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VOL 21, No. 1112

January 15, 2016

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Priyanka Chopra wins People Choice Award

VOL 21, No. 1112

January 15, 2016

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PAK ARRESTS 'SOME' FOR PATHANKOT

Details on page 50

Kashmea Wahi

Indian girl is the brainiest in Britain Details on page 8

US university blames Air India, students Details on page 44

US encouraged

by Pak promise to investigate

Tata Motors' JLR breaks global sales record

Details on page 8

Details on page 12

India tops 2016 outsourcing index

Kullu dance in Guinness book of records

Details on page 9

Details on page 8

White House assures Sikhs of their safety

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29

Details on page 9

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

Can Pakistan be trusted on its promise to take action?

Last week’s result

Should India call off talks with Pakistan?

YES 36%

NO 64%

TAKING STOCK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a somber mood during his visit to terror-hit Pathankot Airbase on January 9

Classifieds ------------------------- 48 Community Post -------------- 16-26

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement agencies have picked up "some suspects" connected to Pathankot airbase attack from Bahwalapur district, the hometown of Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of banned terror outfit Jaishe-Mohammed.

Pakistani news channel ARY News reported that "some arrests" have been made in this regard but police did not confirm any arrest related to the Pathankot attack.

"The intelligence agencies have picked up some suspects from Bahawalpur on the leads provided by India in Pathankot airbase attack and shifted them to undisclosed

location for interrogation," the news channel reported.

Regional Police Officer (RPO Bahawalpur) Ahsan Saddique said that he was not aware of any arrest in connection with the Pathankot attack. "I am not aware about any arrests related to the Pathankot incident," he added.

In Islamabad, intelligence officials claimed raids were carried out in Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur districts and an unspecified number of people were arrested.

"Probe has been going to ascertain if they were involved in the attack or some of them facilitated it," they said.

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

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Date Book -------------------------- 47 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 32-35 Horoscope ------------------------- 37 Immigration Post ------------- 44-46 Life Style ----------------------- 50-52 Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 30-31 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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efore I give her any credit, I will say though that I knew there was more to her new all-American success story than what meets the eye. I am talking about popular Indian actress Priyanka Chopra; and from what she has been doing to make inroads into the coveted portals of American pop culture, I do give her credit for so ably becoming the part of the Bollywood Superstar-turned-American-TV-Sweetheart.

Her acting talent is not among the best you have seen in either world of entertainment (Bollywood or Hollywood); and the 'giggly, cute girl with brains' act that she puts on during media interviews perhaps borders on irritating, to say the least. But from trolls questioning what this 'brown-skinned terrorist' was doing at the opening of Thursday night football five years ago to ardent fans voting her last week as their favorite actress on TV for her role in Quantico, Chopra has come a long way in a rather short time.

Arguably, you could call her a bigger success among her peers from back home who have been trying to make a mark in Hollywood, because before grabbing eyeballs of American television audiences, she also made a mark in the American music industry.

Still, you know that this avatar of Priyanka Chopra is not all about merit being recognized. Rather, her emerging American story is all about where and how far effective marketing and branding can get you; as also about where the emerging audience markets are.

So to upgrade that age old cliché about the woman behind every successful man, we say there's indeed a woman behind many a successful man and woman in American entertainment industry, including Priyanka Chopra. And that, if you haven't already heard, happens to be maverick Indian American venture capitalist and big league talent promoter Anjula Acharia-Bath of Trinity Ventures.

Acharia-Bath, we hear, is all about having that ear and eye for what works.

It was her vision to bring South Asian talent into the American mainstream. It was her hard-sell that made Priyanka Chopra a household name in America.

And as for Priyanka Chopra, well, she's definitely not disappointing.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Ready for Diesel Deepika will be joining the cast in Vin Diesel starrer XXX in February to commence her segment of shooting.

Cover Story: ‘Some’ arrested Pakistan law enforcement agencies have picked up "some suspects" connected to Pathankot airbase attack

Community: Impressive programs The Indian consulate in Chicago has outlined an impressive line of programs and activities for the current year

Visa mess A US university has blamed Air India and some of the deported Indian students for the prevailing visa mess

Life style: Sleeping the best Bangalore is sleeping the best - only 8.1% have difficulty falling asleep there compared to 13% in Delhi & Mumbai

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Pak arrests 'some' for Pathankot LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement agencies have picked up "some suspects" connected to Pathankot airbase attack from Bahwalapur district, the

hometown of Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Pakistani news channel ARY News reported that "some arrests"

have been made in this regard but police did not confirm any arrest related to the Pathankot attack.

"The intelligence agencies have picked up some suspects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi watching a presentation on counter-terrorist and combing operation by the Defense Forces, at Pathankot Airbase on January 9

Whoever hurts India, will get same pain: Parrikar NEW DELHI: Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has asserted that any individual or organization that hurts the country should be given the same pain but how, when and where should be India's choice, remarks which come in the

change.

"I am of the opinion, it should not be taken as government thinking, I always believe that if anyone harms you, he understands the same language.

"How, when and the place

Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar

backdrop of the Pathankot terror attack.

Addressing an audience which consisted of top army brass, including its chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, the Minister said that history tells us that until those who inflict damage on others experience the same pain, they don't

should be of your choice but if someone is harming this country, then that particular individual or organization, I purposely used the words individual and organization, should also receive the pain of such activities," he said at a seminar organized by the Army here.

Asked to elaborate, Parrikar later said, "Basic principle is that until we give them pain, whoever they may be, until then, such incidents will not reduce".

In a reference to the Pathankot attack, the Minister said the country was proud of its seven soldiers who laid down their lives but he is pained by the loss.

"I don't appreciate it. I have said that it is time we tell our soldiers that it is inevitable that we will lose some soldiers, and in this incident we lost one person in actual combat.

"We should tell them to think of the concept of taking life of your enemy, enemy of the country, instead of giving your life. This is an important aspect," he said.

He said that while sacrifice is respected, what nation needs is to neutralize the enemy.

Asked if that means there is a change in policy from the previous UPA government, Parrikar retorted, "If someone comes and hammers you, you should keep quiet? Was that the policy?

"What I am saying is basically that history tells you that those who damage you, if they don't realize what pain they inflict, then they don't change". -PTI

from Bahawalpur on the leads provided by India in Pathankot airbase attack and shifted them to undisclosed location for interrogation," the news channel reported.

Regional Police Officer (RPO Bahawalpur) Ahsan Saddique said that he was not aware of any arrest in connection with the Pathankot attack. "I am not aware about any arrests related to the Pathankot incident," he added.

In Islamabad, intelligence officials claimed raids were carried out in Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur districts and an unspecified number of people were arrested.

"Probe has been going to ascertain if they were involved in the attack or some of them facilitated it," they said.

Nudged by the US to expeditiously act against the perpetrators of the Pathankot terror attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered formation of a high-profile joint investigation team (JIT)

gence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Sharif recently, the paper said.

India has identified Masood Azhar as mastermind of the attack.

It also blamed his brother Rauf and five others for carrying out the attack that left all six terrorists and seven Indian soldiers dead on January 2.

It has provided telephone number in Pakistan contacted by the airbase attackers and given other inputs. Azhar's seminary Usmanau-Ali, in Bahwalpur, some 400 kilometers from Lahore, is fully functional and of late the number of students has reportedly increased from 400 to 700 with the extension in the building.

"No raid has been conducted in the seminary related to the Pathankot incident," the police officer said.

JeM was banned in 2002. However, it continued to operate under an alternative name 'Jamaat-

Nudged by the US to expeditiously act against the perpetrators of the Pathankot terror attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered formation of a high-profile joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the links of the attackers with Pakistan to investigate the links of the attackers with Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.

Sharif's decision to form the JIT came after the leads provided by India which has linked the Foreign Secretary-level talks, scheduled for January 15, to Islamabad's decisive action on the terror attack on its air base.

The decision to form the JIT, comprising officials from Intelli-

ul-Furqaan'.

The News said that Pakistan has completed initial investigation on the terror attack and handed over its report to Indian authorities. There was no official word on this from the Indian side.

The paper, quoting Pakistani authorities, claimed that the telephone numbers provided by India were not registered in Pakistan.-PTI

Defense bases along Pak border on high alert NEW DELHI: Defense installations located along the India-Pakistan border continue to be put on high alert as they are the prime targets of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations following the attack on Pathankot air base.

A high-level meeting, chaired

by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, reviewed the security situation in the country and steps taken to foil any more terror strike in general and on the defense installations in particular.

Official sources said since intelligence inputs suggest possi-

bility of further terror attacks by groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, all sensitive locations and Army and Air Force located along the India-Pakistan border have been put on high alert.

Instruction has been given to tighten the security in all such installations, sources said.

They said the Home Minister favored better coordination among various security and intelligence agencies to facilitate uninterrupted flow of actionable information on real time basis.-PTI

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Gates grant for ci3 will Punjab Police officer grilled by NIA impact India SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health (Ci3) at the University of Chicago will receive a $1 million, 2-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Ci3's newly l a u n c h e d Transmedia Story Lab (TSL) will collaborate with leading non-governmental organizations in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India to train them in novel, youthfriendly data collection techniques.

This project also reflects Ci3's commitment to developing novel partnerships. Ci3 will work with

the University of Chicago alumnus Sandeep Ahuja MPP '06, director of Operation ASHA, an international leader in tuberculosis (TB) eradication. Operation ASHA

Sandeep Ahuja

is renowned for their innovative approaches and outcomes-oriented research.

Before founding Operation ASHA, Sandeep served for many years as additional commissioner for the Government of India. He then traveled to the U.S., where he earned a Masters degree in public policy at the University of Chicago and a certificate in health policy & administration.

During his tenure at the University of Chicago, he was awarded the Harris Fellowship. He was also selected as a McCormick Tribune Community Leadership Fellow in Chicago. Sandeep has also taught a short course titled "Global Health Problems" at the University of Chicago in February 2008. He is a Member of Advisory Board at GlobeMed, University of Chicago.

As CEO, Sandeep has led the ASHA since 2006. His sharp business acumen has earned praise and created a cost-effective method of treating tuberculosis.

eCompliance technology helpful for TB patients FRANK FERNANDES India Post News Service

in cost of treatment for MDR TB would save the Delhi Government alone Rs. 3.8 crores per year, a return of 15 times on investment of installing eCompliance. If additional income of patients who get treated and prevention of economic loss are included, the savings go up to Rs. 63 crores per

MUMBAI: A study conducted

by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) has conclusively shown that Operation ASHA's eCompliance biometric system significantly improves adherence to DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short Course), an internationally accepted treatment for Tuberculosis (TB).

The study randomly allocated 3,000 patients across the states of Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Operation ASHA's eCompliance biometric system Odisha to two groups - treatment (used year, a return 284 times the investeCompliance at DOTS centers) ment.

This is a significant result beand control (did not use eCompliance at DOTS centers). cause TB patients are often unThe use of eCompliance reduced able to adhere to the DOTS regidefault by 20% in the treatment men which requires between 42 group compared to the control and 70 doses of medicine to be group. Most of these patients taken over 6-9 months, in the preswould be saved the trauma of a ence of an observer. When pahorrendous disease and spared tients stop taking medication, they contract drug-resistant TB which their lives.

Not only that, reduction in de- is deadlier and far more expensive fault and MDR has tremendous to treat. Globally in 2014, nearly cost implications. Direct reduction 500,000 people developed

multidrug-resistant TB. Operation ASHA's eCompliance system addresses this challenge by ensuring that a fingerprint is taken for every dose given to a patient by a health worker. If a patient misses a dose, an alert is generated by the eCompliance system requiring the health worker to provide additional counseling and convince the patient to resume treatment.

TB is the largest infectious killer worldwide, claiming over 1.5 million lives annually. Operation ASHA's eCompliance system has the potential to help TB patients worldwide to complete their treatment successfully, thereby turning the tap off drug-resistant forms of TB. Founded in 2006, Operation ASHA provides high-quality primary healthcare to underprivileged communities at their doorstep. It is the largest program as part of which over 60,000 patients have been treated till date across India and Cambodia.

Operation ASHA's technology suite has been replicated in several other countries including Kenya, Uganda, the Dominican Republic and Afghanistan and is now being developed for conditions like MDR TB, hemophilia and even school attendance.

NEW DELHI: Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh has been put by NIA to exhaustive questioning for eight hours in connection with the Pathankot terror attack, during which contradictions were appar-

questioning and if need be the two would be confronted, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

The central agency, which took over the case immediately after terrorists struck inside the IAF base during the intervening night of Janu-

Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh, who was allegedly abducted by terrorists involved in the Pathankot attack, arrives to appear before NIA in New Delhi

ent in his statements to the inves- ary 1 and 2, had summoned Singh tigators. as he was kidnapped by terrorists The agency is also concentrat- during the New Year night before ing to conclusively prove the they entered into the air base. identity of four terrorists, whose Singh, who is at present a Subodies were secured from the at- perintendent of Police-rank officer tack site as it got a Black Notice posted as Assistant Commandant issued from Interpol. of 75th battalion of Punjab Armed The international notice is is- Police after he was removed as SP sued for identification of uniden- (headquarters) Gurdaspur, had altified bodies found in a country, legedly given contradictory statean MHA spokesperson said. ments about his kidnapping and The NIA has also sent some sequences of events preceding body parts to CFSL to ascertain whether they belong to the remaining Agency sources have not two terrorists who were involved in the 80-hour- ruled out subjecting him to long gun battle with selie detector test as questioncurity forces which left seven personnel dead, ing will continue when his the sources said.

Singh, who arrived at cook Madan Gopal agency headquarters here, was subjected to intense questioning between 11 and succeeding the hostage am and 7 PM and asked to appear event, official sources said. again for examination.

The NIA has recorded stateAgency sources have not ment of the caretaker of the shrine ruled out subjecting him to lie de- which Singh had said that he had tector test as questioning will con- visited with Gopal and his jeweltinue when his cook Madan Gopal ler friend Rajesh Verma, who was will also be examined by the terror left bleeding with a cut below his investigation agency. throat by the terrorists after abThe sources claimed Gopal ducting the other two. might be confronted with Singh The caretaker, who is related to who is still not giving clear an- the cook, had told the sleuths that swers to several key questions Gopal and Verma had come in the regarding his alleged abduction morning of December 31 and again by attackers of the IAF base. in the evening and he was not The NIA has also summoned aware of the reason for his visit to Gopal to the headquarters for the shrine twice, they said.-PTI

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Indian girl is the brainiest in UK LONDON: An 11-year-old Indian-origin girl in the UK has achieved the top possible score

of 162, putting her in the league of scientists Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking and in the top 1%

Kashmea Wahi

of 162 on an IQ test of Mensa, becoming one of the youngest brainiest students in the country.

Mumbai-born Kashmea Wahi achieved the top score of 162 out

of the country's brightest.

"It's overwhelming to be compared with the likes of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, the comparison is implausible and I

US encouraged by Pak promise to investigate WASHINGTON: The US has said it is encouraged by the fact that the Pakistan government has condemned the Pathankot terror attack and promised investigation.

"Our expectation is that investigation will be thorough and complete and as transparent as possible. But in terms of its progress and where they are, you'd have to talk to Pakistani authorities on it," State Department Spokesman John Kirby said

these problems. I don t think they spoke with any great detail or specificity about the next round of talks and what's on the calendar. But writ large, yes, this was a topic of discussion with the Prime Minister," Kirby said.

In their call on January 9, Kerry and Sharif talked a lot about this issue.

"Then he stressed that it's obviously United States interest that India and Pakistan continue to look for ways to work better together "We're encouraged by the to...terrorism concerns fact that the Pakistani Govbut to reduce the tensions between the two ernment condemned the countries," he said. attack and said that they "...the State Department remains focused would investigate," he said and committed to working bilaterally and at his daily news conference. multilaterally on counterterrorism "We're encouraged by the fact challenges," Kirby said in rethat the Pakistani Government con- sponse to a question. demned the attack and said that Meanwhile, senior US officials they would investigate," he said. believe that Pakistan is serious The spokesman said that the about investigation this time unUS would like the two countries like in the past. to continue with their peace talks.

"We do not talk much in detail Last week US Secretary of State about the diplomatic conversaJohn Kerry asked Prime Minister tions. He (Kerry) came away beNawaz Sharif to find out the truth lieving that the Pakistani governand stressed on the need to stay ment is serious about this parfocused on the pressing chal- ticular incident, serious about inlenge of terrorism in the region. vestigating it, serious about try"He (Kerry) certainly encour- ing to work with partners in the aged India and Pakistan to work region, Afghanistan specifibilaterally to continue discus- cally," a senior State Department sions and to try to work through official said.-PTI

believe it would take loads of achievements for anyone like myself to be able to get into the league of such legends. Anyways, I am buzzing with excitement," Kashmea said.

Both Hawking and Einstein are thought to have an IQ of 160.

The daughter of IT management consultants, Vikas and Pooja Wahi, at Deutsche Bank in London took the test to prove a point to her parents. The Cattell III B Mensa test is a well-known international evaluation process and Kashmea stumbled upon it while browsing her iPad. Cattell III B has 150 questions, often assessing comprehension through passages of texts, while the maximum score that can be achieved is 161 for adults, and 162 for under-18s. The high achiever at school felt it would be a good way to convince her parents to get off her case for not being buried in her books for

Singaporean book on Sikh legacy in Pak SINGAPORE: An Indian-origin Singaporean has documented Sikh heritage in Pakistan in a travelogue which includes historical sites many of which are now ruined due to lack of maintenance since the 1947 partition.

Amardeep Singh has spent more than two years doing research work and visiting Pakistan to put together the 500-page book "Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy In Pakistan".

The book has pictures of Sikh temples, including the birth place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, mansions and forts built by Sikh ancestors as well as one by army leader Hari Singh Nalwa who built it in the 18th century at Haripur.

Singh, 49, left his 21-year-old executive post at the American Express in 2013 "to do something different" and plunged into fulltime history research.

During his visit to Pakistan in 2014, Singh also saw many of the buildings abandoned and crumbling while others have been turned into libraries and storehouses with some occupied by poor families, he noted.

Singh has also called on the Sikh Diaspora to work with the Pakistani government and preserve some elements of the community's heritage in their previous homeland. -PTI

long hours.

"We are ecstatic at Kashmea's Mensa achievement. Although we always believed she had the intellectual prowess, the acknowledgement is reassuring that she does possess the ability, the energy which if well canalized, can lead to something won-

and has competed in national level chess tournaments, winning medals and trophies.

"I can confirm that Kashmea is one of the youngest to achieve 162 in the supervised test as it can only be taken by people over the age of 10 and a half," a Mensa spokesperson confirmed.

The student of Notting Hill and Ealing Junior School, in west London, was instrumental in her school team making it to third place in the Oxford Maths challenge last year, loves net ball, plays competitive lawn tennis derful," her parents said.

The student of Notting Hill and Ealing Junior School, in west London, was instrumental in her school team making it to third place in the Oxford Maths challenge last year, loves net ball, plays competitive lawn tennis

Mensa is believed to be the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. Membership is open to anyone who can demonstrate an IQ in the top 2% of the population, measured by a recognized or approved IQ testing process. -PTI

Kullu dance in Guinness book of records SHIMLA: The colorful Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Rakesh folk dance (Nati), which saw par- Kumar, the man behind the show. ticipation of 20,000 dancers durKanwar confirmed the informaing Kullu Dussehra festival on tion and said that it was possible October 26 last year, has entered due to initiative and enthusiasm the Guinness book of world records.

In the Nati, 10,000 The jamboree of over men and women attired 20,000 people danced to in traditional Kullu dress performed at spread the message of Dhalpur Ground during Kullu Dussehra festival 'Beti Hai Anmol' (Girl child on October 26 last year. is precious) The jamboree of over 20,000 people danced to spread the message of 'Beti Hai of the people who participated enthusiastically in the program, reAnmol' (Girl child is precious).

The Guinness Book authorities hearsed for days and made it sucwere informed about the show and cessful. the entire program which lasted Similar folk dance was per-

about an hour was monitored.

The intimation regarding recording the event in Guinness Book was received by Kullu

formed last year (2014) also in which 8,600 dancers participated and it was recorded in Limca book of World records. -PTI

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India tops 2016 outsourcing index SINGAPORE: India is the world's biggest outsourcing destination in terms of financial attractiveness and business environment, according to a study by a London-based global management consulting firm.

A T Kearney's 2016 Global Services Location Index (GSLI) rated India as number one out of the total 55 countries analyzed.

China, Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Mexico, Chile and Poland respec-

pines are still top of mind when it comes to offshoring, the hunt for new talent is now taking companies beyond these countries' capitals and major cites to tier 3 locations such as Surat, Nagpur, and Lucknow in India and Bacolod and Iloilo City in the Philippines," said Nikolai Dobberstien, partner with A T Kearney's Communications, Media and Technology practice.

One advantage of tier 3 cities is the relative affordability of

tively made up the top 10 list.

Offshoring to India remains a highly attractive proposition for many companies, said the study which also takes a deeper dive into optimal cities for offshoring within the ranked countries.

"While India and the Philip-

real estate as facilities in Nagpur and Ahmedabad are 25 per cent to 30 per cent cheaper than Kolkata and Delhi, the report said.

Another advantage is the relative availability of labor, its lower cost and lower attrition rates.

Many of these cities have highly developed educational infrastructure, ensuring fresh crops of qualified graduates for the foreseeable future, GSLI said.

"Even though the top six or seven countries are landing in the same order this year as 2014, looking forward, this could all change radically because the very nature of what's being outsourced is changing," said Arjun Sethi, global leader of A T Kearney's strategic IT practice.

"For the first time, we have a trend automation - that could displace the leadership of the likes of India and China in outsourcing. Technology's relentless progress continues to transform in unanticipated and fundamentally different ways not only where work is moving to, but how and by whom - or by what it is being done," Sethi said.

He said the new business model associated with this automation threatens established concepts of offshoring, while expanding the market.

India's undisputed industry leadership is facing a challenge from China which has become attractive with its recent devaluation of Renminbi and gains in educational skills and cultural adaptability.-PTI

Govt allows a cruel practice in Jallikattu FRANK FERNANDES

MUMBAI: Is the Indian government capitulating to pressure from interested quarters while granting permission for the practice of Jallikattu, despite the country's Supreme Court banning the practice in 2014?

Jallikattu is a cruel practice in

which crowds of young men pursue and torment bulls, often leading to injury to the bulls and to themselves in the process. The following is a statement by Humane Society International/India's managing director, Nuggehalli Jayasimha:

"The notification issued by the MoEF on the issue of Jallikattu is illegal and is a violation of the sanctity of the country's highest court. The Supreme Court unequivocally banned the use of bulls in such events in 2014 due to widespread reports of animal cruelty surrounding the festival in which bulls are violently poked, kicked, beaten and made to stand in their own waste for hours on end without food or water, only to be made to run at high speeds for long distances afterwards, causing immense physical distress."

Jayasimha is the Director of Humane Society International / India based in the city of Hyderabad, located in the southern half of India.

Right minded people have urged the government to take a close look at the laws that clearly prohibit this practice and reverse its decision immediately.

White House assures Sikhs of their safety WASHINGTON: The White dress to the community at the House has assured American- Guru Gobind Singh Foundation Sikhs of their safety and security (GGSF) Gurdwara. in view of the increasing threats "When these kinds of things and hate crimes against the com- happen there is kind of deep munity members in the recent past. sense of violation and anxiety.

In a rare gesture, Melissa We want you to know that we Rogers, Special Assistant to Presi- stand by with you during these dent Barack Obama and head of challenging times," she said. the Office of Faith Based and Rogers said such incidents Neighborhood Partnerships office not only cause a great grief of the White House, visited a among the people who are being Gurdwara in Maryland to deliver attacked and the communities the message of reassurance from mostly associated with it, but the President.

Asserting that the US Government stands "I want to offer our deepest with Sikhs in America, condolences for some Rogers also expressed empathy with the Sikh recent violence and community over the recent incidents of vio- attacks against Sikhs and lence against Sikhs and Sikh institutions� a reported case of vandalism at Los Angeles Gurdwara, a media release said. they also threaten all as America "I want to offer our deepest draws its strength from the divercondolences for some recent vio- sity of its people. lence and attacks against Sikhs "We want you to know that and Sikh institutions. we stand by you and we will conThese reports are of tremen- tinue to work until we stamp dous concern to us as we they these incidents out. Like you we are to you. We feel a deep sense believe that attack on any faith is of loss for victims of these an attack is an attack on every crimes," Rogers said in her ad- faith," Rogers said.-PTI

SC stays Center's notification allowing Jallikattu NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has stayed the Center's notification lifting ban on controversial bull taming sport Jallikattu during the festival of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.

"As an interim measure, we direct that there shall be stay of notification dated January 7, 2016 issued by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF)," a bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and N V Ramana said.

The bench also issued notice to the MoEF and Tamil Nadu on petitions filed by various bodies including Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) seeking striking down of the Center's notification and sought their replies within four weeks.

Earlier during the day, a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur referred the petitions to the present bench as one of the judges Justice Banumathi, who hails from Tamil Nadu, recused from hearing the batch of petitions.

The Center's notification lifting ban on Jallikattu in Tamil

Nadu was challenged in the Supreme Court by AWBI, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and a Bangalorebased NGO. The four-year-old ban on holding of Jallikattu was lifted on January 8 by the Modi government in poll-bound Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions.

The decision to allow Jallikattu along with bullock cart races in other parts of the country, had come through a government notification despite strong objections by animal rights groups.

Jallikattu also known Eruthazhuvuthal is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day.

In its notification, the Centre had said, "...Central Government, hereby specifies that following animals shall not be exhibited or trained as performing animals with effect from the date of publication of this notification, namely bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers, lions and bulls." -PTI

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Walmart to open 15 more stores in Andhra VISAKHAPATNAM: Walmart India has said it plans to open 15 more cash-and-carry stores in Andhra Pradesh apart from setting up a centre for sourcing agriculture products from small and marginal farmers.

Walmart India president and chief executive officer Krish Iyer said the company has three stores in the state and it "plans to open another 15".

Meanwhile, four leading retail chains Walmart India, Future

Group, Spencers and Arvind have signed MoUs with the state government to invest Rs 1,500 crore in Andhra Pradesh with a commitment to generate 25,000 jobs.

Iyer said Walmart India would engage in areas like working with small farmers, and investing in training.

Talking about ease of doing business in India, he said both at the centre and the state several steps are visible in this direction.

