantially improved include back pain, headaches, high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis as well as learning disabilities and phobias to just name a few.

We have a number of free healing clinics throughout the Bay Area where people can go experience a Pranic Healing session at no charge. Practitioners of Pranic Healing offer this as a free service to local communities to help alleviate pain and suffering.

There are amazing results being generated through these free Pranic Healing Clinics!

How are you raising awareness of PH. Are there programs available for us to learn and incorporate daily Pranic healing for ourselves and our near and dear ones?

We are training many instructors to teach this powerful healing modality all over the USA. We also offer free introductory classes so people can experience Pranic Healing to help themselves and their loved ones. As I previously mentioned, the Pranic Healing clinics are also a wonderful resource that is free for those cu-

of Energy within the human body, or the environment and it may be directed to assist in nearly any area of a person's life.

In other words, when the Subtle Energy of a specific part or area is normalized, customary normal function may be easily & rapidly restored.

It has been demonstrated that Vital Life Energy may be used for multiple positive purposes - such as enhancing the quality of one's physical health, uplifting ones emotional and mental state, for harmonizing one's environment, to increase spiritual development - and it may even be used to increase one's ‘We have a number of free prosperity.

Today, positive us- healing clinics throughout ages of Subtle Energy have become common- the Bay Area where people place. Subtle Energy can go experience a Technology is now being applied to all areas Pranic Healing session at of life - to enhance no charge.’ one's health, one's wealth and one's happiness! rious to experience it and for those What were your early experi- who really need additional avences that set you on this path of enues of healing for physical, emoPH. How did you get started? tional and mental issues.

In 1988, while in the Philippines Where are the Bay area PH sesmy wife fell from 14 ft and broke sions being held? How can folks her hip bone. The orthopedic register or find information? doctor said that it will take three And how can folks enroll in sesand half months before she can sions that are taught by you.

The Free Pranic Healing clinics begin to walk again. After searching for ways to accelerate her take place almost on a weekly bahealing, I attended a class with sis throughout the Bay Area.

We will be having several Introthe Grand Master Choa and used the techniques on my wife. In less ductory Lectures in Berkeley, than three weeks she was able to Saratoga and Mountain View on walk normally and in five weeks Aug 10-12th. Everyone is welcome.

For those interested in taking she was running! From there I began to use the techniques to the full weekend training and heal loved ones and friends, in- learning the full Pranic Healing cluding my mom of indigestion! Course, it will take place on Sept Soon after, Grand Master Choa 12-13 in Sunnyvale. You may also sent me to teach Pranic Healing contact Sandhya, area leader at in the USA. sandhya@pranichealing.com

August 7, 2015

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India Post 21

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Gujarat comes alive at New Jersey exhibition SUDHIR VYAS

EDISON, NJ: The popular adage `Jyan Jya Vase Ek Gujarati Tyan Tyan Sadakal Gujarat' (wherever there is a Gujarati there will be Gujarat all the time) came alive with the launch of the fourth edition of Chalo Gujarat at the Raritan Expo Center here.

Over 10,000 people from across the breadth and length of the country and Canada participated in the 3-day event organized by the Association of Indian Ameri-

someway connected with Gujarat was present on the occasion.

The 3-day conference aptly titled "Atra, Tatra, Sarvatra" ( meaning Gujarat and Gujaratis are here, there and everywhere) served as one of the largest platforms to commemorate and showcase the contribution made by Gujaratis spread across the world and the skills, traditional values, color and vigor that is so quintessential to them.

lack of planning or poor selection of artists. In its quest to give some-

his usual best which held the crowd in captivation but lack of

Murals at the exhibition showing typical Gujarati women

thing new and different, AIANA could not live up to its expectations on day one. Sairam was at

A colorful old Ambassador car that was the center of attraction at the Chalo Gujarat convention in New Jersey

cans in North America (AIANA).

The event which concluded on August 2 night was glamorous and glittering to say the least. Everything at the venue was Gujarati - the dĂŠcor, the food and of course the people.

It all started with the traditional

AIANA president Sunil Nayak is a master at innovation and utilizes this opportunity to highlight Gujarat in different formats every time he organizes this mega event.

However the shine of his previous organizational skills took a hit on the first day of the 3-day event.

The Chalo Gujarat of 2015 was a shade dimmer than the ones in 2006, 2008 and 2012. Each had a different theme and this one was no different but lacked the punch which Gujaratis are known for.

The program began with the conch sounding followed by Gujarat BJP A little girl enjoying the Vespa scooter, the kind which her l e a d e r dad once drove on the streets of Ahmedabad Purshottam lighting of the diya and blowing Rupala's speech who blew the BJP of the conch (shankhnad) by bugle as hard as he could but Bhupendra Patel. From the very there were few takers of his side outset it was nothing but Gujarat of the story; half of which was too all the way. It gave us the impres- far-fetched or miles away from sion as if one was somewhere in facts.

Saurashtra, Kutch, North or South Had it not been for the tradiGujarat or Ahmedabad. tional Dayro, the event on day one Poets, writers, speakers, stage would have been a total fiasco. It actors and literary stalwarts all was left to the shoulders of Sai gathered under one umbrella to Ram Dave and Osman Mir of relive Gujarat and form a link with Ramleela fame to carry the day's their motherland. The young, old, boredom on their shoulder and men and women and whoever was make the end a joyous one. Call it

time prevented him from giving his best.

While the list of dignitaries did

not have any heavy weights, even with the presence including of local Congressman Frank Pallone and Indian Consul General Dhyaneshwar Mullay, there were no notable people.

On day one the audience had an overdose of Gandhi. It all started with a lifeless interview by Kajal Oza Vaidya with Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi. The 45 minute interview was lifeless, listless and directionless.

Rajmohan spoke of his association with Gandhiji and Kasturba.

Cont’d on page 22

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August 7, 2015

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Gayatri Pariwar celebrates Gurupurnima HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Global Gayatri Pariwar - Gayatri Shaktipeeth Chicago celebrated Gurupurnima on Saturday August 1 with over 300

Yagya was performed by the Lake on a sunny day in Des Plaines and the atmosphere was charged with spirituality.

Dr Kusum Patel, one of the main organizers, talked about the importance of Guru in one's life and went on to explain that without Guru spiritual master - one cannot progress in the spiritual field.

She said that in Devotees performing Yagya at Gurupurnima celebrations Ramayan, Lord Ram taught ardevotees attending the festivities dent devotee Sabri that devotion and performing the Gayatri Yagya. is of nine types: The first one beThe traditional 108 Kundi ing satsang and the second is to

listen and read good scripture called katha shrvan. The third one is most important and it is Guruseva which means selfless service to the Guru's lotus feet fully melting the ego.

"It looks like as though I am in India. The lake reminds me of River Ganges," Swami Ishatmananda, spiritual guest of the event said.

"We should not pray to God to seek benefits. It is not a trade, but the feeling should be spiritual," he added.

Guru Purnima souvenir book "Jai Mahakal" was inaugurated by chief guest Mrs. Santosh Kumar and Swami Ishatmananda. She emphasized the need to stand united as otherwise "Divided We fall."

Sunil Shah, President of FIA

and a New York Life agent was an honored guest at the festival.

Main Yajmans to perform yagya were Ambalalbhai and Kailashben

Darji rendered Pragya Sangeet.

Bhaskarbhai Patel played tabla, and Anilbhai Patel played flute.

Dilipbhai Thakkar thanked all

Honored guests and Yajmans at Gayatri Pariwar Gurupurnima celebrations

Patel. Gaurangbhai and Tulsiben Patel.

Harshaben Thakkar, Rameshbhaibhai Patel, Bhanuben

devotees who participated and contributed time and resources, prasadam & supplies to achieve success at the Gurupurnima event.

Gujarat comes alive at NJ exhibition Cont’d from page 21

He listed some of the events in the Indian freedom struggle and the day Gandhiji was shot dead.

He also spoke of his association with Kasturba. But in the end the 45 minute interview was of no interest to the audience.

Surprisingly, Chalo Gujarat was meant to build a bridge between the younger generation Gujaratis with their motherland and hence everything had to be in Gujarati but Rajmohan openly admitted that he had very limited knowledge of Gujarati and hence the interview was done in Hindi. Fine, but the link with Gujarat was broken at the very outset. If that was not enough, the interview was followed by almost an hour long play - Kasturba - which was again nothing worth writing about. The play was boring to the bone and had no bearing for the present generation and the audience was of the opinion that let bygones be bygones.

In any event the starting provides the stage for the blistering performances to follow but here it was poorly missed with no sensational start to the three-day event.

The musical fusion by Shyamal and Saumil Munshi was only a shadow of what they are known for. Even the experiment of different form of Dayro like filmi Dayro based on blockbuster Hindi movie Dilwale Dulhaniya Ley Jayenge and rock Dayro by Arvind Vegda did not go down well with the audience. Though Arvind did try to induce some life in otherwise boring proceedings but it would have

taken a huge effort on his part to bring back the audience to their feet. The show titled Hunky Patel starring Upen Patel and Karishma Tanna and the family drama named Krazy Kutumb were well below expectation of the audience.

If day one was listless to say the least, AIANA made it up on day two which saw some fresh life induced into the event. While the cultural performance by eight-year old wonder boy, Varenyam stole the limelight, one of the most popular TV hosts of Aap Ki Adalat -

Rajmohan openly admitted that he had very limited knowledge of Gujarati and hence the interview was done in Hindi.

Fine, but the link with Gujarat was broken at the very outset.

Rajat Sharma also took the audience storm. Probably for the first time Rajat was at the receiving end and answering question instead of him posing the questions.

He gleefully answered questions from the audience and went on to say that he too was a Gujarati. In an obvious reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business magnet late Dhirubhai Ambani, Rajat said if they could succeed in life as they also hailed from Gujarat then I am

also a Gujarati as I too have made it big on TV screen. He called upon the Gujarati community settled in the US to financially extend a helping hand to one child back in India and ensure that their education is taken care off.

No sooner did Parthiv Gohil took to the stage, the audience went berserk with his style of singing and came down in front of the stage for the Garba. Parthiv rocked the stage and bought the audience back to life with his songs including - `Chel chabilo Gujarati', `Tari ankh no afini, Tara roop Ni Poonam no pagal, Tara bol na bandhani,' 'Chale chakkar aje rokda ne kale udhar' and many more mesmerizing songs with the audience craving for more.

It was soon followed by Jethalal of Tarak Mehta Na Oolta Chasma fame and the female members from the audience took an opportunity to try some Garba steps with him. However it was left to television soap opera artist Darshan Pandya of 'Itna karo na Mujhe Pyar' serial where three ladies from the audience were given a chance to kiss Darshan. While two developed cold feet and settled for a hug, the third a younger generation girl, took this golden opportunity and went to plant a kiss on the cheek of the television star.

Kavi Sammelan was another item had the audience captivated.

Late poet Adil Mansuri was paid homage at the outset after which the audience loved the event which was rendered by Harsh Brahmbhatt, in company with Gujarati poet Anil Chavda,

Bhavesh Bhatt, Tushar Shukla and others.

From 8-year old Varenyam to 80year-old Rajmohan Gandhi, 'Chalo Gujarat' presented a variety of artists, performers and intellectuals to the Gujaratis in New Jersey.

Some of the other artists included Shyamal-Saumil-Arti Munshi, Mirande Shah, Parth Oza, Payal Vakharia, Riya Shah and Kushal Choksi, in a powerful rendition of Gujarati folk and musical extravaganza in their unique style.

A multimedia presentation on

The saving grace were the colorful exhibits like an old Ambassador, Fiat car, the old Lambretta and Vespa scooters. The rickshaws and truck also attracted Gujarat was another novelty for the audience in which Gujarat was brought alive in various dance forms and the life of Krishna and Sudama was also enacted in an eye-catching performance.

Matibani was incidentally a novel and special feature of 'Chalo Gujarat' with a fusion of Gujarati, western and classical music.

BJP leader Purshottam Rupala also released a special edition of Chitralekha, Gujarati magazine devoted to its founder Vaju Kotak.

The seminars which were also held as part of the celebration were not as successful as anticipated as there was lack of interest from the public. A seminar on medicine had to be cancelled at the last moment as there was no response while the one on astrology and Vastu evoked good response.

The saving grace were the colorful exhibits like an old Ambassador, Fiat car, the old Lambretta and Vespa scooters. The rickshaws and truck also attracted a lot of audience particularly the younger generation who were fascinated with the vehicles their parents once rode on the streets of Gujarat. Another point of attraction was the `zupdi' and the `Hichko' so synonym with a Gujarati household.

A large number of Indian and local stores had set up their booths selling traditional Indian merchandise like dresses, blouses, sarees and dupattas. Fine Indian imitation jewelry also attracted the crowd but their prices kept the people from buying. Some other stalls included those of housing schemes. The picture gallery of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with huge cutouts also attracted the crowd who took this as an opportunity to either shake hand with lookalike of Modi or pose for a selfie with the Indian Prime Minister.

For non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs), this was a time to soak not only in the heat of New Jersey but also in the spirit of Gujarat for three days in a row and get a chance to refresh and establish a reconnect with the culture back in India.

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New First Bank branch on Main Street STEPHAINE KULKE

EVANSTON: First Bank & Trust is moving its branch located at 741 Main St. in Evanston to Chicago + Main, a new mixed-use, high-rise building being constructed at 835 Chicago Ave. The new branch will continue to be managed by First Bank & Trust's Assistant Vice President Chris White and is scheduled to open in summer 2016.

The bank will occupy one of four or five retail spaces on the ground floor of the nine-story building. The second floor will contain offices, and the remaining floors will include 112 rental units.

Riverside Investment & Development Company is developing this project in partnership with Atlantic Realty Partners. The project plans for a LEED Silver building that promotes renewable clean energy and falls in line with First Bank & Trust's commitment to having green and eco-friendly branches.

Riverside Investment & Development CEO John O'Donnell said he is thrilled to have First Bank & Trust in the building. "The bank is a great financial institution and a strong community partner. With FB&T and our other retail stores on board, Chicago + Main will have a strong foundation," he said.

The new bank branch will feature a state-of-the-art open floor plan concept that will replace traditional teller stations with comfortable seating arranged in a circle. It will also have a secure teller machine, known as a cash recycler, in the center of the space for personal bankers to access if a customer needs it.

