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Indian American to be judge in New Jersey Details on page 7
VOL 16, No. 855
January 28, 2011
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Periodical Postage
NRIs ALSO HOLD BLACK MONEY PM: Information can't be revealed
Vijay Sazawal on key US nuke trade panel Details on page 5
Kalam favors uniting Indian, US med systems Details on page 43
NEW DELHI: The Indian finance ministry has told the Supreme Court that among those holding accounts in the Swiss and German banks in Liechtenstein are 12 trusts owned by 26 tax assesses, which even include non-resident Indians. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised the issue of black money during a cabinet meeting here, a day after the
Supreme Court queried why the government cannot name those involved in this $1.5-trillion "national plunder". The discussion came against the backdrop of the apex court coming down heavily on the government's reluctance to provide full information on ill-gotten money stashed away by Indians in foreign banks. Details on page 5
Two FIAs, two Republic Day celebrations Details on page 12
Community leaders at Quinn's function
NRIs stunned at lack of health care in India
Details on page 12
UIF honors Ashok Mago in Delhi
Details on page 14
Hindus upset over Ganesha denigration
Details on page 7
Details on page 12
Foreclosures hit hard Asian Americans Details on page 33
Indian Muslims condemn Taseer murder Details on page 7
See pages 26-32 PROUD OF NIKKI: Representatives of Indian American Republicans pose with the new Governor of South Carolina. (L-R) Sanket Dalal (RIC-SC Secretary), Dr. Bindu Kansupada (RIC-PA Chairman), Dr. Kuchipudi Bapineedu (RIC-NJ Chairman), Sita Kapoor, Arthur Kapoor (RIC-NJ President), Tracey Paliath, Dilip Paliath (RIC President), Governor Nikki Haley, Michael Haley, Dr. Mukesh Roy (RIC-NJ Executive Director), Anoop Kansupada (RIC Youth Director) and Jody Venkatesan (RIC Treasurer)
Bollywood ---------------------- 22-23
Indian Americans celebrate Haley's inauguration India Post News Service
INDIA POST SURVEY survey@indiapost.com This week’s question
Should NRIs disclose their black money? Last week’s result
Will merger of OCI, PIO cards solve visa issues? YES 62%
NO 38%
CONTENTS
NEW YORK: As Nikki Haley, the newly-elected Governor of South Carolina walked down the steps of the State Capitol in Columbia, on Jan 12, to be sworn in as South Carolina's 116th Governor, representatives of Indian American Republicans celebrated the event as a shining moment for the Indian American community especially for those closely involved with her electoral campaign. That included the President of the South Carolina
Chapter of the Republican Indian Committee (RICPAC), Bhavna Vasudeva. "This is a moment of intense - and quiet - pride," said Vasudeva. "We believed in the promise of Nikki Haley's campaign and her potential to be a truly effective Governor for our State. My husband, Dr. Raj Vasudeva, and I have been working with Nikki for many years ever since her early days as state representative. It has been a slow and steady fight to the top and we have found that grassroots support is what is necessary for success."
Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”
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Classifieds ------------------------- 47 Community Post -------------- 12-19 Date Book -------------------------- 46 Edit Page --------------------------- 49 HealthScience Post --------- 43-45 Horoscope ------------------------- 34 Immigration Post ------------- 40-42 Life Style ----------------------- 24-25 Philosophy ------------------------- 48 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 33 TechBiz Post ------------------- 20-21 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 35-37
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ast week, watching the official welcome ceremony accorded to Chinese President Hu Jintao on the White House south lawn by President Obama complete with the pomp and bands, I couldn't help feel a twinge of loss recalling how a similar ceremony had been cancelled when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the White House in 2009 because of bad weather. Nevertheless, the fact that not only have India and China been accorded State welcome by the US but that the US President has officially visited both these counties underscores the critical importance these two Asian giants hold for the US now and in the future. Now, remember the gatecrashers at Singh's White House dinner at the time? A freak incident perhaps, but somehow, I feel it is symbolic of how the Americans view their own handling of democratic India, while bracing themselves more strongly against communist China. China is indeed a bigger deal for the US than India. After all, the US may well be a wholly-owned subsidiary of China as it holds over $900 billion in US treasury bonds. China is a tricky partner to bond with for the US, but I don't want to get into the big China story here. As I continued watching those images, I wondered if President Obama's mind wasn't preoccupied by what was happening in the US Senate, even as he posed for 'happy' pictures with Jintao. The Republican-majority Senate that morning was debating over the repeal of the President's healthcare reform law. I totally understand politics. But this move by the Republicans goes to a whole new level of partisanship. It boggles me to think how much politics has become a self-serving enterprise for our elected leaders. Consider how earlier they spent two days debating on the appropriateness of the repeal bill's title - 'The repeal of the job-killing healthcare law'. Democrats argued 'job-killing' was inappropriate in view of the Arizona shootings! It didn't seem to matter that 'job-killing' or whatever, the bill essentially will be 'killing' healthcare accessibility for millions. Hello Americans! Do you really care where your leaders are leading you?
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Ash snubs SRK Ash snubbed King Khan at an awards function arguing that she will dance to 'Kajra Re' with no one but Bachchans.
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Cover Story: Black money Among those holding accounts in the Swiss and German banks in Liechtenstein are nonresident Indians too.
Community: Rival R-Days
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Two groups claiming to represent FIA have announced hosting of Indian Republic Day celebrations on the same day.
Health: Indo-US Summit Former President Abdul Kalam inaugurated the Indo-US Healthcare Summit organized by AAPI in Jaipur.
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Travel: Pachmarhi Pachmarhi's appeal is low key. Peace, seclusion and a quiet unobtrusive beauty are its prime attractions.
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January 28, 2011
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NRIs also hold black money PM: Information can't be revealed NEW DELHI: The Indian finance ministry has told the Supreme Court that among those holding accounts in the Swiss and German banks in Liechtenstein are 12 trusts owned by 26 tax assesses, which even include non-resident Indians. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised the issue of black money during a cabinet meeting here, a day after the Supreme Court queried why the government cannot name those involved in this $1.5-trillion "national plunder". The discussion came against the backdrop of the apex court coming down heavily on the government's reluctance to provide full information on ill-gotten money stashed away by Indians in foreign banks. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, officials said, will hold a detailed briefing on the discussion soon. The prime minister made it
clear that information on black money stashed in tax havens abroad cannot be made public as it would entail violation of India's treaty obligations with other countries and jurisdictions.
The prime minister made it clear that information on black money stashed in tax havens abroad cannot be made public as it would entail violation of India's treaty obligations with other countries and jurisdictions "The information will not be made public. It will be a violation of treaties," Manmohan Singh told reporters after initiating a cabinet reshuffle when asked about
his stand on black money abroad. "There is no instant solution to bring back what is called black money. We have got some information and that has been provided to us for use in the collection of taxes." The matter had come up before the apex court after noted lawyer Ram Jethamalani sought directions to the union government to act upon a report that Germany was willing to share details of Indians having accounts in banks based in Liechtenstein. Jethamalani wanted the directions to be given to the government to bring back such ill-gotten money, estimated at a whopping $1.5 trillion - nearly one-and-a-half times India's gross domestic product - put away in foreign banks by Indians. "It is not a case of tax. The issue involved is of serious nature. Keep aside all the things. Let us consider the persons named," said the apex court bench of Jus-
Vijay Sazawal on key US nuke trade committee India Post News Service
NEW YORK: Atomic industry expert and well-known activist for Kashmiri Pundits Vijay Sazawal, has been appointed by US commerce secretary Gary Locke to the prestigious Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC) as adviser on trade issues facing the key sector. In the appointment letter to 64year-old Srinagar-born Sazawal, Locke said that as a CINTAC member he will advise him "on trade issues facing the US civil nuclear industry for use by me and other department of commerce officials in our roles as members of the civil nuclear trade working group of the trade promotion coordinating committee." "CINTAC will provide consensus advice on the development and administration of programs and policies to expand US civil nuclear exports and strengthen the competitiveness of the industry," he said. Sazawal, currently director of Government Programs of US Enrichment Corporation (USEC) Inc, was involved in Track-2 discussions preceding the completion of the 123 agreement between India and the US. Since the passing of the 123 Agreement, Sazawal has participated in the promotion of US nuclear export trade and given tech-
nical lectures to the legal community advising companies on nuclear export controls. For over three decades Sazawal has participated in the US civilian and defense nuclear programs covering the entire nuclear fuel cycle and an array of reactor designs, including conventional and spacebased reactors, and black programs. Sazawal was born and raised in
He is a policy analyst and a commentator who specializes in local governance and intra-community issues affecting political dynamics within the Kashmir valley Srinagar and came to the US in 1970 for doing his PhD. As Director of programs funded or supported by US federal government, he provides corporate program oversight and coordination of various government projects within the company. He analyses the impact of federal budgets, policies and regulations on various USEC activities and interfaces with federal officials and members of the Congress, as necessary.
He is a member of the management team involved in the American Centrifuge Project (ACP), the leading initiative by USEC Inc., to build a state-of-the-art centrifuge nuclear enrichment plant based on American technology. He is also a member of the Sigma Xi, the American Academy of Mechanics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Nuclear Society. He has authored nine published technical papers and articles. Sazawal, who was appointed to CINTAC for a two-year term, is a long time advocate of Kashmiri Pundits. He is a policy analyst and a commentator who specializes in local governance and intra-community issues affecting political dynamics within the Kashmir valley. Sazawal has been invited by the US administration, Congress and major policy think tanks to address various aspects of the Kashmir problem. He is also a member of a non-governmental organization accredited to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and frequently speaks in Geneva on changing political and human rights situation in Kashmir. Sazawal, a founding member of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum (IAKF), is currently its international coordinator.
tice B. Sudarshan Reddy and Justice S.S.Nijjar. There are 15 banks in Liechtenstein, of which seven are Swiss-owned. The principality, with an area of about 160 sq km, is
Jethamalani wanted the directions to be given to the government to bring back such ill-gotten money, estimated at a whopping $1.5 trillion nearly one-and-a-half times India's gross domestic product surrounded by Switzerland and Austria and has a total population of 67,000 people. Mukherjee had maintained in the past that India has followed
the guidelines laid down by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and signed independent treaties with a host of countries and territories. He has also said these treaties were meant to share information on illegal transfers, often referred to as black money, but cannot be disclosed even to parliament, let alone the Directorate of Enforcement because of the secrecy code. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari has said the union government's reluctance to disclose the names of Indians with ill-gotten money parked abroad raised suspicions about it and the government should make the names public. A report by Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a US-based think tank, states that illicit financial flows from India between 20002008 were approximately $104 billion (approx Rs. 4.8 lakh crore). Agencies
Aamir Khan's 'Peepli Live' out of Oscar race LOS ANGELES: Aamir Khan's 'Peepli Live', India's official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film this year, is out of the race with the movie failing to make it to the final nine. Produced by Aamir Khan, the film was selected from 27 movies including 'Raajneeti' and 'Udaan' to represent India at the Oscars. Aamir had won an Oscar nomination for his 2001 film 'Lagaan'. His ' T a a r e Zameen Par (2007) also returned e m p t y handed from the Oscars. Directed by debut a n t e Anusha Rizvi, 'Peepli Live' is a satire on media's trivialization of farmers' suicide and stars a host of theatre actors. The nine films were selected out of 66 films that had originally qualified in the category. The list will be winnowed down to the five nominees by the Academy voters for January 25 Oscar nominations.
The films that are still in the Oscars race are -- Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Mexican film 'Biutiful', starring Javier Bardem, Algeria's 'Hors la Loi' (Outside the Law) by director Rachid Bouchareb, Canada's 'Incendies' by Denis Villeneuve, Denmark's 'In a Better World by Susanne Bier, Greece's 'Dogtooth' by Yorgos
Lanthimos, Japan's 'Confessions' by Tetsuya Nakashima, South Africa 'Life, above All' by Oliver Schmitz, Spain 'Tambien la Lluvia' by Iciar Bollain and Sweden's 'Simple Simon' by Andreas Ohman. The 83rd Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 27 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood. -PTI
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Indian Americans celebrate Haley's inauguration India Post News Service
NEW YORK: As Nikki Haley, the newly-elected Governor of South Carolina walked down the steps of the State Capitol in Columbia, on Jan 12, to be sworn in as South Carolina's 116th Governor, representatives of Indian American Republicans celebrated the event as a shining moment for the Indian American community especially for those closely involved with her electoral campaign. That included the President of the South Carolina Chapter of the Republican Indian Committee (RICPAC), Bhavna Vasudeva. "This is a moment of intense - and quiet - pride," said Vasudeva. "We believed in the promise of Nikki Haley's campaign and her potential to be a truly effective Governor for our State. My husband, Dr. Raj Vasudeva, and I have been working with Nikki for many years ever since her early days as state representative. It has been a slow and steady fight to the top and we have found that grassroots
support is what is necessary for success." The South Carolina Chapter hosted an event as part of the celebrations. "We are just getting started," noted Vasudeva, "and working with our Chapter leaders - Madhu Shrivastava, Seema
‘This is a moment of intense - and quiet pride," said Vasudeva. "We believed in the promise of Nikki Haley's campaign and her potential to be a truly effective Governor’ Shrivastava Patel, Dr. Nick Patel, and Rick Patel - we intend to capture the momentum we have today to grow the importance of our organization in our State's Indian American community as well as
our State's Republican Party." The many Inaugural celebrations continued throughout the day, despite icy and snowy weather. Haley has clearly struck a chord with the rapidly growing membership of the Republican Indian Committee PAC (RICPAC), with members from Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC, attending the festivities. RICPAC Finance Director Sue Ghosh observed: "What made this Inauguration speech remarkable, and unique, is that the new Governor of South Carolina announced herself as the proud daughter of Indian Immigrants." Ghosh added: "The RICPAC and its South Carolina Chapter was the only organization with an online fundraising presence on Haley's campaign website - gracious support that was extended to two other PACs: RomneyPAC and PalinPAC. We owe a special thank you to Nikki's husband, Michael Haley, and to Marisa Crawford, her campaign finance director, for their very welcoming
and warmly inclusive approach to Indian American supporters." RICPAC President, Dilip Paliath, who traveled from Maryland to attend Haley's inauguration, pointed out: "Governor Haley's electoral success leading up to the moment of her swearing
‘What made this Inauguration speech remarkable, and unique, is that the new Governor of South Carolina announced herself as the proud daughter of Indian Immigrants’ in as the Governor of South Carolina is a measure of the impact that the Republican Indian Committee PAC has had in just under a year of operation as an organization. We wish her every success and
look forward to celebrating her accomplishments. RICPAC's plans in the immediate future include broadening our outreach to the Indian American community, growing our membership base, and supporting candidates dedicated to supporting fiscal conservatism, low taxes, small government, a strong national defense, free trade, and open markets." Paliath and RICPAC officials were invited to a special breakfast at the Governor's mansion the day after the inauguration, an event hosted by Governor Haley on her first full day in office. The other out-of-state Republican Indian Committee PAC officials present for this special event included Jody Venkatesan (National Treasurer), Anoop Kansupada (National Youth Director), Dr. Kuchipudi Bapineedu (Chairman, NJ Chapter), Arthur Kapoor (President, NJ Chapter), Dr. Mukesh Roy (Executive Director, NJ Chapter), and Dr. Bindu Kansupada (Chairman, PA Chapter).
Supporters from Dallas, Chicagoland at swearing-in India Post News Service
COLUMBIA, SC: Indian Americans across USA supported Nikki Haley cutting across party lines to get her elected as Governor of South Carolina. Prasad Thotakura, General Secretary of the Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC), had arranged two fundraisers for Nikki Haley in Dallas where she got an overwhelming support. In Chicagoland, Jayshree Patel, Bhailal Patel and Shalli Kumar took initiative and organized a successful fund raiser
in September last. Nikki had invited her supporters from Dallas and Chicago to attend the inaugural ceremonies on Jan 12 and also at a special luncheon at Governor's mansion on Jan 13. Prasad Thotakura from Dallas led a team of 25 member delegation to attend these ceremonies. Governor Haley along with her husband Michael, parents Raj Kaur and Ajit Singh received all guests personally at Governor's mansion and spent more than two hours with the guests. On behalf of IAFC, Ramki
Indian Americans from Dallas TX at Nikki Haley swearing in ceremony. Gov Nikki and her husband Michael Haley are sporting cowboy hats
Nikiki Haley supporters in Chicagoland (L-R) Shalli Kumar, Bhailal Patel and Jayshree Patel
Chebrolu presented cowboy hats to Governor Haley and her husband Michael. Haley thanked all her supporters individually for their unwavering support which helped her to get elected as Governor of South Carolina. Thotakura extended an invitation to Governor Haley to visit Dallas again which she has accepted and assured to visit later part of this year. Nikki Haley has also been invited to come to Chicago and her supporters would await her second visit eagerly and with baited breath, said Bhailal Patel.
One of the strongest fiscal conservatives in the State government, Nikki was first elected as State Representative in 2004. In 2008, Haley was reelected as a State Representative with 83% of the votes the highest percentage earned by any law maker of South Carolina in that year. She has fought wasteful spending at every turn, pushed for smaller, more efficient government, and led the fight for accountability and transparency that, before her arrival, was sorely lacking in the legislature.
Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, the daughter of Indian immigrants, Nikki's fist job was keeping books for her family clothing store at the age of 13. After graduating from Clemson University with B.S degree in accounting she worked as Accounting Supervisor for FCR, Inc. Nikki and her husband Michael, an officer in the army National Guard, attend Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington, South Carolina. Nikki and Michael have two children Rena, 12 and Nalin, 9.
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Indian American to be judge in NJ
UIF honors Ashok Mago in Delhi India Post News Service
India Post News Service
NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced his intention to nominate Indian American Sohail Mohammed, an attorney from Clifton, for the position of Superior Court Judge in Passaic County. Mohammed is a native of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Gov Christie's office Jan 17 announced that the governor has filed nominations for judgeships and other state and county positions he originally nominated in 2010 but were not confirmed by the Senate during the year-long session. The notice of intent to nominate the Superior Court judge is subject to the consent of the state Senate. Significant to Mohammed's career background is that he was counsel to many detainees picked up by federal authorities in the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist attacks. Mohammed gained the respect of authorities for trying to improve communications between them and the Muslim community after Sept. 11, 2001, NJ.com notes. Gov Christie, who was himself a former federal prosecutor who oversaw several terrorism-related cases after the Sept. 11 attacks, said that one of his nominations for a Superior Court judgeship will be a lawyer who represented many detainees swept up by the government in the post-9/11 dragnet.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, DC, praised Christie's move. "It's just more evidence of the growth and maturity of the American Muslim community and our contributions to American society," he was quoted as saying. "We have
Significant to Mohammed's career background is that he was counsel to many detainees picked up by federal authorities in the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist attacks. Mohammed gained the respect of authorities for trying to improve communications between them and the Muslim community a large number of young Muslim attorneys coming up through the legal system, which is a fairly recent trend. It used to be that Muslim parents wanted their children to become doctors or engineers." Mohammed awaits a formal nomination now as his candidacy would be reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee before a vote by the full
Senate. Mohammed was on former Gov. Jon Corzine's short list of potential judicial appointees in the last two years of the Democrat's lone term in office, but he was not nominated. A board member of the American Muslim Union, Mohammed worked hard in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks to try to foster trust between American Muslims and law enforcement, particularly federal officials. As US attorney for New Jersey, Christie was a regular guest at the group's annual Ramadan dinner and spoke highly of Mohammed's interaction with authorities, Nj.com reported. Mohammed helped arrange a law enforcement job fair at a Paterson mosque in which young Muslims were encouraged to apply for jobs with law enforcement agencies. The session also featured a frank question-and-answer session between police and prosecutors and mosque members, after which both sides said they came away with a better understanding of the other. He was also asked to give numerous training sessions to FBI agents on Islam and Muslim culture, to enable agents to better understand the religion and the practices of Muslims. Mohammed would become the second Muslim Superior Court judge in New Jersey if confirmed. Last year, Hani Mawla was confirmed to the state bench in Somerset County.
Indian Muslims condemn Taseer's killing India Post News Service
NEW YORK: Moderate and progressive groups of Muslims living in India and abroad have condemned the recent brutal killing of Governor of Punjab in Pakistan Salman Taseer by his own guard. Gov Taseer was gunned down by Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, one of his elite security force guards, allegedly because of his vocal opposition to blasphemy laws. In an open letter to Maulana Ilyas Qadri, whose spiritual follower the alleged killer is, the Muslim groups expressed their shock at the brutal and inhuman action. "We are even more shocked that you have not condemned his action," they said in the letter to the Maulana. "Anyone who executes another person without recourse to the due process of law is a murderer. By not condemning
Mumtaz Qadri you are in fact supporting and creating a situation where anyone can kill with impunity, for any personal vendetta under the guise of action taken against blasphemy." The Muslims groups further said there was no room in shariah
Urging the Maulana to denounce the action of the killer, the Indian Muslims asked him to follow the percepts and actions of the prophet for executions carried out without due process of law. "If you truly support an Islamic society, you would have to oppose such acts," they said to the Maulana. "Salmaan Taseer was trying to prevent the misuse of the blas-
phemy law especially since it could be used against minorities to settle personal grievances. This is not blasphemy. The question of whether capital punishment is the appropriate punishment for blasphemy is a separate issue. There is a total disconnect between what you preach to attract spiritual followers and what your group teaches them to do." Urging the Maulana to denounce the action of the killer, the Indian Muslims asked him to follow the percepts and actions of the prophet and teach his spiritual followers the right way to live and act in the way of the prophet which "you sing in your meetings and broadcast on your radio and TV shows." The letter written by New Delhi Civil Society, has been signed by The Progressive Group of Muslims, The Moderate Group of Muslims, Muslims for Secular Democracy and at least a dozen other individuals.
NEW DELHI: Unity International Foundation presented its "Excellence in Global Friendship Award" to Ashok Mago, a Dallas businessman, at a function held in New Delhi on January 7. The award was presented in recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting Indian culture in US and US-India relations.
had evoked. He said the presence of a galaxy of ambassadors and the elite of the capital subscribed to the decision of Unity International Foundation to honor such a distinguished Indian-American who has vigorously pursued the cause of India in the US. Anil said, "History is replete with names of great men and women who have worked relentlessly to espouse the cause of
The award was given away by the Governor of Sikkim, Mr. B.P Singh in the presence of the former Indian Ambassador to USA, Lalit Mansingh, Vice President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Prof. Shahid Madi and the ambassadors of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Burundi, Tajikistan and Arab League. Former Union Minister and Governor, Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh presided the function. Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary-General of Unity International Foundation, R.N. Anil showed happiness on the overwhelming response the function
unity and universal brotherhood. They didn't belong to any one nation but were the true embodiments of global friendship." Ashok Mago belonged to that select group, he added. A citation was read on the occasion which highlighted the achievements of Mago. Governor of Sikkim B.P. Singh lauded the role played by Ashok Mago in bringing India and US closer and hoped that others will follow his lead and be involved in the communities they live in and bring the country of their birth and their adopted homeland closer.