"The efforts are visible. The events on the ground do take time and I believe that in the next 12-18 months, we are going to see some significant results visible on the ground itself," he said.

When asked whether the big retailers would impact small mom and pop stores, Iyer said both the models would work in India. -PTI

Stricter security checks at India airports NEW DELHI: National carrier Air India has urged its passengers to reach airports well on time to avoid delays in view of agencies scaling up security measures from the entrance of the terminal building to boarding aircraft.

At present, the domestic passengers are required to reach airport an hour before the scheduled departure of their flights while international passengers are asked to report at the airport at least oneand-a-half hour in advance.

In view of the recent security alert in the country, passengers/ baggage may have to undergo more stringent checks at airports.

It is advised that to avoid inconvenience, passengers may report three hours before the scheduled departure of flight, Air India said in an advisory to its passengers.

To avoid any delays to the

flight departures owing to these procedures, Air India requests its passengers to report at the counter well in time for check-ins, it said.

Air India accords utmost importance to the safety and security of its passengers and equipment, it added.

As per the aviation regulator DGCA mandate, check-in counters for domestic passengers get closed 45 minutes before the scheduled departure while for the international flights, counters close 60 minutes prior to departure.

Counters for flights (both Domestic and International) operating from International terminals close 60 minutes before scheduled departure of flight. Boarding gates in both cases close 25 minutes prior to departure. -PTI

100 monuments identified Hidesign eyes growth in US market as must-see sites

NEW YORK: Aiming to diversify globally, India-based leather goods manufacturer Hidesign is bullish on growing its presence in the US market and is seeking to capture the niche segment with its range of men's and women's range of bags.

Pondicherry-based Hidesign launched its US operations in December 2014, making an initial investment of between a quarter

and half million dollars.

The company plans to make more investments as it undertakes expansion of the brand in the US market.

"The US market is gigantic and we are looking for a niche representation in this market, that itself will be very significant in terms of numbers and value. It is a good opportunity to diversify and build the brand outside India," Hidesign America CEO Vikas Kapur told PTI in an interview.

The company markets and dis-

tributes competitively priced bags and small leather goods in the US and sells online as well as through high-end independent retailers.

The brand has also participated in major trade shows in the US to showcase its products and expand its market base.

Kapur said the company had entered the US market with the men's range and is now in the process of expanding their women's

range.

"In the US, Hidesign has a niche product range that reflects the original brand identity," he said.

In the second year of its operations, the company expects to double growth on the back of further increases in sales as it expands its footprint and brings in additional product categories.

Sales and revenue for all Hidesign branded product in the US is currently in the USD 1-5 million range, the company said.

While the men's category is its strong point in the US, going forward, the company expects that the women s range will contribute more to the sales.

Outlining the strategy to grow the product in the US market, Kapur said the company is undertaking measures to educate people about the brand.

In March, the company will be exhibiting at the popular Travel Goods Association trade show in Las Vegas where it will display its range of briefcases, messengers, handbags, small leather good and men's bags, Kapur said adding that the show will provide a platform to showcase to large department and luggage stores.

As the company seeks to expand in the US, Kapur said the challenge will be to "tell your story as there are already many brands and products here."

The company is open to partnerships and in future is looking at selling directly in the US instead of going through distributors.

Kapur said Hidesign is also targeting the Indian-American community, since they are more aware of the brand, having seen and heard about it in India.

"We want to get our story out to the Indian-American population also. They know the brand but they should also know that we are in the US," he said. -PTI

NEW DELHI: About 100 monuments have been identified for a portal, which is being developed by the Archeological Suevey of India (ASI) to highlight the outstanding monuments and sites in India.

"Nearly a hundred monuments have been identified for the purpose. Sites have been selected on the basis of their exceptional art and architecture, planning and design, displaying exemplary engineering skills and being a unique testimony to the civiliza-

tion in the past," the Ministry of Culture said in a release.

The portal carries brief history regarding each monument and information such as connectivity and access, weather conditions, timings of opening and closing, facilities available at site, 360 degree/panoramic views (in collaboration with Google) and other must-see monuments in the vicinity.

The portal is expected to be launched within a month, the release said. -PTI

74 Pak pilgrims denied visa to visit India NEW DELHI: India has denied visa to 74 Pakistani pilgrims to visit a shrine near Agra, on the ground of "procedural issues".

"74 Pakistan pilgrims have been denied visa by the Indian authorities. These pilgrims belonging to various parts of Pakistan have expressed resentment on rejection of their visas," Press Attache in Pakistan High Commission Manzoor Ali Memon said.

He said the pilgrims wanted to attend annual gathering of Hafiz Abdullah Shah shrine near Agra from 11-18 January.

"This is inconsistent with 1974 pilgrim protocol between the two countries. Pakistan has been is-

suing visas to Indian pilgrims in accordance with the protocol," Memon said.

When asked for comments, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said the visa applications of the group have been rejected on the ground of procedural issues.

He said under the protocol on visits to religious shrines, an organizing committee or local authorities were required to extend logistical support to the visa applicants.

However, in this case, no organizing committee or local authorities were ready to extend support to the group, he said. -PTI

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'Hindu samskriti' is our identity: RSS chief BENGALURU: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said "Hindu samskriti (culture)" is India's identity and that is why it is known as "Hindu Rashtra" even as he stressed on organizing those who accept Indian values and cultural system of unity in diversity.

"Hindu samskriti or Bharatiya Samskriti, we have this as our iden-

but it is universally accepted. We all are Hindus as we have accepted the very nature of the 'samskriti'," Bhagwat was quoted saying at an event here in an RSS statement.

"We should organize those Hindus who accept the values and Indian cultural system of unity in diversity, so that they work to-

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

tity. Bharat is not just a name of some part or piece of land. The land keeps increasing or decreasing based on how it is being treated. The nature of the society is its 'samskriti'.

"This is the 'samskriti' which binds us all together, thus is our identity and that is the reason it is known as Hindu Rashtra. Not many know and not many believe

wards the county's progress...

Groom them with 'samskars' so that we see an organized society," he said.

"Other countries say uniformity is must for unity. We do not believe or even follow it. Uniformity is not compulsory for unity.

One must be able to find unity in diversities.

"India has always been one

nation despite diversities.

It is also mentioned in Atharva Veda. This culture of unity and diversity binds India."

Addressing the valedictory ceremony of four-day Akhil Bharatiya Shrung Ghosh Shbir 'SWARANJALI-2016' held here, he said: "We all are Hindus as we have accepted the very nature of this culture (of unity in diversity)."

"This culture does not do a differentiation in ways of praying to God or even in the name of the religion, caste sub caste, language."

Bhagwat said, "The reason for India to be repeatedly invaded by foreigners even before the British arrived was that we were not standing up to our values and the culture of unity in diversity," he added.

"To inculcate these noble Indian values among people, RSS founder K B Hedgewar started RSS to bring together the entire Hindu community."

Former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said science and technology should address complex and larger issues of relevance with a focus in purpose.

"It is significant to ensure convergence and linkages between all players of value chain so that the benefits reach the ultimate end user in the society. Effective management with emerging technologies, worldwide, will require new directions and innovative solutions," Radhakrishnan added. -PTI

British MP to fight for ex-soldiers jailed in India LONDON: A lawmaker in the UK has vowed to carry on his campaign to bring home the six former British soldiers sentenced to five years in prison by a court in India for illegally entering the Indian territory with arms.

Ian Lavery, a Labor MP from Northumberland in northeast England, has been campaigning for his constituent Nick Dunn as well as Billy Irving, Ray Tindall, Paul Towers, John Armstrong, and Nicholas Simpson.

The former soldiers who worked on an anti-piracy ship were arrested on firearms charges in October 2013 when the USowned ship they were on was found to be full of weapons.

A Tamil Nadu court has upheld the claim by Indian authorities that the vessel was not properly li-

censed and sentenced them and 29 others aboard to five years in jail.

"This verdict will have come as a hammer blow to Nick Dunn and

The former soldiers who worked on an anti-piracy ship were arrested on firearms charges in October 2013 the other men detained in India coming only a matter of months after a court had quashed all of the charges," Lavery told The Yorkshire Post.

"The men and their families will be distraught at this news with all

noises coming out of the courts in the last few days and weeks pointing towards them returning home in the near future after years of hell."

He described the Indian court verdict as a "bizarre judgment."

"I will continue to work with Nick's family to fight for his release and return to the UK and (I) am seeking urgent discussions on the way forward and seeking an early resolution to this miscarriage of justice."

All men aboard the ship which included the six Britons, 12 Indians, three Ukranians and 14 Estonians received five-year sentences and were ordered to pay Rs 3,000 by Tutucorin district sessions court. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said the men had 90 days to appeal against the decision.-PTI

India's foreign reserves eased in December SINGAPORE: India's foreign reserves eased to USD 350 billion by the end of December last year, down about USD 5 billion from its record peak seen in mid-2015, according to a report published by a leading Singapore-based bank.

Currency valuations and the authorities' active presence to contain rupee volatility likely influenced the pace of reserve accumulation, DBS Bank said in its report on Asian economies.

The report said despite the modest pullback, the current stock is comfortable on domestic metrics, especially with regard to the import cover (10x) and adequacy to cover short-debt external debt levels.

But the coverage falls short when compared to the total external debt position and as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) vis-a-vis regional counterparts.

"Looking ahead, we expect the focus on higher reserves to persist even as the pace of accumulation slows," DBS said.

Foreign inflows into India's debt and equity markets lost momentum last year.

In the calendar year 2015, foreign equity inflows narrowed to USD 3.2 billion, a fourth of the USD 16 billion registered the year before.

Debt flows also moderated to USD 7.4 billion from a strong USD 26 billion in 2014.

"These flows are off to a slow start so far this year," it said.

Given the backdrop of height-

ened external risks and slower global growth, incremental portfolio flows into the domestic markets will slow, the report said.

"This will lower the need for the central bank to mop-up liquidity aggressively. Additionally, authorities will be less interventionist if the rupee weakens gradually in sync with its regional trading partners, stepping in only to minimize volatility," said DBS. DBS Bank is the largest bank in South East Asia by assets and among the larger banks in Asia. PTI

Xi Jinping tightens control on Army BEIJING: In a major military reform, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reorganized four army headquarters by replacing them with 15 new agencies under the Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by him, tightening his control over the world's largest force.

The new structure includes new commissions - discipline inspection, politics and law and science and technology - as well as the general office, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

The reform includes formation of five more divisions, administration, auditing, international cooperation, reform, organizational structure and strategic planning.

There are six new departments, joint staff, political work, logistical support, equipment development, training, and national defense. Currently China has four army headquarters - staff, politics,

logistics and armaments.

Xi, who is also the chief of the ruling Communist Party of China and chairman of the CMC, met the new chiefs of each agency when he described the reshuffle as "a breakthrough" and called the new leadership system "a crucial step" toward a stronger military, the report said.

This is part of major reforms initiated by Xi to revamp the 2.3 million-strong and the world largest military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

64-year-old Xi is widely regarded as the most powerful Chinese leaders in recent decades after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping as he consolidated his power base heading the troika of President, CPC General Secretary and Chief of Military.

His reforms include retrenchment of three lakh troops to make the force lean and mean. -PTI

Tech News Minister warns telcos on calldrops MUMBAI: Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has hardened his stand on the calldrop penalty issue, saying if the service providers do their bit then government is ready to walk the extra mile, but the telcos must not keep passing the buck.

"I am willing to walk ten steps, they (telcos) will have to walk 20 steps... but telcos need to organize their networks better and identify the gaps," Prasad told industry captains at the ET Corporate Excellence awards here.

Stating that he has cleared many cobwebs on the policy front, he said, "As far as policies are concerned, I have cleared all the policies (stuck) for the last 10 years.

Different things have been identified... we have also notified like spectrum trading and sharing.

I have done my best."

Wondering how suddenly telcos put up thousands of towers in a short span if local situation was not conducive to do as they have been claiming, he asked the telcos to realize their obligations clearly and do the needful.

"How is it that in only three months, 25,000 towers were put up? How is it that in Delhi alone they did over 2,000 plus in four months?" he asked.-PTI

BAPL pacts for air services, bus manufacturing KOLKATA: Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) signed two pacts for air services and bus manufacturing at the Bengal Global Business Summit here.

The first MoU was signed with Bhutan's Druk Air for operating flights from Andal to Durgapur, Bagdogra, Bhutan and onwards to Singapore.

The second MoU is for bus manufacturing at Andal in Burdwan district with China's Zhongtong Bus Holding Company. The project would entail an investment of Rs 1,500 crore.

"Our initiatives in the fields of transport, industry, housing, infrastructural development and MSME development announced here is just the beginning. Many more projects are there in the pipeline," BAPL Managing Director Partha Ghosh said at the business summit. -PTI

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2,500 wi-fi hotspots by next fiscal: Prasad MUMBAI: The Indian government is targeting to reach the 50-crore internet subscribers mark in the next 6-7 months, besides installing 2,500 wi-fi hotspots at 256 places by the next fiscal, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

"Today mobile penetration is 100 crore, while internet penetration is 40 crore. It took more than 3-4 years to become from 20 to 30 crore.

"It took less than a year to become from 30 to 40 crore and I have fixed a target of 50 crore...God willing, we will cross 50 crore in coming 6-7 months," he said.-PTI

Citi, Barclays, 38 others willing to partner India Post MUMBAI: As many as 40 domestic and multinational financial giants, including Citigroup, Barclays and ICICI Bank, have sought to partner India Post for its upcoming payments bank, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

"You have only got the in-principle approval, and other aspects like appointing a consultant are on, but already 40 big financial services groups from the country and abroad have evinced interest in a tie-up with the Postal Department," the Communications and IT Minister said while addressing postal employees here.

He named American banking giant Citigroup, British lender Barclays and the country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank among those who have sent tie-up proposals.

Prasad said the department is aiming to get the bank operational

by March 2017.

He said some of the requests are for selling insurance, while some seek to provide governmentto-citizen and company-to-citizen services.

The Postal Department features

till December 2015. He, however, did not give the absolute figures.

Prasad, who was speaking after inaugurating an e-commerce parcel processing centre at Parel in central Mumbai, said the department has done cash-on-delivery based deliveries of Rs 1,000 crore in 2015.

Noting that the e-commerce market is around Rs 98,000 crore and is estimated to grow exponentially going forward, Prasad asked the employees to make India Post the largest e-commerce logistics company in the world.

Over 65 per cent of the e-commerce orders are from smaller towns, which can serve as an advantage to the Department due to its Union Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad wide network, he said. visiting after inaugurating the Indian Post’s e-Commerce Parcel Processing Centre, in Mumbai on January 9 To develop the network, the department is mal financial system by focusing employees should leverage it for getting all the post offices on the on transactional banking. maximizing revenue, he said. core banking platform and is also India Post is the only state-run Prasad said as against a dip of 2 giving hand-held devices to postentity to feature in the list, which per cent in 2013-14, the revenue of men that can be used during deis populated by industrial houses the department grew 37 per cent in liveries and selling insurance by like the Birlas, Ambanis, and FY15 and has jumped 120 per cent March 2017, he said. -PTI in a list of 11 entities who were given the go-ahead by the RBI last August to set up payments banks, aimed at promoting financial inclusion through deepening the for-

Mahindras, apart from telecom biggies like Airtel and Vodafone.

The Department's reach, spanning 1.54 lakh touch points across the country, is its strength and the

Tata Motors' JLR breaks global sales record LONDON: Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has achieved a record global sales in 2015 with the premium luxury vehicles' manufacturer retailing 4,87,065 vehicles, its highest figure yet and a five per cent increase from previous year.

The record-breaking sales figure came despite a slowdown in China with Britain overtaking Beijing as the luxury car brand's most important market.

The two brands together sold more than 1,00,000 vehicles in the UK in a calendar year for the first time last year, which included a 30 per cent increase in British sales of Jaguar, much of it attributable to the launch of the XE. Last year, sales in China

slumped by 24 per cent to 92,474, as a result of a slowdown in what is among the world's fastest grow-

of 110,298, up 28 per cent year on year; and with a growth of 21 per cent over 2014 figures, a total of

ing automotive market.

Europe was the company's largest sales region in 2015 with sales

100,636 Jaguars and Land Rovers were bought by customers in the UK.

Andy Goss, Jaguar Land Rover's group sales operations director, said the new figures meant that the group had doubled sales since 2009 because of new launches.

"This has been a significant year for Jaguar Land Rover, with updated models being introduced across the range, as well as the addition to our portfolio of the completely new Jaguar XE and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

"Customer response (to the XE and the Discovery Sport) has been extremely positive and there have been record retails across the UK, North America and Europe," he said.

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India urged to invest in Canada oil sector NEW DELHI: Canada, a leading oil producer, has been grappling with falling crude prices and reduced investment in energy sector and it is the right time for Indian companies to go for joint ventures there in a major way, says Canada-India Foundation (CIF).

CIF chief Ajit Someshwar also favors deeper cooperation be-

tween the two countries in the education sector saying Canada is keen to attract the increasing number of Indian students seeking quality education as its working population is aging fast and it needs "brand new work force".

On enhancing cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector, he says there are huge opportunities for

India's private as well as public sector companies.

"Canada is an energy surplus country. Energy prices are extremely low now and it is hurting Canada. "This is the right time for India's public sector and private sector companies to invest in oil sector in Canada. We can also collaborate in the nuclear energy

Vibrant colors for semi-high speed train NEW DELHI: 2017 may see brightly colored trains in shades of grey, navy blue and yellow clocking speeds of 160-200 kmph on select routes.

Indian Railway has selected 'Vitality', the color scheme inspired by 'cheetah', the fastest moving animal, created by the National

duce the travel time between major cities by running semi-high speed trains.

The new coaches will be manufactured at Kapurthala Coach Factory (RCF).

"A prototype coach with the new color scheme will be ready by March this year and later on about

The long-awaited 160 kmph Gatimaan Express between Delhi and Agra is expected to start in February after the railways got conditional clearance from Commissioner Railway Safety.

Trial runs of this train are being conducted. "The train will be flagged off in February after the

Institute of Design for the coaches of the semi-high speed trains the state-run transporter has proposed to launch. The coaches will be painted in grey and navy blue with yellow border.

"We selected 'Vitality' out of total six color schemes submitted to us by NID. The color combination of grey, navy blue with yellow border was chosen keeping the speed factor in mind," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Railways have planned to re-

20 modern coaches will be manufactured in the next fiscal," the official said.

According to the plan, railways will introduce trains that can clock speeds up to 200 kmph after strengthening the tracks and fencing off certain select routes including Delhi-Agra, Delhi-Kanpur, Chennai-Hyderabad, NagpurSecunderabad and Mumbai-Goa. Initially, the trains will run at 160 kmph which will be enhanced to 200 kmph.

foggy season ends," the official said.

Semi-high speed trains can gather a maximum speed of 200 kmph, while faster ones in the category of high-speed or bullet trains can run between 250-350 km per hour.

Indian Railway is planning a 'Diamond Quadrilateral' to connect top four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai with a high-speed train network. PTI

Will take structured view on net neutrality: Prasad MUMBAI: Asserting the government's stand on non-discriminatory access to internet, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said the issue of net neutrality is being debated by Trai and its report is awaited, following which a final view will be taken.

"The issue of net neutrality is being debated by the Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and we have to await the Trai report.

Thereafter, the government will take its structured view," Prasad told reporters here.

Amid a raging debate on providing equal internet access to all, the government

had last year set up an expert panel to look into the issues of net neutrality.

Net neutrality implies that equal treatment be accorded to all internet traffic and no priority be given to an entity or company based on payment to content or service providers, such as telecom

companies, which is seen as discriminatory.

"I have told the Parliament that internet is the finest creation of human mind. It must remain as a privilege and not become monopoly of the rich.

"Also, non-discriminatory access of Internet shall be given," he said. Noting that a detailed report is being awaited from Trai, Prasad said decisions would be based on fair consultations with all concerned stakeholders.

"We (the government) respect the freedom of social media and have larger commitment to non-discriminatory access," he added. -PTI

Petroleum storage tanks at the Suncor tar sands operations near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

sphere," he says.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Canada in April last year during which both sides had agreed to expand ties in the energy sector. Canada had also agreed for long-term supply of uranium to India.

The head of CIF, which was set up in 2007 to promote Canada-India relations, says the two countries must seize the untapped opportunities in the knowledge economy sector, adding Canada has the capacity to attract much more Indian students than the current annual inflow of 30,000-40,000.

He says while the number of Indian students going to the US has "hit a plateau", Canada was eager to see more students coming to it.

"An Indian student might de-

cide to stay back after study. He or she may not want to come back home. This is exactly what Canada wants. Canada is a country of declining working population.

"15 per cent of Canada's working population will be of retirement age in the next 10 years. What Canada is looking for is a brand new work force that keeps the economy rolling," says Someshwar.

Canada is home to over 1.2 million Indian-origin people who comprise more than 3 per cent of the country's population.

The highly educated, affluent and industrious Indo-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in Canada, is well integrated with the mainstream and serves as a strong bridge between the two nations. -PTI

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January 15, 2016

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The pregnancy test for your phone LAS VEGAS: The beginning of life itself? Now there's an app for that.

Pregnancy-test maker First Response is introducing a new Bluetooth-enabled stick that still requires nature's call. But it'll also distract a would-be mom with in-

app videos or quizzes from BuzzFeed while she waits three minutes before she gets her answer.

Pregnancy tests have evolved rapidly from sticks with one or two lines, to digital readouts that say ``yes'' or ``no,'' to tests that can

detect a likely pregnancy several days before a missed period. Competitor Clear Blue also offers a digital test that it says can estimate the number of weeks a woman has been pregnant prior to taking the tests.

Having the test talk to your phone may be a new development.

The app is designed to stick around as a resource for expectant mothers; it offers a calendar aid for calculating the likely due date and assistance for reaching out to a doctor and for letting others in on the news via texts and email.

First Response says the tests will ship to stores in the spring and should cost $14.99 or $21.99 depending on where they're sold.

That's a bit more than the company's other digital and analog versions that offer two for $9.99 or $14.99. -AP

Mamata woos industry at business summit KOLKATA: Ahead of assembly polls in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has invited investors saying her state has a peaceful atmosphere conducive for setting up industries and there was no communal tension.

Compliments were showered

ommend the state as an ideal investment destination."

His statement in the presence of Banerjee and several other industrialists came as a shot in the arm to the TMC government battling to develop an industryfriendly image ahead of the state

ready started.

"We have already set up a core group for industries. Our elections are coming, but don't worry everything will be sorted out. Democracy will continue. This elected government will return."

Speaking of the law-and-order situation, she said, "Bengal is a peaceful state where we all work together.

There is no such communal incident or tension. Somebody might criticize it politically. We don't allow all this."

Her comments came Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and against the Information & Broadcasting Arun Jaitley and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee at the inaugural session of the Bengal Global Business Summit 2016, in Kolkata on January 8 backdrop of the violence on her government at the third polls, slated for later this year. that broke out at Kaliachak in edition of Bengal Global Business Banerjee in her turn told a gal- Malda, which had prompted the Summit here from captains of in- axy of industrialists, "Our govern- union home ministry to seek a redustry as well as ministers of the ment will work as your worker." port from the state government.

Narendra Modi government.

Slamming her detractors, she Union Finance Minister Arun Lauding her government, Reli- said, "Some people are saying that Jaitley said, "Summits of this kind ance Industries chairman Mukesh there has been no investment. It held every year clearly demonstrate Ambani said, "As an investor, I is not true. Projects worth Rs the intention that the need of the stand here to say that West Ben- 94,000 crore investment have al- hour is to generate growth, increase gal is among the top of the list in ready taken off. Some of the revenue and fight poverty for which terms of doing business and rec- projects we had signed have al- investments are required." -PTI

VW chief apologizes for emissions scandal DETROIT: Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Mueller has apologized for cheating diesel car emissions tests on his first official US visit since the scandal broke in September.

"We know we deeply disappointed our customers, the responsible government bodies, and the general public here in America," the head of the German carmaker said at a media reception on the eve of the Detroit auto show.

"I apologies for what went wrong at Volkswagen," he added, promisVolkswagen ing that the auto giant is "fully committed to making things right."

Mueller also said Volkswagen plans to make an additional USD 900 million investment in the United States to build a new midsize SUV. The investment at VW's Chattanooga plant will create approximately 2,000 jobs, Mueller said.

"The US is and remains a core market for the Volkswagen Group,"

the CEO said, as his company battles to overcome a deep crisis over the emissions scandal.

The Wolfsburg-based group admits it installed software in around 11 million diesel cars of its VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda brands worldwide that helped

chief executive Matthias Mueller

them evade emission standards.

The so-called defeat devices turn on pollution controls when the car is undergoing testing, and off when it is back on the road, allowing it to spew out harmful levels of nitrogen oxide.

The affair severely damaged Volkswagen's reputation and spawned a host of investigations in several countries.-AFP

Tata Motors' JLR breaks global sales record Cont’d from page 36

"2016 promises to be another exciting year, with the start of sales of the Range Rover Evoque Convertible and the Jaguar F-Pace, along with further all-new and refreshed vehicles," he added.

The group said that US sales were up by 25 per cent while sales in Europe where Jaguar Land Rover has traditionally struggled in markets such as Germany rose by 28 per cent.

Highlights from 2015 saw Land Rover sell more than 4,00,000 vehicles for first time, a 6 per cent increase compared to 2014 and Jaguar achieve its best performance in a decade with sales of 83,986 vehicles, a 3 per cent rise.

Land Rover's new Discovery

Sport, which replaced the Freelander2, proved a hit with sales of more than 10,000 a month, second only to the best-selling Range Rover Evoque.

During last year, JLR announced the doubling of the size of its UK engine manufacturing centre and confirmed that it had agreed a manufacturing partnership with Magna Steyr to build some future vehicles in Graz, Austria.

In March 2015, it confirmed a 600-million pounds investment across its Castle Bromwich advanced manufacturing plant, Whitley advanced design and development centre, and the National Automotive Innovation Centre to support product creation and advanced vehicle manufacturing in the UK. -PTI

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Single-minded focus on reforms: Jaitley VISHAKHAPATNAM: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the government would continue with the reforms, which it failed to pursue in the recent months, with "single-minded focus" to increase investment and growth.

"If (India) is to grow, it is obvious that our public and added private investments have to grow.