Bankers will greet customers when they enter and handle their needs on a case-by-case basis.

Each employee will be trained to handle almost any potential request a customer may have.

"As more and more banking

First Bank & Trust CEO Robert Yohanan, Riverside Investment & Development Senior Vice President Jeffrey Clark, First Bank Assistant Vice President Chrissandra White, First Bank Senior Vice President Paul Kogol and Riverside CEO John O'Donnell at site of the new First Bank & Trus

transactions are being done online, bank branches need to evolve to satisfy customer needs.

Our goal is to create a space completely dedicated to our customers and the community. When

people come into the bank they should feel a connection with their banker," said Paul Kogol, Senior Vice President of Retail Banking for First Bank & Trust. "The idea is to remove the barriers and offer our customers bankers who can act as advisors." . "We are very excited to rethink the way our branches are designed to increase efficiency and encourage more collaboration with our customers and our communities," Kogol said.

First Bank & Trust, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015, is a locally owned and managed community bank with a mission to be the most responsive and the most responsible bank in the communities that it serves. One of the goals is to spur economic growth and development in Chicagoland, including the North Shore and the western suburbs. For more information about First Bank & Trust, visit www.firstbt.com.

Inspiring & informative Hindu Heritage Day ARVIND PATEL & JAYANTI OZA

A group of community activists organizing Hindu Heritage day in Chicago

CHICAGO: It was the very first attempt on the part of a group of community activists headed by

Shamkant, Ajit Gandhi, Jdivenkar, Harendra Mangrola, Nirav Patel, Vinesh Virani and Ms Jhingan to host Hindu Heritage Day to showcase the basic thoughts and philosophy that mould Hindu behavior and action as also its rich cultural heritage.

The event held on July 26 at Bussee Woods forest turned out to be a highly informative and encouraging event that prompted the organizers to announce that this would be an annual affair. It Guest of Honor from Delhi Gajendrasinh with journalist Suresh Shah would be held on a

bigger scale encompassing a wider range of art, philosophy, literature and festivities that could create a greater awareness about Hinduism not only among second genera-

Air India Chief Nakul Chand drawing winning raffle numbers

tion Hindus but also among the mainstream Americans as well.

The group of activists organizing the event were among the main cadres of Vishwa Hindu Parishad,

A section of the attendees

the host organization, and they saw to it that the event passed with all those attending enjoying every moment.

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God is eternal, yet he takes Janm in the world

I

SWAMI NIKHILANAND

n the previous article, you a Divine janm and a material janm, learned that both souls and let us look at an apparent contraGod have had unlimited num- diction in the fifth and sixth shloks ber of janm (births) in the material of the fourth chapter. world. One difference between God and the souls is that God can If someone had given remember all of His janm and all of ours, but we birth to God, it would mean cannot remember any. that God couldn't have Are there any other differences between our existed without the help of janm and God's? In the that person ninth shlok, Shree Krishna states that His janm is Divine, which implies that a soul's janm is not Is Shree Krishna's birth different Divine, or is material in nature. To than ours? understand the difference between According to the sixth shlok in

this chapter, Shree Krishna is never born. He uses the word 'ajah', for Himself, which means that He is 'unborn'. But in the fifth shlok, He had said 'bahuni janmani', which means that He has had uncountable births. Which statement is correct?

At first glance, the statement that Shree Krishna is unborn seems correct. By very definition, it is impossible for God to be born.

Who would give birth to God? If someone had given birth to God, it would mean that God couldn't have existed without the help of that person, which would make God dependent on them. Then that person would have to be con-

Bay Area gets ready for FOG Awards & unique events Cont’d from page 16

Bappi Lahri, the legendary Bollywood music director and a strong supporter of FOG SF Global Movie Fest, is producing a video for the FOG awards with Hollywood singers and also performing a song at FOG Awards along with the famous Kat Kramer at FOG Awards!!

Andy Madadian, "The Persian Elvis" will perform a unique rendition at FOG Awards. He has released multiple albums selling in the millions throughout the world.

He is famous for his blending and harmonious music making East meet West to listener's delight.

A unique hip blend has been added to FOG Awards as the rapper known as 'Bohemia the king of Punjabi rap' will have an unprecedented live stage performance.

Bohemia is popularly recognized as the creator of Punjabi rap music. His hit singles like 'Kali Denali', 'Charso Bees' and his appearance in the Bollywood film 'Chandni Chowk to China' with Akshay Kumar has put Bohemia in a league of his own as a pioneer of a new genre.

Jackie Chan, Sharon Stone, Martin Sheen, Bappi Lahri, Arshad Warsi, and many more Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities are among the star attractions.

Festival of Globe (FOG) is a 10day jubilant celebration starting from Aug 7 to 16, 2015 in the Silicon Valley and will include SF Global Movie Fest, FOG Awards, Famous Mela (Fair), and Grand Parade. Schedule for Festival of Globe (FOG)

sidered God, because it means they are more powerful than the

one we thought was God. But Vedas tell us that God is the supreme power Who is absolutely

Award winning Global Dance performance at FOG Awards

Mesmerizing dances at FOG Awards

Cont’d on page 26

Inspiring & informative Hindu Heritage Day Cont’d from page 23

Model Casting Call for FOG Awards Fashion Show

independent from anyone and everyone. He is 'swayam siddh', or self-supporting. Since His existence doesn't depend on anyone else, He could not have been born from someone.

Also, God is eternal since He has been here forever, it is impossible that He was ever born. He never needed to be born, because He has always existed.

Thus, the statement that Shree Krishna is unborn or ajah - seems correct.

However, we also know that Shree Krishna had a mother - Devki - and a father - Vasudev - in Mathura, which implies that He was born from them. And He Himself is telling Arjun that He has had uncountable janm.

Chief Guest and he formally launched open the event. Swamiji is the chief of Swami Vivekanand Society and it was apt for him to light the ceremonial lamp. Air India Midwest Manager, Nakul Chand, was also an honored guest and he picked up winning Raffle numbers.

Kids had a good time flying kites while adults enjoyed good food, good music and beautiful weather which made Vinesh Virani

The attendance was relatively thin but people kept on coming and going out through out the day starting from 10-30 am in the morning. "There were a few other events and that impacted the attendance here," pointed out Ajit Gandhi, Vice President of VHP. Gajendrasinh Solanki, a lyricist and poet from Delhi, was the guest speaker and he really enthralled the audience with his inspiring speech and deep message. He men- Gajendrasinh Solanki, a tioned that wherever an Indian goes to any part lyricist and poet from Delhi, of the world, he still was the guest speaker and cherishes his love and attachment for mother- he really enthralled the land because it has audience with his inspiring taught him to be a decent member of a soci- speech and deep message. ety with ethical values.

He also pitched for unity as it is important to keep up to comment that "even God wants the traditions and values that the us to succeed." There were fifteen vendors running food stalls that Indian society cherishes.

In a very lyrical manner, he offered mouth watering dishes. touched upon the fight for values Among the vendors were Care for and independence by a good Soul, Hare Krishna, Gayatri group, number of Indians - Chhatrapati the newly set up Hanuman temple Swami Shivaji Maharaj, Rana Pratap, representatives, Jhansi Ki Rani Laxmibai, Khudi Mukundanda meditation camp Ram Bose, Netaji Subhash Bose and Science of Spirituality touting and scores of others. He also eu- their vegi fest.

The event in all was a successlogized the sacrifice that the Indian women like Maharani Padmini ful affair and as put by Madhu and her aides made to save their Patel, "We would like to come here honor.

Swami Isthamandandji was the next year in bigger numbers."

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God is eternal, yet he takes Janm in the world Cont’d from page 25

This confusion will be cleared up if we understand the true meaning of the word 'janm'. 'Janm' comes from the Sanskrit root 'jani pradurbhave', which means "prakat hona" or "to appear".

Therefore, janm doesn't mean to be born, but rather, to appear.

This means that Shree Krishna only appeared before Devki and Vasudev - He was not born from them.

In summary, we know that Shree Krishna was never born He is 'ajah'; but He has appeared in the world uncountable times thus He has had uncountable janm. What about ordinary souls - is the same true for them? Are they simultaneously unborn and yet taking uncountable janm? The answer is yes.

Souls are also unborn, yet take janm The same word - 'ajah' - has been used in the second chapter

to describe souls (verse 20). Accordingly, it has been explained in detail in previous articles that all souls are eternal. Thus, they are also unborn - they never had a beginning - and they were never created. Nonetheless, each soul has taken uncountable janm (appeared uncountable times).

When we take our next janm, it is called reincarnation. When we reincarnate, we first leave our previous body, and then we are transferred into our new body, which will be growing in the womb of our new mother. However, the process of being transferred from one body to the next does not involve any kind of travel in the normal sense of the word. Since the soul is Divine, it can be instantly transferred anywhere in creation.

Thus, when we enter our new body, we have not traveled there, but appeared there. This is why the term janm - or appearance also applies to souls.

Thus, we see that both God

and souls are unborn and eternal, and both God and souls take janm, or appear, and have done so uncountable times. We still need to understand why Shree Krishna's janm is considered to be Divine, while souls' janm is considered material. This will be answered in the next article.

Disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.

Oxford digitizes paintings of Hindu gods

Swami Nikhilanand

Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied

Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming nam sankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential.

To stay in touch with Swami Nikhilanand Ji, like his Facebook page at https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / SwamiNikhilanand or follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/ Swami_Nikhil.

A highly successful MKCA picnic Cont’d from page 19

In ladies' Sack Race, Cynthia Rodrigues was the winner and Sabrina D'Souza was the runnerup. In men's Sack Race, Joey Mendonca was the winner and Ravi Singh was the runner-up.

with cold water. As the picnic progressed, participants enjoyed the volley ball, shuttle badminton, bean bags throw and cricket games.

The participants enjoyed a variety of snacks arranged by the organizing committee along with

Digitalized paintings of some Hindu deities India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The University of Oxford has posted digital versions of 110 Kalighat paintings of Hindu deities and others from 19 th-century Calcutta on its new online portal "Digital.Bodleian".

These include paintings of Hindu deities Krishna, Shiva,

Ganesha, Durga, Hanuman, Parvati, Kali, etc., which were acquired by Sir Monier Monier-Williams in the winter of 1883-1884.

Some of these paintings had cost one anna each at that time.

Applauding Oxford University Bodleian Libraries for digitizing images of Hindu deities and making them available to a wide vari-

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ety of users from around the world for learning, teaching and research; Indian Americans led by Rajan Zed commented that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

It would be in the fitness of the things if major libraries of the world were to make available the digitized versions of Hindu art from their collections on their online portals, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

Bodleian Libraries of University of Oxford have over 11 million printed items, about 80,000 e-journals and vast quantities of materials in many other formats. University of Oxford, one of the top world universities, is oldest university in the English-speaking world.

Sack Race for ladies

Apart from this there was Tugof-war for children, youth and for adults and water balloon throw competition, which was open to all. After water balloon throw, hundreds of balloons brought by the members which were grabbed by young and adults to hit each other.

The participants enjoyed this impromptu activity thoroughly and drenched lot of participants

coffee, tea, lemonade, ice cream and other drinks. There was a sumptuous luncheon arranged by the MKCA members and there were mouth watering menu items from both Mangalorean and local origins.

The President of the Association Steven D'Souza distributed the prizes for the winners. This program went on record as a memorable one.

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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Selfie Le Le Re : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 Sun Saathiya : ABCD 2 3 Tu Chahiye : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 4 Bhar Do Jholi Meri : Bajrangi 30 India Post

August 7, 2015

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Bhaijaan 5 Hamari Adhuri Kahani : Hamari Adhuri Kahani 6 Bezubaan Phir Se : ABCD 2 7 Mera Naam Mary : Brothers 8 Chaar Shanivaar : All Is Well 9 Banno : Tanu Weds Manu Returns 10 Baaton Ko Teri : All Is Well

I

n R. Balki's film, Kareena Kapoor Khan wears the pants.

And Arjun Kapoor ...well, he just hangs around the house drying her pants.

In the film, about gender reversal of stereotypical roles, Balki turns Kareena Kapoor Khan into a bread earner while Arjun Kapoor is the house-husband. For her role, Kareena is all set to prepare with a completely different look from the one she sports these days.

Says a source, "In Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab,

Kareena is completely Indian, Punjabi to be more specific…salwar-kameez, jet-black hair, kohl-laden eyes, and loud prints. She goes for a complete 360-degree turn for Balki's film. It will be a metro-centric character, no hint of Indian clothes Kareena will be dressed in chic subtle executive suites, as she plays a hotshot head-honcho of a corporate company."

"Balki chose Kareena for the film because he wanted an actress with killer looks who would look convincing as a hot-shot working woman. Kareena fits the bill perfectly," says the source.

W

hen a dancing icon like Hrithik Roshan praises some one else's dancing abilities, the person is naturally flattered. Over the weekend, Duggu caught Freida's film Desert Dancer in which she plays a dance performer, who's the inspiration for the character of Afshin Ghaffarian.

Something about Freida's dancing had Hrithik spellbound. He took to Twitter to lavish praise on her. Since the actress is not on social media platforms, she didn't respond immediately to the Bollywood heartthrob.

However, when someone brought the compliment to her notice, she spoke exclusively to BT. Said Freida, "Gosh, why would I ignore him? We've had a lovely email exchange. I did miss his call because I was traveling, but it's very kind and humble of him to make sure his congratulatory note reached me. I'm very thankful to him, especially since dance and respect for this art form are an inherent part of who he is.''

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P

reity Zinta is full of praise for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's comeback in Sanjay Gupta's Jazbaa.

She says, "Aishwarya is looking absolutely smashing in the teasers of Jazbaa. Who says female actors, after marriage, are no longer in demand? Ash's getting the best of both the worlds.

She's a great mom and wife, and she's doing the work that she wants to, on her own terms."

Preity Zinta says it's a myth that married actresses don't have a career. "Look at Angelina Jolie. After getting married and with kids, she did Salt where she replaced Tom Cruise. And

look at Ms Sharmila Tagore. Some of her best films came after marriage and motherhood."