India extends aid to flood affected Benin India Post News Service
NEW YORK: In the wake of devastating floods in the Republic of Benin in West Africa, the Government of India has extended a cash donation of $500,000 in response to a request for aid from that country. The check to that amount towards assistance of the flood affected people was handed over by the Permanent Representative of India to the United
Nations, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri in New York to the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin to the United Nations, Ambassador JeanFrancis R. Zinsou. India expressed deep sorrow and sadness over the heavy devastation caused by the floods in the 'friendly' nation of Benin since late last year and condoled the loss of lives and property suffered and expressed solidarity with the people of Benin.
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Reshuffle & After
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January 28, 2011
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Uttar Pradesh, Kerala gain in reshuffle of Union Ministry NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh stole the limelight while several states including poll-bound Tamil Nadu and West Bengal remained out of focus in the just carried out reshuffle of the Union Ministry. As the Congress focus is on 'Mission 2012' in UP where assembly polls are due next year, it went the extra mile for elevating Salman Khurshid and Shriprakash Jaiswal to the Cabinet rank. Besides, it brought in backward leader Beni Prasad Verma as a Minister of State with Independent charge of the Steel Ministry and retained three junior ministers Jitin Prasad, Pradip Jain Aditya and R P N Singh. The number of representatives from Uttar Pradesh in the ministry has increased from five to six. Congress has 22 members in the Lok Sabha from UP. As against this, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal drew a blank despite the fact that A Raja of DMK had lost his job as the Telecom Minister ahead of the winter session of Parliament some two months back. Congress appeared to be in no mood to accommodate anyone from DMK in place of Raja with sources in the ruling party indicating that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was also in no position to press the issue against the backdrop of the 2G spectrum scam and its effect on pollbound Tamil Nadu. Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress might have had her reasons for not having an additional representative in the Union Ministry in spite of the fact
that the name of Sudip Bandhoyapdhay was doing the rounds for long. There has not been a representative of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Manipur and Bihar in the ministry. Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy, who hails from Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, got the key ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Poll-bound Kerala, where Congress-led UDF is making a determined bid to come to power, was well looked after in the reshuffle exercise. A new face K C Venugopal, belonging to the powerful Nair community, was inducted as MoS while Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi got additional charge
Allies not touched because of Assembly polls NEW DELHI: The Government has said the UPA allies were not covered in the reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in various states and an expansion can take place after the Budget session of Parliament. "It was not that big a reshuffle. Only the portfolios were shuffled," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said here while briefing media on the Cabinet meeting. She noted that UPA allies were not covered in the reshuffle as it was not apt to do so in view of the upcoming Assembly elections. Assembly elections are due to take place in a few months in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil
Nadu and Puducherry. Soni said an expansion could take place after the Budget session of Parliament as she referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement in this regard. Singh had said that an "expansive" reshuffle would be undertaken after the Budget session. The Budget session will begin on February 21 and is expected to go on till May. To questions on the reshuffle, Soni said it would help bring new thinking and experience on the basis of specific capabilities of various Ministers. "Every reshuffle has a benefit," she said, adding the exercise would give a new chance to various Ministers.-PTI
Top priority to transparency in roads sector Sriprakash Jaiswal assumes the charge as the Union Minister for Coal in New Delhi on January 20
gas but Minister of state for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh also elected from the same state to the Rajya Sabha failed to get elevation despite being the most talked about minister. Andhra Pradesh, which has 32 Congress members of the Lok Sabha, the largest from any state, had to remain content with one cabinet ministership in Jaipal Reddy.
of the key Civil Aviation portfolio. K V Thomas, also from Kerala, has been elevated to MoS (Independent charge) and given the key ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, at a time when the government as well Congress appear keen to rein in foodgrain prices as spiraling prices could hit the party in election-bound states. -PTI
NEW DELHI: Improving quality of roads and bringing in transparency in the functioning of Road Transport Ministry would top the agenda of C P Joshi, who joined as the new Highways Minister today. "Improving quality of roads, bringing accountability and transparency and living up to the expectations of people... These are my priorities," Joshi
expedited and the targets are achieved." While refusing to get into the details of existing policies, prepared under the regime of outgoing minister Kamal Nath, Joshi said, "I will answer all your queries after a fortnight as I am trying to understand the issues before the ministry now". Asked whether building 20 km of roads a day, as an-
Delhi Metro will be made bigger than London Metro: Kamal Nath NEW DELHI: Kamal Nath has taken over as Urban Development Minister with an ambitious plan of giving a boost to urban transportation for which he intends to expand Delhi Metro network to make it bigger than its London counterpart by 2017. "Urban transport is a big challenge today. It needs priority," said Nath, who moved to the Urban Development Ministry from Roads and Highways where he had made an endeavor the fasttrack construction of highways. In this context, he talked about Delhi Metro and said his aim would be to ensure that its network goes up to 415 kms by 2017 to make it bigger than London Metro.
Delhi Metro has so far covered 190 kms, including the airport route. London Metro has a network of 402 kms and is planned to be expanded to 414 kms. When pointed out that the Delhi Metro was facing a financial crunch, Nath said he would discuss the issue with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit shortly. Talking about the challenges being faced on account of urbanization, he said he would focus on transportation aspect considering the fact that the auto sector has grown up to 34 per cent. In the housing sector, he noted a "huge gap" in demand and supply and said steps would be taken to involve private sector in the construction of affordable
houses. On the Real Estate Regulator Bill, he said it was one of the issues requiring priority handling. "The land prices are going up in cities. There is a need for the expansion of NCR zone, expansion of cities with all facilities so that people feel proud for living in those cities," he said. He said a "new outlook and new vision" was needed to tackle other challenges related to urbanization like sewage system and water supplies, in view of the progress being made by the country. Nath pointed out that urban development is one of the key areas contributing to GDP growth up to 60 per cent and expected to go up to 70 per cent.-PTI
Dr. C.P. Joshi addressing the media after assuming the charge as the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi on January 20
said after assuming charge of his new portfolio. He, however, added that projects related to developing roads in the North-eastern India and Left-wing extremism affected areas, announced by the UPA government earlier, would be expedited. "The ministry is concentrating on development of roads in NorthEast, in left-wing extremist areas. We will see that work on them is
nounced earlier would be met, he said the challenge before his Ministry would be to accelerate development of the sector at present. Earlier, Joshi's predecessor Kamal Nath who has been shifted to Urban Development, soon after taking charge in May 2009 had announced that the Ministry will build 35,000 km of roads by March 2012, which translates into 20 km a day.-PTI
Reshuffle & After
January 28, 2011
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Ravi seeks support of AI employees in restoring its glory NEW DELHI: New Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi has sought the support of all employees of ailing Air India in restoring its lost glory and said the staff and the management should work in coordination to achieve this. "I am taking over from one of my best friends and colleagues Praful Patel who is responsible for making the aviation sector grow very fast. Thanks to him that there are many more private players and budget airlines," he said after taking over his new assignment at the Ministry headquarters here in the presence of Patel. He said he would carry forward the policies and implement the programmes initiated by his predecessor and strive to bring about improvement in the financial position of Air India as well as the overall aviation sector. Being a former trade unionist, Ravi said in this endeavour, "I solicit the cooperation of all trade unions. I am here to hear them and seek their cooperation. Among my priorities would be to improve Air India's services, make it a profitable institution and restore its lost glory."
Vayalar Ravi assuing the charge as Union Minister for Civil Aviation in New Delhi
He said he would also be meeting the corporate leaders and other stakeholders in the civil aviation sector shortly, listen to their issues and seek their cooperation. "The employees and the corporates are like my two hands". Asked about the problem of alleged cartelisation by airlines on airfares, Ravi said Patel had taken "very strong step when there were complaints (of high fares). I will
follow his footsteps and not allow such things to happen". "Earlier, I used to watch things (in the sector) as a passenger. That experience will help me now (as a Minister)," he said. The veteran Congress leader from Kerala said he would meet the officials, the corporates in the sector and the employees representatives before deciding on policy issues. -PTI
Reddy on his toes to tackle oil min issues NEW DELHI: For S Jaipal Reddy, who replaced Murli Deora as Oil Minister, the immediate task at the nation's highest economic turnover ministry is clearly cut out- avoiding fuel price hikes and deciding on the sector's biggest acquisition. Reddy, who moved from urban development to the oil ministry, got down to tackling the task straightaway with a brainstorming session with senior ministry officials. "This is not a new government...I am a new minister in the old government. I am morally and politically accountable for all the policies and decisions of my predecessor. They were collective decisions of the Cabinet," he said last evening. With rumors doing the rounds that Congress party brass were not happy with Deora and his junior Jitin Prasada over the last week's Rs 2.50 per liter hike in petrol prices, Reddy said spiraling international oil prices "was a challenge."
cide on giving approval to billionaire Anil Agarwal-run Vedanta Resources' the USD 9.6 billion acquisition of Cairn India. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had set month end as the deadline for deciding on the issue which has been hanging since August last year. Reddy takes over as Petroleum Minister at a time when almost all the public sector companies under the ministry are seeing a change at the top. Acting Chairman B M Bansal will retire from Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest oil firm, by monthend while R K Singh is barely few months old at the helms of BPCL. The nation's highest profit making firm Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) too will be headless with current Chairman and Managing Director R S Sharma superannuating at month-end. Replacements for Bansal and Sharma are unlikely to be in place by February 1, as their files are
Venugopal says his appointment not linked to Kerala polls NEW DELHI: The new minister of state for power, K C Venugopal has denied any political motives behind his appointment by the Congress led UPA government ahead of Kerala elections and termed it as a 'routine exercise', "I don't think so. This is a routine exercise," Venugopal replied when asked whether he sees any link of his appointment to the forthcoming Kerala election, after taking charge as minister. The induction of Venugopal, a post graduate in Mathematics, is seen as a move to woo the influential Nair community ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala due around May. The Nair community, to which Venugopal belongs, has been demanding his induction in the Ministry, according to reports. After assuming charge, Venugopal, in the presence of his senior minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, said "I will discuss the entire matter with him (Shinde). "I will seek advice of my senior minister who is senior in the party and Cabinet," he said adding that power is a major sector and the entire country, including "our" industry was dependent on it. He said power generation is a
S. Jaipal Reddy assumes the charge as Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas in New Delhi
K.C. Venugopal assumes the charge as Minister of State for Power in New Delhi
major challenge before the government. Venugopal, a first time Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, is another young face in the Union government. With Venugopal becoming a minister, Alapuzha district now has three ministers in the Centre, the other two being Defense Minister A K Antony and Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi. He is a three-time MLA and a
former minister, who resigned from the post of MLA to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and won the elections with a huge margin. Venugopal was a minister looking after temple affairs and tourism in the state for two years. Initiated into politics in his student days, he rose to become the president of the Kerala unit of the NSUI and later the chief of Youth Congress. -PTI
Oil PSUs, who face Rs 73,600 crore of revenue loss this fiscal, are pressing for a hike in diesel and LPG prices, but Reddy says "a balance" will have to be struck between how much consumers can pay and the fiscal needs of oil companies. "The task confronting the petroleum ministry and the country are common. We cannot allow oil companies to bleed. They cannot afford it. Nor can we allow huge hikes in diesel prices, as they have cascading effect (on inflation). The burden has to be shared by all," he said. Despite last week's price hike the seventh since June, oil firms lose Rs 1.22 a liter on petrol. Besides, they lose Rs 7 a liter on diesel, Rs 366.28 on LPG and Rs 19.60 a liter on kerosene. The Congress heavyweight said decisions on such issues would be taken at the Cabinet-level. He will also have to quickly de-
struck in red tape. Also, Reddy will have a new deputy in RPN Singh after the cabinet reshuffle also moved Prasada to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Hours before his departure, Deora said he has demanded abolition of customs duty on crude oil and cut in excise duty on diesel to avoid more fuel price hikes that have become necessary because of spiraling global oil rates. Now it will be Reddy's task to convince Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to rollback the 5 per cent customs duty imposed on crude oil in last Budget. Also, the Re one per liter increase in excise duty on petrol and diesel (also done in Budget for 2010-11) needs to be reversed. Mukherjee had on February 26, 2010, imposed 5 per cent import duty on crude oil and hiked the same on petrol and diesel from 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent.-PTI
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Hindus upset over Ganesha denigration on NBC India Post News Service
NEW YORK: Hindus in the US are disturbed over the portrayal of Lord Ganesh as a sex act on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) and want apologies from all those responsible for it, including actor Jim Carrey and NBC. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in re-imagined versions for dramatic effects in TV series for mercantile greed. Such absurd depiction of Lord Ganesh with no scriptural backing was hurtful to the devotees. In a skit on NBC's SNL (January eight) titled "The Wrath of Ganesh", Jim Carrey (as erotic shaman Lee Licious) and Kenan Thomson (as Grady Wilson) demonstrate a sexual technique, mocking elephant-headed Lord Ganesh and his trunk in the process. Grady has traveled the world to find new sexual techniques to spice up the bedroom, the tagline of the episode (1587) "Grady Wilson's Tantric N'Tasty" says. Such trivialization of Lord Ganesh was disturbing and offensive to the one billion Hindus world over, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said and requested NBC to immediately remove it from all its websites and other links.
Zed also asked Golden Globe winner actor-comedian Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) , actor-comedian Kenan Thomson, NBC Universal President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Zucker, and SNL Executive Producer Lorne Michaels to tender a public apology for it and urged them not to inappropriately
Zed said no faith, larger or smaller, should be ridiculed at and added if Hollywood or other entertainment executives needed any assistance about Hinduism, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help drag Hindu deities to advance the commercial or other agenda in the future. Hindus welcomed Hollywood and other entertainment industries to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and respectfully and not just for indecorous showing of Hindu symbols and concepts to advance their selfish agenda. Casual flirting sometimes
resulted in pillaging serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols and hurting the devotees, Zed pointed out. Zed said no faith, larger or smaller, should be ridiculed at and added if Hollywood or other entertainment executives needed any assistance about Hinduism, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help. Meanwhile, Forum for Hindu Awakening has called it a "grave denigration" and "vulgar mockery of Sri Ganesh", appealing devout Hindus worldwide to protest against it. Emmy winning late-night comedy show SNL, which entertains millions each week, entered 36th season on September 25. Headquartered in New York (USA), founded in 1926, and available in about 112 million households; NBC Universal claims to be one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Lord Ganesh, however, is a favorite of many Hollywood celebrities. According to reports, actress-director Goldie Hawn reveres Lord Ganesh, actress Olivia Hussey possesses an extensive collection of his statues, actress Kelli Williams considers him as her favorite, while writer-director Tracey Jackson wears Lord Ganesh necklace.
Australian company to sue CWG organizers over unpaid bills MELBOURNE: At least four of Australia's biggest event firms plan to slap a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Commonwealth Games organizers in New Delhi for the recovery of their dues. Events organizer Ric Birch has commissioned law firm Slater and Gordon to draw up the multi-million dollar lawsuit that would involve at least four of Australia's biggest event firms - including his firm Spectak Productions and fireworks group Howard & Sons - against the Delhi Games organizers, 'The Australian' newspaper reported. Birch, who was the mastermind behind the successful opening and closing ceremonies of the megaevent, which took place from October 3 to 14 last year, said that his employers have still not paid their bill. "I supplied the services of 12 people over the course of the year
leading up to the Games, which included choreographers, producers and myself as executive producer," ABC.net.au. quoted him as saying. "They're all production people who were intimately involved in the creation, production and direction of the opening and closing ceremonies." The issue also figured prominently during External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd, giving the visiting Indian leader some embarrassing moments. Rudd raised the issue of nonpayment of dues to Australian companies for Commonwealth Games-related work with Krishna, who is here on a three-day visit. Krishna assured the Australian government that he would take up the matter of non-payment of dues back home with the Ministry of Sports.
"It has been brought to my notice and I would go back to India and take it up with the Ministry of Sports," Krishna told a joint press conference after the meeting. Krishna could not give a time frame on how soon the matter would be resolved, but said it will be dealt with as soon as possible after his return to India. Rudd said his government was satisfied with the Indian government's response to the issue, which he described as a "complicated one". "We did discuss these matters. We in Australia are comfortable about Indian government's responses about the process we have in hand which is a complicated one on the domestic matters in India itself. But these matters are well in hand," he told reporters.-PTI
Australia not moved by India's repeated pleas on Uranium MELBOURNE: Australia has only option is to have nuclear refused to concede to India's re- energy, and if you have to have peated requests for revoking a ban nuclear energy, then you certainly on Uranium sale to it, saying need uranium," he said. Canberra remains steadfast on its On the question of the secupolicy of not selling yellowcake rity of Indian students in Austrato NPT non-signatories. lia, Rudd gave his full assurance External Affairs Minister S M to his counterpart. Krishna raised the issue of UraHe said as the Foreign Minisnium sale with Australia for a sec- ter he takes the issue of security ond day during his meeting with of any guest including internahis Australian counterpart Kevin tional students 'fundamentally Rudd but the latter said his and seriously'. country's stand remains un"I take the responsibility and changed. that is our job," he said after holdHe had also taken up the issue ing the seventh ministerial diawith Australia's Resource, Energy logue with Krishna at a joint press and Tourism Minister Martin conference. Ferguson. "Any student from any part of Rudd acknowledged India's the world who runs into any seclean record on nuclear prolifera- curity issue is one two many," tion, but maintained it was Rudd said. Australia's national policy to not Appreciating the steps taken sell Uranium to NPT non-signa- by the Australian government, tories. Krishna said Indian students were Rudd said "Australia funda- now feeling confident and secure mentally respects India's long despite the fact that the number standing credentials on the non- of enrolments had dropped by alproliferation question". most half. Addressing a joint press conference here along with the visiting Rudd acknowledged India's Krishna, Rudd ac- clean record on nuclear knowledged that India has not been respon- proliferation, but maintained it sible for a single act of was Australia's national policy nuclear weapons prolif- to not sell Uranium to NPT noneration anywhere in the signatories. Krishna said he world. "Something which has pleaded with the Austrawe place on record lian government to change again as being our views of India's public the policy, stressing that policy posture and op- nuclear energy as a clean erational behavior for a energy source was crucial to very long period of the rising energy demands time," he said. Australia is unwillof India ing to sell uranium to India because it has not signed the Nuclear Non-ProliferaKrishna said when he visited tion Treaty. the country in 2009 he was carry"However, Australia's stands ing an "anguish and worry" in the on NPT remains. We continue to backdrop of a series of racial atdiscuss these matters as friends tacks on students in the country. "But on this visit that worry is do," he said emphasizing on the strategic partnership that the two missing, that anguish has disappeared," Krishna said. countries shared. "Indian students feel quite se"There is a huge amount underway in the Australia- India re- cure and feel quite confident, and lationship at the political, security they feel they can pursue their studand economic levels... There's ies without any anxiety," he said. He said though the drop in ensufficient ballast in this relationship to deal with areas of periodic rolment of Indian students has disagreement as there are in all been given as 80 per cent, however according to his understandrelationships," he said. Commenting on the issue, ing the drop was by 40 per cent. On the economic ties between Krishna said he has pleaded with the Australian government to the two countries, Krishna said a change the policy, stressing that Free Trade Agreement joint feasinuclear energy as a clean energy bility study was already complete source was crucial to the rising and the trade imbalance with Australia was the second largest that energy demands of India. "If you have to have clean en- India had with any of its trading ergy, then according to India the partners. -PTI
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First Vocational Education University in Gujarat India Post News Service
BANGALORE: TeamLease Services, India's largest staffing company, has signed an agreement with the Gujarat Government to set up India's first Vocational Education University. TeamLease University (TLU) will set up 22 community colleges across the State of Gujarat that will offer two year associate degree programs in collaboration with employers. The 22 community colleges are likely to come up over 36 months, while the first 10 will be set up over the next 18 months. TLU will be India's first University focused on vocational education. Employers will be at the heart of academics and technology will be at the heart of operations. It will offer quality education via four classrooms (physical, satellite, e-learning and on-thejob). The two year associate degree programs will fill an important gap by creating a mezzanine layer between shorter certificate/ diploma courses (provided by TeamLease subsidiary IIJT) and traditional degree colleges. These associate degree programs are an important part of solution to the skill and vocational education crisis because of their higher duration (many children need more time for repair after having been badly served in their
school year, higher employability (strong linkages with employers and mandatory apprenticeships) and vertical mobility (these programs can be used for lateral entry into traditional degree colleges). Commenting on the agreement, Hasmukh Adhia, Principal Secretary, Education, Government of Gujarat, said, "Youth unemployability is a bigger problem than youth unemployment. The government of Gujarat has made human capital an important priority in all our actions and we believe that community colleges offering programs with strong employment linkages are an important part of the solution. We are happy that TeamLease is partnering with Gujarat to set up India's first vocational education university." The TLU model of 22 community colleges across the State recognizes that taking students to training substantially increase costs and it is important to take training to students. TLU will use a multi-modal delivery model that will include satellite delivery (from studios in Ahmedabad, Delhi and Bangalore), classroom instruction, e-learning and on-the-job training. Each community college will have technology at the heart of operations with online communities/portals for students and faculty, biometric attendance systems, and satellite classrooms.
'By 2020, world to be 2.4C warmer, India to be hardest hit' WASHINGTON: The Earth will be 2.4 degree Celsius warmer by 2020 if the world continues with the business-as-usual approach to climate change and India would be one of the hardest hit countries witnessing up to 30 per cent reduction in crop yields, a new study has claimed. The rising temperatures will adversely affect the world's food production and India would be the hardest hit, according to the analysis by the Universal Ecological Fund (FEU-US), the US subsidiary of FEU founded in Argentina in 1990. The report titled 'The Food Gap -- The Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production: A 2020 Perspective' predicted that crop yield in India, the second largest world producer of rice and wheat, would fall up to 30 per cent by the end of this decade. The report, however, noted that the impacts of climate change would vary from region to region. While central and southern region would witness adverse impacts, the impacts could be beneficial for
East and South-East Asia, the report predicted. The two most populated countries in the world, India and China, would experience different impacts. While India could see a fall in its crop yield, China - the largest producer of rice and wheat in the world -- is expected to increase its crop yields up to 20 per cent, said the report. However, the overall impact of a warmer planet on global food production would be massive, said the report, adding that the most significant impacts would be on the top 20 producers of each of the four crops: wheat, rice, maize and soybean, respectively. It has predicted that global wheat production during that time would experience a 14 per cent deficit between production and demand; while there will be an 11 per cent deficit in rice production and 9 per cent in maize (corn) production. Soybean is the only crop showing an increase in global production, with an estimated 5 per cent surplus, the report said.-PTI
THUMBS UP: Canadian Member of Parliament Ruby Dhalla (C), with actress Satinder Satti (L), and Principal Neelam Kamra (2L) greets students as they arrive at the BBK DAV College for women in Amritsar on January 18. Dhalla visited the city to pay her respects at the Golden Temple and also delivered a lecture on ĂŤParliamentary Democracy in CanadaĂ at the Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar
Jaya Bachchan in Bangla-Pak love story NEW DELHI: Debutante Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain is ready with her feature film "Meherjaan" starring versatile actors Jaya Bachchan and Victor Banerjee and based on a Bangaladesh-Pakistan love story. The Rs one crore film funded by Era Productions is a story of Meherjaan (played by Jaya Bachchan), a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with a young Pakistani army officer who refuses to join the war and saves her from being raped by other Pakistani troops who do not however spare her cousin Neela and kill her father. "The young Pakistani officer and Meherjaan create a world of love and fantasy in the midst of war. However, this world collapses and Meherjaan loses most of her
family in the devastation of the War", says Rubaiyat. The director says "Meherjaan", which also features leading Bangladeshi actors like Humayun Faridi and Khairul Alam Sabuj, "looks at war from the women's point of view. It is looks at history through women's recollection of war.