Some of our reforms, which we have missed out on in the last few months, have to be pursued with a single minded focus.

"We cannot afford a change in direction, and in these circumstances every state has to contribute," the minister said while addressing CII Partnership Summit here.

Among major reforms, the government has not been able to push the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, which got stuck in Rajya Sabha because of stiff opposition from the Congress.

Jaitley also called upon the states to improve ease of doing business with a view to attract investors saying they are "smart people" and look for "stability of policy (and) business friendly eco-

system."

Assuring all possible help to Andhra Pradesh government in rebuilding the state, Jaitley expressed hope that the state would be able to attract investment on the basis of the strength of its policy and leader Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

He, however, took comfort from the fact that even under the trying circumstances, "India continues to remain the fastest growing economy�

"The nature of governance has changed; the administration has increasingly become corruption free. Decision making has become much quicker. Ease of doing business essentially is a matter of policy and administration," he added.

Talking about the need to expedite reforms at all levels to push growth, the minister further said

the world was going through an extremely difficult and challenging time and difficulties have "spilled over into our system also."

The World Bank has lowered the global growth forecast to 2.9 per cent, he said, adding growth rates of economies across the world are hovering around extremely low figures. "... because of the integrated economy, what happens in China, what happens in oil prices, impact our markets. Our revenues also get impacted, when the price regimes are low because nominal GDP gets reduced," Jaitley said.

He, however, took comfort from the fact that even under the trying circumstances, "India continues to remain the fastest growing economy in the world. So our 77.5 per cent growth rate stands out amongst the larger economies as bright spot among global economy."

Andhra Pradesh, he added, was recording double-digit growth and would be "one of the key engines of growth which would push Indian economy up in the months and years to come." -PTI

Modern Indian waterways hub at Haldia HALDIA, West Bengal: Union with National Highways AuthorRoad Transport, Highways and ity of India (NHAI)," Chief GenShipping Minister Nitin Gadkari eral Manager and Officer for West has said the Inland Waterways Bengal, NHAI, Ashutosh Gautam Authority of India (IWAI) is plan- told PTI. ning to set up a modern Indian "The project will not only imWaterways Hub at Haldia to at- prove traffic flow in the surroundtract more investment in this re- ing areas, but in turn will attract gion. more industries and develop Laying the foundation stone of Haldia as a whole," Gautam said. an ROB-cum-Flyover at Ranichak The Rs 240-crore project would near Haldia to link the port with the national highway, Gadkari said The Kolkata Port Trust is the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) is the main providing approximately gateway for import and 11 hectares land required export of cargo destined or originating from for the ROB-cum-Flyover Eastern, North Eastern project and Northern parts of the country as well as land locked countries like Nepal start next month and will be comand Bhutan. pleted by August, 2018, he said, The Kolkata Port Trust is pro- adding that a large number of naviding approximately 11 hectares tional and international industries, land required for the ROB-cum- both auxiliary and ancillary in and Flyover project along with the cost around Haldia, would be benefited of utility shifting, resettlement, if by this project. any, the Minister said.

The Union Minister also vis"Besides this, the KoPT is also ited the entire operational area sharing the cost of the project as under Haldia Dock Complex and part of a Special Purpose Vehicle reviewed its activities in an inter(SPV) of the Joint Venture project action with senior officials. -PTI

Desi News Local talents shine in New Year bash Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: India House, in association with Desi Junction, a Worldwide On-line Radio Station, presented a high impact making New Year Eve Bash-2016 at Pearl Banquets in Roselle, a northwest suburb of Chicago that was attended by over 600 participants.

Captivating music and dance performances by professionallytrained local talent and comedy programs aimed at entertainment of entire family captured the hearts of the audience. The local artists presented a vibrant and mind-boggling entertainment program, consisting of soulful singing, electrifying dancing, and hilarious comedy. Versatile singers, including Sudesh Saraf, Ajai Kumar, Suman Sharma, Ruchi Vijayvargia and Nisha Saraswat mesmerized the audience by rendering hit Bollywood tracks.

Details on page 19

Cornell exhibiting Vishnu, other Hindu gods NEELA PANDYA

NEW YORK: Ivy League Cornell University in Ithaca (New York) is showcasing various Hindu gods and goddesses in it "Gods and Scholars" exhibition, on view till March 7 at its Hirshland Gallery.

Various Hindu deities shown in its exhibit "Book of Hindu Deities" (1860-1900) displays images of Vishnu and its avatars, ShivaParvati, Brahma, Ganesha, Durga, Rama, Krishna, Radha, Saraswati, Hanuman, Kali, Kartikkeya, Shreenath, Bhairava, Sitla, Garur, Ganga, Jamuna, etc.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

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Hinduism is eternal & authentic religion

January 16, 2016

Details on page 25

CG outlines impressive line of programs this year RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The Indian consulate headed by dynamic CG Dr Ausaf Sayeed and his team of Consuls has outlined an impressive line of programs and activities for the current year for boosting economic, cultural and political ties between India and Midwest regions of America besides assuring regular consular services to the people of Indian origin and the community at large for the region under its domain.

This was shared with members of the ethnic media as well as community leaders in Chicago land last week during a meet organized for "Pravasi Divas" and 'Meet the Media' at the Consulate office in downtown. It was attended by a cross section of Indian Americans and representatives of print ,radio and TV media.

While sharing the various activities proposed to be undertaken by the Consulate during the year 2016, the Consul General mentioned that the efforts of the Consulate would be directed towards strengthening the political, economic, cultural, educational and people-to-people relationships between India and the US Mid-

west.

He indicated that a number of delegations from Midwest region are scheduled to visit India in the

2) A North Dakota Trade Mission led by Drew Wrigley, Lt. Governor will visit various cities in India at the end of February, 2016.

Indian CG Dr Ausaf Sayeed addressing Pravasi Divas and Media Meet

current year. Sharing details he pointed out that 1) Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity trade delegation led by Mr. Jim Schultz, Director, will go to Bengaluru from 3rd-5th, February, 2016 to participate in the "Invest Karnataka-2016'.

3) A Michigan Economic Development Corporation [MEDC]'s follow up Trade Mission led by Lt. Governor Brian Calley will pay a visit to different cities in India in the first quarter of 2016.

4) A few business delegations are also expected to participate in the "Make in India Week" pro-

posed to be organized in Mumbai from February 13-18.

Earlier Consul OP Meena welcomed the guests and briefed them with the main purpose of the meet. Following this, the Consul General of India Dr Ausaf Sayeed made two power point presentations - first recapping the major activities undertaken by the Consulate during 2015 and the second outlining the history of Indian immigration in the US Midwest and a short overview of Government of India (GOI)'s flagship programs.

The Consul General introduced two new Consuls - Desh Bandhu Bhati, Consul (Commercial, Political and Visa) and Mrs Rajeshwari Chandrasekaran, Consul (CG's Office).He also took the opportunity to introduce one more Consul OP Meena describing him as Jinda Tilsmat Dr Sayeed in his address lauded the Indian-American Diaspora (Pravasis) for making significant contribution for the socio-economic development of India. He also invited them to whole-heartedly participate in GOI's Flagship Programs such as 'Make in India', 'Skills India', 'Swacch Bharat Abhiyan', 'Digital India' and 'Green India'.

Cont’d on page 20

Details on page 20

HAF offers 2016 summer internships India Post News Service

T

he Hindu American Congressional & Advocacy Internship is a unique opportunity for select undergraduate and graduate students to spend an exciting summer in our nation's capital working for either Congressional offices or the HAF office.

This year, HAF is offering two tracks for the internship: Congressional Intern Track and Advocacy Intern Track.

Details on page 23

CG Dr Sayeed, Consuls Meena, Desh Bandhu Bhati, Mrs Rajeshwari Chandrasekaran and other officers with group of Indian activists

January 16, 2016

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FIA to host gala Republic Day celebrations SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: For over two decades, members of Indian community have been celebrating India's Republic Day in January and keep-

ing up that tradition, the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) has scheduled a gala event on Sunday, January 24 at Ashton Place in Willow brook, a southwest suburb of Chicago.

Ditu Bhagwakar, the newly elected president of FIA, said that his organization has chalked

out a very entertaining program involving local artists and other cultural bodies for this event. He said that he wants FIA to take up a few other lively activities in the course of this year along with its usual ones.

Specifically, he would have the Holi event done on a grander scale this time. Last year, the Holi celebration had brought huge kudos and Bhagwakar said that this year "We would try to outshine" the last performance.

"But my main thrust," he added, "would be to get second-generation Indians getting more and more involved in our affairs. The start will be this year's Republic Day celebrations. We shall have young

Dhitu Bhagwakar

ones render Indian and National anthems. Also, we may include a couple of performances by them besides presentations from other cultural organizations."

In this context, the FIA has invited community leaders to attend a preparatory meeting to outline the programs and solicit inputs from them. The FIA leadership outlined the cultural programs from several Indian States and invited cultural groups from across Chicagoland to come and join the celebrations, Dhitu added.

Laborers' Union switches endorsement to Ro Khanna ing men and women."

"The strength of our commuSAN JOSE: The Laborers' In- nity and our economy was forged ternational Union of North by the working men and women America (LiUNA), Pacific South- of the Bay Area," said Khanna in west Region has endorsed Ro accepting the endorsement. "As Khanna in his 2016 race against we march into a new century we Mike Honda to represent must find new, innovative ways to ensure we hold onto California's 17th Conthat strength by revigressional District. talizing our manufacLiUNA endorsed turing base, expandHonda in 2014. ing the middle class "Ro Khanna is and strengthening committed to a vision educational opportuof shared prosperity, nity for every child." where working men LiUNA's endorseand women will have ment follows a string better wages and Ro Khanna of prominent area benefits, safer job sites and greater opportunity," Democratic leaders who either said Rocco Davis, Special Assis- supported Honda or remained tant to the General President, neutral in 2014 that have recently LiUNA Vice President and Pacific announced that they are now supSouthwest Regional Manager in porting Khanna in 2016. The list offering Khanna the endorsement includes Santa Clara Vice Mayor, of his 70,000 member-strong re- Debi Davis; California Senate President Pro Tem, Kevin deLeon; San gion.

"But, we're not endorsing him Jose Mayor, Sam Liccardo; Milpitas just because he's committed to Mayor (Frmr), Bob Livengood; working men and women; we're Secretary of State Alex Padilla; endorsing him because that com- Santa Clara County District Attormitment is combined with a proven ney, Jeff Rosen and Santa Clara ability to get things done for work- County Assessor, Larry Stone.

India Post News Service

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January 16, 2016

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Fortune cover depicts Bezos as Lord Vishnu SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: A large number of Indian Americans across USA and world over are upset over the cover of January one international edition of American business magazine Fortune which juxtaposes the image of Amazon.com President Jeffrey P. Bezos in the likeness of Lord Vishnu. They claim that it trivializes their venerated deity.

The story is about Amazon's ambitions to succeed in India, and features the cover line 'Amazon invades India'.Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism in Nevada and Madhu Patel, president of NRI Press Club in Chicago observed that Lord Vishnu is a highly revered major deity in Hinduism meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used indecorously or thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects.

How a mortal could be depicted as Lord Vishnu, who is the director of our destinies, ask Indian community activists. They added that inappropriate usage of Hinduism concepts and symbols for pushing selfish agenda or mercantile greed was not okay.

Rajan, calling it an unnecessary dragging of a Hindu deity to prove their point of view, urged Fortune to publish a disclaimer about

this on its website and the next issue with proper explanation of Lord Vishnu and Hinduism; in addition to a formal signed apology by Time Inc. Chairman Joseph A. Ripp; Fortune Publisher Eric Danetz, Editor Alan Murray, Creative Director Michael Lawton

flirting like this sometimes resulted in pillaging serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols and hurting the devotees, Rajan said. Humor was a part and parcel of Hindu society but there were certain convictions in every tradition, which were venerable and not meant to be taken lightly.

This Fortune cover page is headlined as "Amazon Invades India" (How Jeff Bezos is conquering the next 'trillion-dollar market') and created by Sydney (Australia) based illustrator Nigel Buchanan; whose clients include The Wall Street Journal, MTV, The New York Times, etc.

Lord Vishnu is "preserver" in the Hindu triad with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva as the aspect of the Supreme. He has ten in-

carnations to establish dharma (divine law).

Moksha (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism. There are about three million Hindus in USA. Fortune Magazine, launched in 1930 and published from New York by Time Inc., claims to be "a global leader in business journalism with a worldwide circulation of more than 1 million and a readership of nearly 5 million" and having "the highest concentration of affluent and influential business decision-makers vs. the competition". It comes out 18 times a year. Time Inc. claims to be "one of the largest branded media companies in the world reaching more than 120 million people each month across multiple platforms".

NYC firm depicts Lord Ganesha on pants NEELA PANDYA

and Art Director Michael Solita.

The purpose of Fortune in this case may not be to denigrate Hinduism, but a casual

NEW YORK: Members of Indian community at large are upset at the denigration of Lord Ganesha by a NY fashion firm which has depicted the deity on the pants sold by them. They have called for immediate withdrawal of the product. Sold by a New York City headquartered designer yoga and active wear firm N贸li Yoga Clothing, the pants have offended the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, with the huge backing of right minded community members, has urged N贸li to withdraw these pants from other vendors also besides its own website.

He said that Lord Ganesha is a highly revered by followers of Hinduism as he is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be worn around one's legs. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurts the devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed noted.

Madhu Patel, founder President of NRI Press Club, also decried this trivialization of Lord Ganesha dubbing it as highly disturbing to the Hindus world over. "We have never shown our displeasure over free artistic expression and speech but commercialization of something sacred needs to be looked down upon. "Any attempts at trivializing it hurts the followers", Zed added.

Yoga pants which Hindu devotees are finding objectionable are called "Graffiti Yoga Pants" ($68), which are claimed to "allow ease of movement that lends to our ability to explore and discover your creativity within the yoga".

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. There are about three million Hindus in USA. "Eco friendly" N贸li, whose tagline is "where yoga fashion and performance meet", sells yoga pants, capris, shorts and tops; mostly aimed at women. With offices in New York City and manufacturing in Los Angeles and Miami, it claims providing "balance between fashionable and comfortable active wear", "designed to fit and flatter", and leggings "sleek enough to wear for any occasion off the mat".

January 16, 2016

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Local talents shine in New Year bash Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: India House, in association with Desi Junction, a Worldwide On-line Radio Station, presented a high impact making New Year Eve Bash-2016 at Pearl Banquets in Roselle, a northwest suburb of Chicago that was attended by over 600 participants.

Captivating music and dance performances by professionallytrained local talent and comedy programs aimed at entertainment of entire family captured the hearts of the audience. The local artists presented a vibrant and mind-boggling entertainment program, consisting of soul-

Desi Junction team. Ajai Kumar sang hit numbers of Kishore Kumar and paid rich tributes to him. DJ Dheeraj kept the audience fully engaged throughout the duration of the event.

Chicago Bollywood Dance Group presented gripping dance performances. A number of young members of the audience gave in to the festive mood and joined the dancers on the dance floor, matching step-for-step with them.

The skits presented by Comedy Junction team, under the direction of Jassi Parmar, mimicry, magic show by Mike, and tasting program of newly launched

Lead organizers Ravi Rawat and JC Parmar with their team members. Pics courtsey Prowess Photogrphy

Revelers ushering in New Year

ful singing, electrifying dancing, and hilarious comedy. Versatile singers, including Sudesh Saraf, Ajai Kumar, Suman Sharma, Ruchi Vijayvargia and Nisha Saraswat mesmerized the audience by rendering hit Bollywood tracks.

The highlight of the evening was a high-energy qawalli parody, which was presented by

wine, "Somras", added to the multifaceted nature of the event.

"This was the only event at which the organizers paid special attention to the kids, which they richly deserve. Many exclusive items were planned and presented in order to entertain them as thoroughly as possible, keeping their typical needs in mind", said Ritika Mathur.

Ankit Mahajan, welcoming the guests, said that the true celebration involves specification of the goals for the New Year and initiating action towards achieving them.

The lead organizers of the event, Jassi Parmar, Surender Mathur, Aslam Qureshi, Ravi Rawat, Pritesh Gandhi and Gulya were pleased with the over-

whelming success of the event.

MC Jassi Parmar entertained the audience with his unique compeering. He profusely thanked India House Partners, Ravi Rawat and Jagmohan Jayara, India House and Bombay Chopsticks served about 100 varieties of finger-licking food items from cuisines from different countries. People really loved sampling everything under one roof, while adults made sure to stop by at the open bar to get their favorite drinks too.

The event was sponsored by Air India, Level Construction, Apex Cosmetics and Spa, A1 Motors, New York Life, Insurance World, Swap Motors, and many others.

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Cornell exhibiting Vishnu, other Hindu gods NEELA PANDYA

Hindu deities at Cornell University Exhibition

NEW YORK: Ivy League Cornell University in Ithaca (New York) is showcasing various Hindu gods and goddesses in it "Gods and Scholars" exhibition, on view till March 7 at its Hirshland Gallery.

Various Hindu deities shown in its exhibit "Book of Hindu Deities"

(1860-1900) displays images of Vishnu and its avatars, ShivaParvati, Brahma, Ganesha, Durga, Rama, Krishna, Radha, Saraswati, Hanuman, Kali, Kartikkeya, Shreenath, Bhairava, Sitla, Garur, Ganga, Jamuna, etc.

Another exhibit shows "Devi Mahatmyam" (The Glorification of

Founded 1865, research university Cornell, one of whose "core values" include "Thinking otherwise", has been named "11th best university in world" and "sixth in academic reputation". It has about 21, 600 students and boasts of 45 Nobel laureates.

the Goddess, a Hindu text in Sanskrit glorifying Devi).

Fredrika Loew is the Curator of this exhibition, which includes materials from the Rare and Manuscript Collections.

Founded 1865, research university Cornell, one of whose "core values" include "Thinking otherwise", has been named "11th best university in world" and "sixth in academic reputation". It has about 21, 600 students and boasts of 45 Nobel laureates. Robert S. Harrison is Trustees Chairman while Elizabeth Garrett is President.

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, commended the Cornell University for showcasing Hindu gods and goddesses. Frequently organized exhibitions focused on Hinduism would go a long way in sharing the rich philosophy-conceptssymbols-traditions of this oldest religion with the rest of the world.

CG outlines impressive line of programs this year Cont’d from page 16

He encouraged them to engage with the GOI using the portal MyGov.in.

Quoting the US Population Census data (2010), the Consul General mentioned that the number of Indian Americans in the nine states of the US Midwest covered by this Consulate i.e. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota & Wisconsin, was put at 385,987.

The total trade between India and the US Midwest in 2014 was put at US$ 6.346 billion, which included India's exports of US$ 4.320 billion and India's imports of US$ 2.025 billion. The US Midwest two-way with India constitutes around 10% of the total trade between India and the USA. There are 80 Indian companies operating in the US Midwest, which have made cumulative investments of US $ 2.3 billion and have created 13,841 jobs in the US Midwest.

The Consulate would be organizing an Economic Seminar in collaboration with the Illinois Chambers of Commerce on 3rd February at the Chamber to promote "Make in India Week". " The Consulate would be organizing an Economic Seminar in collaboration with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce on "Growing US-India Strategic & Economic PartnershipTrends, Prospects & Opportunities for Business" at the Consu-

late premises in June, 2016. " The Consulate would be collaborating with the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in their proposal to organize an 'Emerging Markets Conference' on 7th May, 2016. " The Consulate would be collaborating with the India Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Minneapolis

Consular activities during 2015.

The Consulate has rendered a total of 77,642 services, which includes issue of 36,267 visas, 15,898 passports, 13,896 OCI cards, 11,092 miscellaneous consular services, 211 Emergency Certificates and 278 PIO Cards.

CG pointed out that to facilitate easy access to the people all Consular Officers are available to meet

organize "Open House" at the Consulate premises at least once every quarter. Besides, Consular Camps are planned in Chicago suburbs, Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and St. Louis.

For boosting cultural ties, the Consulate plans " Screening of the film 'India Awakes' in collaboration with the International House, University

A section of the audience

to organize the 2ndUS-India Healthcare Summit as a follow up of last year's Summit in Minneapolis from June 1st-3rd, 2016. " In addition, business events are planned in collaboration with The Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA), the US-India Chamber of Commerce andTiE. He also detailed the various

the public without appointment every day between 10am and 11am. The Consulate continues to render Emergency visa services on weekends and closed holidays in the unfortunate event of death of immediate family members of the Indian-American Diaspora.

As part of the Consular outreach activities the Consulate will

of Chicago on 21st January. " Republic Day Flag Hoisting ceremony in the Consulate Premise on 26th January at 1000 Hrs. " Screening of the film "For Here Or To Go' in collaboration with the International House, University of Chicago in April 2016. " ICCR sponsored program -

performance of 12-member Fusion Band and Stree Shakti Hindustani Instrumental group led by Ms Anuradha Pal during second quarter of 2016. " 2nd International Yoga Day on 21st June " The Independence Day Flag hoisting ceremony on August 15 at Daley Plaze in Chicago in cooperation with local organizations. This will be a public event and no invitations are required. " Kala-Utsav 2016 will be held at the end of August to showcase the best among the local talents in different forms of Indian Music, Dance and Theater. " The Consulate will collaborate with the Oakbrook Polo Club to organize 2nd India-US Friendly Polo Tournament in August/September. " The Consulate will celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 at the Consulate premises. Besdies, it will also collaborate with other organizations which celebrate Gandhi Jayanti at different places " The Consulate General of India, Chicago would continue to give patronage to different sociocultural organizations in Chicagoland such as 'Eye on India', 'Chicago South Asian Film Festival', Hindi Lovers Club and others.

As part of the Parvasi Bhartiya Divas, three local organizations, 'Pratham', 'Bharathi Theertha' and 'India Development Coalition of America' shared their experiences of working on socio-economic and developmental projects in India.

January 16, 2016

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Mayo Clinic offers 'Yoga to enhance mood' NEELA PANDYA

R

edwing MN Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing, Minnesota is offering six-week class on "Yoga to Enhance Your Mood." This sixweek yoga class will include "yoga postures, breathing practices and meditation techniques".

"Research has found that the practice of yoga has a positive effect on changing your mood and promoting a state of relaxed alertness", according to an announcement from Clinic.

Researchers are learning more about the health benefits of mind-body techniques. Yoga is an ancient Hindu practice combining meditation, breathing and body postures to relax the mind and body together.

There are many types of yoga. The most common form used for health conditions is Hatha Yoga because it has easier movements and a more relaxed pace.

Researchers have noticed positive benefits for cancer survivors. One of the major concerns that cancer survivors may experience long after treatment is over is lack of energy and fatigue. When studied with a group of breast cancer survivors, those who used yoga had a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, improved energy levels and mood.Along with decreasing stress levels, other benefits include an increase in muscle strength and flexibility, and improved balance.

The Prenatal Yoga class is also offered at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program located at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, Rochester, MN. Designed for beginners of all ages, class size will be limited to 10. Individuals will learn gentle yoga postures, breathing practices and meditation techniques.

According to US National Institutes of Health, Yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to an estimate, about 21 million Americans, including many celebrities, now practice yoga.

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that yoga, referred as "a living fossil" whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, was a mental and physical discipline for everybody to share and benefit from. It is a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all.

According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical. Zed added.

Mayo Clinic Health System is a family of clinics, hospitals and health care facilities serving over 60 communities in Iowa, Georgia, Wisconsin and Minnesota. It is part of Mayo Clinic; a leading caregiver with over 150 years of patient care, research and medical education expertise. It was ranked number one in more specialties than any other hospital in the nation. It served over 1.3 million people last year. Headquartered in Rochester (Minnesota), Samuel A. Di Piazza Junior is its Trustees Chair, while John H. Noseworthy is CEO.

Yoga poses

Community Across America

22 India Post

January 16, 2016

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Lohri, a harvest festival, marks end of winter

A

ccording to the Hindu calendar, Lohri falls in midJanuary. The earth is farthest from the sun at this point of time and starts its journey towards the sun, thus ending the coldest month Paush Masa of the year, and announcing the start of the month of MaghMasa, the auspicious period of Uttarayan. (January 12/13 as per the Gregorian calendar).

It is during this time that the farm fields gleam with wheat, the primary North Indian crop.

Though there are different stories about the origin of Lohri, it has generally been accepted that the occasion has always been celebrated as a harvest festival. According to the Bhagawad Gita, Lord Krishna manifests himself in his full magnificence during this time.

Lohri is a festival dedicated to fire and the sun god. The celebration of Lohri marks the time when

and bringing comfort to her inhabitants.

Lohri celebration marks nightlong festivities that include people lighting bonfires to combat the chilly weather, and singing and dancing around it in a festive mood. This Lohri fire symbolizes the sun and is seen as a source of energy and spiritual strength.

It is worshipped as a deity with food-offerings consisting of peanuts, popcorn and sweets made of til-chirva, gajak and revri.

The observation of Lohri has the dual purposes of celebrating the annual harvest and appeasing the sun-god. Both of these events have tremendous importance in the lives of North Indians, especially those belonging to its agrarian society. Farmers form a major part of the celebrants of Lohri.

Both Sikhs and Hindus in the North Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and some areas of Himachal Pradesh celebrate this festival with

Lohri Festival

the sun shines from the Uttarayan, meaning sun travels across Makar (the zodiac sign Capricorn) and moves northwards. This alteration of the sun's position lessens the severity of the winter season and the earth begins receiving warmth

utmost enthusiastism and religious fervor.

This winter festival is also celebrated in many other states of India under different names. In Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh the occasion is observed

as Makar Sankranti, as Magha Bihu in Assam, and as Tai Pongal in Kerala.

A similar celebration of the annual harvest, Pongal, occurs in Tamil Nadu. Although, it is ob-

Pundit Anil Joshi

served under different names, the underlying purpose of its celebration remains expressing gratitude to the almighty for his blessings in the form of bounteous harvest and comfortable weather conditions.

In the morning, people make a small image of the Lohri goddess with gobar (cattle dung), decorate it, and kindle a fire beneath it and chanting its praises. In the evening, people light a large bonfire at sunset, toss sesame seeds, gur, sugar-candy and rewaries in it, sit round it, sing, and dance till the fire dies out.

People take dying embers of the fire to their homes and keep the fire going round the clock by using cow-dung cakes. People believed that the flames of the fires they lit will take their message to the sun-god, and on the next day, the sun's rays suddenly turn warm and take the chill out of people's bones.