Speaking about her dosti with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Preity Zinta says, "I've been friends with Abhishek and Ash for many years. But, I also have my own equation with Ash. She is a cool mom and great fun to hang around with."

S

onakshi Sinha, who is currently jug gling between judging the TV show Indian Idol Junior and the shoot of her upcoming movie Akira, says the last time she travelled by a local train here was when she was in college.

The Dabangg actress took to micro-blogging website Twitter, where she shared: "Last time I travelled by local train was in college. And today for #AKIRA! The only difference is then it used to be crowded, now almost empty."

Being produced by Fox Star Studios, Akira directed

by A.R. Murugadoss is a thriller.

The film is the Hindi remake of 2011 Tamil hit Mounaguru and also stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Anurag Kashyap and Shatrughan Sinha in lead roles.

Akira marks Murugadoss's third Hindi venture after backto-back hits Ghajini and Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty

R

anveer Singh, known for his lively persona, says he believes in working with dedication. "I don't do anything extraordinary. All I can do is work hard. It's a stroke of luck, or you could say I made my own luck. I definitely put myself in a position where I get golden opportunities. I made some good decisions. I was lucky to make those decisions at the right time," says Ranveer.

But what is it about the actor that makes him so desirable? It's the way he behaves in public and carries himself. He made the 'I-don't-care' attitude cool. His ability to pull off any role with ease has been one of his greatest strengths.

But, Ranveer says that his journey in the industry has been no bed of roses. "I had my portfolio, and I was like any other struggler. I ensured that I brought to everyone's notice that I was looking for work. Getting a call for Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) was part of that procedure. And when I got a call, I knew it was 'the' opportunity I was looking for. After my first performance, you could say that effectively I had my foot in the door. After that, there's been no looking back."

„ Health

Line

Federal grant targets urban health disparities OKLAHOMA CITY: Researchers at the University of Oklahoma's College of Nursing are using a $300,000 federal grant to focus on improving health and eliminating urban health disparities in the state.

The proposed study couples community outreach with an enhanced web-based health risk assessment that will be used by participants to manage their health.

It's designed to give participants additional tools for improving health, including individualized health coaching, goal-setting skills and immediate feedback on their health status.

Researchers hope to determine what impact those tools have on making lifestyle changes and overall health status.

Health coaches will be recruited from the community and trained in both motivational interviewing and goal-directed health planning. Community churches will provide an outreach component for the study and health festivals are planned during the next 12 months. -AP

„ CVS accused of overcharging for drugs SAN FRANCISCO: A lawsuit accuses CVS of deliberately overcharging some pharmacy customers for generic drugs by submitting claims to their insurance companies at inflated prices.

The suit filed in federal court in San Francisco says those in-

flated prices led to higher co-pays for customers that exceeded what they would have paid for the drugs if they had no insurance and participated in a CVS discount program.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status, a court order prohibiting CVS Health Corp. from engaging in the alleged fraudulent behavior, and unspecified damages.

CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis said the Rhode Islandbased company had not been served with the lawsuit, so he couldn't comment. But he said copays are determined by a patient's insurance, and a similar suit in Massachusetts was dismissed.AP

Health Science

Indiana clears Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing

32 India Post

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August 7, 2015

Details on Page 34

75 per cent of people in India unaware of hepatitis NEW DELHI: With over 75 per cent of people in India unaware about the existence of Hepatitis, the leading gastroenterologists of the country have decided to start an online data registry detailing the rising number of hepatitis patients.

"The need of setting up a registry was felt as over 75 per cent of the people in India do not even know that a disease like hepatitis exists," said a senior doctor at AIIMS. "The aim is to keep a record of the number of people suffering from hepatitis and other liver diseases caused by it in the country," the doctor said.

The registry will be part of the newly formed Indian National Association for Study of Liver and Current Perspective in Liver Disease constituted by the leading gastroenterologists of the country.

The association will also disseminate information to the regional hospitals and help the

ness about the deadly disease, the experts said that Hepatitis was 28 times more dangerous than AIDS

health centers located in remote areas of the country get the medicine supply.

Talking about lack of aware-

due to the absence of symptoms, even as the disease spreads gradually in the patient.

Four lakh people die due to

Tobacco chapters on schools curriculum planned NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has written to CBSE and NCERT for inclusion of tobacco related matters in the curriculum of 6 to 12 standard students, for sensitizing students at an early age about the perils of smoking.

"We have written to CBSE and NCERT for inclusion of tobacco related matter as a chapter in course curriculum of 6 to 12 standard students so that the students, teachers and parents are sensitized right from the beginning and lakhs of deaths every year due to tobacco use get prevented," said Dr S K Arora, Additional Director of Health, Delhi government.

The official underlined the importance of sensitizing children about the issue, especially when the markets are flooded with products like e-cigarettes and hookah bars.

"Around 14 per cent of students are affected by tobacco habits and the new marketing strategies of tobacco industry bringing e-cigarettes and hookah bars, are doing damage to young boys and girls.

"At the tender age of four, children pick up chewable tobacco habits which are very dangerous and responsible for oral cancer in 90 per cent of cases," said Arora.

Arora said that the NCERT had expressed its willingness to con-

sider the proposal. "NCERT last week had responded to consider this in their next committee meeting to be held shortly," he said.

The Delhi government also observed 'Dry Day' (observed on the last day of every month) and appealed to tobacco vendors to close their shops voluntarily and the general public to refrain from tobacco use.

"Educational institutes, schools and coaching centers were mainly targeted. In Shahdara district alone around 20 government and private schools were inspected and around 700 schools staff including teachers sensitized about the perils of tobacco use.

"Around ten challans were issued to some of the schools for various violations under section 4 of Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 and a fine of Rs 8,500 was collected," Arora added.-PTI

liver diseases, a result of hepatitis, in India every year. The states most affected by the disease are Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh among few others, they said.

"75 per cent of the hepatitis, may it be B or C, is curable at the initial stage. However, as the symptoms are not felt, the person gets to know about it only when the virus causes liver cancer," said SK Acharya, head of Gastroenterology at AIIMS. Through the registry, Acharya said, the hot spots of Hepatitis across the country can be brought into limelight and accordingly medical healthcare in those areas can be improved, precisely the treatment for liver diseases.

Dr Rakesh Agarwal noted that pregnant women are more likely to get Hepatitis E virus infection which may result in Acute Liver Failure (ALF). -PTI

Air quality status in Delhi is moderate NEW DELHI: The air quality status at Delhi's five out of nine air quality monitoring stations has been labeled as 'moderate' which can create breathing discomfort to the people with lung, asthma and heart diseases.

According to the Air Quality Index monitored by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), while the prominent pollutant at stations

like IHBAS and IGI Airport was PM2.5, the other major pollutants at Shadipur, Civil Lines and Anand Vihar are CO, NO2 and PM10.

In comparison to the Air Quality Index of ten other cities including Faridabad, Agra, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai and Varanasi, Delhi's air has been labeled as 'satisfactory' and Agra, Faridabad and Hyderabad as 'Good'.-PTI

August 7, 2015

Health Science Post

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WHO calls for more efforts for malaria control NEW DELHI: The World Health Organization has called for bolstering efforts for malaria control and elimination by targeting malarial parasites that were once believed to be less fatal but now causing high disease burden.

As nearly 3.2 billion people continue to live in areas with risk of malaria infection, it needs to be high on the global agenda to achieve the target of 90 per cent reduction in deaths and disease, and elimination in 35 countries by 2030, it said.

"Our efforts so far focused on the most deadly P falciparum malaria. We need to now broaden our strategy to include targeted interventions for P vivax malaria, which is contributing to a large proportion of global malaria burden, mainly in the WHO South-East Asia Region," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, said at a global malaria meeting here.

Of the 18.9 million P vivax malaria cases reported in 2012, nearly 13 million were from countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region, mainly India.

"We need targeted strategies for P vivax malaria which presents distinct challenges for control and elimination compared to P falciparum. It is proving to be an extremely difficult parasite as it does not readily respond to the existing control measures and

has the ability to remain hidden and beyond the reach of the currently available diagnostic tools and medication," Singh said.

There is growing evidence that P vivax malaria can cause severe disease and can also be fatal. WHO estimates that it could be responsible for up to 15 per cent malaria deaths outside of Africa, as per the "Technical Brief on Control and Elimination of P vivax malaria", launched at the meeting.

Reducing the burden of malaria is part of Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In May 2015, the World Health Assembly adopted the Malaria Global Technical Strategy 2016-2030, which aims to reduce malaria deaths and disease by at least 90 per cent and eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030.-PTI

'Pictorial warnings killing Indian tobacco brands' KOLKATA: Raising his voice against a "restrictive" regime for the domestic tobacco industry, top cigarette manufacturer ITC's Chairman Y C Deveshwar has said pictorial health warnings are killing the local brands while products smuggled from abroad are flooding the market.

"Today, 28 per cent of the cigarettes consumed in the country are smuggled from countries like China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh where there are no pictorial health warnings.

"Even in the United States, there are no pictorial health warnings. In India, the brands made here are being killed due to pictorial health warnings," he said.

Deveshwar said that cigarette smuggling was also causing loss of revenue to the exchequer to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore as no duties are paid and also leading to foreign exchange outflow through unaccounted means.

ITC, a diversified conglomerate, is a dominant player in the cigarette manufacturing business and owns popular brands like Wills, Gold Flake and Classic.

"The sales volumes of cigarettes manu-

factured here are going down, while tobacco consumption is rising," the ITC Chairman told reporters here after the company's AGM. In the last three years, taxation has increased 300 per cent and smuggling had gone up, he said.

To a query, he said ITC will never exit

from the tobacco business despite the restrictive regime and its effort would be to minimize smuggling.

The tobacco business contributed more than 40 per cent of the company's revenue and also a substantial contribution to profits.-PTI

34 India Post

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Indiana clears Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana has cleared Planned Parenthood facilities that perform abortions in the state of any wrongdoing in the handling of fetal tissue.

Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican, on July 16 ordered an investigation of Planned Parenthood facilities in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Merrillville to see if organs from aborted fetuses were being sold. He was among a number of conservative lawmakers around the country who have called for investigations after an anti-abortion group circulated a video it made secretly showing some of its national officials discussing how they obtain organs from aborted fetuses for research. Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest provider of abortions, has said its donations of fetal tissue for research are legal.

The Indiana Department of Health said in a statement that an investigation found no evidence of any laws being broken.

Health department inspectors investigated the Indiana facilities on July 21.

Letters from the health department to the three Indiana facilities and released to the media by

Planned Parenthood said the agency had completed its investigation into the Planned Parent-

Department said. Federal law prohibits the buying and selling of human body parts or trafficking

38.7 per cent as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-III) in 2005-06 to 46.9 per cent as per District Level Household Survey (DLHS-III) in 2007-08.

"As per the Coverage Evalua-

asked the government's top health scientists at the National Institutes of Health to convene a panel of independent experts to study the issues surrounding the little-known branch of medicine.

Cockrum said Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky holds ``compliance with all laws and regulations as an imperative.''-AP

Visual bucket list for girl after diagnosis Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks at anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C. Secret videos released by antiabortion activists prompted demonstrations against Planned Parenthood around the country.

hood facilities that perform abortions in Indiana. The letters said the agency was ``unable to find any non-compliance with state regulations. Therefore, no deficiencies were cited.'' The letters say the complaint is closed.

The state has the authority to license and regulate abortion clinics and to inspect them, the Health

in tissue from an aborted fetus. ``We are pleased this unfounded complaint is resolved,'' said Betty Cockrum, president of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.

She said the Indiana facilities don't participate in tissue donations.

Planned Parenthood, which

Institutional child deliveries have increased NEW DELHI: The institutional child deliveries in the country have significantly increased and various steps have been taken under National Health Mission (NHM) to improve them, the government has said.

"The institutional deliveries in the country have increased from

gets more than $500 million of its $1.3 billion annual budget from federal and state programs, has been under fire since the release of videos by the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress. Pence said when he ordered the investigation Indiana residents were troubled by the allegations after the video went viral.

Planned Parenthood has

tion Survey (CES 2009) conducted by the UNICEF, the institutional delivery is 72.9 per cent," Union Health Minister J P Nadda told Lok Sabha.

He said that the institutional delivery rates in rural and urban areas were 28.9 per cent and 67.5 per cent respectively as per

NFHS-III in 2005-06 which rose to 37.8 per cent and 70.4 per cent as per DLHS?III in 2007-08.

Under CES 2009, the rural and urban institutional delivery was 68 per cent and 85.6 per cent respec-

tively, Nadda said.

He said that Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) plays an important role in improving access to institutional deliveries by motivating the pregnant mother and her family for continued contact with the health system.

Elaborating about the measures taken under NHM, Nadda said that capacity building of health care providers in basic and comprehensive obstetric care has been done while operationalization of sub-centers, Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centers and District Hospitals for providing 24x7 basic and comprehensive obstetric care services have also been done.

He said that name based tracking of pregnant women to ensure antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care is being done while mother and child protection card in collaboration with the Women and Child Development Ministry to monitor service delivery for mothers and children is also being undertaken.-PTI

BELLVILLE, OHIO: The parents of a 5-year-old in central Ohio have created a visual bucket list for their daughter after she was diagnosed with a condition that will eventually cause her to go blind.

Elizabeth ``Lizzy'' Myers, of Bellville, was recently diagnosed with Usher syndrome type II, a rare

sky) or catch lightning bugs,'' Steve said Lizzy isn't aware of her condition yet, but they plan on taking her to attractions like the Northern Lights, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and Yellowstone. The list also includes looking at the night sky and sunsets on the beach.

That's why they took her to Warren Rupp Observatory in Ohio at night and let her gaze at the moon and stars through a telescope.

Lizzy was diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss over a year ago.

Her doctor recommended testing for the seven most common types of hearing loss, Elizabeth “Lizzy� Myers, 5, gazes through a which all came back telescope at the Warren Rupp Observatory in negative. He then Bellville, Ohio. pushed for genetic testgenetic condition that causes hear- ing, which the parents initially deing and progressive vision loss, nied, trying to spare Lizzy from and can result in blindness. more poking and prodding.