"It talks about national politics also speaks about the very personal intimate emotions of women. It is also a film that tries to look at the canvas of war and find a flicker of hope in love and compassion that can reach across man made boundaries", according to Rubaiyat who has done her MA in South Asia Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. "Meherjaan", which is slated to hit cinema halls across Bangladesh on January 21, already boasts of a cast spanning across the subcontinent including Pakistani actor Omar Karim. For a debutante director, to rope in actors like Banerjee, who plays grandfather to Meherjaan and Neela and Jaya Bachchan is a casting coup of sorts.
Desi News NRI youth stunned at lack of health care facilities in India RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Two second generation Indian youth from North America and UK were in India recently volunteering at a medical camp organized by Manorama Devi Birla Charitable Trust in Mussoorie, in India. The participants were aghast to see widespread prevalence of diseases of all types - tropical and non tropical - and woefully inadequate medical facilities available in the region.
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
Punjabis in Yuba City welcome New Year by helping the needy Details on page 18
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Two FIAs, two Republic Day celebrations the same day SURESH SHAH & SURENDRA ULLAL
Details on page 14
Silverstein pledge to improve infrastructure SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: A front ranking candidate for the 50th ward in Chicago Debra Silverstein asserted here that she would turn her ward into a truly international market place with a total face over, redoing roads, planting of trees and ensuring fullest security to shoppers and visitors, if elected in the forthcoming February 22 elections. Addressing a gathering of her supporters and ethnic media on Devon Avenue, she said the 50th Ward had been getting a step motherly treatment over the years and it was high time the needs of the residents. Details on page 15
Indians join Mayor in celebrating King's birthday CHICAGO: Under the Leadership of Mayor Richard M. Daley, the city of Chicago held celebration of 82nd birth anniversary of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on January 14 at Hilton Hotel of Chicago. It was a breakfast event and was attended by a large number of Chicago elite, including members of the Indian community.
Usha Kamaria of Niles Township
Sunil Shah, the new FIA President
Iftekhar Shareef, the FIA Trustee
Sunny Gabhawala ex FIA President
CHICAGO: With three threatened "separations" in the past three decades, the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) in Chicagoland still managed to maintain its façade of unity and survived intense intra-family (organization) bickering. But no longer now. A formal split is quite in evidence and it is the talk of the town. Two groups claiming to represent FIA have announced hosting of Indian Republic Day celebrations on the same day and at the same time - Friday January 28 at 6-30 pm - but at two difference
places in Chicagoland. Both have promised a gala banquet and grand celebration with galaxy of
prominent community stalwarts behind them. The FIA led by Sunil Shah has
cago suburb, while the other FIA that had a rebuke from the Court and is virtually "headless" but has still managed to survive the legal battle, is having its program at Holiday Inn on Touhy Ave in Skokie, a north side suburb of Chicago. Interestingly, both the FIA groups profess the ideal of "United we stand" or "united we prosper" but both have seemingly proved the old adage false with a public display of "Divided we stand" and "United we fall.
Interestingly, both the FIA groups profess the ideal of "United we stand" or "united we prosper" but both have seemingly proved the old adage false with a public display of "Divided we stand" and "United we fall celebrities and live entertainment program with talented local artists, and both have lined up
announced holding the event at Indian House Banquet Hall in Schaumburg, a northwest Chi-
Cont’d on page 13
Indian Americans attend Governor Quinn's swearing-in ceremony HARISH RAO
CHICAGO: Several leading Indian Americans attended the State of Illinois Inaugural Ceremonies that marked the swearing-in of
Sheila Simon, Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka and Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford. All of them took oath of office
Details on page 17
Gajjela said Governor Pat Quinn consistently demonstrated his enthusiastic friendship with the IADO by supporting the causes and issues of the Indian community
Acknowledgment
T
he India Post issue dated January 14 carried a news item of refund of Property Tax by Maria Pappas. The picture of Maria Pappas in the news item was provided by Asian Media Service. -Editor
Governor Pat Quinn with IADO officers [L-R] Dr. Ram Gajjela, former President and Jitender Digvanker along with Vir Doshi, Ketan Shah and Shailesh Shah
Governor Patrick Quinn along with five Illinois constitutional officers: Secretary of State Jesse White, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Lieutenant Governor
on January 10 at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center in Springfield, IL. Cont’d on page 13
January 28, 2011
Community Across America
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13
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Indian Americans attend Governor Quinn's swearing-in ceremony Cont’d from page 12
Following the swearing-in, the 41st Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said "We must be united as one people to address the challenges ahead" and reminded the people that he was a humble servant of the people of Illinois. He emphasized that it was important to main-
tion filled with promise and hope. Gajjela said Governor Pat Quinn consistently demonstrated his enthusiastic friendship with the IADO by supporting the causes and issues of the Indian community. Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, Director of Federation of Indian Associations -Chicago hailed Governor
Governor Pat Quinn with Keerthi Kumar Ravoori at the Inaugural Ball
tain openness, honesty and integrity in the government. Dr. Ram Gajjela, a former president of the Indo American Democratic Organization [IADO] who attended the Inaugural ceremonies commended Governor Pat Quinn for his inspiring remarks and said that his words have deeply touched the hearts of the people as he laid out his vision to steer the state of Illinois in a new direc-
Pat Quinn as a true champion of the people. Ravoori who had served in the Asian American Advisory Councils of Pat Quinn when he was elected first as Illinois Treasurer and later as the Lieutenant Governor, said Governor Pat Quinn is widely admired and respected by Indian American community as he had shown abiding fondness by his presence at the Indian festivals, parades, cultural
Two FIAs, two Republic Day celebrations the same day Cont’d from page 12
" While Indian Americans in Chicagoland would not doubt the deep affiliation and undying respect for Indian culture by both the groups, they are still wary at this sort of public display of factionalism or divergent pulls within a small community. They feel that
proven through our history. This can be traced to as back as the age of Pandavas and Kauravas, and repeated time and again from the time of the invasion of Ghori Mohammad and then Mohammad of Ghajni, and to the wake of consolidation of British imperial rule. Indian Community of Niles
Indian Community of Niles Township in collaboration and cooperation of United Senior Pariwar and ethnic Indian media has also organized its celebration wiser counsels should have prevailed and should prevail even now, and that both the groups should pull their resources to celebrate Indian Republic Day unitedly with grace and dignity befitting the occasion. The substance of this unfortunate occurrence just proves once again the legendary Indian apathy toward each other, as profoundly
Township in collaboration and cooperation of United Senior Pariwar and ethnic Indian media has also organized its celebration but, for a change, on Saturday January 29 between 3 pm and 6 pm at Niles West High School Auditorium in Niles. The event also promises a top of the line cultural program with award winning dance academics.
events, forums and receptions. The day began with an Interfaith Service at the First Presbyterian Church, followed by the formal swearing-in ceremonies at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. There was an Open House where Governor Quinn and Lt. Governor Sheila Simon warmly greeted each guest at the Governor's Executive
Mansion in Illinois capital Springfield, Illinois. The festivities culminated with a grand Inaugural Evening Ball where many an eminent guests from both political parties reveled late into the night. Some of the other prominent Indian Americans who attended the inaugural festivities include Dr.
Ram Gajjela of IADO, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori of FIA, Dr Ashish & Coleen Sen of IADO, Smita Shah of Chicago's Sister-City Relations, Vir Doshi of Maharasthra Mandal, Jitender Digvanker of IADO, Ashref Hashim of the Indo American Center, Gladson of IADO, Mohini Ahluwalia, Ketan Shah and Shailesh Shah.
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NRI youth stunned at lack of health care facilities in India
Dr. Sanon diagnosing a patient
RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Two second generation Indian youth from North America and UK were in India recently volunteering at a medical camp organized by Manorama Devi Birla Charitable Trust in Mussoorie, in India. The participants were aghast to see widespread prevalence of diseases of all types - tropical and non tropical - and woefully inadequate medical facilities available in the region. Parth Mangrola from USA and Devraj Kathwadia from UK attended a medical camp in November last and were dumbstruck at the apathy of not only the authorities but also of the public in general to the sad state of affairs. The rural area population in particular suffered all sort of ailments and had nobody but God and conscientious medical practioners like Dr. Sunil Sanon and his wife Dr Venu Sannon to look for help and redressing their grievances. Mangrola and Kathwadia made observations of the patients' health habits through personal talks and filling out questionnaire. The data they collected revealed
that a staggering 88 % of the people came in suffered one or other kind of dental disease. They found that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases were very common among rural folks. Dental tarter has been causing coronary thrombosis. Similarly, missing teeth, tartar, and toothaches led to poorly chewed food which in turn led to poor digestion. They also found that a good number of patients coming in suffered from anxiety disorder. The anxiety causes dryness of mouth and this in its turn caused bacteria accumulation in the oral cavity along with food particles for lack of saliva. Smoking and tobacco chewing made matters worse. In a talk to this paper, they said that part of the problem is lack of awareness among rural folks about the basics of healthcare and this is compounded by lack of any worthwhile facilities in remote areas. "We found that staggering 88 per cent of the population including children suffered from gum diseases -cavities, swollen gums, broken teeth, bad breath, pyorrhea, etc. If they cannot chew their food
Dr. Sannon with patient
Volunteers and Dr Sanon before the mobile van (L-R) Parth Mangrola, Dr Sunil Sanon, Rajender Pandey, Mahaveer, Pratap Singh, and driver.
properly, it would affect the absorption of the food they eat creating more problems in turn. Besides, lack of dental hygiene, the people suffered from lung disease (TB included), hypertension, cardiovascular problems, stomach ailments and you name a disease
Sannon has lately received big help from Manorama Devi Birla Trust founded by KK Birla. Mangrola said he has decided that he would devote his summer time attending health care camps and would pitch for support from other like-minded second generation Indian medical
art medical equipment, including ECG machine, lab testing facility, pharmacy cabinet with 160 types of medicines, computer and printers etc. This van is manned by Dr. Sannon, his Pathologist wife Dr. Venu Sannon, a pharmacist, computer tech help, and other volun-
They said that part of the problem is lack of awareness among rural folks about the basics of healthcare and this is compounded by lack of any worthwhile facilities in remote areas Dr Venu Sannon in mobile van lab.
and will find it there," he said with a bit of dismay. He was full of praise for Dr. Sannon who has been rendering voluntary free services in the regions for the past three decades. The only MD in the area, Dr.
personnel to give their mite for alleviating the misery of the needy in India. Dr Sannon in a telephonic talk with this paper said that Manorma Devi Trust has donated a 30 ft long mobile van complete with state of
Devraj Kathwadia and Parth Mangrola examining a patient
teers. It goes from place to place and offers diagnostic help and at times medicine too. Complicated cases like valve replacement, dialysis or kidney transplant are referred to nearby hospitals. Patients were also found suffering from joint pains, bronchitis, heart and lung diseases. In his career spanning three decades, Dr Sannon has seen 30,000 patients free of cost. During his visit to remote villages in mobile van, "we see 80 to 100 patients a day," he said. Besides, Manorama Devi Birla Trust, yet another social organization, Divine Light Trust, has also been helping Dr. Sannon and his group in offering medical help to the needy in rural areas. Dr Sannon can be reached at 98 370 542 11 or at (91) 135 263 2499
January 28, 2011
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Silverstein promises to improve infrastructure SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: A front ranking candidate for the 50th ward in Chicago Debra Silverstein asserted here that she would turn her ward into a truly international market place with a total face over, redoing roads, planting of trees and ensuring fullest security to shoppers and visitors, if elected in the forthcoming February 22 elections. Addressing a gathering of her supporters and ethnic media on Devon Avenue, she said the 50th Ward had been getting a step motherly treatment over the years and it was high time the needs of the residents and shoppers in this area were given top priority. "What we see now are broken roads, lot of potholes, inadequate parking space, pile of garbage and dirt, and the last but not the least, lack of adequate security. The area that has huge potential to become an international marketing place because of its huge ethnic diversity is slowly being shunned by outside visitors and shoppers because of lack of basic infrastructure and poor planning," she said. She also insisted on transparency and accountability in the working of her office besides staffing it with members speaking multiple languages. "I will have an open door policy and will welcome any one who would have any concern about this neighborhood," she said. When told repeatedly about the parking problem and high cost of parking, she observed that she would have the South Sides of the streets on Devon Avenue, which have been reserved for residential parking, to be opened up for others in a limited way dur-
Debra Silverstein flanked by two of her supporters Balwinder Singh and Salman Aftab.
on and around Devon Avenue area led by Balwinder Singh and Salman Aftab to give a boost to her candidacy. She was introduced to the audience by Salman Aftab with a vote of thanks at the end by Balwinder Singh. Earlier, State Senator Ira I. Silverstein spoke on the need of supporting and elect-
She also insisted on transparency and accountability in the working of her office besides staffing it with members speaking multiple languages. "I will have an open door policy and will welcome any one who would have any concern about this neighborhood," she said ing day time when Residents are not using the available space. Also, she would see if some of the Alleys could be used for providing parking space. She would also pick up the issue of Parking Privatization which has resulted in sky rocketing of parking cost. "I will work to correct the present unjust system with regard to parking meters and zone parking," she said. The meet was organized by a group of Indians, Pakistanis and other ethnic groups
Debra Silverstein addressing the gathering of Indians, Pakistanis and media at A-One Carpet on Devon Avenue
ganized "Movies in the Park", "Winterfest", and the 50th Ward's participation in Breast Cancer's "Network of Strength - Walk to Empower" on Mother's Day. She men-
tioned that she is co-founder of the Libenu Foundation, an organization creating supervised housing for adults with developmental disabilities in the 50th ward.
Software engineer passes away in Texas
ing her for the office of Alderman 50th Ward. The main challenge to her candidacy comes from incumbent Ald Bernard Stone. A graduate in accounting from University of Illinois, Debra was immersed in her own business but was urged by 50th Ward residents to use her accounting and other experience for the betterment of the residents in this ward. Besides here business career, she was also engaged in community work and activities as she successfully or-
India Post News Service
DALLAS, TX: Srinivas Tulluri, 38, a software engineer, passed away in Tampa, FL on January 17. Srinivas was suffering from severe cold and cough and was admitted to Zephyrhills Hospital, Florida where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Srinivas Tulluri who hails from Arandalpeta village, Guntur District came to USA eight years ago after completing his MCA. Currently, he was working for Charles
Schwab, a financial company in Austin. He is survived by his wife Prasanna Tulluri, 32 yrs, daughter Sneha 9 yrs and son Teja, 12 yrs old. TANA Team Square volunteers and friends of Srinivas - Chandu Talla, Srinivas Jarugula, Raju Mantena, Hari Thota, Ravi Karthaka, Kishore, Viswanath Tatavarthi, and Sundar Lingareddy are helping the family and children with the situation. Jayaram Komati, TANA president, expressed his deepest condolences to the Tulluri family.
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Indians join Mayor in celebrating King's birthday CHICAGO: Under the Leadership of Mayor Richard M. Daley, the city of Chicago held celebration of 82nd birth anniversary of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on January 14 at Hilton Hotel of Chicago. It was a breakfast event
Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, highlighted Dr King's legacy of non-violent struggle for human rights. Dr. King learnt the philosophy and practice of non- violence from great Mahatma Gandhi
He did not fear to speak out against any issues that he believed in. He believed in speaking the truth regardless of fear of backlash from the mainstream of society or threat to his life and was attended by a large number of Chicago elite, including members of the Indian community. Mayer Daley extended warm welcome and greetings for attending 25th annual interfaith breakfast honoring life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The keynote speaker Dr. Freeman A.
of India. He outlined the practice of civil liberty and defending human rights for the poor and the oppressed. He did not fear to speak out against any issues that he believed in. He believed in speaking the truth regardless of fear of backlash from the mainstream of society or threat to his
Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle at Martin Luther King birthday celebration (L-R) FIA President Sunil Shah, Tony Preckwinkle and Nand Kapur
life. J. Edgar Hoover, director of FBI had labeled him the worst black person who was a threat to the nation, Hrabowski said that King sacrificed his life for peace and
unity of the nation. He pitched for carrying King's message in day-to-day practice and learning. At the conclusion of the event, Benediction was given by Dr. Mildred C. Harris, CEO of God First
Ministries. Among members of Indian attending the event were prominent businessman Niranjan Shah, President of newly formed FIA Sunil Shah and former AIA president Nand Kapur.
King Memorial Service opens with Gayatri Mantra
At Martin Luther King Memorial Service (L-R) citizen activist Paula McDonough, Pastor Jon Vincent Shelton, Bishop Gene Savoy Junior, Rajan Zed, Pastor Emeritus John Emerson, and Trustee of Northern Nevada Muslim Community Center Dr. Rafik Beekun India Post News Service
NEVADA: The 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Interfaith Community Memorial Service in Nevada opened January 16 with Gayatri Mantra, one of the most sacred mantras in Hinduism. Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited besides Gayatri Mantra and also read from Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads and Rig-Veda (oldest existing scripture of mankind) during his invocation on the occasion. Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, he said: Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrityor mamrtam gamaya; which he then translated as: Lead me from the unreal to the real, Lead me from darkness to light, Lead me from death to immortality. Rajan Zed pointed out that both Ma-
hatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King shared a common vision on peaceful resistance and held the belief that truth and love always won. Reading from Bhagavad-Gita,
tions "People Get Ready" (performed by The Power of Love and directed by Leon W. Smith) and another by Reno Second Baptist Church (RSBC) Choir (directed by
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited besides Gayatri Mantra and also read from Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads and Rig-Veda (oldest existing scripture of mankind) during his invocation on the occasion. He pointed out that both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King shared a common vision on peaceful resistance Zed urged the gathered to "act selflessly". Held at First United Methodist Church of Reno (FUMCR) with the theme "Remembering the dream, Fulfilling the mandate", this Service also included musical selec-
Dr. Jesse Hall); congregational hymns "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and "We Shall Overcome"; and video tribute to King (presented by Reverend William Lyons of RSBC).
Reverend John Emerson, FUMCR Pastor Emeritus, delivered the keynote address; while Reverend Judith Bither, FUMCR Pastor; Reverend Michael Randle, RSBC Pastor; Right Reverend Gene Savoy Junior, International Community of Christ Bishop; Susan Lisagor from Senator Harry Reid's office; Paula McDonough, citizen activist; and Rita Weisshaar of Retiree's Club; also spoke on the occasion. Reverend Jon Vincent Shelton, Sparks Freedom Baptist Church Pastor, gave the benediction. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval's proclamation and message from US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were also read on the occasion. Service was jointly organized by Northern Nevada Martin Luther King Junior Holiday Committee and Nevada Clergy Association.
Community Across America
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Ohmkaram celebrates annual day in St Louis
Hindu holiday season display in Pappas' office
ASHWIN PATEL
CHICAGO: Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas stands with Indian visitors before a Hindu display in her office. The Hindu display was one of 90 holiday displays of tree and other religious and cultural presentations shown in Pappas' downtown Chicago office to recognize the diverse cultures of Cook County. From left: Smt. Pankaj Patel, of the Metropolitan Asian American Family Services, Treasurer Pappas and Smt. Hasmukhben Patel. From Suresh Shah
Readers Write... www.indiapost.com President Raj Unni and Sudhir Kozhilal cutting anniversary cake.
ST LOUIS: Ohmkaram, a nonprofit voluntary organization of Malayalees in Greater St. Louis, Missouri celebrated its fifth Anniversary on January 8. Many activities for adults and
Dr Susy Alias releasing "Geetanjali" Looking on is Vinod
kids were organized during the event including Jeopardy, Quiz, One minute talk, Musical chairs, Bingo and Chance pe dance. Dr. Suzy Alias released the organization's annual souvenir, Gitanjali, during the event. The organization also conducted its
Vishu, Picnic, Onam and Anniversary. The next program is Vishu to be celebrated on April 16, Saturday at Mahatma Gandhi Center in St Louis. Vishu will be celebrated with much fanfare including Vishukani, Vishukaineettam, cultural programs, and traditional Kerala Sandhya.
Many activities for adults and kids were organized during the event including Jeopardy, Quiz, One minute talk Malayalam School of St Louis is a voluntary organization run by Ohmkaram to teach and promote Malayalam language to interested students in the St Louis area. 201011 is the fourth year of operation of the school. Ohmkaram is sponsoring the
Vishu celebration.
annual general body meeting prior to the program. Ohmkaram organizes a variety of programs every year including
superhit Malayalam movie 'Pranchiyettan and the Saint' on February 5, Saturday 3 pm at Wehrenberg theater in St Charles, MO.
Gujarat sets an example
I
was recently in Ahmedabad. We witnessed here a spectacular show with all the big corporate CEOs including Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani (both brothers, first time on the same dais since they separated), Mahindra, Godrej, Ruia, Goenka, Adani, Naik of Larsen-Toubro and so on. They pledged and signed MOUs worth Rs 15 lakh crores. The event was held at the excellent Mahatma Mandir new convention center. Built within 182 days, there was nothing but dust on May 1, 2010 when I was there for Swarnim Gujarat celebrations. There is no race or religion problem in Gujarat. Many Mus-
lim countries sent their delegations. The Vibrant Gujarat summit was co-sponsored by the Governments of Canada and Japan and their ambassadors were present and spoke glowingly. The Chairman of US India Business council Ron Sommers was there and announced that US did not want to be left out and will cosponsor in 2013. Chief Trade Rep of European Union and Prime Minister of Rwanda came, representing Africa. There were delegates from 60 countries. Nineteen States of India sent their Chief Ministers or Commerce Ministers to participate and take advantage of the unparalleled opportunity of meeting so many top notch business people from around the world.