Another reason behind the origin of Lohri is that, in olden times, human beings lit fires to keep away

flesh-eating animals and protect their habitations. Everyone contributes to this communal fire by giving cow-dung cakes to young boys and girls who collect them for a month by going around in the villages.

Lohri is also associated with weddings. Many Lohri songs are based on the old love story of Dulla Bhatti who rescued a girl from her cruel abductors and

adopted her. Finally he arranged for her marriage. These songs tell the present youth to protect the honor of their sisters and daughters, and punish those who try to dishonor them.

On the occasion of Lohri and Makara Sankranti, Pandit Anil Joshi of Hindu Mandir of Lake County blesses and wishes everyone a prosperous New Year and happy Lohri and Sankranti.

Federal Government needs to work better LEE H. HAMILTON

W

hoever wins next around and reverse the accelerNovember's presi- ating pace of breakdowns. dential election, it's a To start, while a lot of hard sure bet that at some point he or work goes into creating policy she will vow to set the federal on Capitol Hill and in the agengovernment on the straight and cies, much less attention goes narrow. It's a bracing sentiment. to how it will be carried out. Both But you'll want to take it with a branches need to focus on how grain of salt. they will assess effectiveness, Our history is filled with re- anticipate problems, make sure markable government accom- that staffing is adequate, and plishments. Our involvement in provide necessary resources.

World War II and hands-on apSecond, if making policy toproach to the postwar recon- day is complicated, so is implestruction of Europe and Japan, menting it. This means that we our role in endneed skillful ing the Cold War, people within the the interstate government to highway system, carry it out, extending the which means hirright to vote to ing them, retainall our ing them, and citizens...There's making sure a long list of cruthey're held to cially important account with efforts the fedwell-conceived eral government metrics. has executed Finally, too ofwell. ten these days Yet every the losers of a American ought policy debate Lee H. Hamilton also to be alarmed turn to torpedoby an expanding list of missteps ing it. Some government failures and blunders. In a report last aren't the result of muddled month for the highly capable and policy, lack of leadership, or intoo-little-noticed Volcker Alliance competence; they're the result of - whose goal is to improve gov- what amounts to calculated ernment effectiveness - NYU Pro- sabotage. This needs to end. fessor Paul C. Light drew attenMost Americans want govtion to what he calls "a shocking ernment to work well. When a acceleration in the federal policy is adopted, it needs to be government's production of executed effectively. Whoever highly visible mistakes, miscalcu- our next President turns out to lations, and maladministration." be, let's hope he or she takes that A moment's reflection will call charge seriously. to mind a sobering litany of failLee Hamilton is a Distinure, from the inability to stop the guished Scholar, Indiana Uni9/11 attacks to shortfalls in the versity School of Global and Incare of our veterans. The reasons ternational Studies; and a Prorange from muddled policy or fessor of Practice, IU School of insufficient resources to outright Public and Environmental Afmisconduct, but the question fairs. He was a member of the isn't really what or who is to U.S. House of Representatives blame. It's how we turn things for 34 years.

Community Across America

January 16, 2016

India Post 23

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Jhunjhunwala family donates $500,000 To Ekal PRAKASH WAGHMARE

E

kal Vidyalaya Foundation USA (known as 'Ekal-USA') had record setting fundraising in 2015. It raised over $6 million in USA alone and it has satellite organizations in 10 different countries.

Moreover, Ekal has just received a generous donation of $500,000 from Mrs Prabha Jhunjhunwala, daughter of Shri

and President of Ekal-USA. He elaborated that," the seed-money will help us build an endowment that will ensure strong financial footing for Ekal USA".

Ekal raises funds through series of concerts all over USA and through direct appeals to generous philanthropists. Braham Aggarwal, Avadesh Agarwal, Himanshu Shah, Mohan Wancho have been

"My father is my inspiration. He was a very compassionate soul and strongly believed that the Ekal movement would transform India. Were he alive, he surely would have been delighted to see strong global support” Madanlal Agarwala, who started Ekal Movement in late 1988 in India.

Considering the way it has kick started this New Year, and it is poised to establish a new record for 2016. "My father is my inspiration. He was a very compassionate soul and strongly believed that the Ekal movement would transform India. Were he alive, he surely would have been delighted to see strong global support reaching into 53,000 villages," says Prabhaji.

"When Prabha decided to make a donation in the name of her father, I couldn't be happier" says Vinod Jhunjhunwala, her husband

some of the most generous and valuable benefactors of Ekal.

According to Dilip Kothekar, Chairman of Ekal's Event Committee, two famous musical groups from 'Bollywood' would be performing in series of 60-65 concerts all across USA, starting from February 26. For the past 27 years, 'Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF)', has been rigorously involved in total transformation of villages, giving sustainability to its people and empowering them. For basic donation of just $365, Ekal has been providing functional literacy and health care training for the whole year to an 'Ekal-school',

consisting of 35-40 children.

For one-time generous donation of $5,000, one can sponsor a whole village for its perpetual development. To make women-folks self-reliant in villages, multiple cottage-industries have been introduced by training them in tailoring, food-processing, weaving etc.

"EVF" is a duly registered as tax-exempt, charitable organization, not only in USA, but also, in several other countries, making it globally the largest grassroots village-development movement undertaken by Indians and NRIs. As of this moment, it is operating all over India, including in Jammu & Kashmir region benefiting over1.50 million children (half of whom are girls).

"Health Foundation for Rural India (HFRI)", under the leadership of Dr. Veena Gandhi is committed to eradicate Anemia also in Ekal villages. New water conservation techniques, and use of solarpower for domestic use etc. have been adopted in several villages.

In addition, an innovative 'Ekalon-Wheels' digital pilot-project has been launched in some states to make villages computer-literate.

According to Bajrang Bagra, CEO of Ekal-India, this year, Ekal took a giant leap forward in 2015 by establishing 10 village development centers, each catering to the needs of 100 villages, thereby

directly impacting at least one million people, and exposing 10 million villagers to innovative techniques.

have now forged alliance with Ekal.

Dr. Subhash Chandra, CEO of ZEE-TV Network, has recently joined as the 'Chairman of Ekal-

Jhunjhunwalas paying respect to Ekal founder - Shri Madanlalji

Villagers are trained in multiple cropping, Vermi composting, based on local conditions.

Pradeep Goyal, Chairman of EkalIndia recently confirmed that retraining villagers for agro-farm based products has given them income ranging from Rs.50, 000 to Rs.8 Lakhs. Because of Ekal's extensive rural network, many organizations that were engaged on their own in divine rural projects

Global' and plans to take this 'Literacy' movement' to the upper zenith of worldwide conscientious global organizations. According to Subhash Gupta, recent Chairman of Board of Advisers, Ekal derives its strength from its 300,000 global volunteers. As PM Modi said, "When you invest in village, you are investing in India's future; let's develop one village, one school at-a-time.

HAF offers 2016 summer internships India Post News Service

T

he Hindu American Congressional & Advocacy Internship is a unique opportunity for select undergraduate and graduate students to spend an exciting summer in our nation's capital working for either Congressional offices or the HAF office.

This year, HAF is offering two tracks for the internship: Congressional Intern Track and Advocacy Intern Track. The Congressional track has four (4) intern spots and the Advocacy track has two (2) intern spots, for a total of six (6) interns. All interns will spend approximately eight weeks between June and August 2016 in Washington, D.C. The four Congressional Interns will be placed in Congressional offices while the two Advocacy Interns will work alongside staff in the HAF office. All interns will be invited to events organized by HAF, such as DC Advocacy Days, Friday

lunches, and sponsored briefings.

HAF Congressional Intern Track This track is geared towards applicants who are primarily interested in representing the Hindu American community by working in a Congressional office. Selected applicants will work with HAF to

process to obtain an internship is rigorously competitive. HAF's ability to offer intern positions in Congressional offices is due solely to the relationships the foundation has built with Congress over the past decade. HAF is a non-partisan organization that works with both sides of the aisle, and thus,

Past interns have participated in meetings with Congressional offices, attended relevant Congressional hearings and briefings, researched human rights violations secure an internship spot in a Congressional office and will intern full-time in the Congressional office for the eight weeks. Interns will work on projects based on the needs of the Congressional office.

Congressional Interns will join HAF for various events to ensure they also receive a solid understanding of Hindu American advocacy.

Internships in Congressional offices are highly coveted, and the

is unable to honor office placement requests on a partisan basis.

Though not always the case, interns are often placed in offices that represent their home state.

This track is open to all majors although government, public policy, and international/foreign relations majors are highly encouraged to apply. Rising juniors and seniors will be given preference.

HAF Advocacy Intern Track

This track is geared towards applicants who are interested immersion in the full scope of Hindu American advocacy. Interns will spend their summer working alongside HAF staff members on any number of ongoing initiatives from public policy to fundraising and development to marketing to accounting to human rights. Past interns have participated in meetings with Congressional offices, attended relevant Congressional hearings and briefings, researched human rights violations, developed creative material for policy meetings, and created membership surveys. The world of advocacy is fast-paced and ever-changing.

Interns must be flexible and willing to tackle issues and projects as they arise.

This track is open to all majors although religion, accounting, and marketing majors and graduate students in South Asian Studies are highly encouraged to apply.

Applicants experienced with graphic design and proficiency in Photoshop and InDesign are also

encouraged to apply.

Stipend & Housing One of the largest benefits of this internship is that HAF provides all interns with housing as well as living and travel stipends.

Housing arrangements are made through Washington Intern Student Housing (WISH).

Minimum Requirements to Apply • US Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident • At least 18 years old • Enrolled in good standing at an accredited university or college • Minimum GPA: 3.2 Basic Qualifications • Solid knowledge base of Hinduism and its practice • Strong interest in Hindu American advocacy • Outstanding networking skills • Strong organizational skills with ability to multi-task • Strong team player • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

24 India Post

Community Across America

January 16, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Enthralling concert on Classical Group Ragas India Post News Service

MILPITAS, CA: The Bay Area music lovers were enthralled to listen to a galaxy of vocalists and musicians who performed on four popular Hindustani Classical Raags- Puriya Dhanashree, Puriya Kalyan, Sohoni and Marva, which will herald a New Year of Musical Extravaganza. Two important music icons- Violin Maestro Satish Gadagkar and Ustad Surinder Mann, a Tabla and Sitar Maestro, who were present at the Concert adjudged the Concert as well conceived, planned and saw that it was well executed.

At the outset, a popular

Hindustani vocalist Ms. Madhuvanti Bhide who has experience of classical music over 20 years having been trained by Dr. Alka Deo Marulkar, a legend in the Classical Music and a Musicolo-

gist, had chosen to perform Raag Marwa and gave the special features of the Raaga and sang a Bandish as well as a Bhajan based on Puriya Kalyan.

While explaining the nuances

Madhuvanti Bhide

of the Raag Marwa, she pointed out that this raag comes under "Thaat Marwa. It is a sunset raag, and therefore chosen in the evening.

Madhuvanti sang a bandish "Laagi Lagan Guru Paayi, Sakal jagat bisarayi", in Taal Ektaal, with slow "alaps and bol tans" After performing this piece, she presented a melodious Meera Bhajan, composed by her guru Dr. Marulkar -"Guru Bina Kaun Lagave Paar, Naav Padee Majhdhaar, teri". This Bhajan was based on "Puriya Kalyan, with Marva combination. Madhuvanti was accompanied by Preeti Pisolkar on the harmonium, Shripad Torvi on the tabla, and Vocal accompaniment by her student Sangeeta Koilada.

Ms. Sandhya Shankar, an accomplished vocalist both in Carnatic as well as Hindustani Classical Music, who has been teaching music in the Bay Area over the last fifteen years, was the next vocalist. She has been a senior student of Pandit Lakshmi Ganesh Tewari, Emeritus Profes-

is "Raga Shree" of which she presented a dhrut Bandish, with her mellifluous voice. She was accompanied by Shripad Torvi and Preeti Pisolkar on Harmonium.

Ms. Swasti Pandey presented for a variety, another theme Raag "Sohoni" which belongs to Marwa thaat (root raga family).

This raga is best suited for predawn time between 3 AM to 6 AM. The mood of the raga is melancholic but, yet it has a joyous intensity. Swasti gave a delightful jugalbandi performance, with a couple of Jhaptal Bandish and devotional songs in which her advanced student Ashwini Guruprasad also joined. Swasti sang using Harmonium as her accompaniment.

In the Musical Segment, Sangeet Dhwani had chosen a proficient Flute Maestro, Shri.

Priyank Desai who has received his earlier training from his Guru Shri. Hemendra Dixit -Disciple of Pt. Pannalal Ghosh. He has also flair for Hindustani Classical Music and learns it as he felt that it helped in embellishing his perfor-

Sandhya Shankar

sor of Music, Sonoma State University Santa Rosa, California.

Sandhya while introducing the Raag Puriya Dhanashree succinctly explained its distinct characteristics. She mentioned that this Raga belongs to "Purvi Thaat" and is a Sampoorna raga, having all the seven notes. It can admit both simple and vakra chalan in its presentation. It is characterized as "Sandhiprakash Raga" sung

mance on Flute. Priyank has been performing in Radio in India and US and also has played Bansuri Scores and sound track for movies like Flavors. Priyank's performance on Puriya Kalyan was lauded as splendid and spell binding. He was ably accompanied by a skilled young musician Ajay Sunder Rajan on Tabla.

In the Movie Songs Segment; Sangeet Dhwani's Zankaar series

Priyank Desai

at the time of dusk.

This raga is equivalent to Carnatic Raag "Panthuvarali, 51st Melakartha raga. Further, related closely to this Raga with considerable different melodic structure,

included Movie Songs governed by one of the Raags chosen as theme raags for the particular concert.

Cont’d on page 25

January 16, 2016

Community Across America

India Post 25

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Hinduism is eternal & authentic religion SWAMINI GOPESHWARI DEVI

H

induism has been greatly misinterpreted by a large group of ignorant, confused and non-spiritual people.

Unfortunately, it is so sad to note that even those who claim themselves to be Hindus, criticize Hinduism and call it to be a religion without any base or authenticity.

This is the age of Kaliyug which started in 3102 B.C. The effects of Kaliyug are to despise the divine truth and to elevate the anti-God elements in the name of God. In the last 200 years such dissipations were much greater when the English regime tried to destroy the culture and the religion of India in every way. During that time, they deliberately produced such de-

the replicas of the same trend which was promoted by Sir William Jones, Max Muller (who was a highly paid employee of East India Company), the associates of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and many more.

Hinduism is the oldest religion which has an eternal solid and perfect base. The perfectly eternal base of Hinduism is the Vedas.

The Vedas were never written by anyone, not even by God. Supreme Lord Shri Krishna says in the Bhagwad Gita; Sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishto, mattah smritirgyanmapohanan cha Vedaishcha sarvairahameva vedyo, vedantkritvedavidev

Hinduism has a system. At many places and in all the different Vedic scriptures the scriptures themselves reveal their origin to be the supreme Godhead personality. Little scriptural evidences are: Brihadaranyakopnishad 2/4/ 10, Chandogyopnishad 7/1/2 and so forth. rogatory literatures in huge quantities that confused and misguided the entire world.

In order to impose the worldliness of their own baseless culture upon the Hindu faith, they introduced such fictitious theories and disparaging dogmas that produced a derogatory and demeaning view of Hinduism.

These publications affected the minds of the Hindu writers to such an extent that they also began to think and write on the same lines.

Even the reputed Indian scholars produced such books those were

chaham.

15/15 I am the knower, the knowledge, and the known. In other words the Vedas are not the words of God but are the perfect knowledge, (chit) aspect of God who is also known as SATCHITANAND Brahm.

Hinduism is a divine manifestation, be it our perfectly divine Vedic scriptures that include the Rigved, Atharvaved, Samved, Yajurved, the six darshan shastras ( Nyaya, Sankhya, Vaisheshikh, Poorva Mimansa, Vedant, Yog Darshan), 1,180 upnishads (out of

which only 200 are available), 18 Puranas, 2 itihas puran- Ramayan and Mahabharat, Manu Smriti or the perfect divine Sanskrit language and the God realized saints, who were descended personalities and not simply elected or chosen by any group of people or self claimed spiritual leaders.

To prove any fact there are three kinds of evidences: testimonial, inferential or circumstantial and perceptional form of evidence.

We have all the three kinds of evidences to authenticate the Divinity of all the scriptures and thus Hinduism. (a)Hinduism has a system. At many places and in all the different Vedic scriptures the scriptures themselves reveal their origin to be the supreme Godhead personality. Little scriptural evidences are: Brihadaranyakopnishad 2/4/10, Chandogyopnishad 7/1/2 and so forth.

There is always a perfect reason behind everything the scriptures say. For example Shri Krishna wears a crown with a peacock feather tilted on one side.

During the British rule in India, a question was raised as to what is right tilting the peacock feather on the right side or the left side?

People got divided into two parties and to solve their heated argument they approached a British judge who passed the judgment using his ignorant material intellect, saying it shouldn't be tilted on either side but put straight.

When the fact of the matter is that when Shri Krishna is standing with Shri Radha Rani who always stands on the left hand side, the feather is tilted on the right and when standing with Balram who

Enthralling concert on Classical Group Ragas Cont’d from page 24

In order to delight those members of the audience, (who do not have scientific knowledge of Classical Raags), each such Concert includes a few movie songs associated with the theme Raags and selects award winning artists to present them. Needless to say here that the Music Composers and Directors of the Golden Era Movies (1940s-1980) harnessed the Classical Raags in order to achieve perfect melody in the songs which every one enjoys.

One of the most appropriate songs suited for this Concert, was

"Kuhu Kuhu Bole Koyaliya" which was composed by the famous Music Director P.Adi Narayan Rao, in the Movie "Swarna Sundari ". This song was based on four raags-Sohoni, Bahar, Jaunpuri and Yaman, The song was melodiously presented by two lady singers -Sangeeta Heble (Shenoy) and Sandhya Gayathri, as Jugalbandi, which mesmerized the audience.

Another song "Jhumati Chali Hawa" associated with Raag Sohoni - (sung for the film "Tansen" by the legend Mukesh) was renditioned by Shri. Pramod Korwar, on Karaoke tracks. As the

grand finale of the event, Smitha Maiti sang melodiously Asha Bhosale's song in the film Grahasti, without the support of any music tracks or live music, which the audience enjoyed fully.

The event was emceed by Jagruti Shah who anchors on 1130 Am Radio, with her entertaining tit bits as to the origin of the song, its lyricist, music director or the playback singer. The sound was efficiently managed by Dilip Shah and the program coordination was handled by Nishikant Shirpurkar.

The event concluded with a Vote of thanks by the Sangeet Dhwani President, Pradeep Joshi.

stands on the right hand side the feather is tilted on the left. (b) Considering the perfection, preciseness, depth and extensiveness of the eternal Vedic wisdom it is beyond human intellect and is

tounded to learn how he can quote the verses with precise number endlessly from the infinite Vedic scriptures. The descriptions given by the entire God realized Saints about God's beauty, attribute,

Swamini Gopeshwari Devi

very much relevant in today's time and age. The perfect guidance it gives to live a peaceful, enjoyable and spiritually rich life, naturally certify the Divine greatness of our scriptures. The facts about creation for example: the beginning of the existing human civilization is 120.5331 million years; the beginning of this planetary system is 155.521972 trillion years, human beings didn't simply evolve from monkeys; which is so illogical and baseless. However, our scriptures give the evidence which is scientifically and philosophically logical.

The creator Brahma divided His personality into two shaktis with the purpose of creation; Male shakti as Swayambhu Manu and female shakti as Shatroopa! Thus, here began the procreation and from them were born three daughters and two sons.

Hence, the human creation started and continues in the same manner till this day unlike the others who claim that we evolved, or were born out of sin of Adam and Eve and so on. (c) As regards to perceptional form of evidence, all great God realized Saints always witness the Divine glory of the supreme God. That is how all the writings of such divinely realized Saints are perfectly in coordination with the tenets of the original Vedic scriptures. This truth is not hidden from the world today. If anyone listens to or reads the philosophy of Divine Love by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, one is as-

abode, pastimes in their chanting, shows that they witnessed the Divinity as they sang.

Thus Hinduism is eternal religion having a perfect original founder the supreme God Himself.

All our scriptures are collectively called "Sanatan Dharm" which means the eternal (sanatan) principles of knowledge (dharm). It provides the guidelines for all kinds of people of the world, which, if followed, would lead them to God realization.

Therefore, people who are caught up in the drama of material pursuit and indulged in power and position, have no right to give their opinion on Hinduism. It is a shame when such deluded people who lack faith in God jump up to conclusion saying that Hinduism is an outcome of collective thoughts without any founder or proper base.

Only the sincere God realized Saints can drink the Divine nectar of the Vedic wisdom and hold such conversations with other genuine Saints. It is not that anyone can become a spiritual teacher or a priest. All the conditions of qualification are written in our scriptures. For details one can get in touch with me.

Teachings from my spiritual master a God realized Saint, His Divine Excellency Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj.

For further details on Hinduism one can read the book "True History and Religion of India." By H D Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.

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PG&E tips to stay safe as El Niño storms arrive India Post News service

unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.

Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.

Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.

• Keep a charged cell phone or hard-wired, single-line telephone on hand. Cordless phones do not work without electricity. Consider purchasing a remote charger for your cell phone.

• Protect sensitive electronic equipment such as televisions and computers with surge suppressors. Unplug this equipment if it was in use when the power went out.

• Make sure you can manually (without power) open your automatic garage door or gate or park your vehicle outside.

• Make sure food stays cold by keeping your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. You can keep the refrigerator cold by plac-

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The arrival of the New Year means that winter storm season has come for Northern and Central California. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) meteorologists forecast that our weather will be influenced by a very strong El Niñoeffect over the next few months.

That means that we'll potentially see more and wetter storms.

And just as PG&E is prepared and has a plan to deal with severe weather, the company urges our customers to be prepared for wet weather and the possibility of power outages caused by wind, heavy rain and snow.

Customers are asked to heed these safety and outage-preparation tips: • Always treat low hanging and downed power lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. Keep yourself and others away from them. Be aware of trees, pools of water and other objects that may be in contact with power lines. If you see damaged power Make sure you can manulines or electrical equipment, call 911 immedi- ally (without power) open ately and then notify your automatic garage PG&E at 1-800-743door or gate or park your 5002.

• If your vehicle vehicle outside. comes in contact with a downed power line, stay inside. The safest place is in your car. The ground ing ice in plastic containers and around your car might be ener- keeping them inside. Also, a full gized. Honk the horn, roll down freezer will remain colder longer • Customers with generators your window and yell for help.

Warn others to stay away. Any- should make sure they are propone who touches the equipment erly installed by a licensed elecor ground around the vehicle trician in a well-ventilated area. might be injured. Use your mo- Inform PG&E if you have a genbile phone to call 911. Fire de- erator, and do not use it unless partment, police and PG&E work- you are sure it was installed ers will tell you when it is safe to safely and correctly. An incorrectly installed generator can get out of the vehicle.

• If there is a fire and you have damage your property and ento exit a vehicle that has come in danger you and PG&E's line contact with downed power lines: workers who might be working Remove loose items of clothing. on nearby power lines. You'll Keep your hands at your sides find information on the safe inand jump clear of the vehicle, so stallation of generators at you are not touching the car when www.pge.com/generator.

• Avoid driving into standing your feet hit the ground. Keep both feet close together and or flowing water caused by loshuffle away from the vehicle calized flooding. Hazards can lurk beneath the surface and without picking up your feet.

• During a power outage, use flowing water can be extremely battery-operated flashlights, not dangerous.

For the latest information on candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, keep them power restoration, customers away from drapes, lampshades, can call PG&E's outage inforholiday trees and small children. mation line at 1-800-743-5002.

Do not leave candles unat- Updates are also available through a live outage map tended.

• If you experience an outage, online at www.pge.com/outages.

January 15, 2016

www.indiapost.com

India Post 27

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Gerua: Dilwale 2 Agar Tum Saath Ho: Tamasha 3 Matargashti: Tamasha 4 Deewani Mastani: Bajirao Mastani www.indiapost.com

28 India Post

January 15, 2016

5 Tumhe Apna Banane Ka : Hate Story 3 6 Pinga : Bajirao Mastani 7 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo : PRDP

he in t d e l a ro a ha lay eepik p it. d to e. D g n e r C a g t i n g o n will i s e n ika een nde as b of Xa t comm, Deep h d u rn ne u k o e R e t u w i t h o mence r s e g d a l e P : Th ese com c e h r i ika e e p r X X X w i t h D lm has m e n i r e c t o D d om at re fi e lf n t h e l s t a r h e r s e on the r y t o c f i l m ' s e t i m w o m s f e a n e o k n o h i u r s t k e r t is Vin D image ile wo n Feb same, starts ve be a i h w e n h e t e h a w s h af ca ut t , "I up hat y. S p u t h e a r t o f t h e g a b o a n u a r p o s t e d ill add a n d J n w ing e rest n e e t i t i n r u s o we ww No ng the g. Tw e star re Ca week s s t u n n i s o i i ng thi h e , "W g m join oot lmi i f b e o f s h p o s t e d a d d i n st and n e . S egin der o r ca o nt ill b th Xan ly m e C a r u s . L a t e azing a d u k w . ap m y" wi cret hise D . J b r u a r this a e e p i k anc ks off he se dler r f e d h h han ic X in F ed wit r s ! @ d". d p oug XX ss l a y e lente of the lic, an nt, th ith his el and e l e b p y ta ent epub ncid nt w Dies l re m o treme nstallm can R er an i ignme Vin a. i to a X ft ss ni XX e third Domi dead a ugh a dition Tony J o t d d Th 3 in t for , a in 1 i an f new Jan o is le for a e film s Jet L n o h n e w ctio . Th ature Cag ns to a bbons lso fe i a r retu stus G ukone u d g Au ika Pa p e De

I

R

anveer Singh has been asked to get beefy for Aditya Chopra's next directorial venture, 'Befikre,' co-starring Vaani Kapoor (of Shuddh Desi Romance fame).

The charming actor, who has won laurels for his performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani,' had to tone down for the period romance, particularly the portion showing his character suffering from illness post an exhaustive battle. Our source says that Ranveer will regain the muscle he had toned down for his last release and add some more too, for his next that will be extensively shot in Paris this summer.