Her parents have about five to But now they're grateful they seven years to get her out and see went through with it. things, particularly at night, her ``If they hadn't pushed us for father Steve Myers told the News genetic testing, we would never Journal. have known what's to come for ``Otherwise, it would be too late Lizzy,'' Steve said. ``Then it would to do things like this (view the night have been too late.'' -AP

J-K Governor launches new ambulance service SRINAGAR: To augment the state government's fleet of ambulances, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has launched a new ambulance service and said that a well coordinated approach was required to fill the "gaps" in medical emergency services.

The ambulance service will be run by the 'H N Wanchoo Trust' in association with the State Health Department.

Speaking on the occasion, the

Governor observed that, "a well coordinated approach is required to fill the gaps in our medical emergency services".

"Our ambulance facilities suffer on the account of uncertain operational reliability, inadequate resuscitation equipments and non availability of the optimum number of adequately trained and experienced medical and para medical staff to man the ambulances," Vohra said here. -PTI

August 7, 2015

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Himachal approves Rs 12 crore health scheme SHIMLA: Around 1.5 lakh people, including single women, senior citizens among others are expected to benefit from the 'Mukhya Mantri State Health Care Scheme (MMSHCS) announced by the Himachal Pradesh government.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that the MMSHCS scheme worth Rs 12 crore would be implemented from the current financial year.

Single women, senior citizens above 80

years of age, anganwadi workers, mid-day meal workers, daily wage earners and part time workers of state, autonomous bodies, societies and other associations not covered under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna

or any other medical reimbursement scheme, are entitled to draw benefits from the scheme, he said, while presiding over a meeting here.

Singh noted that the beneficiaries would be identified by the concerned department/ panchayat secretary.

The beneficiaries would be eligible for coverage of the financial costs of in-patient health care services and certain specified day-care procedures not requiring hospitalization, he said.

The scheme provides for reasonable pre and post-hospitalization expenses for one day prior and five day after hospitalization, besides transport allowances.

The smart cards for availing the benefits from the scheme would be active from January 1 next year, Chief Minister said.

The state cabinet also gave its nod for dismantling the old building of sub-division office at Sujanpur Tira to clear the

India14th out of 22 countries on TB prevalence NEW DELHI: India had 2.6 million cases of Tuberculosis as per the latest count and ranks 14th among 22 high TB burden countries globally, the Lok Sabha was informed.

"As per WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2014, in India, the estimated prevalence of TB is 2.6 million cases," Health Minister J P Nadda said.

For Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis, the report estimated 61,000 MDR-TB cases in India among notified pulmonary TB cases. However, on the basis of prevalence rate, India ranks 14th among 22 high TB burden countries globally, he said while replying to questions.

"Due to the large population of our country, the same translates into the large number of cases," Nadda said.

The Minister said it is likely that with a large private sector of healthcare in India, a significant proportion of cases not registered under National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) were diagnosed and treated in private sector.

"The programmatic management of drug resistant TB under RNTCP had commenced in 2007

and complete country coverage was achieved in 2013. The action already taken

by India is in consonance with the resolution of anti-microbial resistance passed by the World Health Assembly in May 2015," he said. -PTI

decks for construction of a mini-secretariat to house various offices under a single roof.

The Cabinet accorded its approval for co-contribution of Rs 1,000 per annum by the state government in the account of each account holder for the next three years under Atal Pension Yojna.

Singh also informed the decision to increase the bed capacity to 50 each at the civil hospitals in Kandaghat and Junga.

The cabinet gave its nod to filling of 700 posts in various departments including over 500 functional posts in health department alone.-PTI

„

Realty Tidbits

Andhra sanctions 2 lakh houses for rural poor VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government has sanctioned two lakh houses for the rural poor of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced.

Government will provide a subsidy of Rs 1.50 lakh for SCs and STs and Rs 1.10 lakh for OBCs for the houses, measuring 270 sq feet each, while the remaining amount will be paid by the beneficiaries, Naidu said while addressing TDP's special executive committee meeting here.

On the occasion, he said the government is also contemplating on bringing a new housing scheme for the urban poor with help of subsidy and bank loan facility.

The poor population who have encroached government lands and constructed houses on it will be allowed to regularize to the extent of 80 sq feet for each family, the chief minister said.

He reiterated government's commitment for welfare of farmers, women, senior citizens, widows and physically-challenged, and said the government has paid Rs 24,000 to reimburse the farmers' crop loans in banks as first installment. -PTI

„ Bharti Realty ties up with Eros for project NEW DELHI: Bharti Enterprises' real estate firm Bharti Realty has tied up with Eros Group to develop a housing project at Surajkund.

With this partnership, Bharti Realty has forayed into the residential segment. It will develop over 2,000 apartments in this project covering about 5.2 million sq ft of area.

"Bharti Land (the new development arm of Bharti Realty), has entered into an agreement with Eros Group to develop a 'smart' residential project in Surajkund, south of South Delhi," Bharti group said in a statement.

Bharti Realty, the subsidiary of Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Enterprises, manages around three million sq ft of Grade-A commercial real estate space. It is developing another four million sq ft of commercial real estate office space across prominent cities in the country.

The land size is about 50 acres, owned by Eros group which is into real estate, hospitality, entertainment and education businesses. -PTI

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August 7, 2015

500 sq.m plus projects under new Bill plan NEW DELHI: Sharing the concerns of homebuyers, a parliamentary committee has recommended that all real estate projects of more than 500 sq.m or eight flats should be brought under the purview of the Real Estate Bill, 2013.

The Select Committee on the Real Estate Bill, in its report in Rajya Sabha, also recommended that 50 per cent of payments made by homebuyers for a real estate project should be kept in a separate account and used for that specific purpose only while the rest can be spent on other projects. -PTI

Owners turning to auctions to sell their high-end properties EDWARDS, Colo.: Bob and Karin Weber built their dream home 14 years ago, creating an 11,000-square-foot mountaintop oasis. Now that the couple is in their 70s, they're ready to downsize and possibly move to nearby Vail.

After trying the traditional listand-wait method of selling the 35acre Elk Ridge Ranch, the Webers are putting their estate up for auction, hoping for a streamlined process and a more lucrative result.

Once considered a last resort to dump a property that was distressed or couldn't sell, auctions have become a viable marketing option for selling luxury homes, mirroring common marketing techniques for high-end art, antiques and collectibles. There are still plenty of foreclosed luxury homes being sold off at cut-rate prices, but the perception of selling a luxury home via auction has started to change.

With sales of luxury homes and prices on the rise, sellers can use an auction to control the structure of the sale, set a firm deadline for the transaction and hope a bidding war will send the price higher. The

buyers get an opportunity to tour the property before putting in a bid, unlike most foreclosure auctions, and have the opportunity

tion of Realtors, and those doing luxury auctions are even smaller. ``There aren't that many of us out there in this luxury real estate

The kitchen of a luxury home in Edwards, Colo. Once considered a last resort to dump a property that was distressed or couldn't sell, auctions have become a viable marketing option for selling luxury homes, mirroring common marketing techniques for high-end art, antiques and collectibles.

to land a deal.

Properties costing more than $1 million represent about 3 percent of the total housing market, according to the National Associa-

marketing world who are consistently doing high-end luxury home auctions around the country,'' said Trayor Lesnock, founder and president of Platinum Luxury Auc-

tions. ``We're definitely a niche market.''

Platinum Luxury Auctions' sales volume more than doubled from 2011 through 2014 and the average sale price went from about $4.4 million last year to nearly $5 million so far this year.

Chicago-based Sheldon Good & Company, the brokerage firm selling the Webers' home, has seen auction sales rise from 32 in 2010 to 62 last year. Sheldon Good has held 36 auctions so far in 2015 and expects more than 70 by year's end.

Overall, sales of homes $1 million or more are up 8 percent from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Homes in the $250,000-$500,000 range had the largest jump, climbing 17.4 percent from May last year.

It can be a gamble for the sellers. If the brokerage company sets the minimum price too high, no one will show up for the auction. Too low, the property could sell well below market value.

Cont’d on page 37

Delhi-NCR housing sales fall 50% NEW DELHI: Housing sales in Delhi-NCR fell by 50 per cent during first six months of this year to 14,250 units on low demand due to high prices and uncertainty over project delivery, property consultant Knight Frank said.

New home launches fell by 68 per cent to 11,360 units in January-June 2015, from 35,500 units in the first half of last year.

Unsold inventories in DelhiNCR stood at nearly 1.9 lakh homes, which will take real estate developers 5 years to offload at current sales velocity.

"NCR residential market stares at free fall. Performance has been dismal. NCR is the worst market with 5 years of unsold inventories," Knight Frank India Executive Director, North and Capital Markets Rajeev

Bairathi told reporters while releasing half yearly report on Indian real estate market.

On housing prices, he said the average rates have increased by a

"The looming uncertainty over project deliveries and the unaffordability of the existing supply have depressed buyer sentiments in NCR, leading to a bot-

nominal 3 per cent, but the effective price of transactions have gone down considering inflation as well as freebies and staggered payment plan offered by the developers.

tomed-out sales velocity," the report said.

"NCR is now an end user-driven market - developers restrict new launches, while buyers carefully select clean projects," it added.

Knight Frank said market dynamics have restrained shortterm speculators from making quick returns from real estate investments. Even the long-term investors are looking for a desperate exit due to the muted price growth.

"The largest residential market of the country is currently in a state of correction, with stakeholders staring at the piling up inventory and bottomed-out sales velocity," the report said.

Policy fallacies such as the opening up of new land for development, allotment of group housing licenses in areas with no infrastructure, project delays due to litigations and the liquidity crunch and stagnant incomes have affected NCR's real estate appetite adversely, Knight Frank observed.-PTI

Real Estate Post

August 7, 2015

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Tips on selling or buying Historic castle goes up for sale in Oklahoma a luxury home

S

ales of luxury homes through auctions have steadily climbed since the economy started recovering, giving sellers an option outside of the traditional list-and-wait method.

A few things to know about selling or buying a luxury home via auction: THE PROCESS Setting up an auction for a

luxury home takes about 60 days from the time the seller signs with a brokerage firm. Most luxury home auctions require potential buyers to provide proof that they can afford the house and possibly pay a reserve to be able to participate. The auctions are often held at the property for sale, though potential buyers can put in bids over the phone or through

an intermediary.

PROS AND CONS Sellers have a firm deadline for selling their property instead of waiting for potential buyers to put in a bid, saving them money and the hassle of repeatedly having to show the home if it stays on the market. Unlike most foreclosure auctions, bidders are encouraged to tour luxury homes before put-

ting in a bid. If there aren't enough potential buyers for an auction, the seller could end up selling the home for well below market value.

STARTING PRICE: The price for a luxury home at auction is purposely set low to spur interest from bidders, so a house the seller is trying to get $9 million for might start at $5.5 mil-

lion. The sellers must take a leap of faith with such a low price, believing the broker set a price that will drum up action. The lure for buyers is that the low starting point may lead to them getting a good deal.

NO CONTINGENCIES Luxury homes sold via auction are typically as-is, so there is no negotiating for contingencies after a sale has been made. If there is a problem with the foundation, electrical issues or anything else wrong with the house, buyers must take the cost of repairs into consideration when putting in bids.

Sheldon Good recently sold a house next to the 12th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links for $14 million from a starting bid of $6.9 million. On the other hand, a seller in Seattle who previously had a home on the market for $25 million ended up selling for $12 million after no buyers were willing to pay the minimum auction bid of $15 million. Sellers can only back out of an auction if their minimum bid isn't met. Otherwise, they are locked in. ``The auction helped to identify the buyer and the marketplace,'' Craig Post, executive director of Sheldon Good, said of the home in Seattle. ``In this case, the market didn't feel the home was worth $15 million. The seller listened and accepted a lower price.''

With an auction, the sellers have more control over when they sell and the properties are sold asis. In the list-and-sell method, the

cost of selling the home gets split between the buyer and the seller.

In an auction, the costs get shifted to the buyer. The industry standard for a buyer's premium is about 10 percent, which is used to pay

The Webers had listed Elk Ridge Ranch for $8.955 million until last October before abandoning the traditional selling method for an auction. the brokerage firm, closing costs and commission to an agent who brought a buyer to the auction.

The seller typically pays an upfront marketing fee, ranging from around $45,000 up to $250,000, depending on the size of

Tahlequah, and his wife's tonguein-cheek remark made an interesting project for his students. At least eight different semesters received the assignment, each focusing on a different part of the design, until construction finally started in 1931. Even then, students continued to tweak the blueprints to account for budget restraints.

The result was a house like no other, a landmark now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The walls use uncut native stone that was randomly shoveled into the mortar, like the medieval castles of Normandy. And from campus, Spring Creek looks like a moat in front of it.

All four corners are defended

ready, within a year or so, to move into a building of its own, the Tulsa World reported.

So Franklin, at age 34, was ready to put down long-term roots in Tahlequah, and he paid $1,000 not an insignificant pile of cash, back then - for a plot of land at the end of College Avenue. ``What kind of house do you want?'' he asked his wife. ``Oh,'' she said, according to family lore, ``just build me a castle.''

A lesser man might not have taken her literally.

Franklin grew up in rugged turn-of-the-century Indian Territory, where the rural, one-room schoolhouses didn't go past eighth grade. But that didn't stop him from getting into what is now the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, where he married Jessie Stanford in 1913. He studied education and later earned a master's degree from Oklahoma A&M, but there's no record that he ever received training as an architect.

Nonetheless, by the mid-'20s, he was teaching an advanced architectural drawing class in

by round towers, not all the same height but each more than two stories tall, topped with battlements as if longbow archers might appear at any moment. But guests enter through a Gothic arch to find a perfectly modern 2,900-squarefoot house with four bedrooms and 21/2 baths, all within an easy stroll of Northeastern State University and downtown Tahlequah.

Franklin died in 1968, but his descendants owned it until 2004.

Now the house is for sale again, listed at $195,000. ``It's going to be a once-in-alifetime opportunity for somebody,'' said real estate agent Ruth Ann Stockton, pitching it as the ideal place for a bed and breakfast.