What happened in 2002 was unfortunate. But CBI and Supreme Court appointed SIT has cleared Modi. Let us not beat up on a man in an unfair way. Prejudices die hard. Time is the greatest healer. So, it is good to see people of Gujarat as a whole are joining Narendra Modi and are marching ahead in a spectacular way towards progress. Along with prosperity, communal harmony will spread peace and set an example to the whole country to revert to the great tradition of mutual respect for each others' belief, for which India is known. Bharat Barai MD Indiana USA
Theatre of the absurd
P
akistan is the ideological, financial and training centre of global Jihadi terrorism. Carried on the wings of Saudi, Libyan, and American larg.ess, Pakistan has established thousands of Jihadi training schools in occupied Kashmir and remote areas of Pakistan. America, under Obama administration has transferred billions of dollars to Pakistan since 2010. Recently America transferred $633 million to Pakistan under the Coalition Support
Fund (CSF). Pakistan has now received approximately 8.76 billion dollars since 2001. American taxpayer's dollars are at work against India, and the West. The Pakistan administration is utilizing American taxpayers' money for training and deploying Jihadi terrorists around the world for suicide bombing, planting explosives, burning passenger trains, buses, hijacking and bombing. Pakistan secret service (ISI) is recruiting, training and arming Islamic terrorists from Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Kashmir in secret terrorist camps in remote areas of Pakistan. The theatre of the absurd is being played with American taxpayer dollars. One wonders why American government should divert funds to Pakistan to train terrorists when American schools are starving for taxpayer money for education! Dr. Babu Suseelan Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Disclaimer :- India Post does not endorse opinions expressed in the letters.
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Punjabis in Yuba City welcome New Year by helping the needy
India Post News Service
YUBA CITY: While people were sleeping after celebrating the advent of 2011 on the morning of the January 1, members of the Punjabi American Heritage Society were distributing jackets to needy people to protect them from cold winter. 40 jackets and socks pairs were distributed to the homeless people on behalf of the Punjabi community of Yuba City. This generous effort was dedicated to honor the memory of Mata Gujri. Gujar Kaur known as Mata (Mother) Gujri was imprisoned at age 81 and left to die on the cold days of December in a freezing jail cell. Sikhs called her mother of the Sikh Nation because she sacrificed her husband, only son and four grandsons for the sake of freedom of speech and people's right to practice the religion of their choice. Mata Gujri (1624 -1705) (whose formal name was 'Mata Gujar Kaur') was the wife
of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur; the mother of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, and the grandmother of the four Sahibzade. She was born in 1624 and was the daughter of Bhai lal Chand Subulikka and Bishan Kaur, a pious couple
the ages of 6, 9, 14 and 18 years. She had been close to the two younger sahibzade and took up their guardianship in the flight from Anandpur under a promise of safe passage to Punjab. Imprisoned in the Thanda Burj (Cold Tower) of Sirhind with her young-
Sikhs called her mother of the Sikh Nation because she sacrificed her husband, only son and four grandsons for the sake of freedom of speech and people's right to practice the religion of their choice of Kartarpur, in present-day Kapurthala district of Punjab. Her role in the development of the Sikh faith has been crucial. She was the wife of a supreme martyr; mother of a brave saintsoldier and the grand-mother of four amazing children who all attained martyrdom at
est grandsons Zorawar and Fateh Singh, she attained martyrdom, at the age of 81 years, when she was told of their execution. Her role was pivotal during the difficult period from about 1650 to 1705 for the people of India when Aurangzeb ruled this country from 1658 until 1707 and spread his tyr-
anny and barbaric practices to the subcontinent. She was the "iron-lady" who was responsible for giving birth to and raising the last human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. She endowed in him the best qualities of the Sikh faith. Mata ji gave birth to Gobind Rai at Patna in 1666, when she was 42 and alone as her husband, Guru Tegh Bahadar was on tour across Bengal and Assam spreading the word of the Lord. She made sure that the young Gobind had the qualities of bravery and acute awareness and a highly discerning consciousness. When she was 51 year old, her husband attained martyrdom and she had to guide the Panth and protect and guide young Gobind to become the magnificent leader that he was. Again, her role during these years of widowhood are a clear example of how to accept the Hukam of the Lord and live a life of righteousness and chardikala.
Mayor Villaraigosa inaugurates ‘Little Bangladesh’ M ZAFAR ULLAH
LOS ANGELES, CA: On a bright and crisp afternoon of January 15, the much awaited unveiling ceremony of "Little Bangladesh" was held amidst great pomp and splendor. The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved, recognized and voted for the establishment of Little Bangladesh on August 20 in Los Angeles. "Little Bangladesh" stretches a short corridor between "New Hampshire and Alexandria" streets in Los Angeles downtown area on 3rd street. The birth of "Little Bangladesh" dates back to 2001 in which the Mayor of Los Angeles, Mr. Antonio Villaraigosa was
approached by a group of Bangladeshis to declare a part of Los Angeles downtown as "Little Dhaka" which was later changed and renamed to be called as "Little Bangladesh" instead. The area around the 1st thru the 3rd street where a good number of Bangladeshis live and have several businesses was chosen to be called as "Little Bangladesh". It took nearly 18 months to formally establish "Little Bangladesh". After long and extensive negotiations between the Bangladeshis and the Korean community leaders, it was formally petitioned in 2008 to the LA City Council members for formal approval.
of
So on January 15th, the Mayor Los Angeles Antonio
‘Little Bangladesh’ stretches a short corridor between "New Hampshire and Alexandria" streets in Los Angeles downtown area on 3rd street Villaraigosa along with a group of LA City officials and dignitaries
formally came to inaugurate 'Little Bangladesh" which included the Bangladesh Consul General in Los Angeles, Enayet Hossain, Vice Council, Shamim Hasan, L A City Councilman, 4th District Tom LaBong, President, Los Angeles City Council, 13th District, Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Sherriff, Lee Baca, Deputy Chief, LAPD , Mike Downing, Chan Lee ,Chair, Korean community leader, KAFLA, Nikki Ezhari, Deputy District Director, Fourth District of Los Angeles. Mayor Villaraigosa formally inaugurated an unveiled the "Little Bangladesh" sign which was put up on the corner street of "New Hampshire" on the one end
and on the other end at the corner of "Alexandria" on 3rd street. The Mayor congratulated and praised the Bangladeshi Americans for realizing their long cherished dream of having "Little Bangladesh" outside Bangladesh come true. While speaking to one local Bangladeshi, he said with emotion and tears in his eyes saying, "This is the most momentous day of his life" to see the establishment of "Little Bangladesh." Later after the unveiling ceremony it was rounded off with a patriotic musical evening consisting of songs and dances performed by Bangladeshi local artists which was enjoyed by a couple of hundred people.
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Dr King is an example to American Muslims NIHAD AWAD
A
s American Muslims face the challenge of rising anti-Islam sentiment in American society, we can benefit from the example of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who used the power of truth and justice to peacefully overcome those who promoted fear and its resulting prejudice and intolerance. Like African-Americans who faced far more severe challenges in the 50s and 60s, American Muslims are now the easy targets of unreasoned hate and suspicion. Like Dr. King, American Muslims must respond to hate with love and understanding. Dr. King accurately noted that, "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it." He also said, "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." This refusal to let the hatred of others impact one's principles or actions is reflected in the Quran, Islam's revealed text, which states: "Be steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity, and never let the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: (for) that is closest to piety."
(Quran, 5:8) In his letter from a Birmingham jail cell, Dr. King wrote that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This statement clearly indicated that the quest for justice is universal and not limited to a particular time or movement, and that everyone must rise to confront the injustices of his or her own time and place.
Dr. King wrote: ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’ As Dr. King wrote: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." These words strengthen Ameri-
can Muslims as we face the twin tests brought on by those few who would falsely claim to commit violence in the name of my faith and by those who seek to exploit fear and mistrust to marginalize an entire minority community. In his most famous speech, Dr. King said: "I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'... "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." This hope for equality was also expressed by Islam's Prophet Muhammad, who said in his final sermon: "All mankind is from Adam and Eve...a white (person) has no superiority over a black (person), nor does a black have any superiority over a white - except by piety and good action." American Muslims dream the
Search still on for bone marrow donation India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES: There has been great response to the appeal for bone marrow donation to save the life of Sonia, 24, who is suffering from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), which is a cancer of the blood. Sonia is undergoing intense chemotherapy at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston but requires a bone marrow transplant quickly to survive. In the last three weeks over 100 drives were hosted and registered between 3000 and 3500 South Asians. Simultaneous drives were held in Austin, TX, Los Angeles, CA, and Boston, MA registering over 260 people. Over 50 more drives have been scheduled. Her brother Sumit said, "While the momentum is impressive, we unfortunately have not yet been able to find a bone marrow match or donor for Sonia." He added, "This is a game of numbers and the more drives we can do quickly, the greater we can optimize the chances of her survival." Sonia has completed her induction chemotherapy. She will be discharged from the hospital in roughly two weeks. She will be allowed to rest for four weeks during which time a treatment (type of transplant) decision will be made (so a total of six weeks from now). There is need to find her the best possible transplant option before that deadline. Given that even on an expedited basis, it takes about 3-4 weeks from swab-
Sonia
bing to getting into the registry, only drives held within the next 2-3 weeks can actually help Sonia.
same dream as Dr. King and all those who struggled during the civil rights movement - that the promise of justice and equality may be fulfilled for all our nation's children. Dr. King said it best when he noted, "The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men
human and, therefore, brothers." His legacy of civility, hope, perseverance, and optimism is best honored through actions that continue to make his dream our reality. Nihad Awad is national executive director for the Washingtonbased Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Tech News CII suggests measures to tame food inflation NEW DELHI: Industry body CII has said that India and its neighboring countries should sign a special accord for import and export of perishables to tide over the demand-supply mismatch. "A special agreement should be signed between India and the neighboring countries - for importexport of perishables," CII prescribed in a 10-point recommendation to tackle inflation. This would be a confidence building measure and would ease demand-supply challenges of similar commodities between India and the neighboring countries, it said. Food inflation, which stood at 16.91 per cent as on January 1, continues to be quite high in the current year despite normal monsoons. This compares oddly with high inflation witnessed last year when almost half of the country had witnessed drought-like conditions that affected prices of cereals and pulses. While stating that recurrence of inflation is due to "deeper structural problems", CII said that in the short-term, government should lower import duties and tariffs on agri- products, which are now hovering around 30-50 per cent. -PTI
IndiGo gets govt nod to go international NEW DELHI: Premier no-frill carrier IndiGo, which recently placed the world's largest aircraft order, has received government nod to launch international operations and would fly to Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and Muscat soon after it completes five years of domestic operations in August. The airline, which bagged the second position after Jet Airways in terms of the number of passengers, got permission for launching international operations from the forthcoming summer schedule, which begins in April and continues till October-November. An airline spokesperson said that the flights would be operated from several Indian cities to Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and Muscat. However, "the schedules and dates for the launch of these international services will be announced in the coming months", she added. The criteria for permission to launch international operations is that the airline should complete five years of domestic operations and have a 20-aircraft fleet. -PTI
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Swiss panel okays new tax treaty with India GENEVA/NEW DELHI: A Swiss Parliamentary Committee has given the go-ahead to the revised tax treaty between India and Switzerland that would eventually allow Indian government access to secret Swiss bank accounts of Indian tax evaders. The amendments to the treaty will now be placed before the Swiss Parliament for final approval. Once the revised treaty gets the approval, Switzerland would provide administrative assistance to India to track cases of tax evasion and tax fraud. -PTI
Jugaad Urbanism: an exhibition of Indian resourcefulness in NY India Post News Service
NEW YORK: The Center for Architecture is presenting its first exhibition in the US on contemporary Indian urbanism. The first show of its kind, Jugaad Urbanism: Resourceful Strategies for Indian Cities explores how the energy of citizens “making do” can be an inspiration and a catalyst for the worldwide community of architects, designers, and urban planners. With so much emphasis on high design and high-tech in typical architecture shows, an exhibition focusing on design by the people, for the people, of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune brings a new perspective to the international conversation about designing for life in contemporary cities. The exhibition, which will be on view from February 10- May 21 in New York, is organized in partnership with the India China Institute at The New School, the IndoAmerican Arts Council and the Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects. Related programs will include a day-long symposium on informal settlements and low income hous-
ing in India, organized in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT) program, and a weekly film series of documentaries and Bollywood features that focus on life in contemporary India. “Together, the exhibition and programs aim to educate both local and international audiences about the critical issues of growing cities,” explains Margaret Castillo, AIA,
world a better place.”
Jugaad: a definition There is no one definition of the Hindi term “jugaad,” but in a broad sense, the term refers to a certain resourcefulness and innovation found in Indian cities. Jerry-rigged cars, homemade stoves, and doit-yourself water filtration are all examples of citizens “making do” with what they have on hand. That
Says Vyjayanthi Rao of the New School for Social Research. “This exhibition raises questions about the nature of innovation itself and the systems that support intervention” LEED AP, the president of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter. “While Mumbai may seem a world away from New York City, the lessons learned from its empowered citizens and designers can be applied to rapidly expanding cities with similar issues, such as Rio or Guangzhou. Object-based, smallscale urbanism proves that good design has the power to make the
resourcefulness has proven to be an inspiration for local nongovernmental organizations and international designers alike. The exhibition juxtaposes these homemade solutions and the “designed” ones, showing how the two can build off of one another to improve city life. As curator Kanu Agrawal describes, “Jugaad strategies allow designers to work with maximum adaptability and imagination.
Inspired by the skill and ingenuity of grassroots tactics as well as a careful use of meager resources, designers can be thoughtful contributors for healthier, safer, and more equitable cities. With their organizational skills and expertise they can provide examined ways of improving living conditions.” The exhibition is organized by “resource:” land, water, energy and transportation. In total, the exhibition features products/prototypes, models, videos, photography, and drawings created by Indian artists, designers and NGOs, but also the designs of practitioners working in India that are based in Sweden, Germany, and New York. “In place of the master plan and tabula rasa urbanism, Jugaad urbanism takes the improvised, actually existing urban conditions of the Indian metropolis as a point of departure to consider the scale and scope of new design interventions,” says Vyjayanthi Rao of the New School for Social Research. “This exhibition raises questions about the nature of innovation itself and the systems that support intervention.” Contíd on page 21
Social media may just save Email TOM GIBSON
I
s Email sexy again? In August, Google introduced Gmail Pri ority Inbox, a new feature that learns to identify your important email for you. Imagine, just the email you need right now, right in front of you. Then in November Facebook announced a major messaging rethink. Facebook Messages will be a "modern messaging system" that unifies email, Facebook messages, chat and SMS in a single application. Like Google, Facebook also recognizes that some emails are more important than others. What's important for Facebook? Email from Friends of course. Non-Friend emails will side-step the Inbox and land in the "Other" folder. Two new but very different takes on an old email effectiveness
challenge: how to bring your important email forward. Gmail, Facebook? … but I use Outlook!! Yes, at work we all do, and like most other business email users you too might be wondering how these and other social de-
look to for productivity automation. On the social front there is hope. Outlook 2010 includes a Social Connector feature for passive awareness. A good start. What's social got to do with business? Why now? In case
Email is the world's most popular business information system. Surprised? Where does your most important business information reside? velopments affect you. As for highlighting important email, don't expect help from Microsoft anytime soon. While Outlook excels as an email program, it's the Outlook add-in market we
you are inclined to dismiss social communication and its tools as only for younger generations (or to use when not at work), I challenge you to consider that our interactions at work couldn't be more
social. Email is often awkward and too formal in our social world of business. That these emerging social tools better handle it outside of email , and in a complementary way to email, is now a re-defining opportunity for email, and for you. Read on to learn how. Three indisputable Email truths To better understand how social media can help email, let's be up front about what we all now know to be true. Truth #1 - Email doesn't do social. An asynchronous medium, email fails us for communications requiring real-time back and forth, discussions, emotionally sensitive issues, and urgent matters. Truth #2 - Email is for the keepers. Emails to set meetings and interim updates are annoying. Contíd on page 21
TechBiz Post
January 28, 2011
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'India 4th largest in Asia for illicit money flows'
India Post
Social media may just save Email Contíd from page 20
WASHINGTON: India is Asia's fourth largest exporter of illicit capital with an estimated outflow of a whopping USD 104 billion between 2000 and 2008, according to a US-based think tank which ranks China as the number one source of illegal money. In its latest report on illicit money, Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington-based think tank, said Asia continues to produce the largest portion of illicit flows, almost halftrillion dollars in 2008 alone. According to figures of illicit flow of money released by this think tank, China tops the list and is several times that of India. Between 2000 to 2008, GFI estimated that the outflow of illicit money from China was USD 2.2 trillion. Malaysia follows a distant second with USD 291 billion. Philippines is ranked third with USD 109 billion, while both Indonesia and India are ranked fourth with USD 104 billion each, says the report 'Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2000-2009.' On an average these five countries account for 96.5 per cent of total illicit flows from Asia and 44.9 per cent of flows out of all developing countries. However, it said that these (Asia region compared to total
developing world) shares have been declining; the top five Asian countries transferred 36.9 per cent of illicit flows from all developing countries in 2008, down from 53.3 per cent in 2000. The report ranks countries according to magnitude of outflows with China ranking at the top followed by Russia (USD 427 billion), Mexico (USD 416 billion), Saudi Arabia (USD 302 billion) and Ma-
laysia (USD 291 billion). "India, which was the fifth largest exporter of illicit capital in the 2008 IFF Report is now ranked 15th among developing countries," the report said. The think tank says there are three main reasons why average illicit flows from India slipped in the country rankings. The first reason is -- illicit outflows from several oil producers such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Venezuela, Qatar, Nigeria,
Kazakhstan, and Indonesia (in that order) now outpace those from India. Secondly, there were substantial inflows of illicit capital into India (mostly through the balance of payments but also through trade mispricing) that were set to zero under the gross outflows method. And finally, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which have the sixth and ninth highest average illicit outflows respectively, were excluded from the 2008 IFF Report because of lack of balance of payments and debt data, it explained. According to the report, bribery, theft, kickbacks, and tax evasion were the greatest conduit for the illicit financial flows from the major exporters of oil such as Kuwait, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Oil exporting countries, like Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Nigeria, are becoming more important as sources of illicit capital, it said. "Every year developing countries are losing ten times the amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) remitted for poverty alleviation and economic development," said GFI director Raymond Baker. -PTI
Jugaad Urbanism: an exhibition of Indian resourcefulness in NY Contíd from page 20
Related Programs A robust series of related programs are planned for the three month duration of Jugaad Urbanism. The Center for Architecture will host a day-long symposium with UN-HABITAT on informal settlements and low income housing (Feb 12); a panel on contemporary construction practices in India (March 10); international architects working on new housing, airports, and commercial spaces in India (March 31); how to create developments with netzero energy (April 21); and how to design culturally and socially sensitive communities (April 30). The Center for Architecture Foundation will host a “Family Day” at the Center (Feb 19), where families will explore the exhibition and participate in hands-on de-
sign activities. The programs of Jugaad Urbanism hope to engage both the public and professional commu-
‘As many regions in India endeavor to rebuild and improve infrastructure, it is imperative that planners, architects and engineers take note of and build upon the resourceful ‘makingdo’ spirit of the citizens’ nities working in New York. This diverse group includes the Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects.
“As many regions in India endeavor to rebuild and improve infrastructure, it is imperative that planners, architects and engineers take note of and build upon the resourceful ‘making-do’ spirit of the citizens,” says Ravi Shenoy, President of SIAEA NY. “With this knowledge we can direct growth in a sustainable, economically and environmentally sound manner. This exhibition is an opportunity for scores of architects and engineers, who practice both in US and India, to present their own experience and learn from others. SIAEA is excited to sponsor and participate in this exhibition which showcases a unique approach to urban planning.” Jugaad Urbanism is supported in part by grants from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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In contrast, we like and want to keep emails that contain (1) information to do our jobs with colleagues and clients, and (2) external information like e-newsletters that keep us informed. Truth #3 - Email is the world's most popular business information system. Surprised? Where does your most important business information reside? Many haven't noticed, but with automatic sorting and browsing tools, vastly improved searching and cheap disk space all converging, email now rocks as a way to manage your information. Three ways to up your email game 1 - use SMS & chat for throwaway emails Your first surprise may come when you notice people who are unresponsive via email often respond quickly to your text (SMS) messages. And you'll find chat surprisingly effective for clarifying things in quick Q&A sessions. It's easy to set up free accounts. Is it professional? Absolutely, when used appropriately. You'll see rapid and broad uptake of these tools this year. For your team, consider Yammer, a social networking product designed specifically for internal communications. Either way, start with those you communicate with most, and you'll soon enjoy correspondingly fewer emails. 2 - Separate out your important email When helping clients we look to see how many newsletters they receive. If just a handful, Outlook's Rules feature can handle the job. For more, we recommend Nelson Email Organizer, an Outlook add-
in that separates correspondent (important) mail from bulk mail that can be read later. 3 - Keep all the Outlook emails you want People who work hard deleting email and religiously file to folders may feel efficient, when in fact they're stuck in old ways. The trend today is to email less but save more of it, and find it using new browsing & searching technologies instead of filing. We help shift people into the new ways. For many, improving their workflow and how they use Outlook is just what's needed. For those managing many external relationships, more is needed. Nelson Email Organizer has its own version of "friends"-
People who work hard deleting email and religiously file to folders may feel efficient, when in fact they're stuck in old ways it puts all email (sent and received) from each person you correspond with into automatically-created NEO virtual folders. It makes it easy to browse to any email you need. For those who just want to improve on Outlook's search, X1 or NEO Find can be a great fit. Can social media really save email? Not entirely. But increasingly it will take over the social exchanges email is poor at. Then email programs can do what they do best - manage the information we all need to better do our jobs. Tom is principal trainer for Slipstream Advantage Group. He coaches busy professionals and trains companies in the new ways to manage email.
TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Sheila Ki Jawani : Tees Maar Khan 2 Yeh Des Hai Mera: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey 3 Tarkeebein: Band Baaja Baaraat 4 Shakira : No Problem 5 Chamki Jawani :
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Yamla Pagla Deewana 6 Kaare Kaare Badra : Mirch 7 Teri Parchhaiyan : Tera Kya Hoga Johny 8 Aali Re: No One Killed Jessica 9 Wallah Re Wallah : Tees Maar Khan 10 Isi Umar Mein : Isi Life Mein
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fter squabbling with Karan Johar, Rishi Kapoor is not only back in 'Agneepath', but has also volunteered to do a 'looks test' to see if he fits the bill. It seems that after crossing swords with KJo over the Deepika-Sonam 'bitchgate' on his talk show, a flare-up during which he even walked out of "Agneepath", Rishi Kapoor is walking that extra mile to prove his professionalism to the director. Rishi Kapoor will be doing something he has never done in his 40-year career - he is going to un-
A
sh snubbed King Khan at an awards function recently, arguing that she will dance to 'Kajra Re' with no one but Big B and AB Jr. Says an eyewitness, "Shah Rukh had planned a gig around Bollywood heroines over the years and he wanted it to conclude with Aishwarya's performance. He had planned to dance with her to "Kajra Re". But Aishwarya refused. Her argument was that "Kajra Re" was a family song and that she performed the number in "Bunty aur
Babli" only with her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and husband Abhishek and that she will not dance to that song with anyone else. No amount of persuasion from the organizers helped her change her mind. Finally, Shah Rukh had to scrap this plan." In the past Aishwarya has never been intimidated by any of the three Khans, even if it meant heavy professional losses for her. When she turned down "Mangal Pandey", Aamir Khan apparently stopped all communication with her. Thereafter, the
only time Aishwarya shared screen space with Aamir was for a fleeting cameo in Dharmesh Darshan's film - "Mela". Her experience with Salman of course was another story. Ash sent out a press release in 2003 stating she would never work with him again. With Shah Rukh, Aishwarya's rapport can at best be described as chequered. During "Devdas" they bonded superbly. But later, she was ousted from Shah Rukh's "Chalte Chalte" and was replaced by Rani Mukerji after Salman Khan disrupted the first schedule of the film.
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nited 6, which releases this February, is arguably Bollywood's first film without a male lead. The film revolves around the story of six girls who stay in Bangkok and are on the lookout for a job. Frustrated, they connive with an ousted bank employee (also female) and plan to rob its safe. Confirms director Vishal Aryan Singh, "It's a first-ofits-kind film, where there are no male leads. The scrip doesn't warrant it. About 90% of the screen space in the film is filled with women, which includes the lead actors and a lot of other girls," he says. Since posters of the film hit billboards, buzz is strong that the movie looks like a rip-off of Charlie's Angels, but Singh dismisses such talk: "Not even a second of the film is Charlie's Angels. There is no resemblance at all. The girls play characters who have to work in larger than life situations. But they do not perform unbelievable action like the girls in Charlie's Angels do."
dergo a 'looks test' to see whether he fits the part of the villain in the film. This decision to try out a particular get-up to see if he fits into the meanie mould was taken by Rishi Kapoor himself. After the 'looks test', if Rishi is not convinced about looking the part he will say no to it. Rishi confirms the 'looks test' for "Agneepath". "Yes, I've voluntarily asked for a looks test to see whether I will be convincing in a mean part. If I look convincing I'd be confident enough to plunge into the baddie's persona," says Rishi, adding, "This is the first time in my entire career that I'm doing a looks test. Earlier for "Lamhe", Yash Chopra had desisted from asking me to do a looks test thinking I'd feel bad.
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here's sex, drugs and infidelity. Priyanka Chopra gets intimate with her seven onscreen husbands, including John Abraham. No wonder then, that Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming flick, 7 Khoon Maaf has been given an 'A' certificate by the Censor Board. But no one is complaining, as it means the film releases on February 18, without any cuts. "Neither Priyanka nor John was awkward during the intimate scenes. They are both very professional," says a source form the film unit, who did not wish to be named, "This is John Abraham's boldest role, ever. He plays a hedonistic character. He is seen bedding multiple partners, and even wears noodle strap tops and stain bows in bed," adds the source. "We knew right from the beginning that we are making an adult film. The audience is mature, and it is not about specific scene in the film," says Vikas Bahl of UTV, the movie's producers. The film's director, Bhardwaj, too, doesn't mind the A certificate. "I am happy the 'A' certificate. The film has already been chosen for the Panorama section of the Berlin International film Festival, and that's a matter of pride."
Another couple
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t's now official that Ritesh and Genelia are an item. There have been speculations about the duo dating each other right from 2002 but, as usual the couple always kept their affair under wraps. At Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna's 10th wedding anniversary party at their Juhu residence, Ritesh Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza held hands and danced passionately with each other. Their body language clearly showed that they were nothing but a couple. The khullam khulla attitude Ritesh and Genelia had been something that we have never seen before and will go down in history. They have always been the shy and reticent types. This was the first time they let their hair down to publicly acknowledge their feelings for each other."
Next Item T
he rage among Bollywood babes to sizzle in raunchy item numbers continues. After the flattering success of Malaika Arora Khan's 'Munni Badnaam Hui' and Katrina Kaif's 'Sheila Ki Jawaani' it is now time for sex kitten Mallika Sherawat to shake her legs on an item number. Mallika has already shown her oomph factor in 'Maiya Maiya' and will now be seen in a raunchy item song in director Anees Bazmee's next film Thank You. Like 'Munni Badnaam Hui', this song too has a desi folk appeal to it and it titled 'Razia Gundo Mein Phas Gayi' (Razia stuck with the goons). Composed by Pritam, the song will feature Mallika with all the male actors of the film Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Sunil Shetty. Well, more so, Mallika is doing the number for free as she shares a good rapport with Bazmee which developed when she worked with Bazmee in 'Welcome'. Bazmi, who is currently busy shooting the song, confirmed the news saying, "Mallika is a very dear friend and suits perfectly for this song. She is shooting with us for five days, as the song will be shot with all the actors in the film."
Hum Dono in color
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fter 50 years of its black and white release, Dev Anand is all set to bring his classic Hum Dono to screens in color this February. "This time it will be in color - Cinemascope and Dolby Digital," says the veteran actor. "Cinema is a medium that touches emotions irrespective of language or culture. I am sure that the film will create a similar magic not just in India but across the world," says Dev Anand. Barry Sandrew, the Founder of Legend films, whose company specializes in coloring some of the best Hollywood black and white films such as cult classic Night of The Living Dead, and who took on the task of coloring this one, says, "I saw the film and was really impressed ‌ the colored version has been enhanced a lot in quality and am sure will be a treat for his fans. It is looking spectacular. In fact, a 3D version of Hum Dono Rangeen is also being contemplated."
Gyan Prakash
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with its name change to Mumbai, I still love that city and call it home. Naturally, as an 'insider', I am uncharitably judgrowing up in Bombay - yeah, Bombay, not mental about any commentary, essay or book on Mumbai - I used to come across only two Mumbai, whether written by a Bombayite (now kinds of visitors in the city from the rest of Mumbaikar) or anyone from the rest of the world. So, the country - those that loved the city at first sight, reading through this new entrant on my book shelves, and those that hated it. And intriguingly, the reason 'Mumbai Fables', by Gyan Prakash (Princeton University Press), I found it in equal parts, was the same for either emotion surprising and predictable. awe. Awe over the overarching conBOOK REVIEW Surprising, because of the unique crete and steel skyscrapers; the angle the author chose to look at the unidentifiable system in the madness; the myth and fear of the underworld; the glam- city from. Starting from the catastrophic floods and our of the film industry; the fast pace of life epito- terrorist attacks of recent years, Prakash reaches back mized by the local trains; and the purposefulness of to the sixteenth-century Portuguese conquest to rethe teeming millions of people - a fun-loving, resilient, overly- Different layers of urban experience come to confident, overly-creative, enlight as the author recounts the narratives of the terprising and unconventionally attractive people with an Nanavati murder trial and the rise and fall of the over-bearing in-your-face atti- tabloid Blitz, and Mumbai's transformation from tude. It was that uncanny attitude that was their identity as the red city of trade unions and communists into the saffron city of Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena Bombayites. I loved the city; it gave me my identity and my attitude. A decade after living veal the stories behind Mumbai's historic journey inoutside the city, in this country, even after the city's cluding the formation of its geographic existence as it very soul seems to have been transformed along stands on the western seafront of India. Examining
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SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service
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Mumbai's role as a symbol of opportunity and reinvention, he looks at its nineteenth-century development under British rule and its twentieth-century emergence as a fabled city on the sea. Who knew that the foundations of Mumbai's riches were laid on a thriving opium trade carried on by some of the most iconic Parsi names that are etched in the city's landmarks even today? Different layers of urban experience come to light as the author recounts the narratives of the Nanavati murder trial and the rise and fall of the tabloid Blitz, and Mumbai's transformation from the red city of trade unions and communists into the saffron city of Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena. Cont’d on page 25
Mumbai today and (right) Apollo Bunder, now Gateway of India, in Bombay of 1930
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George Mathew to lead benefit concert for Pak-flood aid India Post News Service
NEW YORK: Singapore-born Indian conductor George Mathew will be leading a benefit concert of Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony organized by Music For Life International Inc. and American Pakistan Foundation. Beethoven for the Indus Valley is an urgent call to the global community to move as swiftly as possible to give the resources and support that the Pakistani people need to rebuild their lives and communities after the devastating floods of 2010. The concert will be presented at Carnegie Hall on Jan 31, and the proceeds will benefit Acumen Fund. George Mathew, founder and Artistic Director of Music For Life International and Ubuntu-Shruti, has emerged as one of the leading forces in the classical music world bringing symphonic music to focus on global humanitarian issues and crises at the beginning of the 21st Century. In 2010-11 he makes appearances in the US, India, Panama, Morocco and South Africa as conductor and ambassador for transformative action through music. Beethoven for the Indus Valley will bring together many of the world's finest orchestral musicians. Principal artists will gather from the New York Philharmonic,
MET Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Emerson Quartet, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and other international orchestras and ensembles; students and faculty of The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and other major music schools.
The funds raised by Beethoven for the Indus Valley will go to the Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture, for their work in Pakistan to empower affected communities Speaking about the concert, Mathew observed, "Beethoven himself makes a musical statement in the Finale of the Ninth Symphony that goes to the heart of our mission with this concert. Writing in an earlier era of tension between East and West, Beethoven uses the music of the Turkish military, music of the Islamic world, to provide stability and indeed possibility for the German (western) setting of the famous Ode to Joy
Singapore-born Indian conductor George Mathew
tune. In that moment Beethoven seems to become the voice of a whole civilization in that rare moment of embrace of another civilization. It seems that Beethoven is suggesting that "embracing the spirit of the other, engaging the culture of the other is probably a more interesting form of interaction than rejecting the other, or being afraid of it, or declaring war on it or deporting it." Two hundred years later, it appears we have still much to learn from this great wise man of music and the world," Mathew noted,
"In gathering together as a community of musicians, listeners and supporters we send a message of solidarity and human support to our fellow human beings in Pakistan who have been so hard hit by these devastating floods in addition to whatever financial support we muster." Beethoven for the Indus Valley is the fourth in a series of global humanitarian concerts that George Mathew has conceived and presented at Carnegie Hall, gathering together artists from the world's finest orchestras, ensembles and
music schools for humanitarian causes while employing the music itself as their central source of energy. Mathew drew inspiration from the success of Beethoven's Ninth for South Asia, Requiem for Darfur and Mahler for the children of AIDS, which were benefits for the victims of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan; for the victims of the ongoing conflict in Darfur; and for Pediatric AIDS worldwide, respectively. The concerts, presented in Carnegie Hall, brought together distinguished musicians from over 50 leading international ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, MET Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, the Emerson, American, Mendelssohn and Brentano String Quartets, and students, graduates and faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard School, Curtis Institute and others. The funds raised by Beethoven for the Indus Valley will go to the Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture, for their work in Pakistan to empower affected communities to drive their own recovery through investment in civil society resources and infrastructure.
Fables from Bombay Anil Kapoor in Canada to Mumbai O ntario Premier Dalton McGuinty shows Bollywood star Anil Kapoor around the Ontario Legislature on Jan 17. Kapoor, who is an Ambassador to the International Indian Film Academy, was in Toronto to discuss preparations for the
IIFA awards weekend from June 16-19, which will be the first time the Bollywood film awards would be presented in North America. -Snapsindia/Canada Mohammed Moinuddin
Cont’d from page 24
Starry-eyed planners and elite visionaries, cynical leaders and violent politicians of the street, land sharks and underworld dons jostle with ordinary citizens and poor immigrants as the city copes with the dashed dreams of postcolonial urban life and lurches into the seductions of globalization. A place of spectacle and ruin, Mumbai exemplifies the cosmopolitan metropolis. It is not just a big city but also a soaring vision of modern urban life. Millions from India and beyond, of different ethnicities, languages, and religions, have washed up on its shores, bringing with them their desires and ambitions. Mumbai Fables explores the mythic inner life of this legendary city as seen by its inhabitants, journalists, planners, writers, artists, filmmakers, and political activists. Etching out the cultural history of one of the world's most important urban centers, Gyan
Prakash views Mumbai through its turning points and kaleidoscopic ideas, comic book heroes, and famous scandals. Shedding light on the city's past and present, Mumbai Fables offers an unparalleled look at this extraordinary metropolis. But, as I inferred earlier, the book has the predictability of the oeuvre of an 'outsider'. It does come across as merely a painstakingly researched compilation of historical and anecdotal evidence, ideas, opinions, descriptions and analyses of the city as already expressed by others. Seen with an almost clinical view, the book lacks emotion. Perhaps, it was not the author's intention to get emotional or give his own opinion of the city. And just as well, for a die-hard Mumbai lover like me. Gyan Prakash is the DaytonStockton Professor of History at Princeton University. He is the author of Bonded Histories and Another Reason (Princeton) and the editor of Noir Urbanisms.
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How India revived its economy M.C. SINGHI
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he world real GDP growth averaged 3.7 per cent during 1997-2006. Growth further improved to 5.1 per cent in 2007 with acceleration in growth in emerging Asian economies particularly India and China. However, consequent upon the collapse of the financial system in US and Europe, growth started decelerating in 2008 and became nega-
tive in 2009. Indian economy also felt the tremors of the global slowdown. Overall GDP growth decelerated to 6.7 per cent in 2008-09, from a level of 9.5 per cent achieved on an average in the preceding three years. Industrial growth also moderated to 1.5 per cent and 1.0 per cent, respectively, in third and fourth quarter of 2008-09. To counter the adverse fall out of the global slow down on the Indian economy, as per the policy interventions appropriate
fiscal and monetary policies were initiated. Three stimulus packages were announced by the Finance Minister on December 7, 2008, January 2, 2009 and in the Interim Budget on February 16, 2009 in quick succession. Total size of the fiscal stimulus package was estimated at 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2008-09 and amounted to Rs. 186,000 crore. Cont’d on page 32
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India Post January 28, 2011
India has become a Preferred Investment Destination parent open policy regime has significantly contributed to the emergence of India as a he resource requirement in a devel preferred location. India FDI policy regime oping economy for investment usu operates in a dynamic setting and has been ally exceeds the availability of re- undergoing a process of continuous review sources that could be domestically gener- in line with requirement and investors' perated. In India, the Gross Domestic Invest- ception. As a part of this process, the FDI ment have historically been short of the policy is being liberalized progressively on Gross Domestic Savings by around 1.2 to an ongoing basis in order to allow FDI in 1.3 per cent of GDP on an annual basis. Coun- more industries under the automatic route. tries, therefore, encourage In the year 2000, the the inflow of capital from Government allowed FDI abroad to supplement the The FDI policy regime up to 100 per cent under domestic savings for a automatic route for most higher investment and a in the recent time to of the activities and a larger increase in produc- ensure that India small negative list was tion capacities. notified where either the Foreign Direct Invest- remains increasingly automatic route was not ment is considered as the available or there were most preferred route of attractive and limits on FDI. Since then, supplementing the dothe policy has been mestic savings as it brings investor-friendly gradually simplified and along with the investment rationalized and more new management practices and technolo- sectors have been opened up for foreign gies. Besides enlarging the productive ca- investment. pacity they also contribute to enhancement Recent changes in FDI Policy of export potential/earning of the country. Significant changes have been made in The economic liberalization, which was the FDI policy regime in the recent time to initiated in 1991, therefore, attempted to sig- ensure that India remains increasingly atnificantly liberalize the FDI policy regime. tractive and investor-friendly. In February Over the years, India has emerged as a pre- 2009, the twin concepts of 'ownership' and ferred destination for foreign investment. 'control' as a central principle in India's FDI Besides the sustained GDP growth of regime were recognized for calculation of economy, which has expanded market in direct and indirect foreign investment. Cont’d on page 30 India, the enabling environment and a transR.P. SINGH
T
Travel to Mumbai in comfort. (How you get around there is up to you.) Austrian Airlines now offers 5 ights per week to Mumbai. Enjoy the comfort of Austrian Airlines, with Austrian and Indian specialties as well as excellent service on board.
www.austrian.com
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India Post January 28, 2011
28
Progressive farming- a path to livelihood SUMAN GAZMER
D
hanpati Sapkota, an award winning farmer, won a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakhs
in a vegetable growing competition during the International Flower Festival at Gangtok. The Chief Minister gave away the cash award and citation to the
progressive farmer from Chota Singtam, Assam Linzey, East Sikkim for his horticulture crops of ten different varieties. Dhanpati Sapkota is also a re-
cipient of Bhaskar Krishi Samman from a non-governmental organization, Sagar Prakashan Grameen Pratibha Sanrakshan Samiti, Taksang. Earlier, on the occasion of Independence Day Celebration at Pakyong, State Horticulture Department conferred him a cash incentive of Rs 1500 along with citation, agricultural equipments and package of seeds of various horticulture crops. Deviating from the traditional cultivation of Dhaan (paddy) and Makai (maize) for domestic consumption, Sapkota had introduced horticulture crops on 2 acres of his individual land after undergoing a three days training at Marchak. He also took part in an 11-days training on organic farming held at Uttaranchal which was supported by the State Horticulture Department. The training and self-belief produced astounding results for Sapkota. He was able to produce 19 quintal of cherry pepper worth Rs. 1, 52,000 in the same year from 1900 seeds. This encouraged him to embrace horticulture seriously. He began to cultivate cauliflower, tomato, cabbage and broccoli. Sapkota harvested 40 kg tomatoes from one plant under protected cultivation in his holding. This year, the model farmer cultivated off-season tomatoes of Romeo variety by obtaining seeds from the State horticulture department under the technology mission. He sold 97 quintals of tomatoes worth Rs.1, 94,000. He has also
sold eight quintals of cauliflower worth Rs. 64,000 and 12 quintals of cherry pepper at Rs. 96,000. "I am earning Rs. 2.5 lakh per year through horticulture after paying wages to laborers and meeting other ancillary expenses", said Sapkota. He is also cultivating mixed vegetables under the technology mis-
Dhanpati Sapkota
sion as an area expansion of vegetables of the horticulture department. He is getting seeds, organic manure and pesticides and other support from the department. Sapkota claimed that he has introduced 'Jukuni Pharsi' (pumpkin of Jukuni variety) which has a shape of a cucumber in Sikkim. Since he is the first farmer to cultivate 'Jukuni Pharsi', local people from Assam Lingzey have named the pumpkin as 'Sapkota Pharsi'. I brought the seed of Jukuni Pharsi in 2004 from Kathmandu, said Sapkota. He added that he had first seen this variety of pumpkin in the Rana's farm at Bhaktapur. Sapkota was richer by Rs. 90,000 after cultivating and selling the Jukuni Pharsi. The writer is a Freelance Journalist
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India Post January 28, 2011
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Pride of India exhibition showcases India's achievements
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he Indian Science Con gress serves as a platform towards inspiring the students, academicians and the common man to appreciate and inculcate the value of science in life and cultivate scientific attitude. The science exhibition, organized as a part of the 98th Science Congress at the SRM University, Chennai, turned into a mega show attracting large number of students, common man and the delegates. It espoused the motto that the achievements in science and technology should ultimately benefit the society at large. Over the past few years, the "Pride of India Expo" has emerged as a unique platform for Indian organizations, both public and private sectors to showcase their achievements in the area of science and technology. New ideas and products are on display, the Country's prominent developments and major achievements in the field of Science and Technology and its contributions to the society are being showcased here. The Expo focuses on India's recent emergence as major global power in the areas of science and technology. The "Edu Vision" pavilion of the Expo is a unique experience. The pavilion has been conceptualized to provide an excellent platform to a variety of organizations operating in the academic world to display their innovative models and offerings. It is a unique confluence of International universities, research institutes, state level universities, colleges, public sector organizations and the corporate sector working in the scientific field. Another notable feature of the Pride of India Expo is that it offers opportunities for various Indian states to showcase their initiatives, progress in various fields and core competencies. Many states like Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are participating in the Expo. The pavilion with special emphasis on biotechnology, Nano technology, genetics, Agriculture, horticulture and food processing, oil and mineral exploration, urban infrastructure, health care, handicrafts and rural development displays the world of innovative technology. The Expo opens new avenues for the corporate world to transform their concepts and business acumen into market opportunities. It paves way for forging new alliances with the best of the R & D labs. People who are in the field of science update themselves on the new research findings. The budding scientists of the country visit the venue to assimilate themselves into the stream of knowledge.
The event has attracted a large number of visitors from the corporate sector, scientific community, academia, R & D institutes, defense, Government organizations and PSUs from across the country. To add color to that, thousands of children from various educational institutions have been queuing up to see and feel the achievements of the Nation.