Reportedly, Aditya has already done a recce of the French capital to identify key locations. Apparently, the filmmaker isn't too keen on shooting at popular tourist venues like the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe as it might look cliched.

8 Heer Toh Badi Sad Hai : Tamasha 9 Malhari : Bajirao Mastani 10 Prem Leela : PRDP

K

atrina Kaif, who is reportedly dating Ranbir Kapoor, says she believes in loving passionately and calls herself a "die-hard romantic" person.

The actress hopes her next film 'Fitoor' puts out this message. "Yes, I'm a die-hard romantic. I hope it comes out from the film.

May be that's the intention," Katrina says.

'Fitoor', which means passion or obsession, is the story of a budding artiste Noor (Aditya Roy Kapoor) who falls in love with Firdaus (Katrina). And the trailer paints a whimsical picture with snow and a scenic backdrop. It also hints at the politics surrounding Kashmir. The film also stars Tabu, who is seen as Katrina's mother in the film.

Talking about her character, Katrina said: "I think love is life, love is passion and inherently I believe that. So for me, I think without that belief and conviction, it's hard to portray a character passionately." Based on Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations," 'Fitoor' is directed by A b h i s h e k Kapoor.

"I think love is life, love is passion and inherently I believe that

Bollywood

January 15, 2016

www.indiapost.com

T

he very versatile Irrfan Khan is preparing to plunge into the part of poet par excellence Sahir Ludhianvi in new director Jasmeet Reen's bio-pic. In fact Irrfan has been in preparation for the role for nearly two years now, catching up with Sahir's lyrics on his IPod and reading up as much as he could about the man, the poet and the lover.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali who co-produces the Sahir bio-pic with Arshi Dua also approves of Irrfan as Sahir. "In fact Bhansali wanted Irrfan to do the voiceover for Bajirao Mastani.

Irrfan immediately agreed and asked for the technical team to come to Jaisalmer where he is shooting.

Within two hours he completed the entire voiceover.

He refused payment for t h e voiceover," says a source.

P

riyanka has expressed her desire to star in a Pakistani movie.

"If I get a chance, I would be very happy to star in a Pakistani film," the 33-year-old 'Bajirao Mastani' star was quoted as saying by Dawn News. While there are reports Priyanka will romance Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan in Reema Kagti's 'Mr Chaalu', when asked which actor would she want to work with in her Pakistani film debut, the actress joked, "Abhi tum larwao ge" (Now, you will create a conflict).

She added on a serious note, "My films don't depend on heroes. My character should be good, great story. I do films for entertainment, I am an entertainer, a performer, so I would like to do a good film." The actress said her decision (to work in a Pakistani movie) will depend on the kind of role she is offered.

S

he may have bagged many awards and impressed the audience with her performances but Konkona Sen Sharma says she did not want to be an actress.

After winning praise for her acting skills on screen, the 36year-old is now working behind the camera. The 'Ek Thi Daayan' star is all set to go on floors with her directorial debut 'A Death in the Gunj' but Konkona insists she had no plans of turning a director either.

"Honestly, I never wanted to be an actor either and I never thought I want to be a director. But it's just that this particular story fascinated me for so long, a story that's been with me for so long...I didn't think I would write a script either. "But it started getting bigger and bigger and at some point I thought 'oh so this is how it's going to be like', I have to write and direct it," she told reporters.

'A Death In The Gunj' also stars Konkona's estranged husband Ranvir Shorey. Asked if he was ready to be directed by Konkona, Ranvir joked, "I had said no (to be part of the film) but she insisted. And when someone insists you so much, specially when the director is the mother of your kid so..."

S

alman Khan has returned from his birthday and New Year's celebration to begin work on Sultan again. The director Ali Abbas Zafar is all set to shoot some seriously intricate wrestling scenes with Salman.

Says a source close to Sultan, "The scenes require intense concentration. This is why Salman chose to first unwind and relax over his birthday and new-year weekend before plunging into them."

Sources say the fights in the ring are going to be absolutely original and unlike anything Salman has attempted before. "The crew is focusing only on these scenes at the moment.

Salman won't require to shoot with a leading lady until the end of the month. So no call is being taken on the selection of the leading lady until the third week of January," says the source.

Intricate wrestling

India Post 29

Realty Tidbits

ASK to invest Rs 1,500 cr in projects NEW DELHI: Financial services firm ASK Group plans to step up its equity investment in Indian real estate market to up to Rs 1,500 crore during this year as it sees good demand in mid-segment housing projects.

The firm had invested a little over Rs 600 crore during last year through three equity deals in real estate projects.

"In 2016, we will deploy Rs 1,000-1,500 crore as equity investment in Indian real estate," ASK Property Investment Advisors CEO and MD Amit Bhagat told PTI. In its largest investment so far, ASK Group had last month invested Rs 365 crore in a housing project of Rajesh Lifespaces at Vikhroli in Mumbai.

Before that, the company had invested Rs 125 crore with ATS Group in Noida project and Rs 112 crore in Purvankara's Bengaluru project. It also exited from three investments while garnering an impressive multiple.

"We focus on equity investment in mid-income housing projects with ticket price of apartments in Rs 50-75 lakh bracket. We expect the market to remain buoyant in this segment," Bhagat said.

ASK Group has invested about Rs 2,500 crore in Indian real estate during last five years. The company's strategy is to invest in mid-income housing projects in five cities - NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai. -PTI

QuikrHomes acquires CommonFloor.com

BENGALURU: Online classifieds platform Quikr has announced that it has merged CommonFloor.com with its real estate vertical QuikrHomes to create an industry leader in online real estate.

This is Quikr's fourth and the biggest strategic move in the real estate category since the launch of QuikrHomes about four months ago, it was announced at a news conference in Bengaluru.

"We have been in the investment phase, right now. If you look at our business right now, we are not a profitable company, but the idea is to get profitable in next couple of years," Pranay Chulet, Quikr Founder and CEO, told PTI after the announcement.

"This is not a shift (in) anyways. It is for accelerating to double down the impact we have made in QuikrHomes," he said.

Asked to divulge the terms of transaction, Chulet said, "We wouldn't speak about it. We would keep it confidential for now."-PTI

Real Estate 30 India Post

www.indiapost.com

January 15, 2016

3 companies booked for duping people NEW DELHI: A case has been registered against three Delhi-based real estate companies for allegedly duping people to the tune of around Rs 1.98 crore on the pretext of booking apartments in a housing project.

An FIR in connection with the matter was registered under relevant sections of IPC for criminal breach of trust and cheating at Delhi Police's Economics Offences Wing on December 11, following which investigation was taken up, a senior police official said.

Cont’d on page 31

Leasing of Grade-A office space rose 18% in 7 cities MUMBAI: The leasing of Grade-A office space rose 18 percent last year to an all-time high 38 million sq ft in seven major cities on account of improved demand from corporates, according to property consultant CBRE. "Demand for corporate real estate space in the top seven cities of the country saw a high annual take up of 38 million sq ft for 2015 - the highest till date - which translates to an annual rise of 18 percent," CBRE said in a statement.

This positive demand is indicative of an overall improved economic sentiment among domestic and international corporates, it added. The demand was led by Bengaluru (32 percent) and Delhi NCR (23 percent).

While most cities witnessed a year-on-year increase in occupier demand, Kolkata was the only exception. Delays in project completion led to select corporate firms postponing their occupation decisions to the next fiscal in Kolkata.

According to the CBRE's report 'India Office Market View' for fourth quarter of 2015, the absorption of Grade-A office space across key cities in India witnessed a

quarterly growth of about 26 percent in October-December period to over 12 million sq ft.

These seven cities are DelhiNCR, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.

macro-economic climate and an overall positive market sentiment during the year, encouraged corporate office occupier demand in 2015," said CBRE South Asia CMD Anshuman Magazine.

"India is an established outsourcing destination for various multinationals, who continue to outsource their operations to major cities in India; a key reason for a sustained spurt in office transaction activity.

"This coupled with a steady

IT/ITeS firms across the seven leading cities garnered a share of more than 56 percent of the entire transaction activity reported during the year.

Other sectors like banking/ financial services, engineering / manufacturing, e-Commerce and

research/ consulting also saw significant traction, collectively contributing about 29 percent to the total transacted space in the year.

Meanwhile, fresh supply of office space development rose to a five-year high of around 45 per cent during the year over 2014. These development completions were led

by Bengaluru, followed by Delhi NCR, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

The fourth quarter, in particular, saw new supply addition of more than 11 million sq ft. Most of the supply in fourth quarter of 2015 came up in Gurgaon and Noida in Delhi NCR; ORR and Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru; IT and Extended IT Corridors in Hyderabad; Baner and Hinjewadi in Pune; and Andheri (East) in Mumbai.

"Corporate occupier demand for office space is expected to continue to grow in the forthcoming months. Expansion and consolidation strategies of corporate firms will continue to be in greenfield projects and pre-committed space in under construction projects," said Ram Chandnani, Managing Director - Transactions Services, CBRE South Asia. -PTI

Mumbai, Delhi among top-30 'super cities' NEW DELHI: Two Indian cities - Delhi and Mumbai - have made it to a top-30 list of the world's most powerful, productive and connected cities.

According to the study conducted by international real estate consultancy JLL, India's financial capital Mumbai has been ranked 22nd while the national capital Delhi is placed at 24th.

The list is topped by Tokyo, which along with New York, London and Paris, make the top four 'super cities'. These four were the destination of over 50 per cent of all foreign capital invested in the Global Top 30 cities.

JLL said its Top-30 global cities account for 64 per cent of the total cross-border investment into the 'Global300' - an expanded index of

the cities in terms of their "commercial attraction" or economic and real estate power and status.

Mumbai is also on the top-10

the most over the past year.

Other cities where commercial attraction has improved significantly include Milan (Italy),

"improvers" list.

Top-10 improvers are cities whose scores in the index of "commercial attraction" have improved

Istanbul (Turkey), Tehran (Iran), Madrid (Spain), Cairo (Egypt), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Lagos (Nigeria), Jakarta (Indonesia) and

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

"With growth exceeding 7 per cent in the city over each of the last three years, it is no wonder that Mumbai made a strong presence in the top list," JLL said, adding that reforms being undertaken by the national government are boosting confidence in the national and metro area economy.

JLL further said Mumbai is enhancing its position as a hub for global corporations, with firms among the world's 2,000 largest companies headquartered in the city - rising by 50 per cent over the last 10 years.

The index of commercial attraction is JLL's primary benchmark of the size and strength of a city's economy and real estate market. -PTI

Real Estate Post

January 15, 2016

India Post 31

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North Dakota housing market slows BISMARCK, N.D.: With fewer people streaming into the state, demand for housing has slowed in central and western North Dakota during 2015. As a result, buyers are taking more time, looking at as many as 20 to 40 homes rather than being required to act fast and ``take it or leave it.''

While the number of homes sold is down and apartment vacancy rates are up, Nancy Deichert, executive director of the Bismarck-Mandan Board of Realtors, calls the small decline ``a return to normal.''

Statistics show a 7 percent decrease in the number of residential units sold as of Dec. 21 through the Bismarck-Mandan area's Multiple Listing Service, compared with 2014. The total number of units sold is still above the number sold during each year since 2006. ``Ours is still very much an active market with listings going under contract every day,'' Deichert told the Bismarck Tribune. ``An increased inventory of homes on the market provides buyers with more options.''

In the apartment market, vacancy rates have begun to creep up along with supply.

Jeremy Petron, president of the

Bismarck-Mandan Apartment Association, said a lot of units have been built and the influx of people into the area has slowed. He said the area may even be a little overbuilt when it comes to apartments.

Combined, those factors have led to an average vacancy rate of 5 percent to 6 percent, according to an association survey.

Vacancies at newer complexes are higher, around 10 percent, because most of those are higherend apartments, Petron said.

A high-end, three-bedroom apartment typically rents for $1,300 to $1,500 per month. Rental rates at older properties, those built more than 10 years ago, are seeing rent rates remain more stable, about $650 to $850 per month for a two-bedroom, Petron said.

The rental rates of newer complexes will depend upon the vacancy rate with which owners are comfortable, Petron said. ``The reality is, if the economy isn't going to bring in (renters), they'll certainly have to adjust,'' said Petron, adding that he thinks decreases in demand due to low oil prices have already worked their way out of the Bismarck market. ``Even though inflow has slowed down, I think we have

enough diversity of industry we're still seeing normal population growth,'' he said.

In Watford City, the number of vacant apartments is way up. ``There's a pile of them coming online now,'' said Gene Veeder, public relations director for McKenzie County Development. ``Availability is much different than this time last year.''

Rent is more competitively priced, $1,200 to $1,600 per month for a two-bedroom is common, Veeder said. ``You still see some $2,500 but not many,'' Veeder said.

Single-family homes are being

At the height of the boom, those homes would have been on the market a day, a week, maybe two at the longest. Now, on average, a home will stay on the market 50 to 60 days, some closer to 90 or 120 days, Gorder said. built at a slower rate but construction continues, said Veeder, who added that the cost of real estate and infrastructure has pushed home prices above what people are interested in. Before the oil boom, builders constructed only one or two homes annually for about 20

Gurgaon housing prices slipped by 25% NEW DELHI: Housing prices in Gurgaon fell by about 25% during last year but it was not sufficient to boost demand, according to property consultant JLL. Gurgaon is an important real estate market of the country, especially in the National Capital Region (NCR).

"Gurgaon was not unaffected by the slump that hit the country's realty sector. Sales dwindled, new launches decreased, prices came down and the overall sentiment nosedived in the year 2015," JLL India CEO - Residential Services Ashwinder Raj Singh said in a report on the city.

The consultant noted that the past couple of years have been tough for Gurgaon's real estate market. The primary reason for this scenario has been a slowing economy over the years, as well as sky-rocketing prices.

Buyers were waiting for prices to fall, while investors who bought properties in the previous boom cycle of 2009-10 did not want to

commit more money with no clear returns.

"The impact has been a visible and significant decline in prices by approximately 25% over 2014.

However, this has proved insufficient to catalyze a new demand boom," Singh said.

Overall, NCR has witnessed

country's highest unsold inventory figures at almost 1, 70,000 units, of which around 22,000 units are in Gurgaon. With the liquidity crisis brought on by high unsold inventories, JLL said that the developers began offering

years, he said.

Many still want rental property for now. The higher cost and lower availability of single-family homes is one factor. The other is overtime hours were cut for those that who remain and they don't want to invest until they see what happens with oil prices, Veeder said. ``Demographic has a lot to do with what's going on with the credit side of things,'' he said.

A typical single-family home costs from $250,000 to $300,000. A 20 percent down payment makes it hard to get a loan and some might be reluctant to buy because they got upside down on a house pre-

freebies, discounts and all kinds of schemes to lure buyers.

"In other words, while Gurgaon's realty market favored developers in the period 2010-12, it is now clearly a buyers' market.

Nevertheless, most buyers still see this market's prices as unattractive," Singh said.

On the positive side, Gurgaon has seen the maximum number of new launches within NCR, and that too in the affordable housing category under the Haryana government's Affordable Housing Policy 2013. These dwellings are priced at under Rs 25 lakh which is where demand may come in over the short to medium term.

The demand for properties priced beyond Rs 3 crore has been on a steady decline, and projects that were launched way back in 2009-10 catering to this premium segment constitute a large part of the unsold inventory.

-PTI

viously. ``We don't have inventory of older homes on the market,'' said Veeder, adding that many were snatched up by companies for housing their workers and others were turned into rental units. ``What we don't see anymore is a $75,000 house going for $300,000,'' Veeder said.

A lot of new construction is taking place east of town along Highway 23 in the Fox Hills development and to the north where Main Street has been extended. Veeder said there are three or four developments with hundreds of homes planned where the city ran water and sewer.

Veeder said housing is something McKenzie County officials

talk about on a daily basis. ``It is a monumental task trying to figure out where we're going,'' he said.

The county is working with the state on a survey to determine what the public wants and needs.

Despite the downturn in oil activity, the number of residential units sold in Dickinson increased by 14 percent in 2015, said Barb Lupo, association executive for the Badlands Board of Realtors. ``This trend continues upward due to the increase in new industries other than oil. Dickinson continues to diversify business-wise and looks to remain economically stable because of this,'' she said.

On a November day in Williston, there were 261 homes for sale with 28 of them with a contract pending, said Kassie Gorder, president of the Williston Board of Realtors.

At the height of the boom, those homes would have been on the market a day, a week, maybe two at the longest. Now, on average, a home will stay on the market 50 to 60 days, some closer to 90 or 120 days, Gorder said.

Oil companies are not going to pay employees' way anymore, Gorder said. Layoffs have created a fear factor, and many are worried about tying themselves up with a mortgage. In the meantime, some are renting, sticking it out to see what happens.

The homes that are for sale vary from new construction and older homes that have been remodeled to homes that need remodeling and mobile homes on a piece of land, Gorder said.

Going into winter, Gorder expects it to slow even further through the New Year and possibly into spring. -AP

3 companies booked for duping people Cont’d from page 30

The incident came to the fore after a complainant alleged that he along with 16 others had paid around Rs 1.98 crore for booking flats in an upcoming project at Ghaziabad's Indirapuram area in 2011. But the housing project never took off, following which he approached the police.

The complainant also leveled charges against cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who was once a director and also the brand ambassador in the joint project.

"The project was extensively promoted and advertised and Gambhir, as the brand ambassador helped in attracting and inviting

buyers to invest in the project," the complainant told the police.

Meanwhile, Gambhir's name was not included in the FIR, after preliminary investigations.

The cricketer, however, has trashed all allegations against him.

Gambhir told PTI that his association with the project ended in 2014 after he resigned as a director and claimed to have no say in their day-to-day affairs.

"My association with the company ended in 2014 and I resigned as a director much earlier. What's happening is unfortunate but as their brand ambassador or director, I had no say in their day to day affairs," he said. -PTI

„ Health

Line

Sugar cut in fizzy drinks may prevent obesity LONDON: One million cases of obesity could be prevented by reducing the amount of sugar in sweetened drinks and fruit juices by 40 per cent over a five-year period, a new study has claimed.

According to the study, the move may also stop 300,000 cases of diabetes in the UK as well as 500,000 fewer cases of people being overweight.

Fizzy drinks contain up to 10 teaspoons of added sugar and Public Health England has recommended imposing a sugar tax between 10 and 20 per cent, 'IB Times' reported.

"An incremental reduction in free sugars added to sugar-sweetened beverages without the use of artificial sweeteners is predicted to reduce the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes," researchers wrote in the study published in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

"The proposed strategy should be implemented immediately, and could be used in combination with other approaches, such as taxation policies, to produce a more powerful effect," they said.

„

Cont'd on Page 34

Ebola survivors' blood didn't help patients

LONDON: Giving the blood of Ebola survivors to patients didn't seem to make a difference, doctors found in the biggest study so far on the approach, prompting some scientists to say it's time to abandon the strategy.

With no licensed treatment for the devastating disease, doctors have sometimes used blood from survivors to treat the sick, hoping its infection-fighting antibodies might help patients defeat the virus. It seemed to help some patients in the past but there was no clear proof. Amid the world's biggest outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014, scientists decided to put the treatment to the test in Guinea.

At a clinic in the capital Conakry, scientists found no difference in survival between 84 patients who got survivor blood compared to about 400 patients treated some five months earlier, according to the study published in New England Journal of Medicine. ``We would have liked to have seen more dramatic results,'' said Johan van Griensven of the study in Guinea, the paper's lead author. ``But this doesn't mean (blood) plasma treatment doesn't work by Cont'd on Page 35 definition.''

Health Science

Erratic baby care may affect brain development

32 India Post

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January 15, 2016

Details on Page 35

Insulin-producing pancreatic cells created from human skin LOS ANGELES: Scientists have successfully converted human skin cells into functional pancreatic cells, a breakthrough that may lead to a personalized cell therapy for diabetics and spell end for daily insulin injections.

The new cells produced insulin in response to changes in glucose levels, and when transplanted into mice, protected the animals from developing diabetes, researchers said.

The study presents significant advancements in cellular reprogramming technology, which will allow scientists to efficiently scale up pancreatic cell production and manufacture trillions of the target cells in a step-wise, controlled manner.

"Our results demonstrate for the first time that human adult skin cells can be used to efficiently and rapidly generate functional pancreatic cells that behave similar to human beta cells," said Matthias Hebrok, director of the Diabetes Centre at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

"This finding opens up the opportunity for the analysis of

patient-specific pancreatic beta cell properties and the optimization of cell therapy approaches," said Mr Hebrok.

In the study, the scientists first used pharmaceutical and genetic molecules to reprogram skin cells

back to a pluripotent stem cell state, meaning the scientists can turn them into pancreatic cells faster.

The researchers have used a similar procedure previously to create heart, brain, and liver cells.

Functioning human pancreatic cells after they've been transplanted into a mouse

into endoderm progenitor cells early developmental cells that have already been designated to mature into one of a number of different types of organs.

With this method, the cells do not have to be taken all the way

After another four molecules were added, the endoderm cells divided rapidly, allowing more than a trillion-fold expansion.

The scientists then progressed these endoderm cells two more steps, first into pancreatic precur-

sor cells, and then into fully-functional pancreatic beta cells.

The cells protected mice from developing diabetes in a model of disease, having the critical ability to produce insulin in response to changes in glucose levels.

"This study represents the first successful creation of human insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells using a direct cellular reprogramming method," said first author Saiyong Zhu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease.

"The final step was the most unique - and the most difficult -as molecules had not previously been identified that could take reprogrammed cells the final step to functional pancreatic cells in a dish," Mr Zhu said.

"This new cellular reprogramming and expansion paradigm is more sustainable and scalable than previous methods," said Sheng Ding, a senior investigator in the Roddenberry Stem Cell Centre at Gladstone.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. -PTI

US advises people to eat less sugar MIAMI, FL: Added sugars in foods should make up less than 10 per cent of daily calories, said US government dietary guidelines that for the first time urged specific limits on sweets.

Saturated fats should also make up less than 10 per cent of a day's food intake, said the guidelines which are released every five years by the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Doctors and some consumer groups hailed the guidelines as an important step forward in a nation where more than onethird of adults - nearly 79 million people - are obese.

But critics said the recommendations fall short, and alleged that the US government had bowed to pressure from

meat and dairy interests.

"USDA and HHS did not include explicit recommendations

ignoring clear scientific evidence from their own advisory committee," said Andrew A. Rosenberg,

about the risks of red meat and the benefits of plant-based diets,

director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of

Concerned Scientists.

"Today's guidelines are a disappointment, as they left out some important information, apparently due to political pressure from food industry lobbyists."

The guidelines come on the heels of an advisory committee's recommendations in February last year that urged less red meat consumption, but were also less concerned with cholesterol intake than in years past.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines no longer contain advice to limit cholesterol from eggs in its "key recommendations," which now encourage people to consume "as little dietary cholesterol as possible while consuming a healthy eating pattern."

Cont'd on Page 35

January 15, 2016

Health Science Post

India Post 33

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People face urges to Touchless device to over-eat in winter detect heart problems LONDON: Your New Year's resolution to lose weight is likely to fail, suggests a new study which found that people have evolved to have subconscious urges to over-eat, especially in winters.

There is not yet an evolutionary mechanism to help us overcome the lure of sweet, fatty and unhealthy food and avoid becoming overweight for understandable and sensible reasons, according to researchers at the University of Exeter in UK. This is because in our past being overweight has not posed a significant threat to survival compared to the dangers of being underweight.

The urge to maintain body fat is even stronger in winter when food in the natural world is scarce.

This explains why we enjoy eating so much at Christmas, and our New Year's resolutions to lose weight usually fail, the researchers said.

They used computer modeling to predict how much fat animals should store, by assuming that natural selection gives animals, including humans, a perfect strategy to maintain the healthiest weight.

Their model predicts how the amount of fat an animal stores should respond to food availability and the risk of being killed by a predator when foraging.

The model shows that the animal should have a target body weight above which it loses weight and below which it tries to gain weight.

Simulations showed that there is usually only a small negative effect of energy

stores exceeding the optimal level, so subconscious controls against becoming overweight would be weak and easily overcome by the immediate rewards of tasty food.

"You would expect evolution to have given us the ability to realize when we have eaten enough, but instead we show little control when faced with artificial food," said lead author Andrew Higginson, from the University of Exeter.

"Because modern food today has so much sugar and flavor the urge humans have to eat it is greater than any weak evolutionary mechanism which would tell us not to," Higginson said.

"The model also predicts animals should gain weight when food is harder to find. All animals, including humans, should show seasonal effects on the urge to gain weight," he said.

"Storing fat is an insurance against the

risk of failing to find food, which for preindustrial humans was most likely in winter. This suggests that New Year's Day is the worst possible time to start a new diet," he said.

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. -PTI

Sugar cut in fizzy drinks may prevent obesity Cont'd from Page 32

Researchers said a sugar tax on carbonated beverages in Mexico in 2014 achieved strong results, with sales cut by 12 per cent in the first year the measure was introduced.

"Sugary drinks are the biggest source of sugar in young people's diets," Public Health England's chief nutritionist, Alison Tedstone was quoted as saying.

"We believe a program to reduce the sugar from the sweetest drinks - alongside other measures like controls on advertising and marketing - would lead to a significant drop in the amount of calories consumed," Tedstone said.

However, the British Soft Drink Asso-

ciation (BDSA)'s director general, Gavin Partington, said there was "no evidence that a tax on soft drinks would have an impact on obesity." -PTI

TORONTO: A revolutionary new system for monitoring vital signs has been developed by researchers that could lead to improved detection and prevention of some cardiovascular issues.

Using patent-pending technology called Coded Hemodynamic Imaging, the device is the first portable system that monitors a patient's blood flow at multiple arterial points simultaneously and without direct contact with the skin.

It is ideal for assessing patients with painful burns, highly contagious diseases, or infants in neonatal intensive care whose tiny fingers make traditional monitoring difficult.

"Traditional systems in wide use now take one blood-pulse reading at one spot on the body," said Robert Amelard, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

"This device acts like many virtual sensors that measure blood-flow behavior on various parts of the body. The device relays measurements from all of these pulse points to a computer for continuous moni-

toring," said Amelard.

Continuous data collection at different parts of the body provides a more complete picture of what is happening in the body.

Whole-body imaging opens doors for advanced monitoring that cannot be done with the traditional, single-point methods, researchers said.