More importantly, the house deserves an owner who will take good care of it as a monument to Franklin and as an important lesson that he can still share with NSU - that with hard work and a little determination, even a poor student from the backwoods of Oklahoma can end up living in a castle someday.-AP

COSTS Selling a luxury home is not cheap. The costs of closing are shifted entirely to the buyer in a buyer's premium, which is typically 10 percent of the sale price. The fee is used to pay the brokerage firm, any real estate agent that brings a buyer to the auction - generally 3 percent - and all costs for closing the sale. Sellers will typically pay an up-front marketing fee, which ranges from about $45,000 to $250,000. The fee is usually wrapped back into the sale, so the seller gets the money back.-AP

Owners turning to auctions to sell their high-end properties Cont’d from page 36

TULSA, Okla.: Today there's a bridge. But in 1924, the street came to a dead end at the edge of the water, a rippling stream where older Cherokees still waded out knee-deep at the crack of dawn for ritual morning prayers. Only a narrow pedestrian crossing linked the new neighborhood with the other side of Spring Creek, where the small campus of Northeastern State Teacher's College sat a short walk uphill.

Professor M.E. Franklin had been hired a few years earlier to revive the industrial arts program, which was struggling with declining enrollment, worn-out equipment and faculty turn-over. But under his leadership, the program was thriving again and getting

the property. That money is usually wrapped back into the sale, so the sellers usually get it back.

Auctioneers use the money to market the property internationally, saying it's much more effective than a typical real estate agent listing the property on the Multiple Listing Service.

The Webers had listed Elk Ridge Ranch for $8.955 million until last October before abandoning the traditional selling method for an auction.

The starting price for Elk Ridge Ranch was set at $5.5 for an auction originally scheduled for July 28. Bidding was pushed back to August 25 because several potential buyers want to expand the home and asked for extra time to work with architects and builders to finalize their bids. ``It's an opportunity to do something a little bit differently,'' Karin Weber said. ``It takes the vagaries out of the market, gives us a sense of control.'' -AP

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T

he Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve extends over an area of 257 sq. km. in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hill ranges, along the northern boundary of Nagpur District. It was declared a National Park by the Government of Maharashtra in 1975 and received the official status of "Tiger Reserve of India" in February 1999.

The park gets its name from the Pench River, which meanders through it like a mammoth python, dividing it down the center. Rich in biodiversity, its terrain defined by hills, valleys and the occasional precipitous slope, Pench is an important ecosystem supporting an abundance of flora and fauna, includ-

August 7, 2015

ing a rich variety of aquatic life.

Not surprisingly, the beauty of this part of central India has earned much literary attention. The poet Kalidas writes about the scenic charm of the place in his epics

THE PARK GETS ITS NAME FROM THE PENCH RIVER, WHICH MEANDERS THROUGH IT LIKE A MAMMOTH PYTHON, DIVIDING IT DOWN THE CENTER. RICH IN BIODIVERSITY, ITS TERRAIN DEFINED BY HILLS

Meghdootam and Sakuntalam. R.A. Strendale's "Camp in the Satpura Hills" draws a vivid pen picture of this idyllic paradise - as does Forsyth's "Highlands of Central India".

It is well known that the Jungle book of Rudyard Kipling is based on the woody forest and its rich wild life. An account of its natural assets and affluence cropped up in Ain-i-Akbari. Apart from this, this beautiful land and its varied flora and fauna found its place in numerous books on natural history.

A tribal locale with copious natural resources and rich wild life is a recommended place for those who rejoice in the charisma of the woody forests and its wilderness.

Cont’d on page 42

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Basohli to become a tourism hub JAMMU: The Central government is providing liberal funding for developing Basohli area of Kathua district as a tourism hub, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said here.

Basohli town is well known across the country for its art and Pashmina.

"The central government is very keen to develop Basohli town as a hub of tourism,"

Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Singh said during the launch of 'J-K Aroma Arogya Gram Project' at Basohli.

He said that the state government has submitted projects worth Rs 180 crore to the Central government for creating adequate wayside amenities for tourists including development of Ranjit Sagar Dam as tourist spot.

The Centre has also formulated a comprehensive plan to boost Pashmina industry of Basohli.

He said that centre is also working on a plan to provide rail link up to Sinthen Top via Basohli and Bani.

Highlighting the benefits of the Arogya Gram project, the MoS in PMO said that Basohli area has sufficient potential for cultivation of medicinal plants.

He said the project is set to be completed in one year and would provide unemployed youth an opportunity to set up ventures in cultivation of medicinal plants.

"With the development of medicinal and aromatic herbal village in Basohli, hundreds of local unemployed youth especially women would get employment at their doorsteps," he said.-PTI

Black-marketing alleged in helicopter tickets SRINAGAR: Alleging black-marketing of helicopter tickets for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, Kashmir-based travel agents have demanded a CBI probe.

"There should be a CBI probe as some travel agents from outside (J&K) state are selling tickets at exorbitant rates and we get a bad name. Heli-ticketing for the Yatra has turned into a mafia," Tourist Trade Interest Guild (TTIG) chairman Mohammad Akram Siah told reporters here.

Siah was speaking on behalf of eight travel and tourism bodies of the Valley.

He also hinted at a possible nexus between the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) officials and the tour operators.

He said senior board officials were not allowing them to meet Governor N N Vohra, who heads the shrine board.

"Why is helicopter license being given only to two companies? Why are not the SASB officials allowing us to meet the Governor despite several efforts from our side?"

he asked.

Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK) president Rauf Tramboo sought Governor's personal intervention in the matter.

"First, we want a CBI probe. Then the Governor should intervene and set the

house in order. If he cannot do so, then they should altogether stop the helicopter service," he said.

Tramboo said the Valley-based agents "will give up the quota" of heli-tickets from next year in case the matter was not resolved.-PTI

E-tourist visa rolled out for Chinese NEW DELHI: As promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, e-tourist visa facility was rolled out to Chinese nationals from July 30.

Along with the citizens of China, the etourist visa facility is also being offered to nationals of Hong Kong and Macao, a senior official told PTI. Brushing aside concerns raised by intelligence agencies, the Prime Minister had announced during his visit to China in May that the e-tourist visa facility will be offered to Chinese nationals.

Modi had made the announcement notwithstanding frequent issuance of stapled visa by China to people from Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

India had last year launched e-tourist

visa facility (which was earlier called 'tourist visa on arrival enabled by electronic travel authorization') for more than 40 countries, including the US. The scheme was later extended to 36 more countries with effect from May. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorizing him or her to travel to India after it is approved and he or she can travel with a print-out of this authorization. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorization to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country.

The number of foreign tourists availing e-tourist visa facility has increased by over 700 per cent in May as compared to the same period last year.-PTI

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Pench National Park Cont’d from page 40

Indeed, the Pench National Park is four different forest regions in one, an extravagance of trees, shrubs, grasses, climbers, weeds and herbs, with teak being the most prominent of the tree species. The park is home to 33 species of mam-

mals, 164 species of birds, 50 species of fish, 10 species of amphibians, 30 species of reptiles, and a wide variety of insect life.

While primarily a reserve for tigers and panthers, Pench is also home to sambhar, chital, barking deer, nilgai, black buck, gaur, wild boar, chausingha, sloth bears,

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An ecosystem supporting abundance of flora and fauna wild dogs, langurs, monkeys, mouse deer, black-naped hares, jackals, foxes, hyenas, porcupines, and flying squirrels, to name a few.

Here, birdlife is equally bountiful. The feathered denizens of Pench include both resident and migratory birds like Malabar pied hornbills, Indian pittas, ospreys, grey-headed fishing eagles, white-eyed buzzards, storks, waterfowls, four endangered vulture species, and the green pigeon, which is the State Bird.

Pench is a naturalist's dream come true; a mind-expanding experience if ever there is one.

Flora: Ain, Bamboo, Haldu, Karu, Arjun, Tendu, Char.

Fauna: Tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, jackal, sambar, Indian bison, barking deer, blue bull, spotted deer, chausingha, ratel, flying squirrel, wild boar, langur, rhesus monkey, porcupine, pangolin, mouse deer.

Weather: There are three distinct seasons. Summer is from

February to middle of June. The monsoon starts from mid-June and lasts till October. Winter starts in October with low temperatures in December/January.

Best time to visit is from February to April.

The Pench National Park is open to the visitors from 1st October to 30th June each year and remains closed during the rainy season (July- Sept.). Visiting hours are from 6 am to 11 am, and

from 3 pm to 6 pm. Light vehicles and 15-seater buses are allowed, and speed restrictions must be followed.

How to Reach: Nagpur is the nearest airport approximately 70 kms away.

Nagpur is the nearest railway station approximately 70 kms away.

Ramtek, 35 kms by bus has a regular bus service to Pench National Park.

Experts say relocate Tiger T-24 to Ranthambore JAIPUR: Stating that Tiger T24 alias 'Ustad', which was shifted out after the alleged death of a forest guard in May, was not a "maneater", wildlife experts have urged Rajasthan Government to relocate the tiger to its habitat in Ranthambore National Park (RNP) at Sawaimadhopur.

The demand was made at a seminar on "Conservation of Tiger" here organized to mark International Tiger Day. T-24 was shifted to Sajjangarh Zoological Park in Udaipur after the alleged death of forest guard Rampal Mali.

"National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA) team after thorough investigation and interview with forest officers reported that 'Ustad' cannot be described as a man-eater. And such incidents may be chance encounters due to human proximity to the tiger in its defined habitat," said Rupesh Kant Vyas, a wildlife expert.

"The state government should consider NTCA report on T-24,

which was living with a tigress and two cubs in RNP," Vyas said at the seminar.

"Through a letter, the Additional DGF (Project Tiger) and Member Secretary (NTCA) Bishan Singh Bonal have also asked the state government's additional chief secretary (forests) to relocate 'Ustad' to its suitable habitat,"

Vyas said.

"It was strange that the Chief Wildlife Warden had ordered shifting of T-24 on the report of the Tiger Reserve Authorities (RTA) that has identified T-24 responsible for human attack on May 8, 2015 in which the forest guard died.

Moreover the RTA had just sent an SMS to NTCA on the whole

incident," Vyas said.

The wildlife expert also alleged that 15 big cats were missing from Ranthambore National Park after Tiger T-24 was shifted to Udaipur.

Speaking on the occasion, retired IFS Officer Sunayan Sharma said that after Tiger T-24 was shifted to Udaipur, Tigress T-39

and cub T-72 were reportedly missing from RNP. The Tiger Project, which began in 1972, had a census of 2,000 tigers in 42 tiger reserves, but now it has declined to 1,600 only, Sharma said, adding the big cat needed to be saved at all costs, and wildlife tourism should be on back seat.

A senior wildlife expert and Cox and King official Madhav Rathore said due to shifting of Tiger T-24, the business in RNP has come down by 24 per cent in recent months.

Former Sawaimadhopur collector S N Singh said there was not a single hotel near RNP in 1960s but now there were 38 hotels running in the area, and many more would come up.

Noted wildlife writer Falguni Bansal highlighted the historic and religious importance of tiger, saying it was not just symbol of forts and their kings but a very important part of the ecosystem of forest also. -PTI

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Grand Canyon cameras to document wildlife FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ.: A biologist has installed more than two dozen motion-sensing cameras along a 50-mile stretch of the Grand Canyon in pursuit of images of an elusive skunk species.

Grand Canyon National Park has documented hog-nosed skunk tracks and found signs of them burrowing for insects along the Colorado River, but they're rarely seen and not known to make their home in northern Arizona, especially not on the north side of the river.

Park biologist Brandon Holton spent two weeks in June setting up the cameras in hopes of learning more about how the skunk got to the park and if more exist. ``This essentially is a new species for Grand Canyon.

Whether it's overlooked or whether it's a new arrival, we don't really know yet,'' he said.

A group of rafters camping along the north side of the river captured an adult hog-nosed skunk on camera in August 2012.

A juvenile skunk was photographed the following year about 10 miles upstream on the south side of the river. Holton says that could be a sign the skunks are breeding.

The western spotted skunk and the striped skunk are com-

claws - is typically found in southeastern Arizona, Texas and Mexico, and roams at night. Their sightings at the Grand Canyon represent the northwestern extent of their documented range.

The cameras are in tamarisk thickets where Holton has found

mon at the park, but the hognosed skunk isn't. The animal with an entirely white back and tail, largely naked snout and long

skunk scat, and high above the water line to ensure they won't get washed away by man-made floods and to capture larger ani-

American being sought for lion poaching HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean police are looking for an American who allegedly shot a well-known, protected lion known as Cecil with a crossbow. The killing has outraged conservationists and others.

Authorities said two Zimbabwean men will appear in court for allegedly helping lure the lion outside of its protected area to kill it.

The American faces poaching charges, according to police

spokeswoman Charity Charamba.

The American allegedly paid $50,000 to hunt the lion, Zimbabwean conservationists said, though the hunter and his local partners maintain they didn't know the lion they killed was protected.

Walter James Palmer was identified by both the Zimbabwe Con-

servation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe as the American hunter, a name that police then confirmed. ``We arrested two people and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case,'' said Charamba.

Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, said at a news conference that Palmer is from Minnesota and his current where-

abouts were unknown.

Palmer issued a statement saying he was unaware that the lion was so well known and part of a study. ``I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt,'' he said,

maintaining that to his knowledge, everything about the hunt had been legal.

Attempts to reach Palmer, 55, at his two listed home numbers and his office by phone and in person were unsuccessful.

Palmer, an avid hunter, pleaded guilty in 2008 to making false statements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about a black bear he fatally shot in western Wisconsin outside of the authorized hunting zone, according to court documents.

The two arrested Zimbabwean men - a professional hunter and a farm owner - face poaching charges, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement. Killing the lion was illegal because the farm owner did not have a hunting permit, the joint statement said. The lion was skinned and beheaded.

The hunters tried to destroy the lion's collar, fitted with a tracking device, but failed, the statement said.

If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison.

The lion is believed to have been killed on July 1 in western Zimbabwe's wildlife-rich Hwange region, its carcass discovered days later by trackers, the statement said. -AP

mals. Only two of the cameras are in areas that might photograph people at camping sites, but signs make campers aware, Hamilton said. He's also asked river rafters to help change batteries and memory cards in the cameras.

Holton's cameras aren't the only ones along the river. Another 43 cameras are maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Research and Monitoring Center to study the effects of the man-made floods on beaches and sandbars. The center's acting chief, Scott Vanderkooi, said the digital cameras are far enough away from the river banks that ``even a person standing on it, there's no

way you could identify an individual.''