Another attraction of the Expo is the Hall of Pride which pays tribute to Srinivasa Ramanujan, the legendry mathematics wizard
The visitor to the Expo are greeted by the Vigyan Jyothi (flame of Knowledge) an initiative started last year to spread awareness on science and technology and inculcate scientific temperament at the grass root level, primarily amongst students and general public. The second edition of Vigyan Jyothi was flagged off from Delhi on 22nd December 2010 on
the birth anniversary of the great mathematician Ramanujan. Another attraction of the Expo is the Hall of Pride which pays tribute to Srinivasa Ramanujan, the legendry mathematics wizard and Dr Alagappa Chettiar, a philanthropist par excellence from Tamil Nadu. The writer is Asst. Director, PIB Thiruvananthapuram
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India Post January 28, 2011
30
India has become a Preferred Investment Destination Cont’d from page 27
This ensured application of simple, homogeneous and uniform norms for obtaining Government/ FIPB approval (or otherwise) for foreign investment into Indian companies and for such Indian companies in the eventuality of their making downstream investments. In 2009 Government oversight was increased over the trans-
fer of ownership or control in sensitive sectors to non-resident entities. The induction of FDI in Micro and Small Enterprises was liberalized by clarifying that FDI in MSE was now permitted, subject only to the sectoral equity caps, entry routes and other relevant sectoral regulations. All payments for royalty, lump sum fee for transfer of technology
All payments for royalty, lump sum fee for transfer of technology and use of trademarks/ brand names were brought under the automatic route
and use of trademarks/ brand names were brought under the automatic route, without the need for Government approval. In 2010, the Government decided that recommendations of FIPB on proposals with total foreign equity inflow of more than Rs. 1200 crore would be placed for consideration of CCEA, as against the earlier limit of cases
with a total investment of Rs. 600 crore. It also exempted a number of other categories of cases from the requirement of obtaining prior approval of the Government. Other than liberalization of the policy, simplification and rationalization of the FDI policy has also been an important component of these reforms. Consolidation of FDI Policy One of the major steps taken by Government on 31st March, 2010 was consolidation and release of all existing regulations on FDI as one consolidated document. This is expected to ensure that all information on FDI policy is available at one place. This is further expected to result in greater clarity and understanding of foreign investment rules among foreign investors and sectoral regulators, as also predictability of policy. The document is updated every six months. The updated second edition of the document was released on 30th September, 2010. Stakeholder Consultations on FDI Policy The Government has now initiated stakeholder consultations, by inviting suggestions on various aspects of FDI policy, including sectoral policies. Discussion papers on FDI in the retail and defense sectors, as also on approval of foreign/ technical collaborations in case of existing ventures/ tie-ups in India, issue of shares for considerations other than cash and FDI in Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) have been released for stakeholder comments. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is also implementing a Plan Scheme for promotion of investment by holding Joint Commission Meetings, Organization of Business and Investment Promotion Events, Project Management, Capacity Building, Establishment of G2B Portal/e-Biz Pilot Project, Setting up of Country focus Desks for Promoting Investment, Multi-media-audio-visual Campaign, Creation of a dedicated Investment Promotion Agency etc. The dedicated Investment Promotion Agency i.e. 'Invest India' was launched on 23rd December 2009 to promote foreign investments in India in a focused, comprehensive and structured manner. India's Global Position The outcome of the government initiatives and liberalization measures undertaken have resulted in tremendous response and growth in the FDI equity inflows to India since 2003-04, which have increased nearly thirteen-fold until the last financial year (i.e. 2009-10). The writer is Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion
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India Post January 28, 2011
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How India revived its economy Cont’d from page 26
The stimulus measures were aimed to moderate both the demand and supply side constraints facing the economy and in particular the industry. On demand side, the Government reduced excise duty rates by 6 per cent in two phases and the service tax by 2 per cent. The tax cuts reduced the costs for industry and consumers as Government ensured that these are passed on to them. An accelerated depreciation of 50 per cent was allowed on commercial vehicles. States were provided financial assistance under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for purchase of buses for urban transport system. These together with front loading of the public expenditure on physical and social infrastructure
stimulated domestic demand. The Government also took measures on supply side. An interest subvention of 2 per cent on pre and post shipment credit on labor intensive industries attempted to reduce cost of these export dependant industries. A refinancing facility of Rs. 7000 crore was provided initially, which was enhanced by another Rs. 4000 crore in 2009-10 to Small Industries Development Bank of India for supporting incremental lending to micro and small enterprises either directly or through banks. The Government also provided back up guarantee to Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) to enable it to provide guarantees to exports to difficult markets or products. Reserve Bank of India also adopted a liberal monitory policy
stand and injected additional liquidity to the system with the objective of improving availability of funds to industries and lowering the cost of credit.
Industrial growth reached a record high of 18 per cent in December 2009 driven by a 19.6 per cent growth in manufacturing, highest in last fifteen years As a combined impact of various fiscal stimulus measures and the supporting monetary policy the industrial sector was able to reverse the declining trend in its growth since June 2009 and the
pace of output expansion gained strength from August 2009 with growth in the General Index of Industrial Production (IIP) going into double digits. Industrial growth reached a record high of 18 per cent in December 2009 driven by a 19.6 per cent growth in manufacturing, highest in last fifteen years. Industrial growth was particularly buoyant in emerging segments such as metal and metal products, machinery and equipment and auto sector. Manufacturing output growth in 2009-10 has been strong in every quarter and especially so in the case of capital goods and durable consumer goods. The only exception has been non-durable consumer goods. Recovery was particularly significant for metal products, machinery and equip-
ments, transport equipments, chemicals and rubber, petroleum and plastic products, all forming part of the modern industries driven by technology and innovation. Quarter on quarter basis, industrial growth recovered from under 2 per cent in two quarters of October-December, 2009 and January-March, 2010 to consistently increased to 4.0 per cent, 8.6 per cent, 13.2 per cent and 15.8 per cent, respectively in the next four quarters, resulting in an annual growth of 10.5 per cent in 200910. After maintaining two digit growth rates for three quarters, the second quarter of 2010-11 witnessed a marginal fall and registered growth of 8.8 per cent. The writer is Senior Economic Adviser, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Govt of India
Realty Tidbits
Trump plans luxury residential tower in Mumbai
Real Estate
U
S billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump is entering the Indian property market with a luxury residential tower in Mumbai, more than two years after announcing plans to expand in the south Asian nation. Trump, who has joined with Mumbai developer Rohan Lifescapes Pvt for his first venture in the country, expects to start marketing the project by March, quoted Donald Trump Jr., Trump's son and executive vice president at the Trump Organization LLC in the report. "We are doing a very luxury project with Rohan Lifescapes and we'll be in India later this quarter to launch it officially," he added.
Adarsh housing complex faces demolition
T
he Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has ordered the removal of the scam-tainted Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society building in Mumbai within three months. In a press release the Ministry said it has decided to remove the entire structure as it is 'unauthorized' and as no clearance under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991, was obtained. The Ministry had considered the other two options of removal of that part of the structure in excess of the floor space index or recommending that the Government take over the building for a public use to be determined later.
Carlson to open 100 more hotels in India
G
lobal hospitality major Carlson, which runs 5-star hotel Radisson, plans to open 19 more hotels in India by the yearend and 100 by 2015 with a total expected headcount of 30,000 by then, a company official said. The US-based hotel chain currently employs around 10,000 people across its 34 hotels (3,234 rooms) in India. "We plan to open 19 more hotels this calender year. These hotels will help generate 6,000 employment opportunities," said Hubert Joly, president and CEO, Carlson Hotels. The company has already signed management contracts for about 54 hotels, of which 19, with a total of 2,670 rooms, will open this year. The total project cost of these 19 hotels is estimated at around Rs 2,250 crore.
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India Post
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January 28, 2011
Prime Gurgaon land to be auctioned
A
fter Gurgaon One, western part of the city might see rise of another multi-storey building in the same vicinity. Jawala Mills, decades-old defunct textile mill on Old Delhi Road is slated to be sold by midFebruary. The 17 acres of land was first purchased by IT major Aricent Technologies in early 2000s as tech firm wanted to re-develop the area into an office space. However, the new Master Plan of Gurgaon has marked the area as a residential zone. Following this, Aricent Technologies have decided to put the land up for sale.
Asian-Americans suffered big during foreclosure crisis India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES: Asian American-Pacific Islanders who own homes saw their greatest loss of equity following the national foreclosure crisis, despite their higher median income, according to a new study by the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. While Asian Americans made some improvement in their rate of homeownership between 2005 and 2007, increasing from 59 percent to 60.3 percent, the study revealed that the national foreclosure crisis wiped out any modest improvements by 2008, returning the rate of homeownership by Asian Americans to 59 percent by 2009. "The initial gains in homeownership for Asian Americans were lost during the current real estate downturn and it also exposed them to greater financial risk in terms of equity loss," said Kenneth Li, Chairman of AREAA. "There is limited research on how Asian Americans fared during the subsequent foreclosure crisis, but preliminary assessments and anecdotal evidence indicate that they lost considerable ground," said Melany De la CruzViesca, assistant director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. "Especially troubling is the loss in equity many Asian American homeowners face." The median property value of Asian American homeowners decreased from the start of the foreclosure crisis in 2007 into 2009. The property value loss of Asian Americans between 2007 and 2009 was -$42,900 and that figure for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) was -$47,000. These figures compare to the national equity loss during that period at -$9,100. Much of the large differential in equity loss can be explained by the fact that Asian Americans and NHPIs are highly concentrated in geographic areas where the housing downturn was more severe than in the rest of the nation. "This finding again reinforces AREAA's longstanding concerns that Asian Americans are dispro-
portionately affected by the housing bubble because of population concentrations in markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, where housing costs are high," Li said. Another factor affecting homeownership for AAPIs is their
addressing the language barrier to sustainable homeownership." The study sheds light on homeownership patterns in Asian American communities, and provides a mixed picture of how the foreclosure and economic crises are affecting Asian Americans.
According to the study: "The lack of English language proficiency continues to be a significant barrier, if not the most significant barrier, to homeownership among Asian Americans." Findings showed that 71percent of Asian Americans speak a language other than English at home, compared with 20 percent of the total population significant language barriers. According to the study: "The lack of English language proficiency continues to be a significant barrier, if not the most significant barrier, to homeownership among Asian Americans." Findings showed that 71percent of Asian Americans speak a language other than English at home, compared with 20 percent of the total population. Additionally, 2009 data showed that 32 percent of Asian Americans "speak English less than very well" compared with nine percent of the total population. "This is especially evident for AAPIs looking to obtain loan modification support," Li said. "This study reinforces the need for AREAA, together with our industry partners, to create initiatives that make a true difference in
While the study showed that Asian Americans had far larger median household incomes than the total population ($73,745 for Asian Americans vs. $61,021 for the total population), it found that Asian Americans still lag behind the total population in terms of homeownership (59 percent homeownership among Asian Americans vs. 65.9 percent
homeownership in the total population). According to the 2008 Census, Asian Americans make up 5 percent of the total U.S. population. Asian American ethnic groups that have homeownership rates higher than the total Asian American percentage include Vietnamese (64 percent), Filipino (64 percent), Laotian (63 percent), Japanese (62 percent) and Chinese, including Taiwanese (62 percent). Among Asian American ethnic groups, the highest percentages of people who speak English less than very well include Vietnamese (60 percent), Korean (59 percent), Chinese (56 percent) and Cambodian (55 percent). The report's findings reinforce how the population is diverse, with many ethnic, cultural, language and religious groups, each with a unique history and experience. The full text of the study, "Following the Path to Asian American Homeownership Report: An Analysis of the United States, California, New York, Texas, and Select U.S. Metropolitan Areas" by Melany De La Cruz-Viesca and Brian Chiu, can be found on AREAA's website at www.areaa.org. Founded in 2003, AREAA is a national professional trade organization dedicated to closing the homeownership gap facing the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. AREAA advocates for policy positions at the national level that will reduce homeownership barriers facing the APA community, and aims to increase business opportunities for mortgage and real estate professionals that serve the growing community.
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Horoscope
India Post
January 28, 2011
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Your Weekly future January 28 - February 03 by Pandit Parashar
P
lanets will put you in the hot seat but you will come out a winner. It may not be pleasing for everybody around at work. Financially things will be on the edge for few more weeks but money will keep trickling in. You will be looking for right team for your project and start negotiating with few. Big check can come next week.
I
t will not be a good idea to cash out and take a big loss right now, give it few months and you will be able to salvage a lot. Project launched at this point will prove to be the turning point in your career. You will also hear some good news from far off places. An old friend will call to invite you to a get together at his place.
V
E
xpenses will not leave you alone and you will keep charging on cards. Planets in the third will bring an end to a major headache chewing away most of your precious time. You will be successful in negotiating a very good deal. Ongoing legal matters will take a dramatic and favorable turn. Take all the negative thoughts out of your mind.
Y
ou will be full of energy. Planets in second will get you lots of extra money. Take chance and you can not loose. Business will start to pick up rapidly. Deal will go through and new associates will bring in lots of cash. You will miss some one badly who was too close in the past. You will take family out for dinner and movies.
S
Y
ou may stretch limits and buy some big ticket item on hold for a while. Boss may move you to another place temporarily. You will be paying more attention to a child and try to settle an important issue. It will be better to stay in touch with an old and trusted friend. Financially you will stay comfortable and meet all commitments on time.
T
here will be many exciting developments in life. Concentration of planets in house of gains will throw many good financial opportunities in your lap and you will have chance to make fast money. New contract will bring in rich rewards almost immediately. You will dispose off some asset for a large profit. Have patience with a new colleague.
E
S
Y
P
ome one in the family will be going on a short trip. Financial juggling will bring down the pressure and you will find quick and good solutions to al problems big or small. You will be calling people overseas more frequently this week. There will be stability and positive changes in career soon. Minor surgery is one of the options for health issue.
ou may not get results that fast for the efforts recently made. Do not loose hope and have patience as rewards will come in another few weeks. You will become more spiritual and may visit a holy place by yourself. Some very helpful in the past will not be available for some more time. Little argument and change in strategy will make you look for new vendors.
Pandit Parashar, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com
alue of your assets and stocks will take a small dip, so don't panic. On the positive notes lots of uncertainty of the past will disappear in career and you will be somewhat relieved. Some of you will be traveling this week in connection with some official business. Efforts you make this week will bear fruits very soon.
ome money will go towards a future trip also. You will have several reasons to celebrate. You will be prone to be drawn towards people who are not your well wishers, so be careful. You may need to deal with a government agency also to clear some confusion. You will receive valuable advice from a learned person as to how to deal with competitors.
xtra money you make will bring big relief in mind. Refund may also show up in the bank account. You will be invited to an important event and get the chance to meet and make new friends. Planets will fill you with energy and as a result you will get all pending work out of your way and take family out to an interesting place on the weekend.
lanets will cause rapid changes in life and only for betterment this time. Have no regrets about things which did not occur and enjoy these positive changes. You will be helped by an influential lady. Hard work will pay off and the project will take off like a bullet with right partners. You will gain victory in all legal matters.
925-833-7170 website: www.parashar.com
35 India Post
www.indiapost.com
January 28, 2011
W
anting to get away from it all is common enough but more often than not 'it all' follows one to the very place one seeks refuge in. This is particularly true of hill stations where the attraction lies to a large extent in the beautiful natural surroundings. But more significantly it is for the silence, serenity and solitude that hill stations offer that they are places of retreat and get away from the crowds and confusion of a city. Today, few such remain. Commercialism and hard sell having eroded all but the natural beauty, at times sparing not even that. Among the few exceptional hill resorts in India is Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. It is not on the usual beat of hill station buffs and therefore, not over-developed. Though considered a hill station, it does not offer the predictable mountain fare of awesome heights and spectacular scenery, for the Satpuras are low lying weathered hills. Pachmarhi's appeal is low key. Peace, seclusion and a quiet unobtrusive beauty are its prime attractions. History: A derelict church and houses with a perceptible colonial ambience are vestiges of the British Raj. It was in fact Colonel Forsyth, a Bengal Lancer, who discovered Pachmarhi in 1857, and the point where he first sighted and fell in love with the area was named after him and earlier called Forsyth Point. Today this has been renamed Priyadarshini Point. This enthralling feeling of Forsyth was echoed by other Englishmen who, finding the town pleasant throughout the year, settled here and developed Pachmarhi into a cantonment which it still is today. Development has come by way of government aided projects which are geared more towards cottage industries. Tribal life: One can easily encounter the tribals, the Gonds and the Korkus, busy gathering firewood. These are the native inhabitants of the area who live in small huts or in almost primeval rock shelters. Cont’d on page 36
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Travel & Hospitality Post
India Post
January 28, 2011
www.indiapost.com
Goa likely to get tourists from US PANAJI: Goa now can look forward to tourists from America descending on its beaches with Atlanta-based Asian American Hotel Owners Association showing keen interest in promoting tourism here. A delegation of the association met tourism industry players and policy makers in Goa assuring their full support in promotion of tourism here, a spokesman for the state government said. The 34-member delegation also met Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat during their two day visit. Atlanta-based Lords Inn Hotels' executive director Pushpendra Bansal told reporters here that there is a huge opportunity in store to get tourists from America to Goa because 90 per cent of the chartered flights arriving in India land in this state. He said the hospitable nature of the people will also be an addition to get the outbound tourists from the US to visit Goa. Along with tourism, some representatives also showed interest in investing in entertainment sector of the state. "I am keen on partnering with
local associates or working on a PPP model to create entertainment complexes in Goa. Water or theme parks, indoor roller skating and ice skating rinks, bowling allays, malls, spas and movie theatres are areas which are of interest to me," Shiv Aggarwal, president and CEO of the American Management Services, said. American Management Services was responsible for setting up the first South Asian mall in the US. The association, which paid visit to various places and held discussion with the tourism industry stakeholders, represents 10,000 members owning more than 20,000 hotels across the US. The association chairman C K Patel stated that since most of their members were Indians, they were proud to invest back in the country. "Over the last five years, we have opened dialogues with Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Karnataka. Our members have set up 14 projects in these states so far. This year we traveled to Goa to explore opportunities within the region," he said. -PTI
World tourism rose sharply last year: UN MADRID: Global tourism bounced back from the world financial crisis with unexpected vigor, surging almost 7.0 per cent last year compared to 2009, the UN World Tourism Organization said. "Tourism has once again proved to be a highly resilient sector," UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said in announcing the results. "Boosted by improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has recovered faster than expected from the impacts of the global financial crisis and economic recession of late 2008 and 2009," the Madrid-based body said in a statement. It said international tourist arrivals were up by 6.7 per cent, or 58 million, at 935 million compared to 2009 "with positive growth reported in all world regions." The figure was higher than the pre-crisis level of 913 million in 2008. "While all regions posted growth in international tourist arrivals, emerging economies remain the main drivers of this recovery," it said. The result "is better than many
experts predicted," Rifai told a news conference. "The important part of this is that we are finally above the level of 2008... The challenge now is to consolidate this growth, which is not going to be an easy task."
‘Boosted by improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has recovered faster than expected from the impacts of the global financial crisis and economic recession of late 2008 and 2009,’ the Madrid-based body said in a statement The UNWTO statement said strong performance came "despite persistent economic uncertainty in major markets, the natural disas-
ters suffered in some countries, political and social unrest in others, the serious disruption of air travel following a volcanic eruption in Iceland last April and the problematic weather conditions in parts of Europe and the USA in December." But it also noted the "the importance of mega events" on the flow of tourism, including the Shanghai Expo in China, the World Cup in South Africa, the Winter Olympics in Canada and the Commonwealth Games in India. Asia was the major driver, with tourism up 13 per cent at a new record of 204 million arrivals. "Asia was the first region to recover and the strongest growing region in 2010," the UN body said. In Africa, the only region to show positive results in 2009, tourist arrivals were up another 6.0 per cent in 2010. Tourism in the Middle East was up 14 per cent, the Americas 8.0 per cent and Europe 3.0 per cent, where the eruption of the volcano in Iceland and the uncertainty affecting the euro zone affected results. (AFP)
Pachmarhi: Peace, seclusion and unobtrusive beauty Cont’d from page 35
They are a happy people content with a simple lifestyle, fond of song, dance and the local brew mahua. Their distinct lifestyle manifests itself in a number of quaint customs like the memorial blocks they carve for their dead which are rather like wooden slates, each with a figure carved in relief representing the dead person riding a horse. This is surprising
1000 BC. Walks take one through forests and meadows, to hill tops such as Dhoopgarh, the highest point in the Satpuras where the sunsets are quite spectacular, or down gorges and valleys where water and shade have led to a luxuriant growth of vegetation in every conceivable shade of green. Few sounds are heard other than the chirping of birds or that of water trickling, flowing or thunderously cascading into falls that end
Walks take one through forests and meadows, to hill tops such as Dhoopgarh, the highest point in the Satpuras where the sunsets are quite spectacular because horses are hardly visible in the area. Perhaps the horses signify a journey to the other world. Pachmarhi is a place for walks, along the short or long chakkars, along the predictable way or along lesser known routes where one can come across rock shelters such as those in the Maradeo hill covered with paintings depicting warfare, food gathering and hunting, some dating as far back as
in large azure pools. Tourist attractions: The Apsara Vihar or Fairy Pool, is perhaps the most beautiful of pools in Pachmarhi. The descent is easy, the location ideal for a picnic and the pool shallow enough for a paddle. Some distance away the Rajat Parbat or the Big Falls, true to their name gush down from a height of over three hundred feet. Close to the Ramaya Kund, or
Irene Pool, are the Duchess Falls, ideal for swimming. These are not quite so spectacular but the setting makes them one of Pachmarhi's most beautiful and picturesque waterfalls. Perhaps the beauty and seclusion led people to believe that Pachmarhi was a preferred place of the gods, for the area around abounds in pilgrim spots. The Chota Mahadev, a narrow point in the hills; Maradeo, the second highest point in the Satpuras, which comes alive during the annual Shivratri celebrations; Chauragarh, where a pilgrim path
leads to a sacred summit with several images of Shiva, and the Jata Shankar cave where Shiva is believed to have hidden himself from the demon king Bhasmasur. This is a sacred cave under a mass of loose boulders which resemble the matted locks of Lord Shiva, hence the name. Handi Khoh, today a deep ravine, was believed to be a huge lake which was guarded by a snake who terrorized all who came to visit the sacred spots in the vicinity. Shiva came to the rescue and succeeded in imprisoning him in solid rock. The flames of wrath ensuing
from this divine battle dried up the waters of the lake and the empty space assumed the saucer-like shape of a handi or pot. Priyadarshini Point, the point from where Captain Forsyth first caught a glimpse of Pachmarhi, is an oft visited spot. Lanjee Giri is of interest to rock-climbers as it offers some easy scalings near the summit. Jalwataran or Duchess Falls is another important site and one can trek to this picturesque waterfall which falls in three distinct cascades. Pandav Caves are frequented by tourists. The Pandav brothers are believed to have spent a part of their exile in these famous caves from which Pachmarhi takes its name. Best time to visit: Throughout the year How to reach: The nearest airport is Bhopal (120 kilometers) connected by regular flights with Delhi, Gwalior, Indore, Bombay, Raipur and Jabalpur. Pipariya (47 kilometers), on the BombayHowrah mainline via Allahabad is the most convenient railhead. Pachmarhi is connected by regular bus services with Bhopal, Hashangabad, Nagpur, Pipariya and Chhindwara. Taxis are available at Pipariya.
Travel & Hospitality Post
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J&K hopeful of wooing 10 lakh tourists this year BANGALORE: The Jammu and Kashmir government hopes tourist inflow would touch the 10 lakh mark this year, up from nearly 7.36 lakh in 2010. Speaking during a roadshow to promote Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions as tourist destinations at a travel fair, J&K Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin said nearly 7.36 lakh tourists excluding Amarnath yatris, visited Kashmir last year. However tourist arrivals were abruptly interrupted mid-year with the wide media coverage on stone pelting incidents, which created fear among the tourist population, he said. "Tourists have now started coming back to Kashmir and we hope the figure will touch the million mark," he said. Terming as not true the perception that Kashmir is not safe, he said the sporadic incidents had occurred in places that are not the usual tourist destinations. "The usual tourist spots are safe. Last year 23,000 foreigners, mainly those from South East Asia visited Kashmir."