"Since the device can also scan multiple patients individually at once and from a distance, consider the potential in mass emergency scenarios or long-term care homes," said Professor Alexander Wong, of the Faculty of Engineering at Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Medical Imaging Systems.

"This technology provides for a more predictive approach to monitor vitals and the potential for its use is extensive, such as indicating arterial blockages that might otherwise go undetected, or warning older adults who risk falling as a result of getting dizzy when they stand," said Wong.

The research was published in the journal Scientific Reports. -PTI

Health Science Post

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January 15, 2016

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Powerful new drug for children's cancer identified WASHINGTON: A powerful new drug with "unparalleled" strength against deadly forms of a childhood cancer that resist treatment has been identified by researchers.

Building on previous experiences in treating some refractory subtypes of neuroblastoma with the anticancer drug crizotinib, researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have devised new treatments for stubbornly deadly forms of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

Usually appearing as a solid tumor in the chest or abdomen, neuroblastoma accounts for a disproportionate share of cancer deaths in children despite many recent improvements in therapy.

Neuroblastoma is particularly complex, with a bewildering variety of types and subtypes caused

by separate and interacting gene mutations.

"Our preclinical results provide a strong rationale for fast-tracking this drug into clinical trials in children with neuroblastoma," said Yael P Mosse, an oncologist at CHOP. The researchers studied how mutations in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene cause types of neuroblastoma, stemming from their original 2008 discovery of the gene's role in most cases of rare, inherited neuroblastoma.

Subsequent research showed that abnormal ALK changes drive approximately 14 per cent of highrisk forms of neuroblastoma.

The researchers repurposed crizotinib, an ALK inhibitor, in clinical trials of children with neuroblastoma.

In children with neuroblastoma, different mutations within the ALK gene respond differently to crizotinib. One particular mutation, labeled F1174L, resisted crizotinib, so the researchers sought a new-generation, more effective ALK inhibitor.

ing tested in a phase clinical trial of an ALK-driven subtype of lung cancer in adults.

That agent binds more tightly than crizotinib to the signaling kinases that drive cancer.

In the current study, PF06463922 was more powerful than

The researchers studied how mutations in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene cause types of neuroblastoma, stemming from their original 2008 discovery of the gene's role in most cases of rare, inherited neuroblastoma.

They tested numerous nextgeneration ALK inhibitors, and their data allowed them to pursue for further investigation an agent called PF-06463922, currently be-

crizotinib in both neuroblastoma tumor cell cultures and in animal models - mice with implanted neuroblastoma tumors derived directly from human patients.

The researchers showed that PF-06463922 showed more profound inhibition of ALK than crizotinib, and at far lower concentrations.

The tumors in the animals showed rapid, complete and sustained regression.

"The responses we saw in animals were unprecedented in models of ALK-driven neuroblastoma, and bolsters the case for clinical development of this agent for treating children with this subtype of neuroblastoma," said Mosse.

"The drug had very broad potency against a range of ALK mutations, so this could become the ALK inhibitor that is prioritized for frontline therapy in patients with ALK-driven neuroblastoma," she added.

The findings were published in the journal Cancer Discovery. -PTI

Oral contraceptive not Medicaid expansion plans focus on Pierre linked to birth defects LONDON: Oral contraceptive use just before or during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a new largescale study.

Researchers examined records for nearly 900,000 live births in Denmark, and found that even women who used the pill after becoming pregnant were no more

sociation between these drugs that contain sex hormones, and major birth defects, especially among these women who become pregnant while taking the drug or after recently stopping use.

A team of US and Danish researchers carried out a large prospective observational study to examine the association between oral contraceptive use around the

Oral contraceptive use just before or during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a new largescale study.

likely to have babies with serious defects than mothers who had never used it.

Oral contraceptives are a leading form of contraception worldwide. When used properly, these are over 99 per cent effective, researchers wrote in The BMJ. Despite decades of research on the safety of oral contraceptive use, little is known about the as-

time of conception, and into pregnancy, with major birth defects.

All live births, birth defects, and maternal medical conditions were analyzed from several national Danish medical registries between 1997 and 2011.

The final analyses included 880,694 live-born infants, 2.5 per cent of whom had a major birth defect - like an orofacial cleft or

limb defect - within the first year of life.

Infants with birth defects with known causes, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, or chromosomal aberrations, were excluded.

In total, 68 per cent of mothers used oral contraceptives, but stopped more than three months before pregnancy, and 21 per cent never used oral contraceptives.

Overall, 8 per cent recently stopped using oral contraceptives within 0-3 months before pregnancy, and 1 per cent used oral contraceptives beyond pregnancy - both these categories were analyzed as exposed.

Findings from the study showed no increased risk of any major birth defect associated with oral contraceptive exposure.

The prevalence of major birth defects, per 1000 births, was consistent across each group: 25.1 for never users, 25.0 for oral contraceptive use more than three months before pregnancy, 24.9 for oral contraceptive use within 0-3 months before pregnancy, and 24.8 per cent for oral contraceptive use after pregnancy.

The findings should reassure "women who have a breakthrough pregnancy during oral contraceptive use or even [those who] intentionally become pregnant within a few months of stopping oral contraceptive use (because) any exposure is unlikely to cause her fetus to develop a major birth defect," researchers said. -PTI

PIERRE, S.D.: A coalition established by Gov. Dennis Daugaard to wade into the web of federal policy revisions necessary to satisfy his conditions for expanding Medicaid in South Dakota is turning its focus back on Pierre.

The group of health representatives and state and tribal officials met for the final time before lawmakers convene for the 2016 legislative session. Daugaard has proposed expanding eligibility for about 50,000 South Dakota residents as long as the state's share of the cost is covered by savings.

A federal answer could come in February, so members of the group are shifting their lobbying efforts to state lawmakers now since expansion is a complicated topic, said Kim Malsam-Rysdon, a senior adviser to Daugaard. ``It's a dual front fight,'' she said. ``The governor's not saying we're going to expand, because we don't have the information yet. But you have to be prepared if that is, in fact, what we feel the policy allows us to do.''

Daugaard formally proposed broadening eligibility for the health coverage program for lowincome and disabled people at his budget address last month. His openness marks a departure from many Republican governors nationwide who have resisted expanding Medicaid from opposition to the federal health overhaul.

There will be people who are ideologically opposed to expanding the program, regardless of the

details, Malsam-Rysdon warned the group. She said members of the coalition will help educate lawmakers.

The proposal pays for the state's share of broadening eligibility in part by expanding access to services that are fully funded by the federal government. That could reduce current state spending to be put toward expansion.

Officials are focusing on people who are eligible for Medicaid but can get services through the Indian Health Service. The goal is make services through the

The proposal pays for the state's share of broadening eligibility in part by expanding access to services that are fully funded by the federal government.

Indian Health Service more accessible so that people don't have to go an outside health care provider, which can happen if IHS is unable to offer a specific service.

Those services at IHS are fully funded by the federal government through Medicaid rather than through the typical split in financing between the state and the federal government. -AP

January 15, 2016

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Erratic baby care may affect brain development WASHINGTON: Mothers, put down your cellphones when caring for your babies as fragmented and chaotic maternal care may disrupt proper brain development, which can lead to emotional disorders later in life, a new study suggests.

The study conducted by researchers at University of California, Irvine (UCI) in US implies that when mothers are nurturing their infants, numerous everyday interruptions - even those as seemingly harmless as phone calls and text messages - can have a long-lasting impact.

The researchers studied the emotional outcomes of adolescent rats reared in either calm or chaotic environments and used mathematical approaches to analyze the mothers' nurturing behaviors.

Despite the fact that quantity and typical qualities of maternal care were indistin-

guishable in the two environments, the patterns and rhythms of care differed drastically, which strongly influenced how the rodent pups developed.

Specifically, in one environment, the mothers displayed 'chopped up' and unpredictable behaviors.

During adolescence, their offspring exhibited little interest in sweet foods or peer play, two independent measures of the ability to experience pleasure. Known as anhedonia, the inability to feel happy is often a harbinger of later depression.

The study shows that consistent rhythms and patterns of maternal care seem to be crucially important for the developing brain, which needs predictable and continuous stimuli to ensure the growth of robust neuron networks.

The researchers discovered that erratic

US advises people to eat less sugar Cont'd from Page 32

Eating less red meat is linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer, the guidelines say.

They also recommend a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a diet based on vegetables and whole grains.

When it comes to sodium, most should limit their salt intake to below 2,300 milligrams a day, and those with high blood pressure should go even lower - to 1,500 milligrams.

Women should drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day, while men can have up to two.

The American Medical Association applauded the guidelines for their "focus on achieving a healthy overall diet rather than

focus on consuming only specific nutrients," and for urging limits on sugar.

"With obesity and its associated health consequences - namely type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease - on the rise throughout our country, the AMA also is extremely pleased that the new recommendations call for significantly reducing the amount of added sugars and sugar sweetened beverages from the American diet."

Michael Jacobson, president of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the group was "disappointed that the guidelines downplayed the importance of consuming less dietary cholesterol, especially from eggs," but said that overall the advice "is sound, sensible and science-based.

"If Americans ate according to that advice, it would be a huge win for the public's health." -PTI

Ebola survivors' blood didn't help patients Cont'd from Page 32

He said antibody levels are often low in patients who have only recently recovered from Ebola and that doctors might need to use blood from long-term survivors to get a better effect.

Van Griensven and colleagues studied people who got two transfusions of plasma - the clear part of blood that contains antibodies - in Guinea last year. The plasma came from 58 Ebola survivors, most of whom had recovered from Ebola within six months of donating blood and are thought to have immunity to the strain. Scientists didn't know what the antibody levels were

in the donated plasma and said it was possible some plasma was more potent than others.

A similar study on the blood of Ebola survivors in Liberia was discontinued because there weren't enough patients and another study in Sierra Leone had treated just three patients by last October. To date, the outbreak first noted in 2014 has killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa.

Ebola was declared over in Guinea last month, the first time all three affected countries have stopped the virus' spread.

Some said the disappointing results should be enough to convince scientists to abandon this strategy. -AP

maternal care of infants can increase the likelihood of risky behaviors, drug seeking

ubiquitous and users have become so accustomed to frequently checking and utilizing them, the findings are highly relevant to today's mothers and babies, and tomorrow's adolescents and adults, researchers said.

"It is known that vulnerability to emotional disorders, such as depression, derives from interactions between our genes and the environment, especially during sensitive developmental periods," said Tallie Z Baram from UCI. "It is not how much maternal care that influences adolescent behavior but the avoidance of fragmented and unpredictable care that is crucial. We might wish to turn off the mobile phone when caring for baby and be predictable and consistent," Baram added.

Researchers said that the brain's dopamine-receptor pleasure circuits are not mature in newborns and infants and that these circuits are stimulated by predictable sequences of events, which UCI’s Dr. Tallie Z. Baram and colleagues discovered that seem to be critical for their maturaerratic maternal care of infants can increase the tion. likelihood of risky behaviors, drug seeking and depresIf infants are not sufficiently sion in adolescence and adult life exposed to such reliable patterns, their pleasure systems do not maand depression in adolescence and adult ture properly, provoking anhedonia. life.

The findings were published in the jourBecause cellphones have become so nal Translational Psychiatry.-PTI

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January 15, 2016

Horoscope

January 15, 2016

India Post

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ind will be restless and you will spend more time away from home this week. Some of you may join or start going to a health club to get back in shape.

You may arrange a meeting with some useful and successful people. You may also buyback some stocks.

You will be paying more attention to a child and help with applications.

M

hings may be slow and you may have hard time in achieving your goals, it does not mean that you should give up or change your plans. A government agency will give some headache. You may try to reach an older person for some advice. Financially you will continue to stay comfortable and have more than enough.

Y

P

Jan 15th - Jan 21st 2016

T

C

hildren will be a major source of happiness.

You will be making big payments on several old bills.

You may start gathering some paperwork to prepare groundwork for an important document. Friend will invite you for a religious event at his place. Some of you may start getting ready to appear for an important exam next week.

I

f you play your cards right and take prompt action, you could really strike it rich.

There will be big and positive developments in ongoing litigation with victory in sight. You will be doing lots of soul searching ad try to make peace with your self.

Bachelors will see big improvement in ongoing relationship matters with a wonderful person.

ou will take all important decisions with a calm and rational mind. You will be little aggressive on the phone but will accomplish a lot. You may cancel your plans to attend a prior committed meeting because of health reason. Idea of relocating business to a better location will continue to occupy your mind.

Y

ou will be very lucky in all financial deals. Contract will finally get signed without any changes. What ever you do, do it with confidence this week if you want immediate results. Search for a better opportunity close to home will continue vigorously. Number of people will benefit from your expertise. favorable week for people in health industry.

ressure at work will in crease and you will be assigned additional work.

Problems will come followed by easy solutions. Spouse will quickly recover from minor illness with the help of home made remedy. You may be getting ready for an upcoming important business trip. You will need to do lots of juggling in order to meet your financial commitments.

S

S

ind will be full of few bright ideas and you will start looking for ideal partners to launch the project. Money wise you will continue to be comfortable. People in jobs will find working conditions improving suddenly. Expect some positive developments in ongoing legal battle with a possible victory in sight.

M

H

here is no harm in discussing the issue with someone and take outside opinion. An old health issue will flare up. You may start looking for avenues for additional income. It will be better to put of any major investment for another month.

You will be spending more time with a child. Invitation for the event will come in the mail.

pouse if working, will find another great opportunity. You will gather yourself and try to finish many projects personal as well as professional this week. You may have to wait few more weeks to receive some important papers. value of your assets and stocks will appreciate. Do not ignore the severe weather and park your vehicle at proper place.

ome of you may take a short trip for business purpose. You will be very lucky in all money matters. Sitting by water will open up your mind and you will find solution to many issues. You may make big change in diet and cut down on many items. Spouse will give you a very good idea and you will quickly implement it.

elp and advice from a matured person will be helpful. Some of you may change one of your vehicle with a newer model. Presence of Mercury and Venus in first will change your mind and mood and you may invite few friends at your place for dinner. Some of you may have your eyesight also checked up and need new glasses.

T

37

January 15, 2016

38 India Post www.indiapost.com

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nce a private hunting lodge of the Ma haraja of Mysore and the British vice roys, Kabini is located on the banks of the Kabini River. It is considered to be one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, wellknown for its stunning wildlife and bird life. It has easy accessibility, scenic green background surrounding a large charming lake, and unbelievable sightings of large herds of elephants and other wild animals.

Kabini forests are a mixture of tropical, moist and dry deciduous types. Home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, Kabini attracts environment lovers from all over the country. Thickly forested regions, wild animals, range of avian

January 15, 2016

species, and plentiful herds of elephants make the Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka interesting and distinctive.

Besides elephants, it is possible to spot sambar, langurs, chital, bison, sloth bear, crocodile, pythons, tiger and leopard. The reserve is also home to around 250 species of bird life. The dam at Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary across the river near Beechanahalli is an extraordinary attraction.

One can walk amidst the green forests and explore the rich variety of flora and fauna and the gorgeous wildlife.

Kabini forests are extremely enchanting, owing to the imposing waterfalls, ripple-filled flowing waters of the river Kabini and the most beautiful backdrop of greenery.

The expansive river serves as a perfect getaway for those who wish to leave behind routine activities and the stress and strains of daily city life. The lush green scenes offer an enthusiastic forest to spend the days completely at personal convenience and to fill the vacation with flavor, fun and adventure.

The main activities one can engage here in this wildlife tourist spot are boating in Kabini River, an Elephant Safari and a Jungle Safari.

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January 15, 2016

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Malaysia lifts bag ban on Europe flights KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia Airlines has lifted a much-criticized ban on checking in baggage on flights to Paris and Amsterdam, a day after limiting bags to lighten the plane and save fuel.

The airline had banned checkin baggage to the two European cities due to ``unseasonably

strong headwinds'' on a longer flight path it was taking. Passengers slammed the airline on social media and suggested it could have reduced the number of passengers or refused to carry freight instead.

The airline told The Associated Press that it ``uniquely has been using a routing (to Europe) via Egypt, which has been up to two

hours longer than other carriers'' for safety reasons.

Headwinds over the past four days exceeded 200 knots, which can burn up to 15 percent more fuel on its Boeing 777-200 aircraft, it said.

It lifted the ban less than 24 hours after imposing it after concluding it could take a shorter route.

The airline in an e-mail to the AP said it does a daily risk assessment to determine the most optimum route for flights and that currently, it is taking ``a more northerly route.'' It didn't elaborate.

A Malaysia Airlines jet flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a missile in eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Earlier that year, a Malaysia Airlines flight heading to Beijing disappeared and is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean. -AP

Tourist trail on Mother Teresa planned KOLKATA: With the aim of boosting the tourism sector in West Bengal, a proposal will be sent to the state government to start tourist trails surrounding Mother Teresa who would soon be declared a Saint by the Vatican.

"We would request the state government to promote tourism surrounding her. They should build up promotion of Mother Teresa's memorial," IATO President Subhash Goyal said at an Indian Chamber of Commerce conference on tourism.

He said European countries had done similar tourist trails around many Saints which proved very

successful.

The Albania born Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa came to India at the age of 19 as a school teacher in Darjeeling in 1929.

She began her missionary work for the poor and the dying in 1948 and founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 in Kolkata and by 1996 she operated over 500 missions in more than one hundred countries.

She died at the age of 87 in Kolkata in 1997. -PTI

Bengal to start outdoor campaign at airports KOLKATA: West Bengal tourism department will start a new outdoor campaign 'Experience Bengal', at the airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to attract more tourists to the state.

"Our outdoor campaign is starting from the airports of Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. This is just the beginning and more outdoor campaigns will be gradually launched," tourism department officials said.

Besides, television commercials will also be launched featuring state brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan.

The official said the commercial, whose shooting would soon take

place in Kolkata, will showcase all the tourist spots of the state.

"SRK will feature only in the TVC. We will also have campaign in print media as well as FM channels," an official said. -PTI

"Our outdoor campaign is starting from the airports of Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. This is just the beginning and more outdoor campaigns will be gradually launched"

SIM card gift for tourists on e-visa NEW DELHI: Tourists landing in India on e-tourist visa would

soon be getting a "gift kit" from Tourism Ministry which would consist of a SIM card, among other things.

"This will be a gift from Tourism Ministry...it will be handed over to the tourists arriving in India on e-tourist visa," a Tourism Ministry source said.

The "gift" would consist of a SIM card which the tourists can use for making calls after they

have recharged it.

It would also consist of maps, booklets and CD with information about various tourists destinations, guidelines relating to dos and don'ts, details regarding whom to contact in case of any emergency, among other

things.

Initially, it would cover the tourists arriving on e-visa. Later other categories will also be covered. PTI

India-Nepal bus service resumes BANBASA, Uttarakhand: A friendship bus service between India and Nepal via Champawat in Uttarakhand has resumed after a gap of 27 years, much to the delight of people on either side of the border who have family and trade ties with each other.

The bus which runs between Kanchanpur in Nepal close to Banbasa border in Champavat district of Uttarakhand and Anand Vihar, Delhi has been regularized after being run on a trial basis for a week, in charge of Sharda barrage international police station B M Upreti said.

The service had been suspended 27 years back in the wake of the Indo-Nepal Trade and Transit Treaty, he said.

Resumption of the service between the two countries after its prolonged suspension has been welcomed by locals on either side of the border as about eight to ten thousand Nepalis travel in these buses on a daily basis from Kanchanpur district, Dandel Dhura, Voti, Sapen, Acham, Kalali, Jagbuddha and Siddhartha Nagar areas in Nepal, he said.

The earning from the area's Tanakpur depot is considered one of the major sources of income for Uttarakhand Parivahan Nigam, the

official said.

People on both sides of the border have family as well as trade relations and they are very happy about the resumption of the service after long years of suspension, he said.

These air conditioned buses with Indian and Nepalese flags painted on their bodies will enter the Nepalese district of Kanchanpur at 6 AM every day and start for Delhi from there at 6 PM every evening, Upreti said.

No special documents are required to travel in these buses which provide free wi-fi connectivity and a bottle of mineral water for free to the passengers, he said.

-PTI

42 India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

January 15, 2016

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Cont’d from page 40

Tourist attractions Boating: Apart from enjoying wildlife safaris, one can take a cruise down the Kabini River.

Along with fabulous scenery, one can have a glimpse of animals like leopard, gaurs, antelopes, crocodiles, tigers, cobras and pythons and a herd of wild elephants moving leisurely or leopards, moving

You can come to Kabini at any time of the year, but the best season for wildlife sighting is from November to January. The temperatures are pleasant at an average of 26 degree C during daytime.

The forest turns lush green between July and October because of the rains which makes it another good period for a visit. It can get a little hot at 32 degree C and the humidity level also rises because of the rains.

take oneself back to the old golden era, when only Kings used to ride on these gigantic animals.

Jungle Safari: Eco friendly tourists and environmentalists love to travel around the dense and populated forested regions of Kabini, for its diverse topography and wide-ranging collection of animal and plant life. Go on a jeep safari for wildlife sighting which is a unique experience. Nature walks

How to Reach Reaching Kabini Wildlife Recountry.

Diverse nature of the park is visible from the flora and fauna.

The park has in account a healthy Tiger-Predator ratio. This is a natural territory of many mammalian species, and rare species of animals.

Rameshwara Temple:

behind the dense undulated terrains of Kabini forests.

Irpu Falls: The Irpu Falls, also known as the Lakshmana Tirtha Falls, is located in the Bhramagiri Range and is a fresh waterfall 60 m high. Amidst thriving green Western Ghats, Irupu Falls is a major tourist attraction as well as a pilgrim spot. The river Lakshmanatirtha flows nearby and it joins the Kaveri River at a later point.

Brahmagiri Sanctuary: The Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, with evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, is located in the Kodagu district and is a part of the Western Ghats. A natural habitat of tribes with shola-grassland, this sanctuary is famous for agricultural fields and coffee plantations. The sanctuary obtained its name from the highest point, the Brahmagiri peak, which is 1607 meters above sea level. Bamboos are cultivated in these forests with a major species called Bambusa bamboos.

Elephant Safari: Elephant Safari helps the visitor to travel through intricate terrains where even jeeps cannot venture. One can

Rameshwara temple, on the banks of the Lakshman Tirtha River, with main deity as Lord Shiva, is a religiously important temple near Nagarhole. According to Hindu mythology, Rama and Lakshmana passed along the Bhramagiri range while searching for Rama's beloved wife, Sitadevi.

Best Time to Visit are nice options to lose oneself in the exuberant environs at Kabini.

Nagarhole National Park: Nagarhole National park, a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve also known as 'Rajiv Gandhi National Park', is one of India's best known wildlife reserves. This place beckons tourists from all over the world to have a rendezvous with nature and wildlife. Set up in 1955, enriched with greenish forest cover, little streams, softy valleys and spectacular waterfalls, it is one of the best-managed parks in the

serve is made easy through Roadways, railways and airways. Bangalore airport is 208 kms away and Mysore airport is 80 kms away from Kabini. The nearest railway station Mysore is also 80 kms away from Kabini. One can reach Mysore through bus from Bangalore and can hire a taxi bound to Kabini from Mysore to reach in 3 hours.

January 15, 2016

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Finding serenity in a historic Tourist access to Shillong Peak restricted Tokyo house TOKYO: Coming from the highrise neon madness of Tokyo's Shibuya neighborhood just one train stop away, simply walking through the neighborhood of Daikanyama may feel almost like being in a Zen temple. But stroll past the upscale boutiques and restaurants on narrow hilly streets and you'll find true serenity just a few blocks from the station at the

down on the rustic paving stones requires enough attention sometimes to keep other thoughts out of your mind. The winding paths also give different views of the same spots, a way of making the rather small garden seem bigger than it is.

The look of the garden is also different for reasons that become clear when you read some of the

A path lined with rustic paving stones on the grounds of the Kyu Asakura House in Tokyo. The 1919 building, designated as an "important cultural property," is a rare example of a Japanese-style mansion in central Tokyo from the period before the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The grounds and garden offer a tranquil place to sit and stroll.

Kyu Asakura House and its garden.

The garden looks and feels different from the classic Japanesestyle gardens laid out around a pond that you're likely to find elsewhere, for a couple of reasons. It's built on the side of a rather steep natural hill, and walking up and

informational material (available in both Japanese and English) posted inside the house.

Traditional Japanese gardens require careful and constant pruning of trees, but the signs note that this ``garden's main trees are dead and healthy specimens are rampant with massively overgrown

trunks.'' This may sound like a Japanese garden gone wild, but despite the sound of that, you likely won't feel that what you're looking at needs fixing. It's particularly beautiful in its fall colors, which extend into early December.

Entering the house you'll need to take your shoes off to walk on the tatami floors, which is calming in itself. The building is made of natural wood and is unfurnished, with no decorative clutter to distract the mind, although there are some lovely painted screens. One room, where the informational panels are displayed, has a few soft benches where you can sit to look out at the garden.

In another room, which is open to the outdoors, you can sit on the floor and contemplate the view.

Around the house, various windows of different shapes and sizes offer different perspectives on the garden. You'll also happen upon an inner courtyard garden that you can see from various angles.

Built in 1919, Kyu Asakura is designated as an ``important cultural property'' for being one of the rare examples of a Japanese-style mansion remaining in central Tokyo from the period predating the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

The design incorporates only one Western-style room, but the house has some Western features elsewhere, like glass instead of paper in its sliding doors.

There's only one thing that slightly mars the serenity here: the rather large number of signs asking you not to touch anything. AP

Tourism players roped in for anti-tobacco drive SRINAGAR: Various tourism players in Jammu and Kashmir have been roped in by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) for a 10-day drive aimed at creating awareness about the ill effects of tobacco use.

"The anti-tobacco drive initiated from December 31, 2015 will continue with various tourism players and tourist police playing a vital part in the initiative," a VHAI spokesman said here today.

He said various tourism players including, the Kashmir House Boat Owners Association (KHBOA)-consisting of house boat owners from Dal, Nigeen, Chinarbagh, Chaunth Kul and

Jehlum River - with a reach of around 960 houseboats were roped in to be part of this campaign.

"Kashmir Shikara and Taxi owners Association based around Dal lake with a reach of around 1,900 Shikaras and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurants Association (KHARA) with around 1,200-strong outlets across Kashmir valley are also playing a key role to make this drive a success," he said.

The spokesman said the participating associations provided 'No Smoking stickers' to their members to be displayed at prominent places in their pre-

mises.