Holton is planning to keep his cameras out for a year. They were paid for by the Grand Canyon Association, the park's fundraising arm.

John Dillon, executive director of the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association, said he'll ask guides to watch for the hognosed skunk. The rafting community often volunteers to document sightings of specific animals in the river corridor, like bighorn sheep, birds and snakes. ``Anything that's unusual or something the veteran guides have never seen before, they usually gather that up or take pictures for the park,'' he said.

Holton isn't picky about whatever else is captured on camera. ``Anything and everything nothing specifically,'' he said. ``I have a couple lost collared bighorn sheep and mountain lions.'' -AP

Thai Airways suspends unprofitable US flights BANGKOK: Thailand's beleaguered national airline has said it will suspend flights to the U.S. as part of efforts to end years of losses.

The airline will suspend the unprofitable four roundtrip flights per week from Bangkok to Los Angeles and from Bangkok to Rome, starting October 25, Thai Airways President Jarumporn Chotikasathein said in a statement.

He said the two routes ``failed to meet every criterion'' for viability including their 10-year performance, market potential and the number of connecting passengers.

State-owned Thai Airways cancelled its non-stop flights from

Bangkok to Los Angeles in 2012, adding a layover in Seoul. Four years earlier, the airline called off its non-stop service to New York.

Services on profitable routes to London and Frankfurt will be doubled to 14 flights per week, Jarumporn said.

He said the flight schedule changes and other measures were being introduced after the stateowned carrier entered a rehabilitation plan earlier this year. Its losses have swelled in recent years.

The carrier posted a net loss of 15.6 billion baht ($445 million) last year, about 30 percent higher than 2013.-AP

Uttarakhand seeks Central help in tourism NEW DELHI: Seeking Central assistance for expansion of tourism infrastructure in the state, Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Dinesh Dhanai has requested the Centre to include the ropeway project between Tehri Lake and New Tehri in the first phase of Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme is being launched by Tourism Ministry to promote domestic tourism in the country.

Dhanai, who met the Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma here, said the state gov-

ernment is keen to finish the ongoing tourism related infrastructure projects at the earliest to promote tourism in the state.

This meeting was a follow up of the earlier meetings to seek central assistance for development of tourism in Uttarakhand.

Sharma assured that the demands of the state government will be examined and all possible assistance will be extended to help the state of Uttarakhand for development of tourism.

Senior officials of the Ministry and State Government were also present at the meeting.-PTI

In Brief Cities shouldn't ignore immigration laws : Gov. McCrory RALEIGH, N.C.: Gov. Pat McCrory says cities in North Carolina should not harbor illegal immigrants, but there are no plans currently in place to address socalled sanctuary cities.

McCrory addressed the issue during a meeting of the North Carolina Sheriff's Association in Brunswick County. The governor said ``major cartels'' and other violent offenders get protection when cities choose to ignore federal immigration laws.

It is unclear how many sanctuary cities there are in North Carolina because not all cities enact public policies in opposition to immigration laws.

Both Democrats and Republicans have spoken out against sanctuary cities after a California woman was killed in San Francisco earlier this month by an illegal immigrant who later said he sought shelter under the city's sanctuary policy.-AP

„ Fluent English must for British public sector jobs LONDON: People in Britain who do not speak fluent English will be barred from public sector jobs which involve working directly with the public, the government announced as part of its new tough immigration laws.

From September, National Health Service (NHS) staff and council workers will be among those required to have language skills equivalent to GCSE grade C or above, the announcement said.

It will also include police officers, social workers, teaching staff and assistants. Managers will have to test if employees can "communicate effectively with the public".

Minister for the Cabinet Office Matt Hancock said it was to help control immigration.

"We are controlling immigration for the benefit of all hard-working people. We have already introduced tough new language requirements for migrants, now we will introduce new legislation in the forthcoming immigration bill to deliver the commitment made by the prime minister to go further," he said.

The new rules, which will form part of the government's immigration bill, will mean every public sector worker in a "customer-facing" role will have to be able to speak at least school-leaver levels of English. -PTI

Immigration

Immigrants face doubt over Missouri college aid

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Details on page 45

Action taken to fix mistakenly awarded work permits HOUSTON: Problems have been fixed that led to about 2,100 work permits being mistakenly awarded under President Barack Obama's executive immigration action after a federal judge in Texas had put the plan on hold, the Justice Department said in newly filed court documents.

Federal officials had been ordered by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen to offer a detailed explanation of how the permits were wrongly given out in May after Hanen put Obama's immigration plan on hold Feb. 16 at the request of a coalition of 26 states, led by Texas, that sued to stop the proposed action.

Hanen, based in Brownsville, had threatened to hold Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and other top immigration enforcement officials in contempt of court if the problems weren't fixed.

In court documents, Justice Department attorneys said the federal government now complies with Hanen's preliminary injunction that suspended the Obama plan, which proposed expanding a program that young immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and adding another that extends deportation protections to parents of U.S. citizens and per-

manent residents who have been in the country for some years.

In a 52-page document, federal attorneys said the three-year work authorizations had either been converted to two years or rescinded altogether in cases where those given the authorization failed to return them as required.

Federal authorities said that

Rodriguez said in a statement filed among the court documents.

Saying they had ``remedied the situation'' that prompted Hanen to threaten contempt citations, the federal attorneys asked that Hanen cancel an Aug. 19 hearing he scheduled to have federal officials explain how the problems were corrected. The judge had pre-

The Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington

officials worked to recover an additional 500 three-year work permits that had been issued prior to the judge's injunction but were returned as undeliverable and mistakenly mailed again after the injunction was issued. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services dispatched dozens of representatives to contact those who were issued the permits, agency director Leon

viously said he would cancel the hearing if he was satisfied federal officials had fixed the problems.

It was not immediately known if Hanen still planned to hold the hearing. If he does, federal attorneys ask that he excuse all but Rodriguez from appearing.

Hanen has previously criticized the federal government's actions in the lawsuit, saying it had been

``misleading'' after officials revealed that more than 108,000 people had already received three-year reprieves from deportation as well as work permits when the judge had believed that no action would be taken before he issued a ruling.

Justice Department attorneys apologized for any confusion but insisted the reprieves were granted under a 2012 program that wasn't affected by the injunction.

Obama said in November when putting forth the executive order that lack of action by Congress forced him to make sweeping changes to immigration rules on his own. The coalition of states argues Obama's action is unconstitutional.

A ruling on an appeal of Hanen's injunction is pending from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which heard arguments in the case on July 10.

Along with Texas, the states seeking to block Obama's action are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin. -AP

Modi unveils e-visa facility for Chinese BEIJING: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the operationalisation of the evisa facility for Chinese tourists, inviting them to take its advantage and "experience the beauty of Incredible India".

"I am delighted to share that the e-Tourist Visa is now available to passport holders of China," Modi wrote on Chinese social media account Weibo as India operationalised the much debated scheme setting aside its security concerns.

"I had talked about this during my China visit & the Government of India has fulfilled this

promise. This will deepen connectivity between our nations. Come,

experience the beauty of Incredible India," he said, referring to his sur-

prise announcement at an interaction with Chinese students here during his visit in May this year.

Earlier, the Indian Embassy and the Indian Consulate in Hong Kong announced the implementation of the visa facility with immediate effect to all Chinese nationals.

"The implementation of etourist visa will enable Chinese nationals to visit India with ease for recreation, sight-seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short- duration medical treatment or casual business visit," the Embassy said in press release here.

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Immigrants face doubt over Missouri college aid JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.: With the fall semester set to begin in weeks for many Missouri colleges and universities, students whose parents brought them illegally to the U.S. still face uncertainty regarding financial aid for the upcoming school year.

At issue are two pieces of legislation passed by the state's Republican-led Legislature this session: one blocking the A+ Scholarship from going to those immigrants and another that also sought to require schools to charge those students their international rate of tuition.

State officials, lawmakers and others disagree on whether the changes are in effect for the upcoming school year. That uncertainty, state officials and a group aimed at helping students pay for college say, could mean surprises and higher-than-expected tuition bills for some immigrants.

Missouri's Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon earlier this month vetoed the bill that would require students be permanent residents or legal citizens to receive the state's A+ Scholarship, which provides two years of free tuition at community colleges for students who com-

plete community service and attain a certain grade-point average, among other requirements. A memo from Department of Higher Education Commissioner David Russell sent this past week confirmed that means the scholarships

immigrant students, likely already enrolled by the time of a possible September veto, pay more than they planned for in tuition, said Karissa Anderson, the manager of advocacy and policy research at the Scholarship Foundation of St.

Missouri State University

still are available to those immigrant students.

But in practice, the status of the scholarship is not certain.

Lawmakers might try to override Nixon's veto with a two-thirds majority vote during an upcoming Sept. 16 session.

An override could mean some

Louis.

That's because colleges are reimbursed the students' tuition by the state, Department of Higher Education Deputy Commissioner Leroy Wade said, and schools have until early January to request reimbursement.

Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick - a Shell

Modi unveils e-visa facility for Chinese Cont'd from Page 44

This facility will encourage more people to travel to India during 'Visit India Year 2015' and beyond, it said.

The facility, announced by Modi despite concerns from security agencies, was aimed at attracting a chunk of about 107 million Chinese tourists who visited abroad last year.

The e-visa facility grants 30 days visa for the tourists and valid for entry through nine designated

Airports - Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Trivandrum.

The foreigners can take exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India.

The Indian Consulate in Hong Kong also announced that the scheme would be open to residents of Hong Kong and Macau.

It meets a long standing demand from Hong Kong as the Indians need no visa to visit the former British colony where as Hong Kongers had to obtain visas to

visit India.

The e-visa facility aimed at making it easier for the Chinese tourists to visit India, Indian Ambassador to China Ashok K Kahtha told PTI here hoping that tourist arrivals from China will improve as a result.

The facility demonstrates the importance being given by Modi to people-to-people contacts between both the countries to provide essential foundation for good relations between both the countries, he said. -PTI

US immigration arrests 30 in Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested 30 fugitives or convicted criminals during a four-day sweep in the Oklahoma City and Guymon areas.

The arrests, which began on July 23, is the latest effort by ICE to prioritize the arrest and removal

of convicted criminals.

An ICE official in Dallas, Simona L. Flores, says the agency's enforcement officers play a significant role in helping make communities safer by arresting convicted criminals and removing them from the U.S. Seventeen arrests occurred in

the Oklahoma City area, including 16 who have been convicted of crimes or are wanted for prosecution. The other 13 were arrested in the Guymon area. All of them have previous convictions in the U.S. Those arrested will remain in ICE custody as they are processed for removal. -AP

Knob Republican who handled the bill in the House, said it's unclear whether any students would have had enough time to qualify for the scholarship anyway since a Department of Higher Education rule change clarifying certain immigrant students' eligibility for the program went into effect in March.

Further complicating matters is disputed language in a budget bill passed this year that also was aimed at blocking state-funded scholarships from going to students with an unlawful immigration status and requiring that public colleges and universities charge those students their international tuition rate.

Russell's memo notes that the policy, included in what's called the title of a bill outlining the budget for the department but not in the core of the legislation, is not legally binding in terms of offering the A+ Scholarship. The memo did not offer guidance on the applicability of the tuition rate requirement, leaving that up to colleges. ``The language is pretty ex-

plicit,'' said Fitzpatrick, who is vice chair of a House budget committee. ``If the department chooses to ignore it, then I'm sure we'll take that into consideration when we write the budget next year.''

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that certain immigrant students attending the University of Missouri-St. Louis, for example, no longer qualify for the resident and metropolitan rate of tuition.

For students this fall, that would mean paying about $10,200 for 12 credit hours instead of about $4,000.

Chancellor Thomas George has said the university will use private funds from the school's endowment for the next two years to make up the difference in tuition for current students, the newspaper reports.

Anderson said the Scholarship Foundation now is also advising immigrant students without lawful status that out-of-state public colleges, such as universities in Illinois, or private colleges might be a cheaper option. -AP

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

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Datebook

July 31, 2015

NEW JERSEY Upcoming Aug 21, 22 and 32

• 10th South Asian Theater Festival 2015 Venue: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingstone Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 201-320-4617

Sun, Aug 9

• India Foundation Of Metropolitan Princeton Picnic Venue: Mercer County Park East, 1346 Edinburg Rd, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550 Time : 11:00 am Contact: 609-297-7116

Sat, Aug 22 • Mitrahs Festival 2015 Venue: Wilkins Performing Arts Center, 1000 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083 Time: 5:30 pm Contact: 973-759-0040

NEW YORK Upcoming Sat, Aug 15 • Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha Starring: Anupam & Neena Venue: Tilles Center, 720 Northern Blvd, Greenvale, NY 11548 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 516 692 8690

Sun, Aug 16 • Bollywood Grind With Superstar Govinda Venue: Colden Center, 6530 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 Time : 7:00 pm

Sat, Aug 22 • Glorious Gujarat USA Venue: New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837 Time : 10:00 am

India Post 47

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Upcoming

Sat, Aug 15 • Desi Comedy Fest Venue: Sunnyvale community center theater, 550 E Remington Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Time: 7:30 am

Sun, Aug 16 • Swarabhishekam Venue: San Jose Center for Performing Arts, 255 South Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, CA Time: 4:00 pm

Fri, Aug 7 • Festival of Globe: Festival of India and Parade with San Francisco Global Movie Fest Venue: Corner of Paseo Padre and Walnut Ave., 39439 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538 Time: 10:00 am Contact: 510-304-5619

Fri, Aug 7 • Iffer - Antakshiri & Karaoke Night Venue: Golden Peacock Banquets, 24989 Santa Clara St, Hayward, CA 94544 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 6509212846

Sat Aug 8 • Marathi Movie - Bioscope Venue: Serra Theaters, 200 Serra Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 2:00 pm Contact: 650-6706665

Fri, Aug 14 • Desi Comedy Fest Venue: The Basement, 222 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102 Time: 8:00 pm

Fri, Aug 8 • Festival of Globe: International Year of the Woman Movie Petals in the Dust Panelists: Divya Khosla, Neha Dhupia, Nyna Pais Caputi Time: 05:00 pm to 09:00 pm

Sat, Aug 13 Movie Tara Panelists: Shabana Azmi, Richha Chadda, Kat Kramer, Juhi Chawla Time: 05:00 pm to 09:00 pm Venue: 201 South Second Street, San Jose, CA 95113 Contact: 510-304-5619

ATLANTA Upcoming Fri, Aug 7 • ICHF Presents Arathi Dance Fest 2015 Venue: Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 2148838538

Fri, Aug 14 • Marathi Natak Kahani Mei Twist Venue: Berkmar High School, 405 Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn, GA 30047 Time: 8:30 pm

Mon, Aug 31 • MITHAS 2014 Membership Venue: Wong Auditorium, MIT, 70 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142 Time: 07:00 pm Contact: 857-205-9731

ILLINOIS Upcoming 1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Swami Ishatmananda • Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662

• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822

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Philosophy

August 7, 2015

India Post 49

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

G

uru Purnima is the day the first guru was born. In the yogic culture, Shiva is not seen as a god, he is seen as the Adiyogi, or the first yogi. Guru Purnima is that full moon day when the first yogi transformed himself into the Adi Guru - the first guru.