"Tourism is the cutting edge of Jammu and Kashmir economy," he said while citing reasons to revive tourism in the region. Thousands of people depend on tourism. The government was trying to build infrastructure and other facilities to boost tourism. There were plans to promote the
plans to add more destinations onto the tourist map of the region, he said. There were also plans to spread out tourists to various areas to ensure a balanced dispersal of revenue generation. He said authorities had assured film units of full security and all facilities to complete shoot-
Terming as not true the perception that Kashmir is not safe, he said the sporadic incidents had occurred in places that are not the usual tourist destinations. "The usual tourist spots are safe golf circuit - including the Royal Springs Golf Course, Gulmarg and Pahalgam golf courses-- to woo tourist and encourage tourist attractions like heliskiing, a winter sport. New tourist destinations like Gurez, Loleb are also being promoted. There were
ing and also promoting a one-stop solution for film crew to facilitate shooting. On the Sabarimala stampede in Kerala, he said those in charge of managing pilgrims visiting the shrine could perhaps study the practice followed to regulate devotees coming to Vaishnodevi, "perhaps one
of the most smoothly managed." "Every aspect of yatra management has to be taken care of, your infrastructure has to be taken of, security has to be taken of, the way the yatra is conducted has to be taken of." On revival of interest by film units in the region, he said, "Bollywood has been coming back to Kashmir. Last year we had three units in Gulmarg. These are not big budget ones, but small ones. Big directors and producers, they are still scared... but the adventurous were coming". On measures to promote film shooting, he said the biggest concern was security, which was being provided. "A one stop solution is being adopted to grant all required permissions to shoot. Whatever logistic support is required is given." He said there was keen interest in wooing tourists from Karnataka. The IT sector had displayed interest in the region. According to a hotel owner, an estimated 20000 IT employees had visited the region in the last three months. -PTI
'Nepal Tourism Year' launched KATHMANDU: President Ram Baran Yadav here launched 'Nepal Tourism Year 2011' at a grand function in the capital to attract more foreign visitors and boost the economy, which is still reeling under the impact of a decade- long Maoist insurgency that ended in 2006. Top Nepalese leaders, including Prime Minister Madhav Nepal and chief of main opposition Maoist party Prachanda attended the function in the heart of the capital. The launch of the tourism year also coincided with a SAARC Tourism Ministers Conference. Tourism Ministers from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan along with Tourism Secretary from India and representatives from other member states also attended the function. Addressing a gathering of over 25,000 people at the Dasharath Stadium, caretaker Prime Minister Nepal said the campaign will promote Nepal as a peaceful, safe and one of the best tourism destinations in the world. "We are focusing on the development of tourism to generate more employment so that our
youths need not go abroad for jobs," he underlined. He said the government will give priority to building infrastructures and developing packages so as to attract more investment. He said the government will specially focus on the neighboring markets of India and China to
Tourism Minister Sharad Singh Bhandari underlined the need for "economic revolution through tourism". "After achieving political revolution, now we will focus on economic revolution through tourism" promote tourism during 2011. Tourism Minister Sharad Singh Bhandari underlined the need for "economic revolution through tourism". "After achieving political revolution, now we will focus on economic revolution through tourism," said Bhandari.
He said tourism aims to change the face of the country and enhance Nepal's international image. He said boost in the tourism sector will lead economic revolution as the country moves forward towards peaceful transition after the decade-long insurgency. Air show, cultural and ethnic pageants along with traditional musical bands were part of the grand function. The tourism sector is the largest foreign exchange earner for the country. It was expected that with the end of the Maoists-led insurgency in 2006, the country's tourism sector would get a boost. However, the country has been faced with political and economic instability that has impacted the tourism sector. More than six months after the 22-party coalition led by Prime Minister Nepal collapsed, 16 rounds of Parliament vote has failed to elect a new leader. Maoist supremo Prachanda and CPN-UML president Jhalanath Khanal vowed to promote tourism as a national priority and refrain from launching any crippling strikes, agitation and protests during the year.
Bali facing environmental problems BALI, Indonesia: Bali is facing complicated environmental problems as a result of rapid development of its tourism sector during the past few years, an observer has said. Among the environmental problems were water pollution and a decrease in the quality of natural
resources and the Denpasar city's environment, Chief of Guide Study at Hindu Dharma Negeri Institute (IHDN) I Ketut Sumadi said. Infrastructure and supporting public facilities were also being damaged gradually due to rapid development of the tourism sector in Bali, he said.
The negative impact of tourism development could also be seen in the increasing number of forest areas being turned into tourist spots, he said, adding apart from disturbing the ecosystem this had the potential of triggering natural disasters such as floods and landslides.-PTI
A record number of tourists flew to Nepal last year, with most of the growth coming from its two giant neighbors India and China, according to official figures. Nepal aims to bring in some 260,000 tourists from India during the year. Nepal aims to attract one mil-
lion tourists. The Nepal Tourism Board said the arrival of some 500,000 foreign visitors at the country's only international airport in 2010, 15 per cent more than in 2009, showed tourism had recovered from a decade long insurgency that ended in 2006. -PTI
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In Brief Chancellor links Tucson shootings to immigration BERKELEY, Calif.: The chancellor at University of California, Berkeley, has sent a campus-wide email linking the Tucson shootings with Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants and the failure of the DREAM Act. In his e-mail, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau postulates on factors that may have motivated accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner, saying he believes it's no coincidence that the shooting occurred in a state he says legislated discrimination against illegal immigrants. He's referring to Senate Bill 1070, which empowers police to demand proof of citizenship or legal residency from criminal suspects. -AP
Indiana wants Arizona-style immigration law INDIANAPOLIS: An Indiana state senator is proposing a bill that he says would implement an Arizona-style crackdown on illegal immigration. The bill proposed by Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, would require police to ask for proof of citizenship or immigration status if they had a reasonable suspicion that a person is illegally in the country. Delph said the bill is ``tough, but fair,'' but it's unclear whether it has much of a future in the General Assembly. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and legislative leaders have said the top priorities for the 2011 session are creating a new budget, passing sweeping education changes, fixing the state's unemployment fund and creating new political maps for redistricting. -AP
Mississippi bill to check immigration status JACKSON, Miss.: A Senate committee has cleared a bill - similar to one in Arizona that would allow police officers who stop people for violations such as speeding or a broken tail light to check their immigration status if there's reasonable suspicion they are here illegally. But at least one state lawmaker, Sen. Kelvin Butler, a Democrat from Magnolia, said he's concerned the bill passed by the Judiciary A Committee would pave the way for more racial profiling. Committee Chairman Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, said the bill specifically said the immigration check cannot be based solely on race or ethnicity. -AP
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Illegal immigrant shot by MCSO deputy dies PHOENIX: An illegal immigrant shot after allegedly pointing an assault rifle at a Maricopa County sheriff's deputy has died. Authorities say 43-year-old Felipe Ramirez Castellanos died at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix. -AP
Illegal immigrant students grapple with US dating LOS ANGELES: Laura Enriquez wanted her boyfriend to get a taste of her Alaska vacation last summer, so she walked on glaciers in a pair of his shoes and held up his photo when taking snapshots of the scenery. It was the best the 24-year-old graduate student could do because her boyfriend, who was brought here from Mexico by his parents as a child, is an illegal immigrant and can't risk traveling anywhere identification is required. For the past two years, the couple have navigated some of life's rites of passage with this in mind. She does the driving and often pays because even with a college degree it's hard for him to find work. The death of the Dream Act last month dashed their hopes of a path to citizenship. While illegal immigrant students pushed for the bill to improve their access to education and jobs after graduation, the legislation also would have eased the often overlooked challenges of making friends and dating without papers. On college campuses, illegal im-
migrant students face a social barrier anywhere photo identification like a driver's license is required: from taking a road trip with friends to bar hopping to catching a flight. That can make it difficult to deepen friendships or relationships - or to date at all. Nancy Guarneros, a 23-year-old graduate student, remembers how she was primping for a special
has likely grown since children brought here as illegal immigrants after the country's 1986 legalization program have come of age and it has become tougher to get a green card through marriage. Illegal immigration peaked during the 1990s, with 4.5 million people arriving during the decade, according to a 2010 report by the Pew Hispanic Center. Those who
Many never knew they were illegal immigrants until they learned at age 16, unlike their peers, they couldn't get a driver's license night out with her boyfriend when he told her they were going to a club. She panicked. ``It's like, oh my gosh, how can you take me somewhere that requires government ID? What were you thinking?'' Guarneros recalled at a recent meeting students held in Los Angeles to talk about socalled ``cross-status'' dating. It isn't clear how many young couples are in similar relationships. Researchers say it would be tough to find out, but the number
arrived as small children are now teenagers or in their mid-20s. U.S. citizens and green card holders date illegal immigrants at all ages, but researchers say it's probably more frequent on college campuses, which foster diversity and create a space where students feel safer revealing their status. It's especially likely for those students and 20-somethings who were brought here as toddlers and grew up on American cartoons, speak flawless English and have
American friends. Many never knew they were illegal immigrants until they learned at age 16, unlike their peers, they couldn't get a driver's license. ``They go through Americanizing experiences. They grow up watching Barney and the Power Rangers. They go to prom. They do all these things American kids are doing,'' said Roberto Gonzales, a sociology professor at the University of Washington. ``What happens at 16, 17, 18 years old is when everything becomes real for them, they can't move through American rites of passage,'' he said. Over the last year, many of these students made national headlines pushing for the Dream Act. The bill would have provided a route to legal status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants under 30 years old who were brought to the United States before age 16, lived in the country five years, graduated from high school or gained an equivalency degree and who joined the military or attended college. Cont’d on page 42
Going for a visa stamp can be daunting MYRIAM JAIDI
C
ontacting an immigration attorney prior to leaving the US for visa stamping abroad has become more important than ever. Individuals, especially those traveling to India, must develop a strategy in the event of a problem at the consulate. Going for a visa stamp can be daunting for anyone whether you have a law degree or no education whatsoever, whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or for a small business, the process is intimidating for one main reason: it is completely unpredictable. Even if one follows all the instructions on the consular website, goes prepared with documentation in hand, and has a full understanding of the visa
sought, things may go awry. Two people with the same job at the same company may have completely different experiences. One may emerge without issue, visa stamp happily in hand. The other may find himself or herself hold-
ally visa refusals pursuant to the Foreign Affairs Manual (see 9 FAM 41.121 PN 1.2-3), although the letters themselves do not state as much. They indicate that the visa has been placed in "pending" status or that further processing
Even if one follows all the instructions on the consular website, goes prepared with documentation in hand, and has a full understanding of the visa sought, things may go awry ing a letter printed on colored paper requesting additional information or simply stating that "administrative processing" is required before the visa can be processed. These colorful pieces of paper, also called 221(g) letters, are actu-
has been "suspended." The fact that these letters actually constitute refusals is important to acknowledge the next time an individual fills out a DS-160 or applies for ESTA. Otherwise, he or she may be denied a visa or entry for
fraud (for failing to respond "yes" to the question of whether he/she has ever been refused/ denied a visa). The name "221(g) letter" derives from the section of the Immigration and Nationality Act providing the authority to issue the denial. Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides as follows: No visa or other documentation shall be issued to the alien if (1) it appears to the consular officer, from statements in the application, or in the papers submitted therewith, that such alien is ineligible to receive a visa or such other documentation under section 212, or any other provision of law, Cont’d on page 42
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Cuba calls immigration talks with US 'fruitful' HAVANA: Senior U.S. and Cuban diplomats met to discuss immigration issues in an encounter described by the Cuban side as fruitful and carried out in a spirit of mutual respect. The two sides discussed ways to combat people-smuggling across the treacherous Straits of Florida, according to a statement released by the Cuban government. ``It was a fruitful exchange aimed at ... the establishment of more effective mechanisms of cooperation to combat illegal migrant smuggling,'' said Deputy Cuban Foreign Minister Dagoberto Rodriguez, who led the Cuban delegation. The statement said both sides recognized that the number of Cubans attempting to get to the United States illegally, often in rickety rafts or inner tubes, had dropped significantly. There was no immediate comment from the American side, which was led by Roberta Jacobsen, the United States' principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. The gathering focused on a 17-year-old agreement under which the United States issues 20,000 visas to Cubans a year. But diplomats from both countries
also use the twice-yearly meetings to detail a long-standing list of complaints. Chief among them, as far as Washington is concerned, is the detention of Alan Gross, an American subcontractor jailed by Cuba for more than a year without charge on suspicion of spying.
Hopes that President Barack Obama would usher in a new era in the relationship are long gone, replaced by the usual recriminations from both sides U.S. diplomats were also likely to have raised what Washington considers Cuba's spotty humanrights record overall. The Cuban delegation never fails to voice its opposition to the 48-year-old U.S. trade embargo, which Havana says has put a stranglehold on the island's economy. The Cuban statement said its officials also reiterated displeasure with a U.S. policy that allows
any Cuban reaching American soil to remain, while sending back those intercepted at sea. The Cubans have said in the past they believe the policy encourages people-smuggling. Despite the many points of contention, the Cuban statement said the meeting ``developed in an atmosphere of respect.'' It voiced Havana's willingness to hold another round of talks in six months. U.S. officials have made clear there is little hope for improved relations while Cuba holds Gross. They have also continued to call on Cuban authorities to open up the island's political system to democratic reform. Relations have been sour for more than a half century, since shortly after Fidel Castro's revolution turned the island into a Soviet ally. Hopes that President Barack Obama would usher in a new era in the relationship are long gone, replaced by the usual recriminations from both sides. According to U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, Cuban President Raul Castro Fidel's brother, who has been running Cuba since 2006 approached Washington about opening backdoor talks with the White House, but was rebuffed. -AP
Bill on illegal immigrants advances to full House HELENA, Mont.: Montana lawmakers have pushed forward a bill to ban illegal immigrants from receiving workers' compensation insurance benefits and hearing initial debate on a plan to turn to a federal immigration database before issuing Montana driver's licenses. Staunch opponents to illegal immigration want the state to use that federal database to verify legal immigration status before issuing a driver's license. Opponents of House Bill 178 argue the state would be subjecting its residents and control of its identification to a database that was central to the federal Real ID program Montana overwhelmingly rejected. Rep. David Howard, a Park City Republican and retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, said his proposed bill is an extra safeguard that is needed to make sure only people in the country
legally get a driver's license. Other supporters said illegal immigrants affect national security and other issues. ``They are slowly infiltrating the state of Montana,'' said Art Ellison, who testified with other members of the American Legion in support of the bill. ``All of the Western states are inundated with illegal immigrants.'' The Department of Transportation said it favors the bill. Right now its agents have to individually analyze complicated immigration documents to determine legality. Those agents could now rely on the ``federal systematic alien verification for entitlements program.'' Opponents said it is wrong to specify the use of the federal database in state law. They said it could be inaccurate, pointing to past problems in federal agencies, and lead to lengthy delays for Montanans legally request-
ing a driver's license. They argued that no illegal immigrant who has to cross dangerous borders and risk everything to get into the country is going to be stopped by the threat of not being able to get a driver's license. The roads will be more dangerous because such immigrants won't have licenses or insurance under the plan. The House Transportation Committee didn't take an immediate vote on the plan. A different panel, the House Judiciary Committee, endorsed a measure to ban illegal immigrants from collecting workers' compensation benefits. Backers of the proposal said it is needed to send a message to those wrongly employing illegal immigrants. Opponents countered that the workers will still get injured, and hospitals will be left picking up the tab for treating them in emergencies. -AP
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Going for a visa stamp can be daunting Cont’d from page 40
(2) the application fails to comply with the provisions of this Act, or the regulations issued thereunder, or (3) the consular officer knows or has reason to believe that such alien is ineligible to receive a visa or such other documentation under section 212, or any other provision of the law…. Types of 221(g) Letters One version of the 221(g) letter we have seen requests the following with regard to H-1B visa applications (and sometimes with regard to H-4 visa applications): From the petitioner 1. A full copy of H-1B petition as filed with the USCIS 2. An original H-1B approval notice 3. Petitioner's income tax return for the last 2 years and financial statements 4. A notarized list of all the petitioner's employees. The list should show all employees' names, their specific job titles, start and end dates, their individual salaries, their immigration status, and which project/client they are working with. 5. State Unemployment Wage Reports showing all wages paid to each employee in the state, for the past three quarters as filed to all states
6. A letter (on letterhead) from the personnel department at the US job site stating that there is a vacancy for you. 7. A letter from the client company (if applicable) sponsoring the project and a copy of the contract between the U.S. based petitioner and the client company, stating the timing, terms and agreement for your project. 8. A detailed and specific description of the internal development project to which you will be assigned. Include a complete technical description of the project, employer, timeline, current status, number of employees assigned, worksite location, and marketing analysis for the final product. From the individual applicant (or spouse of the H-4 applicant) 1. Your license to practice your profession in the U.S. 2. Original or certified copies of your academic credentials 3. Evidence of previous work experience in the petitioned filed. 4. Evidence of extension of legal status in the U.S. 5. Your federal income tax returns and W-2 forms for the past 3 years 6. Copies of pay stubs for the past 3 months. Another version of the 221(g) letter requests the following (and
sometimes indicates a specific format for delivery - PDF, Word document, Fax, etc.): • Invitation: An invitation letter from the sponsoring organization in the US. For graduate students, workers, and exchange visitors, the letter should include your supervisor or advisor and details about your work.
The ‘administrative processing’ can take as little as two weeks or as much as several months, or more. As the consulate noted on one version of a letter: ‘We are unable to provide a more specific completion date’ • Resume: A detailed resume/ CV, including your professional and academic background, and a list of all your publications. • Research: A complete and detailed description of 1) your past research; 2) your current research; and 3) any research you intend to
conduct in the US. You must include a description of the practical applications of your research or study. • Position: Your current job title and a full description of your work. • Purpose: A detailed statement of the purpose of your visit to the US. • Itinerary: An itinerary of all locations you will visit in the US, including dates, contact names, organizations, addresses, and telephone numbers. • Funding: Name of the person or organization who is funding your trip. • Travelers: A list of all the travelers who will accompany you, including family members and colleagues. • Travel: Dates and locations of all your international travel for the last ten years, except for US travel. In one astonishing case, the spouse of an H-1B visa holder went to the US consulate in Mumbai to obtain an H-4 visa stamp. The H-1B spouse had changed employers and planned to re-enter the US using the visa stamp from the old employer and the new I-797 approval notice relating to the new employer, as CBP policy allows. During the inter-
view, the consular officer asked if the H-4 visa applicant had the H1B spouse's passport. It was produced and the consular officer cancelled the H-1B stamp and noted on the 221(g) letter: "Husband must qualify for new visa before woman can get H4." As you can see from the samples above, producing the documentation required by consulates can be tremendously burdensome. Knowing what may be required prior to traveling to attend a visa interview is crucial, as it allows the applicant and his or her employer to prepare carefully for a visa interview, to decide what documentation to bring and what documentation to leave behind (e.g., a relative's passport), and to strategize in the event of delay. The "administrative processing" can take as little as two weeks or as much as several months, or more. As the consulate noted on one version of a 221(g) letter: "We are unable to provide a more specific completion date." (To be continued) * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com
Illegal immigrant students grapple with US dating Cont’d from page 40
The legislation shot down by the Senate in December was championed by immigrant advocates as a first step toward a broader legalization of the country's 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants and was reviled by critics who said it would fuel uncontrolled migration. Issues like dating and friendships may seem trivial but not to teens and college students yearning to fit in. Illegal immigrant youth often become angry and depressed when they learn they're living in a country not truly their own and can't find work, said Carola Suarez-Orozco, professor of applied psychology and co-director of Immigration
Studies at New York University. And while getting an education and a job top their worries, students say they also struggle to have a normal social life.
Both are often consumed by guilt: citizens, for the privileges they have; illegal immigrants for the burdens they shoulder Dating isn't easy, especially for young men who can't drive and often don't have cash to pay for a date since they can't get a steady job. The students are also viewed with suspicion by the families of their U.S. boyfriends and girlfriends who think they're after a green card. ``That's like the biggest elephant in the room,'' said Erick Huerta, a 26-year-old college student from Los Angeles. ``In my last relationship, she actually told me her mom told her,
'Mija,' be careful because you know those people, they only want one thing,'' he told the students at the meeting, to a chorus of chuckles. For those who date illegal immigrants, there's a constant worry their partners will get deported. They find themselves making excuses as to why the couple can't meet friends at a bar or travel. Both are often consumed by guilt: citizens, for the privileges they have; illegal immigrants for the burdens they shoulder. And that's before they graduate from college. The pressures only get harder when they leave the safety of campus. Marriage was once seen as a sure-fire ticket to a green card. But many illegal immigrants now need to return to their birth countries to apply for papers and will be barred from returning for a decade unless they get a special waiver. Enriquez said her boyfriend has made himself a promise: he won't wed until he's already got his green card so there's no doubt that he's marrying for love. That's fine for Enriquez, who is in no rush to get to the altar. But she wishes they could travel together like other young couples. -AP
Health
Line
Tragedy highlights struggling mental health system
WICHITA, Kan.: Wichita mental health advocates say the tragic Tucson shooting rampage that killed six people highlights problems with a struggling mental health system. People suffering from mental issues say speculation that suspected shooter Jared Loughner had mental problems paints a new stigma on them. The Wichita Eagle reports that community mental health services in that city are overwhelmed by severe budget cutbacks and a sharply rising demand for them. Sedgwick County's mental health agency has had its funds cut by nearly two-thirds since 2006, from $4.9 million to $1.9 million last year. -AP
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January 28, 2011
UNMC study links chronic hives, lack of vitamin D OMAHA, Neb.: Patients with chronic hives might benefit by supplementing their diet with vitamin D, according to a study by the University of Nebraska Medical Center. -AP
Kalam for uniting Indian and American medical systems
First 3 flu deaths of season in LA County
AAPI leaders with former president APJ Abdul Kalam India Post News Service
LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles County has seen its first three deaths of the flu season, including a 4-year-old boy. Health officials said in a statement that at least three people in the county have died from flu in the past two weeks, the first of the 2010-2011 flu season. Along with the boy, the dead included a 29-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man. The adults were both obese, a group which health officials say are now considered at increased risk for flu complications along with the very young, the elderly and people with chronic medical conditions. They say all three died from a strain of flu that was preventable by vaccine, but it was not immediately known whether they had received shots. -AP
Common stomach bug making rounds in Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS: A Minnesota health official says a common stomach bug is once again making the rounds. Kris Ehresmann is with the Minnesota Health Department. Ehresmann says outbreaks of norovirus have been reported in a number of long-term care facilities. Norovirus is a gastrointestinal bug. It causes symptoms including abdominal cramping, pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Ehresmann says the standard advice applies: Wash your hands often with soap and water, and avoid preparing food for others. -AP
NEW YORK: Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam who inaugurated the Indo-US Healthcare Summit organized by the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in Jaipur recently has urged for the integration of medical systems of both the nations. He said it's not too late to unite the best of both Indian and American systems as they had failed to deliver in isolation. Kalam was delivering the keynote address at the inauguration of the three-day summit of Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in association with Rajasthan Government. "Medicine is inherently borderless as it attends to human pain wherever it is felt. The experience gained
in different settings is to be integrated." He said there is also need for the benefits of scientific inventions and researches reaching the common people and the doctors are the conduit for this reach out program. Stressing on the need for
Kalam suggested that AAPI could take up a healthcare mission simultaneously in India and the US of three to five-year duration to benefit the people of both the countries. For instance he said the mission should focus on a vaccine for malaria for which research is
On commercialization of the medical sector Kalam said a 'kind heart' cannot be transplanted but has to be inculcated from childhood healthcare improvement and delivery system infrastructure in rural areas as a large section of the people are still deprived of basic healthcare in the country, he asked doctors organizations to strengthen medical services.