Booklets on Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act

(COTPA), 2003 produced by the VHAI were also shared with Unit Managers. -PTI

SHILLONG: Tourist movement to the highest peak in Meghalaya, the Shillong peak, which is accessible only through the Air Force base, has been restricted in view of high security alert sounded across the country post the Pathankot Air Force base attack, defense officials said here.

"As a precautionary measure, the entry to Air Force Station has been restricted. This would restrict movement of tourists to Shillong View Point," Defense Spokesperson Amit Mahajan told PTI. He, however, said, no restriction was imposed on the movement of local residents in and out of the camp and the district administration and the police have been informed of the restriction.

On an average, in the absence

of an alternative route to the peak, over 1,600 tourists use the 2-km long air force road inside the station to gain access to the 1965metre high view point located south of the state's capital.

The peak requires constant guarding to prevent anti-national elements from taking advantage of this tourist rush to pose a threat to the station, Mahajan said.

"In a recent Civil Military Liaison meeting, a proposal was made to the Meghalaya Government by station authorities to construct an access road from outside the Air Force Station to the View Point," he said.

The Air Force base official also suggested that tourists can go to the Bara Peak to enjoy a view of Shillong town. -PTI

India will remain Incredible, says Aamir MUMBAI: After reports of Aamir Khan being removed as the Brand Ambassador of Incredible India started making the rounds, Ministry of Tourism issued a statement claiming the news to be false.

The statement specifically mentioned that Aamir won't be associated with Incredible India because his contract has ended and not because he was removed.

Now, Aamir himself has clarified the matter in a statement to the media. He said, "It has been an honor and a pleasure for me to be the Brand Ambassador for the Incredible India campaign for the past 10 years. I was happy to be of service to my country, and will always be available for it."

"I would like to clarify that all public service films I have done till date have all been free of any cost to me. It is always an honor for me to be of service of my country, and this is how it will always be."

He continued, "It is the prerogative of the government to decide whether they need a brand ambassador for any campaign, and if so, who that ambassador should be. I respect the decision of the government to discontinue with my services. I am sure they will take all appropriate steps to do what is best for the country."

Finally, he signed off with, "Whether I am brand ambassador or not, India will remain Incredible, and that's the way it should be."PTI

In Brief Trump ad uses footage of morocco as a threat WASHINGTON US Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump's gaffe-prone election campaign has suffered another one with his new TV advertisement using wrong footage to back his strong views on illegal immigration. The ad shows people rushing towards a border fence as the narrator says he "will stop illegal

Donald Trump

immigration" from Mexico, but the footage is of a Spanish enclave in Morocco.

A prominent fact-checking organization, Politifact, citing footage from May 2014 on an Italian television network, wrote that migrants shown were not crossing into Arizona or Texas - but into Melilla in Africa.

Trump's campaign, in a statement to Fox News, said the use of the footage was "intentional and selected to demonstrate the severe impact of an open border and the threat Americans face from illegal immigration". PTI

„ Three arrested with seven fake passports KOLKATA: Three persons, including a Bangladeshi, were arrested from Bidhannagar area of adjacent North 24 Parganas and seven fake Indian passports were seized from them.

Acting on a tip-off, Bidhannagar Police arrested the three and recovered fake passports bearing addresses of Pathankot and Jalandhar, a senior officer of Bidhannagar Police told PTI. "We are not yet sure whether they have any connection with a terrorist group or for whom they were preparing these passports. A probe has been initiated into the matter," the officer said.

Two of the accused were arrested by Baguihati police and the Bangladeshi was nabbed by Airport Police station, he said.

Seven persons have been arrested since December by Bidhannagar Police in connection with fake passport rackets in the area. -PTI

Immigration

Iraqi refugees finding a home in Mobile, Alabama

44 India Post

www.indiapost.com

January 15, 2016

Details on page 46

US varsity blames Air India, students for visa mess WASHINGTON: A US university, whose Indian students faced deportation in recent weeks, has blamed Air India and some of the deported students for the prevailing confusion on the issue.

"I want to share with everyone my strong belief that these difficulties arose solely because of the actions of Air India," Peter Hsieh president of the Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU) said in an email to its students.

"At this time, we do not know why Air India has undertaken these actions to cause irreparable harm to our university and tarnish its reputation and incite great distress in our students and their families...we can only speculate as to Air India's motives and assume Air India s recent actions are related to their precarious financial position," he said.

Hsieh alleged that Air India is preventing students from boarding the plane because of the fear

of financial burden in case students are deported from the US. The statement has also been

tinues to witness a large number of students successfully arriving and entering the US.

Peter Hsieh

posted on the university's website.

There was no immediate comment from Air India.

Hsieh said the university con-

"Although it is still early, as our incoming students for Spring Semester 2016 begin reporting to the university, we continue to witness a large number of stu-

dents successfully arriving and entering the US. We have met with quite a few who have shared their experiences," he said.

"We have been informed that many, but not all, are going through secondary inspection.

As long as students have proper documentation and are able to answer questions, they are being allowed into the US. They also report that this is not limited to NPU or F-1 students, but also to other foreign traveler on H-1 visa and the like," Hsieh said.

He also blamed the deported students who exaggerated the situation.

"We also believe that the false allegations were further exaggerated by certain returning students. Rather than informing their parents that they did poorly in their interviews, some simply pointed the blame at NPU as being blacklisted and conveniently referencing news reports as support," he said. -PTI

Hillary campaign to engage Asian Americans WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has launched an outreach group to engage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, an increasingly potent voting bloc, as she looks to broaden the appeal of her campaign.

The group 'AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) for Hillary' was launched in California in presence of a large number of Asian American leaders, including Indian-Americans.

At the launch, Clinton pledged to address the concerns of the community, including those related to immigration and visa.

In her speech, Clinton pledged to work to reduce the backlog for family visa to reunite immigrant families.

"Applicants from the AsiaPacific region make up about 40 percent of the family visa backlog. Some from the Philippines have been waiting for a visa for 23 years. If you're a US citizen

and your brother lives in India, it will take at least 12 years just to get him a visa," the former secretary of state said.

ciency.

"I don't want anyone who could be a citizen now to miss out on that opportunity," she said.

Hillary Clinton

"We have got to do more to help the millions of people who are eligible for citizenship take that last step. I will work to expand fee waivers so more people can get a break on the costs. I will increase access to language programs to help people boost their English profi-

And she explained the reasons for her early outreach to the community.

"That is essential because right now, it's one of the fastest-growing communities in this country, but it's a community that votes at a lower rate than others," Clinton

said.

America's ties to the Asia-Pacific region have always been important, but in the 21st century they will be absolutely vital, she said.

"I was very proud when my husband's administration launched the first-ever White House initiative on Asian- Americans and Pacific Islanders," she added.

The United States, she said, is a country built by the hard work of generations of immigrants and America is stronger because of its diversity and openness.

She also identified Trump the Republican presidential front runner in her speech.

"I disagree with the Republican front-runner, Mr Trump.

See, I think America is great because generations of hardworking Americans have made us great. Our values and our ideals have made us great," Clinton said. -PTI

Immigration Post

January 15, 2016

India Post 45

www.indiapost.com

Central Americans slated for deportation rounded up SAN ANTONIO: Immigration agents conducted the first raids targeting the deportation of families who flocked across the United States' southern border over the past two years, a senior government official said here.

Jeh Johnson, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the 121 people rounded up during raids in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina were primarily members of Central

American families that crossed into the U.S. via Mexico since May 2014. Most were placed in family detention centers in Texas to await deportation.

In the statement, Johnson said the raids ``should come as no surprise,'' adding that he has said publicly for months ``that individuals who constitute enforcement priorities, including families and unaccompanied children, will be removed.''

Immigrant families and their supporters rally in protest against the Obama Administration's plans to target undocumented immigrant families in a series of raids early next year in front of the White House in Washington, DC. Citing their need to flee violence in their home countries in Central America, the protesters, organized by immigraiton advocacy group CASA, demanded that undocumented immigrants should be given refugee status.

Those targeted in the raids had been issued final orders of removal by immigration courts and had exhausted other legal remedies, including claims for asylum, Johnson said.

The latest actions affect only a fraction of the more than 100,000 Central American family members, mostly mothers with children, who crossed into the U.S. during an immigration surge that began in the spring of 2014. The surge has been linked to a rise in gang-related violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, while many migrants from these countries have also claimed asylum due to domestic violence, or are seeking to reunite with family members already in the United States.

U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement did not say further raids were planned for the coming days and weeks. However, ICE's official position since November 2014 is that it would continue to conduct enforcement actions daily.

In a news conference, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that ``politics did not factor'' into the decision

by Homeland Security officials to conduct raids, despite increased debate about immigration enforcement and policy by Republicans

Gun buyer in attack faces arraignment RIVERSIDE, Calif.: The friend who bought the assault rifles used in the San Bernardino attack faces arraignment on gun, immigration and terrorism-related charges.

Enrique Marquez Jr. is due in a Riverside courthouse to answer to five counts that could

keep him behind bars for up to 50 years if he's convicted.

Prosecutors say Marquez bought the guns that Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, used in the Dec. 2 massacre that killed 14 people and injured 22 others at a building where Farook's colleagues

from the San Bernardino county health department were meeting.

Farook and Malik were killed later in a shootout with police.

Prosecutors say Marquez bought the guns in 2011 and 2012 when he and Farook planned an attack they never carried out. AP

Deportations stopped for 12 immigrants

on the presidential campaign trail.

Greg Chen, director of advocacy for the Washington-based American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the group was

protection to its citizens living overseas. Vice Minister Oscar Padilla said that consulates would be interviewing and reviewing the cases of citizens on deportation

United States Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (L) and Speaker of the New York City Council Melissa Mark-Viverity are pictured onstage during a New York Police Department graduation ceremony at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York. According to New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio, 1123 new officers graduated onto the force.

``shocked and outraged'' to hear of the roundups on ``women and children who are extremely vulnerable and by and large have fled from horrendous violence in their home countries.'' Chen added that it was unclear whether those apprehended had been represented by lawyers during their immigration proceedings.

Mark Krikorian, executive director for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that supports tighter immigration controls, called the weekend raids ``enforcement theater.'' The 121 individuals taken in over the weekend represent ``half a day's worth of new illegal immigrants'' crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, he said, and new immigrants will not be deterred.

Guatemala's Foreign Ministry said via Twitter that it was monitoring the situation, and promised to offer consular assistance and

lists to ensure that each has an order signed by a judge. ``We are going to review every one of the cases. We are going to support them and be sure that these people do not have any alternative,'' Padilla said.

The ministry also advised Guatemalans in the United States that they need not open their doors to immigration agents unless the officers have a warrant signed by a judge, and that they carry with them at all times phone numbers of family members, a lawyer and the nearest consulate.

El Salvador issued similar advice to any of its citizens facing enforcement action in the U.S. In a statement, foreign minister Hugo Martinez criticized the raids, saying they would not resolve the problem of illegal migration to the United States, and pledged the support of Salvadoran consulates to citizens in need. -AP

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc.

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SAN ANTONIO: Some of the first Central American families targeted by immigration authorities in recent raids have had their deportations temporarily halted.

Lawyers said that they've managed to temporarily stop deportation proceedings for 12 individuals from four families rounded up over the weekend,

when authorities apprehended 121 people in the country illegally.

Attorneys are appealing to a Justice Department immigration appeals board for the 12, who had been slated for immediate deportation.

Attorney Kathryn Shepherd is working with women and children at a detention center in Dilley,

Texas. She says several people targeted in the raids had received inappropriate legal counsel and that was part of their basis for appeal.

The Department of Homeland Security has said the immigrants targeted in the raids had exhausted their legal remedies before being apprehended. -AP

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2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659

Immigration Post

46 India Post

January 15, 2016

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Iraqi refugees finding a home in Mobile, Alabama MOBILE, Ala.: On the run from a death threat, Ahmed Mohammed won't look back.

And why would he? The 39year-old Iraqi refugee and his family - Sunni Muslims - have found a home in Mobile, Alabama, after they spent four years without a country.

Before they fled, Mohammed worked as a safety inspector for an American contractor that was hired to rebuild Iraq after the U.S. invasion. But the ensuing threat on his life and the violent deaths of his wife's father and her brotherin-law spurred their exodus. They crossed the northwest border to Syria in 2005, left for Yemen two years later, and were granted refugee status in 2009.

Three years later, after a stint in Fargo, North Dakota, Mohammed and his family relocated to south Alabama with help from Catholic Social Services in Mobile, a city unique in Alabama for providing a home for Iraqi refugees.

Mohammed now has a mortgage on a ranch-style home in a leafy subdivision, runs an international retail store where he puts in 12-hour days and makes enough money to send two of his three children to a local mosque for school.

cial immigrant visas have arrived in Alabama since 2007, according to the U.S. State Department. Separate data from the Department of Homeland Security shows nearly all new Alabama residents from Iraq are in one spot: Mobile.

Most are refugees who depend on local organizations and government assistance to help them integrate into the culture. Last year, the federal government spent $1.1 billion to resettle about 70,000 refugees or about $15,714 per person.

The Iraqi Diaspora has had a ripple effect nationwide, as more than 139,955 Iraqi refugees and Iraqis with special visas arrived in U.S. since the 2003 Iraq War, which displaced more than 2 million people. Michigan alone has welcomed 19,630 Iraqi refugees or 198 Iraqis for every 100,000 people since 2007. That's by far the highest per capita rate in the nation, followed by Arizona and then North Dakota. Alabama, thanks to Mobile, saw 10 Iraqi refugees for every 100,000 residents since 2007.

These figures might come as a surprise to critics who have opposed President Barack Obama's plan to allow up to 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. Thirty governors including Alabama's Rob-

Ahmed Mohammed, left, serves dinner to his children Miriam, 9, center, Mustafa, 5, right, and Mina, 3, in his home in Mobile, Ala

He talks warmly and effusively about the American dream, the ease of buying a car with credit, of working hard and making something of himself with self-determination and grit. ``To build yourself in Iraq, even if you work hard and save your money, it impossible,'' Mohammed said. `''Here, it's easy to build your life. If you work hard and work right, you don't cheat the bank and you don't cheat the government, you can build yourself very quick.''

Mohammed is among a growing Iraqi community. A total of 493 Iraqi refugees or Iraqis with spe-

ert Bentley and numerous members of Congress have called for a halt to the refugee program, with Republican Rep. Bradley Byrne of Fairhope sponsoring a bill that would effectively defund the Syrian refugee program.

In an interview with AL.com, Byrne made a distinction between the Iraqi and Syrian refugees. ``We have a lot more assets on the ground in Iraq than we do in Syria,'' Byrne said. ``There are ways to make sure we know a lot more about people who are coming from Iraq.''

If Syrian refugees were to come to Alabama, their link to the new

world would be Catholic Social Services in Mobile.

The church group has worked

Baghdad and found a letter that read, ``we're going to kill you if you come back.'' He fled Iraq, with his

Mustafa Khamees, 18, with his sister Nabaa Khamees, 9, in their home in Mobile, Ala

with refugees since 1975, when they assisted with Alabama's then state coordinator to help resettle refugees from Vietnam and other countries, according to Rev. Monsignor Michael Farmer, Mobile archdiocese vicar general. Alabama has discontinued its program and now the Archdiocese of Mobile works directly with the federal government, which vets and selects the refugees.

Families from countries such as Bosnia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and the former country of Yugoslavia have relocated into Mobile in recent years. The Catholic Social Services eight-person staff, not including volunteers, can help up to 135 refugees a year.

Immigration patterns in Mobile are far different than in the rest of the state.

Birmingham and Huntsville see most new green cards issued to residents of Mexico, India or China. Montgomery sees a large number of new arrivals from South Korea, but that's also followed by India and China. Statewide, Iraq does not crack the top 10 most common nationalities for new arrivals.

But Iraqis are No. 1 in Mobile.

According to Department of Homeland Security data from 2009 to 2013, Mobile saw 205 green cards issued to former residents of Iraq. Vietnam was second.

Ahmed Hameed, sitting on a couch in his modest home near Mobile Regional Airport, sips on a cup of tea and offers a reporter a bite of flakey Iraqi-style Baklava.

With a sense of pride, the 48-yearold Baghdad native notes that he bought the pastries from an Iraqi distributor from Michigan.

One day, Hameed said he returned to his small retail store in

wife, two sons, and two daughters in June 2006.

They left the family business in the care of a relative and spent

two years in Syria before qualifying as refugees and arriving on June 12, 2008.

An Arabic speaker with little familiarity with the English language, Hameed was at a disadvantage when he arrived stateside. So he took grammar classes and a job as a women's shoe salesman at Dillard's in Mobile.

There, he is required to speak English to interact with customers.

Two years ago, he, his wife, and their eldest daughter passed the civics test and became American citizens. Hameed's youngest children became citizens by default. Their entire family has gone to Washington D.C. for vacation.

Asked about the situation in Syria, Hameed says that the U.S. should accept more Syrian refugees because there are ``people over there dying every day.'' ``I go to Syria,'' Hameed said. ``It's happened to me. It's happened to me and I came to the safe area. I feel them.'' -AP

Mustafa Khamees, 18, left, prays with John Debruin, right, and Gaby Hood, center, who are helping him manage his recently diagnosed diabetes in his home in Mobile, Ala.

Datebook

January 15, 2016

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Upcoming

Upcoming Sat, Jan 30 • Dance Pe. Chance Venue: State Theatre, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Time: 8:00 pm

Sat, Jan 30 • Desi Saturdays New Yorks Weekly Saturday Night Desi Party Featuring Complimentary Admission & Open Bar at Lexicon NYC

Sun, Jan 16 • LOHRI, A festival of warmth and love.

Sat, Jan 23 • Dance Basanti Dance Party in SF

Venue: Lexicon, 226 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022 Time : 10:00 pm

Sun, Jan 17

Venue: Melvin H. Kreps Middle School,, 5

Contact: 917-975-9144

• Kite Flying - Uttarayan 2016

Sat, Jan 23

Sun, Feb 28

• Desi Saturdays New Yorks Weekly Saturday Night Desi Party

• NJTS 2016 Annual Membership

Venue: San Jose City College Football Stadium, 2100 Moorpark Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128 Time: 11:00 am Contact: 408-586-0006

Venue: Lexicon, 226 E 54th St, New York,

Venue: New jersey Tamil Sangam, 30 Gin-

NY 10022

ger Dr, NJ 08837

Time : 09:00 pm

Time : 9:00 pm

Contact 9084251603

Sat, Jan 23 • M. M. Keeravani Live In Concert - Bay Area

Venue: Centerville Community Center, 3335 Country Dr, Fremont, CA 94536 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 408-422-8585

• 2016 Pongal Vizhaa and Chennai Fundraiser

Time: 2:30 pm

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Venue: City National Civic - San Jose, 135

Sun, Jan 31

Kent Lane, Hightstown, NJ 08520

India Post 47

Sat, Jan 23 • Natsamrat – Marathi Film Venue: Serra Theatres, 200 Serra Way #37, Milpitas, Ca 95035 Time: 2:00 pm

West San Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113 Time: 06:00 pm Contact: 4087186678

Venue: Cosmo Lounge, 440 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 925-261-8682

ATLANTA Upcoming

Sat, Jan 30

Fri, Jan 22 • GAPS Lohri Celebration 2016

• Natsamrat – Marathi Film

Venue: The Palace Indian Restaurant, 6131

Venue: Serra Theatres, 200 Serra Way #37, Milpitas, Ca 95035 Time: 02:00 pm

Peachtree Parkway, Norcross, GA 30092 Time: 7:30 pm

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

Sat, Jan 30 • Keeravani - Live in Concert in Houston

Swami Ishatmananda

Venue: Cubberley Theater, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Time: 4:00 pm

Venue: Cullen Performance Hall, 4800

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

Sat, Feb 6 • SAMARA - a womans fight

Sun, Jan 31 • Gujarati Comedy Natak GOLMAAL

Sat, Jan 30 • Gaye Jaa, Muskuraye Jaa

Venue: Sunnyvale Theater, 550 East Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Time: 4:00 am Contact: 510-742-9303

Calhoun Rd, Houston, TX 77004 Time: 6:00 pm

Venue: Atlanta Event Hall, 3750 Venture Drive, Duluth, GA 30096 Time: 06:00 pm

• Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life

• 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

India Post

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For Classifieds Ads Call NORTHERN CA (Sonia) Tel: 510-938-8668 sonia@indiapost.com (Priya) Tel. 510-275-4467 priya@indiapost.com SOUTHERN CA (Shashi Trivedi) Tel: 562-441-5511/ Fax: 562-947-0632 shashi19@yahoo.com CHICAGO (Ramesh Soparawala) Tel: 773-973-7394 / Fax: 773-973-7396 sramesh@aol.com NEW YORK (Pinky) Tel: 908 338 3752 pinky@indiapost.com

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January 15, 2016

Philosophy

January 15, 2016

India Post 49

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis G. I. GURDJIEFF

T

here are two lines along which man's development proceeds, the line of knowledge and the line of being. In right evolution the line of knowledge and the line of being develop simultaneously, parallel to, and helping one another. But if the line of knowledge gets too far ahead of the line of being, or if the line of being gets ahead of the line of knowledge, man's development goes wrong, and sooner or later it must come to a standstill.

The power of changing oneself lies not in the mind, but in the body and the feelings. Unfortunately, however, our body and our feelings are so constituted that they don't care a jot about anything so long as they are happy. They live for the moment and their memory is short. The mind alone lives for tomorrow. Each has its own merits. The merit of the mind is that it looks ahead. But it is only the other two that can "do."

One of man's important mistakes, one which must be remembered, is his illusion in regard to his I. Man such as we know him, the 'man-machine,' the man who cannot 'do,' and with whom and through whom everything 'happens,' cannot have a permanent and single I. His I changes as quickly as his thoughts, feelings and moods, and he makes a pro-

found mistake in considering himself always one and the same person; in reality he is always a different person, not the one he was a moment ago.

Man has no permanent and unchangeable I. Every thought, every mood, every desire, every sensation, says 'I.' And in each case it seems to be taken for granted that this I belongs to the Whole, to the whole man, and that a thought, a desire, or an aversion is expressed

individual I. But there are, instead, hundreds and thousands of separate small I's, very often entirely unknown to one another, never coming into contact, or, on the contrary, hostile to each other, mutually exclusive and incompatible.

Each minute, each moment, man is saying or thinking, 'I.' And each time his I is different. Just now it was a thought, now it is a desire, now a sensation, now another thought, and so on, endlessly.

with yourself. Sincerity is the key which will open the door through which you will see your separate parts, and you will see something quite new. You must go on trying to be sincere. Each day you put on a mask, and you must take it off little by little.

From my point of view, he can be called a remarkable man who stands out from those around him by the resourcefulness of his mind, and who knows how to be

Man has no permanent and unchangeable I The power of changing oneself lies not in the mind, but in the body and the feelings. Unfortunately, however, our body and our feelings

The only source of knowledge is experience.

-Albert Einstein Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

-Soren Kierkegaard

are so constituted that they don't care a jot G. I. Gurdjieff

by this Whole. In actual fact there is no foundation whatsoever for this assumption. Man's every thought and desire appears and lives quite separately and independently of the Whole.

And the Whole never expresses itself, for the simple reason that it exists, as such, only physically as a thing, and in the abstract as a concept. Man has no

about anything so long as they are happy.

Man is a plurality. Man's name is legion.

Try to understand that what you usually call "i" is not i; there are many "I's" and each "I" has a different wish. Try to verify this.

You wish to change, but which part of you has this wish? Many parts of you want many things, but only one part is real. It will be very useful for you to try to be sincere

restrained in the manifestations which proceed from his nature, at the same time conducting himself justly and tolerantly towards the weaknesses of others.

Excerpted from the Talks and Writings of G. I. Gurdjieff contained in Gurdjieff International Review at gurdjieff.org. The 150th birth anniversary of Gurdjieff is being observed on January 13.

Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.

-John W. Gardner A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

-Mark Twain Is there anyone so wise as

JEANNE DE SALZMANN

U

ntil now I have understood my relation with my body.

For me to become conscious, my body has to accept and understand its role, not because it is forced but through real interest. In order for unity to appear, my body has to participate consciously, voluntarily. For this it must find the attitude in which it is free, without tension.

In the opening to presence, there are two steps to be understood: first the seeing, that is, the moment when I hold myself entirely under my look; and second, the letting go toward which the look has led me, the release that follow the shock when I see.

In order for me to have a real perception, an act of knowing, I need an attention that is as total and as even as possible, an impartial all-embracing look that does not take one side or another.

The most important thing is to discover whether I am capable of such a look. When my attention becomes truly active and my mind acquires the clarity of this look, there is a letting go both in the head and in the rest of the body, which becomes still. At this moment I can experience a Presence

that has no need to project outwardly and is maintained under this look.

I have the impression that this letting go takes place from top to bottom, and that my inner volume changes, as though no longer confined to my body. Here I approach the meaning of relaxation, not an artificial letting go

Yet I recognize this letting go as an action, an act that does not depend on me but that transforms me. At this moment I know what this energy is, an energy that does not take me.

It is what 'I am'. If my attention remains whole, if the look of myself lights everything, an opening appears that I experi-

to another, a movement inward through sensation. For this there must be an empty place free of tensions, felt as a void, void of my ordinary 'I' which no longer affirm itself. Then I can penetrate the world of finer vibrations.

Sensation is the perception of these vibrations.

The more I feel the life in my

to learn by the experience of others?

-Voltaire It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves.

I need an attention that is total and even

-Andre Gide Be brave. Take risks.

Nothing can substitute

When my attention becomes truly active and

experience.

my mind acquires the clarity of this look, there

-Paulo Coelho

is a letting go both in the head and in the rest of the body, which becomes still. but one that appears as I understand the act of seeing. At the moment I see, there is a shock, stop in which the finer energy in men becomes free to follow its proper direction. I do not force it to change course; it changes by itself.

Then I know an inner stillness, a state without waves, without ripples. There is no movement.

ence as something given - a filling out, an opening in the abdomen.

With this perception, I have a moment of knowing. I discover something real and see a direction for study in which I can only proceed step by step.

Knowledge of opening to Presence requires the passage in me from one density of vibration

Experience without theory Jeanne De Salzmann

body, the more I recognize that the sense of Being would not touch me without its participation.

Jeanne de Salzmann (1889 1990) was a close pupil of G. I. Gurdjieff, recognized as his deputy and was responsible for transmitting the movements and teachings of Gurdjieff through the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York.

is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play.