The yogic science is not about how to bend your body or hold your breath. This is the science of understanding the mechanics of the human mechanism and to be able to dismantle or put it together. Adiyogi made a dimensional change in the way people perceive and understand the existence and the source of creation.

And he made himself a bridge between a simple piece of creation and the source of creation. He said, "If you walk this, there will be no distinction between you and that which you refer to as the creator."

The journey is from creation to the creator.

Breaking boundaries When Adiyogi spoke, he was not speaking religion, philosophy or dogma. He was talking about a science, a scientific method through which you could undo the boundaries that nature has set upon human life. Every boundary that we set has the purpose of protection to start with. We build a fence around our house with the intent or protection. But once you become unaware as to why you GANGAJI

O

ver the years of traveling around and speaking with people, I have seen that there is clearly a deep, strong, and true desire to wake up, whatever that means to any particular individual. There is a true desire to realize God, to realize truth, to stop the violence, to stop the hatred, to stop the suffering, and to wake up to what is possible in this lifetime.

If you want to awaken one hundred percent, if that has priority over everything else, then immediately you are awake. My life is a guarantee that if you want to awaken to your true nature, if you want that totally, you will awaken to your true nature.

The biggest obstacle to awakening I've seen so far is that awakening is actually wanted for something else. Awakening is wanted for feeling better, or so that you don't have to be the same person you think you are now, or to get some recognition, or to forget all the bad things that you have done or that have been done to you. Awakening is wanted as a vehicle or a tool, and there is frustration that this tool is not given

set up these boundaries, the boundaries of self-preservation also become boundaries of selfimprisonment. And these boundaries are not in any one form.

They have taken on so many complex forms.

I am not just talking about the psychological boundaries that you set for yourself. I am talking about the boundaries set by nature for your protection and

come with a discerning intellect, a limitation or that which confines us to something is the worst thing. Human beings will suffer confinement more than torture.

The moment a human being feels confinement, their suffering is untold.

Shiva's work was to bring the tools of awareness that will allow you to transcend these boundaries - tools that will allow you to

tion of this, that something so sophisticated and phenomenal began for the human race for the first time.

The most significant day It is on this day, for the very first time in the history of humanity, that human beings were reminded that they are not a fixed life. If they are willing to strive, every door in the existence is

Bridge between creation & source of creation Yogic science is not about how to bend your body or hold your breath. This is the science of understanding the mechanics of the human mechanism and to be able to dismantle Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

or put it together.

wellbeing. But human nature is such, you cannot experience true wellbeing unless you transcend the limitations of boundaries set upon you. This is a human predicament. When you are in danger, you want fortresses around you. The moment the danger is gone, you want it all to collapse and disappear.

But if the boundary that you set for your self-preservation does not go down when you wish, you feel imprisoned and suffocated because once you have

keep the fortresses to the extent they serve their purpose and make them vanish when you don't want them. How to build this magical fortress that only those forces which are dangerous for your existence see, but you yourself cannot see?

This was Adiyogi's work. Using the basic illusory nature of nature itself, he came up with many incredible methods to build that magical fortress that you can walk through but no enemy can penetrate. This day is in celebra-

open. So this day is the most significant day for the human race.

It was held that way in this land till recently. Guru Purnima was one of the most important festivals in the nation. People celebrated it irrespective of caste or creed because in this country, the most important thing was not wealth or money. Knowledge or knowing was considered the highest value.

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi, mystic, philanthropist and author of over 100 titles in 8 different languages.

to you.

This doesn't work. Truth must be desired for itself, regardless of any consequences that might follow. This is a shocking truth. We are so used to wanting something to make our personal lives better, and God knows, we have tried.

Luckily, most of us have become deeply disillusioned with the possibility of getting rescued, of get-

ful or grandiose or altruistic, such as peace on Earth or harmony among all people, put that aside for just a moment and see if truth, this unknown state of awakening, is desired for itself, regardless of consequences.

I am asking you to tell the truth.

We spend most of our lives lying in both gross and subtle ways. The lying gets very intricate, and the web

sideration. It's very easy to play in the drama of awakening, saying, "Oh, I'll get it someday," or "He has it," or "She has it and I will just be in the aura of it, then I can keep my lies and my web."

You are an adult. It is time to tell the truth. I am asking you to tell me what it is you want truly for its own sake, and if you still imagine somehow you don't have

Do you want to awaken one hundred percent?

There is an opportunity now, in this moment, to discover what is it you want for its own sake, without getting any comfort from it, without it taking care of anything. I can feel the fear that this evokes. ting something else that will fulfill this true desire to awaken.

I am asking you to look inside, to be ruthlessly, relentlessly honest and truthful with yourself, to see why you want to awaken.

What will awakening give you? If your answer is something beauti-

Gangaji

gets tighter, and you know this.

There is an opportunity now, in this moment, to discover what is it you want for its own sake, without getting any comfort from it, without it taking care of anything. I can feel the fear that this evokes. This is not a usual con-

that, let me know what you imagine keeps you from it. Let's examine it and see, is that obstruction to truth real or is it part of the webbing, part of the fabric of your imagination.

Gangaji is an American born spiritual teacher and author.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.

When we tackle obstacles, we find hidden reserves of courage and resilience we did not know we had. And it is only when we are faced with failure do we realize that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives.

God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.

My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.

Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.

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50 India Post

August 7, 2015

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NEW DELHI: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all set to return to the big screen after a gap of five years with Sanjay Gupta's "Jazbaa" but the Bollywood diva says she does not understand the hue and cry about it as she never felt being absent from films.

The 41-year-old actress' last movie outing was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Guzaarish" in 2010.

Aishwarya says she is enjoying being in front of the camera again and looking forward to the release of "Jazbaa", which also stars Shabana Azmi, Irrfan, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Jackie Shroff.

"So far the experience has been great. Sanjay has been so nice. The whole cast - Irrfan, Shabana ji, Chandan, Jaggu Dada (Jackie) everyone has been great. I am glad to be working with them. I do not feel like there has been any gap. I am really enjoying," the actress said.

The film, which is set to release on October 9, is a remake of the 2007 South Korean movie "Seven Days".

The "Guru" star was in the capital to walk the ramp for ace designer Manish Malhotra's show "The Empress Story" at the just

NEW DELHI: Bollywood fashion diva Shilpa Shetty took on the role of 'Her Majesty' for Delhi-based designer duo Rimple and Harpreet Narula on the fourth day of Amazon India Couture Week 2015.

Donning a heavily embroidered gold lehenga-choli, the "Dhadkan" star, who walked for the designers for the first time, looked subtle yet royal in their Days of Raj inspired collection titled "Maharajah & Co." "I have been wearing Rimple and Harpreet's creation, but this is the first time I am walking the ramp as a show-stopper for them. They are very talented and I feel really happy in walking for them," Shilpa told reporters.

The designer duo, who are known for mixing rural craft juxtaposed with fine hand embroideries, were excited with Shilpa being their showstopper.

"Shilpa was a perfect showstopper for us.

The way she pulled of the outfit no one else could have done," said Rimple.

The collection, which was dominated by subtle gold karigari, presented the early interactions of the royals with western luxury where they called the photographers from Europe to capture them.

Cont'd on Page 51

concluded Amazon India Couture Week.

Despite being unwell, the former model looked resplendent in a chocolate brown floor length gown.

The show was also attended by her mother-in-law Jaya Bachchan and other B-Town stars like Azmi, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kriti Sanon, among others.

"It is great to be in Delhi and be cheered on by so many industry friends, colleagues and my mother-inlaw," she said. -PTI

August 7, 2015

India Post 51 www.indiapost.com

The Significance of a Guru VINOD KHANNA

W

hen the newspapers reported a public satsang held by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - Guruji - in Mumbai in 1999, attended by about one lakh people, I said to my wife Kavita that she must not miss the Guru

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

this time.

I had been a spiritual seeker from the time I read "Autobiography of a Yogi" when I was about eighteen years old. I also did Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation. But my spiritual journey started in earnest with my first Guru, when I received sanyas from Bhagwan, (as we then addressed Osho), in 1975. I had such deep and mind blowing experiences in the meditations that Bhagwan asked me to do, that

there was a profound shift in my life and priorities.

At the zenith of my film career, I retired to meditate at the feet of my Master, and lived with Bhagwan in his Ashrams in Pune and at the commune in Oregon.

Kavita too became a disciple of Osho's in 1993, after he had left his body, and she longed for a Guru who was in the body.

Though I had never met Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, when I read about him in 1999, I knew he was the Guru my wife was yearning for.

Divine providence, and the call of our Master, brought Kavita and me to Guruji a few months later, early in 2000. As soon as I was in his company, I had that indescribable experience of being in the presence of an enlightened Master. We travelled to Rishikesh with Guruji in 2001, where I learned the Sudarshan Kriya and yoga.

A few months later we were back with Guruji in Rishikesh, to play Holi with him, and we brought in the New Year with him at the German Art of Living Ashram in Bad Antogast.

Our family has since, on countless occasions, had the joy and privilege of spending time with Guruji. I love seeing the respect, recognition and love Gurus, Siddhas, Sadhus and leaders of all religions shower on Guruji. I am overjoyed to see so many young

people flocking around Guruji, meditating, inspired by him to serve... And I am delighted when I see my wife meditate. I remember how she could not even sit still and silent for five minutes, but now spends hours meditating.

The celebration, activity, meditation and energy circles I see around Guruji remind me of my time with Osho. I once again see seekers who travel thousands of miles, from every corner of the world, to be with the Guru, because such a phenomenon - a satguru - is so rare.

Many people ask me whether I am still with Osho. When your Guru accepts you as a disciple, that relationship does not change.

At a satsang I attended at our Bangalore Ashram, someone in the audience asked Guruji whether it was OK for him to be there as he already had a Guru. And Guruji replied that he was where he was meant to be, and that you could only continue your spiritual journey with another Guru with the blessings of your first Guru. And so it is with me.

I remember discussing with Guruji whether a seeker's journey could be complete. He said that when existence is infinite, until one is enlightened, there is always more to know and learn. I feel I am blessed to have Guruji's support and guidance. I have no words to express how fortunate I consider myself that he has welcomed me

Shilpa Shetty turns regal Cont'd from Page 50

"Our inspiration was Maharaja and company. And the main theme of the show was how Maharaja's functioned in the past with influence from the West," she added.

Shilpa, 40, who appeared on the ramp during the middle of the show, loved the concept.

"I just fell in love with the con-

cept of the show. In those times there was no option to take selfies and photographers were actually commissioned to come take there photo. It was unique and I loved the way the old world charm was created on stage," she said.

Painted in the hues of ivory, beige, burnished golds and velveteen ruby, all the outfits of collection had hand-crafted embroidery and crystals embedded on

it.

The "Life in a... Metro" actress, who received a lot of praise for pulling off the heavy outfit with ease, said glamour comes with a lot of weight.

Known for her svelte figure, the actress, who has released a Yoga DVD in the past, will soon come up with her book based on healthy lifestyle and advised everyone to read it and stay fit.-PTI

into his fold with love and respect.

I am in wonder at all that he does - tangible and intangible. I am amazed at how Guruji works tirelessly and continuously to put a smile on each face, to solve each person's inner conflicts, to solve regional and religious conflicts. I admire his attention to national and international affairs in almost every country of the world and his remarkable achievements as an Ambassador of peace. I admire his work to save and rejuvenate the environment, to channelize the energy of the youth.

I love all that Guruji has done and does to celebrate diverse cultures and traditions all over the world, and the way in which he inspires the incredible. The several world records that have been set by Art of Living, whether the 444 musicians who played the Kombu horn in Kerala, or the 333 Bulgarian bagpipers in Sofia, are all mind boggling. What is magnificent is how he does all this with infinite lightness, love and compassion and always a smile.

At a satsang at a friend's home I was requested to ask Guruji a question. As the mike was brought to me, Guruji said, "Vinod has no questions, but let him anyway ask for the others." It is at this stage of my journey, that Guruji has come into my life, and I share a connection with him that is beyond the physicality of words and actions, and beyond the chatter of the mind.

I am so very grateful to existence that it has given another Guru like Osho to me and to the present generation. Osho's methods were

totally different from Guruji's. But then, those who came to Osho in the '70's were of a different mindset. They were restless, discontented with the material world and willing to sacrifice anything to give it all up - to be at peace

Vinod Khanna

with themselves...

Today the material and spiritual have come together, and both are necessary. Today is the age of Zorba the Buddha. You do not have to give up the world. You can do both together - you can be a meditator in the marketplace, provided you get proper guidance.

Without the guidance of your Guru there is no way you can progress in meditation or evolve spiritually. As Kabir said, "Guru Bin Gyaan Na Upaje, Guru Bin Mile Na Moksha, Guru Bin Lakhe Na SatyaKo, Guru Bin Mite Na Dosh". For those who are on a spiritual quest, I would say what I said to my wife Kavita - don't miss existence's gift of Guruji.

Happy Guru Purnima to all.