on in India and the US and is at the final stage. He suggested doctors prescribe only needful treatment instead of unnecessary and costly medicines in order to provide relief to common man and avoid side-effects. "Heart dis-
eases, oral cancer, blindness and child care should be given attention especially in the rural areas," he said. On commercialization of the medical sector Kalam said a 'kind heart' cannot be transplanted but has to be inculcated from childhood. He said parents, spiritual leaders and the teachers have a major role in the character formation of a human being including doctors. Replying to a query about the brain drain Kalam said out of the three million doctors and one million engineers the migration of this group from the country is only about 5-7 percent which should not be considered a problem. He said these doctors and engineers could be the 'goodwill ambassadors' of the country. Cont’d on page 44
Rare HIV transmission changed transplant practice CHICAGO: The rare transmission of HIV through transplanted organs to four Chicago-area patients made headlines in 2007. A new study says it also caused some U.S. transplant surgeons to limit their use of organs from highrisk donors such as gay men. That's an ``exaggerated response'' based more on fear of lawsuits than on science, said senior author Dr. Dorry Segev of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. ``The risk of death while waiting for an organ transplant is far higher for many patients than is the risk associated with these organs,'' Segev said. The study, based on survey responses from 422 transplant sur-
geons, found that about a third made changes following the 2007 events. Of those, 42 percent decreased their use of high-risk donors, 34 percent raised their emphasis on informing patients of risks and 17 percent increased their use of a more precise
cine,'' Segev said. Nearly 1 in 10 organ donors is ``high risk'' under a definition set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The category includes men who've had sex with men in the past five years,
'The risk of death while waiting for an organ transplant is far higher for many patients than is the risk associated with these organs,' Segev said test for HIV infection in organ donors. The findings, appearing in Archives of Surgery, show that a rare event can have ``a major impact on the way medicine is practiced and is a reminder of the litigious environment we've created in medi-
people who've injected illegal drugs in the past five years and people who've engaged in prostitution in the past five years. High-risk donors help meet the great need for organs. More than 72,000 Americans are active wait-
ing list candidates for organs. In 2009, 14,600 people donated organs, and about 6,700 people died because they didn't get an organ in time. In 2007, it had been two decades since a recipient had contracted HIV from a donated organ and it was a surprise when the four Chicago-area patients got hepatitis C, as well as HIV, after receiving organs from one deceased, high-risk donor. The transplants, done at three Chicago hospitals, resulted in at least one lawsuit. An unnamed ``Jane Doe'' claimed the hospital hadn't told her the kidney she received came from a man who had sex with men. Cont’d on page 45
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January 28, 2011
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1 in 3 NH third-graders Kalam for uniting Indian and is overweight American medical systems CONCORD, N.H.: A new report finds that one in three New Hampshire third-graders is overweight or obese. The report, released by the state Department of Health and Human Services, collected height, weight and other data on over 3,000 third-graders between September 2008 and June 2009. Eighty-one public schools participated in the survey. The department used Body Mass Index measurements as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An overweight child would have a BMI in the 85th to less than the 95th percentile for age and gender. A child considered to be obese would have a BMI equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. The survey said children living in the Belknap/Merrimack region and Coos County had the highest prevalence of obesity among the third-graders, 23.9 percent and 22.2 percent, respectively. The survey also found that nearly 46 percent of the thirdgrade boys in Coos County were overweight or obese. The report recommends paying attention to children's environments encouraging more play and little to no television to support healthy eating and active living. ``Changing the environment where children live and learn plays a significant role in helping children achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout their lives,'' said Jose Montero, director of the department's Di-
vision of Public Health. ``Many settings can support children and their families working toward that goal child care, schools, worksites, health care organizations, cities and towns, grocery stores, small food stores and concession stands.'' In 2009, a state commission formed to help prevent childhood obesity made 14 recommendations, including that the Health Department develop guidelines and procedures that ensures all children in direct care of the state
The survey said children living in the Belknap/Merrimack region and Coos County had the highest prevalence of obesity among the third-graders, 23.9 percent and 22.2 percent, respectively receive BMI assessments. Another recommendation was that BMIs should be assessed every year in school. Last year, Susan Lynch, New Hampshire's first lady, a pediatrician, supported a bill that would require the state's schools to record children's BMIs in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10. The bill was voted down in the House; opponents said it could harm children by singling them out. They also said BMI ignores other important factors of body composition. -AP
Cont’d from page 43
In his welcome address, Dr. Ajeet R. Singhvi, AAPI President, said the organization represents over 100,000 physicians and over 20,000 medical students, residents and fellows. Indian-Americans are less than 0.6% of the general American population, but we make up close to 20 percent of graduating US Medical classes. This translates to a staggering one out of every five doctors being of Indian origin. This is the fourth Indo-US health summit organized in India, he said. AAPI has distinguished itself by its proactive and non-partisan involvement in the political process. Indian physicians also have established a bipartisan political action committee which lobbies on behalf of our interests, he said. AAPI has launched an externship program to Indian American medical students and residents who are granted scholarships to serve and learn in Indian hospitals and clinics. Back in the US, AAPI has a legislative internship for students and residents interested in developing policy skills, Dr. Singhvi added.
Dr Ajeet Singhvi presenting a memento to Dr Kalam
Council of India and its Chair Dr. Shiv Sarin to help revise India's medical curriculum as well as develop fellowship programs in areas such as Infectious Disease, Allergy and Immunology. The Karmabhoomi part of us in fact has its roots in our Janmabhoomi. It is with this common bond that AAPI has come to India to serve and learn, he said. Dr. Shiv Sarin, chairman of Medi-
who chaired a session on medical tourism to Rajasthan, said there should be effective lobbying to develop medical tourism both at state and central government level. District level hospitals that lack basic facilities should be handed over to private sector for effective public-private partnership that would also take the pressure off the government. There should be uniformity of treatment
'The Karmabhoomi part of us in fact has its roots in our Janmabhoomi. It is with this common bond that AAPI has come to India to serve and learn'
AAPI leaders with Maharaja Jai Singh at his palace
In India, the AAPI-Charitable Foundation runs 16 clinics including in Rozda, Rajasthan, which serve more than a million underprivileged patients annually. AAPI is planning to set up an administrative office in India to continue its educational and professional exchanges. It has chalked out plans to work with the Medical
cal Council of India (MCI) said in order to address the issue of shortage of faculty in medical colleges the MCI propose to increase the retirement age of the doctors to 70 years. He said the MCI was bringing out a new curriculum by Jan end incorporating the latest advancements in medicine. Maharajah Jai Singh of Jaipur,
at all hospitals - cities and villages as foreigners visit rural areas too. The role of tour operators and tour promoters are keys to success. Rajasthan Governor Shivraj Patil delivered a key note address and also hosted a reception for the visiting delegation at Raj Bhavan in Jaipur. Maharajah of Jaipur Jai Singh hosted a lunch for all the physicians in his sprawling palace. Dr. Hemant Patel, former AAPI President and advisor to the Summit outlined the various medical topics discussed at the summit. A large number of physicians from the US had attended the summit.
W.Va. hospital uses light to combat germs SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va.: West Virginia hospital is using a newfangled weapon against an old medical nemesis: germs. Thomas Memorial Hospital says it recently started using a device called the Xenex PX-UV, which uses ultraviolet light to dis-
infect rooms by killing viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says infections contracted at hospitals, including pneumonia, are the fourth-leading cause of death. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. David
Soulsby says the hospital is proud of the device because anything that protects patients from infection is a good idea. Thomas says it's the only West Virginia hospital using the device in its operating rooms and only about a dozen US hospitals have one. -AP
January 28, 2011
Health Science Post www.indiapost.com
Rare HIV transmission changed transplant practice Cont’d from page 43
University of Chicago Medical Center doesn't rule out high-risk donors because That lawsuit against University of Chi- the demand for organs outstrips the supcago Medical Center is pending. The other ply, hospital spokesman John Easton said. two hospitals were Chicago's Rush Univer- High-risk donor organs are used on a casesity Medical Center and Northwestern Me- by-case basis. morial Hospital. Rush University Medical Center has deIt's illegal to transplant an organ from creased its use of high-risk donors and ensomeone known to be infected with HIV. But sures all patients are informed of the potentransplants from high-risk donors are allowed tial donor's risk factors when organs from a as long as the risk is outhigh-risk donor are offered. weighed by the benefits. Northwestern Memorial It's illegal to transIn 2007, standard tests Hospital in Chicago autoplant an organ for HIV and hepatitis antimatically rules out some but bodies showed the donor from someone not all high-risk donors. didn't have the diseases. known to be in``Each organ offered is The donor may have acconsidered on a case-by-case quired the infections a few fected with HIV. But basis, taking into account the weeks before death, too transplants from donor's condition at death and soon for the tests to detect high-risk donors medical history, as well as the antibodies. recipient's health,'' said NorthA nucleic acid test could are allowed western spokeswoman have detected HIV earlier, Megan McCann. but wasn't done in the Chicago case. The 2007 event led to the strengthening That's now changed. of national policies. Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor NetAs of Jan. 10 of this year, policies require work, the federally designated organ procure- organ procurement organizations to make ment agency for northern Illinois and north- reasonable attempts to get the medical and west Indiana, now uses the more costly behavioral history of donors. Transplant nucleic acid test for all high-risk donors be- centers must tell recipients if the organ fore transplants. The agency also uses the they're being offered is from a high-risk dotest after transplants on all other donors. nor and explain the risks and benefits. -AP
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Philosophy
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O
n the day when he returned to India after completing education in England, Mahatma Gandhi was introduced to Shrimad Rajchandra by Dr. Pranjivandas Mehta. Gandhi writes in his Autobiography, "The Story of My Experiments with Truth" about his first acquaintance with Shrimad. "...Dr. Metha introduced me to several friends, one of them being his brother Shri Revashankar
and Dr. Metha recommended me to see some of his memory feats. "I exhausted my vocabulary of all the European tongues I knew, and asked the poet to repeat the words. He did so in the precise order in which I had given them. I envied his gift without, however, coming under its spell. “The thing that did cast its spell over me I came to know afterwards. This was his wide knowledge of the scriptures, his spotless character,
centre round which his life revolved. That centre was the passion to see God face to face. Amongst the things on his business table there were invariably to be found some religious book and his diary. “The moment he finished his business he opened the religious book or the diary. Much of his published writings are a reproduction from his diary. The man who, immediately on finishing his talk about weighty business transac-
"Though I was then groping and could not be said to have any serious interest in religious discussion, still I found his talk of absorbing interest. I have since met many a religious leader or teacher. “I have tried to meet the heads of various faiths, and I must say that no one else has ever made on me the impression that Raychandbhai did. His words went straight home to me. "His intellect compelled as great a
Although you may spend your life killing, you will not exhaust all your foes. But if you quell your own anger, your real enemy will be slain. -Nagarjuna
Rajchandra, Gandhi's friend, philosopher & guide Shrimad Rajchandra
‘The thing that did cast its spell over me I came to know afterwards. This was his wide knowledge of the scriptures, his spotless character, and his burning passion for self-realization’
Mahatma Gandhi
Jagjivan, with whom there grew up a lifelong friendship. But the introduction that I need particularly take note of was the one to the poet Raychand or Rajchandra, the son-in-law of an elder brother of Dr. Metha, and partner of the firm of jewelers conducted in the name of Revashankar Jagjivan. “He was not above twenty-five then, but my first meeting with him convinced me that he was a man of great character and learning. He was also a Shatavadhani (one having the faculty of remembering or attending to a hundred things simultaneously),
and his burning passion for self-realization. I saw later that this last was the only thing for which he lived. The following lines of Muktanand were always on his lips and engraved on the tablets of his heart: 'I shall think myself blessed only when I see Him in every one of my daily acts; Verily He is the thread, which supports Muktanand's life.' "Raychandbhai's commercial transactions covered hundreds of thousands. He was a connoisseur of pearls and diamonds. No knotty business problem was too difficult for him. “But all these things were not the
tions, began to write about the hidden things of the spirit could evidently not be a businessman at all, but a real seeker after Truth. And I saw him thus absorbed in godly pursuits in the midst of business, not once or twice, but very often. "I never saw him lose his state of equipoise. There was no business or other selfish tie that bound him to me, and yet I enjoyed the closest association with him. I was but a briefless barrister then, and yet whenever I saw him he would engage me in conversation of a seriously religious nature.
regard from me as his moral earnestness, and deep down in me was the conviction that he would never willingly lead me astray and would always confide to me his innermost thoughts. In my moments of spiritual crisis, therefore, he was my refuge..." Gandhiji regarded Shrimadji as his friend, philosopher and guide. He said that most of his lessons for self-improvement and on truth and non-violence, he has learnt from Shri Raichandbhai. The 63rd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi will be observed on January 30
SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
sentiments do not always come to the surface of consciousness; they come out only when it is necessary. A sadhak is one who expects anything and everything, and therefore he can stand on his own legs spiritually. There is no use depending on outside factors for our happiness. These outside factors are temporary relationships.
like a human being. And, therefore, it is also difficult to trust God. Our understanding of the nature of God is humanly conditioned, socially limited, personally interpreted, and so it falls to the ground when we are actually in need of His support. Even the socalled yogis and seekers of Truth cannot reach God so easily, un-
and stand before Him, we do not stand before a human being or a humanly interpreted personality. Divine values are transempirical. The God whom you are aspiring for is no doubt in the world, yet He is different in His character and substance. Thus, to take to the spiritual path, to lead a spiritual life and to
A
new value begins to be visualized in persons and things outside when the spirit starts to behold things as spirit. The vision of a sadhaka is a spiritual vision. It is not a vision of the eye merely. We are not looking at things with our eyes. We are looking through the eyes at the objects from the standpoint of the spirit, which alone can be called spirituality. The standpoint of the spirit is spirituality, not the standpoint of a person. The idea of personality is outgrown when the spiritual attitude manifests itself in outward life. We fail to smile at each other in ordinary human relationships. Though we may contemplate this inner secret of the subtle bond that exists among human beings, we still tumble upon our own sentiments. We get angry, and we are emotionally attracted and repelled. We are still mortals to the very core. Yet, it is essential to go on reinterpreting our relationship spiritually in our day-to-day practice of sadhana. There is no use doing sadhana with buried human sentiments inside one's own self. These
Necessity of becoming true spiritual seekers Swami Krishnananda
Our understanding of the nature of God is humanly conditioned, socially limited, personally interpreted, and so it falls to the ground when we are actually in need of His support
Our real stuff is of a different nature, and that has to be remolded and transformed. Our relationship with God is not an individual relationship. It is not a relationship of one person with another person. Spiritual relation is divine relation, the relation of the soul to the infinite background on which it is sustained. To love God is not easy, because God is not a person
less there is that strength within them by which they can take to the spiritual point of view, the standpoint of the Spirit in the judgment of things outside and the understanding of life in general. The real spiritual seeker is a God-man, and he stands alone, unbefriended, in front of that Mighty Alone, the Great Creator of the Cosmos. When we face Him
practice spiritual sadhana would be to die completely to the old prejudices of our life. To take to spiritual life is a veritable death. We remain human beings till the end and die like human beings, repenting for not having utilized our life properly as it ought to have been. We are still the old, old persons with the same desires and the same weaknesses. May this be shed.
The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress. -Ramana Maharshi Spirituality is indeed the master key of the Indian mind; the sense of the infinitive is native to it. -Sri Aurobindo Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem. -Jiddu Krishnamurti A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate. -Swami Sivananda Life finds its purpose and fulfillment in the expansion of happiness. -Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
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Organizational changes imminent in Indian Army FIRDAUS AHMED
T
he recent headline in a leading national daily, "Indian Army set for its most radical revamp," is entirely believable. The article informs that "proposals include setting up of a Strategic Command, comprising of Army's offensive capabilities" which may be implemented as early as March 2011. The reorganization involves the "creation of a Strategic Command, under which the three Strike Corps would be brought together" as "part of the 'transformation study' done by a high-level team under Army chief, General VK Singh, when he was heading the Eastern Command." The article examines this move in relation to India's Pakistan policy and the inescapable fact of South Asia's nuclearization. India will re-engage Pakistan after a long gap since July last year with their Foreign Secretaries meeting on the sidelines of a SAARC meeting in Thimpu next month. This will set the stage for talks between their Foreign Ministers during the first quarter of this year. The strategic changes in India would occur around this time. The message to Pakistan is stark. How will Pakistan react? Although there is no direct link between resumption of the peace process and military restructuring, this exercise has long-term implications for the peace process. The implications for the peace process arise at two levels - overt and less visible. The overt message is that India is 'upping the ante' by establishing a capability for escalation-dominance. Pakistan, led by its Army, will receive the message that India now has an answer to the problem of proxy war. Pakistan would, in response, need to rethink its India strategy. The less visible message is that India has little faith in the peace process. These changes would prepare India for the worst case scenario in which it may need to credibly coerce and possibly compel Pakistan. Bringing the strike corps under one command headquarters would bring synergy to India's offensive capabilities, making them seem more potent when employed together. The headquarters enables this capability, although these strike corps can be deployed in the geographical commands, if required. This capability harks back to the 'Sundarji doctrine', in which the strike corps was designed to slice Pakistan at its waist in a counteroffensive. During Operation
Parakram, Pravin Sawhney and VK Sood reported that the three strike corps were deployed for this purpose in mid 2002, when they were co-located in the desert after the Kalu Chak incident. By making this capability more 'doable' through the creation of a strategic command headquarters, the Army seems oblivious of the nuclear dimension that is present
is to be a 'proactive strategy'. This movement was broadly in consonance with the imperatives of nuclearization. The current reported moves amount to risking a nuclear showdown, which is a strategy that India can do without. It is a strategy that can be adopted in a war situation with one of the command headquarters,
India Post Brazening it out
T
Indian troops
since 1998. The implications of the nuclear dilemma are of equal consequence. Currently, Pakistan has an unstated nuclear doctrine, that one observer interprets as 'asymmetric escalation'. Most believe that its nuclear threshold is high enough to permit limited conventional operations, even at strike corps levels and up to a limited depth. This can be triggered by India's strike corps
Pakistan would, in response, need to rethink its India strategy. The less visible message is that India has little faith in the peace process. These changes would prepare India for the worst case scenario in which it may need to credibly coerce and possibly compel Pakistan operating together under a single command headquarters, which highlights the limitations in rationale of a single command headquarters. The doctrinal trend has moved from the Sundarji doctrine to limited Cold Start offensives. Now, with Cold Start in cold storage, it
Central Command, for instance, playing a role. However, to establish a permanent strategic command headquarters will amount to keeping a sword pointed at Pakistan's innards, given the message that India, with its offensive capability enhanced, would be able to continue operations even in case of nuclear first use by Pakistan. Possible Pakistani reactions may occur at two levels - one, its peacetime equations with India and second, in wartime. If the nature of the Pakistani regime is any indication, it would first attempt to balance India. Pakistan could increase its reliance on the nuclear deterrent and its dependence on China. For Pakistan's reliance on the Chinese, the Indian Army has a ready answer - 'two front' doctrine. In conflict, this change indicates an expectation that nuclear deterrence will work. In other words, the proposed changes would require rethinking whether India's nuclear doctrine is adequate. Since the conventional and nuclear levels are interlinked, changes in one cannot be considered in isolation from the other. The consequent changes in the nuclear doctrine are not known. However, could the tail end up wagging the dog? Mr. AK Antony, who will have to take the ultimate call, needs to thus ask himself the question: "Does the proposed change meet India's security interests?" Courtesy IPCS
he Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which functions under orders of the ruling Congress party, has just declared that investigation into Commonwealth Games irregularities will take many years, thus gladdening the hearts of those being investigated. The Bombay High Court pulled up the same CBI for spending too much time conducting preliminary enquiry (PE) and prolonging the filing of an FIR in connection with the Adarsh Housing Society scam. The country's top anti-corruption watchdog body, the Central Vigilance Commission is saddled with a commissioner who is himself under investigation in the palmolein scam in Kerala. PJ Thomas was also the telecom secretary during the 2G scam under the infamous telecom minister A Raja. This was to be a major probe for the CVC. But the Commissioner had to recuse himself from the case as he was himself involved. Does it sound like the Congress has noticed the concern of the people and is doing something about speeding up probes into corruption in its ranks? On the contrary, it has decided to brazen it out and to defend the indefensible. First it persisted in appointing Thomas in spite of evidence of his first hand knowledge of the 2G scam and suspicion of his role in the Kerala palmolein scam. There is a case now on in the Supreme Court against the appointment of Thomas. The Manmohan government is forcefully defending his appointment and telling the court it has no business in questioning the appointment since it was decided by majority. It fails to mention that there was opposition to this appointment by the third member of the election panel, leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj. And what credibility a vigilance commission would enjoy whose head is himself under investigation and suspicion? The Congress seems to think that it has to fight the charges by the BJP head on and not let it claim victory. In the process it fails to see the majority view of the people who are aghast at the scale of corruption and the ruling party's attempts to brazen it out. A sign of this thoughtlessness is enlisting the support of the new telecom minister Kapil Sibal and planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to defend the 2G telecom deal. Their argument is that the CAG figure of loss to the exchequer is highly exaggerated. And Minister Sibal even ventures the spin that there was no loss at all! These transparent attempts at whitewash do not enhance the credibility of the ruling party. But if the opposition BJP thinks it is winning the support of the people, it is hugely mistaken. When it talks of the Congress as a "band of dacoits," the focus turns on its own reaction to the charges of corruption in land deals against BJP chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, in Karnataka. If it is not willing to remove its own corrupt, it loses the high moral ground in accusing the Congress of not acting against CVC Thomas, the CWG accused and the 2G scamsters. While the two major parties are embroiled in a battle of egos, the concern among the people has found voice in the recent appeal by a group of leading industrialists, bankers and former judges to the government to check the "malaise of corruption." Industry chambers have also joined in asking the government to evolve a transparent system of awarding projects and usher in reforms in electoral funding. Here the industries also need to do some soul searching about corporate behavior which is not above board. Can corruption thrive without the industry's co-operation?
50 India Post
www.indiapost.com
January 28, 2011
January 28, 2011
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52 India Post
www.indiapost.com
January 28, 2011