-Immanuel Kant We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.

Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

-Khalil Gibran

Priyanka becomes the first Indian actor to register a win at the People Choice Awards. She beat popular Hollywood and TV actresses like Emma Robe rts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Miche le and Marcia Gay Harden to ba g the award.

50 India Post

January 15, 2016

www.indiapost.com

LOS ANGELES: Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra has bagged the favorite actress in new TV series honor at the 2016 People Choice Awards for her performance of an FBI recruit on American show "Quantico".

Priyanka becomes the first Indian actor to register a win at the People Choice Awards.

She beat popular Hollywood and TV actresses like Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele and Marcia Gay Harden to bag the award.

The 33-year-old actress took to Twitter to thank her fans, who voted for her.

"I am so fortunate!

A

lphonse Reddy is sleepless about sleep. The man who started a sleep startup Sunday (sundayrest.com) is deciphering sleep. Rather sleeplessness. To understand sleep patterns, he took to a sleep survey, the first detailed survey conducted in India covering sleep and life style in three metros (Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore) and the results can leave many sleepless.

Sunday Mattresses used a market leading research for conducting/administering the survey and the data was analyzed by the internal sleep specialist team from Sunday Mattresses.

Bangalore is sleeping the best - only 8.1% Bangaloreans have difficulty falling asleep as compared to 13% Delhites and Mumbaikers. The average across all the three cities is 11.3%. The biggest and most common reason cited is noise levels.

Mumbai takes the lead with

PREETI VERMA LAL

maximum night owls Bangaloreans crash to bed the earliest; 37.27% of Bangaloreans sleep by 10 PM; compared to 10% for Delhi and 12.8% for Mumbai.

The most alarm clock minded city is Mumbai with almost 50% using an alarm on a day to day basis.

You might be startled but there is a correlation between marriage and sleep. The Sunday sleep survey concluded that singles and married people with kids are more content and fall asleep easily as compared to married couples without kids.

In general, only 8.7% singles find it hard to fall asleep, only 10.6% of married people with kids find it hard to sleep as opposed to 16.5% of married people without kids who find it difficult to fall asleep.

Are gadgets adding to the insomnia menace? More than 90% of all bedrooms in the homes of surveyors have a mobile phone

Bangalore is sleeping the best only 8.1% Bangaloreans have difficulty falling asleep as compared to 13% Delhites and Mumbaikers.

with the trend highest in Bangalore at 97%. Bangaloreans and Delhites are more likely to have laptops in their bedroom as compared to Mumbaikars.

Cont'd on Page 53

Alphonse Reddy, Founder, Sunday

Thank you to everyone who voted for me at the #PCAs! My #PCManiacs-I am nothing without you! Big love," she tweeted alongside a photo of her posing with the black trophy.

Priyanka looked stunning in a glittering gold and silver dress by American fashion designer Vera Wang.

"Quantico" marks the actress' first Hollywood project.

She has received a lot of praise for her portrayal of Alex Parrish, suspected of committing a terrorist attack, in the thriller series. -PTI

January 15, 2016

India Post 51 www.indiapost.com

A unique photo & textile exhibition on India India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Tribal and textile art dealer Thomas Cole has put together a unique photo narrative exhibition of his time in India for the San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show. This exhibition showcases the everyday beauty of daily life and augments it with the textiles and objects that make India one of the most visually stunning places on earth.

Don't Miss India - An unusual photographic and textile narrative -will be on view at the San Francisco Tribal & Textile Art Show from February 18-21, 2016.

"Traveling to India in the last four of five years to do just one thing‌See India, has been a revelation," states Thomas Cole.

"The idea behind 'Don't Miss In-

dia' is to depict the wonder that was India after a mid 20th century historical work that is considered a seminal narrative of ev-

erything having to do with the people, their culture and the land."

Don't Miss INDIA! will

Sonu Nigam in transgender '6-Pack Band' MUMBAI: Noted playback singer Sonu Nigam has launched India's first transgender band called '6-Pack Band'.

The Bollywood star has lent his voice to one of the songs of the group. Sonu said he had a great experience singing with the band, something he wanted to do from a long time.

"We are taking one step at a time. There are total six songs. I felt very happy singing with them.

They were singing my songs all

the time, they have a very good vibe. I really enjoyed their innocence and child-like energy," the singer told reporters.

6-Pack Band comprises six transgenders singing original songs, including a cover version of Grammy-winner Pharrell Williams' hit "Happy".

Sonu said he felt pained to see transgenders being stereotyped in society. "When I was a child, I used to think what if I was born in a planet where people like me were

in minority and others were majority... What would happen to me, my family because of that."

"It used to sadden me very much, that is there no way we can't give them (Transgenders) a respectable job, proper business...

Why can't it happen that we see them at normal places. Why do we see them on the streets, at marriage. Till when this will go on. It used to pain me a lot," he said .

The band has been curated by music-director Shamir Tandon, who said they chose the popular "Happy" song to launch the band as English songs have a wider reach.

"The idea was to transcend boundaries, so we thought instead of doing a Hindi song lets do an English one. They are always happy despite the fact that people abhor them, disrespect them.

'Happy', we hope, will be heard by every body."

present photographic works and textile arts. Spanning the entire subcontinent, the exhibition focuses on the everyday beauty of India. These visions of the exotic are the stuff of mundane daily life for most Indians. According to Cole, "Nothing is perfect and India, at the best of times, is far from it."

The San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show is the only vetted exhibition of tribal art in the United States and is considered the top tribal art event in North America. The 2016 show will feature more than 80 top dealers in tribal and ethnographic arts from February 18-21, 2016 at the Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion.

Image left: Embroidery (fragment, mounted), circa 1920.

The San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show is being held in conjunction with The American Indian Art Show / Marin.

The San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show will open with a 30th Anniversary Cocktail Party on Thursday, February 18th. Public hours are Friday-Sunday. 'Top Picks' Tours with Cathryn M. Cootner, Emerita Curator of Textiles, FAMSF will take place on Thursday, February 18th and Friday, February 19th.

About Thomas Cole: Tom Cole is a private dealer who specializes in tribal weavings and textiles of art historical and ethnographic significance from Central Asia. He has been active in the antique tribal rug and textile art trade for the past twenty years. Having lived a good part of his life in, and traveled extensively through, Asia, he is familiar with diverse textile and woven art traditions from the Near East and Persia, through Central Asia, and the Silk Road to China.

More recently he has become a frequent visitor to both Turkey and the Central Asian Republic of Turkmenistan.

52 India Post

January 15, 2016 www.indiapost.com

I am so full of love, says Hrithik

T

ake a Greek god, strip him of his sinews.

Lose the immortality and junk the superpowers and what have you? A mortal? A human? A Hrithik Roshan.

An actor w h o never tires of hearing compliments equating him with G r e e k godliness and superhero capers.

I wanted to cut to the chase to discover what the beating heart inside him was like.

And I hit pay dirt. In this heartfelt In a recent interview, Hrithik Roshan revealed how he is an emotional father. A hopeful lover. A fearless explorer. A man who is curious about the unknown, an actor with red blood flowing in his veins, in spite of his blue-blooded stardom.

And this is what really makes Hrithik Roshan so desirable and droolworthy.

You tweeted this at the start of the year: "This year GET CURIOUS! Find out what happens if u DO do all d things u were too afraid or lazy to do! Don't u wonder what's on d other side?" Hrithik, have you been following what you said? Rediscovering yourself, taking risks and pushing boundaries?

To me that's like asking if I'm living or not. I believe if you are not rediscovering yourself and pushing boundaries, then you are not alive. Everybody wants to change something about their life, but they are either too afraid, too lazy, or too comfortable with 'the way things are'.

That's not a natural state because nature is constantly evolving and urging us to follow suit.

It unsettles me because I see myself in them, and I want for them the change I have achieved physically and mentally. If you are not aiming that high, why play at all? I'm so curious about knowing the unknown, it can be scary but I see it as a game and that takes all the fear away.

You have been playing the perfect daddy to your boys Hrehaan and Hridhaan. What are the things you boys like doing together?

My bond with my boys is true and strong, not just because they are my sons, but because we three are perfectly cast in characters that get along so well when we are together. Nothing remains special if you are not constantly pushing your imagination to discover and invent possibilities.

Fatherhood didn't just happen to me. I am deliberately living it, re-

Bangalore sleeps the best Cont'd from Page 50

44% of Bangaloreans, 47% of Delhites, and 37% of Mumbaikars have a laptop in their bedroom.

Bangaloreans and Mumbaikers are less likely to have a TV in their bedroom with only 54% of bedrooms having a TV as compared to 71% in the case of Delhi.

The connection between sleep and weight is pretty high.

People who consider themselves to be overweight are 2.5 times more likely to have sleep issues as compared to people who do not consider themselves to be overweight.

There is also a very strong correlation between sleep and exercise. People who do not exercise are 3 times more prone to having issues with sleep as compared to people who exercise regularly (go to the gym at least

Galloping lifestyles, sedentary habits and nagging addictions; are leading to sleep deprivation

2-3 times every week. Those who exercise also sleep better.

Says Alphonse Reddy, "As the study shows, galloping lifestyles, sedentary habits and nagging addictions; are leading to sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep. People need sufficient sleep. If we are not sleeping well, our collective outcome will also be adversely affected, apart from the possible health threats. A good night's sleep ensures overall well being and tunes the way we think and act.

Hence it is all important to be well rested to face the world and its challenges."

imagining it and rediscovering it every day. It is as beautiful as I make it, just like anything else in life.

Does it bring back memories of the relationship you shared with your father while growing up?

No. Different characters, different movie (laughs). I am blessed to have a great father who did his best while trying to make ends meet financially and professionally.

Ever feel that the time you get to spend with your boys is not enough, as kids grow up really quickly?

People keep saying that, but for me time is like the wave and I'm the surfer. As long as I am one with the wave, riding it and harnessing its speed - I will never feel it's going faster than me. If I stop to reflect upon it, it's going

through a lot of hard work. I had to fight my own mind to get here.

You tweeted after watching SRK's recent film, "to the man who makes his own luck". Do you think one can make his own luck?

Some believe that we are either born with it, or we are not.

I choose to see in others what I see in myself, or desire for myself.

If you believe you are either born with it or not, you will always remain a victim of circumstances.

But if you believe you have the power to make your own luck - you will confidently engage in an action that will cause a change.

Do you believe in finding love all over again?

I am so full of love that it's not possible I won't find love. At the same time, I don't need another person to feel the feeling of love.

I am so full of love that it's not possible I won't find love. At the same time, I don't need another person to feel the feeling of love. I feel it all the time. But if you are asking about someone who I can share my joy and travels with, then yes, I may come across one. to overcome me. There will come a point when it all automatically slows down, until then I am the eternal time surfer. So I don't feel my time with my boys is not enough. I have all the time in the world. Right now, I am rediscovering the world with them, we are travelers, explorers, and we have to go where no man has gone before...(ha! ha!)

Do you watch any of your movies with your boys? How do they react?

Yes, that's when the daddy turns into the child, hoping for a compliment from them. When my kids love my work I feel elated and victorious, it means more to me than an Oscar. And when they are silent, I'm proud that they have a mind and perspective of their own, and are courageous enough not to say things just to please me.

In the past year you have been living by yourself, spending a lot of time with your children and focusing on one film at a time.

So are you in a happy place and a happy state of mind?

Yes! I have never had such sense of joy and fulfillment. It' almost like this is the person I was destined to be. But it's come

I feel it all the time. But if you are asking about someone who I can share my joy and travels with, then yes, I may come across one.

Or ten (smiles). Who knows?

Ever thought of doing films in the West, given your great looks and stock of talent?

Sure enough. Doing films in the West seems very possible. In fact, I will do it.

You focus on one film at a time; don't you feel the need to do more?

Honestly, I do. And I am going to. I am bound to make that happen now.

In an industry that is so competitive, you are constantly tweeting praises and applauding other actors on social networking sites.

It's simple. People who don't praise others are secretly afraid.

And people who praise just to please others, suffer from low self-worth. They live their life shackled to their glory and success. I am free. I am super at what I do and what I am. And to become better myself, I must rejoice and push my friends to be even greater.

-Courtesy Times of India

January 15, 2016

India Post 53 www.indiapost.com

Ideas for a cheerful post-holiday mantel

W

hen January arrives, even Christmas-loving homeowners might be happy to put away Santa and his reindeer. But the post-holiday mantel and fireplace can look strangely bare.

The days are still short and the weather chilly, so ``the key word after the holidays is cozy,'' says Pittsburgh-based interior designer Cathy Davin.

A well-decorated fireplace even without a wood-burning fire inside - can be the perfect source of cheerful style and warm glow throughout the first weeks of the New Year.

Here, Davin and two other designers - HGTV stylist Meg Allan Cole and Atlanta-based interior designer Mallory Mathison - offer four ideas for making the most of your mantel and fireplace throughout the post-holiday season: KEEP THE WINTER THEME Davin believes in celebrating winter even after the holidays are over. She removes red poinsettias, but keeps white ones and white cyclamen around her fireplace.

And she continues lighting white and gold candles on the mantel.

She also encourages clients to keep tiny white lights in their liv-

ing space for a warm glow throughout January.

Cole agrees: White lights ``can absolutely stay up all winter long,'' she says. ``They yell, `Warm and festive! Come on inside! Get out of the cold!'''

flanking one large painting can look lovely year-round. It's the perfect way to highlight a piece of art, and this sparse approach can be a nice break after busy holiday decorations.

Another approach ``is to layer

Meg Allan Cole Crafts, the designer Cole shows you how to transform simple cardboard cones into an illuminated forest or mountainscape for a modern winter mantle.

Alongside traditional lights, she recommends using LED copper strips on the mantel. ``Copper is really on-trend right now,'' Cole says. And these strips of lights are battery-operated, so there are no wires snaking away.

LAYER YOUR FAVORITES A clean, classic mantel with just a pair of vases or hurricane lamps

pieces on a mantel by propping up different sizes of art, mirrors and objects'' in an asymmetrical arrangement, Mathison says.

This casual look is a great way to display a collection of items perhaps small, framed prints in various sizes, Mathison says, or a collection of tea cups. This vibrant approach can make a post-holiday mantel seem a little less stark and

empty.

To keep the winter vibe going on a layered mantel, Cole suggests using a collection of small animal figurines like deer and other woodland animals. Paint them silver or gold, she says, then drape tiny white lights around them and perhaps even add little wreaths around their necks.

This winter-inspired layered mantel can include any color palette, even cool pastels that hint at spring's eventual arrival. We're ``letting go of some of those seasonal rules,'' Cole says.

LOOK INSIDE If you're not using your fireplace for a fire, use that space decoratively by filling it with candles or other items. Just remember to keep things looking reasonably natural. ``The `go-to' is a bundle of clean, pretty birch logs that are arranged as if they are waiting to be lit,'' Mathison says. ``I love to use andirons and then stack the birch logs in a pyramid.''

Some designers fill the firebox area with small bookshelves or other unexpected items. Mathison prefers not to: She thinks using decorative items that aren't made to be in a fireplace can ``feel forced and contrived.''

Davin agrees: ``I don't like to see a plant pushed back into the firebox area'' where it doesn't get light, she says. ``One or two plants sitting around the hearth, where they can actually get natural light'' can look lovely, however.

GET CRAFTY Your mantel is the perfect place to get creative. Davin suggests exploring Pinterest for DIY mantel decorations. You'll also find ideas on Cole's Youtube channel.

One favorite of hers: Buy inexpensive cardboard cones that look like little mountains, then spray paint them in a mix of pastels with a bit of gold or white. Cluster them together with white lights, and then top them with a glass dome. ``A glass dome over anything screams design,'' Cole says, and it can cost as little as $10 at a craft store.

Cole also suggests seeking out craft projects that use votive candles (she offers some ideas at hgtv.com).

Don't forget to get creative under your mantel, too: Add tiny hooks if you don't already have them for holiday stockings, then suspend little glass orbs with LED tea lights inside. They'll provide a warm glow without the work of lighting a real fire.-AP

Birlas plan to spur women's From jailbird jumpsuit to designer denim wear exports MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Group, the world's largest viscose staple fiber (VSF) manufacturer, is creating a one-stop platform for fabricmakers to reach out directly to women's wear exporters and international brands.

The move is being driven by the group's fiber business arm Birla Cellulose.

It is an expansion of its ongoing LIVA Accredited Partners Forum (LAPF) initiative to aggregate the top talent in fabrics industry.

Birla Cellulose would bring together LAPF partners and international brands at Delhi-NCR which is also the country's garment industry capital.

The mega event is being held in collaboration with the Society of Noida Apparel Export Cluster, Manohar Samuel, Birla Cellulose President for Marketing and Business Development, told PTI. The initiative is part of the USD 41 billion group's ongoing efforts to nurture various textile value chain partners in the garment export sector, amid struggling gar-

ment exports from the country, as the world markets see lots of cheap imports from China and other South Asian manufacturers.

Samuel said around 40 LAPF partners would be attending the Noida conclave and showcase

The initiative is part of the USD 41 billion group's ongoing efforts to nurture various textile value chain partners in the garment export sector their innovative products to over 160 garment exporters, including global brands like Marks & Spencer, Macy's, and GAP, apart from domestic players like Shahi Exports, Orient Craft, Pearl Global and Richa & Co. Leading global buying-houses such as Triburg, Impulse, Li Fung,

and Asmara, and domestic brands such as Biba and ITC are also attending the event, he said.

The Noida leg is the third one in the LAPF series. The first conclave was held in Jaipur in association with the Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan last August, whereas Coimbatore witnessed the second LAPF conclave early December 2015.

Leading domestic brands like Pantaloons, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, People, Global Desi, Lifestyle, Melange, Shoppers Stop, Reliance Trends, Wills Lifestyle, Desi Belle Chemistry, 109F, Fusion Beats, FBB and Max use LIVA-branded fabric, he said, adding Birla Cellulose enjoys 93 per cent share of the global VSF industry.

Of the overall garment exports of around USD 13.3 billion, women's wear market constitutes 80 per cent. Out of this, man-made cellulose fiber-based garments constituted USD 1.85 billion during the January-September 2015 period. -PTI

LOS ANGELES: Now soughtafter for her edgy, androgynous style, actress Ruby Rose initially struggled to find her niche. ``When I first started in the industry back home in Australia at 18 there was a lot of push and shove as to how I should dress, if I was allowed to cut my hair short, if I had too many tattoos,'' Rose said in an interview. ``If I didn't get a campaign or if I didn't get a role, they would always come back to `well, she dresses like a boy.'''

Times have changed for the ``Orange is the New Black'' breakout star, who recently Ruby Rose

swapped her Litchfield Prison uniform for distressed overalls and cutoff shorts as the face of Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren.

Rose, who counts Vivienne Westwood, Annie Lennox and Madonna among her style icons, teamed with model Hailey Baldwin for the brand's latest social media and global ad campaign.

She credits her hit Netflix series along with Amazon's ``Transparent'' for sparking a dialogue about gender identity and acceptance in the entertainment industry and beyond. ``People were waiting to start this conversation,'' said Rose. ``Someone had to ignite it and once that happened, it was just a snowball effect where you had celebrities and all different people coming out and saying, `I'm gender fluid' or `I'm transgender,' and people feeling more comfortable in their skin.''

The 29-year-old also praised Louis Vuitton's latest womenswear campaign featuring actor-rapper Jaden Smith. -AP

54

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Focus on Airfield Ground Defense after Pathankot

M

uch has been articulated in the media about the need for optimal command and control for undertaking antiterror operations in a military or urban environment. In this terrorist attack on IAF's Pathankot airbase, the media has reported that the AOC-in-C (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief) of the Western Air Command was dispatched to oversee the operations at Pathankot. And of course as is clear now, the NSG was flown in from Manesar, Delhi.

Doctrinally, this is the worst way to conduct a tactical-level military operation. The operational control and accountability HAS to be with the local Air Force Commander this is precisely why he has been assigned as the AOC or Station Commander.

Oversight from higher formations such as the Air Command or Air HQ is okay but there should

aerial and otherwise, need to be employed to neutralize the terrorist threat to installations and assets in quick time. Collateral damage aspects and other operational constraints need to be factored in.

Depending on the behavior of the terrorists and their weaponry, the local commander would have to employ the assets to achieve surveillance or hard kill objectives.

Precautions such as control of media access, curbs on cell phone usage and evacuation or bunching of families and key personnel need to be planned for.

The Air Force has SOPs for these for war situations, but perhaps it is prudent to work out new ones for this kind of anti-terrorist operations. Use of helicopters and UAVs for perimeter surveillance night and day, especially during high threat occasions, should be sine qua non.

For night operations, use of searchlights and flooding of un-

Security forces during an operation against the militants who attacked the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot

definitely be no 'back-seat driving'.

Diffused or conflicting command and control can be highly detrimental to operational success.

There have been cases in the past where local Commanders have been replaced midstream during war, even in the IAF. That is an option always available to a C-in-C or the Chief. But good higher-level leadership also means exhibiting faith in one's subordinates.

Spoon-feeding or micromanaging is NOT part of recommended military leadership ethos.

Need for Technology and Augmented Intelligence The minute details of the antiterror operation are not known yet and may not be known for some years. Media coverage has indicated the employment of attack helicopters and UAVs. This is good news indeed.

All assets available locally,

India Post

GP CAPT (RETD) PI MURALIDHARAN

derground structures may need consideration. The sky is the limit for what all could be done at an air base to bottle up and neutralize terrorist elements.

As established earlier, good proactive local leadership and delegated operational effort would be key to ensuring that a handful of well-armed anti-national elements cannot hold a whole air base, and by extension, the whole nation, to ransom.

Use of Direction Finding gear to zero in on local enemy agents and upgrade of local intelligence units such a Liaison Units and Special Bureaus of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) are other vital supportive anti-terror measures.

Evacuation Drills Another important aspect in a terror attack scenario is evacuation of assets. The most important assets of course are the flying

machines. Situation permitting, they could be flown out to nearby bases. Defense of other high value assets such as ammo dumps and fuel storage would need buttressing. Incoming fuel and key stores would need to be temporarily diverted perhaps.

Station authorities can locally augment medical assistance or heavy-duty earth moving gear from local Army/Navy or civilian authorities. But all this needs careful factoring, as across the board evacuations may not be advisable.

Calculated marshalling of assets and replenishments would be called for.

Exchange Ratios The Pathankot event appears to have caused a comparatively higher degree of casualties to Indian personnel. But it must be understood that despite the best preparation, a terrorist strike extracts a heavy toll in the target area, be it on civilians or other soft targets.

Recall the high attrition of American personnel and CIA operatives, especially where terrorists have employed suicide tactics. Only very highly trained defensive/offensive assets such as the SEALs or our own Para Commandos/ MARCOs could neutralize such threats with minimal casualties.

Another aspect that emerges in an airfield anti-terror operation is the uniqueness of an air base, especially a fighter base. Not only is it a "target-rich" territory, but also there would be several buildings, hangars and underground shelters to clear and protect - a combination of urban and military anti-terror operations, so to say.

Of course the need to keep the media at bay and prevent undue pressure on local forces and increasing their vulnerabilities through real time coverage need not be over-emphasized. Timely media briefings at suitable locations need to be organized to cater to the requirements of public knowledge.

The IAF of course would need its own soul-searching to address terror as a new threat paradigm. A while ago, in an article about the need to reprioritize the IAF's role, this author had advocated the need to tailor India's force structure to address terrorist threats to IAF installations. Perhaps Pathankot reinforces this belief in the urgency of this requirement.

Denial as policy

I

t is normal for Pakistan to make pretence of acting on the evidence provided by India after a terror incident and then an nounce that there is not much to follow up. Will it be different this time? Will the equation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up with his counterpart Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan withstand the test of continuing terrorism emanating from across the border? Former President Musharraf may be out of power but his views should sum up the majority view or the most dominant one in Pakistan. He has said in an interview that India is protesting too much and that Pathankot is an incident the like of which Pakistan is also suffering and that both countries are victims. Although the gullible public of Pakistan may buy this view, it is designed to confuse the issue.

It is surprising that Musharraf continues to have a say in affairs of Pakistan. PM Sharif who had Musharraf arrested and a case of treason was slapped on him seems to be learning to live with the former dictator who seems to have the full support of the Army.

Even as Sharif has constituted a Joint Investigating Team which has raided the supposed areas inhabited by the alleged masterminds of Pathankot; nothing tangible seems to have emerged. For all you know going by the general duplicity prevalent in Pakistan the investigators might be asking the perpetrators to flee to safer areas.

How culpable is a PM like Sharif in this sordid affair? It doesn't seem that he is party to this plan of the Generals to sabotage any attempt at dialogue between Indian and Pakistan. But is he in any position to take action? The ultimate culprit is the Army itself and its secret arm the ISI. How does a civilian leader in Pakistan make up with India and improve the country's economy and address the people's welfare if he has all the time to look askance at the Army!

Once again nothing much might come out of the alleged investigation launched by the PM because it is like a crime detective novel in which the whodunit is known. So it will not attract much attention.

Subramaniam Swamy has given an answer to Musharraf's attempt to obfuscate the issue of terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

On his equating India and Pakistan as victims of terrorism, he said that Islamabad has not been able to catch even one Indian in an attack in the country. "But in almost every attack from Pakistan, we have found a direct link to ISI and Pakistan military," he emphasized.

It seems that Sharif has promised to take action at the nudging of the US. If this is so, then we will find another case of an unwilling investigator. When worldwide it is known that the terrorist attacks on India are emanating from Pakistan, it is a great wonder that Pakistan fails to find the perpetrators. The obvious truth is that it is not willing to find them.

As for the US pressure on Pakistan, it will have the same effect as in Afghanistan where Islamabad has led the US into a wild goose chase. If the US has not been able to make Pakistan behave in Afghanistan, what hope is there it will now be able to persuade Pakistan to oblige India?

Foreign Affairs expert C. Rajamohan has made an interesting point in a recent article. He says that every time the US makes official statements on India and Pakistan, some or both the parties have take offence. He cites the time of President George W. Bush who refused to intercede on India Pak affairs. And the result was that Delhi and Islamabad found ways and means to limit crossborder terrorism, discuss Kashmir-related issues and expand confidence building measures. He advises the US official silence on India-Pak issues and deal with them, if necessary, in private.

January 15, 2016

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January 15, 2016