52 India Post

August 7, 2015 www.indiapost.com

Bollywood musical 'Jhumroo' completes 1000 shows GURGAON: One of longest running grand Broadway style Bollywood musical, 'Jhumroo', a love story of a simpleton based on the melodies of legendary Kishore Kumar has completed non-stop 1000 shows here.

Staged exclusively in the opulent Nautanki Mahal at Kingdom

20 melodies of the maverick musician Kishore Kumar to depict the love story of the simpleton Bhola and his romantic interest Meena.

"This milestone is historic for us and the moment has an unbelievably joyous quality. Jhumroo has been a labor of love for all of us," says Viraf Sarkari, Director,

of Dreams here every day, the show, a first in this genre of entertainment for the country, combines magical special effects along with the conventional song-dance of Broadway.

The stage production running for the past three years uses about

Kingdom of Dreams.

In order to celebrate this completion of 1000 shows, the organizers brought together all those people who had been involved in the creation of the show, some who came from different parts of the country.

"Right from the directors, producers, actors, stage hands, technical crew etc. This magical moment is a triumph for each and everyone. They all came together this evening to celebrate this grand success of the musical crossing this landmark," says Sarkari.

Despite the show being staged everyday, Sarkari says there is always an audience to watch the grand spectacle.

"It is a live Bollywood musical.

The grand scale of the show, the technological special effects, the sumptuous look, opulent costumes, the glamour and glitz and the sheer spectacle on stage keep the viewer mesmerized to come back for a repeat performance," he says.

The journey of love, friendship and life is staged in a breathtaking, wondrous world of 'Jhumroo' resplendent with psychedelic retro costumes besides glittering and mesmerizing backdrops on stage.

With a team of over 100 artists, including the lead actors, dancers, technicians who perform aerial stunts, 'Jhumroo' effectively weaves magic for awed audiences coupled with the musical charm of Kishore Kumar. -PTI

Grandma's stitch in time!

A

kshay Kumar was in the midst of shooting his new film 'Singh is Bling' in Romania when his suit suddenly

ripped. This outfit was particularly designed for his climax scene in the film, but it tore unexpectedly, ensuring that the crew had to look for a tailor that could fix the damages instantly. But it was a local Romanian grandmother that came to Akshay's rescue and helped the actor with her sewing skills.

The grandmother went home, brought her sewing machine and fixed the tear, allowing the filming process to resume again. She must have been extremely talented to fix the tear, since it was a specifically designed suit for the scene.

Seems like Akshay Kumar has many devoted fans all around the world!

Lisa Ray: Need to promote culture of self-care Actress Lisa Ray believes there's a need to promote a culture of self-care in India and across the world.

"I find that we need to promote a culture of self-care in India and everywhere in the world. If you don't put your mental, physical and spiritual health first, no one else will. In order to put in the long hours of creative work required, I take a rejuvenating break involving a detox, a tech detox - which means ditching all technology - and yoga and meditation in nature," Lisa said in a statement.

The cancer survivor also highlighted the need for taking a break, and said it's not a selfish thing to do. "As a cancer survivor, I value my life and health more than before, so I understand taking a break is not selfish - it's essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Plus, since our lifestyles are over-scheduled, I actually schedule in my retreat as I would

work. Schedule in breaks to ensure they happen and approach them with a guilt-free attitude," she added.

Lisa Ray

On the work front, the 43-yearold has wrapped up the shooting of Zahhak, the official Hindi remake of Oculus, in London. She will also be seen next in the forthcoming romantic entertainer Ishq Forever. She's excited to play an "action-oriented" woman on screen and is working hard for it.

Idaho Falls Zoo has new baby zebra IDAHO Falls, Idaho: The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park has welcomed its newest animal: a baby zebra born July 17.

The Post-Register reports the zebra received her name - Adanna - this week. The name means ``loving daughter to her father'' in

Swahili.

The zoo now has three zebras, including Adanna's parents. Once the baby zebra reaches sexual maturity, in two to three years, she will be moved to another zoo. Officials said that's to prevent inbreeding.-AP

Horoscope

August 7, 2015

India Post

53

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Your Weekly Future

by Pandit Parashar

August 7th - August 13th 2015 (March 21 to April 20)

Y

ou will continue to regain control over life and have better communication with a child from now and on. This week looks very promising as far as the money is concerned. Try to stay busy and make good use of extra time on hands. You may make little change in your travel plan. New opportunity will be rewarding.

(April 21 to May 20)

A

short break will recharge you. Property deal can also finalize during the week. You may buy some other interesting items for the house. Money wise you will continue to do very well. A friend will call to invite you. With little diplomacy, you will successfully resolve a pending issue with a government agency this week.

(May 21 to June 20)

Y

ou will finally pick up the phone and make that phone call. Results will be positive and the the work will get done. Some of you may be slowly working on a new venture recently launched in partnership. You may call the experts to do some work done in or around your home. Seek expert opinion before replying to legal query.

(June 21 to July 22)

A

ny change in career at this point will be rewarding and last for long duration. Money wise looks like a very promising week. You will successfully negotiate with a government agency and get the clearance. Big change in diet and quantity will reduce weight quickly. You will also go to see a close relative or friend with family.

(July 23 to August 22)

(November 23 to December 22)

C

ombination of Jupiter, Veus and Mercury in first will bring happiness back in life. All obstacles of the past will get out of your way. All your actions will reflect confidence and determination.

You may drop your idea to take partner for upcoming venture. Some one tall and little dark color will try to cause hindrance.

(August 23 to September 22)

A

nd it will be another ex pensive week but money will be well spent on good reasons. You may buy some quality items for the house also. You may visit a close relative with family to attend an event. Boss may discuss a new project and assign a team to help you out. Park your car at proper place and check the locks before you leave home.

(September 23 to October 22)

Y

ou will sign an important deal this week and start to reap rich financial rewards almost immediately. Just keep an eye on new subordinates. A big refund is also on its way to you. Meeting with the government official will go well and you will have the approval soon. You may buy some high tech gadget for personal use.

(October 23 to November 22)

C

hanges at work will bring big relief in your mind.

You will be assigned an important project and the team of associates of your choice. Financial juggling will bring expenses under control. Just eat well and on time this week. You may take a short trip with family to meet an old friend.

Bank balance will shoot up.

PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations.

He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com

T

hings are about to take off in a big way and you will start to see the sign.

People made promises will deliver. Money you need for your project will become available on time. Any investment in a property will be lucky. Children may plan a small outing. You may also send little money to government in shape of taxes.

(December 22 to January 19)

A

nd this could be the calm before the big storm.Papers will get signed and ts a matter of few more days. Some one may bring or send some nice gifts. People in business will be successful in recovering an old debt. You may also spend money on children and purchase some high tech items for them.

(January 20 to February 18)

Y

ou will completely regain control over a tricky situation in career. Some one will give very good advice. You will make useful connection with an important person with political background. Business trip will also get finalized. Some of you sign up for a short term program to update your knowledge in your field.

(February 19 to March 20)

Y

ou may be getting ready for an upcoming big exam or interview. You will spend more money on children and their needs. Just protect your self against severe weather. You will sit down and reanalyze the finances and try to cut corners. Strategy will bring immediate relief. Your idea to start a business is not bad, work on it.

510-886-4370 www.parashar.com

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India Post

August 7, 2015

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US 'pivot to Asia' not very impressive

India Post

SANDIP KUMAR MISHRA

U

S President Barack Obama announced his new strategy for the Asia-Pacific 'pivot to Asia' - in 2011. It was also called 'strategic rebalancing' which emphasized that the US was 'here to stay' and it would re-inject fresh energy into its security and economic presence in the region. The US appeared to contest the growing influence of China by revitalizing its partnerships with its old allies in the region and also reaching out to other like-minded countries for their support for US initiatives.

In the subsequent year, the US tried to reinvigorate its alliances with Japan, South Korea, Philippines, and Australia, and tried to reach out to countries like India to have a larger and effective grouping to support US positions in regional politics. Even in the economic arena, an ambitious project in the form of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was given more importance.

clear headway - it seems it will take more time to realize the TPP on the ground. It may be contrasted with the Chinese project of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which has been successfully launched with wide participation by the countries of the region, including South Korea.

There is another unsaid but equally if not more significant 'pivot to Asia', which has been gradually but very decisively taking more space in the political and economic landscape of the AsiaPacific: China's 'pivot to Asia'.

China's growing influence in the region is undisputable, especially in the economic sphere. China has emerged as the Asia-Pacific hub, being the number one trading partner of almost all the countries.

With the successful launch of the AIIB and One-Belt One-Road (OBOR) initiative, China has almost become a pivot of the entire region in the economic sphere. In security affairs also, undeterred

File photo of US President Barack Obama speaking during a meeting with leaders from the Trans-Pacific Partnership at the US Embassy in Beijing on November 10, 2014

The US 'pivot to Asia' was less a strategic balancing and more a counter-measure to China's growing political and military might, and a last attempt to maintain the US position as the prime mover in the Asia-Pacific.

However, it might be said that the US re-entry has not been impressive because of the lack of intensity as well as many internal rifts between the US allies such as mistrust between Japan and South Korea, lack of consensus among other countries of the Asia-Pacific such as India and ASEAN countries on the US move, and more than anything else, decline in US capacity.

It has led to the 'pivot' being less appealing in subsequent years. A meeting is Hawaii a few days ago to chart the course of the TPP was not able to make any

by US moves, China has become more assertive and has been making its intent and design more open. It has deliberately discarded its old policy of 'hide your capabilities' and asserted its foreign policy goals.

It has made it clear that it would not accept any code of conduct for the South China Sea and in 2013 declared an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea. China probably wants to make its claim for the 'pivot' known and open at this point of time, though not it might not be eager to execute them immediately.

Japan, under the current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has also its own 'pivot to Asia' intent. An important shift in Japan's approach in recent years has been an aggressive policy to erode its peaceful constitution and unlock all the

restrictions on Japan's military role in regional politics.

By citing China's growing assertiveness and the need for an Asia-Pacific response, Japan has been able to convince the US that a changed Japanese posture is a much needed stance.

Japan is aware that the neighboring countries would not be happy with this attempt to become a 'pivot' to Asia and has thus been trying to reach out other, distant countries in Asia, including India, to garner support.

In the past one and half years, more specifically after the Ukraine crisis, Russia has also been trying to engage more with Asia. At this point in time, Russia has neither capacity nor intent to become a regional pivot in the security sphere, though it has been trying to be a player, at least, in East Asia via its cooperation and connections with North Korea.

Moscow has signed a nuclear agreement with India and has been strengthening its relationship with China. Russia's renewed interests in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also reported to be part of its agenda to build a Russia's 'pivot to Asia'. Russia is more interested in the economic landscape of the region, and in April 2014, Moscow announced a special economic zone in Vladivostok to reach out to Asiapacific countries.

Few other 'pivots' such as ASEAN's as a collective entity, which tries to offer a ASEAN way in regional politics, as well as India's growing regional interests, could also be cited as important variables that are going to shape the future of the region. However, they are nascent and less influential at this point of time.

Amidst all the 'pivots to Asia', the region has become an arena of contest between the various players of 'pivot politics'. A multiplicity of 'pivots' means that there is no one who has substantial influence over the regional security and economic dynamics, leading to complex scenarios. It has resulted in less predictability and more instability in the region. The interplay of these 'pivots' - their contest as well alliances - is going to shape the future of regional political and economics, and must be keenly observed.

The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, Delhi University. Courtesy IPCS

I

Who will blink?

n this BJP-Congress confrontation who will blink first? Only a decisive verdict in the coming Bihar election can decide which way the country will go as the Monsoon session of Parliament has almost been washed out. Neither the BJP nor the Congress is willing to move on from their fixed positions even as the development of the country has come to a standstill.

The intelligentsia is aware that it is the Congress which is blocking the GST and the land reforms bills which if passed will free up land acquisition and simplify the taxation process - the two essentials for major investments. But how does the average voter view this cynical exercise of the Sonia-led party? The Congress must be hoping that its labelling of Narendra Modi as anti-farmer and antipoor will work in its favour, or at least against the BJP, in the forthcoming Bihar election which will set the national agenda once again.

Should the BJP reach out to the Congress to get the business of Parliament going? The dilemma with the BJP is that if it tries to accommodate the Congress now and concedes some ground, it might be construed as a weakness. It has already diluted its stand on the land bill agreeing to the recommendations of the Parliament panel to retain the consent clause of the original bill.

The Congress approach is short-term. It must be smiling at its ability to discomfit Narendra Modi in his campaign to develop India. But what will it say to the electorate in the looming state assembly elections a few of which are now at its door? Surely it cannot take to them the development mantra! Will it offer to them the Laloo politics of depriving the Bihar villages of roads and education on the ground that the city wallahs will come to exploit them?

For the Congress it is a question of the survival of the Gandhi dynasty in power. If Narendra Modi succeeds in providing development to the country in the coming few years, it will be a setback for the Congress ideology of keeping the poor poor as a vote bank.

And if the Bihar electorate has become wise after so many years of the Laloo brand politics, and votes for development, the Gandhi family will have no face to show.

In fact the Congress is not even in contention in Bihar. The fight there is between Nitish Kumar and the BJP. In alliance with the BJP, Nitish had provided a model of development to Bihar which was giving him electoral dividends. The Nitish ideology was BJP yes but Narendra Modi, no. When Modi straddled like a colossus during the 2014 elections, Nitish broke the alliance with BJP claiming Modi will never be able to become PM. The setback in the parliamentary elections has sent him scurrying to the lap of Laloo Yadav and the other anti-development parties like the Congress.

Now, in the company of Laloo, what will Nitish say to the Bihar electorate? If he proclaims he is for development of the State, the company he is keeping will belie his claim. If the issue before the electorate is development, then Narendra Modi is the more formidable model. Even with caste and local factors operating, it is not certain the electorate would like to go back to Laloo politics. If it votes for the BJP, it can send the Congress scurrying back to the drawing board.

Demonstrations have been held in many cities by Congress partymen against the expulsion of 25 Congress MPs by Parliament Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. That raises the question of the present popularity of the Congress. A recent Hindustan Times survey asked its readers if the suspension of 25 Congress MPs would help the Parliament function smoothly, an overwhelming 74% of respondents said they believed the suspension would have a positive effect on Parliament.

August 7, 2015

www.indiapost.com

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